Trending | Banana Leaf and Palm Print

I'm admittedly a pattern girl. Give me a pile of fabric with complimentary (yet contrasting) patterns, I'm smitten. But as patterns, prints and trends come and go, there are a few that have continually stood the test of time, and one of those happen to be the ever lovely palm leaf (or banana leaf) print. It's one of those elements that can morph itself into any design inspiration- from natural, to glam (Hollywood Regency, anyone?), to boho- this leafy maven has us covered.  Laurel and Wolf, the iconic online interior design firm, inspired me to share my thoughts on how to introduce the print into whatever you happen to be styling.

Interiors + Living Space

I tend to lean toward the philosophy of grounding with neutrals and adding patterns, color, or unexpected elements in smaller doses (or in specified areas) for a beautifully layered effect.

Right: via  | Left via My Domaine

Via Elements of Style

Each of these spaces have mostly white, tan, gold and black accents, layered with the leafy pattern. 

Via Project Nursery

However, the print is also amazing at grounding a busier space, too, like this crazy adorable nursery. 

Weddings + Parties

Using the palm leaf as part of your wedding design and/or party decor is less about becoming tropical and more about adding a fresh + modern accent to your event. And while the leaf definitely lives in harmony with a Hawaiian vibe, it can also be super stylish with even the most romantic or playful design. 

Right via Camille Styles | Left via Laurel and Wolf

I love turning traditional things into unexpected surprises, like penning a menu on a large palm leaf (or insert any object de nature, here), and a wedding lounge would be so sophisticated and on point with a pairing of graphic patterns, complimentary colors, and the palm print. 

Left via The Sweetest Occasion | Right via We are Scout

And of course, for the more fun-loving social parties, this print is perfect on decorations or as a live centerpiece to your table. 

All in all, this print is one of those you just can't go wrong with. All of this inspiration has me rethinking our outdoor lounge at home, too- just might need to pick up some of these banana leaf pillows for a little touch of sophisticated nature to our backyard. Would love to know- what are your favorite inspirations or ways to use the print? 

Don't forget to check out Laurel + Wolf for even more inspo on all things style and decorating, via their website, blog, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Xo,

Brandi

Styling a Coffee Table with Chairish

When it comes to styling my home, I tend to be a bit of a minimalist- in both color (neutral always wins it for me) and accessories. And when I do buy trinkets and decor, it has to be something I really love to look at. But I do love putting together areas of my living space that pop a little more, and give the entire room a nice balance of visual interest. One of the places I love to do this is with a coffee table, so when Chairish approached me about my take on styling one of their gorgeous vintage coffee tables, I was all in. 

Chairish is an online resource, and basically a design lovers solution to buying and selling vintage furniture across the country. The company features beautifully curated pieces, and includes everything from art to decor to rugs and lighting too. I was asked to share my tips on styling, using one of the gorgeous vintage coffee tables available in their shop right now. My heart jumped a little when I saw this four drawer black lacquer lovely, and it was so fun to put together a collection of accessories and must-haves that would make this gem shine. 

I started with the necessities: the items that would ground the entire look, while also keeping everything together. This white hexagon tray is dainty and functional, and I thought it provided a nice juxtaposition to the masculine lines of the table. 

My next go-to is books. I love switching out really great coffee table books periodically because they are constant conversation starters, and tend to be lovely to look at too. I have both of these books- Erin Gates’ Elements of Style and Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney- and both of their black and white covers are the perfect amount of neutral yet stylish for this table. I also love mixing in other trade style books, whether they be for entertaining or even just photo books. My biggest requirement for a really great coffee table design is that it’s both functional and beautiful. 

From there I will always have a candle and flowers. I love finding soft, floral scents that aren’t too strong for the room, and it’s always a bonus for pretty containers too. This Cucumber Pop candle would be a great way for a subtle addition of color in the mix, and I love how the rim is in gold, pulling it together with the neutrals too. 

Finally, we can’t forget ‘les objets’- the accessories that really speak to your personality and finish off the entire look. I loved this lacquer box (perfect for the functional purpose of concealing anything from remotes to the small items that have no place to go) and this vintage brass wishbone for style and luck. 

It was so fun to find pieces to style this beautiful table; Be sure to check out their entire collection of coffee tables here. 

Favorite Fall Wedding Ideas

If I had to choose one favorite wedding season, it would be fall. It might have something to do with the crisp cool temperatures, aromas (pumpkin spice anyone??), or my slight obsession with textures (and the pairing of them):

Pillows: West Elm | Stool: World Market | Pink Stone Coasters: West Elm | Hammered Metal Decanter: Bed Bath and Beyond | Pretty Macaroons: L'extravagance | Fall Wedding Centerpiece: Jacin Fitzgerald

Colors: My go-to colors that are inspiring me right now are jewel tones with a touch of neutral + light pink. I think it keeps it ethereal while still adding the right amount of bold elements. 

Textures: Fall is your ticket to using all sorts of textures and patterns without anything looking or feeling too busy. Along with the more expected (warm) textiles like fur, I love the idea of incorporating other elements like stone or crystal to mix it up and keep it interesting. 

Gold: Need I say more? Gold goes with everything. Use it. 

Comfort Food: The fastest way to your guests' hearts is through their tummies. Take advantage of the cooler weather and serve both sweet and savory comfort food. Now is the time to get a little decadent and experiment with a menu that touches all of their taste buds. {And hot toddies are never a bad idea either}

Flowers + Foliage: Whimsical, natural, and textural. This amazing centerpiece by my friend Jacin Fitzgerald says it all. 

Beaded Wrap: Bhldn | Peaked Lapel Tuxedo: The Black Tux | Gold + Pearl Cufflinks: The Black Tux | Rockstud Ivory Pumps: Valentino

A fall wedding is also the opportunity to get jazzy with your look for the day. Statement pieces and bold accessories are such a beautiful addition. 

For her: Boleros and caplets are all great additions (both for style and comfort), but how about this stunning beaded wrap? And imagine, some killer shoes and a classic, ethereal gown. 

For Him: Who can go wrong with a black tux? This classic look is both dramatic and stunning at the same time. While suits became the norm of summer weddings, I'm looking forward to seeing more of this iconic look this fall season. Pair it with some eye-catching cuff links and I'd say this couple is camera-ready. I recently came across The Black Tux, an online tuxedo rental company, and was so excited to see quality, well-fitted tux, suit, and accessory rentals available to men wherever they're located. If you haven't discovered it yet, take a peek- you'll be glad you did! 

What are your current favorite trends or ideas for fall weddings? 

Xo,

Brandi

{Featured} Real Soiree- Sarah + Laura's Garden Valley Wedding

Happy Tuesday! So excited to be able to finally share this intimate, sweet wedding with you. Featured on Wedding Chicks today, do head over to take a peek at the whole spread- and get some great ideas on how to really personalize your wedding. We'll be back tomorrow with more photos from this mountain destination wedding, so stay tuned!

Xo,

Brandi

October Insta-Favorites

October was a big month for the Soirettes- we had a myriad of projects and weddings to tend to- who ever said wedding season ended in September?? Looking back through all of the photos, a few things became obvious to me: 1) I really need to be posting on Instagram more. Seriously, 4 posts in October? Not good. 2) Kim is much better at posting on Instagram than I am, and therefore most of these photos are from her account (good job Kimmy!) 3) October was a busy month, and no wonder I'm tired. Here are a few photos from our adventures in October-and now that I've admitted to the world that I'm not so great at publicly documenting things, please check my Instagram for what will be a crazy amount of posts this month!

We started this month off with the sweetest private ranch wedding, ever. Dubbed the "fancy farm wedding", our bride wore a gorgeous pink dress, and lots of gold and sparkle made way into the farm setting. It was also one of the most torrential wind storms ever, too- back up plan in the barn worked well in a split second change of weather!

Baby Hudson is a star. 

Our most favorite project to date- an amazing collaboration with so many great vendors. Our "Come Away With Me" photo shoot introduced a brand new venue in McCall and had so much fall and winter inspiration included- can't wait to share more of this one! And no, those were not Moscow Mules in our cups, but rather warm coffee as we were freezing!

The three musketeers at our last wedding in October

And bonus: this one is actually not on Instagram (surprise), but on my iphone, so I included it anyways. A snapshot of the fall-inspired table we designed for Paperie and Pen's grand opening at the Village at Meridian....it was actually quite a challenge to take the ideas of one design and change it up a bit. Fun nonetheless, and hope you've been able to stop by their amazing new store! 

Happy Wednesday! 

Xo,

Brandi

Office Inspiration

We've been in our office space for a little over a year now (same building since about 2011, but last September we moved into the basement level), and once the whirlwind of wedding season came to a close this year for us, we realized that we haven't done one thing with our office since our holiday party last December. As creatives, that's sad. When we moved downstairs, we were originally faced with two main problems: 1) the lime green and orange walls (thanks, Ampersand Girls! Muah!)  and 2) the added space and the fact that we had exactly one desk, 2 ottomans, and a conference table. The space we moved from was in the ballpark of about 200 sq ft (gotta start somewhere!), and our studio is now likely more in the 1000 sq ft range. We had a lot of ground to cover. So between September and early December of last year, we went on a buying spree to purchase as much as we realistically could (thank you, slow season) to at least make it look less like a 25,000 sq ft warehouse and more like a stylish wedding planning office.

Well fast forward to the end of October 2014 and I've decided it's time to start really personalizing this space. It was such a roller coaster season that styling the office was just the last thing on the list. In fact, I don't think it even made the list. So as I've gotten more in the office planning mood, I've already seen so many inspiring images that maybe one day our studio will grow into, and here are some favorites so far. Happy Monday!

xo,

Brandi

Via Cedarhillfarmhouse.com and Pinterest

Loving the reclaimed or vintage doors hung barn-style. Would love to do something like this to our extra-wide doorway leading into the main room of our office. 

Via Domaine

Let's talk about all the beauty oozing out of Lauren Conrad's newest Paper Crown office make over. It's the perfect marriage of eclectic and sophistication- this is exactly what we are aiming for in our office. Bring on the personality and style! 

via breakfastattoast.com and Style Me Pretty

With our great room being so expansive, and well, great, we are doing a little space planning on how to lay it out better. Considering moving all of our work stations into the great room with shared desk spaces to make better use of the area. And the chalkboard from designer Erin Gate's studio? That was totally the inspiration for our giant gold-framed chalkboard. We need to use it now, though...it's so pretty we never want to mark it up! 

via Praise Wedding

Definitely loving the mix of textures and patterns in this one! 

I'll be on a pinning spree over the next few months- feel free to check more inspiration out on our pinterest pages too! 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, lovelies!

I've been on a quest for more "me" in my life...and all of these things just spoke to me this week. Here are five of my favorites...what new finds or loves do you have this week? Happy weekend!

Xo,

Brandi

1. Julep Wedding Nails. Loving these shades for a big day | 2. Just feeling a little smitten with this gold pattern by Saffron Avenue | 3. These monogram cups are perfect for the cup of joe in the morning...Soirette Stephanie actually bought me one last year for my baby shower and it has become my favorite cup since | 4. Loving the newest patterns and palettes from Plum Pretty Sugar for BHLDN | These candles from Anthropologie are equal parts cheery and chic.

An August Soiree

{Sometimes, in the midst of planning weddings and parties, we find a spare moment to dream up our own perfect iconic wedding. Here is a look for an August bride I'd love to see....}

The August Soirette.....

• Is elegant and cool in a form-fitting back-see gown perfect for the garden
• Loves a succulent over a peony any day
• Sips on a Watermelon Sangria
• Isn't afraid to show her soft and daring side with a mix of gold and diamonds....and a little blue for hue
• Knows that gold heels can be worn after the wedding, too

What are your current favorites for August? 

Succulent Bouquet | Iris Gown by Claire Pettibone | Crystal Venus Flytrap Necklace | Olive Leaf Bracelet | Pave Link Bracelet | Gold Nudist Heel

{Featured} Whitney + Brian's Winter McCall Wedding on Style Me Pretty!

Happy Monday morning lovelies! There's nothing much better than waking up on a Monday morning to an amazing spread on Style Me Pretty- and we're thrilled to see one of our winter McCall weddings featured today.

Whitney and Brian planned their wedding with us in a short 7 months- his season as a race car driver left them only a few months to choose for a wedding- and before we knew it, January came and the wedding weekend went off without a hitch.

The look for the wedding was vintage shabby chic, matched with feminine blush and gold. Oh and chandeliers- we often joked that this bride would be the happiest girl on the planet if all she could have were chandeliers and her man. 

The ceremony was held in the upper pavilion of Shore Lodge. White chiavari chairs were paired with two vintage church pews for an eclectic, shabby look, and all 17 of the chandeliers were filled with white flowers and draped pearls for an immediate romantic feel in the room. From there guests were shuttled over to Whitetail Club for a cocktail hour and dinner. From the outside, the building looked like any normal building. But from the inside- a tent dripping with chandeliers. 

One of the shabby chic winter lounge areas...

...And one of our gold magnolia leaf bars

And we can't not put in the most gorgeous wedding video we've ever seen, to date, by PenWeddings:

Whitney + Brian | McCall, Idaho wedding film from Sarah Pendergraft on Vimeo.

For the full feature please do hop on over to Style Me Pretty, and be sure to check back here as we'll be adding a few more detail shots and talking a little more shop about the wedding. Thanks to Dylan and Sara Photography for the lovely photos, and we hope you enjoy!

Xo,

Brandi

Inspiration | Forest Destination Wedding

I think I'm officially inspired by all of the fun vacations I want to take this summer. I immediately thought of all the amazing destinations for a wedding. I was brought to a warm, sunny place with pine trees and rustic surroundings. Of course, I'm still a lover of those tropical sunsets and warm beaches, but the warm vintage feel, and soft earthy colors of a forest, make it my favorite destination of the season! The rich greens mixed with soft color pallets, wooden textures and a variety of whimsical flowers, sure is dreamy huh?

sources 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Enjoy & happy day!

Kim

Real Soiree | Michelle + Jonathan's Boise Wedding

We're finally getting back into the swing of things and we've been giddy as we receive more and more photos from some of our weddings back in 2013 and early 2014. This one holds a particular sweet spot in our hearts- it was the beginning of us literally joining a family. Michelle and Jonathan celebrated their sweet, intimate wedding in mid October at her parents' home here in Boise, and little did we know that within a 6 month period the other two siblings would also be getting married with us too. 

Michelle's mom came to us just a few months before the wedding, a little overwhelmed with the planning and kind of on her own with Michelle living in Los Angeles. This would be the first wedding in their family (Michelle's parents eloped), and the whole soiree would be held at their house no less. 

Both Michelle and Jonathan were literature buffs so the entire design began with their favorite books- and as we got to know the couple more and more, we were able to infuse it with some whimsical details that really reflected their personalities. A few of our favorites from our leading ladies at Ampersand Studios: 

Michelle fell in love with one of our "love grows" favors that we had fashioned for one of our styled shoots, and it was such a sweet touch to see a potted succulent in cute mini-hat boxes at each place setting. The wedding party was made up of only family and very close friends- resulting in a guest list that maxed out at an intimate 75- so we were able to have Paperie and Pen hand letter the escort cards...love. 

Favorite books and quotes made up table names and decor, along with gorgeous white and yellow fall floral arrangements by Matt at The Florist At Edwards. And the linens? Those were our favorite- they took on almost a wood effect yet with just enough sheen to keep it from getting too rustic. 

The ceremony backdrop. Let's talk about that. Michelle and Jonathan got married in the front yard, with towering trees as their backdrop. We hung a variety of vintage birdcages in different sizes and ranging from teak wood to metal, and had them filled with flowers. We all stood back and just kind of stared for a second- the result, along with the bright flowers against the green trees, was equal parts whimsical and magical. This was our favorite ceremony altar from the year. 

And why shouldn't a couple getting married feel like they're standing in a field of growing freesia and ranunculus? 

Michelle's brother married the couple..

And her bouquet held a very special heirloom locket. 

The welcome to Idaho welcome gifts were a hit.

The clear top tent was actually an addition on the morning of the wedding. With chances of rain increasing to near 40%, and much against what Michelle wanted we went ahead with a tent. But because it was October we were able to bring one with a clear top and string it with patio lights; it turned out better than anyone imagined and still gave Michelle her dinner party under the stars, even though it never rained. 

All in all, the entire day was lovely. October is a beautiful month to be married in! 

Xo,

Brandi

Throw Back Thursday | Our Favorites

I'm just now getting on to the wagon with the whole #tbt thing. The problem is, I always forget and by the time I remember it's Friday. Should I start a #tbf? In honor of this particular Thursday, thought it would be fun to go back through time and pick out some of our favorite moments in wedding planning and design over the years. Sometimes there's just that one element or memory of an event that just has us giddy. Some were super out of the box and others were just amazingly sweet and sentimental. And others just had us clapping because some ideas just turn out with smashing success, if we do say so ourselves.

Via Instagram and Ampersand Studios

The first time we put a giant tent and created an entirely different room, inside an indoor tennis pavilion at Whitetail Club in McCall. 

Via Tana Photography

And it's not very often you'll see a Vera Wang on a diving board. Still can't believe she was brave enough to do this! 

Via Instagram

Getting to see our work with Tana Photography printed and published for Shore Lodge's marketing materials! 

Via Tana Photography

This wedding, from several years ago, ended up in unfinished office space with nary any power. After having to move the wedding three times due to unfortunate circumstances, the third time was a charm. 

Via Tana Photography

This bride. That dress. This bouquet. Everything about this. 

Courtesy Anna Weaver

Another oldie but goodie....A winding table for 80 in a Northend Boise back yard.  

Via Tana Photography

Still our favorite spring wedding of all time. From the "garden" escort display to the whimsical details start to finish- this was definitely one of our most branded events to date! 

And that's just a snippet of some of our favorites...I had fun going through the archives...maybe we'll have to drum some more up for another #tbt? 

Happy Thursday!

Xo,

Brandi