Coastal Style with a Modern Twist

This event weekend featured an extended family reunion on Friday night and a 50th anniversary party on Saturday night, followed by a poolside brunch on Sunday morning. We wanted to make this three day party feel like an effortless extension of the clients' waterfront home and patio décor, which was accomplished by using whitewashed farm tables and white cross-back chairs, placed in the yard.

In addition to the whitewashed furniture as our base for all three events, we used a different core color each day to make each event feel very different, while still maintaining the client’s casual style and oceanfront feel. The flowers were refreshed each day with a different accent color being added or removed to echo the design palette of our PEAK rentals.  

[We] absolutely loved the Rattan Light Brown Chargers and mason jars for the opening event as they gave off an easygoing vibe that kept things from feeling “stuffy” despite being a plated surf & turf clambake for more than 150 people.  The Ibiza Cement linen, although it sounds heavy, matched the Sevilla Lipstick linen fabulously and complemented the sandy colors of the nearby beach.

For the more formal 50th Anniversary party the following evening, the combination of Tweed Sapphire linens, Savannah Coupe Dinner Plates and white Tessa Goblets brought a sweetness to each individual place setting. We finished the look with hemstitch napkins that were adorned with navy blue nautical rope bracelets as napkin rings. Nearly everyone wore the bracelets home at the end of the evening!   

Always think of your guests comfort level. For example, don’t set your dining chairs too close together (give folks some elbow room, especially when you’re serving lobster!); use stemless glasses or heavier goblets to avoid drinks tipping over from the onshore breeze; add ceiling fans to your tent if you anticipate a sweltering day, and likewise, have tent sides available to warm up the space on those chillier evenings; and consider spreading out the menu consumption over more hours than you would in cooler months (don’t have one heavy seated meal, but instead let your guests graze for hours so they may dance and drink in between courses to keep the mood light).

[I am] currently obsessed with the Tweed Sapphire linen as its weight holds up well at our Cape Cod beach venues and the shade of blue is perfection—it can easily read as navy, cobalt or indigo depending on what it’s paired with. And the new Debutante Blue and Rosalie Grey Blue goblets bring the color of the ocean right to our guests fingertips!

I pride myself, after 20 years of event planning, on my ability to read my clients’ aesthetic. Taking cues from their personality, wardrobe, apartment and even their favorite stores into consideration, I suggest a design board that is appropriate for the occasion and venue. Most importantly though, [the design] needs to feel good to our client. Every wedding and event is different. We custom create designs in collaboration with a team of very capable vendors in the areas of rentals, lighting, florals and catering presentation. The most gratifying moment for our team is when our cumulative design and logistical efforts evoke an emotional response from our clients during the room reveal. To capture that moment is priceless.