Umbrellas ~ Blankets ~ Shawls
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Today’s Shawls – Not Your Grandmother’s Old Wrap Anymore! Now Fashion’s ‘must have’ accessory!

Parisian women wear them daily and in the trendsetting countries like Italy, Spain and France the fashion designers have revised the look and created the shawl as a recent addition to the 2012 catwalks and runways – so where is this ‘it’ accessory in your closet?

A ladies shawl is a stylish yet purposeful way to add ‘je ne sais quois’ and a pop of color to a plain dress, tee shirt and jeans while taking the bite out of the cold.  Whether it’s a classic soft Pashmina to a dressier silk fabric – you can take your favorite Little Black Dress and give your entire look more pin-ash.  Showcase your own personal creativity with all the vibrant colors and unique designs for the ultimate fashion statement and keep in mind…the real value of the shawl is determined by how you tie it!

Classic viscose shawls have been a favorite with women for a very long time – with the elegance and fine Turkish craftsmanship – they can be even worn with the most formal of wedding attire for brides, bridesmaids and guests.

“A shawl is an accessory that grows with you,” said Nil Soucek, Owner and President of Splendor for Your Guests. “It rocks the business world, yet is elegant enough for weddings. All while adding sophistication to every woman’s basic wardrobe.  Shawls stand the test of time!”

While wedding industry experts are always looking for the perfect solution for a touch of class, whimsy or color for their bride’s special day – branch out and think in complimentary color tones that will enhance and add overlaying shades of texture!  Try not to fall in to the ‘matchy – matchy’ trap and don’t choose colors that exactly match the flowers, bridesmaids’ dresses and linens.

Look no further for the perfect gift for all ages.  You can add that personal touch by having it monogrammed with their first initial on their favorite color shawl.  Cozy up with a wool blend shawl trimmed with faux fur for the ultimate gift.

The shawl shopping list is in with a mix of patterns and textures in fun floral, lace, knits, cottons, silk and tweeds. Once upon a time you were given a shawl and you folded it into a drawer. Well it’s time to take it out – because today is all wrapped up in shawls and you don’t want to be left behind!

Written by Lori Ryno. Lori is the Business Development Director and Style Consultant at Splendor for Your Guests and a certified Professional Wardrobe Consultant. Lori is also a regular contributor to leading style and fashion blog, Style, Set, Go.

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Meet Hope from The Wedding Studio…

We’d like to introduce you to Hope from The Wedding Studio. Her background in interior design and wedding planning makes her a talented professional to help plan a memorable and beautiful day. Check out our interview with Hope.

How did you get started in wedding planning?

My start into wedding planning sort of happened by accident. I first started working in the wedding industry as a manager of a couture bridal salon in Chicago. During my years there, I met hundreds of bride’s every season and formed relationships with as many as possible. I guess my passion for the wedding industry was pretty apparent to most because it wasn’t long before I had my brides asking me for a recommendation of a good florist or a great photographer or even to be with her that day to help make sure everything runs smoothly. I would happily oblige whenever I was available! However, at that point, wedding planning and day-of coordination felt more like a hobby to me – or better yet, a guilty pleasure.

When my husband and I moved to Colorado, I followed the same path of managing a local couture bridal salon and moonlighting as an informal wedding planner. Several years later, I took a short break from the wedding industry to complete a life goal of finishing my bachelor’s degree, which I did, in Interior Design. I worked in my new industry for about 2 years until it was clear that my true passion lies with weddings. So, armed with all my experience at more weddings than I can count, my degree in hand and my proven expertise in project management, I decided to start my own business doing something that feels like a part of me, helping couples plan their perfect wedding. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else.

What’s your favorite part of a wedding day?

Oh my goodness, where to begin?!? There is so much I love about a wedding day. Right up there would have to be when the bride arrives on site to get into her gown. Hair and make-up done, veil in place and maids in tow, there’s not many a bride that doesn’t glow with excitement and anticipation. That is such a wonderful moment.

A close tie to that moment would be the couple’s first dance. Working with a couple to plan their wedding puts me in contact with them nearly daily for an average of a year, so I get to know them and their relationship pretty well. To stand back and see them talking and laughing together to a meaningful song fills me with such happiness for them and for the wonderful day we’ve put together. I tear up every time.

Who and what inspires you in your designs?

The couple – without a doubt!! As an interior designer I’ve become quite accustomed to listening to my clients and creating a design that is a reflection of them. The same is true in wedding design. The more I can be around a couple to hear stories of how they met, where they’ve been on vacation or significant moments in their relationship, the more I can contribute personalized, meaningful design ideas that are unique to each couple. Having said that, I’m not one to “take over” the wedding design but rather to enhance it. I see my role as one of service and support; wanting each bride and groom to feel like their wedding is a perfect reflection of them.

What top three tips would you give a bride and groom?

First, hire a wedding planner!! Even if someone is super organized and has lots of time, they can still benefit from a wedding planner! Wedding planners have resources and connections that have been developed over seasons and can be of great value to a bride. A good wedding planner will also take the pressure off of a bride’s need to rely on close friends and family to do things like load the wedding gifts in the car or stay to help clean up after the reception. There’s really no end to the list of things a good wedding planner contributes to a wedding!

Second, once you’ve hired your wedding planner, before you’ve booked any other vendors, allocate your budget and stick to it!! There are always additional costs that come up when planning a wedding and there are lots of people that need money from you. To start signing contracts and booking vendors without a clear, honest budget allocation is a sure way to come in over budget. You can always up grade your flowers or add another entrée to the buffet later – those things don’t need to be finalized until 30 days prior to the wedding, but start off on the right foot to reduce your stress by sticking to the budget.

Third, remember to take time out of wedding planning to continue developing your relationship. Wedding planning can be all consuming if you let it. Make sure, maybe even once a month, to plan a date night where you promise not to talk about the wedding. The closer a couple gets to the wedding date, the more important this becomes in centering the couple and allowing them to remember the love they have, the relationship they share and the reasons they decided to commit their lives to each other.

What do you see as the next trends in wedding design?

I’m seeing a big return to a plated dinner vs. buffet. I’m also seeing the use of gold tones as opposed to silver is increasing as well as saturated or jewel tones over soft, pale colors. Though I have to say, I think it’s important to be inspired from the trends but always stay true to your own aesthetic. 10 years after their wedding, each bride should be able to say when looking at pictures from another wedding, “that’s beautiful, but what I did is more ‘me’”. I think that’s when you know you’ve created a successful wedding design.

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Nicole's Clients Rented Our Lemonade Parasols (photo: Julie Kemerling)

We absolutely LOVE the parasols from Splendor!  We recently reserved them last minute {as in, the week of the wedding} due to an unusually hot forecast.  The bride and groom really wanted all of their guests to be completely comfortable, without sacrificing the “look” of the reception.  This is the one thing we really stress with our clients.  The comfort of your guests is absolutely top priority.  As the reception took place in an open area, a tent was really not the best option for several reasons; one because it just did not fit within the space for maximum effect; and most importantly, being under a tent can sometimes be hotter than just being outside in the open air.  Adding the tent was also going to be rather costly; and the parasols provided a less expensive option, even with shipping.   So we enlisted Nil from Splendor for parasols.  The couple had a vintage, fun design for their wedding…and the parasols perfectly fit within the theme.  I loved the parasols not only because they are super fun for photos and decor, but also because they work logistically speaking.  They easily cover two people, they protect from both rain and sun, and they are easy to display.  We found a vintage nail keg to display them and it worked beautifully!  Going with the vintage theme, we had lounges for the guests. To pull the parasols full circle, we placed vintage decorative parasols within each lounge as well {major cuteness!}.  Guests loved them, as did the bride and groom!  Well, well worth the money. No doubt about it!

Nil, we cannot thank you enough for getting the parasols to us {in the wedding colors, nonetheless}, on such short notice and with such great service.  They came perfectly on-time, as promised, and as always – such a pleasure to work with you!  Looking forward to many, many events in the future!

Nicole Riley
Verge Events (Asheville, NC) – owner
StudioWed – founder

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The Bolero Look

Sophisticated: Picture Audrey Hepburn or Katie Holmes walking down the street with a shawl draped over their heads and the length of the shawl streaming down their backs…with big black sunglasses. That’s sophistication!

Stylish: There are so many ways to wrap, tie and knot a shawl to add an immediate sense of high fashion and elegance to any basic dress or outfit. The bolero look is shown in the photo here. Watch our video on how to wear shawls

Soft: So plush and luxurious you may never want to take it off!

Sensible: Perfect for travel to roll-up your jewelry for the suitcase or wrap yourself in warmth while on the plane.

Summery: Freshen up your wardrobe with honeysuckle pink (shown here), soft lemonade, or garden lilac.

A huge “thank you” to Custom Creations Photography for this beautiful image.

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As an Image Consultant for almost 20 years, I’ve seen how much importance is placed on the color tones for a wedding. I always recommended to brides that color should reflect your personality, yet also set the style and tone for your very special day. First and foremost – choose wedding colors that YOU love and then use those colors in your bridesmaids’ dresses, shawls, decorations, cake, favors, flowers, umbrellas, accessories, table linens and even the invitations! Here are a couple of tips to remember as you select your colors:

1. Consider Your Surroundings. Where is the ceremony and reception? Will they be indoors or outdoors? Choose colors that complement the setting. Consider the venue and its location, (in the mountains, by the ocean, rustic and natural, or elegant and traditional). Also, consider the window treatments, carpet and overall venue décor.
2. Dramatic? Romantic? What’s Your Style? What mood do you want to create? Vibrant colors add drama, while soft colors evoke a more romantic atmosphere.
3. Let the Season Guide You. The time of the year can influence your color scheme, such as spring and summer colors tend to be lighter, while fall and winter colors are generally darker.
4. Make the Most Impact. Also, to avoid having a overly busy looking event, try to limit your main colors to two or three and remain consistent with your colors throughout the wedding site. You can always add a few subdued colors for a more elegant look.

2011 Wedding Color Trends

Popular wedding color choices for 2011:

turquoise, navy, chartreuse, yellow, honeysuckle
deep red, black & white, slate grey, purple, latte

Enjoy selecting your colors and remember Splendor for Your Guests offers shawl and umbrella rentals and shawl purchases in all of these hot colors for 2011 weddings!

- Lori Ryno, Development Director for Splendor

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Debbie DiClaudio, premier wedding planner and owner of Save the Date Events, lists some great ideas for holiday and winter weddings. Did someone say dessert bar? How fun! Read her whole list and see some great photos on The Knot!

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Last week, my good friend, Michelle Gillette of Dramatic Events, asked me to partner with her on a table design for the wedding showcase at Denver Botanic Gardens. She wanted to create a romantic, yet unique table setting that was a perfect complement for these beautiful gardens. Here’s the final design. Read on for the story behind it!

Pink Romance Design

At the beginning of our design meeting, we decided to use a parasol as our focal point and signature piece. Our plan came together so quickly that we were ready to gather the elements after a brief conversation.

Michelle ordered the gorgeous linens, china, crystal, silver, table, and chairs from Event Rents. I was so excited when she forwarded me photos of the linens and place settings. I knew they would really add a soft romance to our table.

Next, we selected flowers from the fresh floral market. Gorgeous stems of orchids were our main choice. We also chose various other flowers in our color scheme. I’m no florist so I have no idea what they were, but I can ask my amazing florist friends if you would like to know.

The day of the event, we arrived to find our table in the shade (thank goodness). It was a very hot day, which is compounded when the sun is a mile closer (such as in the Mile High City). We started setting up and all was going smoothly, until… we realized that our centerpiece wasn’t coming together as expected. We’d planned to use floral foam to anchor the parasol’s handle in the base of the vase. Unfortunately, the foam we had was for dry arrangements, and was floating in the water instead of soaking it up and forming an anchor. Next, the foam started breaking apart and sticking to the inside of the vase. At this point, I started giggling and saying how I felt we were on a reality TV show. My solution was to use paper towels to stuff around the foam and hopefully keep it in place. That seemed to work. At the end of it all, Michelle created a gorgeous centerpiece and now we know how to recreate it for the first bride who wants to do a parasol flower arrangement (we’re taking requests!).

We also incorporated our raspberry pink shawls as the chair decor. Michelle created the custom-designed jewelry to adorn the shawls.

Jewelry adornments for shawl chair decor

The look came together and got some great comments. We hope you enjoy these photos as much as we enjoyed creating this look.

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Debbie Orwat from Save the Date Events in Denver was recently asked for hot tips by The Knot Magazine. She mentioned keeping guests cozy as one of her tips. Debbie’s consideration for her brides and her brides’ guests makes her one of the most popular planners in Denver.

*Note that the article mentions our former website, “Adornyourguests.com”. We are now “Splendor”.

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Thanks to amazing photographer, Autumn Burke, we have new photos of our products. Check out her blog! She’s truly gifted. All bouquets were beautifully designed by the creative Alicia Schwede of Bella Fiori. Fun paper adornments designed by JS Design.

We hope these give you some inspiration to create your unique look. Stay tuned for more!

White Shawl with Bouquet

Pink Silk Paisley

Pink Classic Shawl

Pink Parasol

Lemonade Parasol & Lilac Shawl

Lemonade Parasol & Lilac Shawl

Lemonade Parasol & Lilac Shawl

Lilac Parasol & White Shawl

Bright Yellow Parasol with Bouquet

Bright Red & Grey Fur-Trimmed Shawl

Umbrella Sleeve

Umbrella Handle Inserts - Dotted Border

Umbrella Inserts & Sleeves

Champagne Parasol

Merlot Parasol

Bright Yellow Parasol with Bouquet

Photographer: Autumn Burke
Florist: Bella Fiori
Paper Goods: JS Design
Model: Zeynep Saltuk
Fashion Styling: Lori Ryno

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Strapless dress? Celebrating an event outdoors? Annoyed with wearing your date’s suit jacket over your cute dress? Need some classy and different ideas for adorning a shawl? Bridesmaid in a wedding and need to cover your shoulders during the ceremony? Watch International Image Consultant, Lori Ryno of Images Matter show three unique ways to wear a shawl with formal attire.

Note that the video refers to our former company name, Adorn.

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