Covered: Vintage inspired shoot makes the front page

http://www.modernwedding.com.au/

http://www.bailie.com.au/

Centennial Parklands Dining Expo - Table #2 Vintage Romance

One of the joys -- and challenges - of styling a whole lot of different looks for the one venue on the one night (as we have to when we take part in an expo at Centennial Parklands Dining) is how to create different seasonal looks to encompass the moods and colours flowers offer at different times of the year, only we're attending flower market on the one day, in the one season, to gather all we need to style the tables.

But the flower gods of Tasmania smiled upon us this February and supplied us with these delicious pink peonies - a flower we would normally only have access to in late October through to early December.

Combined with the fact we had access to blackberries in season, rosy crab apples picked fresh from a tree growing at the gate of our favourite farmer's property on the outskirts of Sydney, watermelon hued dahlias and lusicious velvety celosia in shades of sunset pink, we were a bit excited about designing this arrangement for the very new cream and vintage glass footed flower stands now on the shelf in our hire range. (This was their very first outing. They would also make excellent cake or sweet stands for a dessert buffet, as as there's a lovely cut glass plate under all those delicious flowers, but we digress.).

For this romantic, vintage setting we placed a large mirror at the centre of a table clothed in cream linen, added a crystal cut plate filled with rosy crab apples to the side of the main centrepiece, scattered glass votives with a fleur de lys embossed pattern around the mirror and before each guest. Cream napkins were held by a beaded cream napkin ring and a cream gift box tied up in chocolate and dusty pink striped ribbon, with fresh blackberries as a top knot, were at each place setting.

Etched wine glasses carried the vintage feel through to the tableware, and cream and chocolate stationery, with pink caligraphied names, from our stationery range finished off the look.

Cream anyone? Would you like one lump, or two?

Enjoy.
x

Form Over Function flowers and styling captured with grace and beauty by Photography by Anliette.

An eventful life

'Tis the season to be busy, and we can't think of a better time to launch Form Over Function into that world wide blogosphere out there - a space where we'll tap away and post pretty photos, funny photos and simply stunning ones too; a space where we'll work to keep our clients and fellow travellers inspired, informed and maybe even amused, as we share the behind-the-scenes workings of an event design & hire company that hates to do the same thing twice.

We love Fridays in here. Happy and excited clients looking forward to their event on the weekend, means happy and excited us.

Burnished red dahlias sit on our desks today - such beautiful structural flowers in gorgeous, gorgeous shades - fresh from our pre-dawn trip to the flower markets in Sydney.

Their season is drawing to a close (sadly, but we look forward to cymbidium orchids just a week or two away), but one of our brides Aivee will enjoy masses of white dahlias with a just-there touch of pink, on her tables at Pavilion on the Park across from the Art Gallery of NSW tomorrow.

In Gloucester, in country NSW, Matt and Holly spent yesterday unpacking the boxes of style we shipped them earlier this week to transform their marquee for their wedding on a family property.

Wanting to steer clear of the all-white wedding, they turned to the colours of a country sunset, which they love, for inspiration.

And we love that they wanted to break out of the traditional country wedding thing and create a celebration that was their very own, so we came up with all it takes to warm up what is -- let's face it -- an (expensive) white plastic tent, and shipped it to them.

Deep aubergine marquee walls feature on two sides, large hanging vases from our hire range filled with purple orchids add interest, and we've created arrangements of delicate amber & violet beaded branches to fill the stunning metre tall tangerine vases which will feature in the corners of the space. Tables will be overlaid with delicate aubergine silk, with smaller tangerine vases picking up on the styling in the corners of the marquee, and pretty, pretty candleholders, some aubergine silk, others delicated beaded.

And wait till Matt sees THE dress.

I just caught up with Matt on the phone to check how set up was going, and might offer them a job - it's done. Was finished last night, so they're off to enjoy barefoot bowls with their family and friends for the afternoon.

Now that's what we call good planning.

And we love a groom-to-be who cares and takes an interest in every aspect of their looming wedding day: Matt described to me how they've sited the marquee so the open side faces west to capture the setting sun, and yesterday afternoon he and Holly took the time out to stand in their marquee watching the light change within as the sun set over the hills, casting a glow over the aubergine walls and tangerine vases.

Serious yum we think. Photos to follow soon.

Now, as much fun as it could be to keep blogging tapping, writing, we have flower arrangements to create...but who's complaining when this is what we are surrounded by:

Enjoy the view.

Alicia x