4 essential tips for an impeccable table

Ph @Paolo Castagnedi

In October I organized a one day floral workshop focused on how to decorate a table from start to finish. I asked Manuela Piccoli an expert interior designer, to join us and to  give inspirational insights on table etiquette.

During the preparation of the course I kept in mind 4 key points :

• Style

• Palette and flowers

• table preparation

• less is more

Style

First of all I chose the style. I went for a very romantic, elegant and baroque look. While I was looking for inspiration  I discovered that  next year one trend in wedding decorations will be  “New baroque”. I’m curious to see how the baroque style will evolve this time around. Baroque style always includes ornate gold, extravagant locations and luxurious decorations; how interpret it is completely up to you.

Palette and flowers

I always choose the style and colours at the same time. It’s so important to have a clear idea of the palette from the start. For this event I went for opulent shades of burgundy paired with bright pearl-ivory and gentle gold/caramel tones.  The selective use of colour gave me the freedom to choose the best flowers and greenery. Thanks to the different shapes and petals, I could express the uniqueness and elegance of baroque.

Among the flowers chosen there were:

• “Antik caramel” garden roses for their sumptuous candy caramel shade

• Yves Piaget “Ivory” garden roses with their ethereal petals reminiscent of  Japanese silk paper.

• “Dark chocolate” dahlia with its velvety opulent dark chocolate hue

• Intense burgundy and light cappuccino carnations

• Translucent pearl leaves of  Lunaria

• The beautiful long lithe shape of Stock and Cat’s tail

Ph @Paolo Castagendi

Ph @Paolo Castagendi

Ph @Paolo Castagnedi

ph @Paolo Castagnedi

Ph @Paolo Castagendi

 Table setting

After deciding on the style, colour mood and flowers  I met Manuela in her atelier to select all the necessary items. Keeping the style and colours in mind we chose  elegant and timeless white. We picked out old linen table cloths,  fine white bone china dishes decorated in gold, French cutlery and antique crystal glasses.

Ph @Paolo Castagendi

Ph @Paolo Castagnedi

Ph @Paolo Castagendi

Less is more

When I’m decorating I never forget this golden rule. For this event it meant not adding  any more colours to the ones we already had. Manuela and I immediately agreed that the best and only choice was white for everything.

Ph @Paolo Castegnedi

Ph @Paolo Castagnedi

Ph @Paolo Castagnedi

To wrap up:

• Don’t forget to use candles

• Find objects in yours cupboards and use them in an unsual way

• Don’t forget to decorate the rest of your home or location with a detail inspired by your table design: a colour, a flower or …

• And don’t forget to enjoy yourself!

Ph @Paolo Castagendi

Ph @Paolo Castagnedi

Ph @Paolo Castagnedi

A big thanks to Orietta for having us in her beautiful relais and to Paolo for the incredible photos.

Ph @Paolo Castagnedi

A medieval castle shoot

Photo @ Valentina Fraccaroli

At the end of winter, just before the approach of spring I was invited to do a shoo in a medieval castle.

When I received the moodboard about this shoot I started by choosing the  colour.

Burgundy was my immediate choice for its elegance, timeless style and versatility. This shade always gives a deep and dramatic note to each creation.

Starting with the bridal bouquet, I paired  the burgundy to different shades of pink in order to highlight the romantic style of the bridal gown.

Photo @ Valentina Fraccaroli

I wanted to create a luxurious and opulent bouquet where  different textures, petal shapes and flowers would add an ethereal and flowing style.

Photo @ Valentina Fraccaroli

Photo @ Valetina Fraccaroli

For the table decoration I picked flowers with amazing tones of burgundy: ranunculus, spellbinding anemones and dramatic tulips. To give a sparkling light I added  some peach tone flowers. Antique candleholders and small vases with candles added  a magical touch to the whole evening.

Photo @ Valentina Fraccaroli

Photo @ Valentina Fraccaroli

Photo @Valentina Fraccaroli

Photo @Valentina Fraccaroli

Photo @Valentina Fraccaroli

Photo @ Valentina Fraccaroli

Many thanks to an incredible team

Photo / Valentina Fraccaroli
Video / Forever Film di Paolo Brentegani
Drone / Andrea Bianco
Stationery / Bee in Love – Wedding Design di Elisa Tedesco
Mua & Hair / L’officina del MakeUp di Claudia Jclo Make Up
Wedding Cake / Cremerie
Dress / Marianna Michelon
Suit / Baratto Lavis
Shoes / Anniel
Rings / MIOeTUO
Venue / Ai Conti – Break, fast & slow
Patrocinio / Wedding in Arco
Bride / Caterina Brazzoli
Groom / Fabio Porta

the magical world of pictures meets the magical world of flowers

I’ve been always attracted to stationary, paper and drawings and that’s the reason why I want to introduce you to a group of talented young girls who goes by the name of  “This is Fairground”. They saw the light 6 months ago when Rebecca, Jesna and Petra decided to turn their love for illustrations into an adventure.

They deal with every aspect of wedding stationery,  birthday invitations and every type of special occasion, from the inspirational moodboards right down to thank you cards. All their graphic work is inspired by their passions: music, art, video, cinema and travel.

When I first read their “about page”  I was very intrigued with how they described their work:” We adore every kind of paper. We mostly love creating wonderful tales tailor made for you, so that you can keep them as a reminder of your happiest moment… We create magic. We take you back to the fairground”.

In their work nature, flowers and colours are essential and are perfectly matched with the way I create with flowers.

In December we started with a Christmas card. They immediately understood what I wanted to transmit: joy, light heartedness and magic.

In January I finally found a way to mix photos and illustrations. I talked about  this project with them and so the drawings on my wedding page became reality.

And what about you?  Do you prefer images or illustrations? Let me know!

4 reasons to choose carnations

Today I would like to write about carnation, a flower that is very often underestimated without being able to stand up for itself. These opinions come from the past when the floral arrangements were very basic or because here in Italy the custom is to use them on sad occasions.

But I think the time has arrived to open up the doors to this special flower which has a lot to offer.  Let me give you at least 4 reasons to change your mind about carnations

First of all nowadays there is an incredible variety of colours which always leave me speechless. Since the start of my career I’ve discovered numerous carnation varieties.

The second reason is that carnations keep you company for quite a long time, nearly a week or more. A tip they don’t like much water in the vase and the stems are quite fragile.

Thirdly carnations can be found throughout the year and they are fairly cheap. For these reasons they are ideal to complement any floral arrangements.

Ph Paolo Castagnedi

And finally they have a wonderful delicate scent and are very soft to touch. A bunch of white carnations  looks like whipped cream. Their consistency and the movement of the petals remind me of sumptuous velvet.

Don’t forget that in flower language they mean pure love.

Ph Paolo Castagnedi

Have you ever thought about giving them or  decorating  your home with them?

Backstage at a Verona wedding

Action!

Last October we made a video and I had real fun. It was the first time for me.

The main characters were:

Cristiana the wedding planner, who directed the whole day

Tiziana the make up artist who did the make up

as floral designer I created the bridal bouquet

Guido, the photographer

Noemi, the videomaker

Two beautiful young models

Not forgetting an orange red Fiat 500

And last but not least amazing Verona at sunset

Here is the day in photos.

During the preparation

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

Last touches

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

Creating the bridal bouquet

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

The happy ending

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

@ Guido Pera

Take a look at our video and let me know what you think! Il completo lo troverete stasera alle 21.00 sulla sulla mia pagina Facebook e sul mio nuovo canale Vimeo! 

YOUR ITALIAN COUNTRY CHIC PICNIC WEDDING

Searching for an idea for an original and stylish wedding? A picnic wedding could be just the thing!

Imagine a beautiful 16th century Italian country house, Relais Corte Guastalla, surrounded by Custoza vineyards, just a short distance from stunning Lake Garda and romantic Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet and eternal love.

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

An exclusive picnic wedding in the shade of majestic trees, amidst bouquets of peonies, roses, lisianthius and many other hand-selected spectacular flowers. Only the finest china, crystal and original French silverware will be used to make your special day absolutely perfect!

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

Our team of highly qualified professionals will help you create your unique picnic wedding with an unforgettable magical atmosphere in a stylish setting.

@ Marco Bravi

A typical picnic wedding package for 25 people includes:

•    3 nights accommodation including international breakfast at Relais Corte Guastalla in a double or triple room

•    Exclusive use of Relais Corte Guastalla location for 3 days

•    Wedding Photography service  by Marco Bravi

•    Floral design and decorations by Tania Muser

•    Wedding Planner: Cristiana Sarego of My Perfect Day

•    Place settings by Manuela Piccoli

•    Food and drinks for the picnic

We create made-to-measure packages according to your special requests.

Get in touch with us!

@ Marco Bravi

A peak behind the scenes of a country chic picnic

A country chic picnic is  an unusual way  to celebrate  your wedding reception, a birthday or a bridal shower. I’d been thinking about this ideas for quite a long time. Then when I met Orietta at Relais Corte Guastalla I knew that I’d found the perfect  location. So a couple of days later  I decided to organize an inspirational picnic shoot with: Orietta, Cristiana, Manuela an Marco.

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

Let me introduce you to this wonderful team:

Orietta and her husband who welcomed us in their fabulous park and villa.

@ Marco Bravi

Manuela Piccoli a romantic interior designer who’s passionate about shabby chic! She spends most of her time at antique markets in France searching for unique pieces. She turned the park into a magical setting with wrought iron lanterns, floral patterned armchairs and soft mauve velvet cushions. She laid out a white linen tablecloth on the grass with floral bone china dishes, French silver cutlery and crystal glasses.

@ Marco Bravi

Marco Bravi and his son always manage to capture incredible emotional moments.

@ Marco Bravi

Cristiana, a very capable wedding planner coordinated the whole day magnificently.

@ Marco Bravi

My job was to organize the flowers. In keeping with the country theme I chose delicate wild flowers paired with luxurious peonies, elegant roses together with olive, rosemary and seasonal greenery.

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

The mood was: fresh and sparkling, romantic and elegant with a retro feel about it.

These were some of the behind the scenes moments.

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

@ Marco Bravi

Check my blog tomorrow for the picnic package details.

@ Marco Bravi

Thanks to Gaiadi for the stationary!

An autumn wedding with an essential flower

Hi again, hope you had a good summer I’d a splendid one. As the leaves are starting to fall I thought I’d tell you about a wonderful autumn wedding I did last year.

Paula and Adam are a lovely couple who live in London and wanted to celebrate their union in Northern Italy. They chose the romantic location of Valpolicella amidst the vineyards.

Paula had a very clear idea of the style, the hues and the atmosphere that she wanted for their wedding. Being passionate about flowers herself it was important that they played an important role on their special day.

Constance Spry the English floral designer was a source of inspiration for Paula. This innovative floral designer was behind the creation for Elizabeth II’s coronation and many other royal events. She was a very strong, independent woman, passionate about flowers who brought flowers to the masses. Nowadays her elegant and natural style is very much in vogue and she wrote many books about floral design.

Going back to Paula’s wedding she chose a palette made up of different shades of bordeaux, burgundy, green and cream. A touch of light peach was added to give light and to create and edgy contrast. The chocolate hue of her moodboard conveyed elegance, smoothness and consistency.

For the flowers we chose:

• Dahlia "dark chocolate", a flower with a dramatic red-chocolate colour;
• Dahlia “cafè au Lait” which I love deeply and its sole presence brightens up every floral arrangement;
• Cosmos an ethereal flower with a bold almost black hue and velvet petals (check out my link);
• Stonecrop and Amnivisnaga, the first is fleshy and the second has a vintage lace look;
• Berries of black and red Viburnun, pink Symphoricarpos, peach St. John’s Wort and branches of small green rosehips;
• Foliage of different shades together with the unique burgundy violet Cotinus.

And last but not least black grapes and pomegranates were placed on each table for good luck.

Paula’s gown  was simple in style and light golding colour, a perfect background for her beautiful, big bridal bouquet. The curvaceous branches of green rosehip and cosmos gave a lightness and flow to it.

As you can see from the photos the final result was stunning"!

Take a look for yourself and let me know what you think.

PH: Dave Watts

Some photos are from Pinterest and some are mine.

A romantic shoot in the vineyards

A hazy September day was the perfect backdrop for this shoot. Just a few words about the flowers and colours that I used, for the rest I’ll let  Sotiris’s gorgeous photos speak for themselves.

Colours: the choice of the colour is the first thing to decide when planning floral decorations. I pinpointed two main colours: pink and green in different tones. Then I added a touch of burgundy and blue/violet to add intensity and give an edgy contrast to the decorations.

Flowers: the texture of the petals and the shape of the buds are very important. It’s like with fabrics: there are different weights, weaves and materials.  I’m always trying to create unusual combinations. For this shoot the delicate petals of Eustoma were set against the heavier consistency of the blue/violet Viburnum berries. The silk smoothness of the roses were perfectly matched to the lace transparency of the Amni Visnaga. Not to mention the Cosmos (a seasonal flower found from the end of September to mid October) whose corolla seems to have been drawn by a child. The intense velvet bordeaux petals together with its slender stems add lightness and gentle elegance to the scene.

A huge thank to all the team who worked on this amazing shoot. The photographs have since been published in various on line magazines.

Style me pretty: Debonhair Vineyard Garden wedding in Verona

Adorn Magazine: Italian garden wedding at Hotel Villa Giona

Dear Gray Magazine: Verona wedding morning

Wedding Planner: Alessandra Benedetti 

Makeup: Michela Dalla Brea 

Hair: AN-J

Wedding Dress: Mara Rossi, Tiffany Atelier Sposa, Villafranca (Verona) 

Jewelery: Skusa 

Venue: Hotel Villa Giona

a December wedding

The photos speak for themselves, it was the wonderful winter wedding of Chiara and Alessio. As you can see the bride was radiant, sweet and romantic.

Chiara and I met for the first time in spring. During our meeting she expressed the desire to use red as the main colour for their day. So the floral moodboard I proposed was: white and red anemones, double red tulips, white and red ranunculus, berries, small apples, dried oranges, rosehips, silver pine, Norway pine, silver and green cypress.

Chiara chose the beautiful church of St. Zeno in Verona for her special day. It boasts many beautiful and opulent frescos, in particular the magnificent Mantegna altarpiece by one of the most famous Italian Renaissance painters. I suggested a neutral palette for the floral decorations white, different shades of green and silvery-grey. These colours enhanced both the beauty of the church and flowers.

With a snow white bridal gown it was essential a touch of red. Red rosehips were added to pure white anemones, ranunculus and small white rose buds. With a touch of red lipstick the bride was ready.

Bright red took center stage throughout the decorations: from the place setting to the centerpiece, right down to the wedding cake decoration. For each table I created colorful floral compositions wrapped in soft white linen and for the bride&groom’s table there were some small “floral cakes”. For each guest there was a small pine branch with a little red apple, and a cascade of red flowers for the wedding cake.

I would like to thank Chiara, Alessio and Paolo (the photographer) once again for letting me share their unique day.

journal of a winter wedding

Today I want to tell you about Martina and Alessandro, a young sweet couple who got married in January. Their desire was to have an elegant, romantic wedding in the delicate tones of white and light pink. Light pink was the main colour of their day: from the invitation cards, the party favors, right dowun to the bride’s shoes...

THE CHURCH

The romanesque parish church of San Giorgio Ingannapoltron was chosen, which was located in the beautiful wine area of Valpolicella. From the little churchyard, there was a stunning view of Lake Garda. The church itself with its little cloister is built from local stone and has a clear cut design. The couple wanted the floral decorations to be soft and graceful. I suggested flowers with a roundish corolla. The traditional winter flowers anemones and ranunculus were perfectly matched with the elegance of white roses and the softness of baby’s wreath. Seeing als Christmas wasn’t very far away I decided to choose dark green buxus to use in all the creations.

THE BRIDAL BOUQUET

Martina, picked a very romantic wedding gown with an ample tulle skirt. The perfect choice of flower for her bridal bouquet was light pink cloni ranunculus. The cloni ranunculus started to become popular a few years ago and is an absolute must for a winter weddings. This particular flower has all the elegance of an English garden rose and the beauty of a peony. The older they get the more beautiful they become; the blossom opens up more and more to reveal their silken petals.

WINTER FLOWERS

Just another word about anemones and ranunculus. Anemones are effervescent flowers with their black centres and the their delicate silk like petals. You’ll be spoiled for choice by the vast array of colours to choose from. Pillar box red to deep burgundy and right down to every shade of purple. There is a lot to write about ranunculus check out my blog for more information about varieties and colours.

Which flower do you go for in winter? Drop me a line and let me know!

A special thanks to Martina and Alessandro and to Sergio Sarnicola the photographer for his outstanding work. (Some of the photos are mine which I took during the preparation)

flowers for an intimate wedding

An intimate wedding on a bright May day. Matanja and Anton, a young German couple decided to get married here in Verona and, asked me to do all the floral arrangements. A blissful carefree wedding in the company of a few close friends and relatives.

Beforehand Matanja and I had a nice chat about style, flowers and colours. The couple wanted a very small and romantic wedding. They also wanted it to be informal but with a special attention to detail. Matanja adored all shades of punk from the most dramtic tone to the most delicate one. A dash of mauve and a touch of light green completed here moodboard. May with its huge variety of flowers was the perfect month to fulfil her wish. Peonies in two shades of pink took pride of place in the arrangement. These were complemented by syringa lills with its elegant hint of mauve, lavender, ligh green viburnum, depp pink alstilbe, light pink eustoma and an outstanding purple scabiosa. It was a striking but well balanced combination.

The flowers had to make every place special and unforgettable:from the romatic villa, Juliet’s tomb whre the ceremony was taking place and the Piazza for the aperitifs.

In keeping with the wedding I created all the arrangements in a natural yet elegant style. The pale pink of Matanja’s short lace dress was the perfect contrast to deep purple of her head wreath and bouquet.

The flowers had to make every place special and unforgettable:from the romatic villa, Juliet’s tomb whre the ceremony was taking place and the Piazza for the aperitifs.

The wedding day.

Upon my arrival at the villa I was immediately immerses in a relaxed and happy atmosphere. Everybody was getting ready maidt laughter and music.

At 10 o’colock the couple and their guests strolled down the road to Juliet’s tomb. After a short moving ceremony the couple walked through to the intimate courtyard where tey were greeted with bubbles and joy.

Verona is the perfect backdrop for a dream wedding.
Its locations include stunning Ponte Pietra, lively Piazza delle Erbe and the elegant Giusti’s garden to name but a few.

A special thenks to Sergio Sarnicola for his wonderful pictures.

NEW BRIDE's MAKE UP TRENDS 2016

One afternoon in December, I was speaking to Tiziana Artduini, a make-up artist, about the new make-up trends for brides-to-be in 2016. So seeing as I’m also passionate about make-up,we decided to do a shoot together combining flowers and make-up.

We were inspired by the colours Pantone chose for 2016: rose quartz and serenity.

“Joined together, Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace” - Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of Pantone® Color Institute.
In 1963, Lawrence Herbert, founded the Pantone company, and created an innovative system of identifying, matching and communicating colors to solve the problems associated with producing accurate color matches in the graphic arts community.

The choice of these colors for 2016 is very meaningful: romanticism is really very important in our daily life.

Leafing through the January issue of Vogue Bride I came across some amazing photo shoots where flowers, colors and dresses were romantic but at the same time contemporary and eclectic.

Coming back to our shoot with a young model, Tiziana thought about the make-up and hair styling, Marco Bravi studied the best sets and I carefully selected the flowers

This season the flower that best represents the rose quartz is the marvellous “Ranunculus cloni” (I talked about this flower in two recents posts) combined with the airy false goat’s beard and the timeless classy Hellebours .

For light blue serenity I chose a satin ribbon because in winter we can’t find this light blue shade in nature. In summer however it can be found in Hydrangeas, Larkspur and Scabious.

The first look was inspired by boho chic, a natural style with loose hair and a very delicate pink palette make-up. The second one was very romantic and elegant with an up-do hairstyle and a more intense make-up with a touch of marsala red.

For a similar look, Tiziana suggests using:

• Mascara: Sumptous knockout Estèe Lauder
• Eye shadow: Wet&dry Diorshow mono ,826 bikini, : Illusion d’ombre Moonlight pink Chanel
• Foundation: Sheer and perfect di ShiseidoContouring: New dimension Shpe Sculpt face Estèe Lauder
• Blusher: Luminizing Satin Face Color Shiseido, Joues Contraste Chanel

A Great Gatsby Wedding

Taking place at the Villa d’Acquarone, an incredible wedding inspired by the magnificent style of the Great Gatsby. A celebration reminiscent of the extravagant 1920’s style parties, realized in collaboration with Palazzo Eventi, which recreated the sparkling, electric, energy rich atmosphere of the times, with extraordinary attention to the smallest of details.

The chromatic floral compositions we created for this event bring to mind the elegance and vitality of the period, while expressing the visual force of fireworks: roses, dahlias, gladioli and amaranthus are assembled to create this effect, playing with their contrasting and powerful coloring in order to complement their diversity. Adding crystal to the ensemble amplifies the effect of the floral array, increasing the luminosity and intensifying the atmosphere of lavish, vibrant luxury.

The Villa d’Acquarone was adorned externally as well as internally with custom arrangements for each separate space. The dining hall walls and the head table were enriched with floral compositions of alternating heights, bouquets of roses and orchids cascading from the chandelier. Outside, a powerful and emotion inspiring floral arch was created for the bride and groom to celebrate their union: the declaration and promises of love were exchanged under a triumphant display of roses, hydrangeas and hanging crystal. The aviary, the pool, the main and supplementary entrances, the lounge area and the indoor fountain were decorated as well.

We left no detail untouched. We even proposed the preparation of beautiful gift corsages for the ladies present at the ceremony: freesias, pearls, and feathers to enhance the head or wrists of the female attendants. Even the external chairs were adorned with organdy and satin bows centered with Swarovski crystals.

A fairytale wedding at the Byblos Art Hotel

These are our floral arrangements created for a wedding which took place at the beautiful Byblos Art Hotel, Villa Amist, in collaboration with Palazzo Eventi.

Potrete vedere il video dell’evento in onda su Sky Sposa TV, canale 425, sabato 25 gennaio alle ore 22:15 e domenica 26 gennaio alle ore 19:25. Una preview qui: