1. I want every design that I create to be inspiring and something that hasn’t been seen over and over again. I get to create (key word: create!) something from scratch that is somehow fresh and inspiring yet still timeless. I’m not a trendy person nor a trendy designer, and as a designer, I also want to be the one inspiring others creatively and to think outside the box. I get asked a lot, and I’m often so inspired by nature (color palettes, textures, and more), architecture and home/interior design, and travel (new cities, landscapes, and vibes of a particular place). I try so, so hard not to look within the wedding industry (and definitely not from Pinterest!) for inspiration, as my goal is to design something original and unique.

2. Yet at the same time, I love being able to appeal to both brides and parents (and those wedding partners I’m collaborating with) alike. I want to create a wedding design or tabletop or some other touch point that isn’t too modern or trendy for parents or those with more classic taste yet also appeals to brides to do something a little unexpected, a whole lot inspiring, and still very meaningful. Above all else, meaningful details that reflect the couple are my favorite kind of details!

3. Create a wedding design that’s also attainable and achievable. Everyone’s wedding budgets vastly vary, and I want to be able to inspire brides of a myriad of budgets to think differently about details, to be inspired by a new palette or overall design, and to find ways in which to make it work within her budget or parameters. Yes, it’s fun to create and design over-the-top tables or wedding designs, but that’s not always realistic. There’s a fine line in balancing an inspiring, stunning, fresh look with elements that brides may not have thought about before while also ensuring that, overall, it’s still an attainable vision.

4. Layering textures, palettes, and design elements is key! I don’t want my designs to feel flat, and there’s so many ways to creatively add some unexpected touches in! For this tabletop, in particular, I really embraced rattan touches (a nod to summertime), a variety of textures (velvet napkins, layered plates, rattan details, paper menus and place cards, a linen with great texture, rattan chairs), a plethora of colors (I am most certainly not afraid of color, especially when used wisely: blush wine glasses, bold jade napkins, blue and white places, salmon place cards, pink sea salt, a blue linen, slate blue taper candles), and small but significant details (gold salt cellars, using the wedding crest in the place card and also on the menu, unique white bone flatware, a variety of glassware shapes, thinking outside of the box with the rattan chairs). These florals also popped so beautifully and tied in the entire color palette to ensure it is not only cohesive but stunning!

5. I always want to design from my heart, so more often that not, it means creating and designing something that represents and reflects the heart of Stephanie Shaul Events and my brand! Over the last many years, I feel like my style and my designs are easy to spot and have evolved into a signature style. I love when my friends, family, and other wedding vendors and partners say “oh that’s definitely a Stephanie Shaul Events wedding or design!” So much of my design work for an event like this is to wholly embrace my brand and my heart while also doing something unexpected, unique, and memorable. I think the weddings I’ve planned and designed over the years are romantic, clean, colorful, beautiful, timeless, fresh, meaningful, joyful, layered, and elegant, and I always want to embrace what sets me apart as me while still creating and designing in new, challenging, inspiring ways!