Philadelphia Wedding Project Launch!

Well it is officially underway - let the snapping of photos and flashing of bulbs begin! The PWP together with Philadelphia Magazine publicly announced the winners at a party hosted by Washington Square on Wednesday November 18th. All of the "Business Partners" of the project were invited to come share the big news with Caitlin and Rodney. The couple is one step closer to home, now stationed in Germany. So their family rallied and we got a change to mix and mingle with them at the party.

I was delighted to attend (who doesn't love a party?) and to be in such good company was fabulous. As Campbell Studios I had donated my wedding planning services - but alas, the couple already had secured a planner prior to entering the project. Nicole Brennan from Lovely Girls Events is their gal, she and I had a chance to catch up. Nicole is located in Delaware and has known Caitlin since their High School days!

Speaking of lovely girls... Nicole and I had a lot in common and look forward to working together soon!

You know how I feel about cake - and Cakes by Suzy didn't disappoint! She made the PWP logo - here is the center! It was chocolate, I loved it.

Did I mention mingling with great people? Caitlin and Rodney call each other "Waffle" so the signature drink was a "Waffletini" - no syrup thankfully just a funny name to a sweet tropical blue cocktail! Over such adult beverage - we (myself and Bailey Hale of MODA botanica) ran into a few more lovely ladies. Like Beka from Innove Events and Marnie Cullen from TableArt.

MODA botanica did the flowers for this party as well as donating a portion of their services should the couple like to have them as floral decorators for the wedding itself. The couple has a "Seaside theme" that they will bring to Winterthur for the big day. So MODA brought in a tasteful touch of drift wood and flowers that evoke the underwater fantasy such as protea, succulents, tillandsia and lily pad like galax leaves.

Catching up with Vanessa from Two Paper Dolls was fun too - they have such great style. Bailey and I chatted it up with them. They do beautiful work. Talking about letterpress got me itching to do some more printmaking. Note to self: sign up for studio time at the Fleisher!

And it wouldn't be a networking event with out Sofia by my side - check out the coat - I look like Inspector Gadget!

Sofia is Shaadi Chic

I am such a bad blogger! I have been swamped with fun events, writing proposals and checking out fun new places. All great, but they all have distracted me from updating the blog - so here is a flurry of activity, all out of order I am sure!

I spent the past weekend with my friend and photographer Sofia Negron. She was taking part in a super cool wedding soiree called Shaadi Chic that was put together by Preeti Shah this past weekend. Preeti is the founding designer of Spotlight Style, an event management and design firm based in NYC. While this event was focused mostly on Indian weddings the multi-cultural blends were gorgeous. (As was Sofia's work - check out this photo from an album she was showcasing!)

Now, I did not have the pleasure of working this wedding with Sofia, but I did help with her trade show display. So off we were late Saturday evening to set this bad boy up and I got tucked in early AM. But it was all worth it. Not only did I have a super fun time hanging out with Sofia, but it always feels good to lend a hand to a friend! Great Job Sofia!

"Diana a Celebration" Opening Party

"Diana a Celebration" had a preview party at the National Constitution Center on 10.01.09 - and I was so excited. Not only did I get to work in one of my favorite places, with one of my favorite people (Ginger from Max and Me) but I got to be delightfully close to royalty. We made some simple classic little treats for the cocktail tables in mercury glass julep cups. Silvery Dusty Miller and white Hydrangea were jewels on the icy blue linens. A nod to the simply classic style that was behind the exhibit doors.

I thought of my friend Terry the whole time & am hoping maybe he can come up North to see if her train was as long in person as it is in my head!

Hurry, the show is only up until December 31st!

Mt. Holyoke Reunion at the NCC

Mt. Holyoke celebrated its Alumni Event at the NCC this Fall on September 3oth. Sofia Negron captured the details of their event and then stuck around to record the memories. These gift bags each hosted a little herb plant that the guests can plant once they get back home.


And with a few touches added to the Buffets, the stage was set!

The Philadelphia Wedding Project

Sofia Negron is one of my favorite photographers and is a founding partner of The Philadelphia Wedding Project! She is one of six artists who have put together an incredible opportunity where one lucky couple who is planning to wed in 2010 or early 2011 will be able to have all six local photographers capture their big day on film! That's right SIX! The deadline is fast approaching (August 31, 2009) - so check out the rules & submit your story!

Campbell Studios is one of the Business Partners who is willing to share in the project by offering the lucky couple our Coordination services on their wedding day. I am so excited to see how this project turns out - good luck everyone!

Philly Icons

Here are some fun little things to bring a touch of Philly to your event while staying sleek. I love these Philly cut outs. I just added the Phillies 'P' to the mix and will be adding the rest of the sports teams over the summer. My favorite is still the Clothes Pin.

This is one of the projects that reminds me why I like what I do, and that the possibilities are endless. By offering complete event design and production I have all the tools at my disposal and the cross over in unique. All I need to do is dream up the the ideas. Here I made use of the fabrication side of the studio. These frosted plexi Icons were cut out on the CNC router (a.k.a. The Robot). We have them in all sizes and cover a huge range of Philly flair: The Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin, The Clothes Pin, LOVE PARK, Kites and Keys...we can custom cut just about any design.



How cool is this shot with Independence Hall in the background!

I'm also really grooving on stair decor these days too so stay tuned. Clean simple touches draw your guests up to the next experience.

Zoobilee 2009!

Campbell Studios was invited to partner up with the Philadelphia Zoo and participate in: Zoobilee 2009 Birds in Paradise. This was the 35th Annual Zoobilee, which also happens to be one of the longest running fundraising events in Philadelphia. This was our second year donating decor for the fundraiser and we are proud to be a part of the community!

We helped dress the VIP Dessert Lounge that was set up in the Tiger Terrace overlooking Bird Lake. Guests were brought to this room after dinner and treated to front row seating for the fountain/light show that took place on the lake once the sun went down.

Linens were Atlantis Turquoise and set the color pallet for a cool underwater vibe. Later in the evening, the lighting treatment from the rooftop had a soft undulating ripple through the skylights above that added to the 'under the sea' ambiance. Tall vases reached out towards the skylights with Monstera Leaves, Sago Palms Leaves, Green Amaranthus, Seeded Eucalyptus and touches of orchids to added a splash of color.


Since prime viewing was at the windows we lined the table edges with candles and orchids to pull the decor together.



I made some new friends too, who helped me implement the design: Igor & Nihad. They are here from Bosina working at the Zoo for a few months. They picked all the blossoms off over 30 bunches of Jade Orchids and lined them up along the windows and at the bases of the centerpieces. Great Job! thanks guys!

And speaking of friends...thanks for the photos Sofia! The availability of free food was too much for us to pass up so we checked out the party, met some fun people and saw something that might have verged on monkey porn...anything look a little not right here?

Right?! I don't see any babies anywhere....boobs?! Implants?

And we saw this totally cool plant, I think it is called 'Dracunculus vulgaris' (also seems to be referred to as 'Dragin Plant' or 'Meat Plant')and vulgar it was. The smell is like rotting meat and the blossom huge! Once I started taking pictures we drew a crowd, it really was an amazing plant.

Black and White Party

We kicked of graduation season with a modern twist on black and white at one of our favorite places the National Constitution Center. The crisp white linens and the sharp NCC black chairs set the stage for each centerpiece to shine.


Sofia captured the details of the tables...all different vases each showcasing a different white flower. This particular design was the last of three I had included in the proposal - it was an idea that I had been wanting to do for awhile so I tossed it in right before I sent it. I'm so glad the client trusted my creative license - we were both excited about the final results! Here are just a few!

Reinventing the Philly Theme Party

This is an ever evolving personal challenge for me. So, lately I have had added a few new items to my decor list to spice up buffets. Here's a taste of a few of my latest accessories...big and small!

Chinatown


The Delaware


LOVE Park


South Philly/Italian Market

Networking at F.U.E.L.

I got a call from Sofia Negron (of Sofia Negron Photography) last week that I needed to get out networking again. "There's lot's of great stuff out there and your missing it," she said. Plus, there is usually free food involved with networking - so I jumped at the chance to check out F.U.E.L. with a fresh eye. It had been awhile since I was at 249 Arch Street - like when it was the "Real World" house. It seemed like a great idea to sell the venue in original TV condition, but a wee bit skeevy too.

The location has been revamped and is a cool event space and has been repainted white for a clean fresh blank canvas to work from, beautiful chandeliers and an open floor plan. But what makes it even better for me is the great artwork on display. F.U.E.L. is an acronym: Fostering Undergraduate Exposure on Location, and as a Tyler School of Art Grad myself I could have used a space like this! They are committed to cutting-edge arts and culture - so I can't wait to have a MODA client book this space. We'd be a perfect combination.

Anyway, back to networking...Sofia and I had a great time:

No, we really did behave ourselves and we met some great people, like Gabriel Fredericks from Philip Gabriel Photography whom we stalked for a better photo than the one we took above.

....And Joseph here from Miel Patisserie who helped us decorate our own chocolates as a take-a-way:

I pulled double duty at this one figuring one way or another great contacts could be made for both MODA and/or CS and I think we came out with a little something for everyone. The event was sponsored by Brides.com and was filled with lots of great event people making connections. Fleur de Lys Catering showcased great food, we chatted up Lindsay Martin and Alain Flambert from Feastivities Events and Carolyn Verdi was in the house too!

Please Touch Museum Open House

The Please Touch Museum opened in the Fall of 2008 & I love it! If you haven't been, grab a kid and get over there! The design is smart, the restoration to Memorial Hall is amazing - you are definitely going to want to have your next party here. The Please Touch Museum lead the rehabilitation of this national treasure from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, and Max & Me Catering is proud to serve as the museum's exclusive culinary provider.

Max and Me Catering hosted an Open house for current and prospective clients. Campbell Studios was invited to do some table decor.


It gave us an opportunity to burst into spring with some color (finally!) and to help Max and Me Showcase their Great Hall for clients so they can get a feel for the room decked out. Michael Persico was kind enough to swing by & take these shots for us - Thank You!




I loved these vases they were so bright and I was so ready for spring. Inspired by this beautiful linen that the Total Table let me borrow I filled them with Lily of the Valley, Ladies Mantel, Viburnum and a few other bright green foliage I found growing in the garden.