2020 designs are including ALL the rainbow flowers, and I'm not upset about it.  I think that tastefully done pops of color are so vibrant and fun, and when bright flowers are paired with more neutral design elements, I love the end result.  

Zora and Dan were married in San Diego, California at the Prado Ballroom in Balboa Park.  Zora wanted the ballroom and floral design to feel lush and romantic, inspired by "A Midsummer Night's Dream."  However, she wanted it to be bright and colorful with a "tropical" twist.  The end result was stunning - we used ALL the fun rainbow flowers and tropical greenery to create something unique and magical. 

This romantic San Diego wedding ceremony took place in the gardens at the Prado in Balboa Park.  Instead of a traditional wedding arch, we used the wishing well in place at the venue and covered it in tropical branches, blooms, and greenery.  The "rainbow" pop of color against the lush green backdrop created a bright focal for the space. There is a reflecting pool in the ceremony area, so we surrounded it with lush blue delphinium.  The lush "oasis" of blue flowers around the reflecting pool created a dramatic accent, but didn't overpower the rainbow arch.  I loved pairing the two together!  The Bride's bright bouquet with peonies, garden roses, and colorful details matched the arch beautifully.  

In the ballroom, we created two styles of centerpieces: on half the tables we created growing "trees" with curly willow, twigs, tropical greenery, and lush colorful blooms.  Candles hung from the twigs to create a romantic, whimsical effect.  Then, on the other half of the tables, we created tall centerpieces that grew "downwards" with lush tropical blooms and greenery.  Each table had several candles and each guest received a small favor with local chocolates, customized with a white wax seal.  At the sweetheart table, we created a bright "rainbow" of flowers behind the bride and groom, set in front of a lush backdrop of blue flowers (mimicking the ceremony design) on the stage.  Me and my team had so much fun bringing this unique rainbow wedding to life! 

A huge thank you to the team who made it all happen...

Planning + Design + Florals: Tyler Speier
Venue/Catering: The Prado Ballroom at Balboa Park 
Photographers: James + Jess
Hair/Makeup: Style Me Kristi
DJ: Dancing DJ Productions
Bakery/Dessert: Cake
Lighting: San Diego Events Lighting
Calligrapher: Jessica Yee Calligraphy
Bride’s Fashion: Martina Liana, @martinalianabridal
Bridesmaid Fashion: Air of Romance from lulus.com, @lulus
Groom’s Suit:  Joseph Abboud, @josephabboud

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I had the pleasure of working with Mika and Steve over a year to plan their stunning wedding at Greengate Ranch and Vineyards in San Luis Obispo.  Mika is a graphic artist and had a very distinct vision for her wedding design.  We worked together closely to develop their wedding design concept.  She made all of the paper goods (so amazing!), which added such an amazing touch to the wedding, which had a color palette of white, blush, beige, and soft gold.  Mika's something blue (scroll down to see her amazing Gucci Shoes) were incredible. From the champagne wall escort card display to the dramatic floral garland on the head table, it was such a beautiful day!  I loved using peonies, hydrangea, ranunculus, eucalyptus, ruscus, dusty miller, and lots of roses in the floral design.  Mika's bridesmaids also wore all-white, which was super classic and stunning against the rustic backdrop of the ranch.  This year, it has been so fun seeing this wedding on Martha Stewart and Style Me Pretty.  

Mika and Steve chose to have a traditional Catholic wedding ceremony.  We kept decorations to a minimal at the church, to allow the setting to speak for itself.  I love when couples incorporate their traditions for their wedding ceremony - it is always such an honor to witness so many different traditions at the weddings we do. 

The reception was held at Greengate Ranch and Vineyard.  Guests enjoyed cocktails on the lawn (as the horses ran in the pastures nearby).  When it was time for dinner, guests took their champagne flute from the champagne wall, which doubled as an escort card.  Guests dined on mismatched tables (round tables with velvet linens and white chairs and wooden tables with runners and garlands) under a canopy of twinkle lights, which we covered in greenery to add a whimsical flair.  Field to Table catering provided an incredible multi-course meal, and dessert was a Milk Bar cake (and a cookie bar with home-made cookies from the mother of the bride).  After dinner, guests moved into the barn for dancing, and they celebrated late into the night.  

The team who made it all happen...
Planning/Design/Florist: Tyler Speier
Venue: Greengate Ranch and Vineyards
Photographer/Videographer: Natalie Bray
Catering: Field to Table
Rentals: All About Events
Band: Ben Mallare
Transportation: American Star Trailways, 805.543.9999, @americanstartrailways ( Dan Brown - driver - 805-801-6054)
Hair/Makeup: The Queen’s Bees
Graphic Design, Stationary, and Hand-lettering: DIY by Bride
Bakery/Dessert: Milk Bar
Lighting: Bella Vista Designs
Specialty Rentals: Scout Rental Co.
Calligrapher (Bar Menu): Jessica Yee Calligraphy

When Kristyn and I met to tour her wedding venue and brainstorm for her wedding design, she told me she wanted a "WOW" wedding. She then told me that she "TRUSTED" me and my team to make that happen.  Friends, let me tell you, when you trust your designer and planner to make your "WOW" wedding come to life, it can be magic.  Kristyn and I worked together to select the right color palette, textures, and details that she loved, and then she trusted me and my team to be creative and dream up something creative and unique for her and Jeremy's wedding. We used a soft color palette: whites, blushes, and silver/gray. We chose elegant, timeless rentals (velvet linens, fine china, beautiful cane-back chairs) and then filled the ENTIRE wedding with thousands of flowers to make it feel like a "lush garden" wedding at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm.  

I designed the ceremony space to feel like an abundant garden.  We created a large flower aisle of delphinium, Larkspur, and greenery leading up to the beautiful arch - which was covered in olive branches, roses, carnations, and other blush and white blooms.  It was a slightly overcast day, so the flowers looked incredible against the gray sky and ocean backdrop.  

The reception was one for the books. Guests entered the greenhouse to see a large board with handprinted vellum escort cards with white wax seals.  Me and my team created an installation of hanging flowers (to give the illusion of wisteria) with hanging glass orbs over the dance floor.  We created a "sea of flowers" around the band to mimic what we did in the ceremony.  On the tables, we had compote arrangements with blush and white flowers, velvet linens, white taper candles, white china, vellum menus, and silver mercury glass candles.  We created a hanging greenery arrangement over each table.  In one corner, we had a beautiful lounge installed with a crystal chandelier overhead and two large floral arrangements to surround the seating and give the illusion of a garden growing in the corner of the greenhouse.  At the bar we used a custom beer bar with flowers.  The sweetheart table was surrounded with blooms and the sweetheart chairs had wreaths of flowers on the backs.  The entire reception was a jaw-dropping sea of blooms - one of my favorites of 2019!

The team who made it all happen: 

Coordinator/Florist: Tyler Speier
Venue: The Orchid
Photographer: Sun + Sparrow
Rentals: The Tent Merchant
Linens:  La Tavola Fine Linen
Transportation: Jump on the School Bus
Band: Collective Music Group
Catering: Omni Catering
Photo booth: 805 Camera Bus
Hair/Makeup: TEAM Hair and Makeup
Officiant: Arland Steen
Bakery/Dessert: Enjoy Cupcakes
Lighting: Bella Vista Designs

When Natalie and Paul called me to get to know me, I knew immediately that their wedding would be so much fun.  Natalie's family grows flowers, and they wanted to provide all of the blooms and ensure that their wedding was FULL of beautiful floral arrangements.  Natalie and Paul were also high school sweethearts (like Taylor and I).  Finally, it was special to work with them because they are Santa Barbara locals and also grew up in this beautiful town.  Most of my clients fly in from all over the world to get married here (or in other destination locations), so it was fun to work with someone who grew up here as well.

Their wedding was at a private estate in Carpinteria.  It was full of so many beautiful details - from a clear-top tent with romantic chiffon draping and soft lighting, to a large floral installation over the dance floor, it was an evening to remember!  We featured a clean white and blue color palette and incorporated ALL the flowers from Natalie's family's farm.  The end result was stunning!
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Their wedding was at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Montecito, California.  Because the church is so naturally beautiful, we kept the floral to a design to a minimum so that the natural beauty the space would shine.  I created two large floral arrangements on the altar in all white to stand out against the intricate paintings and ornate detailing.  

Guests were greeted at a private estate in Carpinteria with signature cocktails, lawn games, and sweeping mountain views.  As the sun began to set, they were invited into the tent, where a large ombre hanging arrangement of delphinium hung over the dance floor.  Each table had a large floral centerpiece with flowers grown on Natalie's family farm, including delphinium, Lillies, and solidago.  We used white linens and navy blue goblets to provide a clean color palette in the all-green space.  The sweetheart table was framed with flowers and vines.  

The Team who Made this Happen: 
Coordinator/Florist: Tyler Speier
Photographer: Amber Jean Photography
Rentals: The Tent Merchant
Videographer: Lace and Lapel
Valet Service: Blue Star Parking
Hair/Makeup: Style Me Kristi
Catering: Holdren’s
DJ: DJ Hecktik
Cake: Lilac Patisserie
Lighting:Bella Vista Designs

As January comes to a close, I am getting so excited to launch all of our educational opportunities for event professionals this year!  Providing educational opportunities to fellow professionals gives me so much excitement.  I remember when I was first starting out in this industry.  I was overwhelmed, had lots of question, and often felt very alone.  It's scary to ask questions and sometimes it's hard to find a safe space to ask those questions, without fear of judgment.  Sometimes industry events can feel more like a competition than community.  Well, I don't like that.  I truly believe that community is more significant than competition.  Sure,  we all need our defining elements that set us apart from others - this is how we book our clients - but we ALSO need solid community to support us.  Sometimes being an entrepreneur can be very lonely.  It's amazing how much creative professionals have in common when we come together.

This is why I love hosting workshops.  When creatives come together to learn, grow, brainstorm, and CREATE - magic happens.  The workshops I teach are centered around being BRAVE, KIND, and AUTHENTIC.  There are no such thing as bad questions.  Whether you are a professional just starting your career (or someone who is considering making a chance), to a seasoned professional looking for some new inspiration, my workshops are designed to encourage, inspire, and challenge.  

In 2019, we hosted four workshops: "The Art of Event Design" at Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez, "The Tyler Speier Workshop" in Indiana, a Social Media Workshop in Santa Barbara, and a Thanksgiving Centerpiece workshop.  

I am so excited to share the images from "The Art of Event Design" at the Sunstone Winery Villa.  We had two days of laughing, learning, and creating together.  The workshop culminated in a styled inspirational shoot, complete with an incredible Lazaro Bridal Gown from JLM Couture, incredible floral installations, and beautiful details.  Here are some of the beautiful images from James and Jess Photography...

In the ceremony space, we created a deconstructed wedding arch with ranunculus, roses, hydrangea, huckleberry branches, and butterfly ranunculus.  We used cane back chairs and created a floral aisle with delphinium and Larkspur. The sandstone walls of the Sunstone Winery Villa provided the perfect backdrop for this amazing ombre installation!   

We also created an installation on the spiral staircase at the Italian villa.  The flowers "climbed" up the stairs.  The bride wore a flower veil - we clustered hydrangea on the veil to give the illusion of clouds.  It was so fun! 

For the dinner inspiration, we set a small table flanked with two pillars of flowers and whimsical vines growing overhead.  We used a velvet linen from La Tavola, fine china from The Tent Merchant, and a runner made with tulle and hydrangea blossoms. Crushcakes provided a beautiful cake, which attendees decorated with hydrangea and smilax.  Soft gray taper candles lit the space, with hand-painted calligraphy details by Jessica Yee Calligraphy.  

We had an amazing team of artists attend the workshop - it was incredible!  There were so many vendors who made it all happen as well...THANK YOU so much for being a part of this experience!  Here's the team that made it all happen...

Workshop Design and Coordinator: Tyler Speier
Styled Shoot Official Photographers: James + Jess
Videographers: Lace and Lapel
Venue: Sunstone Winery
Rentals: The Tent Merchant
Linens:  La Tavola Fine Linen
Gown Designer/Supplier: JLM Couture (Dress 1: Lazaro, Dress 2: Hayley Paige)
Hair/Makeup: Blushing Beauty
Calligrapher: Jessica Yee Calligraphy
Floral Supplier: Florabundance, Inc.
Model: Carisa Carroll, @carisa.carroll
Cake: Crushcakes
Calligraphy: Jessica Yee Calligraphy

While I love abundant florals and timeless/romantic designs, the weddings designs that "put me on the map" in the earlier days of my business were our organic, natural, very "masculine" feeling weddings.  I used to play so much with different types of greenery (sometimes not using ANY flowers at a wedding), different tones of wood, metal, and other natural elements to bring unique, organic wedding celebrations to life.  I still carry a lot of these early design inspirations into my floral designs, as they are an important part of my aesthetic.  I am so inspired by the natural whimsy of nature, and it's always so fun to play with natural elements while creating a design.

When Jamie and Matt asked me to design their wedding, they told me they didn't really want lots of flowers - they wanted it to be super natural, with lots of greenery and natural elements, and pampas grass.  I had so much fun working with them to design their big day.  We had a custom triangular arch built for the ceremony - it was 12' tall and made such an incredible focal to the space!  It reminded me of an old church ceiling, and I loved bringing that impressive piece on to the beach bluff to frame the bride and groom.  I also especially loved Jamie's bouquet - it was the only place at the whole wedding we used feminine blooms, but I also incorporated large air plants and textured seedpods to continue to the natural theme.
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The wedding ceremony took place on a bluff overlooking the ocean.  We had a custom built triangular arch to frame the space - I made it almost double the height of a normal wedding arch (twelve feet) to add some visual drama to the space and give the illusion of an old church ceiling.  Me and my team decorated the space with air plants, succulents, greenery, and pampas grass. Guests sat on natural wood benches.  

The reception took place at Rancho Dos Pueblos in the barn.  Guests entered the barn through the main entrance, lined with pillar candles and draped with natural linen curtains.  They dined on rectangular tables with wooden chairs - mismatched with exposed wood farm tables and tables with crisp white linens.  Instead of flowers on the table, we created textured arrangements with greenery - ferns, eucalyptus, eryngium, air plants, and small white blooms - in wooden boxes. A watercolor illustration of the venue was on each menu, which was personalized by a calligrapher with each guest's name.  For water glasses, we used cut wine bottles to bring in the olive green color and give a subtle nod to local wine country.  I loved the flatware we used as well - gold flatware with soft gray handles - a nice modern touch in the rustic barn space.  As the sun set, the band began to play, the twinkle lights were shining, and the guests danced the night away.  Such a fun wedding! 

The team who made it all happen: 

Planning/Design/Florist: Tyler Speier
Venue: Dos Pueblos Ranch
Rentals: The Tent Merchant
Specialty Rentals - Ceremony Benches: All Heart Rentals
Specialty Rentals - Arch: Event Planting
Catering: Omni Catering
Photographer: Stacee Lianna
Band: That Vibe (Rembrandt Band
Transportation - Guests: Jump on the School Bus
Transportation - Wedding Party: Santa Barbara Trolley Company
Makeup: Tomiko Taft Makeup
Hair:  Style Me Kristi
Small Cutting Cake: Crushcakes
Wedding Invitation: The Stationery Collection
​Lighting: Bella Vista Designs
Bride’s Fashion: Elizabeth Fillmore
Groom’s Fashion: Theory
Bridesmaid Fashion: Bella Bridesmaids

Rhiannon and Josh were married at Villa and Vine in downtown Santa Barbara.  Their intimate celebration for their closest family and friends was so romantic.  I loved the pastel floral arrangements, the romantic gold hand-lettered calligraphy details on hand-torn paper (by Jessica Yee Calligraphy), and Rhiannon's Claire Pettibone gown (and floral veil!).

Rhiannon got ready at the Rosewood Miramar Hotel in Montecito.  I love how her dress wasn't pure white - the gray and blush tones in the gown were absolutely stunning.  I created a bouquet for her with spring blooms in blushes, lilacs, creams, and soft blues.  Josh wore a powder blue suit with a spring boutonniere.  Their unique, fun wedding fashion choices shaped and inspired the design for the rest of the wedding day.  

They said their vows in a small Mediterranean courtyard in downtown Santa Barbara.  Me and my team created a whimsical ceremony archwith hundreds of stems of flowers to create a growing "vine" of "growing" flowers over the ceremony space.  We put taper candles on the ground around the bride and groom to frame them during the ceremony.

The guests enjoyed a family-style dinner at long tables adorned with white taper candles, romantic spring flower garlands, and hand-lettered calligraphy details.  It was an intimate spring evening with beautiful pastel details.  

The Team Who Made this Happen: 

Photographer: Christianne Taylor
Coordinator/Floral Arrangements: Tyler Speier
Reception Venue/Catering: Villa and Vine
Linens: The Tent Merchant
Dessert: Enjoy Cupcakes
Musician/DJ: Terry Bowens
Bridal Gown: Claire Pettibone

Sherine + John were one of the KINDEST couples I have ever worked with. They have traveled the world together, and wanted their wedding to reflect their adventurous spirits, the cultures of their families, and the also be a black-tie affair.  They chose to get married at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara.  Their design featured a white, blush, gray, and gold color palette.  It was timeless and romantic, with lots of twinkle lights.  We used fine china, gold chairs, velvet linens, and crystal glassware in the open rustic space, and the juxtaposition was magic.

My favorite design element was the reception space.  They had several guests, so we had a "sea" gold and velvet, with twinkle lights overhead.  Me and my team hung greenery from the twinkle lights to soften the space and make it feel whimsical.  A cluster of Moroccan lanterns hung over the dance floor, and moroccan lanterns hung from the trees surrounding the space.  We used gold and silver moroccan lanterns (with clear glass panes) so keep everything neutral, but still add drama and visual interest to the design.  The end result was stunning! 

The ceremony was one of my favorite parts of the day.  We created a natural, organic arch that gave the illusion of a rose bush growing over the trellis that already existed at the venue.  In the middle of the ceremony, they incorporated some of Sherine's family traditions - the Persian wedding ceremony elements were so beautiful and memorable!  After John and Sherine kissed, guests tossed rose petals into the air - it was so romantic.  

As guests entered cocktail hour, there was a flower wall for them to pose in front of.  Multi-cultural food was served and guests mingled at the museum.  Hand-painted escort cards (on hand-torn paper) welcomed guests into dinner.  The dinner space was magical - with hundreds of string lights overhead, Moroccan lanterns, hanging greenery, velvet linens, gold chairs, fine china, hundreds of candles, and marble table numbers.  It was such a beautiful evening!

The Team who made it all happen...
Coordinator/Florist: Tyler Speier
Photographer: Jodee Debes Photography
Venue: Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Rentals: The Tent Merchant
Linens: La Tavola
Videographer: Mawwiage Films
Hair: Luna Bella
Makeup: 805 Makeup
Catering: Omni Catering
DJ: DJ Hecktik
Calligrapher: Jessica Yee Calligraphy
Bakery/Dessert: Enjoy Cupcakes
Lighting: Bella Vista Designs
Flower Wall Base: Event Planting
Bride’s Fashion: Rosa Clara 
Groom’s Suit: Canali 
Bridesmaid Fashion: Birdy Grey 

I love all of the amazing flowers we get to do at weddings - from romantic neutral palettes to vibrant rainbow installations, 2019 was an amazing year with so many floral designs that I am so proud of. As this year comes to a close, I'm also so incredibly excited as we look forward to 2020 and all the amazing designs we will get to do!

While I do love weddings with ALL the fun blooms, it's fund to switch it up every once in awhile.  When Alexis + Harry approached me to plan and design their destination wedding in Santa Barbara at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, they wanted to stay away from flowers and use all greenery, succulents,  air plants, and natural elements.   I especially loved creating Alexis' bouquet, the textured arch, and the whimsical table centerpieces - all of them are so natural and complement the greenhouse wedding venue so well.  Here are some sneak peeks from their big day!

A huge thank you to the team who made it all happen:

Planning + Design + Florals: Tyler Speier
Photographer: David Mendoza
Venue: The Orchid
Rentals: The Tent Merchant
Transportation: Santa Barbara Airbus
Bartending Service: Simply Cocktails
Catering: Holdren’s
Ceremony + Cocktail Hour Music: Music By Bonnie
Band:  The Lucky Devils
Hair/Makeup: Blush and Bangs
Bakery/Dessert: Mister Softee
Calligrapher: Jessica Yee Calligraphy 
Bridal Fashion:  Liancarlo, @liancarlodesign
Groom’s Fashion: Boglioli, @boglioliofficial

When I am working with couples to choose their venue, I love looking at spaces that have a neutral backdrop - lots of natural tones, natural elements, and nothing too bright surrounding it - so that we can design the space in any direction.  Julia and Dan chose to get married at the greenhouse at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm.  Because the space is so neutral, we had endless possibilities!  We chose to go with a burgundy, blush, rose gold, and taupe color palette - it was warm and inviting.  I loved all of the beautiful details - it was an understated, timeless, elegant affair. 

The wedding ceremony was held on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  It was an overcast day, so the flowers really popped against the neutral gray sky.  During the ceremony, it started to drizzle - so we moved FAST - me and my team, the caterer, and the DJ all quickly re-planned cocktail hour (which was supposed to be out on the bluffs overlooking the ocean) and moved it up to a greenhouse on the property.  The guests didn't even know we had switched plans!

The wedding reception took place in a large greenhouse.  At the entrance, we used natural curtains with a eucalyptus garland to welcome guests.  Hand-painted rose-gold calligraphy escort cards welcomed guests to their tables.  For the table designs, we used mismatched wooden tables and tables with natural linen tablecloths.  Each place setting had a special calligraphy thank-you note from the bride and groom, and was set with a rose gold charger and rose gold flatware.  The flowers were colorful and vibrant: burgundy, blush, and ivory.  We used garden roses, snap dragons, peonies, ranunculus, queen Anne's lace, and other textured elements to bring the reception design to life.  Over the head table, we created a hanging greenery arrangement that was 25' feet long to frame the space and provide a dramatic focal to the space. 

The team who made it all happen...

Planning + Design + Florals: Tyler Speier
Venue: The Orchid
Photographer: Michael Radford
Catering: Omni Catering
DJ: DJ Hecktik
Rentals: The Tent Merchant
Linens:  La Tavola Fine Linen
Transportation: Jump on the School Bus
Hair and Makeup: Unveiled Make-up
Officiant: Santa Barbara Classic Weddings
Calligrapher: Jessica Yee Calligraphy
Videographer: Redmond Digital Media
Groom’s Tux: @theblacktux
Bridal Gown: @florabridal​