 This holiday season may look a little different, but that doesn’t mean the holidays are cancelled! Friends, we DESERVE to celebrate the end of 2020. Here are 5 tips on how to set that intimate holiday table:
I wish you all a very merry holiday season!             Credits:
Photo- James and Jess, @jessfairchild @jameswitty Design + Flowers - Tyler Speier, @tylerspeier Video - B Studios, @bstudios_sb Venue - Hidden Oaks Ranch, @hiddenoaksranch Rentals - The Tent Merchant, @thetentmerchant Calligraphy - Kylie Yoshida Calligraphy, @kylie.yoshida Invitation: Minted, @minted
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It was the summer of 2009, and I had never planned a wedding before. Two of my friends were getting married. They had $1,000 and an empty lawn at a church in Glendora. They asked me to bring their wedding vision to life, and I said yes… Now, I had always been creative and organized (two traits I find essential in this business), and I had planned various birthday parties and church/family events. But I’ll be honest, I had no idea what I was doing. It was a dessert potluck wedding, filled with jam jars, daisies, DIY twinkle lights, and youth group furniture covered in white sheets from Ross. It was a long, hard, HOT day. But friends, it was magical. When the sun set, the candles glowed and the people gathered…and it was beautiful. At that wedding, 2 people asked if I would do their weddings. I said yes, and business was born. At the time , I had no idea this was the start of my career. It was just a fun hobby business to earn some extra cash. By word of mouth, in that first year, we did 14 weddings. It was a whirlwind. Over time, I added in floral design services, took on more clients, and began building a team. Now here we are, years later, producing incredible events all over the world…and I couldn’t find any more joy in what we do. I love that I can be creative, authentic, and innovative. I love that I get to work for myself. I love that I can support my family doing what I love. I love that I can educate fellow professionals to empower them to pursue their dreams. I love what I do. Thank you, for being a part of this journey, friends. Your love and support mean the world to me and my family! Sincerely, Tyler Speier  Photo by Sarah Ellefson Photography Megan + Christian were married in Beverly Hills, California last year. Megan wore a stunning detailed Oscar De La Renta gown Christian wore a Tom Ford white tuxedo jacket and black slacks, they said their vows in a romantic redwood forest on a Beverly Hills private Estate. This was one of my favorite weddings of 2019 - from the fashion to the flowers, it was all just so dang beautiful!             The ceremony was one of my favorite installations of the year: it took place in a redwood forest in the heart of Beverly Hills. Guests sat in vintage church pews, which we surrounded with abundant flowers. Megan and Christian said their vows in front of a deconstructed arch amongst a sea of flowers while guests sipped champagne from the Bubble Tap champagne truck and a string quartet played as the golden light peeped through the trees.       The reception was timeless, classic, and romantic - with blue velvet ties on the napkins, letterpress menus, abundant white centerpieces, and hand printed candles which served as table numbers. For the favors, guests received personalized cookies with the couple’s monogram.            The team that made it all happen:
Planning, Florals, and Design: Tyler Speier Venue: Private Estate in Beverly Hills Photographers: James + Jess Videographer: Redmond Digital Media Specialty Rentals: Theoni Ceremony Pew Rentals: Town and Country Champagne Trailer: The Bubble Tap Trailer Transportation: Transportation Connection Inc Graphic Designer: Embrey Press Hair: Alyssa (contact of Bride and Groom) Makeup Artist: Tomiko Taft Band: deBois Entertainment Officiant: Officiant Eric Bakery/Dessert: Sweet Lady Jane Gown Designer: Oscar de la Renta  As 2020 draws to a close, me and my family are committed to making the last few weeks of this year be full of JOY and CELEBRATION - no matter what. Thanksgiving may look a little different this year. Yes, it may be smaller and circumstances may be different than any other year you’ve ever celebrated, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a wonderful, joy-filled, meaningful day celebrating the things you are thankful for. Here are my tips for setting your Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving) table!   1) Set a long feasting table (outside, if weather permits) with a beautiful linen, fun china, flatware, and glassware. Pull out the fine china, or better yet, rent from a local event company to give them some business (and then you don’t have to worry about doing all the dishes afterwards…) 2) Use LOTS of candles! You can’t have too many. 3) With a smaller guest count than normal, pay attention to the little details. Think cute place cards, handwritten notes to your guests telling them why you are thankful for them, or other personalized touches. 4) You don’t need to be a florist to make a beautiful centerpiece! From your local supermarket, purchase some white (or light pink) pumpkins, brown pears, pomegranates, or other fruits to create a “garland” down the center of your table. Fill it with dried flowers, dried wheat, or other textured elements to make it full and festive. 5) Set the space, not just the table. The atmosphere around the table matters almost as much as the table itself. Put those twinkle lights up, candles around the space, etc.     At the end of the day, what matters is that you are gathering with people you love (even if it’s just 1 person!) to be THANKFUL for all of the things you have. After a long, hard year, having a spirit of gratitude is more important than ever. So, friends, have a wonderful Thanksgiving…and do it on purpose!    The team that made it all happen...
Photographer: Sarah Ellefson Design/Florals: Tyler Speier Linens: La Tavola Fine Linens Rentals: The Tent Merchant Calligraphy: Jessica Yee Venue: Private Estate in Santa Barbara, California Even before COVID-19 sparked a trend for elopements and tiny weddings, we had the honor of planning and designing a beautiful tiny wedding in Santa Ynez at the Sunstone Villa. The couple only invited 25 of their closest friends, and the celebration was so intimate, memorable, and fun. The bride wore a beautiful lace detailed gown. I especially loved the bohemian flare of bell sleeves trailing down her arms. Their invitation suite was timeless, incorporating a classic black and white palette and an original sketch of the Sunstone Villa. When you are at the Villa, you truly feel like you have been “transported” to Italy - it’s such a stunning venue and always such a fun space to design in. What a special place to plan an elopement!          The ceremony took place at the front of the Villa using the neutral color palette of the brick on the Villa as a backdrop. We wanted the ceremony to be minimalist and natural - so my team and I created beautiful urns filled with textured greens to compliment the space. While walking down the aisle the bride held a gorgeous bouquet made up of a variety of white blooms of garden roses, ranunculus, lisianthus, and scabiosa. At the end of the ceremony each guest was given a glass of champagne to toast to a warm celebration for the newlyweds.           As the ceremony ended guests were invited to the patio of the Villa for delicious craft cocktails and an acoustic guitarist to set the mood for a relaxed and enjoyable night. After the sun began to set guests trickled into the back lawn and found an intimate candlelit table set up overlooking the Santa Ynez Valley.            When the ceremony ended, guests were invited to the patio of the Villa for delicious craft cocktails and an acoustic guitarist to set the mood for a relaxed and enjoyable night. After the sun began to set, guests trickled into the back lawn and found an intimate candlelit table set up overlooking the Santa Ynez Valley. We created a floral focal on the fireplace to give the illusion of greenery organically crawling up the side of the fireplace. The cake was displayed in a terrarium. Each guest had a laser-cut place card, and the table was adorned with beautiful white blooms, natural ceramic china, and mismatched chairs. As the night continued guests were able to cozy up to the fire for warmth and enjoy good wine and great company. Such a wonderful evening!        The team that made it all happen...
Coordinator/Florals: Tyler Speier Venue: Sunstone Villa Rentals: The Tent Merchant Photographer: Elizabeth Messina Hair/Makeup: TEAM Hair and Makeup Catering: Field to Table Bartenders: Simply Cocktails Musicians: AMS Entertainment Officiant: Friend of Bride and Groom Bakery/Dessert: Solvang Bakery Jennifer + Douglas were married at the iconic Rancho Dos Pueblos on the Santa Barbara coast. Both Jen + Doug are physicians, and they wanted their celebration to be unique, timeless, classic, and elegant. Jen wore a Monique Lhuillier gown with stunning lace detail and beautiful Loubotin shoes. I create a wild, whimsical bouquet for Jen to carry with eucalyptus, garden roses, ranunculus, and other seasonal blooms.        They said their vows on a private beach. Guests arrived in vintage school busses and were greeted with champagne, as a string quartet played and the waves crashed in the background. We designed the ceremony to be full of white, whimsical flowers - including a floral aisle and a deconstructed floral arch to frame the bride and groom (but not block the ocean view).       For cocktail hour, the guests enjoyed an avocado bar, fresh crudite wall, and fresh pacific-inspired bites on the beach. We created a flower wall backdrop for guests to enjoy.        Then, guests moved to the barn for dinner and dancing. We created hanging arrangements to give the illusion of wisteria over the dance floor. The guests dined at mismatched wood rectangular tables and round tables draped with natural linen. We created a deconstructed arch behind the sweetheart table to tie in elements of the ceremony decorations. Guests danced the night away, enjoying a sumptuous multi-course dinner, palletas for dessert, and a whiskey bar. It was an evening to remember!                The team that made it all happen...
Coordinator/Florist: Tyler Speier Venue: Dos Pueblos Ranch Rentals: The Tent Merchant Catering: Omni Catering Photographer: Christianne Taylor + Josh Newton Videographer: B Studios Lighting: Bella Vista Designs Ceremony Musicians: Organic String Quartet DJ/Band: DJ Hecktik Transportation: Jump on the School Bus Bathroom Trailer: Nick Production Services Hair/Makeup: TEAM Hair and Makeup Dessert: The Wild Posy, Cake: Crushcakes Trash Pickup: Marborg Officiate: Erik (friend of bride and groom) Plant Wall: Event Planting Bride’s Fashion: Monique Lhuillier Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin Bridesmaids Fashion: Amsale Greenhouse Wedding with Romantic Details, Modern Accents, Abundant Greenery, and Autumn Branches9/4/2020 Alexandra and Evan were married in Santa Barbara, California at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm last autumn. They had a beautiful greenhouse wedding with abundant greenery, natural floral design, modern accents, and so many beautiful little details! It was an honor to work alongside Alexandra to design her dream day…and it was so dreamy!        Alexandra carried a small bouquet of Clematis, with her grandmother’s rosary attached - such a beautiful, personal detail! The bridesmaids wore beautiful floor-length champagne gowns. We created small bouquets for each of them to carry with small white blooms - each bouquet was a different kind of flower. It was so delicate and beautiful!         The ceremony took place on a bluff overlooking the ocean. We lined the back of the French-inspired chairs with autumn branches and greenery. The arch was created with neutral blooms, autumn branches, and abundant greenery. A vintage Mercedes brought Alexandra and her parents to the ceremony. At the end of the ceremony, guests tossed little white flowers into the air after the kiss!            The reception was hosted in a beautiful greenhouse at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm. It was so romantic! We covered the beams overhead with natural smilax vines, and then had vines accenting the chairs and walls near the head table. Guests were welcomed into the space with a seating chart created with natural paper and hand-lettered gold calligraphy names. The tables were set with natural linen tablecloths and centerpieces created with abundant greenery. Each menu had a white wax seal and each place setting was clean, modern, and elegant. Guests enjoyed a sumptuous dinner by romantic candlelight (there were HUNDREDS of candles in the greenhouse!), heartfelt toasts, and they danced the night away with the live band!                      The team that made it all happen...
Coordinator/Florist: Tyler Speier Venue: Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm Rentals: The Tent Merchant Specialty Rentals (Candlesticks): Otis + Pearl Linens: La Tavola Photographer: Sally Pinera Videographer: Pixel Perfection Transportation: Jump on the School Bus Hair/Makeup: TEAM Hair and Makeup Catering: Holdren’s Bartending Service: Simply Cocktails Band: Jordan Music Entertainment Ceremony and Cocktail Hour DJ: Music By Bonnie Photo booth: WittyBooth Trash Pickup: Marborg Industries Officiant: Michael (Brother-in-law of Bride) Bakery/Dessert: Crushcakes Calligraphy: Jessica Yee Specialty Car: Santa Barbara Speedster As we continue through the “corona-coaster” of 2020, more and more couples are opting to host tiny weddings in lieu of their larger, more traditional celebrations. As a wedding planner and designer, it has been so much fun (and such an adventure) to work alongside couples to plan these “minimonies,” “tiny weddings,” “intimate weddings,” and all the other fun names people are dubbing this emerging trend with 50 guests or less. Some couples are opting to host a tiny wedding instead of a larger affair, and others are hosting a tiny wedding in 2020 and will have a larger-scale party when all the COVID-craziness ends (let’s hear it for how EPIC those parties will be!). (This was featured on Wedding Chicks, here).              Tiny weddings are a great option for couples to consider. Across the nation, there are various rules and regulations that need to be followed - so rethinking a large celebration and planning something more intimate may be the right choice. If you are having a smaller soiree than originally planned, you can still make it an incredible experience for you and your guests! Here are a few tips:
          The Team of Creatives that made it all happen:
Florals/Design: Tyler Speier Events, events@tylerspeier.com, @tylerspeier Venue: Chandon (Inga Winkler), inga_winkler@chandon.com, @chandonusa Press: Bridal Bar (Harmony Walton), @bridalbar Photography: James and Jess, @jessfairchild @jameswitty Videography: Elysium Productions (Julie Hill), @elysiumweddings Calligraphy: Jessica Yee Calligraphy, @calligraph.yee Linens: La Tavola Fine Linens, @latavolalinen Specialty Rentals: Theoni, @theonicollection Rentals: Bright Event Rentals, @brighteventrentals Cake: Crushcakes, @crushcakescafe Favors: Sugarfina, @sugarfina Chiffon: Bella Vista Designs, @bellavistadesigns Female Fashion 1: BHLDN, @bhldn Female Fashion 2: Amsale, @amsale Men’s Fashion: Friar Tux, @friartux Models: Look Model Agency, @lookmodelagency Hair and Makeup: PMA Style (Maria Chang) @pmastyle We were so honored to have Gabriel and Celeste's beautiful tiny wedding at San Ysidro Ranch featured Martha Stewart Weddings this month! Their celebration was so full of warmth, love, and beautiful details - captured by the amazing Jose Villa. Here is a link to the feature on Martha Stewart Weddings.           Celeste wore an Oscar De La Renta lace gown and carried a bouquet I created using Cappuccino Roses, Combo roses, and Carmel colored blooms. We commissioned a calligrapher and artist to create a hand lettered invitation suite, menus, and calligraphy details. Their monogram was their initials intertwined with olive branches, representative of the beautiful olive trees lining the entrance to San Ysidro Ranch. Hand-painted roses also were included as an accent, since the ceremony was held in the rose garden.      The string quartet played as guests arrived to rose gardens at San Ysidro Ranch. We created a stunning arch with Caramel, taupe, and beige roses to anchor the space, and then create crawling arrangements of blooms, vines, and greenery behind the chairs. The natural colors in the florals was soft and beautiful against the bright green grass and trees. Celeste and Gabe exchanged their vows in front of their family and friends, and were married by a close family friend. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed sips and bites in the rose garden as the sun set.         For dinner, guests were welcomed into the Hydrangea cottage. We created a large “crawling” arrangement of roses on the fireplace, covered the ceiling in vines and greenery, and entertained all of the guests at one long feasting table. At the table, we set the table with traditional china, a soft natural linen tablecloth with a stitched “vine” pattern, hand-painted menus, dozens of pillar candles, and organic floral arrangements. The cake was placed on a long table and surrounded by a “garden” of flowers and pillar candles. Each guest received local handcrafted chocolate truffles, wrapped in handmade paper. The favors also served as place cards, with hand printed curled paper on each one denoting each guest’s seat. The guests enjoyed a multi-course meal until late in the evening. It was a beautiful, intimate celebration!                Planner/Florist: Tyler Speier
Photographer: Jose Villa Venue/ Catering: San Ysidro Ranch Rentals: Town and Country Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen Hair/Makeup: TEAM Hair and Makeup Musicians: Simone Vitucci Officiant: John Jones (Friend of Groom) Calligrapher: By Paper and Cloth Bride Fashion: Oscar De La Renta Ring :Tiffany & Co Last autumn, we had the amazing opportunity to partner with Chandon in Napa to help them curate some amazing content for their beautiful spaces available for site rental! I always love partnering with companies to develop materials for their marketing portfolio, and collaborating with the Chandon team was such an incredible honor. We designed this shoot in collaboration with the Chandon team and The Bridal Bar. It was recently featured on Destination I Do, and I am so excited to be able to share the images with you all!    Napa is such an amazing location to get married. There are so many amazing options for good wine, luxury accommodations, incredible dining experiences, and outdoor adventures. It’s close enough to major cities (San Francisco and Oakland) to be an easy destination location, and far enough away from the city to feel like you are on a relaxing get-away. With all destination weddings, we work with our clients to find locations that can entertain guests for not just a wedding day, but a full weekend experience. In Napa, we recommend that couples make their weekend full of good wine, amazing culinary experiences, and full of lots of outdoor/natural elements. At least some portion of the weekend should take place in a traditional vineyard - whether it’s the ceremony, rehearsal dinner, brunch, or welcome drinks.     Domaine Chandon is such a fun spot to host a wedding or celebration because it’s one of the only Vineyards in Napa that can host events. The beautiful lawns, sprawling oak trees, and rolling hills with grape vines make it an incredible spot to host a Napa celebration.        We designed this shoot to be playful, fun, and modern. I mixed colorful flowers with dried elements to create textured arrangements that are playful, modern, and fun. The bride’s bouquet was one of my favorites - so much color and unique texture. The feasting table was also super fun - I loved the mismatched taper candles and terra cotta candles. The Theoni inventory we got to use - from the modern velvet chairs to the natural wooden tables - was absolutely stunning! Me and my team created the menus in collaboration with Jessica Yee Calligraphy , using small clipboards and modern fonts.            The design was not just for a shoot - we hosted several event planners the following day to showcase the space, so the table was enjoyed during an incredible brunch.          The Team that made it all happen:
Florals/Design: Tyler Speier Events Venue: Chandon Press: Bridal Bar , Destination I Do Photography: James and Jess Videography: Elysium Productions (Julie Hill) Calligraphy: Jessica Yee Calligraphy Linens: La Tavola Fine Linens Specialty Rentals: Theoni Rentals: Bright Event Rentals Cake: Crushcakes Favors: Sugarfina Chiffon: Bella Vista Designs Female Fashion 2: Amsale Men’s Fashion: Friar Tux Hair and Makeup: PMA Style (Maria Chang) Entertainment (Brunch): Elan Artists |
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