In March, I had the honor of collaborating with the amazing team at Hotel Californian in Downtown Santa Barbara to produce a beautiful elopement inspiration and a ballroom dinner for wedding press to showcase and feature the resort.  It was an honor to host Wedding Chicks, 100 Layer Cake, Green Wedding Shoes, California Wedding Day, Bridal Bar, Santa Barbara Life and Style Magazine, 805 Magazine, and  JLM Couture to showcase the property!  While I do love real weddings, collaborating with brands and other artists to showcase and and generate creative content is so much fun.

Here is a link to a feature from this event on Wedding Chicks. 

For this modern elopement inspiration, I was inspired by the amazing tile work at Hotel Californian.  I brought in various textures and elements that complemented the architecture and interior design of the space.  From the wedding cake to the stationary, linen selections to the lounge, this shoot was curated to showcase the Hotel Californian venue.

We first captured an intimate elopement at the the hotel in the presidential suite and courtyard.  I created a floral wedding veil for the bride while she was getting ready, and then loved creating the intimate elopement ceremony setting in the courtyard with a deconstructed arch, ghost chairs, and a vintage car for transportation.  ​After the ceremony, we created a rooftop reception, complete with textured linens, hanging florals, custom calligraphy menus, and taper candles.   The bride wore a Hayley Paige gown from JLM Couture.  The groom wore a black Velvet coat from Friar Tux.  

In the evening, we invited members of the press into the ballroom for a beautiful multi-course meal.  My favorite design element was the wedding cake from Colin O'Dea Cakes-  I love how he brought in elements from the tile design in the ballroom and incorporated those patterns and textures into the cake design!   Also, Ashling with Lotus and Ash is one of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE graphic designers, and she and her team knocked this entire graphic design (from menus to welcome baskets, escort cards to the invitation suite) out of the park! 

In addition to the dinner party, we also hosted a sunset sail with Santa Barbara Sailing Center and a farewell brunch. When hosting a destination wedding or event, I think it's so fun (and important) to host other events and festivities for your friends and family.  Not only does this allow you to have more quality time with the people you love, but it also allows you to share your destination with location-specific experiences.  

This wedding was such a fun one to kick-off our 2019 season! Erin and Cory wanted to incorporate their Hawaiian and Japanese heritages in their timeless, classic, elegant wedding design.  They wanted to have abundant florals and make their wedding feel like a lush garden. 

​The focal of our reception design was an installation featuring 1,001 paper cranes, hand-folded by the bride and groom.  We hung them from the string lights, greenery, and in all of the trees surrounding the reception.  This design element added a touch of “whimsy” to the design and made it unique.  

I wanted this wedding to feel like a lush garden with abundant flowers and greenery at every turn.  From romantic vines to 1,001 paper cranes, the ombre floral aisle to the deconstructed arch, me and my team had so much fun bringing this design to life!

Pro Tip:  It’s so important to work closely with your planner and designer to ensure your wedding day feels like YOUR wedding day.  I love how Erin + Cory incorporated so many fun nods to their family heritage in the design of their wedding.  From the seafood appetizers to the flowers, paper cranes to the Hawaiian blessings at dinner - it was truly an event to remember!

The ceremony was at the Santa Barbara Courthouse.  The bride and groom chose this location because it is central to downtown Santa Barbara and the unique architecture captures the quintessence of the Santa Barbara style and culture.  From the beautiful stone work to the Spanish tile roof, it is a beautiful location to host a wedding ceremony! For the ceremony, we created a full “floral aisle” with flowers growing down the length of the chairs, up to the beautiful ombre arch.  I love how the darker pinks faded into the blush tones and finally into the white tones - such a fun design element! ​

I love how David Mendoza captured all of the details of this amazing day!  As the sun set, guests enjoyed dancing, dessert, and the open bar until late into the night.  The twinkle lights, uplighting, hundreds of candles, fireplace, and floating cranes made end of the night so magical! 

I'm excited to share the images from our first wedding of the 2019 season with you all!  Chris and Asia were married at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm in Santa Barbara, California.  Their spring wedding was so fun to design and bring to life alongside this vibrant, fun-loving couple.  We juxtaposed neutral, dried flowers and the natural setting of the venue with bold graphic design, bright florals, and tropical elements to create a modern, minimalist, unique wedding celebration that captured the bride and groom's personalities.  

Asia's bouquet was one of my favorites this season - I loved using neutral blooms, chocolate tulips, and dried elements to create a textured, unique bouquet that complemented her modern bridal gown.  The ceremony was also super fun to bring to life - I loved using a natural driftwood arch, dried pampas grass and other dried textures, and white roses and tropical anthurium blooms to create a unique, soft focal to the beautiful ceremony space on the ocean bluffs, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  It was a foggy day - and the lighting was so beautiful.

After a heartfelt ceremony, guests were transported in vintage school busses to a greenhouse on the property for middle eastern food, dancing, and merriment.  In the reception space, we used neutral blooms alongside vibrant arrangements to create modern table settings that were clean and elegant. I loved the gray ceramic plates, gold flatware, and dried accents we placed in the monochromatic napkins.  

My favorite arrangement from this wedding was for their sweetheart table - I created an ombre arrangement fading from whites/neutrals into the bolder colors.  It was so fun to play with color and textures to create something so unique.  

Enjoy these images from Britt Crowe (and scroll down to see the whole team who brought this wedding to life)!

As the 2019 wedding season is starting to come to an end, I have been reflecting on this past year.  And…what a year it has been!  From flower walls to Ferris wheels, hanging flowers to destination weddings, we’ve had quite the adventure.  

Looking back all the way to February right now, and I wanted to share a little bit with you all about my “rainbow” design at The Jam Event (as seen on Green Wedding Shoes).  

The Jam Event is an annual wedding industry celebration (hosted by Wild Heart Events) where wedding designers can be creative, think outside-the-box, and “play around” with upcoming trends to showcase to other industry professionals and couples who are in the process of planning their weddings.  I especially love The Jam because it’s such a fun party - everyone creates beauty together and then celebrates together. As wedding designers and planners, we often operate in our own “silos.”  Being a soloprenuer can be isolating at times.  Events like this, that bring everyone together, are so much fun because we get to share our talents, learn together, and grow together.  

This year, the theme of The Jam was “rainbow.”  It definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone - me and my team naturally lean more towards a timeless, classic, neutral color palette.  But, we had so much fun creating this installation! I decided to design the space with lots of clean neutrals.  From the white velvet linen on the table to the beautiful china from Theoni, I selected design elements that were classic and neutral.  Then, we brought in ALL the color with the flowers.

I especially love the ombre design we incorporated throughout our florals.  In each setting or arrangement, we faded from yellow to orange, then red to purple, and finally from purple to blue.  Color Blocking (or putting like colors together) is a great way to make a “rainbow” palette feel more elegant.  

My design featured two major installations: a dramatic, hanging floral arrangements over a dining table, and a large flower wall staged in a lounge (with white Moroccan lantern accents).  My wife, Taylor, also created some beautiful dried floral garlands and dried floral hanging wall pieces that we featured as accents on the vintage bar.  I love when we can tastefully incorporate dried flowers into the overall design of an event.  

Tyler Speier Events @tylerspeier - Florals, Planning, and Design
Josh Newton + Christianne Taylor @joshnewton @christiannetaylor - Photography
Alexandria Monette Photography @alexandriamonette - Photography
Jake and Necia Photography @jakeandneciaphoto - Photography
Theoni Collection @theonicollection - Tabletop Rentals and Specialty Chairs
Bella Vista Designs @bellavistadesigns - Lighting
Elan Event Rentals @elaneventrentals -  Lanterns (hanging and on floor)
The Tent Merchant @thetentmerchant - Rentals
La Tavola Fine Linens @latavolalinen - Linens
Omni Catering @omnicateringsb - Food Station
Lotus & Ash @lotusandash - Menus
Jessica Yee Calligraphy @calligraph.yee - Calligraphy Details
Florabundance, Inc. @florabundanceinc - Floral Supplier
By Paper and Cloth @bypaperandcloth - Invitation Suite/Greenhouse Sketch for flat lays

Jessie + Brett were married at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm in Santa Barbara, California. When Jessie and I worked together to design this wedding, we wanted the greenhouse on the property to be completely transformed from a raw, open space, into a space of elegance, timelessness, and warmth.  My favorite design element was the Texas Smilax installation me and my team installed on the preexisting beams of the greenhouse to give the illusion of old vines bursting through the glass panes and filling the space.  It was so romantic and made the space feel so warm, vibrant, and full of life.  All of the greenery accents were juxtaposed with the simple, neutral table settings - we used white linens, white blooms, soft grey table runners, light woods, and beautiful minimalistic china to give a timeless and elegant, yet clean and modern feel. 

We are so honored that this wedding was featured on Green Wedding Shoes -- check out the feature here!

Cata + Mark had such a fun, unique celebration for their wedding.  I loved working with them to design and create a unique, cocktail-style reception at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm.  They decided not to have any traditional guest dining tables, but rather fill the beautiful space with lounges and vignettes for the guests to enjoy and engage in.  Feast and Fest Catering provided incredible interactive food stations where the guests could watch the chefs prepare handcrafted ingredients.  I loved all of the amazing furniture we got to use from Blueprint Studios and Party Pleasers!  It was fun to get to plan something more nontraditional.  My favorite design element was the hanging arrangement we created over the chevron patterned dance floor - tropical greenery, hanging orchids, and wisteria accents.  It was such a beautiful day!

The Team That Made This Happen: 
Coordinator/Florist: Tyler Speier
Venue: Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm
Ceremony Venue: El Presidio
Rentals: Blue Print Studios
Rentals: Party Pleasers
Specialty Linens: La Tavola
Ceremony Performer: Hudson & Delilah
Photographer: Chris Glenn
Hair/Makeup: Friend of Bride and Groom
Catering: Feast & Fest
Food Truck: In-N-Out Cookout Trailer
DJ: DJ Griff
Catholic Officiant: Deacon Art Gonzalez
Christian Officiant: Pastor Edward Paz
Transportation: Jump on the School Bus
Guest Accomodations: The Goodland Hotel
​

Based in NYC, Brian and Danielle chose to have a beautiful destination wedding in Santa Barbara, CA at a private greenhouse on the Gaviota Coast.  Their wedding was inspired by their love of adventure and nature - a soft, neutral palette with lots of greenery, geometric details, potted plants, and copper accents. They were married in a traditional Jewish Ceremony (under a chuppah that has been in Brian’s family for generations) on a private bluff overlooking the pacific ocean.  After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as the sun set over the ocean.  Vintage school busses then transported the guests back to the greenhouse, where large hanging arrangements of greenery framed the white dance floor, under a sea of basket lamp lights.  As the hundreds of candles twinkled and reflected across the greenhouse glass, guests enjoyed a sumptuous farm-to-table meal.  As the celebration continued with dancing and fun, guests enjoyed a s’more station and churro station for a non-traditional wedding dessert.  Me and my team were so honored to have this wedding featured in the 2019 spring issue of Inside Weddings.  It was such an amazing day! 

 

​Brooke + Nick were married on Cinco De Mayo.  I had so much fun working with them to design their wedding.  They are a great example of a couple who tastefully planned their wedding to give subtle nods to the holiday without going “overboard.”  We did this in 5 distinct ways:

1) We started with a neutral color palette, as they were getting married in a beautiful greenhouse on the coast.  We brought in bright pops of color in the florals to give the wedding a festive feel.

2) We served amazing Mexican food at the wedding - complete with a tortilla-making station manned by a chef!  Guests had chips and guacamole on the tables, an interactive taco bar, and fresh churros. 

3) At the end of the ceremony, guests tossed dried flowers into the air (reminiscent of confetti eggs, but much more eco-friendly).  It was colorful and festive!

4) At the bar, the signature cocktails were margaritas.  The bar at the reception was a “ranchero bar,” made with leather.  Love that piece from The Tent Merchant! 

5) Finally, we used subtle textures to bring in the “fiesta” vibe: small handpainted tiles on the place settings, textured linens from La Tavola, and beautiful handprinted signage and paper goods from Jessica Yee Calligraphy.

I love the final product: a beautiful, elegant, timeless, classic wedding (with a touch of whimsy) and a wonderful “nod” to the holiday weekend!  You don’t have to go overboard when planning your wedding around any holiday, but it is definitely fun to acknowledge and celebrate the holiday.  We have a fun wedding coming up this 4th of July, and I am looking forward to bringing some fun Independence Day Details to life at that wedding!

The Team That Made This Happen:
Coordinator/Florist: Tyler Speier
Venue: Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm
Rentals: The Tent Merchant
Linen Rentals: La Tavola Fine Linen
Photographer: Whitney Turner
Transportation: Jump on the Schoolbus
Hair/Makeup: Brianna Stewart
Catering: Omni Catering
Videography: Brett Williams Productions
DJ: DJ Hecktik
Photo booth: WittyBooth
Officiant:  Nick Bartsch
Cake/Dessert: Crushcakes

Alyssa + Scott wanted a South-Carolina-Inspired wedding in the heart of California Wine Country.  It was so fun to bring in southern food, lace textures, chandeliers, a soft color palette of flowers, lots of greenery, and chiffon draping to the barn at the Crossroads Estate (by Firestone Winery) to create a beautiful atmosphere!  For the ceremony, we had a chandelier suspended from an oak tree, and then I created a garland with roses and eucalyptus “growing up” the tree.  Guests sat on beautiful redwood benches from All Heart Rentals.  Then, guests were greeted with Firestone Vineyard Wines and southern-inspired lemonade in cocktail hour on the lawn, under a canopy of twinkle lights.  A sumptuous southern-inspired dinner by Omni Catering was served in the barn, and guests danced late into the night.  It felt like we were all transported right to a beautiful Southern home!

The Team That Made This Happen:
Coordinator/Florist: Tyler Speier
Venue: Dos Pueblos Ranch 
Rentals:  The Tent Merchant
Photographer: Allison Maginn Photography
Videographer: Surreal Wedding Films
Transportation: Jump on the School Bus
Hair: Beckie Covarrubias
Catering: Holdren’s
Bartenders: Simply Cocktails
DJ: DJ Hecktik
Bathroom Trailer: Nicks Production Services
Officiant: Ceremonies by Nanette
Bakery/Dessert: Enjoy Cupcakes
Lighting: Bella Vista Designs
Calligraphy: Jessica Yee