For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a crush on Sinclair & Moore—Steve and Jamie (and their entire team) are not only incredibly talented at what they do, their passion for crafting truly meaningful events is contagious. As a business owner myself, they’ve been a huge inspiration to me. Atop that, they host THE most gorgeous workshops in all the wedding land and today we get to see the results from their most recent gathering of creative entrepreneurs. Here, they’ve created three dreamy looks inspired by Japan, Greece and France. Plus, a real behind the scenes look at the workshop itself, all thanks to Kerry Jeanne Photography for capturing it.
Japan-inspired shoot… Event design is all about finding some form of inspiration, adding your own twist and then creating something fresh, unique and distinctive. The clean lines, simple movement, modern edges, distinctive textures, gentle blossoms and soft femininity of this shoot were loosely inspired by the aesthetic of Japanese culture.
A group of attendees from our annual Event Design Workshop ran with the vision we set and then worked together to bring our design board to life as they arranged the flowers and then completely installed all of the details. I couldn’t be happier with how this came together. From the custom gown that my friend Nina created for this shoot, to the Midori Bakery cake with incredibly life-like sugar blossoms, to the inspired stationery of Libby Tipton, everything came together beautifully and Kerry Jeanne Photography captured the magic that was created perfectly. Special thanks to Cozbi, the Associate Creative Director for Sinclair and Moore, for this really special collaboration!
France-inspired shoot… For as long as I can remember, I have always been a bit obsessed with France. The language, the culture, the people, the style the ambiance… it is all so inspiring to me. My first trip to France was on my honeymoon. We started in the south of France and made our way to Provence and then to Paris. Paris… I’ll never forget stepping outside of the train station and seeing the city for the first time in all its glory. It was ornate and refined yet effortlessly chic. It was beautiful but still felt approachable to me. The city felt historical while simultaneously feeling fresh and updated.
Grecian-inspired shoot… What comes to mind when you think of Grecian style? For me, it is the worn edges of ancient ruins mixed with light and ethereal touches. I think of marble, ornate columns, effortlessly draped fabric, Roman numerals, laurel wreath crowns and a color palette of the most beautiful neutral shades accented with metallic gold.
From Sinclair & Moore… When I first started our business sixteen years ago, I had a self-made logo that read “Steven Moore… wedding designer.” I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew I wanted to design beautiful weddings for people. At the time, I thought that just entailed making a pretty flower centerpiece and sticking it in the middle of the table. While that is certainly part of it, I quickly realized that there are so many more layers that go into designing a wedding.
I used to sit in the bookstore for hours looking through every wedding book and magazine I could get my eyes on. I was fascinated by the beauty that I saw. Everything was so detailed and intentionally selected for each incredible wedding that was featured. I wanted to create the same type of wedding… but I didn’t know where to begin or how to get started. All I knew was that I loved creating beautiful things, and I was willing to put in the time and hard work to figure it out.
Through a lot of trial and error, I slowly earned my self proclaimed title of ‘event designer’ by discovering the heart of what that term really means. I learned that event design is all about taking an event that could be ordinary and making it extraordinary. I figured out that the best way to do this is by getting to know the people I was creating for… hearing their story and listening for clues that would help me create something magical for them. I began helping people define their style by exploring shape, texture, colors, patterns, papers, and fonts. I started to think beyond flowers and centerpieces and look at the wedding holistically, making sure every visual component was thoughtfully curated so the fine details were cohesive and a true reflection of our client. That is what event design is all about.
It is now sixteen years later, and I have seen countless trends come and go over the years, and the evolution of weddings has changed significantly. What has not changed is the heart, meaning and purpose behind what event design is all about. This is what we teach in our event design workshop.
In addition to learning how to create our signature lush floral arrangements, our event design workshop explores our 15-step process that we go through with each wedding. The students then divide into three groups and work together within that group to create a detailed photo shoot that puts the principles of event design into practice. This hands-on approach to learning allows the attendees to better absorb the concepts I teach, as they get to see three distinctive shoots come together.
This past spring we welcomed fifteen workshop attendees into our studio for our annual Event Design Workshop. Three different countries inspired the three distinctive photo shoots they teamed up to create: Japan, Greece, and France. This week on our blog we will be showcasing the student’s work and how everything came together. Many of the attendees had no prior experience and had never arranged flowers before! You’ll never guess when you see the finished designs.
Photography: Kerry Jeanne Photography | Cake: Midori Bakery | Stationery: Libby Tipton | Hair & Makeup: Yessie Libby | Film Lab: PhotoVision Prints | Grecian Inspired Dress: Carol Hannah | Japan inspired dress: Nina Cherie | Models: Seattle Models Guild | Paris Inspired Dress: Nordstrom | Planner and Workshop Host: Sinclair & Moore | Rentals: The Ark Event Rentals | Rentals: Cort Party Rentals