Colorful Floral Clouds & Bold Ombre Blooms

Bright and bold dyed babies breath clouds by Winston & Main hang over long table at colorful LA birthday celebration.
 
I’m always so flattered when other vendors or industry peeps hire Winston & Main to bring the blooms ESPECIALLY when they give me the creative freedom to really go for it.

That’s the dream.

So when David of La Pinata Party Rentals reached out about creating something extra special for his *extra special* birthday party this ombre floral fluff dream became reality.

All 21 feet of it. Floral foam free + 100% reclaimed post event too.
 
Yellow and Orange Ombre Floral Designs featuring Dahlias, Butterfly Ranunculus, Bunny Tails and more by Winston & Main.
 
Light it up! I designed the entire table in an ombre, florals + tapers too- moving from yellow to peach to orange to pink to red to blue to purple. SO much fun. SO many tapers.
 
Pink and red floral design ombre featuring double tulips, dahlias, and painted italian ruscus by Winston & Main.
 
The pink & red arrangement may have been my favorite because the double tulips were RIDICULOUS for October.
 
Blue and purple ombre floral design featuring carnations, tulips, strawflowers, dahlias and more dyed and painted flowers by Winston & Main.
 
Although, blue & purple are definitely the winner for being MOST on trend- Pantone named Classic Blue as it’s Color of the Year shortly after this.
 
The guest of honor wears a luxe blue velvet dinner jacket and is standing under 21 feet of bold and colorful floral clouds.
 
Talk about an incredible host- David treated his guests to a welcome bar, an epically colorful + delicious dinner catered by Hungry Bear Catering Co., a Xylophone Band AND a post-dinner surprise arcade reveal. YES, an entire arcade. Host AND birthday goals.

The velvet tux wasn’t a bad touch either.
 
A wildly colorful dinner party with brightly colored ombre candles and florals down the length of the table.
 
Action shot.
 
Blue and purple ombre floral design featuring carnations, tulips, strawflowers, dahlias and more dyed and painted flowers by Winston & Main.
 
This color combo was the most challenging for me, but I was so happy with the way it turned out. Also, #carnationsforever.
 
Dyed & painted babies breath clouds hanging over long tables at intimate & colorful birthday celebration.
 
More fluff. You’re welcome.
 
A long table of guests enjoying a warm, colorful, and festive intimate birthday party.
 
Love to see our flowers getting papped.
 
Bold pink and red floral arrangement featuring double tulips, clover, dahlias, and painted italian ruscus by Winston & Main
 
Class photo time.
 
Bold yellow and orange cocktail arrangement by Winston & Main
 
Ready for her glamour shot.
 
Blue and purple cocktail arrangement featuring carnations, allium, and bunny tail.
 
Head in the clouds.
 
Team Winston & Main installs 21 feet of floral clouds.
 
And an action shot of us making it happen.
Ladders are an indispensable part of great floral design.
 
Hi-five under colorful floral clouds.
 
Hi-fives all around. Showing you this one despite whatever is going on with my face.
 
Bright and foam free floral clouds of dyed baby's breathe hanging over table of ombre floral arrangements.
 
Thanks for capturing these colorful clouds in all their glory Julie Shuford! You the best!
 
A bold, modern, and colorful mood board for your wedding, birthday or celebration featuring bold baby's breath clouds.
 
BOOM!

Here’s little mood board in case you want to use our colorful event as a jumping off point for your own.

Don’t forget to send pics!
 
Venue + Rentals: La Pinata Party Rentals / Rentals: Collective Rentals, Platinum Prop Rentals, Gems Parties Rental / Florals & Design: Winston & Main / Photographer: Julie Shuford Photography / Catering: Hungry Bear Catering Co. / Men’s Styling/Rentals: Eric Acuna for Friar Tux



MAGIC MILK BATH

Gorgeous milk bath photography with a blush, lavender, and purple palette.
 
Leftover event flowers + a gorgeous mama-to-be?
Obviously it’s #milkbathmonday.
 
Unicorn mama-to-be in a black clawfoot bath tub surrounded by white subway tile.
 
Not gonna lie, I’m super happy that this is my bathroom.
No guarantees I EVER look this glamorous during bath time though.

But for a total DIY project, aka we could stand in the dirt under our house and *maybe* had to shower in our backyard for 3 months… I LOVE it!
 
Purple ranunculus, peach roses, and italian ruscus milk bath photography
 
Flowers floating in milky water. Who knew?
Pinterest knew.
 
Maternity milk bath featuring lavender and pink flowers.
 
Unicorn locks, a flower crown, and a flower filled bath tub!
 
Lavender flowers floating in a milky bath.
 
More flowers.
 
Lavender locks and a blush and lavender flower crown.
 
When your flower crown matches your hair.
 
Fabulous flowers floating in a milk bath.
 
Preggo belly in a milky bath surrounded by blush and lavender flowers.
 
That belly.
Those flowers.
 
Relaxing floral bath by Winston & Main
 
Fun fact: Monday is “officially” my day off.
I strive to look/feel this relaxed on a monday,
but i often end up working.

On the other hand, I’m pretty dang happy I didn’t take the day off.
 
Better together- a purple japanese ranunculus and a peachy rose.
 
You gotta be flexible with yourself to make magic.
 
 
Photography: Julie Shuford Photography / Concept, Floral Design + Styling: Winston & Main / Model: Ravayna



DESIGN YOUR PERFECT WEDDING DAY

boho wedding couple
 
Did you catch our Cosmic Bloom Desert Wildflower Elopement Shoot earlier this week? It’s a dreamy one. You can check out our feature over on Green Wedding Shoes (eeeeek!) and peep a bunch more photos here and here.

Then come back so we can chat a little about the process of going from threemillionamazingideas, to concrete designs, to a magical day, to final photos, mkay?
My coffee and I will be right here waiting…

My Design Process in a Nutshell

This is the process I use to turn my clients (and my own) sometimes disparate ideas and inspirations, into complete, cohesive, and beautifully realized designs + events. So whether you’re a newly engaged couple, a fellow wedding professional, or a DIY Wedding Warrior, this will work for you too. Try it out and let me know what you think!

1. Ask the Question

 
wildflower wedding
 

How do you want your event to feel?

 

Ask yourself this question first. Write down your answer and refer to it often.
Trust me on this one, your answer will inform the rest of your decisions.

Great events tell great stories. Great stories give you all the feels.
The question is definitely NOT about how you want your event to look.

I wanted our shoot to feel like a sun-drenched bohemian adventure,
full of magic, color and whimsy.

 

2. Be A Greedy Squirrel

 
recordplayerfirstdance
 
Pinterest. The Library. Museums. Magazines. A dog walk. A good book.
 
Inspiration is everywhere, so gather it all up like the greedy little squirrel you are.
Pin it all. Jot it down. If it gives you the feels, gobble it up. For now. Don’t bother to edit.

BUT

Set a Time Limit.
aka. Once your mouth is full you have to stop. (is this analogy still working?)

*If you’ve just gotten engaged, maybe it’s a month to soak up all the inspiration and champagne.
*If it’s a party in a couple months, maybe you give yourself a week.
*If it’s a styled shoot in a week or two, maybe you give yourself a day, or even just a couple of hours.

My squirrel phase looked a bit like this:

NPR won’t shut up about this desert super bloom – maybe it’s worth the drive to see – maybe if we drive all the way out there we should do a desert photo shoot – the desert got me thinking about gram parsons – gram parsons got me thinking about 70’s vibes – my father-in-law has a badass 70’s corvette – so maybe a desert elopement with that car – damn Ravayna’s hair would match all those purple desert flowers – oh! wouldn’t a first dance with a portable record player be sweet – hey! I have a portable record player…

And so on…

And of course the whole time what I’m actually doing is pinning/making lists of anything and everything that feels sun-drenched, bohemian, magical, whimsical, colorful, or adventurous. If it was an indoor shoot, I would have definitely considered some neon elements as well, but we had enough and more color already which was perfect!
 

3. Obey the Rule of Three

 
dip dyed napkins
 
Look over all that beautiful inspiration (more like random pins and chicken scratch at this point) and pick out three things you gravitate towards over and over. A certain color. A pattern. A type of flower. Do you only pin brides in short lace dresses? (asking for a friend)

Pay attention to your own ideas.
And pick your three elements.

This is where the magic happens: the three elements you chose, that gave you all the feels, are unique to you. (or your couple, if you’re a designer/planner) and they’ll help you tell your personal + original story.

The Rule of Three is simple: primarily focus on and repeat these three elements throughout your design.

My three for our shoot were purple sunsets, eclectic props, and 70’s rock ‘n’ roll.
 

4. Make your Mood Board

 
DESERTWILDFLOWERSwinstonandmain
 
Bouquet/Hair/Wildflowers/Couple/Corvette/Tabletop/Cake/Records
 
Your mood board is an immediate visual answer to the the question.
It gives you all the feels and contain your palette and three elements.
And nothing else.

Now is the time to say goodbye to all those other good ideas,
and the 14 other weddings that could have been.

Make a mixtape, pack your snacks, and get ready to hit the road,
because you, my friend, have made your very own roadmap.
 

5. List out your projects

 
desertelopement
 

What key projects do you want or need to make your wedding/party/photoshoot work?

A variety of simple & impactful projects is best.
You don’t need ALL THE THINGS. I promise.

For our elopement adventure I chose:
A Bouquet & Boutonniere
A Cake & Cocktail
A Sweetheart Table
A Custom Jacket with Gram Parsons Lyric
Musical Props- A Record Player & Guitar
“We Eloped” Records

Sure, we could have done more, more, more, but it wasn’t necessary tell our story.
Remember the bare minimum, done beautifully, is often best.
 

6. Be a Ruthless Editor

 
custombridaljacketwinstonandmain
 
Again, inspiration is everywhere.

BUT if you’re past your time limit AND you’ve made a mood board you love, well then, it’s time for a little tough love my friend.

Is that amazingnewidea one of your 3 design elements? Does it 100% fit on your board?
If not, it doesn’t matter how cool it is, let it go.

I think we’ll stop here, and talk more tips for picking your projects, turning your lists and inspirations into tangible designs, and styling your day in the next post. I hope you find this series helpful, and would love to address your specific needs & questions. Or do you have a different design process that works for you? If so, I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment below, over on Instagram, or shoot me an email.

Or maybe you’re a newly engaged couple who thinks this is all swell, but just want to hire me to do it for you. Check out the services I offer right here.
 
Venue: Anza Borrego Desert State Park / Event & Floral Design + Planning: Winston & Main / Photography: Julie Shuford Photography / Dress + Accessories: The Blushing Bird / Cake: Mwokaji Cakery / Embroidery: Ink & Thread LA / Models: Ravayna & David Coe