“Marsala” is the 2015 “Color of the Year”, and I’m so excited to share some absolutely gorgeous marsala wedding ideas with you today! Inspired by the romance and softness of layers of tulle and ballet, Laura of Ashton Events created an exquisite event showcasing the talents of some of the most talented wedding professionals in Tampa Bay. Combining that softness with modern industrial elements and adding champagne, pink, and navy blue to the color palette, the resulting look was absolutely gorgeous and like none other! Josh and Rachel Best of Best Photography were there to capture this stunning event and all of the amazing details in both film and digital photography, and I can’t wait for you to see!

But first, I have to explain exactly what this event is! For the past 3 years, Laura and I have collaborated on what we call Starlit Supper– an annual event where we gather our “friendors” (friends and wedding vendors) to celebrate and toast to a successful year. The event is what we have termed an “inspiration shoot-turned-dinner party”, with an inspiration shoot taking place prior to the actual event. It has become an evening that many look forward to every year, and Laura and I are honored to be the hosts of it! [You can see past years’ events here!] Laura is joining us today to share more about her inspiration and vision for Starlit Supper…

Our 2014 Starlit Supper design was inspired by the venue itself- the Rialto Theatre in Tampa. The space has been renovated and is truly breathtaking. We wanted to highlight the theatrical aspect of the venue, as well as its historic elements. The crisp white walls, cavernous rooms, and gorgeous archway- they beckoned each of the vendors to pull out all the stops! 

We used layers of neutrals- ivory sequins, nude tulle, white bricks, etc., for a tonal foundation. We wanted to bring bold colors to the palette that would pop off of the blank space. The rich navy was a perfect complement with the vibrant burgundy.  We also loved the idea of tying in a touch of a ballet influence, given that there is a natural stage. The hair & makeup and styling by Collective Creations & Malindy Elene, respectively, of our #starlitcouple were spot on! Did you notice that the dress actually has a tulle skirt overlay? Be still my heart!

Guests were invited into the cocktail hour, and mix and mingled next to an interactive escort display. We had asked each of the guests to send us their proudest moment of 2014. They could then find their picture on the gallery of images which also had their table number denoting their table number. To play up the performance aspect, we asked each person to sign their picture. It was such a joy watching the conversation grow around their favorite moments and hear the stories. Wish Vintage provided two cozy corners of lounge furniture for the guests to enjoy. I would have taken it all home if I could!

The above display was used as our seating chart: Each guest sent in a photo of their “proudest moment of 2014”, and they found their assigned table number on their photo! 

Another strong influence of the design were the florals. Inspired by old floral encyclopedias, I had the pleasure of collaborating on the flowers with Mariana from Flowerly Studio. We really wanted the florals to stand out against the neutral tones. By bringing in a lot of unique textures (and the gorgeous geranium foliage!), the flowers contained a lot of personality on the feasting tables from Signature Rentals. The mirrored chargers from Signature Rentals reflected the vintage flatware and snazzy blue glasses from Dishie Rentals. We loved the place settings, especially how the tulle wrap on the napkins propped up the individual laser cut names from Host & Toast Studio. The gorgeous canvas menus and custom magnets from Eleven-Note were created especially for the Elio chairs from AFR.  The contrast of the metal against the sequin linens from Kate Ryan Linen was a perfect juxtaposition.

Each of the vendors worked seamlessly to create a magical evening. DJ Jacob Towe had incredible projections throughout the evening (even a starry sky!). Siuleth from Eleven-Note absolutely killed the print materials. She was such an inspiration to me- and worked so hard to incorporate all of the different textures and elements that we infused in the other decor. Finishing off the design was the custom “Starlit” lighting that our Ashton Events team executed. We’re still dreaming about how gorgeous it turned out!

Puff ‘n Stuff served a delicious, family style French-inspired menu, complete with scrumptious cheese boards. We ended the meal picking with the long table of desserts from Hands on Sweets- Marie is such an artist! DJ Jacob kicked up the music again, and the custom tulle backdrop from Banter Booth was filled for the rest of the night. 

And a glimpse of the whole evening in action, thanks to Bright Frame Films…

Starlit Supper {2014} from Bright Frame Films on Vimeo.

I’m so grateful for the amazing collaboration of vendors. There are so many subtle details that we didn’t even touch! The design was executed beautifully by all of the vendors involved, and we are so grateful to Kristin & Kevin for being our #starlitcouple. 

And I can’t help but mention the beginning of Starlit Supper, when 3 years ago, Megan of Glamour and Grace came to Laura and I with the “crazy idea” to do an inspiration shoot-turned-dinner party. Sadly, she no longer lives close to Tampa to attend the now annual event, but we always miss her dearly!

I have to send a big HUGE thank you to all of the vendors who participated in this year’s Starlit Supper! It was the biggest one yet, and it was truly wonderful to see everyone’s absolute best work! Oh, and an even bigger thank you to Laura of Ashton Events. This girl is one of the most talented designers and wedding planners that I know, and I’m thankful for her creativity and expertise!

So friends, what do you think of this use of marsala? I for one am a HUGE fan of the other colors mixed in with it!

Vendors who made it all happen…