Let’s Lunch for Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital!
Tomorrow from 11:30-1:30 pm, WM Events will be lunching at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market in support of Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital! “Let’s Lunch for Hughes is an event which I have spear headed as a community board member for this awesome institution. I urge you all come out and support us for this fun event.
-William Fogler
WM Events
X-Ray Vision for Floral Design
We all know that flowers are beautiful. But, it turns out, the inside of a flower is equally as beautiful! Singapore based photographer, Brendan Fitzpatrick had a brilliant idea for a subject. He took these colorful floral x-rays at a radiography lab, followed by a few rounds of image editing and color correction in Photoshop to reach the final results you see here. You can head over to Society6 to pick up a few prints of your own. It makes me wonder what else would look this wonderful through an x-ray.
-William Fogler
WM Events
How To: Lighting Your Event
Let’s face it. It’s a lot more fun to visit your Caterer or Cake Designer for an afternoon tasting than to visit some hidden warehouse to talk about gel colors, gobos, and fresnels. What are those things anyways? We can complain about cold chicken any day of the week, but developing a lighting design is a complex, multi-dimensional, exercise that takes talent, skill, and a discerning eye. Yet, despite these intricacies and mood-altering affects, any event’s lighting budget is usually the last to add on and the first to slash.
Sometimes breaking the vocabulary wall in the lighting world can do wonders in the eventual success of an event. So, let’s put the spotlight on some commonly used terms.
1. Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlight (Leko & Source Four)
These fixed lighting instruments collect and direct light through a barrel that contains a lens. ERS instruments come in all shapes and sizes. While each particular model of ERS has its own set of characteristics, every one contains a) an adjustable lens that can change the focus (softness or hardness) of the beam of light projected by the unit, b) a set of brackets on the end of the lens tube for the insertion of gel frames, c) a series of four shutters that allow for precise shaping and sizing of the unit’s beam as lines, and d) a slot for the insertion of metal gobos.
2. Gel
Lighting gel is a transparent thin sheet of polycarbonate or polyester that is placed at the end of a lighting fixture in order to color the light. There are a few different companies that manufacture gel, each using a different code to signify the color profile of each piece (like Rosco 39 and GAM 841. Swatch books (as seen above) give lighting designers a better idea of the end result, just like interior designers use paint color pallets. Also similar to painting, it is best to use smaller combination of colors or stay in a color family when lighting your event. Too many oranges, blues, purples, and yellows, and your lighting concept will appear muddled and fight with your decor.
3.Gobo
Derived from the phrase “Go between”, a gobo is a thin, round piece of metal with patterned holes placed in front of a light source that controls the shape of the light. The gobo stops some light from passing through, while letting the cut out pattern continue for an interesting effect. Situated at the instrument’s point of focus in a holder (as seen above), the gobo can be crisply focused for logos and details, or softened for patterned breakups or geometric designs. Perhaps you might want to add stars to your venue’s ceiling, or a tree pattern (with green gel) for your jungle themed party. Brides, corporations, and guests of honor can all benefit from having a customized gobo cut for around $100.
4. LED Lights
The items detailed above have been around for a long time, but developing technology seems to be focused in the world of LED lighting instruments (mainly because they have high light output with lower power consumption). LED instruments can contain a number of different colored LEDs, often Red, Green and Blue, and different light output colors can be achieved by adjusting the intensity of each LED color group. LED instruments have a long life relative to other options, without the expense of color gel or replacement lamps. The three types of LEDs are a) Round PAR cans that house a round circuit board of light, b) Strip lights that use a long, narrow source of LEDs, and c) Intelligent LED lights that can move positions around an axis.
Check in for our next blog post with lighting experts, Todd Finch and Julian Bradley.
-William Fogler
WM Events
Succulent Inspirations
We hope you all loved our living table from the NACE Design Trends competition that we posted earlier this week. The table was created largely out of plants called succulents. No doubt you’ve rubbed Aloe-infused lotion on a sunburn to ease the pain after a few too many minutes outside. Or maybe you’ve seen those gigantic cacti in the dessert (these). Both of these plants are part of the succulent family.
Succulent plants are especially well-equipped at retaining water in the leaves, stems, and roots in order to survive unfavorable conditions. That’s why you often find them in dry, arid climates like the desert. They have a few evolutionary advancements that help them collect as much moisture as they can. For instance, roots very near the soil’s surface can take up moisture from small showers or heavy dew, while an impervious, outer skin cuticle retains this water. Succulents are like the camels of the plant world.
One really interesting type of succulent is the epiphyte, or air plant. They have limited or no contact with the ground, remaining largely dependent on the moisture taken in from the air to survive. Take a look at a few of our pictures below to get a better understanding of what these succulent plants look like. Don’t be afraid to mix them into an arrangements, a terrarium, or even a bridal bouquet. Let us know what you think in the comments below!
-William Fogler
WM Events
WM Events and Peachtree Tents & Events Win at NACE Design Trends
Congratulations to the Peachtree Tents and Events Table Top at the NACE Design Trends competition and the Bridal Extravaganza. Held at 200 Peachtree this past Sunday and Monday, the event was a major success. We partnered with Peachtree Tents and Events, Dwayne Bass with his innovative Rubblox furniture, Christian Ruffin at One Stop Productions, and Dee Lane Eades at Graceful Tables to make a lively table covered in moss, succulents, ferns, and other greenery. Mixing a stainless steel table, an antique barn door, rubber furniture, and lots of living plants was an inventive twist that added visual and textural interest. Tell us what you think in the comments below!
-William Fogler
WM Events
Spring 2012 At Affairs to Remember Showroom
It’s that time again! Flipping the showroom at Affairs to Remember is a great exercise for us as designers. We get to push our limits, incorporate trends, and flex our creativity muscles. The current look in the vault is all white, using textures and layers to add visual interest. The main room showcases the three different looks (Classic, Gallery, & Artisan) with color continuity.
We’d like to thank all of our vendors that made the Spring 2012 look possible- -Monte Carlo Productions, Lounge Art, Peachtree Tents and Events, BBJ Linens, Classic Party Rentals, Party Tables, Graceful Tables, and Newberry Brothers. Check out our pictures below (also available at our Facebook Page and Consulting Page), and leave your thoughts in our comment section.
-William Fogler
WM Events
Pink Power Moms Arrive in Atlanta!
Moms are special people. From the love notes in your lunch box to their all-purpose cleaning saliva, they know how to do just about anything and make you feel like you’re the only person in the world. And that’s exactly how we wanted to make these 40 Pink Power Moms feel during a weekend of festivities and celebrations around Atlanta. For the last 4 years, Kids II, Inc. has honored 8 worthy women who have survived breast cancer and then gone on to do something monumental by presenting them with a $5,000 award and a pampering weekend in Atlanta. This landmark year brought 32 Legacy Moms back to join the 8 new Pink Power Moms in a spectacular 5 Year Anniversary spectacular. Take a look below at the phenomenal photography of Patrick Williams, and a few descriptions of what the Pink Power Mom weekend was all about!
The weekend began with a pink-ified gift basket presentations as the Moms checked in to Twelve Hotel at Atlantic Station on Friday evening. After gathering in the lobby, everyone walked together from the hotel over to The Grape for an intimate meet and greet, filled with fabulous food, wonderful wines, and a delectable dessert bar. Yahgo Entertainment’s Atlanta Soul Band rocked the socks off all the guests with smooth, swinging sounds. And Balloonacy added that extra POP to the delectable decor with multiple arrangements of thematic balloons!
Saturday morning began with individual spa treatments for each Mom in their hotel room, followed by a some free time for shopping around Atlantic Station. But the real fun began Saturday night at the High Museum of Art. As guests arrived at the pink carpet entrance, they were greeted by Absolute Entertainment’s gorgeous Pink Ladies suited up in shocking pink. Inside the Taylor Lobby entrance, Event Scapes decorated space with 10 foot ribbons covered in pink carnations, and decorated the tables with stunning centerpieces. Spectacularly, Magnum Lighting Company washed the entire room in magentas and fuchsias, adding gobos and break-ups for visual interest.
Guests then moved through a Pink Power Mom Hall of Fame, chomping on Legendary Events‘ legendary catering, where they could read blurbs about all the Moms and their charities. Arriving in the Robinson Atrium, all the attendees were amazed at the decorative pink fabric panels hanging from the curved banister, the spandex screen, and the exceptional stage set. A short congratulatory video by Marcia Cross from Desperate Housewives kicked off the presentation, where a ballyhoo ushered in the 5 classes from different areas of the room. Each class was led by a Pink Lady carrying banners with key words such as Hope, Courage, and Inspiration before the 2011 Moms were presented with their award checks. Guests then partied the night away, dancing to the musical stylings of Atlanta Party Band, capturing memories at the instant photo booth provided by Button It Up Photography, and catching the new Picasso to Warhol exhibit upstairs.
Sunday morning, the Moms and their guests woke up to a brilliant brunch at Lobby at Twelve. This final goodbye was bittersweet, and a perfect closing to a perfect weekend. But the festivities were not yet over for the 2011 Moms! They boarded the bus and enjoyed the Kids II Suite for a great Falcons Football game at the Georgia Dome. The weekend was a total success! Let us know what you think about the event in the comments below!
Neiman Marcus Christmas Book Inspiration
Few things are more magnificent than the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. This year’s 150+ pages of full color compositions flood our minds with inspiration, style, and whimsy. From the over-sized holiday card props, to the “I WANT IT ALL!!” gift list, this book has everything you could want and more. With fantasy catalog options like a $250,000 speed boat ($3,000 of which goes to a good cause), no one would ever suggest that the NM offerings are typical. If you’re lucky enough to pick up one of these pieces of bound artwork, make sure you check out page 71 for a coaster set we’ve been dying to get our hands on!
-William Fogler
WM Events
Count Down To Christmas with Fun Advent Calendars
Today is the first day of December. That means that since all the decorations are hung, it’s time to open that first gift of the advent calendar. They’re great reminders that Christmas is right around the corner. And who doesn’t like receiving presents for 24 days straight!?! Beginning in 19th century Germany, the advent calendar was a daily reminder for those of the Lutheran faith to physically count down each day before Christmas. Today, these festive elements come in all shapes, sizes, and uses. From your traditional card stock illustrations with windows to hanging garlands of mittens, there’s certainly something surprising for everyone. We’ve taken a minute to hunt the internet highways for the most interesting takes on these jolly gadgets, and complied them in a list below. How do you and your family gear up for the holidays?
A Story A Day Advent Calendar App by via Shiny Shiny
Advent Koenecke Sausage by Butter via LovelyPackage
$1 Million Advent Calendar by Porsche Design via BornRich
Worlds Smallest Advent Calendar by University of Regensburg’s Micro- and Nanostructures Group via Royal Society of Chemistry
-William Fogler
WM Events
DIY: Doodled Shoes, A New Life For Old Soles
Here at WM Events, we’re all about breathing new life into old or otherwise unusable objects. So, when a pair of her white leather shoes got a little scuffed, Leigh looked for a wonky way to spice up her spikes. Inspired by a contest on DoodlersAnonymous.com where the website gave away a pair of Sam Pierpoint doodled shoes, she took to her red sharpie and went to town. They’re relatively symmetrical, and filled with interesting patterns that will make any little black dress pop with artful flair. These conversation pieces took about 2 hours and 5 sharpies total. What are your favorite ways to cover up imperfections? Would you wear shoes like this down the aisle? Leave your comments below!
-William Fogler
WM Events
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