Event Planning Ideas, Trends & Inspiration

Last week we brought you some amazing color inspirations and their corresponding event possibilities. Let’s continue on that theme for a minute and wish a happy birthday to the most daring color maven out there- Betsey Johnson. Take a look below at her Spring 2012 and Fall 2012 runway looks to see how the fashion icon incorporates unexpected color combinations with over-the-top embellishments.

-William Fogler
WM Events

Summer here in Atlanta is HOT. But this particularly sweltering season also brings with it a fresh, active, and colorful vitality that provides never ending inspiration. We are busy as ever here at the WM Events office, but there’s always time to talk about what inspires us.

The WM Events team’s latest kick is infusing color and creativity in our designs with ribbon sculptures. From small and simple buffet decorations, to grand and transformative entrance pieces, these ideas are versatile, fun, and unique. Take a look below at some photos and renderings of recent events, with their corresponding inspirations. How are you seeing color and adding it into your life?

1. Inspiration: Australian Nike Savvas, “Full of Love and Full of Wonder” Bouncy Ball Installation

1. Execution: Buffet Ribbon Sculptures at the Downtown Atlanta’s W Wet Bar

2. Inspiration: The Cosmopolitan’s draped chandelier in Las Vegas, Nevada

2. Execution: Ribbon Chandeliers for a corporate event at Mason Murer Art Gallery

3. Inspiration: Pop Up Chapel Event at NYC’s Columbus Circle

3. Execution: Entrance piece for a corporate event at Mason Murer Art Gallery

4. Inspiration: Gabriel Dawe’s thread art installation at the Dallas Contemporary

4. Execution: Geometric giant frames from Peachtree Tents and Events at the Affairs to Remember showroom.

-William Fogler
WM Events

Most of you know by now that we at WM Events are the contracted designers for Affairs to Remember, Atlanta’s most delicious and hospitable caterer. Among other things, that means that we design their spectacular showroom and vault spaces. The current display features upcycled and repurposed items mixed with vintage and modern pieces (as seen in this blog post).

Well, we’re bringing you more with this video that Travis and Nancy made to give you a full tour of the vault space. Have you ever upcycled anything? Let us know know in the comments below!

-William Fogler
WM Events

Mark your calendars for this Friday night for a new Danny Boyle production. He won’t be winning an Oscar for this particular work, but Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip have been promised a staring role in a cast of over 10,000 performers. Just shy of 42 million dollars, the budget for this show is more than that of Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, Trainspotting, and 127 Hours COMBINED.

Boyle’s Opening Ceremony at the London Olympic Games, titled “The Isles of Wonder”, will feature a past-present-future approach to the history of the United Kingdom. Combining British music, literature, television, movies, and pop culture, this ceremony will see the likes of Shakespeare, Paul McCartney, Mary Poppins, James Bond, Peter Pan, Dr. Who, The Who, and of course, sheep. That’s right! 12 horses, 3 cows, 2 goats, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, 9 geese, 70 sheep and 3 sheepdogs will be part of the “mythic” British countryside complete with real rain clouds.

Of the 540 US Olympic athletes traveling to London to take part in the games, 269 of them are female- the first time in US Olympic history that women outnumber men. All of them, however, will be wearing Ralph Lauren during the Parade of Nations. We can’t wait to see who everyone else is wearing! So get your hand-on-your-heart pose ready and brush up on those lyrics to the National Anthem, because we are READY for the Olympics!

-William Fogler
WM Events

Architecture for Humanity Atlanta is hosting its 4th Annual Birdhouse Social on August 18th, 2012. Contributed by some of Atlanta’s most talented creatives, the designer birdhouses  will be presented in a silent auction format. Proceeds from the auction will go towards the continued efforts of AFHA. The birdhouse shown in the image below was the featured design from 2011, from the architecture and interior design firm Jova Daniels Busby.

WM Events’ very own Robert Booth, along with Michael Staed, will be entering their own design for the event. The pair recently received their BFAs in Interior Design from Georgia State University, and we’re excited to see what they come up with. More information about the social can be found here. Go for the birdhouses, stay for the music, dancing, local food, and specialty drinks!

-William Fogler
WM Events

I have the distinct pleasure of being invited to work with a favorite clients upcoming wedding in Beverly Hills.  While the WM Events team is not directly involved with any of the amazing design or planning of this spectacular affair, I am honored to be asked to pitch in with the team to help produce the event.

Leigh and Robert are hanging back in the ATL while I jet off to the Los Angeles Four Seasons for a fun-filled, wedding experience like none other. Stay tuned for the full report and social updates along the way.

-William Fogler
WM Events

Happy Birthday dear Golden Gaaaaaattteeeeee. Happy Birthday to you.  You may not know that the instantly recognizable bridge recently celebrated the big 7-5! But if you’re looking to commemorate the California landmark in style, there’s no better way than with house wares made from pieces of the actual bridge.

San Francisco-based furniture company, Golden Gate Bridge Furniture Company opened in 1994 when the owner and Bay Area native, Richard Bulan crafted pieces of the recently replaced hand rails into head boards. 56 years of wind and salt air damage had weakened the steels structural integrity, but not its aesthetic integrity. Check out the pictures below to see the full line of furniture crafted from that icon International Orange steel that stretches 1.7 miles across the bar.

-William Fogler
WM Events

The Royal Horticultural Society has done it again. Remember those stunning pictures we showed you last year? We’ll here’s what happened this year at the 99th annual Chelsea Flower Show. Its hard to believe that the 18,000 tropical plants brought in from Thailand for the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden were not the highlight of the event. Instead, the showcase piece was a towering 7-story structure of scaffolding, wrapped in over 3,000 plants and complete with a 5 story slide to expedite your exit. Don’t believe me? Check out the pictures below.

P.S. Congratulations to the Foxglove Digitalis Illumination Pink for winning Plant of the Year!

-William Fogler
WM Events

On a recent adventure to our home away from home in Denver, we had the time of our life planning the second Mitzvah of our favorite Denver family. This one celebrated Dan with a family Bar-B-Que in the back yard after his service, and a fun street party at Erico Motor Sports. And as far as parties go, this event was non-stop excitement, with classics like four square, double dutch jump ropes, hullahoops, bubbles, basketball, and sidewalk chalk to get the kids going. Speaking of chalk, the amazing Jennifer Mosquera from the Art Salon Denver created a unique piece of street art for the birthday boy- a mural of the family dog, Archie! Oh, and did we mention the Parkour guys jumping and flipping off the buildings? Or the fraternity step team performing their competition routine? Or the DELICIOUS tacos from the Comida Food Truck?

So let’s walk you through the inside of the party. Our favorite florists at Newberry Brother’s went a distinctly non-floral route with centerpieces sculpted from spare motorcycle parts. They even created a custom bike made especially for Dan that donned the buffet stations. Plus a giant sign-in board with his logo and spinning letters that spelled out his name. The catering staff at Occasions Denver were decked out in mechanic shirts all branded with Dan’s name, and offered delicious dishes throughout the night. Between the dancing, the food, the photo booth, the airbrushed t-shirts, and the INCREDIBLE MOTORCYCLE ENTRANCE by the birthday boy himself, this party was a huge hit.

We can’t offer a big enough thank you to our friends at ESP Lighting and of course, the miraculous David Wegwart for the amazing pictures you see below! Contact us for your next social event!

-William Fogler
WM Events

WM Events is sounding off from the mile high city to bring you minute by minute updates for the Shelanski Bar Mitzvah! Remember 2 years ago when we planned that AMAZING CSI-themed mitzvah for Dan’s older sister, Lily? Take a look back through the pictures here. Be sure to keep up with us on our Twitter and Facebook feed to get up to date info on what’s going on.

-William Fogler
WM Events

The Showroom re-design at Affairs to Remember is especially exciting this time around, because of the local flavor we added to the mix. Beginning with re-purposed, adding a dash of upcycled, and mixing in a cup of vintage modern, we transformed the vault space at the Atlanta catering company into a high-style recycle center.

The spool table sits front and center an industrial piece of art. Recently crafted from an actual wire spool found here in West Midtown, these tables are the perfect piece for your next party. Even better, top the tables with these rustic wood risers made from actual shipping pallets. This look represents a current trend which incorporates industrial pieces into an elegant motif. We’ve also featured Dwayne Bass’ Rubblox furniture, a line of upcycled, shredded rubber molded into cylinders, cubes and benches. And let’s not forget the GIANT wooden frame which we’ve decorated here with ribbon in a geometric pattern, but could easily house your step and repeat or chalk drawing. Of course, all of these statement pieces are available from our friends at Peachtree Tents and Events.

Beyond the big pieces in the room, we’ve added a few vintage finds from around town to spice up the scenery. Porcelain birds painted white, antique Atlanta-themed bar wear, lamp shade skeletons, and milk glass vases all add that touch of whimsy to a fun, eclectic room. Let us know if WM Events can help you design your next function.

-William Fogler
WM Events

Here in Georgia, we’re already enduring the high 80’s and the sweltering humidity. But if there’s one thing we know, it’s that nothing beats the heat like a good swim. But whether the water is salt or fresh, blue or green, you’re going to want to take these hip swim suits with you. Here is the WM Events top 5 list of new and fresh gear to get wet in. Let us know in the comments below which is your favorite! Or have you just bought an amazing piece we should know about? Tell us!

1. Nerdy Chic -$90 via Blackmilk

2. Geometric Daze – $105 via REISS

3. YSL Splendid Sailor – $525 via Neiman Marcus

4. All A-Board! – $295 via SAKS

5. Super Slim – $188 via Spanx

-William Fogler
WM Events