Behind the Scenes with Bella: Concept to Design to Installation

Happy Holidays everyone! With Christmas right around the corner, we thought this would be the perfect time to feature one of our favorite holiday parties and show some behind the scene features in the development of such a grand fete.

The first step is to develop a concept; this year the client chose to go with a "Home for the Holidays" theme for a merry and spirited feel. We then began to research colors, flowers and textures that would embody the feel and allow us to work with some unique seasonal items.


We love texture and decided that rich chocolate and wine velvets, luminous golds, crab apple greens, ilex berry red and fragrant seasonal foliage would all contribute to the theme and add to the overall sensory appeal.

We then began to create renderings of what the centerpieces would look like. With such a traditional theme, we knew we needed a WOW factor to make a memorable impression. We like to create at least three designs for a nice varied look. Here are some renderings of the three designs we came up with.



Low Design



Tall Design



Super Tall Design :) ~ This one is over 8 feet tall!

Once the prototypes were approved and all lighting and linen selections were taken care of, it was time for the installation. One of our favorite venues, The Four Seasons Resort - Las Colinas,
was the location for the party. Here is an image of the ballroom early morning.



Tables were in the form of both squares and circles for a stylish and symmetric look.



Linens were a combination of Bella Flora and Posh Couture Rentals.



As the day progressed, so did the transformation of the room. Shown here is the velvet fabric treatment going up alongside crystal chandeliers from LITE Dallas.



...and the final product with washes of amber encompassing the room along with traditional and classic damask emblems. All the elements really came together beautifully!



The tall centerpiece complete with gorgeous ornaments, antique hydrangea, amaryllis, james story orchids, and ilex berry clusters.



I loved the low centerpieces laden with berries, rosettes, mini apples, amaryllis and fragrant cedar foliage. We then placed the arrangements (designed in mercury glass) atop these charming beveled mirrors for an updated twist on "hotel-mirror" decor.



The super tall centerpiece design in all it's holiday glory :)

The event was a huge success and really captured the spirit of the holidays. While it did take hours and hours of work to create, we couldn't have been more pleased with the end results. We want to thank our awesome clients for being open to creative ideas and the fabulous team of vendors who helped create this magical evening.

Happy Holidays!

Team Bella

Behind the Scenes with Bella: Bouquets

Everyone loves flowers. The naturally awesome colors, sweet fragrances, unique shapes....flowers rock! When designing flowers for a wedding or event, no one really sees the process of creating a gorgeous bouquet or centerpiece like the one pictured below.



The process from concept to actual design is a very time sensitive one with production starting weeks before a wedding. With this post, we'd like to share a glimpse into how things "happen" with bouquets.

After the concept and color schemes are nailed down, flowers are then ordered from various sources sometimes as far as Holland and New Zealand. Once flowers arrive via air cargo it is extremely important to nurture and care for the stems after having traveled out of water for days at a time. Some flowers travel safely with little to no worries (i.e. orchids), but others like hydrangeas, sweet peas, peonies need to be re-cut to ensure they are absorbing water properly.



After flowers are processed and allowed ample time to "breathe", we then begin to allocate each stem to each designated area. (i.e. bridal bouquets, boutonnieres, etc. ) Once that is complete, we then hand wire blooms from a multi-bloomed stalk (i.e. cymbidiums, mokara orchids) to ensure we get the best use of the stem.



The formation process is next which involves designing and ensuring balance in color, form and overall care for each stem. We like to saturate the blooms heavily with a mixture of water and floral preserve during this time so they can be stored safe and sound for the big day.



Depending on the day of the wedding, we then proceed to wrap the bouquet with a fine ribbon treatment to coordinate with the overall design. The final product is always a joy to present to the bride knowing that a great deal of time and patience went into the creation of a fabulous bouquet. Below is a snippet of a bridesmaids bouquet for a super fun wedding at The Dallas Museum of Art.



... and here is the beautiful bridal bouquet designed with a soft textured blending of ivory garden roses, baby majolica roses, fluttery white orchids and dashes of lilac toned sweet pea for a subtle pop of color.



As you can see, the bouquet is just one area of the wedding where details really do make a big difference. They are photographed with the bride and become cherished tokens from a truly memorable day.

In upcoming posts, we will continue Behind the Scenes with Bella Blogs to showcase the other aspects of creating a wedding. From concept development, renderings, linen selections, lighting design, the list just goes on and on!

Until next time! Happy Planning!

Team Bella