A Spring Fling!

As a child, I was always enamored by hats...so much so, that when I was searching for my own wedding gown, I fell in love with THE HAT...I said, YES TO THE HAT! Since then, I always love when I can add a hat or two to my wardrobe - I don't even need to wear them...I hang them up and just enjoy their beauty. When I discovered Gena Conti and her hat studio in Wyandotte, Michigan, I felt like I found a soul mate!

A couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to have a client who wanted to throw a Derby Bridal Shower for her future daughter-in-law. The bride-to-be was an equestrian and so having the shower a week prior to the Kentucky Derby made this event all the more special, delightful...and oh, SO EXCITING!!! There was such an air of sophistication at the bridal shower with all the ladies doning a fancy hat.

So many hats...

The bridal shower invited all the ladies to wear a hat...well, let me tell you, it was quite the parade of hats! I was not sure if the ladies would all show up in spring finery but was delighted when every lady attending had a special hat...a room full of hats...it was heavenly!

 

...the art of the invitation

Of course, the very first step for any event begins with the design process. It is almost a case of "the chicken or the egg" which comes first - the decor of the event OR the invitaiton. In this case, we created the invitation and other print pieces and the actual event design followed our lead by using green and white striped linens, a profusion of roses, and a myriad of derby related props.

...then there was decor...

While Gina Conti's artistic skills were rapidly creating her fabulous hats for the derby season, this became one of my favorite times and opportunities to create a special invitation for my client with my cohort at the office, graphic designer, Jo Ann Stachelsky of Cartoleria. Our invitation design meetings begin with paper, pencil, scissors and we are off to create a custom invitation that is sure to capture the attention of our client's guests....it all starts here! The invitation is the first sneak peek into the celebration! We had a great start with the party being based on the parade of roses.

Too often I hear people say, I just throw my invites away - too much clutter! I SHUTTER when I hear this! When an invite is done well and is unique, the experience has quite a different reaction. Often times, our client's guests will tell us, "Oh, the invite was so amazing, I am showing it to everyone I know!"...you can be sure that this guest will be attending the event - the invitation made them excited and eager to attend.

Hats off to all!

Hats off to all of the milinery artists and a very special thank you to Gena Conti who is making the world a prettier place with her hats circling the globe!

Happy Spring!

Gina Conti - www.genaconti.com