Have you ever read the novel “The Great Gatsby”, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald? It is an epic novel that takes you back in time to a decadent Long Island summer in 1922; A time where a grand millionaire lived a life of complete excess, glam, glitz, opulence, jazzy details, and of course, passionate love.
This is what I wanted to recreate when I was so kindly invited to showcase my floral designs at the Grand Gala for the luxury wedding summit, Engage!13. This spectacular event takes place at the elegant Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
The thrill of recreating a Gatsby Chic era at such a prestigious event had me mutually humbled, excited and nervous! But I did what I always do – got my creative juices flowing and got to work. I dove into everything Gatsby!
I took myself back in time; I mentally got dressed in my best pearls and donned my glitzy flapper dress. I envisioned myself walking up to the grand Biltmore Estate, I entered a large 30 foot-long pathway on the exquisite tent. The white canopy-covered path was lined with white rose filled candelabras that were drenched in pearls, crystals and feathers. Glamorous crystal chandeliers sparkled from the canopied ceiling.
At the end of the long walkway, I spied a grand archway that was covered in over 5000 white roses. Can you smell the floral scent in the air? Past this, I entered into Gatsby décor galore. Guests billowed in their chic attire, women coyly laughed as they fingered their pearls with one hand, holding their drink in the other. White tables and damask slip-covered love seats adorned the setting. Sheer, gauzy white curtains covered every inch of the room, crystal chandeliers draped in white roses, orchids and pearls hung from every ceiling nook. Tall topiaries that were filled with white feathers, roses, and drenched in orchids and crystals stood like proud Gatsby ladies in every corner.
Chairs covered in gauzy gold fabric were arranged around tables that had tall, gold-sequined topiaries that teemed with white roses, feathers and crystals. Smaller mirror-covered vases were scattered across the tables in the room, filled with elegant white orchids, roses, pearls, and feathers.
Can you picture it? This is what I dreamt of and tried to recreate. Take a look through the pictures of the actual event and let me know if you think I managed to transport guests to this Gatsby Chic era. I would love to hear from you! I would also like to send out a special thank you to the elegant Biltmore Estate staff, and to Rebecca Grinnals and Katheryn Arce of international wedding strategy consulting firm, Engaging Concepts, for inviting me to showcase my floral company.
Special thanks also to the following vendors involved who helps made this amazing event possible:
The Biltmore Estates
Classic Event Rentals ~ Tent and rentals
Nuage Designs ~ Linens and Furniture
Signature Chandeliers ~ Crystal chandeliers
PDA Stage ~ Lighting
Blossoms at Biltmore park~ Local florist support
Meijer Roses ~ Gorgeous white Avalanche roses
Elan Artists ~ Entertainment
Photographers:
Allan Zepeda
Carla Ten Eyck
Jeremie Barlow