Wedding Nouveau is quickly becoming the ultimate resource for celebrating multi-ethnic and fusion weddings, a trend that I’m very proud of.  However, fusion isn’t just about heritage and ethnicity.  Sometimes, the beauty of fusion buds from subtle and random mixes and matches.  The odd couple, if you will.

What happens when you invite Chanel to a burger joint?

(Above: Chanel Runway via The Age, Burger photo by Allegro Photography)

…The marriage of elite fashion with everyday Americana.

(Above: The Cool Hunter)

Who knew fashion and fast food had a chance at love?  This is certainly not a bad way to add a little “Je ne sais quoi” to your reception Hors doeuvres.  Whether you’re Salvatore stylin’ or  Prada Profilin’, these labels done by Cool Hunter, would be quite simple to do yourself at home.  All you need are some fabulous labels, a good printer, and a stylish imagination.

“Do you, elite fashion, take this everyday Americana to be your lawfully wedded husband?…mmm!

There’s a reason why J’adore Paul Lowe of Sweet Paul Blog, and his recent post is just another confirmation of why you need to know him.

(Above: Design by © Paul Lowe; Image by © Colin Cooke)

Wouldn’t this be the perfect accent for  a gorgeous fashion infused Halloween event?  Along with the actual purse:-)  Love it.

To get more information on how Paul designed this, visit his blog @ Sweet Paul.

Spicyhugs,

Fri

Yesterday, I stumbled unto San Francisco Bay Wedding Florist: Karen Hsu of  Grandi-Flora, and couldn’t stop clicking through their blog portfolio of truly unique floral arrangements.  Karen’s skilled background in the Japanese Art of flower arrangement (“Ikebana“), passion for modern design &  unique collaboration with each client, all meld seamlessly and intimately in each of her one of a kind arrangements.

COLORFUL AND UNABASHED

(Above: Aisle flower Photo by Ko Photography; Yellow flower & White Chair photo by Erin Beach Photography; Floral Cake Photo by Darcy, Documentary Weddings; Long Flower Centerpiece and Red Bouquet by Ed Pingol Photography)

GROUNDED & MODERN

(ABOVE: Lavender Bouquet Photo by Bella Pictures; Bottom Row: Jewel wrapped Plant and Green Bouquet photo by Ed Pingol Photography;

All the floral arrangements displayed were designed by Karen Hsu of Grandi Flora. To see more of her creations, please dig through her flower garden, here.

So, I’m constantly amazed by the wealth of design ideas out there for dessert buffets.  Amy Atlas for one, never fails to inspire a wide range of emotions from whimsical youth to romantic nostalgia, in her inventive designs.  She’s the queen of modern eye candy when it comes to envisioning your dream dessert buffet.

Readers of Wedding Nouveau aren’t just interested in fabulous style, they want to find alternatives to fit their specific needs or cultural backgrounds.

Challenge: When creating the ideal dessert buffet, how do you fuse modern colors and a sophisticated aesthetic with traditional pastries?

How You do it: Pick a simple theme and go from there.  Whether it’s color, emotion or texture…the sky’s the limit.

Here are three very different inspiration palettes, as well as possible global dessert.  Using Amy Atlas’ creations as an inspirational launch pad was a no-brainer.  Each featured dessert comes from a different part of the world:-)  Enjoy!

Inspiration: The Dessert Buffet

(Above: Image Source)

Dream Palette # 21: GLOBAL DESSERTS  n’ COMFORT

-Based on Color-

(Above: Dessert Buffet by © Amy Atlas; 1) Powdered Beignet- New Orleans [Recipe/ Image source]; 2) Creme Puffs- Wisconsin (Recipe/ Image source]; 3) Ghreyba- Egypt (Recipe/ Image source); 4) Bem Casado- Brazil (Recipe/ Image Source); 5) Sfijas- Armenian/Argentinian or Middle Eastern (Recipe/ Image source]; 6) Date & Roasted Almond Ice cream- Middle East [Recipe/ Image Source].

Dream Palette #22: GLOBAL DESSERTS n’ CONFECTIONS

-Based on Emotion-

(Above: Dessert Buffet by © Amy Atlas; 1) Dates- Middle East [Recipe/ Image Source]; 2)Hjortronparfait- Sweden [Recipe/ Image Source] 3) Ciastka Kurche- Poland [Recipe/ Image Source]; 4) Colorful Candy from here; 5) Coupe Mount Kenya- Kenya [Recipe/ Image Source]; 6) Gingerbread Roulade & Dulce De Leche- Chile [Recipe/ Image Resource]; 7) Mango & Coconut Sago- Hong Kong [Recipe/ Image Source]; 8) Cotton Candy Image from here; 9) Manju- Japan [Recipe/ Image Source]; 10) Rice Pudding- Nepal [Recipe/ Image Source]; 11) Puff Puff- Cameroon & Nigeria [Recipe/ Image Source]).

Dream Palette # 22: GLOBAL DESSERTS n’ SERENITY

-Based on Texture-

(Above: Dessert Buffet by © Amy Atlas; 1) Koeksister- South Africa [Recipe/ Image Source]; 2) Loukoumi- Cyprus/ Turkey [Recipe/ Image Source] 3) Spiced Cinnamon Cookies- Mexico [Recipe/ Image Source]; 4) Lamington- Australia [Recipe/ Image Source]; 5) Mandazi- Kenya [Recipe/ Image Source] ).

By the way…I’m always a fan of anything desserts.  I cast a wide net of global treats for this feature.  If I neglected to included your personal favorite, it’s not personal…but please do let me know:-)

Who says you can’t have a little fun when assigning seats for your guests? After all, place cards not only direct guests to their appropriate seats, it also gives the taste palette a direction to go in.  

I’m a huge fan of Emily Arrison’s creations, and she’s at it again with her detailed place card collection. Check these out, from Timeless Paper.

Imagine, custom ordering shapes to fit any fruit, food, animal, architectural style or map you’d want.  The sky’s the limit.

When it comes to picking the right place settings for your fusion wedding (or any wedding for that matter), it’s pretty easy to get overwhelmed by the bevy of options…or limited by the lack thereof.  Most event spaces offer basic whites as part of their set up: A safe, classic look.

NEUTRAL

(ABOVE: Top – All White Plates from Crate & Barrel; Reception Table Design from Blogger Brides)

Now don’t get me wrong, all-white table settings are not only super classy and clean, but they have the unique ability to transport you to a celestial spa…that’s until you  get to know the dinnerware from the Horchow Collection.

Horchow carries a series of handcrafted dinnerware sets (among other things) which are inspired and made in many areas of the globe…perfect for adorning the reception tables at a fusion wedding.  I was completely enamored by the amount of detail spent on each set and I must confess that I got hooked like Tim Gunn to Project Runway.

If home is where the heart is, there’s no reason why you can’t have a delicious, decadent and classy wedding reception dinner that speaks to you, personally.

PORTUGAL:

(ABOVE: Opaque Glass Dinnerware from Portugal [Photo By Horchow]; Belem Tower Photo By Andre Pipa)

FRANCE:

(ABOVE: Vintage Mosaic from Shabby Chic; Stone Village of Gorbio in Provence, France [Photo by Rita Crane Photography]; “Fleur-de-Lis” Handcrafted ceramic Dinnerware from Horchow)

MALAYSIA:

(ABOVE: Cream Earthenware and Wood Charger from Horchow; Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian [Photo by Saifulnazim])

KENYA

(ABOVE: Zebra Striped Clay Dinnerware by Horchow; Sunset in Kenya photo by Eir@si)

FINLAND

(ABOVE: Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral in Helsinki [Photo by Bev Craig White]; River bank of Vantaa [Photo by Nina_999];  Taika ["Magic"] Dinnerware  from Horchow)

RUSSIA

(ABOVE: Petrouchka Porcelain Dinnerware from Horchow; St. Petersburg Photo by Neona_s)

ITALY

(ABOVE: Tuscan Landscape photo by Firenzesca; Handcrafted Glazed Clay and Wooden Charger [Photo by Horchow])

Here’s to delicious reception dinner, served on a piece of home.  Bon Appetit!