A Few of Our Favorite Things – 2009

Happy New Year!!! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are excited about the year ahead. In thinking back over 2009, there were several moments and trends that punctuated the year for us. So, below are just a few of our favorite things from last year. Enjoy!

Personal Touches
There has been a growing interest for more unique ways to put a personal stamp on an event. It was one of our most exciting challenges last year to work with clients and vendors to find the details that would help set each event apart.

Creative Escort Cards

photo by Patricia Lyons

photo by Tom McCall

photo by Ralph Alswang

Sweet Treats

photo by Lynne Brubaker

photo by Elizabeth Duncan

photo by Elizabeth Duncan

photo by Rodney Bailey

photo by Tom McCall

Dramatic Decor
We had so much fun working with clients to design dramatic lounge areas and other fabulous decor. Incorporating one really big element can really make an impact on the overall event experience.

photo by Jennifer Baciocco

photo by Patricia Lyons

photo by Freed Photography

New Destinations
Each year, we are pleasantly surprised by the opportunities we have to work in new areas or venues. In 2009, our work took us to some very unique destinations, including Napa, California. We also enjoyed working for the first time at some places closer to home.

Napa Valley

photo by Jennifer Baciocco

Gibson Island Club

photo by Michael Bennett Kress & Associates

National Cathedral

photo by Rodney Bailey & Associates

Cosmos Club

photo by Lynne Brubaker

Rehoboth Beach

photo by Patricia Lyons

Chatham Bars Inn, MA

photo by Ralph Alswang

Color Watch– The Return of Pastels
We are always interested in color trends. While we often work with our clients to determine the best color palette for their event, we tend to follow their natural preferences. Last year, the single most commonly used color chosen by our clients was yellow - bright, sunny yellow to soft, buttery yellow. But, more prominent than that was a return to using soft, pastel colors mixed together in beautiful new ways.

photo by Freed Photography

Photo by Tom McCall

photo by Lynne Brubaker

photo by Andrew Reilly

photo by Ralph Alswang

photo by Jennifer Baciocco

photo by Rodney Bailey & Associates

Gorgeous Gowns
The wedding gown is one of the most significant reflections of a bride’s style. Last year, we loved seeing our brides express their incredible styles in a wide range of beautiful wedding gowns.

Oscar de la Renta

photo by Holland Photo Arts

photo by Patricia Lyons

Carolina Herrera

photo by Lynne Brubaker

Melissa Sweet

photo by Michael Bennett Kress & Associates

Ulla Maija

photo by Andrew Reilly

Monique Lhuillier

photo by Jennifer Baciocco

Winter Weddings
Weddings are no longer just for Summer months. One of my favorite weddings from last year was in December.  On December 12th, I had the pleasure of helping Carol Lynn and Danny celebrate their marriage, family, friends and a few holiday traditions at Holy Trinity Catholic Church and Halcyon House. December 12th at 12pm, it seemed "meant to be" to use the 'Twelve Days of Christmas' song as inspiration for this wedding! Joel Wolke at Occasions designed a beautiful table that served as the perfect foundation for the amazing and inspired table designs by Dragonfly, where each table reflected a different day in the song. 

photos by Elizabeth Duncan

Web Wonder
The Worldwide Web continues to be an amazing resource for our industry. In 2009, Pineapple Productions joined the staggeringly growing masses of social networkers with the launch of our own Facebook page and blog, Pineapple Post. We have found so many sources of inspiration in the blog-o-sphere (Style Me Pretty, Elements of Style, and Snippet & Ink, to name a few) and, of course, within the shops of Etsy.



Overall, 2009 was a growing year for Pineapple Productions, a year of incredible new opportunities and amazing people. Thank you so much to all of you for your continued support. We look forward to sharing lots more inspiration and events in 2010!

Card Shopping

By Jenna Allen

Thanksgiving is this week and soon it will be December. December, for most, is marked by a flurry of parties and feelings of excitement and anticipation for the holidays. One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is selecting cards, which I send and give to my friends and family. There are so many unique and attractive options available that it is a difficult and tremendously fun decision to make.

Photo courtesy of crane.com

These are the cards I sent last year. Exotic animals sport antlers on the cover and inside it reads, “This Christmas, play reindeer games.” They are part of kate spade for Crane & Co. Mrs. Spade’s stationery line is whimsical and smart, not to mention downright charming. For instance, she has a card that features, in big colorful block letters the words, “Hope, Peace, Cookies.” She uses atypical color palettes in her holiday stationery (pink, red, blue, gold and green) to create cards and party invitations that are slightly contemporary, slightly mod, and never too fussy or formal.

Photo courtesy of Paper Source

Another favorite place to look for holiday card inspiration is Paper Source. They stock a variety of cards, including everything from moss colored cards embossed with pinecones to red and white cards printed with vivid images of peppermint candy canes. These mitten shaped cards appealed to me because of the unusual color combination and graphic snowflake design on the envelopes. Most of Paper Source’s paper is recycled with 30% post-consumer waste, so you can send cards and still feel good about being eco-friendly.

Photo courtesy of shopinviting

Etsy has a vast number of options, including plenty of handmade and letterpress cards. Some of the stationery sellers that have shops are very creative and are true artists. You can pick up cards that are both affordable and, in some cases, unlike anything you can find in your local stationery store (think embellishments and unusual cutting techniques). Or, if you choose to go a more traditional route, like these simple and elegant letterpress pink snowflake cards, they have plenty of options that fall into that category too.

Photo courtesy of zazzle

Although the USPS is issuing season-appropriate stamps, one of my favorite sites is Zazzle, where you can find a greater array of postage options (literally thousands of holiday-themed stamps) to choose from. Select from postage that has already been designed or customize your own set of stamps. We recently had a client who made custom stamps to coordinate with her wedding invitations. She was so happy with how they turned out and they made for a polished overall look.

Sending hand-written holiday cards is a fun tradition that has not gone out of fashion, despite an internet-dependent society. Cards are a lovely way to remind people that you are thinking about them during one of the busiest times of the year.

Creative Cards

By Liza Tanner

Lately I have seen some of the most creative escort cards! I love any detail that adds a personal touch, and escort cards are a great way to do so while continuing the look and color palette of a wedding in a fun, creative way. 

One of my absolute favorites was at my friend Katie’s wedding at the Audubon Naturalist Society’s Woodend Sanctuary. Her mother, Laura Anthony, is a wonderful artist, and she and her friend Nancy Murphy painted a guest’s name and a specific bird on each escort card to signify their table assignment. It was a labor of love, as was the attached favor for each guest: home-baked cookies and the recipes for the mother of the bride’s and the mother of the groom’s signature confections. The ensemble was both beautiful and delicious!

Another favorite was a creation we did with Jack Lucky of Jack Lucky Floral Design. For a summer wedding at a bride’s waterfront home in Easton, Maryland, we continued the couple’s color palette of citrus green, lemon yellow and white by creating a display of white crates filled with stephanotis blossoms and lemons pinned with leaf escort cards, which were calligraphed in a whimsical font by Kathryn Murray.

For another recent Pineapple wedding, the couple commissioned Nancy Howell to illustrate the event floorplan and calligraph the guest names and table numbers on separate sheets of paper, which were then sewn on a burlap-covered board with red yarn. The couple can also frame the drawing as a special memento from their wedding day. 

The Wonderful World of Etsy

By Liza Tanner

I was recently introduced to Etsy.com, and if you haven’t already discovered this online gem, then I highly recommend checking it out.  It’s my kind of treasure hunt.  The website is a seemingly endless but very well organized online flea market full of unique items of all varieties and prices.  Or as the owners describe it: “your place to buy and sell all things handmade.”  The site is overflowing with handmade pieces that will bring that special something to your outfit, your table, or your home!  

At first I was overwhelmed by the enormous selection on the site, but then I discovered that by clicking on “Gift Guides” at the top left of the homepage, I was directed to a selection of the Etsy staff’s favorites in an assortment of categories, from “Artful Entertaining” to “Equestrian Prep” to “Make A Statement” and more.  The guides made sifting through the site much easier.

One of my favorite finds is this peacock fascinator, which will be the perfect accessory for styling up my little black dress. 

Found in the “Paper Goods” category, these butterfly place cards will provide a delicate touch to an upcoming Pineapple wedding.

I searched for “linens” and came upon these sky blue napkins, which would be perfect for hosting a Sunday brunch on the patio.  I also clicked on the seller, LinenMe’s “shop,” and she creates the most beautiful linen tablecloths, scarves and more!

These are just a few examples of the treasures that I have found on Etsy.  Happy perusing!