Country Rustic Decor Meets Modern Lighting • Tented Rehearsal Dinner • Far Hills, New Jersey

One of our biggest projects thus far in 2015 is this fun, beautiful rehearsal dinner in the countryside of Far Hills, New Jersey.

Eggsotic provided centerpieces, linens, tent pole decor, lighting, foliage and more for this celebration for 225 guests.

Since the end of June is the week of the summer solstice, this party took place on one of the longest days of the year. This presents a fun design challenge: to create a look that works beautifully in both the daytime and nighttime. 

There were several design inspirations for this design. The bride and groom graduated from the University of Louisville, where the school colors are red, white and black. The groom's family's house has a classic countryside aesthetic. The client loved the idea of the tent canopy transitioning into an abstract night sky as the night progressed. We combined all of these concepts to create this dramatic look:

Here's a selection of daytime and nighttime decor photos:
(As a side note, these were all taken by Josh from our team using an iPhone, with no edits or touch-ups. Great job Josh!)

Rustic, garden box-inspired centerpieces with red roses, hypericum and live rooted floral accents

Tablescape with faux burlap linens, red frosted candle holders, and red chiavari chairs

Custom tent pole surrounds with metal and glass lanterns

Large floor lanterns, entryway urns with live flowers and foliage, and the long head table

The view from the tent to the house and cocktail area, lined with lanterns on shepherd's hooks

The view from the walkway to the tent entry at dusk, with amber uplighting in the tent

The beginning of the nighttime starry night effect

Programmed LED lighting allowed us to change the room color as the sky darkened for an ever-changing lighting effect

The Don Eaton Band on stage

It was an absolute pleasure collaborating with this Far Hills event planning dream team: Shelley Ryan of SBR Event Design and Coordination and Louis and team of Prestige Party Rental. Cheers to many more events together!

Location: Private residence, Far Hills NJ
Tent: 57' x 117' Stillwater Tent, Prestige Party Rental
Planner: Shelley Ryan, SBR Event Design and Coordination
Lighting, Floral Decor, and Room Decor: Eggsotic Events
Catering: Ross & Owren
 

Elegant Autumn Bat Mitzvah Lighting and Decor • The Stone House at Stirling Ridge • Warren, New Jersey

Photo by Ira Casel. Birch wall, ceremony lighting, and mason jar installation by Eggsotic Events

In our last post, we mentioned that many of our bar and bat mitzvahs have a "Favorite Things" theme. We love designing parties that convey the celebrant's favorite hobbies, colors, and more.

This bat mitzvah, held in October at The Stone House at Stirling Ridge, had an eclectic mix of design inspirations: 
• Amethyst: the gemstone and the color as well
• Nature, especially trees and moss
• Preservation: eco-friendly materials and reusable, recyclable elements
• Art, especially painting

We've worked extensively with Lori, Jillian's mom, who has planned fundraising galas for several years. She's done a wonderful job creating memorable, elegant events in the past, so of course Jilly's bat mitzvah was no exception.

We partnered with Laura of Laura Clare Designs and Carissa and her team at Stone House to create a one-of-a-kind celebration of all of Jilly's favorite things.

The Ceremony

For the ceremony, Jilly wanted a sophisticated outdoor setting that reflected her love of nature. We used our handmade birch wall backdrop and created a custom birch torah table, which at 5' x 5' makes a beautiful focal point in front of the birch wall.

We lined the aisle with our pewter lanterns, which held our handmade birch wood candle holders. Simple touches, like reusable natural candle holders and eco-friendly soy tealights, added to the environmental preservation theme. We also hung mason jar candle lanterns from the tree and used our battery-powered LED uplights to illuminate the trees in the ceremony area.

Here's a mini-gallery of ceremony photos:

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The Cocktail Hour

The cocktail hour was held in the tent adjacent to the ceremony area. Since the guests would only be in the tent for a little while, we kept the lighting design simple. Amethyst purple uplighting and pin spots for the food stations made the cocktail tent look cohesive with the rest of the event. Laura Clare's tabletop lanterns completed the look.

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The Reception

The reception lighting was bold and elegant, with purple and green uplighting and pin spotting for the centerpieces.

We used live trees and ferns to create an organic feel. We framed the kids' lounge area using ivory drape and portraits of Jilly. It was accented by Jilly's name in moss, provided by the client. 

For entertainment, the family selected a photo booth, silhouette artist, and lots of games. We commissioned an interactive portrait artist to do live interactive painting. Jilly selected an inspiration image, our artist Marcelo created a foundation for the painting, and guests joined in throughout the party to add to the canvas. It turned out absolutely beautiful and makes a great keepsake for many years to come.

Laura Clare created gorgeous centerpieces and selected linens that tied the tabletops into the room decor perfectly.

Here's a gallery of images from the reception:

The planning for this mitzvah came together in a very short time, and the results were spectacular. Thank you to Lori, Jillian and family for including us in your special day! Read Lori's note from the next day below:

“I cannot express my gratitude enough for assuring that our vision for Jillian’s special day was carried out throughout the event. In fact you managed to exceed our vision! It truly was so beautiful and magical. Jillian was so so pleased with how everything looked.

With much appreciation and respect for your artistry :)

Warmly,
Lori”

Huge thanks to Ira Casel for sharing such beautiful photos of the day!

Photographer: Ira Casel Photography
Location: The Stone House at Stirling Ridge • Warren, NJ
Floral Decor: Laura Clare Designs
Calligraphy and Handwritten Signage: Belles Lettres Calligraphy • Mendham, NJ
Lighting, Trees, Interactive Painting, and Room Decor: Eggsotic Events

Venue Feature: Grounds for Sculpture, Trenton / Hamilton Twp, NJ

Here at Eggsotic, we love things that are out of the ordinary. One-of-a-kind props, avant garde centerpiece designs, and new, artistic interpretations of classic concepts. 

That's why we love Grounds for Sculpture. When it comes to New Jersey banquet venues, most places tend to feel lacking in creativity and unique style. Grounds for Sculpture, based in Trenton/Hamilton Township, NJ, is a breath of fresh air. 

Before you arrive, you'll see sculptures as you drive toward the venue, hinting at what's to come. Some will even catch you off guard, like this one: 

Photo by MK Photography

Grounds for Sculpture features 42 acres of gardens and sculptures, perfect for a day of walking through the scenic landscapes and finding the funny, clever, thought-provoking, and often tongue-in-cheek works of art. Many permanent sculptures are by the founder, Seward Johnson. The collection also features works by many local and world-renowned artists.

What we love the most about Grounds for Sculpture is that it's the perfect place to host events for weddings, galas, fundraisers, anniversary parties, and any other special event that you may otherwise host at a banquet hall.

Photo by MK Photography

Their event space is a blank canvas, decorated only by a few sculptures and hung artwork. It allows their clients to create their own perfect look for their event by implementing lighting, ceiling treatments, floral designs, props, and custom decor. 

We love the facilities and staff at Grounds for Sculpture, and truly enjoy designing events there that enhance the event spaces and bring another touch of art to an already beautiful location. 

Weddings

Photo by MK Photography

Our most recent event at Grounds for Sculpture was a wedding for a wonderful client, the Rainwater family. The couple got engaged in Tucson, AZ, and came back to the bride's home state to get married. They had a vision of simple, understated elegance throughout the ceremony and reception.

Photo by MK Photography

We provided bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages, then designed floral centerpieces to coordinate perfectly with the wearable floral. 

Photo by MK Photography

We also hung illuminated sphere lanterns to make the space more intimate and add softness to the very high industrial-style ceiling. 

Photo by MK Photography

We provided mini chalkboard escort cards as well. We love that the family decided to use first names (and initials as needed), rather than standard full names. It adds a sense of familiarity and connection with their guests.

Finally, amber uplighting in the reception space and chartreuse and yellow glowing elements in the cocktail hour highlighted the couple's chosen wedding colors. 

We love the results of this wedding and look forward to helping many more couples design their dream reception space at Grounds for Sculpture. 

Thank you so much to Mike and Jana of MK Photography for sharing their gorgeous photos of the day. 

Event Info: 
Venue: Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Township, New Jersey
Roxanne Klett, Corporate and Private Events Manager

Floral Design, Lighting, Glowing Lounge Furniture, Lanterns, and Escort Cards: Eggsotic Events
Catering: Main Street Fine Catering, Princeton, New Jersey

Photography: MK Photography, West Chester, Pennsylvania

Fundraisers

Photo by Egils Matiss

Photo by Egils Matiss

The Pennington School chose Grounds for Sculpture as the venue for their April in Paris themed fundraising gala. They wanted to highlight different elements of French culture, including nightlife, vineyards, and the iconic Eiffel Tower.

We provided old world street lamps, a black and white checkered dance floor, ferris wheel gobo projection, auction lighting, perimeter uplighting, oak barrels, tapestries, and of course our 14'+ tall Giant Eiffel Tower. 

Photo by Egils Matiss

We even custom-constructed a last-minute addition: an extra support piece inside the Eiffel Tower to accommodate a video projector. The projection was integral to the school's auction process and the room layout required the video to project "through" the tower. 

We encourage you to visit Grounds for Sculpture whether or not you're planning an event. It's a beautiful and inspiring way to spend a day, and an equally beautiful place for a wedding or gala. 

We've arrived!

We've been looking forward to doing a blog site for so long. We have SO much to show you!​

Stay tuned for posts about event elements, new changes and progress, custom projects, and of course lots of gorgeous decor photos.​

​Weather-resistant lanterns in a tree at sunset. Beautiful, practical and colorful.