As the East Coast digs itself out of the seemingly never-ending winter and the West Coast basks in the early spring sun, we thought this citrus summer wedding shoot from Fondly Forever Photography and Summer Newman Events would get everyone in the mood for warmer weather! We love the pairing of vibrant Southern California hues with our chic, neutral Ankara Taupe linens, not to mention the gorgeous feature on 100 Layer Cake!
One look at this California chic shoot and you can hear the birds chirping, smell the fresh grass on the summer breeze, and feel the warmth of the sun. To perfectly capture the laid back elegance of a Southern California wedding, Summer Newman designed a shoot that gorgeously contrasted lush green foliage and vibrant flowers with neutral prints.
To capture the laid-back style of the Hollywood Hills, the aptly named Summer set the shoot in the backyard of a sophisticated SoCal home of a friend. Verdant green hedges surrounding the lawn made it into an oasis of calm and vibrant colors. For the ceremony, K. Burnham Floral Design created an arch of greenery, dotted with bright berries. Elegant neutral chairs and a natural aisle runner added depth to the field of green.
With an intimate celebration in mind, Summer styled a long King’s table with our large-scale print, Ankara Taupe linen. A garland of greenery and bright flowers down the center of the table echoed the ceremony decor, while enormous crystal candelabras added an element of subtle glamour.
One of the best things about being in the special event industry are the amazing, creative connections that we’ve made – in the San Francisco Bay Area, and all around the world! The incredible Very Mary Inspired invited us to take part in her Sketchbook Series, a workshop for creative professionals; whether we were sending gorgeous linens for attendees to sketch or hosting a workshop in our showroom, we have loved being a part of her classes! Now she is taking the Sketchbook Series all around the country, and we are so excited to be going with her (at least, our linens are)! Next stop – Maui!
Tomorrow is the workshop in Maui, where Hawaiian event professionals will learn to bring their designs and concepts to life through incredible, creative sketches. Mary is touring the US after that, with stops in Sacramento, Atlanta, LA, and New York City! Check out upcoming cities and classes here!
We were delighted to be a part of The Sketchbook Series East Bay in a big way, by playing host to some of the Bay Area’s most talented event designers and florists in our newly refurbished showroom! True to the spirit of the class, Mary sketched a phenomenal dessert bar to inspire attendees, realizing her vision with Bay Area dessert and design specialists Honeycomb Events & Design. They turned each, intricate detail of her design into delicious reality with a modern, geometric display in a playful palette of aqua, yellow, and coral. A cheerful, patterned cake from The Whole Cake added a fun pop to the geometric inspired treats, asymmetrical backdrop, and hanging gem chandelier, while Soul Flower Design Studio provided truly gorgeous floral designs to accent the spread and our showroom. We picked up her palette with linens in soft shades of aqua, with our raw silk Faux de Soie Aqua and geometric Tetris Aqua Table Runners. We are so excited
Christmas came early to our inbox, with the shots of this year’s Casa Amore event! The showcase features work of the Preferred Professionals of Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery and their sister site, the Palm Event Center. Engaged couples planning a 2015 wedding at either of these Livermore Wine Valley venues get the chance to see our work first hand, along with some of the most talented event professionals in the Tri-Valley Area! We teamed up with the incredible Nicole Ha Designs to create stunning and unique vignettes to inspire Casa and Palm couples, and now we get to share them with engaged couples around the world! Many, many thanks to the Casa Real team for all of their hard work putting together this incredible showcase, along with our other partners, Fantasy Sound Event Services, Hartmann Studios and Cake Delight. Talented local photographers and Casa alums Tyler Vu Photography and Rhee Bevere Photography were on hand to capture every detail!
Part of the beauty of the Casa and Palm showcase, is the chance to show off more than just one table or small vignette. Our team set up in the Entrance Hall and the cozy Amber Room of Casa Real, while other groups utilized the Sun Garden and the Grand Ballroom. With so much space to play in, we had the chance to create a number of gorgeous looks to inspire couples, from our linens to the floral design, lighting, tabletop rentals, and delicious desserts. Nicole was the creative force behind our varied looks, from the botanical glam Sweetheart Table set with our Paris Gold sequin linens and a lush botanical runner of peonies, roses, and antlers, to the Chanel inspired mini-reception that aptly used our Coco Champagne linens! A monogrammed flower wall and crystal chandelier called attention to the Sweetheart Table, with fully set guest tables on either side. Things took a modern turn with another look showcasing black, ivory, and gold decor – our mosaic print Marrakesh set the tone for graphic, geometric decor and crisp neutral flower arrangements. There was even a modern glam wedding ceremony set up in front of the Amber Room’s elegant marble mantelpiece, set with dozens of ghost chairs and hung with Edison bulbs and iron chandeliers! We hope these gorgeous vignettes inspire our readers as much as the wonderful couples at Casa and Palm!
It surprises a lot of people that Napa Valley Linens is located in Emeryville and not in Napa. To be frank, that was never the plan.
In 2009, my husband and I were looking for a piece of property that would be an anchor for us, our children, as well as their children. We were both rootless and we needed a place that would nurture us. Our house in Lafayette, although lovely, was missing that critical element.
After countless trips to wine country, our real estate agent told us to pick the neighborhood where we wanted to live. So we did. We drove him to our ideal street. Our agent promised to write everyone on the street and ask if anyone wanted to sell. Months went by and we heard nothing. Then one day our agent called and told us he’d received a letter from an older couple who’d lived on the street for fifty-three years. Were we interested in taking a look? You bet we were! I instructed my husband on the drive over not to act excited if this was really “the one”. I didn’t want to diminish our negotiating position. He just shook his head and rolled his eyes.
When we arrived at the property, I was crestfallen. It was not what I hoped for or imagined. There sat a little 1950’s ranch house that had been expanded over the years with nothing more than a bit of ingenuity and some trips to Home Depot. I couldn’t see the back of the property for old equipment and broken down cars. But as I walked through the grassy field, a quarter horse approached me and nuzzled the back of my neck. At that very moment, I knew I was home. “This is it”, I said, in front of my husband and the real estate agent. So much for playing it cool.
The plan was to sell the house in Lafayette, and launch our business from Napa. But first we had to scrape all the shacks off the Sonoma property and bring the house up to modern standards. We cleared the property of debris, gutted the interior of the little ranch house, and by the time we finished, the housing market had collapsed and we had two properties and a growing business.
Like many entrepreneurs, I started my business from home and within a year of stuffing linens in every imaginable space, I needed a warehouse. So Napa Valley Linens became Napa Valley Linens of Concord and then it became Napa Valley Linens of Emeryville. Emeryville ended up being the perfect location for us because of its strategic location in the Bay area.
Over the years, we have debated whether to change our name, but by now we have morphed into our name. It’s who we are. It’s synonymous with our relaxed and elegant style. Our linens are not fussy, but they are beautiful, just like wine country.
And our house, well, it’s not fancy, just a tiny little fifties ranch house that sits on eight acres of pure heaven. It’s a blessing. A place that has the ability to restore you, revitalize you, calm you down, heal your hurts, and fix whatever’s broken in you. That part of the plan worked out perfectly.
Participating in an ISES showcase event is always a pleasure – it gives us a change to spend time with some of the wedding and special event industry’s most talented and dedicated professionals! Wedding and event pros are some of the most social, talented, and innovative folks that we have had the pleasure of meeting, and something new and unique is always the result when we get together. Today’s ISES Napa-Sonoma Showcase is no exception! Many thanks to Gina Petersen Photography for sharing these photos with us!
These events are always incredibly collaborative, and give us a chance to try fresh ideas that we’d love to share with our clients. Encore Events Rentals was behind the styling for this event, inspired by the rustic industrial vibe of a new wine country venue, The Barlow in Sebastopol. The vaulted ceilings, concrete floor, and wooden interiors didn’t call for anything fussy or traditionally feminine, and we loved the look that Encore put together with wooden farm tables, metal chairs, and some of our bold, patterned linens! The combination of Ankara Metal, Niya Black and Ivory, and Houndstooth Runners looked perfect in the modern, industrial space, complemented by black goblets and pierced metal candle holders for dramatic tabletop decor. Aimee Lomeli Designs created low floral arrangements in soft yellow and dusty green – coxcomb and fiddlehead ferns added modern elements to the floral design that tied them in beautifully with the table decor! In the courtyard outside, cocktail tables set with Faux de Soie Citron linens held rustic metal lanterns and succulent arrangements, perfect for guests enjoying the food truck and local wineries!
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