Written By: Sabrina Peters

When our friends from Easton Broad reached out, asking if we wanted to plan a styled shoot that showed the breadth of their venue, we couldn’t say no. Hosting an event at a venue like Easton Broad, where the overall aesthetic is clean and contemporary, is a planner's dream. We look at it as a blank canvas where any style can be brought to life.

Styled shoots take time, energy and resources from everyone involved. They allow us to play with color and concepts, to try something new. While the options are limitless, we put as much strategy and planning into a styled shoot as we do any other event. Why? Because it’s an opportunity to flex our creative muscles, and show what we can do. It’s also a chance to get to know vendors we may follow on the gram, but have never had the pleasure of working with.

This shoot wasn’t about people or a love story. It was about featuring the swoon-worthy details we all want to see.

We wanted to take a fresh approach on some traditionally classic table designs, and show how they all fit at Easton Broad. We designed three concepts. Snowed In, Evergreen, and Pink & Pine.

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Snowed In.

The inspiration behind this design was golden hour at the end of a snow day. The color palette was based off monochromatic creams and whites, but elevated with notes of oatmeal and brown sugar. We wanted to show how to execute a neutral palette that’s both visually interesting and elegant. The key was bringing in texture with the details. Choosing pieces like a vanilla linen with a slight weave, a water glass with a raised design, then matte bone plates to balance it all out, created a tablescape that was warm and inviting, yet crisp and clean. The florals hit just the right notes on both color and texture, harmonizing all the pieces on the table beautifully.

Designer tip - many event venues include 6 and 8 foot banquet tables with their rental contract. Couples usually find that as a big selling point as that would allow them to save on rentals. While they are ways to make a linen-topped table contemporary and modern, if your vision consists of tables that don’t require a linen, keep that in mind as you plan your rental budget.

Tables, chairs, linens and tableware provided by Arden Event Collective. Candle holders provided by Lily and Cane.

Evergreen.

This is how we do holiday. Modern & elegant lines with rich, luxe hues to make it pop. We were inspired by the Christian dinner plates from Great Jones NW, and built the design from there. It's festive not fussy. It's sharp and smart. The balance strikes just right.

Tables, chairs and candleholders provided by Lily and Cane, salad and dinner plates provided by Great Jones, flatware, napkins and glassware provided by Arden Event Collective.

Pink & Pine.

This was our pièce de résistance. This design was inspired by Sabrina’s grandmother, Josie, who has collected green and pink depression glass for decades. “I wanted to create something that celebrated our shared love of all things vintage without it feeling dated - as if Josie hosted a ladies’ luncheon at Anthro.”

Using Lily and Cane’s stunning white lacquer table as the base, the design blended various textures, styles and genres. We used a myriad of blush, sage and lavender bud vases, paired with contemporary pink tea light holders that donned a geometric pattern. We brought ceramic pieces into the mix, in order to anchor the sea of pastel colored glass. The mint salad plates atop the cream china looked like candy on a table.

While there was a vision for this look, we knew the execution would heavily depend on the “floral runner” we requested of Pollinate Flowers. We gave them the floral vessels and a high-level concept, and they ran with it. The end result was a fresh take on fancy that was Josie-approved.

Tables, chairs, votives and ceramic vases provided by Lily and Cane. Dishware, flatware and napkins provided by Arden Event Collective. Glass vases provided by Great Jones.

One of the best things about a styled shoot is having a plan, but also having the gift of flexibility. Easton Broad has a built-in bartender, so while we were setting tables, he started whipping up cocktails that mapped to each design. Each drink added so much flare and flavor to the setup - we’re a glass half full kind of team, so having Aaron fill our glasses with pretty cocktails felt fitting.

Being that J29 Events is a local, female-owned business, we strive to support our boss babe community every chance we get. We brought a fun twist to this shoot by incorporating curated gifts and favors from Ames and Oates, a Beaverton-based gifting company owned by Deena Selbak, a well-known photographer in the area.

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again - detail is everything. From your forks to your favors, if you put energy and effort into being intentional with your selection of pieces that feel innately you, it will make all the difference.