What is creative event design? For Jennifer Pecorari, the founder and creative director of Novalee Events Co, she believes that creative event design is not only the making of beautiful celebrations, but also the crafting of exceptional event experiences that evoke emotions and engage the senses. It is so much more than the function of beautiful things coming together. Rather, it is a finely sought after creative process, that for many artists and designers, starts with the fundamental building blocks —the elements and principles of design. In doing so, various elements and principles are artfully applied to ultimately create a beautiful composition. Novalee Events Co. had the privilege to discuss this process with some amazing Pittsburgh wedding entrepreneurs!
MEGAN LEE PHOTOGRAPHY
Megan Lee Butcher, luxury wedding photographer and owner of Megan Lee Photography, remarkably captures timeless moments through emotive and organic photography. One glance at her images and the observer immediately feels an emotional connection to the subjects in the photograph. Whether it’s joy, love, jubilation, compassion or contentment, these emotions and more are effortlessly communicated.
For Megan, her creative process begins with the principle of movement. Megan states:
Staged images are great to show off the wedding you and your planner have worked so hard on for the past year, but raw and candid emotions captured through movement of the wedding day are the most important for memories. When the father pulls his daughter and bride in for a kiss on the forehead before walking her down the aisle, when the groom throws up his arm in celebration after kissing his bride at the altar, when the bride kneels down to let her little flower girls smell her immaculate bouquet that looks fit for a princess. THESE are the movement and images that you are going to cherish for a lifetime!
In addition to movement, Megan also magnificently applies the element of color:
Once again, you have spent the time and money creating the wedding of your dreams with your planner. My job as a photographer is to capture your wedding in a unique way that not only shows off all that hard work through the details of your day, but through the color story! Did you plan an outdoor summer soiree for your reception? Perfect, we will find the perfect garden or park to take your portraits at to continue with the greenery in your color palette! Did you plan a festive city chic wedding in the heart of Pittsburgh? Great! Let’s find a street that has lots of beautiful light, color, and movement to continue with making your wedding color story cohesive!
By applying these design techniques and others, Megan says, “when I deliver your final gallery, I want you to be in awe of the details and portraits we created, but I want you to spend more time looking at all of the small and intimate moments we captured that made your day uniquely YOURS.”
Alex Robba Cake
Alex Robba, cake designer and owner of Alex Robba Cake, is known for his ability to create exceptional confectionary works of art. Juxtaposing between avant garde and long-established wedding cake features, Alex’s creative potential is seemingly limitless with each curation raising a new creative bar. When asked how Alex approaches his creative process, he states, “texture, color and space are elements the design process stresses the most. Each piece should tell a story: romantic, intimate, refined and so on, the physical texture of a cake design can effortlessly communicate that.”
Alex goes on to say:
Color is tough, it’s also what I would consider the element that makes a piece sing. Understanding the weight that every hue of every color of the spectrum and their relationship with one another brings harmony to a piece, I prioritize that idea greatly.
Space, and the occasional lack thereof, always comes into play most upon assembly. Every design should convey movement, cascading dozens of sugar flowers encompassing the cake or a cake so perfectly complete without a single sugar flower on it, but perhaps one gracefully sitting just under the cake pedestal both implement this idea of space to bring forth the most of a piece.
Concluding, Alex explains, “While each element has its unique properties, the culmination of all are what creates a piece that’s more than just visually stunning, but makes a statement and evokes an emotional response.”
May Chester Design
May Chester, floral designer and owner of May Chester Design, creates elegantly textured and artfully arranged compositions. From boutonnières to bouquets to installations, May’s repertoire of floral design mastery includes color palettes that are strikingly sophisticated, forms that are timelessly organic & flowing, and a style that is garden-inspired and refined.
When asked how May approaches her design process, she states:
The design principle is to employ my typical “lush and natural” style, where the design is intentionally asymmetrical and creates the impression of replicating nature. There is liberal use of foliage, branches, twigs, other greenery. The design can appear “messy,” but simultaneously, have poise and elegance. The bridal bouquet in the image below reflects this, with a few garden roses encased in a variety of cascading blooms and texture. Thereby, creating congruity across the physical elements in the space that convey a feeling of harmony.
Novalee Events Co.
Novalee Events Co. creative process starts with submerging in the design conceptualization phase while exploring how will their clients and guests feel connected to this event experience. By connecting with clients and building relationships, Novalee Events Co. is skillfully positioned to curate wedding and event experiences that are thoughtfully unique, discerning and memorable.
Once Novalee Events Co. understands the connection, the next phase in the design process is to identify how the elements will be developed to articulate the desired wedding day vision. Realizing that there is value in all the design elements, they still most appreciate color, texture and space in the design process:
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The use of color to influence the overall feel and mood of the event to essentially create a sense of unity and harmony.
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Whether it is actual or visual, the use of texture to further complement the sensory experience by seamlessly weaving it into the event or wedding.
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The use of space to transform the environment by strategically utilizing the area around the other elements to not only accomplish the perfect balance between positive and negative space, but to also create a sense of cohesiveness throughout the area.
Novalee Events Co. challenge for you: The next time you attend an amazing wedding or observe a stunning composition hone in on the different elements (line, shape, form, color, texture, space & value) and principles (pattern, contrast, emphasis, proportion/scale, harmony & movement) that you observe as these were not placed by randomness, but rather, the artist or designer intentionally applied them, to ultimately, create a stunning work of art!
