Isobella & xavier // blue bridge events, michigan

“Ralph Lauren” Meets Berry Tones in the Fall

The Inspiration

Isobella & Xavier were fun to plan with from the moment we started talking about food, photography and fall color at their venue in the woods. They have an easy-going fun-loving vibe and almost every zoom call went long because they are delightful to swap stories and laugh with.

We kicked off design planning with phrases like, “Ralph Lauren style”, moody romance and berry tones. We found a linen that embodied all of those. I ordered it in from Chicago, picked up a stunning arrangement from our florist, packed some goblets from Grand Rapids and a local candelabra and drove the treasures down to Detroit. We met in a rental showroom and played with different textures and patterns. Isobella pulled in some beryl brown flatware to frame the look and we had a dream of a vision to bring to life in October.

The look was unique, bold and stylish. To quote a guest after seeing it for the first time, “This is so you.”

To quote another guest when she walked into the room, “I get it now.”

And to quote Isobella from her view at the head table, “I give it a 100 out of 10.” That was before the fun part really got started.

The Ceremony

Isobella & Xavier said from the beginning that they would have been content with a quick courthouse elopement. In fact, the topic came up a time or two in the midst of planning and I agreed to the plan if they would take me and some berry tone Ralph Lauren decor with them to pull off the elopement in Alaska. All of our wild talk seemed silly in the moments that they stood at a flowered arch, Isobella in her chic dress with a stunning flowered veil, both of them laughing while long-time friend and thesbian Kevin delivered one of the most engaging, entertaining and meaningful ceremonies I’ve witnessed. #worthit

Back to the berry tones

I can’t count the times I gushed over every one of Isobella & Xavier’s design choices thru the planning or how many times Ralph Lauren popped some plaid attire in my instagram feed and it would make me smile.

Then again, any design conversation that has the phrase, “this might be a crazy idea but what if…” is a conversation I get excited for. It means we’re being adventurous. We’re going beyond what we’ve seen already and trying something new. Like Isobella, it’s unique, bold and (we always hope) stylish.

We alternated white and champagne ceiling and wall drape to compliment the plaid linen. We added leaf votive favors at each setting to bring in a touch of fall. We displayed the cake on a linen that looked like the cake flowers had been picked right from it. The ceremony flower arch became backdrop to an enchanted mirror photobooth. We tossed “rave lilies” into the pond to float and change color and be a moment as guests walked to the cigar bar & bonfire. We set up a game lounge near the bar for the couple’s alma mater college football game to play on. We set a cute sign by a vintage green rotary phone guestbook. We set a scene (with a remarkable vendor team) and then we watched this become one of the most reveled in, danced at parties of the season.

Ralph, it’s been real (fun)…

We could hardly move the next morning at brunch. One of the guests said that people should automatically get Monday off after attending a wedding. Another guest said, “This is the best wedding I’ve been to since my own. In the 80’s. And I’ve been to a lot of weddings since then.”

We still find random reasons to text each other (but we don’t hold Xavier hostage on long zoom calls anymore). We smile every time. And the day I got a fancy Ralph Lauren box in the mail and opened it to find a cozy plaid scarf with a subtle berry tone line in the design, I knew it was them. I fully plan to wear it in Alaska someday but I’m forever grateful that it won’t be for their elopement. This was way more fun.