Fabric Talk | Renee Price

Similarly to interior design, event decor uses textiles to fashion mood, manipulate scale, and draw attention with interesting patterns and eye-catching color. Senior Event Producer, Renee Price, LOVES fabric and shares how its application has evolved in the wedding industry as well as a number of genius ways Kehoe Designs uses fabric to craft high style event decor.

Fabric Evolutions

Ten years ago, weddings were dominated by classic white and ivories with wedding canopies and reception walls draped in standard silk, chiffon or lamour. But as the event industry grew, so did the capacity for large scale decor companies, like Kehoe Designs, to create one-of-a-kind, super luxe looks. With a constantly expanding inventory of fabulous textiles, designers and tailors began working together to transform the traditional fabric applications into uniquely tailored designs. “Today’s luxury wedding canopy is custom crafted to have a signature feel. This can be achieved by bringing in a gorgeous new fabric, a special dash of color, or dynamic pattern. Entrance treatments and pipe & drape take on a much grander scale, often combining textures and tones that imitate finely finished interior design rather than one night decor,” explains Renee.

[portfolio_slideshow id=1199]

Color Immersion

While the wedding industry has come a long way in embracing color, it still mostly remains relegated to the role of room accent. Renee encourages her clients to go bold; to fill the room with layers of big color, textures and pattern. “Think about it as a photo,” she suggests, “when there’s only flat color and little texture, it just doesn’t read well. The more color, the more pop and the more drama!!!” Tailored fabric applications can be just the key to creating that dramatic statement. It could be the choice of a gorgeously saturated backdrop or table linen, a strategically placed grand focal, a beautifully upholstered panel behind the bar, or oversized lampshades suspended overhead. “The idea is to have your guests’ eyes dance through the room, drawn to an array of vibrant color, pattern and detail,” says Renee. Our first wedding in the photo series below perfectly exemplifies how unapologetic, bold colors translate to an incredibly stunning room scape.

[portfolio_slideshow id=1215]

The Art of Mix & Match

Renee’s approach to event design is very similar to interior design. It’s all about layers with a mix of contrasting yet complementary prints, textures and tones. “Intrinsic to me, for example, is doing three different kinds of table linens in a room,” says Renee. “If they have 25 tables and their color is green, one third could be dressed in a rich, green silk dupioni, another third in a Lodin pintuck or twist, with a final third in a cool pattern like a subtle green Moroccan motif,” she explains. An added benefit to this is that when there are two or three centerpiece styles, the patterned fabric adds excitement and drama to the low centerpiece design. When looking for that extra special linen, where does she begin her hunt? “I love Wild Flower Linen‘s premiere inventory of inventive textures and prints. They have a beautiful selection for achieving that unique, couture look,” answers Renee. The mix & match approach also works great with napkins, custom overlays and Renee’s absolute favorite, accent pillows! “The key is to use fabric as a collection. Just like on the runway, you’ll see an array of patterns and textures in one show but it still comes together as cohesive and always with a few unexpected twists,” concludes Renee.

[portfolio_slideshow id=1225]

BIO BITES: Renee Price

Favorite item of clothing in your closet? A vibrant orange fitted dress from Zara. Very classy, but definitely not boring. And perhaps my leopard heels with gold spikes.

Mountain Hideaway or Tropical Resort? Mountain hideaway. I am NOT a beach girl that is for certain. I’d rather be with the squirrels! Although, one of my favorites was in South Africa…we slept in a hut over the Zambezi River. It was neither tropical nor mountain…but there were definitely no palm trees, tropical drinks or beach umbrellas, only the sounds of hippos, monkeys and elephants. Music to my ears.

What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night? Well (I’m laughing)…it’s certainly not exciting! Since I usually finish late on Saturdays (it’s THE wedding day after all), I usually enjoy grabbing a burger with my honey from Butcher & the Burger and maybe a gelato from Black Dog. If for some random, odd reason I do not have to work on a Saturday…my perfect night would be dinner at a new, chic restaurant, dessert at the Peninsula Chocolate Bar and a foreign film at Landmark Century Cinema.

Best advice for brides planning their wedding? Decide now to let it go. Things will happen, things will go wrong, something won’t be perfect. But if you give focus to a negative thought it will be cast in stone in your mind for years to come, rather than the excitement, the butterflies, the beauty, the family and friends. In the grand scheme of things, it’s absolutely not worth your time. Just let it go. Trust me.

What is your favorite thing about designing a wedding? The last hour when it all comes together. Best feeling ever. Your vision is realized in that hour. I’d also say the moment I show the clients their room before anyone else sees it….tears and laughter usually ensue. Also the best feeling ever.