This September wedding was some of the most exciting work I’ve done. I had the opportunity to really customize my work, put into practice a few things I’d been working on, and be paid an amazing compliment by my client.
I’d thought I’d start with how the designs came into being.
Alex was planning a fall wedding at a farm just outside of Boston that she described as “vintage meets country”. There would be bocce ball barefoot on the lawn and mini grilled cheese and tomato soup appetizers. (The day she told me this, the Hansels had grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. I couldn’t get it out of my head, it’s my favorite!) Her color scheme was deep wine/burgundy tones with burnt orange, just what you think of in the fall.
Alex had four bridesmaids, each with her own unique style, and she wanted to do a different necklace for each. I’d been working on a survey to get to know the style of my clients, so I sent her one and asked her to answer a few questions about each bridesmaid. They were quick questions that a bride knows about her best girls, little things like what kind of outfit is she most likely to wear on her day off – jeans and tee, or a sundress?
I took Alex’s answers, and with the image she sent of the bridesmaid’s dress and her inspiration for flowers, I sketched up 5 necklaces. She’d chosen gold as the metal for each piece, and with her color scheme and budget I chose garnet and carnelian stones.
Here’s an example of one sketch:
There were five sketches total, but only 4 bridesmaids. In my sketchbook I had listed each bridesmaid and top 3 designs I thought would best suit her style, but I didn’t tell Alex. When I sent her the sketches, I asked her to tell me which she would choose for each girl. I was right on with two, and with the other two Alex chose the necklaces I had listed second. Success for the survey!
Check back again for pictures of the final products…
