Shawn Rabideau is the President of NYC’s Shawn Rabideau Events & Design. He’s been in the Wedding and Event Production & Design business for almost 10 years and is currently, one of the featured planners and designers for two seasons on the Style Network’s “Whose Wedding is it Anyway?”
A few years ago, he planned a fall wedding with a limited budget. Not only he did achieve an amazing look, he went above and beyond the call of duty creating some of the effects personally.
In Shawn’s words, here is what he did:
The wedding took place in upstate New York and the fall color palette was the “theme”. Seeing as the couple vacation at their log cabin lake house I thought why not create “log votive holders” to surround each of the centerpieces? With that idea I called one of my friends who owns forested property nearby and set out to find the perfect dead tree to create these one of a kind votive holders. Using a saw and a drill bit, I quickly created tea light votive holders in various heights that would surround each of the centerpieces. On my nature walk I also found tons of trees where the leaves were turning, so I got out my clippers and took some branches of fall leaves to also accent the arrangements. The cost…nothing more than a few mosquito bites!
As I was driving back to NYC I noticed a local farmer who grew wheat, Indian corn and gourds. I quickly introduced myself to him and asked if I could purchase several bundles of wheat, a few bags of mini Indian corn and gourds, and the majority of my shopping for the main elements of the centerpieces was complete. The cost, $40 to outfit all 14 tables.
Seeing as sunflowers, dahlias, chrysanthemums and zinnias are in season at the end of September I called a few local farms I knew and asked if they would be willing to sell me bunches of flowers that I could use in the arrangements.
Because this was a “country fall” wedding my client wanted to have the guests throw birdseed at the church…I purchased small organza bags at wholesale off the internet and went to the local garden center and purchased a small bag of bird seed for about $5…the total cost for 100 was about $30.
Finally, I suggested to my client that we tie each of the napkins with raffia and accent them with bundles of wheat; she loved the idea and it didn’t cost her but about .20 cents each napkin.
Want to see more of Shawn’s talent. Visit his website.
