Ira + Lucy Wedding Lounge Design Basics

 Ira + Lucy Wedding Lounge Design Basics

We love us a beautiful AND functioning lounge or multiple lounge set ups at weddings and special events, including corporate events. Lounges offer comfortable and intimate conversation areas that guests can sit back, enjoy cocktails, watch guests dance the night away and also work as awesome props for bridal party photos. However, there are specifics you should keep in mind when planning your lounge. Ira + Lucy has been designing lounges for weddings and events for three years now and we are happy to share some insight with you.

• RENT the splurges and utilize your own home decor! Get frugal! Rent the larger items, like the sofa, but source some of your own decor. Lamps? Vases and candles? Even throw pillows or an accent rug. We often incorporate the client's personal belongings into the design, BUT beware, don't use something that has high value or can easily be swiped from a guest that you care a lot about. Items below are coming soon! Inquire to reserve!
• Accent with accessories. Add a pop of color with custom pillows, floral design and signage. Rent from local designers or hit up Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Amazon or Target. I personally love discount designer fabric warehouses were I can find quality and gorgeous fabric for a fraction of the price and then I sew covers over pillow inserts I already have! PLUS, many of these stores have pretty flimsy and floppy pillows. Either invest in fuller pillows or cut a small hole in your cheaper pillows and add filler! You want your pillows to have body! Learn how to do this easy sew project and save yourself a ton of money over the long haul! Perhaps I'll teach a class and I can show you! Stay tuned! Let me know if that is something you'd be interested in!
• Utilize the decor for photos. I always connect with the photographer before one of our events and let them see the design boards and special decor details. When you are doing your pre-ceremony pics, have your crew carry out the sofa, loveseat, settee and accent chairs for some out of this world photos! 
• Hire a wedding designer! A designer thinks through the logistics! Delivery, insurance, floor layout, best location for your lounge (don't place it too far from your dance floor and bar!) A designer also knows how to achieve the style you want: shabby chic, rustic elegance, luxuries, modern contemporary, french country and more! You can learn more about the difference between a wedding coordinator and designer right here!

Hope this helps you with decisions for your custom lounge at your wedding or special event! We specialize in wedding and event design and would be thrilled to help you design your lounge space. Be sure to check out our variety of special accent seating, including sofas, settees, ottomans and more! Everything listed in this post is available through us to rent! YAY! *top inspiration concept image from Pinterest.

Savings!!! Right now until the end of August 2015, new couples who book Ira + Lucy for both coordination and design will receive a sofa, settee or love seat from our rental inventory at no additional rental cost! That is a savings up to $300!!!

Still Water Hollow Raves About Ira + Lucy Wedding Planner

"As the owner of a local Idaho event venue, Still Water Hollow, I have had the privilege of working closely with Heidi Wight and the Ira & Lucy team. It began with Heidi and myself putting on events together to help inspire Bride's and bless the couples who were preparing for their wedding day. I saw she had a creative and gifted mind in the area of decor and quickly noticed she could make a dramatic impact without a lot of fuss. I also saw her attention to detail and her deep care for her clients. I felt confident in referring Ira & Lucy, knowing our clients would be taken care of and would be very happy with their rentals and decor.

Recently, I have gotten to see first hand what an impressive job the entire Ira & Lucy team does when taking on event design, decor, vintage rentals, and coordination as a whole. I am convinced that this is the solution to pulling off a wedding or special event with little to no stress.

On the design and decor front, Heidi has the ability to see the big picture and help those planning an event understand what will give them the most dramatic impact. Rather than spending a little money here and there on things that will most likely go unnoticed, but will add up quickly, Heidi has knowledge of where to save and where to really invest. The events Heidi has decorated always look stunning, but each one has a style that showcases the Bride and Grooms individual personalities or the theme that the company is hoping to convey. There is always an elegant flair whether it is a rustic country wedding or a black tie affair. Creating an atmosphere worthy of celebrating and making lifelong memories.

The Coordination part of this is so important. Please do not underestimate the value of hiring a coordinator. On a personal level, I chose not to hire a coordinator at my wedding and both my mom and I would like a do-ver on that decision. My mom and I are very close and I would have loved to have her by my side as I got ready and during the prayer before I walked down the aisle, but she was out making sure vendors were setup and tying up loose ends. She had to change her dress quickly as guests were getting settled into their seats. Leaving us with little memories of being together on that day.

As a venue, we unfortuantely see many events become stressful and overwhelming to those planning. In the case of weddings, we have seen mothers who don't get to spend time with their daughters. We have seen Bride's who have had to focus attention on decor rather than on the deep and meaningful commitment they are about to enter into with the love of their life. We have seen company employees who have had little experience planning large events feel overwhelmed and unsure how to handle difficult situations. On the contrary, with the Ira & Lucy team coordinating a recent event, we were aware of many things going awry behind the scenes, but not one family member, the parents of the Bride and Groom, or the couple had any idea what was taking place. Heidi took care of everything professionally and quickly to ensure the couple and the family had a wonderful evening and left with only sacred moments that will be shared around the dinner table for years to come.

I trust Ira & Lucy with any event I plan in the future and I highly recommend that couples invest in a decor team and coordinator who will ensure their day goes off without a hitch. Many couples spend $2,000-$3,000 on a tent to protect their event from being rained on, but few think of the protection they can gain from someone there making sure you spend the day surrounded by your family and focused on the real meaning of your wedding celebration. That is priceless!"

Brianne Gray Owner and fellow farm girl of Still Water Hollow

Inkling Calligraphy Custom Gift From Ira + Lucy

I am so thrilled to announce a new offer for our wedding and special event clients! As a token of our appreciation when you book our Design + Coordination services you will receive a custom hand lettered sign by Inkling Calligraphy to use at both your event or wedding and then for keeps in your home or business. We're offering this for both our "Enhanced Day Of" Design + Coordination Package and our Full Design + Coordination Packages *new bookings only.

We adore Claire's incredible talent with calligraphy and hand lettering and are so excited to offer such a beautiful gift! We're sharing below some of her beautiful portfolio! Please inquire for more details!

Fine Art Boudoir Photography, Dutch Still Life Inspired Shoot by Katie Rivera Photography Radion Photography

Ira + Lucy Event Design, Seattle Spring Gala

Boise is a city, but it certainly has a small town feel and we know the industry is wondering.... Is Ira + Lucy moving out of Boise? Nope! We are still based out of Boise and working hard as ever on our home base turf for our incredible clients with a very awesome team of creatives! I can't wait to introduce you to them all! We'll have brand new team profiles coming soon! So, stay tuned! So, what about this announcement on Instagram about Seattle and Portland? We are glad you are wondering and asking. Jonnathan and I are from WA and also lived in Portland for some time and do miss our more greener homes and are excited to have the opportunity to expand our service to meet the PNW markets. We'll be focusing on Event Design in those areas, while utilizing existing coordinators and rental companies already in place. So, yes, we are stationed in Boise, but we are serving clients in Portland and Seattle as well. We will continue to take a limited amount of events to ensure that our clients get our full attention and care. So, hope that clears any questions up for you. Have no fear Boise! We aren't leaving.

Seattle Spring Gala

The Children's Garden School "A Garden Life" Spring Gala

Now, let's chat about our recent event in Seattle! We were pleased to design "A Garden Life" Spring Gala for The Children's Garden School, in Issaquah at Blakely Hall Community Center. We focused on a classic green and white palette with organic touches. Details included custom throw pillows for the VIP Lounge, milk glass and vintage mason jar centerpieces, hand lettered signage, a French Garden photo booth station, and a beautiful food station featuring incredible catering from Zimmer and Co. Jonathan Zimmer is a renown chef in Seattle and was such a joy to work with him and his team. We adore having the chance to style catering stations to allow the catering to focus on what they do best and let us handle the styling, for a cohesive experience for the event.

Obviously, I'm going to be biased, but I thought our "photo booth" was so perfect! The guests LOVED the set up and were taking pics all night! I'm beginning to be very partial to a green and white palette. I just love it! "Fantine" settee from France worked her charm on the guests, perfectly accented with our vintage crates, lanterns, mason jars and planters. Now if only I'd put that much effort into our home patio! I need more plants!

Our attempt at organic styled floral design! In keeping with a tight "fundraising" budget, the Chair of the auction requested that we and some lovely volunteers pull together the floral centerpieces. I might say, it was pretty fun, but I would much rather have the professional florists handle the flowers!

P.S. you NEED to try Armstrong Family Wine! The Chardonnay was out of this world! I might add that the Gala raised about 35% over their goal!!!! Wahooo! I'd say we were successful! Inkling Calligraphy rocked the signage for us! She's a Texas sweetheart who's moved to Boise and we are so happy she's here!

Zimmer and Co.

Lissa, from Weddings with Lissa, did a great job handling the coordination for the auction logistics! We love working with other fabulous planners.