Design Notes: From Reference to Reality

Yesterday, we shared Katie & Carter’s reception tent on Instagram. After months of development, collaboration, and designing, it’s always such a gift when our clients allow us to share these celebrations.

This was one of those rare projects where the real-life version far surpassed even our mockups and renderings. And our longtime friend Corbin Gurkin captured every inch of the magic so beautifully.

Katie and Carter’s wedding unfolded as a visual and experiential story, each event intentionally building upon the next. I wanted to “open the doors” to the supper-club-inspired dinner tent here and share a bit more about how we moved from inspiration to reality.

Once we arrive at the design phase (typically a few months into the planning process), we ask our couples to begin pulling together images they are naturally drawn to. Often, they are not wedding references at all. It may be a favorite restaurant interior, a hotel they love, a room from a design book, a fashion collection, or even a single color combination that catches their eye.

From there, we begin studying the through-lines within their personal aesthetic, often identifying details and patterns they themselves may not have consciously noticed. We then build upon those ideas by layering in additional references that feel aligned, ultimately shaping the moodboard that guides the design direction.

Below is the moodboard we created for our fabulous bride Katie, pulling together many of the references and visual themes that informed the supper-club-inspired tent design.

The repeating elements throughout Katie’s references were always clean and crisp, with thoughtful punctuations of color. Below are a few of the references that directly translated into the final design:

• Cream upholstered four-poster bed with geometric piping → inspired the custom coffered tent ceiling, later evolved into deep red for evening glamour

• Red piping details throughout Katie’s interiors references → became the tailored perimeter banquettes piped in red and the exterior tent valence

• Velvet drapery at Gerry’s Bar in Milan → translated into theatrical chocolate velvet curtains framing the stage and bar

• Relief-work architectural detailing → inspired the custom scrollwork surrounding the stage and bars

• Moody jazz club wedding design a la @studiosully reference image → shaped the emotional tone of the evening, influencing the stage design, entertainment direction, and overall supper-club atmosphere.

• Cy Twombly’s Roman apartment palette (see below!!) & Nordic Knots x Campbell Rey Collaboration → inspired the faux-finished marble dance floor in shades of rosy blush, oxblood, and chocolate marble

  

While grand in production scale, the evening still felt intimate and familiar. I cannot wait to walk you through each detail — and we will soon enough — but for now, scroll down to see the moodboard alongside the final result.

It’s always so rewarding to see how references evolve into reality and how a couple’s personality can shape intentional design decisions in ways both subtle and dramatic. Seeing the inspiration and final installation side by side remains one of my favorite parts of the process.

Stay tuned: their Nile riverboat-inspired cocktail tent and maximalist, color-soaked after-party deserve moments of their own too.

Xx, Augusta