Neon may not necessarily be right this minute {pretty sure it was about 2 minutes ago} but the truth is neon will always be around and it will always attract attention and for that, I love neon! So much so that I have a special place on Pinterest where I squirrel away anything I crush on, just so long as its striking in the bold colors of neon! Neon is a color force that not many people will mess with when it comes to weddings, often not feeling comfortable enough to mix them or flat out not knowing how to control them. Think of neon like the proton pack that the Ghostbusters used. When they first fired them, they were a hot mess, hitting everything and anything. After a bit of refinement & understanding of how to control them, they were ready to kick some ass! This is neon & yes I totally just compared it to Ghostbusters!
Neon is only 1 half of our puzzle today. There is a mega cute dessert display I have run across {technically its just a cake but same thing essentially} that I have fallen in love with and I think its a great place to get the conversation started on why you should display your cake {with some decor magic}, not just set it down some place. The original full post, complete with table set up & cute bridey, comes from Ruffled and I highly suggest that you head over after reading through to check out the full post.
*Photograph by Amanda Watson
Color, as I mentioned, is only a portion of what makes this set up so sweet. In addition to color, texture & lines are the other two key factors that really make this sweet lil display sing.
For The Love of Neon: There are four major players in the neon game~ Yellow, Green, Pink & Orange. I don’t make the rules, they just are. Yes there are other colors that have attempted to dip their toes into the neon game, but if you want my honest opinion, these 4 are your true neon players. So what makes the use of neon work so well in this particular set up? Think of the Goldilocks principle. Not too much of one color and not too little, they are juuuuuuust right. The beauty here is the balance in the repetition of each color. Go ahead, look again. Each color is getting a fair shake with no real star. Sure one could argue that yellow is underrepresented but the truth is, for whatever reason, its a dominating color in the confetti at the base of the cake so all things are essentially equal. Each color has its own respective pop in places like the pinwheel fans {wonderfully overlapped to present them as one entity} & the sugar flowers on the cake. In other places they work as a team to provide cohesion and harmony like in the confetti, arbitrary lines on the cake and the tassel garland. However there is a secret that I have not let out yet about how to truly control neon…… Neon has an electric feel to it right? Think of taming neon almost as if you really are dealing with electricity, you need something to ground it! Neon is much more readily easy to our eyes when there is a neutral element to relax to. In this case the soft white washed brick wall, even the white base of the cake and most certainly yes, the muted gold of the cake display table, heck even the twine wrapped around the tassels! The key to working with neon, especially in decor, is to give it something to pop off of and in that same place, something to let your eye rest. Balance is key with neon. Do understand, balance can still be achieved when working with less colors or bigger items, its not to say it cant, but the same basic principles still apply!
Textures & Lines: There are lines ALL.OVER.THIS.SETUP, they are utterly unavoidable and I love them! Starting with the cake itself, the one designed to be about its lines, arbitrary lines encompass our cake, in varying thickness & direction. These lines serve to bring a much needed element of whimsy while our giant sugar flowers {filled with lines in their creation! Lines dont always need to be pin straight} serve to deliver some terrific texture to an other wise smooth as can be cake! The pinwheel background continues on the line tradition with exact forms that really provide some movement to the eye. While one might think the confetti on the table is simply a space filler, think again! Not only is confetti a really fun decor element, it keeps the lined pattern going, keeping with the flow and movement of the display as a whole! Last but not least is the tassel garland, the most literal of lines. The fullness of each piece is wonderful, really giving us something to hold onto. I adore the varying lengths of each, really playing on linear lines & childlike whimsy! {You’ll note that I have not pointed out the brick wall, naturally a line making machine. The reason being that this setup could easily have been against a smooth background and been just as successful, the brick wall is just icing on the cake!} Lines, even texture at times, give us a sense of action & movement. When combined with such powerhouses like neon there is a real pop, a real energy that comes into play. I would find it very hard to be around this setup without at least tapping my foot to music or likely out right dancing! This line filled neon set up fosters a party atmosphere truly encouraging its guests to shake a tail feather!
There are a million ways to skin a cat and this is but one. Desserts are not just wonderful for your mouth, but can be truly stunning to look at. I believe that dessert bars have become popular, partly for this reason as well. Yes they give variety to a wider selection of people, but they also offer up a decor like feature themselves. Desserts & cakes are visual and are certainly meant to be displayed and exalted in all their sugary glory before being nibbled on! Working to put together a display for your dessert, even if it is only a cake, is a terrific move that will really bring your decor package full circle. When you think about what was done here, hanging up the pinwheels, making a handful of tassels and getting confetti, the work put in is minimal while the payoff is HUGE! I implore you not to simply set your cake on a white table clothed small table, maybe throw a rose or two around it. If that is what you truly want, then by all means, but if you can spare an extra spot of prep time {again this set up was not a time thief for example!} you really should consider making every element of your wedding a star!
I swoon over neon, its true. When you combine neon with elements of whimsy & movement, well damn my leg already starts to twitch to some unknown beat! There is certainly an energy to this setup, never mind its general beauty & spunk! Are you a neon fan & brave enough to met it head on for your wedding day? How much are you loving this gorgeous cake & stunning flowers!? As always, send in your design breakdowns, I would love to help you understand why it works!
Vendor Love
Shoot Location: Oklahoma City, OK / Concept, Event and Floral Design: Camden Chitwood of Emerson Events / Wedding Photographer: Amanda Watson / DIY Projects: Camden Chitwood of Emerson Events and Amanda Watson / China, Cake Servers, and Cake Table: Paper Lion / Tablecloth: Marianne’s Rentals / Wedding Cake:Madison’s on Main / Wedding Dress: Sarah Seven / Shoes and Clutch: Ann Taylor / Hair: Brooklyn Harsha ofVan Cleef Salon / Makeup: Kati Monier of Duncan Brothers Salon / Model: Amber Dubuc