Have you ever worked somewhere and have those moments of saying “I wish someone would do things a different way”? Well, when the Washington Athletic Club asked us help them up on their annual 'A Catered Affair' Open House, I got that chance.

After working at the Club for 4 years, I had seen all sorts of events there and wanted to do something that I hadn’t seen yet. I knew right away that I wanted to show that a classic ballroom, like the Crystal Ballroom, can be a beautiful backdrop to a modern design. Enter Modern Meets Classic.

With a long table for 40 centered under the Czechoslovakian crystal chandeliers, a key part of the design was the bold color palate of evergreen, pink, burgundy and mustard paired with the textural elements throughout. Velvet linens, marble chargers, gold metal for both the vases and flatware, a mix of both clear acrylic and two toned metal chairs, flower types grouped together, modern fonts in the paper goods with pops of color, and extra course Himalayan pink sea salt in piles on the table (my personal favorite). Each element playing off of the rooms already natural beauty and working in harmony with the existing color palate in the room (pro tip - work your vision around the venues décor vs. trying to make something work in a space that will fight against it).

One area of the ballroom that is underutilized are the window wells. It is the perfect place to add candles, flowers or in our case, showcase a multi-cake display. White bars were added to each wing of the ballroom along with modern lounge seating (hello green velvet sofa!) and everything was brought together with a cohesive lighting plan.

I am so proud of how this turned out, and incredibly thankful for all the hard work that each of the vendors put in. One of my favorite things to do is to give the initial direction and let others run with it, and boy did they! Don't get me wrong, I love the soft romantic look that is all over the PNW too. But, bright bold color palates like this will always make my designer heart sing.

Looking for someone to bring your wedding vision together? Contact New Creations today!

Vendor Love

Planning and Design - New Creations Wedding Design and Coordination

Venue - Washington Athletic Club

Photography - Alante Photography

Florist - Fena Flowers

Cakes - The SweetSide

Lighting - Crimson Haze Event Lighting

DJ - Bamboo Beats

Bars - Happy Hour Bar Rental

Rentals - CORT Party Rentals

Linens - BBJ Linens