NEW TRENDS NEW TRADITIONS

July28,2009
It is amazing to me that I am designing events for the year 2010, only yesterday the world was headed for destruction with Y2K!
Think back on the progress we have made in this short decade; the IPhone, DVRs & TVO, Facebook and Twitter. We truly are heading fast and furious into the new millennium. So, I must ask, why is the event industry still dragging through the sludge of the 1980s? My thought, we are not educating our client base! There is so much new that we should be sharing, the job today is to not only be a designer but, an educator as well. Introduce your clients to the idea of LED lighting and Lucite tables and chairs. So many new environments; I want to thank the “W” chain of Hotels for stepping up the game in décor. In fact, old stalwarts of tradition, like the Ritz Carlton, have brought the new decade into their lobby restaurant and room décor.
I have several clients who have welcomed a new fresh look and are stepping up and daring, not to be different, to do what is fresh and modern and the tradition of tomorrow.
I am designing and coordinating a contemporary wedding, for this October, to be held in the contemporary art gallery Mason Murer. The couple is contemporary, both are practicing artist, and are looking for a modernistic look for their wedding service and reception. For this wedding I am relying on the use of highly reflective elements and contemporary fabrics.
To create a chapel like feeling I am using 14’ white spandex triangles to create an altar, backlighting will provide soft color and will also create a feeling of intimacy. These spandex “sculptures” will be used throughout the gallery to direct guests to different areas at different times (the cocktail hour and then the reception). The pieces may be turned creating halls, or walls, as required.
For the reception, 4” wide 8’ tall panels of acrylic mirror will be hung from the ceiling at the center of the gallery to create a contemporary chandelier. Strategically placed lighting will refract light throughout the entire gallery creating a magical atmosphere. Lounge seating is being brought in to be used around the dance floor allowing guests to move away from restrictive dining tables and to socialize with others. for this modern wedding I am introducing to a social client many of the materials and techniques I have used for my commercial clients, the lines are blurring as design moves forward.

J Patrick McCann is a recognized, throughout the country, for innovative corporate and wedding design. He is a regular contributor to the Lifetime channels Get Married television show and serves often as a guest speaker for current trends in the event industry.