Cecil Green – U.B.C. (Feb 14, 2014)

We visit many beautiful wedding venues all over the Lower Mainland on a very regular basis but some always stand out even after having dressed them for the first time or for the 100th time. One such Vancouver wedding venue is Cecil Green at U.B.C.

This wonderfully preserved mansion sits just off the main campus and boasts a spectacular view of its immaculately landscaped ocean front lawn with awesome views of the water.

The building itself is a throwback to the lavish 1920′s and every room in the house echoes a time long gone but not forgotten.

Our last visit to this amazing Vancouver wedding venue was on Valentine’s Day. The bride and groom chose an elegant combination of soft pink and latté coloured sashes to adorn stark white chair chair covers. The subtlety of the decor matched the elegance of the dining room perfectly and the end result was, well, breathtaking!

Gorgeous! The soft muted tones of the dining room, perfectly complimented by the elegant palette of the décor.

Thank-you Cecil Green for making our work look so easy!
And a special thank-you to the folks at Lovely Wedding Studio in Richmond for the fantastic photos of the dining room!

Coral Taffeta Sashes for an outdoor summer wedding ceremony.

Burgundy Organza Sashes for a Winter Wedding.

At some point during the wedding planning, all couples end up with information overload. From the flowers to the music, everyone will offer their opinion on what they feel is right or wrong.

Well, chair covers are no different. White vs ivory covers, fitted covers vs loose, or organza vs taffeta sashes….how do you make the right decision?

I have been in the wedding industry and more specifically in the chair cover business since 1994. I have seen trends come and go. For example, in the mid nineties, we used spandex covers exclusively. And, for an accent, we used spandex bands with metallic gold or silver bows attached to them. Later, the trend changed to tulle bows on the bands, then the tulle bows were used as sashes. And finally, the trend dictated that we all use organza sashes and later taffeta sashes. Currently, organza and mainly taffeta are the favourites and more recently, we are seeing an increased interest in spandex bands again.

But, how do you choose? What is the sash fabric of choice in 2014 weddings?

My answer is simple. What do YOU prefer?

Sash styles, as in everything else, come and go. Sometimes, one thing just happens to be the current favourite but it doesn’t mean that you have to adhere it if it is not your first choice?

Many times, brides are steered into a particular decision by decorators or suppliers that promote what they stock but if you take some time to look around at various options, you will be able to decide what look is really suited to your style.

Many companies, especially ones like “Chairs with Flair”, that specialize in chair covers and sashes will carry more than one style cover and more than one fabric option for sashes. With more options, you can take the time to figure out what will reflect your wedding’s theme best.

When brides ask me what is in style for sashes, organza or taffeta, I always tell them the same thing. One is not more “in” than the other but often, suppliers and decorators tend to carry more taffeta than organza; so the perception is that taffeta is in style.

So, I offer one simple rule of thumb. Let your wedding dictate the fabric and colour of your sash. Perhaps, an organza sash is better suited to spring and summer weddings because it gives a lighter, more ethereal look. Whereas, taffeta works great in fall and winter weddings because it is a heavier more substantial fabric. Then again, in the right colour, either fabric would work in any season, like for example, coral taffeta in summer or burgundy organza in winter…

In the end, it’s your wedding. You decide what look represents the event best and make the decision accordingly. The bottom line is that you have to be happy when you walk into your reception.