Not too long ago, I was asked to put together an elegant wine tasting event. It was such a treat to design a party with the sole purpose of saying “Thank You” to some of our local 1-800-FLOWERS customers!

I quickly got to work, planning and designing. The results, I must say, were spectacular! The theme naturally took on the feeling of a relaxing, sunny afternoon in Napa Valley. Needless to say I was very happy that I was asked to host a wine tasting party.  Even on short notice, I was able to collect a number of unique pieces that could be repurposed to fit the theme perfectly. Most of the items used throughout the space were pieces I had collected on vacation, received as gifts, or picked up at yard sales.

wine-barrel

Many of the materials, like the soda crate and barrel, came from flea markets that I love to frequent throughout New England!

wine-garden

In addition to the props and fabrics, food was also used to tie in color and theme. Grapes, for example, made a great accent to the room décor by incorporating them into an arrangement.

flowers-and-grapes

To enhance the vineyard feeling of the evening, I used wine corks as filler in the bottom of a clear vase. Simple, elegant and eco-friendly!

cork-vase

One of my favorite elements of the evening were the “wine corsages” that were created as decorative accents to some of our favorite bottles of wine.

bottle-corsage

Along the same lines, ceramic baskets were used instead of ice buckets to chill the white wines. Flowers, like roses, carnations and hydrangeas, were arranged to decorate the wine baskets and make them more appealing.

wine-cooler

The more fun you have with putting all the elements together, the better it will turn out. I had so much fun putting all the pieces together — I even hired a musician to play for the duration of the party to add warmth and ambiance to the room! Sometimes it’s the smallest detail that completes a party.

Author

Julie started her career in the floral industry over 30 years ago in a small, family-owned flower shop. From floral designer to author and lifestyle expert, her insight has been instrumental in developing the 1-800-Flowers.com brand. Representing the company’s floral lifestyle vision, Julie has shared her talent and passion in numerous television appearances and national magazine features. She is an active fundraiser and longtime friend of IGHL, a group dedicated to facilitating a more independent life for developmentally challenged adults.

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