One of Ireland’s top wedding stylists reveals her trade secrets

From developing the style and story of your wedding to executing fine personal details, one of Ireland’s top wedding stylists reveals her trade secrets.

Planning a wedding can be challenging. You want your aesthetic to be timeless and elegant, you want your guests to have fun, and you want your big day to be a reflection of you and your partner as a couple. Trends will come and go, Pinterest boards will lure you into their bottomless depths, but in the end, does it really matter if the wit of your chosen hashtag is eternal?

With 11 years’ experience styling some of the most memorable events in the country, founder and creative director of Frog Prince and CEO of Griffin & Grey, Sharon Griffin knows the key points that really matter. She is an expert in creating memories to cherish by helping to shape the mood and guests’ expectations for an event. “We love to create something beautiful, something that draws someone into a space and creates a talking point as you walk into a room. We thrive on creating Instagram moments for clients.” Here, Sharon reveals some of her top styling secrets…

A SHOW-STOPPING WELCOME…
is essential in creating the wow factor for an event. There is nothing more beautiful than entering a room and being welcomed by the scent of fresh garden roses and Irish foliage and eucalyptus.

A post shared by Sharon Griffin – Frog Prince (@frogprinceweddings) on Aug 2, 2018 at 7:45am PDT

LIGHT…
At Frog Prince, we focus at lot of attention on lighting – it is a key feature of any event room. You should keep your lighting in the style of the mood you want to create for the event. If there is a great source of natural light, make the best use of it. If you are holding your event at night, you can’t beat candlelight to add a touch of instant magic to the ambience. Gather candles of varying heights and using a variety of forms, from pretty glass tea light votives to pillar and taper candles. Together, they are ideal for dining events. Uplighting can also make a big difference. Depending on the celebration, moving patterns of light can be used to add a more animated party mood. Or festoon lighting adds a truly relaxed, bohemian feel and looks beautiful against the night sky.

READ MORE: Bridal beauty: Tips and tricks for dewy, vibrant skin on your wedding day

A post shared by Sharon Griffin – Frog Prince (@frogprinceweddings) on Jul 23, 2018 at 11:30pm PDT

TABLESCAPING…
is the art of creating exquisite surroundings in which to dine. For me, this means using beautiful glassware, perfectly arranged flatware, quality linens and hemstitched linen napkins. And finishing off with all the elements listed above including fresh flowers and candlelight.

A post shared by Sharon Griffin – Frog Prince (@frogprinceweddings) on Jul 25, 2018 at 11:45pm PDT

CREATING A CUSTOM SCENT…
that gently fragrances a room is very popular right now. For a recent high-profile wedding, our team blended two scents from Jo Malone and placed these candles on every guest table. It was a beautiful way to create the perfect scent for the room and makes the event incredibly personal for the couple and their guests.

A post shared by Sharon Griffin – Frog Prince (@frogprinceweddings) on Aug 7, 2018 at 9:15am PDT

PERSONALISATION…
goes a long way to create a unique touch. There is no greater welcome than having your guest’s name beautifully handwritten on a place card and tied with ribbon to a mini gift bouquet. This is usually a small arrangement of fresh flowers that not only look beautiful on the table, but can be taken home at the end of the event.

For more inspiration, follow @frogprinceweddings or log on to frogprince.ie and griffinandgrey.ie.

This article originally appeared in the July/August issue of IMAGE Magazine, on shelves nationwide now.