ROMANCE BLOOMED in a Queens, N.Y., warehouse last fall, thanks to Indianapolis-based LGH Design Group, which transformed an old furniture storehouse into a flower-filled wedding site.
The ceremony and cocktail reception took place on the warehouse's second floor. "This area had paneled walls and colors that reflected a French chateau design, so I built the decor and floral around this motif," says L. Gene Huddleson II, owner of LGH. LGH was commissioned by Elegant Occasions of Denzille, N.J., the wedding planner.
Seven-foot-tall, three-ball Eugenia topiary trees accented with garden roses "lent a French air and added texture to the room," Huddleson notes. "We used very soft, pretty, romantic colors-bluebird roses, soft pink Cadillac roses, Nicole roses with their deep red and white petals. I love to use as many roses as I can."
At sundown, guests moved to the top floor for dinner. Leaving behind the romantic look of the ceremony area, LGH decorated the dining area with a bold hand that accentuated the rustic space. "There were a lot of exposed wood beams up there and old, dark blue velvet furniture. We wanted to work with those elements and create a very different mood from the atmosphere of the second floor."
The driving force behind the design? "Color!" Huddleson notes. "Everywhere you looked, there was an explosion of color-from the linens to the centerpieces to the floral garlands-creating an upbeat, bold tone." The centerpieces included lilies, gardenias, roses and stock "which have a rich scent," Huddleson says.
LGH arranged the flowers in tall, bell-shaped crystal vases, candelabras, wrought-iron stands, crystal compotes, and metal baskets and stands. The centerpieces also included "stands and bowls filled with lemons, limes and grapes, along with asparagus, artichokes, squash and other harvest vegetables at the base," says Huddleson. He used branches of crab apple, chestnut, persimmon and other fall foliage for texture and drama. Huddleson notes that the guests had such a good time in this color- and fragrance-saturated environment, they partied "until the sun peeked through the clouds the following morning."-T.M.
