Toast the Trends, an elegant evening celebrating trends in wedding gowns, decor and desserts, took place at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago on September 27. Each of the wedding gowns on display was part of the Elaya Vaughn collection by Kate Pankoke. The event also marked the launch of the Four Seasons hotel’s in-house wedding cakes, which will be customized to match each bride and groom’s style.
The Four Seasons and Elaya Vaughn transformed the hotel’s lobby to create a truly whimsical ambiance showcasing three different wedding vignettes: the Opulent, the Timeless and the Ethereal. The themes were differentiated for guests through the fashion, food and décor.
The Opulent vignette featured Elaya Vaughn’s voluminous Aela gown with ornate crystal beading along the neckline. The model posing in this gown looked as if she had just stepped out of an old-time fairy tale. One of the trends in wedding drinks is serving custom beverages. The Opulent custom beverage of choice was an Elderflower champagne cocktail with an edible flower garnish served in crystal coupe glasses.
The Timeless vignette featured Elaya Vaughn’s sleek, long-sleeve, crocheted-lace Nikki gown with a plunging back. This vignette highlighted the trend of incorporating existing venue furniture into the decor. China cabinets stood open and their shelves were used to serve guests their desserts of miniature chocolate wedding cakes. The custom cocktail was “Cosmo with a Punch,” made with bourbon and chilled with spherical ice cubes to incorporate the trend of letting the ice make a statement.
The Flower Firm, a local event production company, incorporated the trend of living walls at the event, lining the walls with lush florals, plants and suspended blooms.
The Ethereal vignette featured Elaya Vaughn’s Callie airy organza gown, which boasted a romantic trailing cathedral train covered in silk petals. Four Seasons’ Executive Pastry Chef Scott Gerken and his team used the Callie gown as inspiration for the ethereal vignette’s wedding cake. Fresh roses cascaded down the side of the cake, luster dust was sprinkled throughout and soft designs covered the multiple lemon cake tiers. The custom beverage was a Purple Haze punch made with gin, crème de violette, lemon juice and St. Germaine, and was served in crystal mason jars with garnish and straws.
More from Make It Better:
