In the Spotlight : Elizabeth Demos

If you wanna join the fan club, get in line s.v.p. I came across her lovely work in magazines and online, and a quick Googling of La Demos alerted me that once again, I’m not the first to know. She’s been featured by folks we all admire and follow, from Design*Sponge and Merriment Events to Decor8, among other notables.

Demos is the purveyor of a full service design studio in Savannah, GA. Prior to establishing the design studio, she owned a successful retail home furnishings store in Savannah’s historic district for nearly 10 years (@home vintage general). Her discerning eye and knowledge of design naturally led her to the field of publishing.

Elizabeth is known for her fresh approach to topics, production, photo styling, creative direction and crafting skills.  Her editorial contributions have been featured in a variety of lifestyle and interiors publications, including Country Living, Country Home, Southern Living and Better Homes & Gardens.

Madame Demos:

{Blue Door Photography}

We are breathlessly awaiting her first book due out in 2012 from Chronicle Books, but in the meantime- get your fix below!

Calder: Best store (online or not) for great reception finds?

ED: Oh my goodness, it is impossible to pick just one.  For a modern aesthetic I love Ikea (you can’t beat the prices) and for vintage I like eBay.com and for artsy/craftsy stuff I love etsy.com.

As for general good resources, I LOVE antique fairs, estate sales and antique shops.  I’m a big believer in incorporating vintage finds in everything I do, be it interiors, photo styling or event design.  I just love the layered quality antique and vintage pieces bring to a project.

{image by Josh Goleman}

Calder: Secret weapon in your emergency kit/arsenal for your brides?

ED: Don’t laugh; I use my photo styling kit.  It has just about everything I need for photo shoots and weddings; tools, first aid items, tapes and fasteners of all kinds, etc.
I can’t live without:

My iphone (for texting, gps, etc.)
My Leatherman tool
Sewing kit
Two stick tape
Fusible seam binding
Safety pins
Advil

{image by Josh Goleman}

Calder: What one wedding design element needs to be banished to its grave?

ED: I really shouldn’t confess the elements that bore me because I get requests to do them all the time. So suffice it to say I like to be ahead of a trend rather than follow it.   If I keep coming up with fresh ideas hopefully the “done” stuff won’t be an issue. The barrage of eye candy in the form of wedding blogs and magazines give brides a stacked deck when they come to my studio. I do my best to decipher the core of what the bride is attracted to and freshen it up with my own style.

{image by Juliet Elizabeth Photography}

Calder: Your go-to signature drink for entertaining?

ED: I love a good spiked lemonade or an old-fashioned Champagne punch. I think they are a refreshing crowd pleaser in our climate.  They are really simple to make and look great in pretty serving containers.

{image by Blue Door Photography}

Calder: What do you really think about the styling trend in our industry . . . the mock
shoots, the faux weddings, the propped-out gigs on blogs?

ED: I think they are a good source of inspiration for brides as long as they have the budget and the resources to replicate them. In reality many of the mock shoots, faux weddings and propped out gigs are costly and hard to implement for the average couple or the average planner.

I am a photo stylist by trade that got into the wedding business so my styling comes with many years experience with commercial clients. Well-trained photo stylists are an asset to an event because they think of things that planners overlook.  It is the perfect image we are trying to create after all. I’m just really skeptical of all the people suddenly calling themselves event stylists.  Do they really have the experience, I wonder. I feel like it is a catchy term in the industry and most people labeling themselves don’t really know what it means to be a photo stylist.

{image by Josh Goleman}

Calder: What’s one of your favorite blogs, or what interesting blog is in your RSS feed?
ED: I follow: Once Wed, Style Me Pretty, Snippet and Ink, 100 Layer Cake, Design Sponge, Marie Claire Idees, Emily Henderson, Matthew Mead, Sweet Paul, Sunday Suppers, Eat Drink Chic,  …………I could go on and on.

{image via Juliet Elizabeth Photography}

Calder: What’s one thing you wish you could say outright to every bride, but you feel like you can’t, out of decorum + propriety?

ED: I’m pretty honest with all my brides so I can’t really say there is any one thing that applies to all of them.

Here are a few that I have said (no names will be shared to protect the innocent)

“are you sure this is the guy?”
“you might be too tired to have sex on your wedding night”
“keep in mind your families will never have to interact again”
“do you really know everyone here?”

{image by Blue Door Photography}

Calder: Favorite detail of 2010 that you deployed at a wedding?

ED: I had a local artist screen print giant initials on pillows for the bride and groom. I placed the pillows vintage quilts that were spread on the lawn of the Reynold’s Mansion on Sapelo Island. The photographer actually captured an image of the bride and groom holding their initial.

{image by Aregrayline Photography}

Calder: Your ideal late night reception bite for guests?

ED: I like a savory & sweet combo; figs and cheese, dates & bacon, pork and chutney. It is an old catering formula protein + sugar = satisfaction.

{image by Blue Door Photography}

Calder: What one coffee table book would you buy right now for inspiration?
ED: Pictorial Webster’s: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities

Calder: You’re heading into an 18 hour wedding day- what’s your “fix”?

ED: I actually thrive on very little sleep anyway so working long days doesn’t seem to bother me. It is exciting to finally see all the planning, sketching and hard work come to life that I find it hard to come down after an event.

{image by Aregrayline Photography}

Calder: No wedding is complete without . . . (fill in the blank).

ED: For me, no wedding is complete without a strong connection with my clients. I bond with all of my couples and feel personally invested in the success and beauty of their event.

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