5 Favorite Things With TableArt’s Kathy P. Warden

When it comes to planning and designing beautiful weddings and events in Philadelphia, Kathy P. Warden is a seasoned vet: She got her start in the catering business in the 80s, launched her event design company TableArt in 1990, and has since become a go-to for creative couples in search of unique, one-of-a-kind celebrations.

Even more recently, Kathy expanded her company and its offerings with the debut of KPW Productions, the full-service planning and design arm of TableArt. (Whereas TableArt’s focus has always been the design, flowers and décor of a wedding, KPW also provides planning assistance for couples who are starting from scratch.)

Since Kathy always has her finger on the pulse of the latest and greatest, we caught up with her to chat about the design elements that’ll be popular next year and the things she’s loving right now.

Favorite color scheme and flowers for a winter wedding I love the combination of sage, grey and white and using unique greenery like silver bruin and silver eucalyptus pods with gorgeous white roses and peonies.

Favorite place to find design inspiration I love looking through travel, design and architectural magazines. Mother Nature always inspires me.

Favorite Philadelphia wedding venue The Philadelphia Museum of Art. {Editor’s note: Check out our Spring/Summer 2016 issue to see Natalie and Jacob’s museum wedding that Kathy planned.}

Favorite design element you’ve created for a wedding Right now, it’s all about the unusual floorplan. I loved the lounge with the live flower wall that we did for Natalie and Jacob’s wedding. We have a lot of clients that are looking for creative floorpans with unusual seating options. We love to design floorpans that include different sizes and shaped tables for seating. Our experience is that guests love to relax in a comfortable lounge with lots of pillows and comfy furniture.

We just designed a wedding for 2016 that creates three different pods in the floorpan; each pod has a dining and living room element to it. Guests will be invited to sit at the tables or in the lounges. There is a definite trend for creative floorpans that move away from the standard ballroom filled with round tables and chairs.

Favorite out-of-the-box idea for reception centerpieces I once designed a table that was covered in grass wallpaper. The table had a 12 x 36 hole that was filled with a plexiglass tray; the tray was filled with river rocks, floating orchid blooms and candles. It was very zen. Our clients are very design-focused, and we often recommend alternatives to the traditional floral arrangements to create an impact.

To read more 5 Favorite Things with Philly wedding vendors, go here.

RELATED: TableArt Just Launched KPW Productions, a Full-Service Planning and Design Company

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