Getting to know super stylists Ruby + James
When we first stumbled across superstar stylists Ruby + James we instantly fell in love with their romantic, yet edgy style when it came to transforming weddings and events.
Since getting to know the girls, Beck and Jess, it’s safe to say we’ve not only fallen in love with their style, but also the beauty of these girls who take the time to get to know their clients and design a wedding or event no one will forget.
Eager to show them off, we’ve sat down with Beck and Jess for the lowdown on how everything they touch, turns to gold.
Firstly, please introduce yourselves, who are the faces behind Ruby & James and how did you come to be event stylists and planners?
We are Beck + Jess, the faces behind Ruby + James! People often ask us the story behind our name and every time we explain our story our hearts skip a beat with pride. Ruby + James were two very important, inspiring, gracious and influential people in our lives who unfortunately are no longer with us. Somehow we like to think they are guiding us through this roller coaster ride of owning our own business and pushing us to our creative limits.
We both met while working together as visual merchandisers (Jess still works there part time) and every day we worked together we would talk about starting our own business, it was like this big dream that would allow our minds to drift and wonder. After talking about it for long enough we decided it was about time we did something about it and lucky for us we had two clients lined up and the rest is history!
You’re probably best known for your stunning styling, but what other services do you provide?
As well as styling we offer festoon lighting hire, that really brings ambience to any event. We’ve strung these beauties up over dance floors and table settings, even a picnic marriage proposal!
On the small scale styling jobs we now offer floristry as we were finding styling and flowers go hand in hand and it also lets us work really closely with our couples to create that overall look and feel they are after. Flowers are an art form on their own and the majority of the time is where our inspiration comes from.
When a couple book your services, particularly styling, what is the process involved from first meeting to bringing the day to life?
Our process spans over quite a few months leading up to their big day. From our first date as we like to call it (minus the awkwardness!) we really get to know our clients, find out their story, the things they love and don’t love and what they vision their big day to feel and look like.
From there we like to schedule in a site visit to their chosen venue to suss out the space we’ll be working with. We’re such visual beings that working off photos can be quite tricky so we always like to see the venue and the surroundings first hand. It’s also where we gain a lot of our inspo.
From there the design ideas start flowing. We’ll work on design concepts, floor plans, source props and styling elements, have meetings along the way with our couples and often the other vendors involved.
The week leading up to the big day is full of running around, finalising crew and run sheets, picking items up and flower prepping for the event.
There’s also a hell of a lot of emails and work involved during the process. It’s a big deal that needs to be carefully put together, there is a lot invested in this type of celebration, emotionally and financially.
We wouldn’t still be around if we didn’t love our job, it’s far from glamorous really, but can we tell you nothing beats the feeling when you nail it for your couple and the looks on their faces (and guests) when they first walk in the room. It makes you feel so lucky and grateful to be there and all the hard work leading up has paid off.
Do you have a signature style or are you flexible in working with any kind of style?
If we had to put our signature style into words we would say, edgy yet romantic. But we feel as we try and reflect each couple individually as they all have different styles; each wedding and event has a Ruby + James feel to it.
You’re obviously insanely talented and we wondered how do you come up with styling concepts? Because everything you seem to touch turns to gold!
Thanks ladies! To be honest, the concepts come from all sorts of wonderful places but mainly from our couples themselves. Retail spaces, bars and restaurants have also always been a source of inspo and you also can’t forget nature. Mother Nature is by far the greatest and most powerful dictator for all our events, and we must mention there’s some great design mags out there can spark a new idea for us.
How important is it for wedding styling to reflect a couple and their personalities and interests?
So important! Their personalities and interests are the key ingredient to making their wedding their own and not like any other.
We love listening to their stories, how they met, where they have been, things they love.
It’s those details that captivate us the most and where the ideas start flowing.
What is on trend at the moment when it comes to wedding styling and what do you see being the next big thing?
We’re loving the mix of blush tones and emerald green at the moment. The colour combo has a feminine touch yet the emerald brings a sophisticated and more modern edge to the mix.
Greenery, greenery, greenery! As beautiful as flowers are, an abundance of hanging greenery makes our hearts skip a beat and has the added bonus of being more cost effective and resourceful. There are some spectacular things happening out there with everyday objects that have been twisted and revived. We love it when something ‘uncool’ is transformed to ‘cool’ through a different treatment of the element or simple colour change. People are definitely becoming more mindful of where their coin and efforts are spent and the yearning to stand out from the mob and not be the same as every other wedding they’ve attended. Being different yet still stylish is most people’s wish when they choose us.
What are some common misconceptions when it comes to enlisting a wedding stylist?
That we wear headsets like J Lo in that wedding planner movie from the 90’s!?! It could be handy though come to think of it! No, no we’re kidding… they’d get caught on the ladders!
What is the best part of your job?
Can we say everything?! It’s definitely a combo of the couples and vendors we get to meet and the venues we are lucky enough to work at.
We’ve met some seriously amazing souls on the R + J journey and some of the locations we get to travel to, make us pinch ourselves at times. We don’t even mind the early morning starts – the best time of the day!
There must be so many hours of love that your pour into each wedding, and we are sure you are exhausted afterwards, so how do the Ruby & James ladies best like to unwind?
The long crazy hours can definitely exhaust us! It’s like having a bad hangover the day after as we are physically and mentally drained.
To unwind, Jess loves to escape the city and go on long road trips to places she’s never been before, especially to places with no reception to completely switch off.
Beck loves to hang at home with her two babies Oscar and Lucy and possibly get to a farmers market together, buy some great produce and cook the loot for family and friends… oh and retail shopping!
To enquire with these superstar stylists to be part of your wedding day Tribe, click here.
