Eclatante Event Design was a small Philadelphia studio that redefined “bespoke” weddings on the East Coast. Certified consultant Kendall Brown mixed story‑driven concepts with bold florals and ran a retail boutique in Northern Liberties where clients could test tablescapes before booking. The firm closed around 2011‑12, yet its aqua‑gold palettes and collaboration model still influence local planners and wedding blogs.
History of the brand
Kendall Brown founded Eclatante in 2007 after work in graphic design and corporate communications. The French name, meaning “brilliant,” signaled her plan to craft cinematic, one‑off events. In 2008 she opened a studio‑shop in Liberties Walk that paired planning services with a retail corner for entertaining décor.
2009–2010 highlights
- May 2009 – Philadelphia Magazine profiled the boutique and its partnership with Beautiful Blooms florist.
- May 2010 – Style Me Pretty featured Holly & Bill’s jet‑pilot‑meets‑city‑chic wedding, cementing the “Rittenhouse bride” look.
- 2010 – WeddingWire posted six five‑star reviews, earning an “Award Winner” badge.
Media buzz peaked in 2010 and then faded. Partners stopped tagging the brand after 2011, and Brown later moved into corporate event consulting.
Products & Services
Full‑Service Wedding Planning
- Concept & Narrative – Brown mined each couple’s hobbies, heirlooms and meeting story, then wove those details into décor such as improv‑theatre ice‑breakers or Moroccan mosaic centerpieces.
- Vendor Integration – Preferred partners included Beautiful Blooms for parrot tulips and blue hydrangeas and CTO Orchestra for live music at venues like the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
- Logistics – Budget mapping, timeline control and lighting design came in flat‑fee packages.
Retail Studio & Workshops
- Shoppers browsed tabletop props, Skeem candles and custom place‑cards, then joined evening classes on etiquette or holiday centerpieces.
- A rotating sample table let booked couples tweak linen swatches on‑site, a forerunner to today’s Pinterest‑to‑physical mood‑board sessions.
Tablescape Rentals
- Short‑term rentals of charger plates, brocade runners and vintage china gave mid‑budget clients access to the Eclatante look without a full planning contract and cut décor waste.
Quality and Reputation
Silk taffeta linens, mercury‑glass votives and custom chandeliers met strict museum venue rules, proving style did not sacrifice safety. Brown’s curated vendor list produced a 5/5 average on WeddingWire. Inside Weddings, Style Me Pretty and other outlets praised the studio for cohesive storytelling. WeddingWire’s 2010 “Bride’s Choice” badge and local press coverage of the retail concept added further credibility. A decade later Pinterest boards still showcase Eclatante color stories.
Reviews Overview
- Creativity praised – Couples loved custom touches such as heirloom brooches tied into bouquets.
- Vendor network lauded – Every referral, from caterers to DJs, matched the planned vibe.
- Detail focus – Clients mentioned hand‑drawn floor plans and color‑coded timelines.
Pain points
- Week‑long gaps in replies during venue confirmation.
- Difficulty adapting designs to budgets under roughly $30 000.
- Limited service area outside Greater Philadelphia.
General Impressions
Eclatante operated more like an atelier than a volume agency, ideal for couples who wanted menus that matched ruffled tulips. The same artisanal focus left the business fragile. Brown’s limited bandwidth and the 2008–12 recession squeezed revenue, and there was no mid‑tier line to fill the gap. The retail boutique added cachet but pushed overhead up as neighborhood rents rose. A later shift to micro‑weddings could have prolonged the brand, yet that trend arrived too late.
Eclatante Event Design delivered couture‑level storytelling for couples who wanted a wedding that felt like “us on our best day.” If you value deep concept work over checklist coordination — and have the budget to match — Eclatante was gold. Its closure shows how vulnerable boutique studios are to bandwidth and market shocks, yet its influence lives on in planners who build narrative and tactile previews into every pitch.
Competitors and Alternatives
- Fulton Events – Larger team with multistate reach, suited to black‑tie destination weekends. Retainers start around $15 000.
- Taylor Ashley Events – Fills the mid‑range gap Eclatante left; packages begin near $5 000 and include virtual coordination.
- Blush Bouquet Wedding Planning – Targets budget‑conscious couples with partial‑planning options under $3 000 while still weaving in personal stories.
