Soft, Simple, Elegance at West Park Winery

Sarah and Dennis were a great couple; we had a lovely first meeting discussing flowers and comparing notes on our preschoolers!  At first Sarah was leaning toward an ivory and chocolate brown themed day, however she also wanted to incorporate a little purple.  As time went by we began infusing a LOT of purple into their day, by using purple Double Stock Flower, and Tulips in the centerpieces.  When we first met, Sarah told me she did not want any Roses in her decor, however when she saw a photo of vintage inspired Garden Roses, she quickly changed her mind.  For centerpieces Sarah really had her heart set on graduated cylinder vases with floating candles on top.  Rather than use Orchids, Sarah opted for beautiful purple Tulips.  And instead of scattering rose petals on the tables we used florets from the Double Stock flower which have a gorgeous, clove like scent.

The main flowers we used for this event were the following: Garden Roses, Sweetheart Roses, Standard Roses, Lisianthus, Locally grown Ageratum, Double Stock Flower, and Tulips.

This was Sarah’s beautiful bouquet.

For the Mother of the Bride we used delicate white Spray Roses and variegated greenery, finished with a very soft neutral toned satin ribbon.

This was actually a posey bouquet for the Groom’s Mother but it could easily be used as a bridesmaids bouquet as well.

The bridal party carried bouquets of all purple Double Stock Flower, wrapped in double faced chocolate brown satin ribbon and trimmed with pearl pins.

The groomsmen all wore lavender rose boutonnieres.

The groom wore a double Sweetheart Rose Boutonniere.

Congratulations Sarah and Dennis!!!

Additional Vendors:

Venue: West Park Winery

http://www.westparkwinery.com/

 

 

The Perfect Marriage of Edgy and Traditional at Anthony’s Pier 9

Josh was my Husband Bryan’s college roommate, so we go way back!  Karen is just the sweetest girl on the planet and Bryan and I were just delighted not only to create their florals for them; but also to be lucky enough to be at their wedding as guests.  The first thing you must know about Josh is that he is really drawn to things that are bright, edgy, and loud in some way.  Karen on the other hand is the complete opposite.

Needless to say, I had quite the design dilemma with this couple.  Josh was drawn to King Proteas, Monkey Tail, and every other “tough” looking tropical type of flower you could find.  Karen leaned toward soft, sweet Freesia, Roses, and Lisianthus.  One of the things that they both agreed on was that they wanted bright orange, pink and green as their main colors for their event.  At the end of the day we ended up using velvety Coxcomb, Pin Cushion Proteas, garden style Roses, Spray and Sweetheart Roses, Monkey Tail, Freesia, Orchids, Heirloom Hydrangea, and a host of other gorgeous blooms.  These were probably the most textural centerpieces I have ever created.  I kept noticing all of the wedding guests gently touching each arrangement, and how could they not have!  I so wish I had more pictures to share with you (Josh are you listening, lol!)  But for now this will have to suffice.

Congratulations Josh and Karen!!!  We wish you all the best that life has to offer!

Additional Vendors:

Venue: Anthony’s Pier 9

http://www.piernine.com/

 

Stacey & Thomas’ Perfect Autumn Winery Wedding

I first met Stacey and Thomas about two weeks after I had Violet, and during my time as a nomad between studios.  What struck me most about this wonderful couple was that they were actually disappointed that I didn’t bring the baby to with me to our first meeting!  Talk about accommodating!  They were just delightful to work with every step of the way.  Their wedding at The beautiful Millbrook Winery was just as picture perfect as could be.

Stacey and Thomas had been collecting corks for ages, which became the focal point for many of their centerpieces.  We used these corks to fill large hurricanes(which were supplied by Stacey along with all of the candles) and surrounded them with lush floral wreaths.  There were so many little beautiful details at this wedding, we hope you will enjoy seeing them as much as we enjoyed creating them!

Stacey’s bouquet is a real favorite among the Bloom Girls here.  They are all in LOVE with this one, so I’m listing the exact flower varieties here so I can look back at them when I am creating florals for their own weddings.  Leonidas Roses, Black Baccara Roses, Orange Spray Roses, Burgundy Leucadendron, Orange Freesia, Orange Callas, Peach Hypericum, Antique Hydrangea, and Salal.

These centerpieces were some of my favorites.  They were such a nice departure from the all around style vases, urns, and mason jar groupings we always seem to see.  They are also a little more affordable in many cases.

Half of the table contained the hurricane style centerpieces you just saw above, the others consisted of beautiful Antique Hydrangea and greenery in glass cubes.

 

Additional Vendors:

Venue: Millbrook Winery

http://www.millbrookwine.com/index.php

DJ: Jimmy Lutz, Lutz Entertainment

http://lutzent.com/

Photography: Ashley Therese Photography

http://ashleytheresephotography.com/

10 Rules to Follow When Planning Your Wedding Decor

Fall is officially upon us and we are now nearing the end of our production season here at the studio; which means we have begun moving on to our planning season for all of our new 2012 couples.  With the advent of this change, I thought it would be helpful to give you my thoughts on planning your event decor.  So with out further ado, here is the list I have compiled to help make everyone’s planning less painful….

1. Do not buy a thing until you have met with, selected, and hired your florist or event planner!  Not one candle, not one favor, cute ribbon, or table runner- NOTHING!

2. Once you have a plan in place, and the advice of the professional you are working with, try to avoid stores such as the Christmas Tree Shop, A.C. Moore, Home Goods, and other discount home and craft stores.  I find these retail outlets lead to bridal buying frenzies and many times gobble up tons of necessary wedding funds!  Wondering where you are going to get the money for all of your favors?  Just check some of your receipts from your last few trips to these stores since you have been engaged, and you will likely find the amount of money you need.  In many cases brides will come to me having purchased cases of candles only to learn that their venue already provides them.  Then there are also couples who may be having a fall theme (only one example, but I have seen this with all seasons and themes) and go on shopping sprees buying every single fall item they can get their hands on,  just because it may have been on sale.  Sadly, many times these items aren’t even used once they step back and realize that fall leaves, acorns, pods, grapevine, fall votives, and fall themed place card holders may be too much on the tables to allow for the centerpiece they had envisioned.  Then there is the not so fun task of getting rid of all of these unnecessary fall themed items on-line, ugh!

3. If you must shop in these stores, save your receipts! Keep them all in an envelope so you can be honest with yourself about your spending habits. Return items if necessary.

4. Once you have your colors or theme, carry an envelope or ziplock bag with swatches in it and do not buy anything unless it coordinates and makes sense with your colors and theme.  And again, seriously consider what your professional has advised you to purchase, if anything.

5. If you are going for a Vintage/ Romantic/ Rustic/ or Country Chic theme, be very careful not to go too overboard.  You do not want to run the risk of your wedding looking like a yard sale.

6. Edit. Edit. Edit.  You really don’t need as much on your tables as you think you do.  Please keep in mind that your guests will need some room for their cameras, mobile devices, drinks, favors, and handbags.  Not to mention their plates, flatware and stemware.

7. Consider your engagement party, showers, or rehearsal dinner if you are torn between a few different color schemes, styles, or themes.

8. Do not automatically assume that you will be able to resell your items on E-bay, Etsy, Weddingbee, Craigslist, or the host of other websites out there.  I would try your best to promote what you are hoping to sell way in advance, months before your own wedding.

9.  Ask yourself the very important question: Is this going to look too specific or dated 10 years from now?  Think back to many of the wedding trends of the 70’s with all the teal and yellow, hats, and daisies!  Then think of all the lace and shoulder pads of the 80’s.  There is no way to really create a 100% timeless look, but you don’t want your kids (or you) rolling their eyes at your wedding style years later.

10. Trust the professionals.  They have seen and done it all.  They know what is best for you and your unique style and budget.


I hope this helps give you all a little more insight into creating the perfect look for your taste and budget.  Happy planning everyone!

~Heather

 

Kristina & Barry’s Fall Wedding at the Grandview

Kristina and Barry first came to me asking for a Halloween themed wedding, however their event was scheduled for early September.  As the planning process moved along they decided to have their day reflect fall, but incorporate red and purple as their main colors.  For their centerpieces we used really beautiful tall pilsner vases, and filled them with curly willow.  They were topped with gorgeous fall toned roses, blooms, and berries.  They also added their own silk leaves and candles which really brought everything together quite nicely.  I absolutely loved their place card table, which contained tons of mini pumpkins!

Congratulations Kristina and Barry!!!

 

Additional Vendors:

Venue: The Grandview

http://www.grandviewevents.com/

Photographer: Photos by Joyce

Emtertainment: Enriquez Entertainment

http://www.enriquezentertainment.com/

Michael and Carrie’s Garden Themed West Park Winery Wedding

I had the pleasure of creating the florals for one of Carrie’s friends a few years back, and was so delighted to learn that these two women were not only friends, but they both shared good taste in flowers!

Although it took a considerable amount of trial and error with Carrie to get exactly the look that she and Michael were hoping for, I was really happy with the outcome!

Calla Lilies, Cymbidium Orchids, Dahlias, and Garden Roses were the main flowers of the day.  I really don’t think it gets much better than that!

The personal flowers consisted mainly of Calla Lily’s and Orchids.  The ceremony decor consisted mainly of wine colored Dahlias, and champagne toned double faced satin ribbon.  The reception decor was a departure from the more formal burgundy, green and champagne tones of the ceremony, and was amped up with garden urns filled with bright pink and green florals.  These centerpieces contained Garden Roses; Scented Geranium Leaves; China Berries; Bupleurem; and hints of fresh, locally sourced Herbs.  I even added a few hot pink Sweet Peas that were growing in my garden that morning to a few of the centerpieces, I couldn’t resist!

What a beautiful day, for such a wonderful couple, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky!

Congratulations Michael and Carrie!!!

Additional Vendors:

Venue: West Park Winery

http://www.westparkwinery.com

Entertainment: DJ Solutions

http://www.thedjsolution.com/

Photographer: Dawna M. Cservak

http://www.dawnamcservak.com/