A Night in Bloom Events Floristry – Page 4

January 13, 2015

Nissa & Michael’s Perfect Peony Wedding- The Garrison

This wedding has gotten a lot of attention because many of you saw the photo I posted of the bouquet on Instagram, and you all still to refer to it as, “The Perfect Peony Wedding”! It really was!

Nissa was a bride who initially seemed very laid back when it came to florals. When we first met, she assured me that she wasn’t too terribly attached to one look over another, or one specific flower type. That all changed by the time her and Michael’s big day arrived! We used Pinterest quite a bit when planning these gorgeous florals, and Nissa became very focused on a very difficult to find salmon pink Ranucula. It was a tall order to find this lovely little bloom, but I was able to ask a big favor from one of my favorite wholesalers and we were able to get just the shade Nissa was hoping for! I really loved the florals for this wedding, but I’d love everyone to pay close attention to the ceremony arrangements hanging from the chairs! See folks, you can still have lovely, affordable wildflowers WITHOUT using Baby’s Breath!

There were so many pretty little details at this wedding. Nissa’s bouquet was wrapped in a vintage lace handkerchief that was very special to her, and the centerpieces were all displayed in cubes wrapped in lace, which were just lovely! The weather could not have been prettier, and I am sure the day ended up just as perfect as it began. I am really looking forward to seeing the pro pics from this one!

Congratulations Nissa and Michael, wishing you all the very best!!!

~Heather

We were delighted to work along with the following vendors:

Maggie Heinzel-Neel Photography: http://www.photosforyourwedding.com

Golden Scroll Soloists Quartet: http://www.goldenscrollsoloists.com/
JTD Entertainment DJ: http://www.jtdproductions.com/
Officiant Rev. Gary Deinstadt: http://www.garydeinstadt.com/rev/

December 30, 2014

Put a Big, Beautiful Bow on it Folks, 2014 is Done!

I can still remember one of the best pieces of advice I received when working at my first florist. I was struggling to make a perfect bow and the shop owner had 3 different designers show me the “correct way”. Each designer showed me a different technique. The last designer eventually told me there really was no “right way” to make a bow. She went on to tell me you make them the way you are told to, until the day arrives where you develop your own technique and that is the day you can begin calling yourself a floral designer.

2014 was the first year I finally felt comfortable enough to begin ignoring a lot of the advice I have received since beginning A Night in Bloom. It was also my year of “just say no”. I think I have reached a point where I know what works for me and my business and what does not.

If a potential order seemed to not be a match for me; I did not hesitate to take a pass on it, no matter how pretty the details may have seemed. I no longer worried “what if I don’t book up every single weekend of the wedding season?” I took a lot of time off this past summer, entire weekends for my children’s birthdays; and in a very audacious move, I did not take any December orders. Many of you are still peeved at me for that, and I’m sorry, but I had to. This is a beautiful industry to work in, but it is also a very draining one.

Even with me taking some time off, 2014 was our best year so far! As many of you may recall, we did a soft launch of the Flower Market last winter. What we did not plan for was the overwhelming amount of wedding work that came in! 2014 wedding orders were off the charts for us! I have never had a year with so many orders, and therefore since our weddings are still the core of our business, I had to put the Flower Market on hold. I do still have the website up, and I know many of you are still hoping that we will offer everyday designs, but for the moment, I am going to keep this area of our business on hold. But I promise, you will all be notified the moment that I decide to explore this area again!

I don’t know how I ever could have had such a successful year without the support of my amazing staff!!! These ladies are the backbone of everything we do!

Jodi, the words Thank You will never be enough for all of your hard work this season. You have done an amazing job, and I can’t wait to start working with you again next season! You have truly morphed into a floral designer this year with your sassy attitude, willingness to let things go, and your ability to work to all hours, in the name of making everything just a little more beautiful! Yet the moment that really stands out in my mind was the one day when I found the studio messy, and realized we had officially broken your always neat as a pin ways. You had become a florist!!!

Lauren, we have all really enjoyed having you with us as an intern and now as a real flower girl! I know your time with us has been brief, but you have helped us in very significant ways! I wish you all the very best as you near graduation, and please know that we are happy to have you with us as long as you would like to stay!

Debbie, you are a terrific friend and my very own Suzie Orman! Thank you for always bringing me back to earth! You may have the most difficult job of all!!!

Erica, we have been through so much! Thank you for standing by me, my family, and this business from the very beginning. We love you like family and look forward to even more celebrations with you and your own wonderful family!

SaraRose, you are as sweet as the flower in your name! Thank you for all of your endless patience, and love for my rascally little children! Bryan and I would be so lost without you!!!

Kate, you have been such a tremendous asset to our team. We all so enjoy working with you and really hope you will consider helping us more in the future!!!

To the angels of our business, our families, friends, and fellow business owners- Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for us, from the bottom of my heart!!!

To Bryan, I realize you would have been quite happy with a “normal” life. I never loose sight of this and I thank you for your courage in taking all of these chances with me!!! I am so grateful to you for your encouragement, for I could not imagine a life more beautiful than the one we have together!

2014 was filled with blessings, and I know that 2015 is going to be even better! Thank you so much to all of our past clients, so many of you are now close friends and I am so grateful for that! I can’t think of many other businesses where clients become such good friends.

We are already feeling so much love for our 2015 couples and these dreamy events we have planned! Please stay tuned, you won’t want to miss a single detail!!!

Much love to you all for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!!!

~Heather

October 9, 2014

A Perfect Marriage of Elegance and Rusticity at the Grandview

I loved getting to know Suzy, she is just such a beautiful soul! An added bonus was that she works in the wedding industry and really understood the ins and outs of planning it all! Suzy and Eddie chose the beautiful Grandview in Poughkeepsie, NY for their October wedding ceremony and reception. Despite the very elegant style of the Grandview, Suzy wanted to off set the existing decor with florals and accessories that were a little more rustic, with hints of glamour. My team and I achieved this look in a variety of ways.

For the ceremony we created a very lush garland of Lemon Leaf for the arch, and paired it with a romantic and rustic sign that my hubby, Bryan made. All of this was anchored with a beautiful handmade burlap runner, trimmed in lace that Suzy purchased on Etsy.

The escort card table was one of my all time favorite designs. We had the opportunity to fill lots of eclectic bottles of all different shapes and sizes and with the prettiest blossoms around! The main flowers used throughout the day were Dahlias, Roses, Garden Roses, Astilbe, Thistle and Berries; just to name a few! We carried this theme over to the reception tables as well. Half of the tables consisted of the same types of eclectic bud vases, the other half of the tables contained rustic rectangular wooden boxes, filled with fresh florals and vines.

The sweetheart table was adorned with pieces from our rental collection including chunky mercury glass pillar candle holders, lots of candlelight and garland detail. Candlelight was another big element throughout the day and night. We brought in some of our large scale rustic lanterns which are whitewashed with just the tiniest hint of copper edging, and Suzy supplied her own collection of frosted and fluted votive candles.

All of these little details added up in a very big way, as you can see by these dreamy photos captured by Custom by Nicole Photography. Congratulations Suzy and Eddie, we wish you both all of the happiness in the world!!!

~Heather

View More: http://custombynicole.pass.us/dowling

Custom By Nicole Photography

Published on Borrowed and Blue

http://www.borrowedandblue.com/hudson-valley/weddings/suzy-eddie

Venue:

The Grandview in Poughkeepsie, NY

http://www.grandviewevents.com/

Photograpy

Custom by Nicole

http://custombynicole.com/blog/grandview-fall-wedding-hudson-valley-wedding-photographer/

August 31, 2014

Zarah and Matt’s ‘Tropical Meets Rustic’ I Do’s- Full Moon Resort

Zarah was a breath of fresh air for me to work with! In a world of soft pastels and vintage themed weddings this year; Zarah arrived, with her requests of a tropical meets rustic themed wedding, infused with rich reds and purples! This was a quasi- DIY type of wedding order for us; meaning that we furnished all of the professional designs and Zarah arranged to have all of them transported to her venue, the ever romantic, Full Moon Resort.

Zarah’s bouquet consisted of gorgeous Dahlias and Orchids, her centerpieces were bursting with rich, red Amaryllis, grass loops and mosses. Believe it or not, Amaryllis is now considered a year round flower and to me has a very similar look to Hibiscus, which I thought gave a nice tropical vibe to the centerpieces. This was a really enjoyable event to work on!

Congratulations Zarah and Matt, we hope your life together is as beautiful and colorful as your taste in flowers is!!! I wish you all the best!

~Heather

Photo Courtesy of Jacob Arthur Studio

Photo Courtesy of Jacob Arthur Studios

Thank You:

Full Moon Resort

Jacob Arthur Studio

July 15, 2014

Heather and Sean’s Love Story- The Grandview, Poughkeepsie, NY

Heather and her Mom, Bonnie, met with me one very chilly winter evening to plan Heather and Sean’s upcoming summer nuptials.What a great time I had getting to know these two lovely ladies! Bonnie spent so much time lovingly creating so many details of her daughter’s wedding. As a Home Economics teacher, she really knew her stuff!

Heather knew she wanted a deep pink and white color scheme, punctuated with glamorous accents such as feathers and bling throughout her big day. However the most important design element was the use of quotes the she and her family had collected. Originally they had planned to have large signs with a different quote on each table for reception centerpieces. Unfortunately they soon realized that this plan would not work out because the signs were going to be too large. Luckily Heather’s Mom came to the rescue and was able to get all of the quotes printed on vellum paper, which she made into beautiful candles. My team and I then got to work creating the most beautiful and fragrant floral wreaths around each one.

Heather’s bouquet consisted of beautiful and fragrant Stargazer Lilies (which I thought were perfect for a 4th of July wedding because they remind me of firecrackers!). Other details in the bouquet included rhinestone pin accents on all of the Roses, pink Sweet Peas, Freesia, white Stock Flower, Waxflower, feather accents, and a hand sewn bouquet wrap made by Heather’s sweet Mom. The bridesmaids carried lovely posies of all white Roses and Waxflower with grass loops. Boutonnieres were simple and chic white Roses paired with Waxflower. Sean’s boutonniere was upgraded with a satin ribbon wrap.

All of the additional decor was created by Bonnie, including the beautiful Baby’s Breath bundles (from our by the bunch collection) wrapped in tulle, and beautiful sweetheart table garland just to name a few of the designs she made. What a delightful family this was to work with! I just smiled when I received all of the beautiful photos in my email, what a beautiful couple and beautiful day it was! Congratulations Heather and Sean, we wish you all the very best as you continue writing your own love story!

Cheers!

~Heather

The First Presbyterian Church Wappingers Falls, NY

The Grandview

http://www.grandviewevents.com/

Photographer : George Street Photography

http://www.georgestreetphoto.com/

May 14, 2014

Something Needs to be Said

For the past two years I have played “flower rescuer” to far too many couples! I have had couples call me in tears, near hysterics, and feeling completely infuriated by so-called florists, event stylists, and planners. People, I cannot stress this enough: you get what you pay for. If all your vendor has to show are some Pinterest boards of what they can do for you, this is NOT the same thing as what they can actually offer you in reality. All of our photos are photos of work and rental items that we actually have in the here and now, not items that we can find for you or make for you.

Please do your research. If the only experience your vendor has is working for other professionals creating and designing; this again, is not the same thing as them working on their own, getting the job done on time and on budget.

Here is my updated 2014 list of what to look for in your florist or event stylist:

1. How long have they been in business on their own, not in the industry, but flying solo? I am not discounting the idea of hiring a newbie. I’m just hoping that they will be forthcoming and not overestimate what they can and cannot deliver. More experienced designers and planners will likely charge more for having more experience. Newcomers will likely charge less, with your understanding that things may not go 100% as planned.

2. Can they show you actual work they have done on their own, not while working under the instruction of another business? Keep in mind if they show you a wedding that they helped with while working for another company, they were being instructed on how to put everything together, had their timeline already prepared for them, staff to go to with questions, etc.

3. Ask for professional references if they are just starting out on their own. If this person claims to have 50 years of experience in design or planning, they need to be able to prove this.

4. Do they have a cooler? I know, I know, many go without them, but come on! These are flowers for a wedding, you don’t get a do over. If flowers wilt, there is no magic way to breathe life back into them!

5. Are they insured? This one should go without saying, but still be sure to ask.

6. Do they have experienced back up? This is a must!!!

7. Do they have props or rental items? Again, this goes back to Pinterest, why would a company only use stock photos of what they can do? If they do offer these items, ask to physically see them. If they claim they can get you the same upholstered chair that you saw on Style Me Pretty ask them if it is guaranteed by your wedding date. The market is really tight on certain items right now. Even antique repros may have lead times, which in many cases can be a year or more. The same goes for custom glassware and lanterns. Get all pricing quotes in writing.

8. How does their pricing work? If you suddenly come across the deal of the century, you may be in for a big surprise with the actual results. This is one of the most common reasons why we have to play “rescue florist”. Many beginners do not understand how to price wedding designs, and drop their clients rather than eat the cost of their mistakes.

9. How available are they? I notice many professional wedding businesses drop off with their social media posts a lot during the months of June- October. There is a reason for this, they are working, a lot. When you see millions of Pins, and nonstop Tweets this may be a tip that this business has some time on its hands.

Special considerations for Couples Hiring Planners:

I strongly recommend hiring a full service planner, especially for outdoor events and settings where weddings do not always take place. In my opinion, if you are contracting a planner for wedding planning (not day of coordination), they should be able to provide their couples with the following:

1. Budgeting for the entire wedding.

2. Basic pricing of floral designs in the Hudson Valley.

3. Basic costs of non-floral decorative elements such as candles, twigs, twinkle lights, tablecloths, and runners.

4. They should also be able to handle things like what types of tables you will have, sizes and dimensions of bars,chairs, table tops, aisles, and other areas needing decor.

***Another thing to consider is how well does your planner know your other vendors? You want to be sure things will run as smoothly as possible. The more frequently they work together, the better the outcome will be.

I realize everyone needs to start somewhere. It wasn’t too long ago that I was the new kid on the block, however I was fortunate enough to have had many years of professional experience working for retail flower shops before I embarked on my adventure in small business ownership. Pinterest wasn’t around back then, and I had to work extra hard to show clients my value. Weddings are a lot of work. They are very special events in our lives, and they should not be treated as an add on business or a hobby. For those of you considering styling or floral design as careers, there are plenty of other options other than events where you can get your feet wet without worrying about ruining someone’s wedding day or the legal ramifications that may follow.

Please forgive me if this sounds harsh, I am just overwhelmed by last minute orders this year because of these types of “businesses,” and it needs to be brought to everyone’s attention before couples sign on the dotted line. I am happy to help where I can and I am always grateful for the work. However I fear that these are the types of incidents which make all wedding professionals look bad during a time where we are always striving to show society our worth. Thanks for listening.

~Heather

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