Monthly Archives: February 2012

Be a Budget Savvy Bride without Sacrificing

Leave a reply

Planning a wedding is nothing but overwhelming. Decisions upon decisions bombard your once normal days. Try to juggle the details while sticking to a budget can seem like an impossible feat. However, with these few budget savvy tips you can maintain your overall look and feel without busting your buck.

  •  Bridesmaid’s dresses: Instead of choosing a bridesmaids dress from a wedding boutique, look for deals at your favorite retail stores such as Banana Republic, The Limited, or The Gap
  •  Votives: Nothing sets the tone of your reception then candle light. Saturate your reception with inexpensive votives.
  •  Garden Flowers: Raid your or families garden’s for flowers. Many florist will work your own grown flowers….just remember you will still need to pay for their services and floral supplies.
  •  Submerged Floral: Create a striking arrangement with as little as three flowers by submerging your favorite bloom, such as, orchids or calla lilies in vases with a floating candle.
  •  Vases and Jars: Instead of purchasing or renting vases create an eclectic look by gathering a mix of vases, jars, and glasses that you or loved ones may own.
  •  Colored Water: Bring color to your tables by floating a candle in a vase filled with colored water. Add a submerged flower for an extra touch.
  •  Rose Petals: Don’t scatter, but, create “petal piles” around candlescapes, which, gives you color for little cost. You can also fill rose petals in a hurricane vase with a candle or submerge in a vase filled with water and a floating candle.
  •  Hydrangeas: Although hydrangeas are considered one of the more expensive flowers, they cover a large area. Fill a vase with one to tree hydrangeas to create a lovely, simple centerpiece.
  •  Baby’s Breath: Don’t knock the baby’s breath… (Although I have been known to too) Packed tightly in arrangements or bouquets baby’s breath can mimic snow, perfect for a winter wedding.
  •  Bridesmaid’s Bouquets: Create modern, inexpensive bridesmaid’s bouquets by using a few stems of one flower such as peonies or hydrangeas.
  •  Paper Lanterns: Paper lanterns make an enormous visual impact whether they are lit or unlit. They are super budget friendly and tie the whole reception room together.

Fiesta Time

Leave a reply

During the cold winter, the dream of sipping margaritas on a warm Mexican beach seems all too enticing. However, the harsh reality is that most of the time real life does not bring such luck. Instead, a typical winter day involves people trudging through snow on their way to work only to finish their day with an ongoing list of dreaded responsibilities. The thought of basking in the bright tropical sun is just a daydream. Although a Mexican vacation is just a fantasy for most, that does not mean you cannot bring a little of the Latin flare to you, and what better way to escape a dull winter then by throwing a Mexican fiesta.

Recently I teamed up with Leah at Envision Wedding Studio and Grand Falls Casino Resort to host a fun filled fiesta for Novartis, a business in the area. The goal of this Mexican themed fiesta was to create a colorful, eventful party enjoyed by all. Leah took the lead on the design elements using cactus, colored and vintage vases, sombreros, maracas, piñatas, lanterns, indigenous textiles, and bright paper flowers. For the tables we combined these items with vibrant flowers. For our first table we used three colored vases filled with flowers, on the second table we used a 24” cylinder filled with cactus along with an antique vase arranged with flowers, and for the third table, a yellow lantern with small vintage vases packed with flowers. Each centerpiece was accented with a rectangle piece of indigenous fabric.

Creating fiesta themed centerpieces is nothing but enjoyable. Combining bright colors with funky flowers is an ideal pairing. For the Novartis fiesta I wanted to use a variety of textures and colors. The list of flowers I chose was: alstroemeria, stock, protea, tulips, spray roses, godetia, spider mums, acacia, wax flower, bupluerum, and monster leafs. The blend of these flowers allowed me to create unique, vibrant bouquets–no one being exactly alike. The result was a perfect marriage between the design elements and flowers creating an exciting, fun escape from the chilly winter months.

Below is a glimpse of the Mexican theme brought to life

Not Your Typical Grocery Store Flowers

Leave a reply

Passing through the aisles in the grocery store, it is easy to walk by the prepackaged, cellophane wrapped bunches of flowers.  However, it’s time to STOP! With a little creativity you can take these common flowers and use them to make something truly special! Below are 10 easy ideas using prepackage bunches of flowers that will transform your party or event.

 1. Dessert

Add color and texture to any dessert by decorating your sweet treats with blooms of flowers. Use flowers such as chamomile, daisies, violets, or pom poms either directly on your dessert or on the serving tray.

2. Candles

Take old garden pots and fill it with wet floral foam. Add a candle to the middle and fill around the edges with flowers. Try using different size pots to add interest to your table.

3. Pressed Flowers

When flowers begin to fade, don’t throw them away; press them in an old book for future projects. After they are dried frame the pressed flowers to enjoy them for years to come.

4. Tin Cans

For a simple grouping of flowers, turn used soup or coffee cans into vases for very little money. Spray paint the cans or cover them in fabric or paper to create cohesiveness among the containers.

5. Jars and Wine Bottles

Place single blooms of flowers into individual milk jars, wine bottles, or mason jars. I recommend varying the heights of your containers to add interest.

6.Place Cards

With a Sharpie write each guest’s name on greenery leafs and use them as place cards for your table.

7. Rose Petal Bubbly

Add a little extra special to your party cocktails by floating rose petals in the bubbly. (Don’t worry roses are edible!) Roses come in numerous shades, which allow you to coordinate the petals with your cocktail.

8. Napkins

Add an extra pop of color to your table by tucking cut flowers into your guests folded napkins. To keep the blooms from wilting, wrap floral tape around the cut stem. To fold the napkin, lay it on a flat surface, and fold in half widthwise so the folded edge is near you. Fold the top layer back down halfway. Turn the napkin over, and fold the edges into the center. Finish by folding the napkin in half.

9. Votives

Use candle votives (minus the candle) and place singular stems in each. Groupings work great on party tables or place one on a bathroom vanity or kitchen counter.

10. Submerged

Fill water to the top of your miscellaneous vases and submerged single stems or bunches of the same flower. A trick to keep the buoyant flowers in place is to use a floating candle; which also adds ambient lighting.

11. Ice Cubes

Freeze edible flowers with water in ice-cube tray, then adding the colorful cubes to signature cocktails.

Lovely Orange

Leave a reply

I love bright colors – the way they can take an ordinary floral arrangement and make it pop. One of the best colors to add that special touch is orange. This warm, vibrant shade gives a fun yet cozy vibe to any wedding. Often people can be intimidated by this alternative color; however, orange can transform your event depending on the colors you pair it with. By combining orange with warm, earthy tones such as brown and gold you can achieve a rustic, laid back feel. Often used during the fall season. However, a more modern color scheme can be achieved by pairing orange with blue, purple, or green, which leads to a fun, exciting ambiance.

Whatever direction you choose to go with there are endless orange options for your wedding or event. From light apricot to bright tangerine flower choices abound. Some of my favorite orange flowers are dahlias, tulips, roses, orchids, and calla lilies. In centerpieces I even have utilized orange fruit either whole or sliced to add a unique touch.

Below is an inspiration board to show you just how effective orange can be for your event. This color is truly unique in its ability to add a bright, cheery feel while at the same time adding warmth and coziness

All links for photos can be found here.

Finding Inspiration in Color Blocking

Leave a reply

As a florist it is my job to continually try to come up with new, fresh ideas. I look for inspirations everywhere – nature, home décor, magazines, internet, TV….the list good go on and on. Recently I was given the opportunity to create a table display along with Leah at Envision Wedding Studio for the wedding show at Grand Falls Casino Resort.

Leah and I were given free rein to come up with a unique, eye-catching table. We began brainstorming ideas, looking through bridal magazines for color inspirations. It was important to come up with a color scheme that was unique and had not been used in the past. Bold hues were our immediate direction. As the ideas started flowing we soon created a color palate of deep raspberries, burgundies, pinks, gold, and bright orange tones.

As I sought out to create the bouquet for the centerpiece, I remembered reading a fashion article about the infusion of color blocking in the spring lines of 2012. This trend can be spotted everywhere. From dresses to skirts, to shoes and bags fashionistas can’t get enough of this look. I knew the marriage between our bold color palate and the color blocking style would be perfect for the event.

In the bouquet I used deep purple and raspberry carnations (I know the dreaded “C” word) however, packed tightly in a bouquet these often ridiculed flowers work great! Along with the carnations, deep pink hydrangeas, fuchsia orchids, pink stock, burgundy roses, and orange spray roses were arranged in a color blocking pattern to make a packed round bouquet. The result was a modern, eye-catching bouquet. Paired with a fuchsia linen, gold chargers, burgundy napkins, and clear and gold votive candles, the table came together beautifully. By drawing inspiration from fashion, we were able to create a memorable, stunning display.