It’s a throwback to simpler times, but Lily of the Valley, Hyacinth, Peonies, Gardenias, Gladiolas and, yes, even Spirea more commonly known as “Bridal’s Wreath” are adding that retro vintage look of classic romance to bridal bouquets, corsages and centerpieces. These blooms are the perfect choice if you have selected an Uber Chic, 50’s inspired bridal gown or an ethereal vintage-style gown. The best part is the distinct fragrance each will add throughout your celebration.  Pair up the very traditional rose in an architectural design or pattern throughout the bouquet or arrangements to give it a hint of a contemporary look.  If you remember way back, flowers also had wide satin ribbon bows in the bouquet along with wide satin ribbon tails.

Sometimes people hear simple and think boring or bland, but today I plan to prove them wrong.  I came across this amazing orchid bracelet worn by a bride instead of the traditional bouquet and it really made a statement.  While it was only a simple strand of white Phalaenopsis orchids, it was used in such a unique way. Brides these days are opting for so many unique twists for florals. Fabulous floral bracelets are now being made for brides, mom’s, and even bridesmaids as a more affordable option to the traditional bouquets or corsages. I also love the look of the single bloom bracelet shown below and crafted by JL Designs. Lastly, many tropical flowers and succulents make great statements by themselves. They can be placed in a tray or simple bud vases.  Succulents can also be placed by themselves or in groups directly down the center of the table with simple candles.

First Row: Shanna Jones Photography/ Second Row: Shanna Jones Photography/ Third Row: Llanes Weddings/ Fourth Row: Heather P. Moore Photography , JL Designs Image by Jill Thomas

At a recent spring wedding, the bride requested monobotanical white reception centerpieces, where each table would have a different type of flower. It was a fun wedding to do!

The white flowers we settled on, based on stem length, fullness, and budget, included: roses (of course!), gladiolas, gerbera daisies, dendrobium orchids, calla lilies, anthurium, amaryllis, irises, hydrangea, and star of Bethlehem.

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Yamashiro Restaurant in Hollywood makes a beautiful setting for an intimate wedding. The reception tables are arranged around a garden complete with a koi fish pond. Seating six, each table is rectangular, which can allow for long and low table designs. I hope you find some inspiration from the following images:

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(Cheriefoto.com)

Ah, the bouquet: the floral adornment to the bride as she walks down the aisle, a fabulous prop in photos, a gorgeous accessory that ties the decor and colors of the wedding today.   Its also not the type of thing one carries around on a day of running errands or even a night on the town.  So its really not that surprising that the bouquet is often found cumbersome and discombobulating.  Here are four tips to remember when handling your bouquet (bridesmaids, take note too!)

• You are not Lady Liberty, the bouquet is not a torch. This is the most common default when brides haven’t been demonstrated on how to properly hold the bouquet: holding the bouquet in one fist, with wrist close to the shoulder.   Let the sack of potatoes go; relax your arm so your wrist rests near your waist and the bouquet is centered near your belly button.
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Once we have created our beautiful designs you would think the work is done. Not true, getting everything safely delivered to the wedding is the next big issue. Each flower shop has their own set of policies and you need to understand how they will service your wedding.  We charge a fee for labor and delivery, because we charge a fee we believe you should have capable people on the job. We always send designers with the flowers, this fee covers the designers time on site and also means you have another pair of eyes watching over the final look of your wedding. Having a designer at your wedding means that if  there are any last minute additions or changes you have someone on hand that can execute the change. Often corsages or boutonnieres need to be added or converted, many times a pin on style corsage needs to be switched into a wrist style. Our shop brings what we call a Dr. bucket, this bucket includes all the leftover flowers that belong to your wedding. These blossoms can be used to garnish any areas that are in need of a little floral accent. As I look back on the successes of our business I am certain this policy is an important one. Our labor and deliver fee does not include placing or installing DIY projects, however if you require assistance with your creations we are happy to charge an additional fee for our designers.

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If you’re looking for ways to make your wedding greener – as in, more environmentally friendly – don’t overlook your flowers! As custom invitation designers, we often run into brides looking for invitations featuring a particular flower for a wedding taking place far outside that plant’s blooming season. In fact, we recently had a bride who was dead set on peonies (her wedding is in October) but quickly changed her mind when she learned that she would be paying mega-bucks for that out-of-season luxury!

Martha Stewart Weddings

While we appreciate the desire to incorporate particularly beautiful or beloved blossoms, selecting flowers that are actually in season, locally, at the time of your wedding should be your first consideration. Here’s why:
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Something happened at the beginning of last year and everything trended away from clean stark lines. The something was the vintage inspired wedding. We moved to antique vessels and loose and airy flowers. The flowers from this photo shoot at the Athenaeum are a perfect example of what is hot right now. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a ton of brides who like contemporary, or clean lines, but the girls who want vintage looking flowers want filler flowers.  They want designs that are wispy, airy, and loose. LOOSE is the key word.

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Once you find out what your personal style is the rest is easy. Let’s start with flowers … my favorite subject. First there are so many beautiful and different kinds, shapes, colors and smells out there but first it’s very important to know what goes with your style first. Second such as, the season, the location & the mood of your wedding.

Considering all of these, to find out the best arrangements for your big day, my suggestion is when visiting your florist take a picture of your wedding gown, swatch of the bridesmaids, color of the groom’s tuxedo, location of the wedding and all your favorite pictures that you tore from magazines…this will give them an idea of what’s going on in your head.

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Spring Flower Chart

I have had a blast the last few weeks touring flower wholesalers warehouses. I visited the San Francisco flower market, as well as my local wholesalers in Wahington DC. I took really awesome photographs and I thought it would be helpful if I showed you some of Springs best blossoms.

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