Just for Fun...

And to show you how the same flowers can create very different arrangements.   A floral designer friend sent me some of the designers she likes to follow and it inspired me to create the arrangements below....these are the 'left over' flowers from the Great Gatsby photo shoot I posted about previously.  Same flowers...much different results!

Great Gatsby Photo Shoot for Vainglorious Brides, I do...I do.... Morristown NJ

A few years ago a bride came to me to discuss wedding flowers, and while she ended up doing the arrangements on her own the experience...all of it, the planning, the arranging, the juggling, helped lead her to discover her passion.   Selina Howard was the bride and she in the midst of launching her wedding planning services catered directly to helping brides with any and all aspects of wedding planning, Vainglorious Brides.

To orchestrate her launch she organized a photo shoot at I do...I do... Bridal Salon in Morristown NJ.  This is not your run of the mill, store stuffed to the brim with dresses in plastic.  It's a elegant space with  room to breath and take in the beauty of the dresses without all the clutter.  I was so impressed with how organized and professional everything was, and that is most definitely due to Selina's talent and skill.

Selina asked me to create a bouquet and floral centerpiece for the shoot, all based on a Great Gatsby Wedding theme...watch out English Garden..here come the 1920's.  The glamour of the 20's (before it all crashed and burned!) makes it my favorite era for fashion and with the new movie I think there will be a resurgence in wedding glam....but with the elegant twist only the 20's could give.

These are just my little photos...

Bouquet: garden snow roses, patience garden roses, Sahara roses, white sweet pea, spray roses and very unique tulip with frayed edges.    I also included some estate jewelry that I've picked up on my Saturday morning trips to estate sales...I love estate sales!

The centerpieces also include anemone, and white nerine.

Pinterest?

Although I still don't quite understand it I've started setting up boards on Pinterest.  One thing I do know, is that it is great way for me to organize my photos, let brides see past work, and help current brides understand visually what I am saying when I get excited about using this and that type of flower...

http://pinterest.com/bridalbdesign/

Newark Club, Newark NJ

This wedding was Dec. 29th...and after the big wedding the weekend before, then Christmas....then prepping for this wedding....ahhhhh....that's how I felt when this was over.  It was a very busy two weeks!  The color scheme was red, purple, and platinum.  Everything went smoothly...except I forgot to ribbon one of the bridemaid's bouquets...opps...so back I drove to the hotel.  I always bring the ribbon with me...just in case ;)

Bridal Bouquet: Picassa Calla's, Purple Sweet Peas, White and Purple anemone, and fiddlehead fern.

Bridesmaids Bouquets:  White Roses and Brunia

Boutonnieres:  Callas and brunia, and roses with brunia

Centerpieces of purple sweet peas, brunia, purple anemones and black magic roses

And the bride wanted centerpieces that were affordable, but would take up volume in the room.  So we went with babies breath, which mimicked the snow falling outside, dressed up with brunia and sweet peas...I didn't get the best pictures here...lighting is off...need to take class to learn to use camera!

Sheraton, Parsippany NJ

A perfectly winter white wedding...and the bride stuck to her guns in every aspect of the design for reception....she had a vision.  

And when it all came together it really was a vision.  While I've done other 30+ table events, this was the most demanding in what needed to be done on site.  I knew this going in, so I hired the staff I needed, rented the vans..yes that's plural..vans, and went over the day time after time in my head and on paper to make sure nothing was overlooked.    26 boxes of flowers to unpack...17 of just hydrangea, which are individually wrapped (over 300 stems)...it took me 4 hrs!  Thank goodness I recently bought this insane stem chopping device, it would literally take your hand off..it's like an old school paper cutter on steroids.

You'll see all the flowers were white..white orchids, white roses, white stephanotis, white hydrangea, and white anemone....with the dark purple center ;)

On site 18, 6 ft trees had branches to be arranged, flowers to attach to them, and votives to hang from them.  One member of my staff had experience making these from a wedding in August so I left him to direct.   I left my staff to this while I worked on the Chuppah.....

 An elaborately decorated Chuppah, which after much discussion with the bride I was able to convince her that the branch idea with the hydrangea would fit in perfectly with the rest of the designs...(the original plan was to cover the Chuppah with white fabric, but then there was the issue of having the fabric match what the drapers...(not Don and family...ha!  Sorry about that) were using to drape the whole back wall of the reception room.    I've used my Chuppah 4 times so far and this was the most weight...and the flowers across the front were seriously heavy...it's held...and I think the best it's looked.  I am waiting on the professionals pics, I just couldn't get the lighting right.  The bride expressed how important this was to her because it represents family and the life her and her husband will begin together, so that was my baby...it took over 2hrs to get it to look like this.  

The floral swag was then removed and used on the head table.

The only disappointment of the day was the anemone boutonnieres.  I've done them before with no problem...and they looked beautiful for a few hours, but then wilted...boo.  As always though,  I had the just in case flowers...and between working on the Chuppah and having one of my staff help we remade 12 boutonnieres!  

With 12 bridesmaids the bride had plenty of eyes checking up on us to make sure everything was staying on track and looking perfect.   I was so happy when, even without them being on their stands the bride was almost in tears when she saw her white hydrangea centerpieces, and she was happy with how they had turned out.   She was a tough cookie and if she was unhappy she would have let me know, no doubt!  

 I purchased the stands just for this event...and it was a major investment.  When I ordered them I thought they were nice...when they arrived...(1 month late due to Sandy) I was over the moon happy with the quality and durability of them.  So if you are looking for silver stands for your centerpieces look no further!  

Thanks to all my staff who worked before hand and on site to bring all of this together!