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Heather contacted me just last week about flowers for her wedding. She told me she loves tulips and that her wedding colours were ivory, deep green and grey.

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For her bouquet I used white tulips with a mix of ivory candy scented roses and created a mock-cascade with trailing asparagus plumosa foliage.

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Using white tulips, she asked me to create something simplistic for her centrepieces. I decided to create asymmetrical arrangements by layering tulips, which created a little more movement and flow in the centrepieces.

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As a little thank-you, I found a large rectangle vase in my studio, and with some remaining white tulips and foliage, I made a larger scale version of the centrepieces.

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I usually always try to do a little something extra for weddings when I can. After all, it’s a celebration that happens once in a lifetime. Why not do what you can to make this day extra special for the bride and groom?

May Flowers – Heather and Luke

Marsala

Marsala wedding decor

Marsala is a famous wine and gets its name from the city where it originates on the island of Sicily in Italy. It is believed to have been around since the time of the Romans and has been exported from that region for hundreds of years. The Rubino Marsala in particular has such a warm and romantic burgundy pink color, no wonder Pantone decided to name it their colour of the year for 2015!

Originally sparked by Pantone, I have certainly been inspired by this rich colour pallet and history. This was my decor theme for my booth at the Dazzle Me wedding show on March 29th, what a great colour for wedding decor!

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This Italian inspired floral arrangement has been created in a detailed gold vintage container and would be perfect as a wedding decor accent on your welcome table, gift table, or sweetheart table.

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Following a vintage theme, I re-purposed a second hand vintage inspired teacup set to create cute yet romantic wedding table centrepieces.

Marsala flower arrangement

A copper pitcher full of flowers is accented with ‘Crimson’ curly willow branches to add height, interest, and a slightly whimsical and natural feel.

Marsala wedding bouquet

Loosely hand tied with trailing ribbons of various colours, this large wedding bouquet will certainly make an impact!

Marsala wedding bouquet 2

This wedding bouquet uses more pink hues from the marsala pallet and includes cymbidium orchids, spray roses, chrysanthemums, and hydrangea.

Burgundy ranunculus vase boutonniere

A boutonniere arranged in a miniature pin-on vase featuring burgundy ranunculus, twine and foliage.

Finding Your Passion

Dustin Hall Photography-1

 

The excitement, fulfilment, inspiration, motivation and joy from knowing that I am working toward my dreams, even if that’s conquering only one small goal at a time, is completely incomparable to any other work experiences I have ever had. I recently stumbled upon an article titled ’20 Signs You’ve Found Your Passion’. All of the points that were brought up completely describe my relationship with my business. Here are some highlights:

Productive Procrastination 

To be honest, I always place a lot of time and effort on answering emails. My goal is to find a way to communicate ideas in the best possible way, so that there can be no mix-ups or miscommunication. I also strive to incorporate a warm and friendly feeling into each message I send, the kind of warmth I would show if talking to my clients in person. When spending long days at my desktop, I will sometimes take breaks by grabbing my favourite pen and brainstorming new or innovative ideas for my next upcoming projects… Which leads me to the next point:

I Gladly Spend Nearly All of my Free Time on my Business

I don’t mind dedicating my weekends to my work or spending my entire evening on my business either! It’s just simply what I love to do, and there are no TV shows or personal Facebook feeds that could compare to the immense joy I get from doing what I love to do – being a wedding florist.

Constant Inspiration and Drive to Better my Business

I often find that new ideas come to me during sometimes rather inconvenient times. In the shower, in the middle of the night, while I am out for a walk,  I just don’t stop thinking about my business. Whether that’s coming up with a new marketing plan or a new way to physically create my products, my creative wedding flower wheels do not stop turning!

Have you also found your passion? I would love to hear about your stories! How did you find your passion? What is it that makes what you do so fulfilling? Leave your comments below.

Bridesmaid bouquet 2

I just received some gorgeous photos by Brady McCloskey Photography from a wedding I had the pleasure of creating the wedding flower bouquets! If you’re planning a wedding visit my Contact Page to book your free consultation. Read all about this Victorian inspired wedding here on my blog and be sure to check out Brady’s website to book your wedding, engagement or family photo session.

Time to start pinning up a storm!

Wedding bouquet 1 Gypsophila hair accent Bridesmaid bouquet 1

Wedding bouquets 2 Weddding bouquets 1 Grooms Boutonniere

Wedding bouquet 2 Wedding bouquet 3 Wedding bouquets 4

Vintage Garden Inspired Wedding Bouquets

A June Wedding: Jenny and Alistair

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In my initial consultation with Jenny she chose classic, traditional and antique to best describe her wedding style. Soft pinks and Ivory were her two main wedding colours complemented by navy blue bridesmaids dresses and decor accents.

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Together we decided on flowers that really spoke to her classic style. Photographed by Brady McCloskey Photography, Hydrangea, Vendela Roses and both pale pink and blush pink Spray Roses set the mood for this couples day. Variegated New Zealand Pittosporum and lace accented her hand-tied bouquets by emphasizing an antique look, while Gunni Eucalyptus worked to integrate that feeling of navy blue into the floral bouquets.

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Vintage teacups were placed at each table setting to add an extra antique touch to the reception space, along with a vintage teacup that her Grandmother had given her to use as a cake top.

The table centrepieces consisted of a string of pearls with miniature, loosely hand-tied bouquets of Hydrangea and Spray Roses, arranged in low vases with pearlized glass rocks.

Check out Brady’s photos of this wedding on Facebook!

A Victorian Themed Fall Wedding: Martine + Nathan

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This past weekend I had the pleasure of creating the wedding flower arrangements for Martine and Nathan’s wedding. Martine’s main wedding colours were a mix of purple tones, accented with cream, pearls, and lace.

I selected flowers based on both the theme and budget. Immediately when I think of a Victorian themed wedding I think of ‘Vendella’ Ivory Roses, Gypsophila, and an elegant variegated greenery (I chose variegated New Zealand Pittosporum). To achieve the hand-tied garden style she desired, I used purple Lisianthus, and to keep us on budget, I chose lavender Stock and three different purple hues of ‘Moon Series’ Carnations. She had also requested that I incorporate some kind of berry, so I went with seeded Eucalyptus. These ‘seeds’ are smaller and more elegant looking than other types of berries, plus the dusted blue tone of the leaves helped to perfectly blend the Victorian and fall themes together.

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Once my flowers arrive, the process begins! First, I cut each stem and start conditioning my flowers so that they’re ready for designing. While I wait for the flowers to condition, I start to make handmade name tags for the bouquets and boutonnieres. For these, I begin with textured brown paper, which I hand ripped into small rectangles. I then choose card stock that is in her bridesmaids dress colour, Victorian Lilac. To dress them up, I incorporate the look of the detailing from her wedding dress by attaching small, silver encased pearls to each tag.

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Once the flowers have finished conditioning, I finally get to start making the bride and bridesmaids bouquets, my favourite part! Next I start preparing for the corsages and boutonnieres. First I choose a corsage ribbon that will match the wedding, in this case cream, and create all of the corsage bows. Then I lay out all of the materials for the first 6 corsages.

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Next I make the Grooms boutonniere. Martine asked me to incorporate some of the left over material from alterations to her bridesmaid dresses. I gauged that there was enough left over to wrap the stems of all of the boutonnieres. This allowed the groomsmen boutonnieres to match perfectly with the bridesmaid dresses. And here you go!

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Now you can view more photos here!!

A Study of Late Summer Flowers in PEI

Study #1 – Late Summer Flowers and Foliage 

The summer may be drawing to a close, but there is still so much in bloom all around the house. I had to go out side and collect some of the last summer blooms before the fall is in full swing.


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Study #2 – Early Fall Flowers and Foliage

Most of these wild flowers, rose hips and berries were hiding in the hedge rows between the fields around the house. I have a good feeling about the arrival of fall this year, don’t you? It’s so pretty here in Brackley Beach!

A Quick Study of Late Summer and Early Fall Flowers in PEI

Get the Scoop on True Blue Flowers

Blue foliageIf you’re planning to have blue flowers for your wedding, this list will come in handy!

True blue is actually a very rare colour for flowers. Due to the process of pollination, flowers simply naturally select red and yellow pigments over blue, because those colours attract more insects and birds. In more than 280,000 flowering plant species around the world, less than 10% produce blue flowers. In floral design, purple is usually used as a substitute for blue. But, there are a few varieties that we florists are able to get our hands on! Below is a list that I have compiled of different blue flora, however short it may be!

Blue spring bulb flowers are common flowers that florists use and include:
Muscari – rather small in size, these flowers are also called grape hyacinth.
Hyacinth – these flowers are also known for their wonderful scent.
Iris – probably the most popular blue bulb flower and also come in shades of purple and white.

Very common blue mass flowers:
Agapanthus – native to South Africa, these bulb flowers are available most of the year.
Hydrangea – a popular wedding flower, available in light blue as well as white, green and other colours.

Other common blue flowers that florists will carry:
Delphinium – this is a very blue line flower, meaning that it’s blooms grow vertically up the stem.
Blue Eryngium – this flower looks more like a greenery and is available most of the year.

Less common blue flowers that florists may carry:
Bachelor’s Buttons – found north of the equator and is available in late summer.
Echinops – can be cultivated in Canada for the late summer.
Blue Strelitzia Reginae – or Blue Birds of Paradise, are white and blue tropical flowers. These flowers are extremely rare.
Blue Viburnum Berries – sometimes available in late summer or early fall.

Blue Foliage:
True blue foliage is extremely rare, probably even more so than blue flowers. Below I have compiled a short list of foliage that has cool tones, although none of these are true blue. But these greeneries will often give you the feeling of blue, especially when mixed with brightly coloured  flowers like yellows, oranges and hot pinks.

Succulents – these plants are actually considered a flower, but for our purposes I have placed them with foliage. They come in many varieties including ‘hen and chicks’.
Eucalyptus – available all year round and come in many different varieties including: Sprial, Seeded, Silver Dollar, Gunni and Parvifolia.
Dusty Miller – more silver than blue, this velvety foliage is also available year round.
Lambs Ear – quite velvety, similar to Dusty Miller.

 

Part 2: Green, Eco-Friendly Wedding Bouquets

 

Eco-Friendly Weddings Detail

A Bridal Bouquet is the most important arrangement in a bridal flower order. It is a direct expression of You, so it should be everything you’ve dreamed!

Yesterday’s post was about ways to make the flowers for your wedding a little greener, as well as ways to make your centrepieces a little more eco-friendly. Today’s post is focusing on: Your Bouquet!

Hand-tied vs. Wired Wedding Bouquets
Wired wedding bouquets use A LOT of tapes and wire, as well as hard plastic and foam bouquet holders (not biodegradable!). Hand-tied bouquets use no wire and a minimal amount of tape (if any). Instead, their stems are tied and wrapped by hand, with ribbon (or fabric, etc.)  

Cascading Wedding Bouquets
Some styles of cascading wedding bouquets are still possible without all the wire, tapes and bouquet holders. Ask your florist about floral varieties that easily drape, namely Phalaenopsis Orchids, Dendrobium Orchids, Lisianthus/Eustoma, Bupleurum, Amaranthus, Asparagus Plumosa, and Variegated Lily Grass. Using flowers that are already cascading in nature allows your florist to create a hand-tied, cascading bouquet, more easily. Be open to your florist’s suggestions because they know best!

Green Accents for Your Wedding
Replace plastic based ribbons with cotton based materials or natural fibres like twine or burlap. Or again, think re-purpose! I have a bride next month who asked me to incorporate leftover fabric into her wedding order, which was from tailoring her bridesmaids dresses. Just be creative! And have fun doing it! 

*Above photo:
Check yesterday’s post for the ingredients for the above photo.

Green, Eco-Friendly Wedding Flowers

Eco-Friendly Wedding Centerpieces 2The great thing about a green wedding, is not only are you showing Mother Nature a little extra love on your wedding day, it’s also a little easier on your pocket!

Local Materials
Request your florist to check in your area to see if there are any local greenhouses growing commercial grade flowers. Be open to what’s available in colours and varieties. Local = less world wide shipping + supports your local economy. Win, win!

On-Site Materials
Ask your florist if they are open to designing the floral arrangements for your wedding using some of the naturally occurring flora in your area. Certain times of the year may be better than others to find quality outdoor flowers and other materials. Trust your florist’s advice, eye for design, and years of experience. Also, sometimes quantity can not always be guaranteed: weather happens! So, work with your florist in advance to come up with Plan B.

Eco-Friendly Wedding Centrepieces
Think re-purpose! Even recycled containers can be easily concealed or up-cycled to suit many different wedding themes. Simply paint them or completely cover them with leaves. Potted plants can also make great table centrepieces. Go super green by using trios of ‘Veggie Patch’ or ‘Herb Garden’ plants that your guests can take home with them. Have your florist arrange them for you to add that extra visual appeal! ; )

*Ingredients for above photo:
Queen Anne’s Lace, Solidago, Clover, Cerastium, and other field flowers in the area.