Searching around the internet today, I found this cute beach themed wedding done by L.A. Botanicals in May 2008. What is especially surprising and original is I don’t see the beach anywhere in sight. In fact, the area itself almost lends itself to more of a garden theme, but the decor was done in such a great beach themed way. I absolutely love the starfish hanging from the greenery altar. Here are our 2 favorite pics, to see more, you can visit L.A. Botanicals blog:
Holly & Dave
Ceremony: Seagrove Park, Del Mar, CA
Reception: L’Auberge, Del Mar
Holly and Dave wanted a ceremony on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Despite their ceremony day getting completely fogged in, the harpist having to cut out early lest her harp strings get ruined, and a brother who passed out (caught by the ever-aware photographer’s assistant), the ceremony turned out beautifully. As they say, something unexpected will always occur, it’s how you handle it that matters most. The couple and the guests handled everything in stride and now have a funny little story to tell their kids someday. As you can see, weather and fainting aside, the photos turned out amazing.
They chose to have their dinner reception on the patio at Del Mar’s L’Auberge Resort. The dinner reception was designed with gorgeous flower arrangements by Suzan M. Florals, silver table linens with fuschia table runners and pretty ‘diamond’ bling. The Bride made her own table numbers by printing numbers onto vellum paper and wrapping them around cylindrical vases that were lit with a candle. The Bride also created cute escort cards using small frames and inserting a card with the guest’s name and table number.
For their reception the couple wanted to kick it up a notch both in color and energy and so a plan was created to provide them with a Miami-vibe club lounge. The party reception was held in a banquet room and designed as a space where their guests could really kick off their shoes and dance as well as relax on the swanky Miami-vibe club lounge furniture.
LifEvents by Shauna Henry (by the way, that was us in our coordinating hey day) instituted the services of Concepts Event Design and together we devised a floor plan with lounge furniture, draped walls, a padded white lit bar and fuschia pink uplighting all around the room. The room also had a great patio where guests could go to cool off from all that dancing and we didn’t want them to feel like they had left the Miami club, so we put these great lit-up wall cubes around the perimeter of the patio.
After their grand entrance to the party reception with the guests blowing bubbles onto them, the couple and the guests enjoyed a night of dancing and drinking the signature cocktail, Mojitos (of course) with color changing ice cubes. It was the best party in the house that night for sure!
Wedding Planners: LifEvents by Shauna Henry
Floral Designer: Suzan M. Florals
Photographer: Tim Otto Photography
Disc Jockey: Avant Garde DJ Entertainment
Rentals: Concepts Event Design
Hello spring ! Everywhere you look there are flowers sprouting up outside and in magazines. Now is the time to collect and clip all those beautiful flowers that are popping up everywhere! What better and fun way to recycle your magazines than clipping some colorful flowers to use in a project?
This project is addictive. I sat watching TV one night going through all my magazine stacks, clipping away, and then folding my small squares into paper flowers, I ended up with a pile of flowers in my lap, in all different colors!
Fun and so happy to have made use of all my magazines for a second time!
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED
HERE’S WHERE TO GET IT
Flower & garden, and home magazines. Your garden, nursery or craft store that has a floral section, for branches.
HERE’S HOW TO MAKE IT
Tip: Making bigger and smaller square templates will give you different sizes of flowers. This looks great if you want to make a bouquet of flowers, glued onto branches and put into a vase. You can also glue the small single flowers onto the branches to mix it up.
By: YLE Crafty Chic- Sharon Tittle
Reversed/Inside Out Tulips
Yes, that’s right, an inside out tulip!
Just by taking the petals of a tulip and inverting them, you get a totally new look for a tulip bouquet. Your friends will wonder what kind of flower it is and when you tell them a tulip, they will have a hard time believing you.
Carefully take one petal at a time and gently turn it inside out, going all the way around the tulip. Mix it up, turn some of the petals and leave some as regular tulips. What a conversation starter, what a great hostess gift !
YLE has gathered together some of the top yellow flowers used for weddings and included their availability so you can better plan for your own wedding.
1. Chrysanthemum: Available year-round. Colors-White, Purple, Yellow, Bronze and Dyed. Characteristics-Single composite flower 3-8″ across with abundant tubular petals on an 18-36″ stem. Lasting quality-7-14 days. Meaning-Hope; Cheerfulness; Rest; Optimism; Truth; Birth flower for November; Yellow: secret admirer; slighted love.
2. Dahlia: Available June through October. Colors-White, Lavender, Purple, Pink, Magenta, Red, Burgundy, Peach, Orange, Yellow, Bicolor. Characteristics-Flower shape and size depend on variety. Composite blooms are 4-6″ across, but some can reach 10-12″ across. Stems are 12-36″ long. Some have daisy-like centers. Lasting Quality-7-10 days. Meaning-Treachury; Elegance and dignity; Instability; good taste; forever thine; associated with 14th wedding anniversary.
3. Freesia: Available year-round. Colors-White, Lavender, Purple, Pink, Magenta, Red, Orange, Yellow, Bicolor. Characteristics-Thin stems bear one-sided spikes of 4-8 flowers. Fragrant, tubular flowers are about 1 1/2″ long and are available in single or double blooms. Stems are 9-18″ long. Lasting Quality-7-10 days. Meaning-Innoncence; spirited; careful and calm love; thoughtfulness.
4. Gerbera: Available year-round. Colors-White, Pink, Magenta, Red, Burgundy, Peach, Orange, Yellow, Bicolor. Characteristics-Flat-faced, daisy-like flowers are 205″ across on hollow leafless stems 12-24″ long. Flowers may be single or double with light or dark centers. Lasting quality-5-7 days. Meaning-Pretty and strong; enduring purity.
5. Miniature Calla Lily: Available year-round. Colors-White, Pink, Yellow, Green, Lavender, PUrple, Red, Peach, Orange, Bicolor, Dyed. Characteristics- Flowers are borne on a spadix at the end of the stem. Colored spathes are 2″ long and 10–14″ straight stems. Lasting Quality-4-8 days. Meaning-Magnificent beauty; regal; associated with 6th wedding anniversary.
6. Orchid: There are a few different types of orchids that come in the yellow color (cymbidium, novelty and spray). We are going to write about the cymbidium orchid. Availability is year-round. Colors-White, Lavender, Pink, Red, Yellow, Green. Characteristics-Ten to twelve flowers, 3-4″ across, grow clustered along stems 12-28″ in length. Lasting Quality-7-10 days. Meaning-Love; refinement; symbol for many children; ecstasy; promotes strength; rare beauty.
7. Ranunculus: Available December through May. Colors-White, purple, pink, magenta, red, burgundy, peach, orange, yellow. Characteristics-Bowl-shaped 1-4″ flowers with mny papery petals atop 10-15″ hollow stems. Flower forms may be single or double. Lasting quality-3-7 days. Meaning- You are rich in attractions; radiant charm.
8. Rose: Available year-round. Colors-White, Lavender, Purple, Pink, Magenta, Red, Burgundy, Peach, Orange, Yellow, Green, Bicolor, Dyed. Characteristics-Single 1 1/2-2″ bud opens to a 3-5″ flower on a 15-36″ stem. Lasting quality-5-7 days. Meaning-Spirit flower; beauty; love; passion; perfection; birth flower for June; National Flower of the United States; Associated with 15th wedding anniversary; Thornless: love at first sight.
9. Sunflower: Available year round. Colors-Yellow, Brown, Bicolor and Dyed. Characteristics – Single, long-petaled daisy-like flowers are 3-8″ across on 20-40″ stems. Single, double and teddy bear varieties are available. Lasting Quality-7-10 days. Meaning-Haughtiness; Power; Adoration;Devotion; You are splendid; Homage.
10. Tulip: Available Part of October and November through May. Colors-White, Lavender, Purple, Pink, Magenta, Red, Peach, Orange, Yellow, Green, Bicolor. Characteristics-Flowers are 2-4″ atop 12-24″ stems. Lasting quality-3-7 days. Meaning-perfect lover; fame; yellow-hopeless love; perfect love; there’s sunshine in y our smile; variegated: beautiful eyes; enchantment.
On his wedding day a Groom will likely be wearing a boutonniere. This small grouping of flowers has often been a single rose to match the Bride’s bouquet with simple greenery, however, we are finding more and more (to our liking) that the Groom’s boutonniere is becoming more unique and creative in it’s design. Florists are still taking their queues from the Bride’s bouquet, but they’re adding wonderful new spins on the basic boutonniere by adding things like feathers, wire, raffia, succulents and more. When choosing your flowers for your bouquet, this may be a good chance to include your Groom in some of the design and planning. Ask your Groom if he would like to have input when creating a unique boutonniere for himself.
The boutonniere is worn on his left lapel closest to his heart (of course). The groomsmen also wear boutonniers, although they are often a tad bit different or more simplistic or perhaps opposite colors of the Groom. Additionally, special people like fathers and grandfathers often wear boutonnieres as well.
Take a closer look at some of these boutonniers pictured to get your own creative juices flowing.
Nowadays, you can obtain just about any flower you want for your wedding if you have a big enough pocket book. Tulips in June or July? Sure, if you fly them in from Holland. But, to save money, you’ll want to choose flowers that are in season. Here’s a quick list of 3 of the top wedding flowers and their availability:
Tulips: Jan., Feb., March, April, May; Oct.-part of the month; Nov., and Dec.
Orchids: Year Round (yay!)
Peonies: These beauties are very popular, but sadly they are only available a few months out of the year – March, April, May and June
Pink flowers for your wedding.
Are you having a pink wedding? Do you need some ideas for pink flowers? We’re here to help. I’ve listed below a slew of flowers that come in the color pink. Do a Google image search for any we haven’t posted. Want to know the best month’s available for a certain flower, their lasting quality, any special care, alternative names, or even the meaning of the flower? Post a comment and we’ll answer your question.
Flower handling care:
Maintenance:
I’m not usually a proponent of silk flowers, but there are a few that work. And, let’s face it, as with all technology, fake flowers are getting better and better. Two types that we don’t mind incorporating are Orchids and Hydrangeas. In the do-it-yourself centerpiece below, we used fall colored silk hydrangeas.
What you need:
What you’ll do:
This is quite possibly one of the easiest centerpieces we’ve done and I love them so much I keep them in my dining room which has deep brown and mustard yellow colors so it matches perfectly.
As an interior designer and lover of all things fashion, decor and design, color holds a special place in my heart. At school, I took extra classes in color theory loving the ‘science’ behind color as much as the pure design esthetic. I am often asked how one can choose the right colors for their home, wedding or clothes. My answer to those who are ‘color challenged’ is a simple one – look to nature. Nature doesn’t make mistakes, the colors you see nature put together, not just pretty green and brown, naturally go together and can be used to create a lovely environment. Thinking of a color scheme like purple and yellow? You may think that it’s a bit of a funky color scheme until you imagine an Iris with its beautiful purple petals and a hint of yellow. On the technical side, violet and yellow are actually complimentary colors. In areas where the technical side of color matters – think haircolor, this is a very important aspect. If your hairdresser colors your hair and the effect is too “brassy” (aka yellow), they will use a violet toner to cut the brassiness. In design, the colors complement each other on the opposite ends of the color spectrum. The key is the way the color is used. Let’s use this color combination as an example of how to use a funky but natural color scheme into a beautiful inspiration board for a wedding.
Our starting point? The Iris:
Purple/Yellow Iris
The Inspiration Board to a wedding using the colors Purple & Yellow:
Purple & Yellow Inspiration Board Using the Lily as Inspiration
Fall Favors: For favors, you could buy canvas, drawstring bags and fill them with home-made cookies, dried fruit, or spiced candles. Place the favors in pretty baskets with home-made signs thanking your guests and inviting them to take a bag on their way out. If you opt for something like home-made cookies (edible favors are a favorite among guests), you can talk to your caterer about setting up small cartons of milk in buckets of ice for your guests to take home for a midnight snack.
We love finding new fab products for our brides, but we love it even more when they find us! Check out FlowerDIYvas Floral Design to help you decide if you should be DIY’ing your own florals for your wedding and if so, how to do it right!
FlowerDIYvas is the newest tool for wedding industry professionals to use when working with DIY brides and their team. We created FlowerDIYvas to help brides who are considering doing their own flowers for their wedding – or having a non-professional friend or family member do it for them. With our instructional video and in-person workshops (available in Southern California), your client will know the reality of the tasks involved with DIY flowers well before the wedding day. This will help them (and you!) have a successful DIY flower experience, or to know in advance if they should hire a pro.
FlowerDIYvas is designed to give cost-cutting brides a clear expectation of the work and time involved – which is the trade off to saving money on their flowers. Is it worth it? Now brides will know before its too late!
Sincerely,
Christine Saunders and Dawn Hansen
FlowerDIYvas
Wedding Flowers – DIY or Hire a Pro?
Help your brides to make an informed decision!
DIY brides and tighter budget weddings were not invented with the current downturn in the economy. It is a hot topic in the media this year because brides are challenged to stretch their shrinking wedding budgets even further. As wedding vendors, we all feel the squeeze!
What’s a budget bride to do? As we all know, brides and their families are rolling up their sleeves and doing more themselves to save money. Flowers are often on that DIY list and some brides jump right in, or have a non-pro friend or family member (their “team”) volunteer to design the flowers for them. That’s great in theory and “DIY’ing” certain projects absolutely makes sense for some – but the reality is that with the inefficiency of trial and error of practice projects gone bad, money spent on one-time-use tools and supplies, hours spent researching and doing the work, and headaches suffered from not getting professional quality results, DIY projects can be disastrous at worst, a lesson learned at best.
With the flowers, by the time a bride and their team figures out they took on too much – like midnight before the wedding when there’s still 10 centerpieces to make, an hour before the ceremony and the bouquets are wilting, or when Aunt Judy is still setting up the reception and is going to miss her dearest niece walk down the aisle – its too late! And who is going to be left to pick up the pieces? Often the venue staff or coordinator is put in the position to pitch in to get the job done for the bride – which takes away from their focus to do their own jobs well.
This is where FlowerDIYvas: Sarah’s Wedding comes in – We show brides and their team how to plan, purchase, process, design and setup flowers for their own wedding – from start to finish. We even include a link to an online workbook that brides can use to plan their recipes, purchases, timing, and schedule for the wedding week. This way, brides have a full picture of what its really going to take to do their own wedding flowers and can decide IN ADVANCE if it’s a project they want to tackle or if they should spend the money to hire a pro.
Kathy Wright & Co. - Ambiance
This week, we give a warm vendor shout out to Kathy Wright & Co. KW&Co. provide amazing floral design for weddings & events. Kathy and her team of creative minds work together to bring the most unique and innovative ideas to their clients.
San Diego Family Hotels 
