Saturday, February 13, 2010

Sunflower Centerpiece / Coloma and Placerville Wedding Flowers Florist


Here's a great option for a low centerpiece: a beautiful single bloom on zen rocks (or could be on flirty transparent glass gems). This is a great value and can be used with any large blooms - think gerber daisies, fuji mums, football mums, garden roses, etc. Cut your reception costs by alternating high and low wedding centerpieces - and it gives the eye visual relief and provides interest. See my website for this affordable centerpiece!

Sunflower Bouquet in Foam Holder vs. Hand Tied / Placerville and Coloma Wedding Flowers Florist


This is for Aimee, but really, it's for all brides trying to decide between a bridal bouquet in a foam holder vs. a hand-tied bouquet. The pro photo on the left shows the control a wedding floral designer has in the placement of the blooms in a foam holder; it allows for a more rounded, full bouquet. The handle of the foam holder is disguised in ribbon, or with cut stems to mimic a hand tied, or there are new holders that are transparent and very pretty, or gold or silver toned. The bouquet on the right is hand tied. It is very pretty, but it is a different effect than the foam holder bouquet. The foam holder also has the advantage of keeping the flowers constantly drinking...even during a marathon photo session, which can leave hand tied bouquets wilting if not kept in water frequently. Just remember, FOAM is not a four-letter word :)! Aimee, the bouquet on the left is what your quote is based on; let me know if you'd prefer the hand tied mono floral sunflower bouquet on the right.

Simple Sunflower Bouquets / Placerville and Coloma Wedding Flowers Florist


Aimee, here are simple sunflower hand tied bouquets that you might like to put together for DIY wedding flowers, or something that I can do for you at an affordable price. When you DIY wedding flowers, it is always best to do something simple. This is lovely and in season for October. Bridal bouquet on left; bridesmaid bouquet on right.

Autumn Wedding Sunflower Centerpiece / Coloma and Placerville Wedding Flowers Florist


Hi Aimee! Here's an approximation of your "tall" autumn sunflower centerpiece for your October wedding. It consists of sunflowers, safari sunset ( a dark red foliage), hypericum, seeded eucalyptus, and the monte casino you asked for. I think it will look great on your tables alternating with the low square black rock-filled glass vases with a single sunflower on the other tables. Obviously, I'm a graphics newbie, so the real thing WILL look more graceful :)

Friday, February 12, 2010

Wedding Flower Design Tool for Brides and Floral Designers / Sacramento and Lake Tahoe and Placerville Wedding Flowers Florist


Featured: We've been featured on the Designed by the Bride Blog! A cool little online virtual tool for brides and and wedding flower designers. I worked backwards - using bride Melissa's cake, to see how the program would work. At their blog, you'll also see Keri's modern cymbidium bouquet (my signature look)with a European design flair! Of course, if you are planning your wedding, you choose the vase you want, then put in the stems, then the flowers, virtually. You can make your own cake online, as I'm showing you, but also centerpieces and bouquets. Check us out (February 10, 2010 entry) at: www.designedbythebride.blogspot.com

And visit MY website at : http://www.aspecialdaydesigns.com/

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Monday, February 8, 2010

Valentine's Day Not Budget for Brides / Sacramento and Lake Tahoe Wedding Flowers Florist


See these lovely Renoir callas? I was just at my flower vendors on Friday, to see what was new and fresh for February (more on that in a minute!). As you know, prices on anything goes up when there is a high demand for them. That includes perishable flowers around any holiday, but especially Valentine's Day (you may not think about it...but don't get married around Mother's Day if you don't want to pay high prices, either!). Prices are up, up, up for this major floral holiday. Farms charge more to the wholesalers, the wholesale vendors charge more to the florists, and the florists must mark up their product as well. It's not that the florists are out to make a bigger buck on you...their costs skyrocket and that gets passed to you.

Where was I? Oh yes, the lovely callas. I saw a similar color at my vendor's on Friday...and keep in mind, that these are small posey callas...they come in a bunch of ten stems, which isn't barely a handful...and these callas, for TEN of them, would retail at...gasp...$78 right now! So when you are choosing the date, keep in mind that the two weeks prior to a major flower holiday, the prices are rising. After the holiday, quality would be a concern to me. If you can avoid those times, so much better for your budget!

Oh! But there are some lovely options this time of year. At the end of January, the flowering branches started coming in. Forsythia, at 5 to 6 feet tall; flowering plum; flowering quince with coral blooms.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

cathyswraps

I LOVE cathyswraps pretty vases! They come in different colors and prints, and they're very reasonably priced. Best of all, a bride can re-use her aisle decor by taking the pretty vases into the reception - great on cocktail tables, the cake table, the buffet table, the sign in table, or as thank yous to helpers. I'm a wedding florist and I use these as they are affordable but look like they cost a lot more! They use a lot fewer flowers than flower spheres or orbs but have a great look. Very hip and modern. This photo taken by me at the Plump Jack Inn in Squaw Valley (Lake Tahoe) California.