Monday, September 23, 2013

Chapel Designers

So a few weeks ago, I participated in a workshop with Holly Chapple of Holly Heider Chapple Flowers.  It was an all day workshop that included business and design tips, a tour of her LOVELY gardens, time for designing several pieces, and ending with a tour of Don's Dahlias, located right down the road.  I don't think I've had a more heavenly day in a long, long time.  To top it off, I'm so proud to say that I'm now a Chapel Designer!  First, some pictures of Holly's beautiful gardens!
    

My creations....
  


The newest Chapel Designers at work...


And finally, Don's STUNNING dahlias...I cannot tell you what an experience it is to walk through rows of dahlia plants that were taller than me, some with blooms as big as my face....truly a magical day!  I also made some new friends, Amy (of Crimson and Clover) and Lauren (of Garden Gate Florals), who are also new proud members of the Chapel Designers.  Enjoy these pictures!
   

  


All photos by Holly Chapple and myself

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Natalie's Wedding at Stone Manor

I have been DYING to share these photos with you all....My gorgeous bride Natalie was so fun to work with.  When telling me what she wanted for her bouquet, we went back and forth several times about flowers and the end was a result was actually a compilation of three different designs!  I remember her saying that she just wanted her bouquet to be the best.  Well, ask and you shall receive, because this bouquet was a stunner!  The superstars of this entire design are the saucer-sized cafe au lait dahlias, which were grown locally at Don's Dahlia farm.

Natalie's bouquet was made of cafe au lait dahlias, Apache coral roses, Quicksand roses, a smaller cream colored dahlia, light pink garden roses, pink and peach spray roses, seeded eucalyptus, and white dendrobium orchids.  She even had one of those lovely dahlias in her hair (as only she could pull off!) as well as a few orchids and spray roses.  The maid's bouquets were made of cafe au lait dahlias, Quicksand roses, a smaller cream colored dahlia, white and pink spray roses, seeded eucalyptus, and cream stock.  The boutonnieres were either peach spray roses accented with eucalyptus leaves or a Quicksand rose accented with Dusty Miller.  The Groom's Boutonniere was a dahlia, accented with white freesia and a dusty miller leaf.
                               

 

                                            
Another gorgeous detail of this wedding was the hand-made arch made for the couple by Doug's father.  After the wedding, he was going to add an Adirondack swing to it and place it in their backyard while the happy couple was honeymooning!  So sweet!  I covered their arch with curly willow branches, white limonium, pink heather, cream stock, Quicksand roses, and white dendrobium orchids.  It was accented with white satin streamers on either side of the arch and white and coral petals to accent the aisle.
                                             
Thank you so much to Liz at Liz Hough Photography for her brilliant photos!  She took all but the first two photos!