Monday, June 22, 2015

Burgundy Wedding Inspiration

With Pantone's color of the year being Marsala, I thought we should talk about the color burgundy. We can debate about the different shades of dark red, but in my opinion, Marsala is a less vivid version of burgundy.  Take a look at how burgundy is used in the bouquets below!

In the bouquet below, the burgundy gerber daisies are paired with a purple orchid.  I love how they compliment each other and the pop of yellow creates great contrast!
Tami Melissa Photography + A Garden Party

Here the burgundy in the agonis leaves are paired with a lighter pink and peach combination.
A Garden Party +Jeff Anderson Photography

In this bouquet, the burgundy agonis leaves are paired with a hot pink rose.  I love the lighter pink shade that acts as the accent color!
Alicia Jayne Florals + Birds of a Feather Photography

Again in this bouquet, burgundy and light pink make a beautiful contrast for this bouquet.  The burgundy ribbon is a gorgeous addition that brings extra visual interest to the entire look!
Anna Delores Photography + Knot Just flowers

I love this bouquet!  Not only does the burgundy act as a connecting color between the purple and hot pink flowers, but I love the many different shapes used here to create texture.
Decoration Inc + Pepper Nix Photography

These sweet little posies use burgundy as the main color, with accents of orange and blue.  Paired with these beautiful deep blue dresses, the bouquets are the perfect accent to the dress!
Garden Gate Florals + Shipra Panosian Photography

I love the simplicity of an all white altar with burgundy flowers accenting the poles.
Joyelle West Photography + Allison Phalen Floral Design

These beautiful burgundy dahlias are accented with orange and yellow.
KGMExpressions and A Garden Party

When Nina called me to ask for a pink and burgundy bouquet, I jumped at the chance.  I had been wanting to do something with these colors and Nina's call came at the perfect time.  Here, pink is the accent color to some beautiful burgundy dahlias and roses!
Regeti's Photography + Sweet Blossoms

Hopefully, from these flowers, you can see that burgundy can be the main color of your wedding, or an accent color.  Burgundy actually goes beautiful with contrasting colors such as light pink, orange, or yellow.  It can also go with similar colors such as plum or hot pink.  I hope these images have inspired you.  Happy Monday!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

The Blossom Workshop

Last month I was able to participate in my first photoshoot.  I provided the floral designs for a photography workshop called The Blossom Workshop which was hosted by Kirsten Smith, of Kirsten Smith Photography.  In addition to providing invaluable information to the participants, Kirsten also wanted to create a photoshoot opportunity so that the participants could practice taking photos of the details that often come with a wedding.  Kirsten asked myself and Marcie Lenick of Celebrating Love by Marcie to create a bohemian style design that included a cake table, a sweetheart table, multiple bouquets, multiple boutonnieres and a floral head wreath!  There was still snow on the ground (even in March), but we made the best of it and were able to create something that I am so proud to be able to share with you!

The gorgeous little cake was made by Julia at Snickerdoodles Bakery.  I decorated it with succulents, craspedia, and seeded eucalyptus.  To add a rustic backdrop, Marcie and I added hanging bottles filled with yellow snapdragons, yellow and white Japanese ranunculus, yellow solidago, German chamomile, green spider mums, two kinds of yellow garden roses, and white rice flower.
 
   

















Marcie used coordinating fabric for a table runner, placemats, napkins, and chair decorations.  She also provided the coordinating place settings, candlesticks and bottles that I would fill with flowers to match the cake table.  We also added a garland of seeded eucalyptus and maidenhair fern to complete the look.  I just love how Marcie was able to pick up the colors of the flower arrangements and accent them with the choice of fabric!
 
 

 

To add to the pretty, we hung a chandelier from the trees.  Doesn’t it look like it’s suspended right from the vines?

Kirsten and I wanted to provide as many opportunities for the photographers to snap pictures, so we decided to create three different styles of bouquets, all of which would coordinate with the colors of the day.  The first bouquet was a very textured, romantic, garden bouquet of green spider mums, yellow garden roses, yellow snapdragons, yellow solidago, silver brunia berries, and grey roses.  Yup, I said grey roses!  These are a new favorite of mine called Early Grey.  They open very big and are a beautiful grey color with a little hint of purple right in the middle.
Amanda Summers Photography
 

The second bouquet was a more modern bouquet of Early Grey roses, silver brunia berries, succulents, yellow cymbidium orchids, craspedia, and jackpot thistles.  If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I am very big on texture, no matter what style of bouquet you have.  I just loved the softness of the roses combined with the round craspedia and brunia berries.  The thistles (another favorite of mine) and the succulents added the perfect bit of “spiky-ness”-I may have just made up a word there!  I know you know what I mean!
Amanda Summers Photography
Amanda Summers Photography
 

The last bouquet, I think, ended up stealing the show with its bohemian vibe.  It also happened to be paired with a showstopping floral head wreath……that I may or may not have decided to wear all day (when the model wasn’t wearing it, that is).  This lush bouquet was made of green hydrangea, two kinds of yellow garden roses, yellow and white Japanese ranunculus, yellow solidago, German Chamomile, maidenhair fern, and seeded eucalyptus.  I just….I can’t even….!  This bouquet was just magnificent!  Who wouldn’t want to carry this!  It ended up as a gift to Kirsten for all her hard work!
 

 

This flower wreath…SO fun!  It was designed to match the boho bouquet and it has yellow Japanese ranunculus, green spider mums, jackpot thistles, yellow solidago, craspedia, and seeded eucalyptus.
 

We didn’t end up with models for these, but I made three little boutonnieres to match the bouquets.  I love creating a little something unique for the men!  They should have something pretty and colorful too, don’t you think?

I loved getting to see all these talented photographers taking pictures of all our hard work.  Here they are (and me with my flower wreath!)

As you can see there was snow on the ground, but you may not be able to tell that this was the first 60-degree weather day we had!  If you can believe it, we were not the only ones enjoying the warm weather!  We were also joined by some very lazy and slow-moving honey bees!
Blair Roberts

…more pretty….
 

 

 
  

 

Whenever I have some really amazing product, I love getting individual pictures of the blooms.  The ranunculus for this shoot came from Japan, and not only were they simply flawless, they were HUGE!!  For some perspective, the openings for almost all the bottles was about the size of the top of a beer bottle.  Look how big those white blooms are in comparison!!  I’m so lucky that my job allows me to create such beautiful art for my clients!
 


All photography by Kirsten Smith Photography, unless otherwise indicated

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Sammy's Wedding at Airlie


When Sammy told me her wedding was January 3, I have to admit, I was nervous about weather being a factor.  But I was unable to resist an all-white winter wedding with touches of gold, so I enthusiastically said yes!  Sammy was so sweet and excited about her big day, even painting her own vases to bring in more of the gold color!  Despite the sleet and freezing rain, Sammy's wedding day was one of the most gorgeous I have ever seen.  Thanks to Matoli at Matoli Keely Photography for the beautiful images!

Sammy's bouquet was made of white roses, white ranunculus, white anemones with black centers, white limonium, white lisianthus, and gold berries.
 




The boutonnieres were made from white limonium, white ranunnculus, dusty miller and gold berries.
 


Airle has a beautiful outdoor pavilion where Sammy and Aaron got married.  The aisle was lined with bundles of delicate white limonium.
 


Sammy's centerpieces were a collection of gold bud vases filled with white roses, white anemones, white limonium, white lisianthus, and white ranunculus.  The table was finished with a white pillar candle inside of a hurricane vase and a gold table number.
 
 
 

Could this venue be any more beautiful?  Airlie is settled into the Shenandoah Valley and is perfect for anything from weddings and romantic getaways to conferences and corporate retreats.  I was completely impressed!
 

Wasn't Sammy such a gorgeous bride?  Look at that fur wrap!!  Perfect for a winter wedding!
 
 

Sammy and Aaron just had so much personality!  I loved the little touches throughout their wedding that made it their own.  They even had their own beer made!
 

Just can't resist sharing more of the pretty!
 
 

 
 

I love when a couple just can't stop kissing!  And what a beautiful way to end the night, with a sparkler send-off!
 
 

Thank you again to Matoli Keely Photography for the beautiful images!