Blog for Monday Morning Flowers

Adding Sentimental Details

2/9/2014

I always love when we get to personalize a bridal bouquet but it's even more special when an element with sentimental attachment is included. In this bouquet, Bride Elizabeth had us add a family rosary.

Our past bride Maureen had us weaving lace from her Mother's own wedding gown through her cascade bouquet and this past year we used a necktie to wrap the stems of a bridal bouquet as a way of feeling close to her dad who had recently passed away.

Adding a personal touch like these can be a beautiful way to feeling connected to the past while being rooted in the present.

A Vineyard Wedding

10/12/2013

What a lovely day it was for this wedding being held at Valenzano Winery down in Shamong NJ earlier this spring. Patricia and Ariel had a lovely Spring day. It's always wonderful to see the professional photos and I especially loved this one of the bridal bouquet.

A combination of roses, ranunculus, craspedia, dusty miller and phaelanopsis orchids, this bouquet was far from ordinary. The brides maids carried bouquets in coral and yellow as their dresses were a bright sunny yellow while their shoes were a deep rich coral. What a striking combination against the back drop of the vines at the winery.

Thank you to Cain Images Photography for the wonderful shot.

Bridal Trends - Cascading Orchids

8/24/2013

As soon as you become involved in the wedding business, one of the first things you notice are flower trends as they come and go. Like fashion, what's in and what's not does seem to change with the seasons and the years.

For example, this year, anything vintage, shabby chic, sophisticated rustic and southern style country have been very much in style. The flip side of that trend seems to be elegant and classic. Take these centerpieces for our Bride Melissa at the Stone House last weekend. Over sized pilsner vases were filled with river stones for a natural touch but then the vases were filled with cascading phalaenopsis orchids. Although the color them of the wedding was purple in all other areas, this couple went for a clean, uncluttered look by switching the table flowers to all white. Dramatic but elegant was the general feel of the room once all the flowers were in place.

These amazing orchids appear to be an emerging trend among our couples, with quite a few weddings in recent weeks including them. Now that I'm actively booking weddings for 2014, it appears that this trend will continue. Although more expensive than other centerpiece options, they cascading orchids tend to cost less then their dome shaped, above eye level cousins using hydrangeas, roses, etc. which really is a plus for those seeking elegantly over sized without the high price tag. to see these and more of wedding designs, be sure to check out our Centerpiece category on this website.

See What You Like?

8/8/2013

Inspiration photo ~ why do I ask my bride to show me pictures of wedding flowers they like? One of this weekends weddings is the perfect example; past bride Kate carried a rather large bridal bouquet of all roses from light, to medium and then onto deep pink. A classic design and such vibrant colors, perfect for summer.

Fast forward 3 years and this weekend's bride Alice see's Kate's bouquet on our website, her heart begins to quicken and she finds a bouquet she loves. See how easy that was for Alice? Also, a bit easier for me being Alice and I were never able to meet and did all our wedding flower planning via emails and phone conversations.

Taking the time to search the World Wide Web (and WOW how truly big it is) to find photos of flowers you like will go a long way in helping us to get quickly into your floral zone. So if you are planning your wedding right now, get crackin' and checking out the millions of amazing flower photos available on line! You'll be glad you did and so will I!

Passionate Purple

7/20/2013

Well, it's official, purple is still a very hot wedding color and this weekends wedding proves it. Today's reception was held at the Park Savoy in Florham Park and the setting could not have been more lovely. Most of the tables each had this amazing floral display on them ~ cascading purple phaelanopsis orchids and lavender hydrangeas. Sitting atop our 28" tall candle holders and little twirl of curly willow and the centerpiece is elegant yet natural. This location has oval tables and a tall display leaves the line of vision between the guests wide open while adding a pop of drama over head.

About 1/3 of the tables had submerged mini calla and floating candle centerpieces and when the light get lowered, this room is sure to glow. Also another great way to decorate a long

Bride Allison and her new husband Eric are sure to have an amazing night ahead of them. What do you think of these centerpieces? Would you consider these purple orchids for your table arrangements?

Blue Orchids

6/25/2013

I could not let any more time pass without sharing this amazing wedding from last weekend. Marisa and her new hubby exchanged vows on the rooftop patio at the Palace in Somerset. The sun was shining and the humidity was low and the blue orchids looked fabulous, wouldn't you agree?

The bride carried a cascade bouquet of roses and stephanotis, while her maids carried simple hand tied bouquets of baby's breath. The crystal trees gracing the guest tables were complimented with blue dyed orchids and so to tie the whole look together, the ceremony began with a combination of baby's breath and dyed orchid blooms. A "less than common" combination, we think they really worked well together. Our silver arch tied in with the silver crystals trees used later in the reception and the gold chair really let the white ribbon and baby's breath show while the blue orchids took center stage. Who says you can blend the exotic with the common? Not us!

Emem and Her Bridal Bouquet

6/25/2013

I'm always amazed by how fast our brides can show us photos of their wedding. Take our lovely bride Emem who was married last weekend. Don't you just love how amazing she looks with her bouquet? Garden roses, mini callas lilies, hydrangeas, peony and touches of fresh ivy loops made for the perfect creamy pink bridal bouquet for an outdoor late June wedding.

Emem and Jim were married at Paradise Vineyards, a picturesque setting in Chesterfield NJ. Among the vines is a sprawling mansion that looks like it belongs in the mountains of Tuscan more so than New Jersey.

After a long walk down the rose petal lined aisle, Jim and Emem exchanged their vows and then ventured back up for cocktails and a sit down meal. After seeing all the photos from their day, I fee like I attended this amazing wedding.

Hydrangea Bride's Maids Bouquets

5/24/2013

Planning a wedding is fun but expensive and I find that often brides and grooms over think the flowers. Hydrangeas to the rescue. Take these bouquets for example; simple but by no means small yet they are elegant, natural and as amazing as it sounds, quite budget friendly.

In the case of these bouquets, extra touches such draping hanging amaranthus and chiffon ribbon took them from boring to beautiful and only slightly added to the cost.

Lesson to be learned? No need to over think the flowers and by all means, take the budget friendly route. Your maids won't mind, your guests won't notice and your wedding budget will love you for it!

Investing in Those Extra Touches

11/3/2012

Ok, I have to admit something here... I admit that I love when I get to do those extra special touches for a wedding. Let's face it, it's always about money right and sometimes those extra special touches that add to the bottom line by costing more just get forgotten.

Take one of this weekends weddings for bride Jessica. Her wedding was held at a brand new Club House and when I say this venue was gorgeous, I mean it's really lovely. Jessica loves everything classic and elegant and had at least a slight taste for a hint of bling. Enter these light fixtures in the ballroom. Although they fit the style of the venue to a T, I noticed that draping some crystals from the fixtures would elevate the whole look of the room, more matching the formal look she was going for. These fixtures took five long strands of crystals and were priced out as a rental (meaning we will pick them up the next day). At $75 per lighting fixture the total cost to dress up these lights was $375.

I can easily see how a family might not want to invest the extra money, especially if they are already over budget, but touches like these are what turn the ordinary into extraordinary. As an event designer, it's details like this that I love and remember. For your wedding, do you think it's worth the extra expense?