The Bridal Bouquet....

It's exciting each time I put the finishing touches on a bride's bouquet, turn it around to inspect it to make sure it's just what she wanted, and when it is, to let out that grateful sigh....

Each bouquet is so different from all the others, because each bouquet is for that one special bride.

It starts with that first meeting where we talk flowers and styles and what she likes and what she doesn't, and little touches that will make that bouquet HER bouquet.

It's really great when I am growing flowers for her. Sometimes actually starting the seeds or planting the bulbs with her wedding day in mind. Or maybe it's a special flower or vine we discover together when we step outside to view the gardens.

It's a privilege and it's so rewarding, and I am so thankful for each woman who asks me to make her bridal bouquet!

Lavender Pansies and Blue Muscari Add a Special Touch for Springtime Wedding Flowers

What happened to spring!!! Last week I was picking anemones, pansies and muscari and this week we're hitting 90's!!! Not the best weather for flowers that like it cool...

Well back to muscari and pansies. Both of these flowers have been featured several times this year on the blog in some springtime designs. A few weeks back I wrote about adding three new types of muscari (also known as grape hyacinth) to the garden borders. Well this is the last of the three- Saffier. It is taller than the other varieties that I am presently growing. Some stems are about 9 inches in length, and French blue with pale green overtones is very striking. You can find these bulbs at John Scheepers .

 As the season warms up the pansies began to stretch, and by May they are also providing longer stems, so I thought this would be a good time to work them up in a design.

This elegant centerpiece also features Spanish bluebells, white and purple anemones, white ranunculus and soft green viburnum heads. 

Look for these flowers from Springwell Gardens from late March through early May!

Beautiful, Bold Dahlias and Zinnias for Kelsey and Eddie

It's so exciting to see the vision for wedding flowers come to life!

When I first met with Kelsey and her mom, Ellen, I learned that the color palette would be bold- very bold. Strong reds, golden yellows, electric blues, touches of coral-peach, bright oranges, and purples that would look stunning against the royal blue bridesmaids dresses. 

The flower choices included lots of garden varieties in keeping with the rustic atmosphere of Snipes Farm. Garden picks included Love-in-a-Puff pods and vines, scented geranium, Sweet Annie, peach dahlias, Karma Chocolate dahlias, orange crested celosia and peach, yellow and red zinnias.
Blue delphinium, orange and yellow spray roses that came from my wholesaler added the finishing touches to the bouquets and the cute centerpiece designs- collections of bottles, jars and vases nestled within picture frames (Ellen's idea) on burlap runners. 

 Everything was coming together beautifully when I left. The guests were arriving and the atmosphere was exciting!!! I heard from Ellen that a great time was had by all.

Kelsey and Eddie- I am so happy for you both! Praying God's blessing as you begin your marriage!!!

Zinnia Bouquets in Peach and Coral and Lavender and Plum

Spring lingered a little longer than usual this year, but with the typical humidity of the Deep South streaming in over these last couple of weeks, I think it has finally given way to summer.

This is a transition time in the flower garden. Snapdragons, Feverfew, Yarrow and Queen Ann's Lace are some late spring bloomers that will persist through June. Zinnias, gomphrena, and celosia are just starting up and will crank out blooms through frost. Dahlias are also starting up as well, but won't hit their stride until fall.

So as the weather heats up, I thought it would be a great time to work up some bouquets with summer offerings.

Open-face Chantilly snapdragons and zinnias in soft yellows, peach, salmon and pink are paired with white feverfew and Queen Ann's Lace. It's a very popular color palette this year!

The next bouquet features hydrangea, clematis, zinnia, marble arch salvia, chocolate cosmos and catmint in lavender, purple, plum, and pink with touches of white double flowered feverfew.

The best part of all is having my daughter, Judy, agree to help me out, and hold the bouquets for me. I tell her it's good practice...

She just laughs!

Blue Anemones, Hellebore and Muscari for Allison and Kevin

 Spring is here and it's a joy to watch all of nature wake up from winter!

The cooler temperatures in March have made this one of the most beautiful springs in years! Really!!! And I am so happy for couples like Allison and Kevin who chose this time of year to get married!

My first meeting with Allison was January. She wanted a rich color palette for their wedding day- deep purples and plums and brightly hued greens punctuated with soft lavenders.

As April approached, it was exciting to see the garden flowers cooperating! Plum colored hellebore, dark purple muscari and blue-purple anemones, peacock blue-green cerinthe tipped with purple bells, and bright chartreuse euphorbia. These garden flowers were paired with lavender Ocean Song roses and violet stock.

The centerpiece designs made a lovely statement at Caffe Luna. Other flowers included green Jade roses, purple larkspur and lisianthus, and various shades of purple and lavender Florigene carnations with such names as Moonvista and Moonshade,

It's been a little over a week since their wedding day... and now come the days of being newlyweds!

Praying God's blessing for you two as you begin your lives together!

Weddings- Megan and Kyle

Yesterday was such a special day for a very special couple- a day to get married. And that's just what Megan and Kyle did just a few hours ago!
This day has been a long time in coming... The first time I met Megan and Kyle was last April at the Southern Bridal Show & Expo in Raleigh. They stopped by my booth and then they both came for the floral consultation a few weeks later.
Megan's primary color was purple, and though the flower choices changed a little, I think that she was quite happy with the final outcome. It was great showing her this bouquet for her wedding day.
Jewel tone purple lisianthus and stock, plum colored hellebore and tulips, and lavender freesia and were nestled among apple green viburnum and lisianthus buds with stems of fragrant rosemary. It was a sweet nod to the coming of spring.

The Maid of Honor bouquet featured white Akito roses, ivory Majolica spray roses, waxflowers, hydrangea and button mums.

And the Toss Bouquet was a lovely mixture of jewel colors, ivories and whites.
And because I had a little extra time, I wanted to make sure that I got Kyle's boutonniere just right!
So here are the three that Megan chose from:

1) A plum colored hellebore from the garden with a single lisianthus bud

2) A stem of lavender freesia with a ruffle of stock, and

3) A rich purple lisianthus flower with a stem of fresh Rosemary

And that one is the one that Megan chose.

I am so happy for you two... it's been almost twelve hours since you said "I do!"
Praying God's blessing for you as you begin your lives together!

Weddings- Mikki & Hector... The Real Pictures

I call them the Real Pictures, because 1) they are taken by truly gifted photographers and 2) they show the Real People who have just gotten married!
And I am so excited to show off these two! Mikki and Hector make the sweetest couple and they had the most wonderful wedding in September.
And Jamie Blow of J&J Photography did an outstanding job of capturing all the wonderful details of their special day.

The color palette that Mikki and Hector chose was absolutely gorgeous- rich plum and purple, lavender, antique green and ivory.
And I loved combining beautiful flowers from my garden with the beautiful flowers from the market.
Cinda of Cinda's Creative Cakes created a fantastic wedding cake with cool leaves and branches embellished with fresh flowers and a cute bird nest!
The round oak slabs are Mikki's Dad's handiwork. They were perfect for the woodsy garden theme.

It is music to my ears when I hear from my couples how perfect their wedding day was, and I am so excited for them as they begin their lives together as husband and wife.


Mikki and Hector, I wish you all the BEST as these newly wedded days slip into weeks....then months... then years..... many, many years!!!

Weddings- Mikki & Hector

Last week I had the wonderful privilege of creating some REALLY FUN floral designs that have been floating around in my head for the past twelve months. These were the flowers for Mikki and Hector's Wedding!
It's so hard to believe that it has been a little over a year since Hector and Mikki and her folks came through my booth at the Forever Bridal Show. She loved what she saw and booked an appointment for a consultation. And when they all showed up for the consultation, I could tell I was really going to enjoy working with Mikki and Hector and her family.
The vision was very eclectic, the colors were purples and creams and whites and greens. The look was "Gardeny" yes! but with other flowers too- purple carnations and lisianthus, plum colored gomphrena, creamy Majolika roses and stock, apple green sedums and Love-In-A-Puff vines, Cool Water lavender roses, velvety heads of celosia, and herbal fragrances such as rosemary and scented geraniums.
The picture above shows Mikki's bouquet almost finished. She wanted it to be encircled with vines so I was happy to provide some sweet Love-In-A-Puff and smilax vines from the garden.
Bronze hued loropetalum leaves in her bouquet catch a bit of sunlight in the picture above.
Bridesmaid bouquets featured purple carnations, lavender roses, green hydrangeas, spiky celosia flowers, ferns, loropetalum and scented geranium leaves.
Here's a quick shot of some of the bouquets before loading up the boxes for the trip to the Preston Woodall House in Benson, NC, (what a gorgeous place for a wedding!)
Mothers' corsages featured rosemary, purple stock and Majolika roses tied in a nosegay style that could be carried in the hand or held against a small clutch.
Bouts for the groomsmen and the father featured Equisetum (horsetail) stems, holly berries, dried poppy heads and gomphrena.
Hector's included flowers from Mikki's bouquet such as celosia, sedum, and lisianthus buds and well as dried poppy, curly dock and crocosmia pods.
For the reception centerpieces, Mikki and Hector decided to go with flower filled metal pails nestled on thick round slabs of oak- each one cut and sanded by her Dad! Each table also featured moss rimmed chalkboards (by Mikki and her family) that directed guest where to sit. I was so grateful to have my good friend, Sandy, assist in creating many of these sweet little pail designs- just chocked full of beautiful flowers.
In addition to metal pails, there were also taller designs created atop chunky wooden candlesticks, (sorry this picture has so much backlight- I am glad that I wasn't hired to do the photos!!!).
So much thought went into planning all the details. I wish I could picture all the wonderful touches that Mikki, her family, and Hector had placed throughout this beautiful historic home to celebrate their wedding.
And celebrate I know they did!!!
I can't wait to see the beautiful images that I am sure that Jamie Blow with J&J Photography captured, as well as videographers with Twenty-One Films.
I am so glad there are pros like them to record these once in a lifetime moments!
And today I just smile when I think of my newly married couple!!! I wish you all the best Mikki and Hector... I am really going to miss you!