Fresh Green and White Flowers for Rachel and Jacob

Today is Rachel and Jacob's wedding day!

Yesterday I sent bouquets and corsages and boutonnieres and buckets of flowers to Boone with her friend, Mary (who created the centerpiece designs). And today these two joined their lives together as husband and wife! 
Rachel, her Mom, Cheryl and I talked flowers over the summer.  Rachel's vision was one of crisp greens and whites. Vendela roses and Majolica spray roses were nestled among  baby green hydrangeas and bright green button mums. There were also soft willowy heads of Queen Anne's Lace and emerald green Cleyera Japonica leaves. Everything looked so lovely and fresh. I have been babying some succulents this summer- aka "Hens and Chicks" and was glad to have a nice size one to tuck into Rachel's bouquet.

For her sister, Sarah, who was her Matron of Honor, (so sorry I used the wrong tag!), there were splashes of purple tradescantia and crested celosia.

What a privilege it has been to create these bouquets and such for this sweet, young bride. I am really looking forward to seeing Rachel and hearing all about her wedding day, and I can't wait to meet her new husband, Jacob!!!
Praying God's blessing for you two as you start this wonderful marriage journey!

Peaches and Corals for Katie and Will's Wedding

What a treat to be asked to create Katie and Will's wedding flowers. Katie and my daughter, Mary, were good friends growing up- especially during those high school years. Lots of good memories come to mind when I think of this lovely young woman!
Katie envisioned a warm color palette of peach, light coral and pops of green for the bridesmaids bouquets and soft whites and ivories for her own.

One thing that was tweaked a little a couple months out from the wedding was the wrapping for the bouquets. I showed Katie a picture of bouquets with multiple hanging ribbons, and she was all for giving it a try.

Ceremony designs were created in large footed urns in keeping with the traditional atmosphere at Jones Chapel in Raleigh.
Centerpiece designs somewhat mimicked the bridesmaids' bouquets. Each one set in a ribbon and button embellished vase, (so thankful to have Sandy assist me with all of these!).
I can't wait to share some of the real wedding pictures... so more about these two coming up later this week!

Pink Garden Roses and Peonies for Mandy and Ryan's Wedding

It's hard to believe that summer is quickly coming to a close. Here's a beautiful lookback to a sweet couple's June wedding...
Mandy and her future mother-in-law, Laura, dropped by the studio in February.  It was apparent that Mandy had a definite vision for her wedding flowers- a romantic color palette of  delicate pinks, creams and whites with billowy peonies and garden roses. It was a perfect choice for this sweet soft spoken bride.
Bridesmaids' bouquets would be created with pink roses and peonies, and Mandy's bouquet with creamy white roses, pink garden roses and peonies.
Boutonnieres for the gentleman featured a single rose embellished with feathery dianthus buds.

Salem Baptist Church in Apex was a classic setting for this summer time wedding. Guests were greeted by a beautiful garden design created by the Tammy, a great designer with The Life of the Party- RSVP Events

The ceremony decor featured maple trees in sleek metal planters adorned with white hydrangeas and pink roses and a sweeping design of roses, hydrangeas, stock and larkspur placed beneath the large stain glass window.
Pew markers echoed the romantic theme of soft pinks and whites with draping vinca vines.
Following the ceremony, Megan and Ryan greeted their guests at The Garden on Millbrook

to continue their wedding day celebrations.

What a beautiful way to start the summer!  Praying God's blessing for you as you move through these days and months of being newlyweds!
Be sure to check out some more wonderful pictures of Mandy and Ryan's wedding day by talented Robyn Van Dyke at: http://www.robynvandykephotography

Late Summer Bouquet of Pink Gomphrena and Scented Geraniums

Flowers from the late summer garden offer lots of interesting textures and fragrance. Gomphrena packs a lot of color and texture especially when flower heads are clustered together.
And for fragrance- nothing beats the bright green leaves of Scented Geranium. From citrus to cinnamon to old rose- there's a lot to choose from. They make a lovely collar for a summer or fall bouquet.

Here they are combined with some of other late summer garden favorites...

Feathery flower spikes of wheat celosia (pictured above on the left hand side) and African Blue Basil (pictured in the lower right hand corner below).
Pink lisianthus and pink and white zinnias round out this sweet little bouquet.
These flowers are ideal for autumn bouquets as well. As the days grow shorter these plants just continue to churn out the blooms- some of them until frost!

Springtime Bouquets- Think Ranunculus!!!

Summer is chugging away, and autumn is fast approaching, and that makes me think of getting ready for SPRING FLOWERS!!!
One of my absolute favorites is Ranunculus. These are some of the most beautiful springtime flowers for weddings in March and April. These sweet lovelies are grown from thumb size tubers that are planted in late October and November. The colors are glorious- pink, white, apricot, yellow, rose, lavender, scarlet and more. Below is a picture of a gathering from the hoophouse last spring.
They look stunning as in this mixed bouquet of ranunculus, hellebore, pussy willow and tulips.

And when the bouquet is filled with masses of ranunculus... just breathtaking!

Soft Coral Garden Rose and Pink Dahlia Bouquet

Sunset hues of peach and pink and yellow make for a stunning color combination.
They are colors that resonate well with summertime- soft yet vibrant.
The flowers in this lush bouquet are gorgeous peachy-coral cabbage roses called Romantic Antike and soft pink Majolica spray roses with some lovely picks from the garden-
Annabelle Hydrangea, Indigo Spires Salvia, Gabrielle Marie Dahlias, and fragrant Tuberose. Check back next week to see a version of this with a splash of aubergine perilla!

"Snow on the Mountain" and White Rose Summer Bouquet

Snow on The Mountain (Euphoribia maginata) is blooming now in the summer beds at Springwell Gardens.
It's the green and white ruffle of leaves encircling this mixed bouquet of white roses, lisianthus and feverfew.
Snow on the Mountain is such a refreshing name for a summer plant. It's grown not so much for the flowers, but for the soft green leaves edged in white- the tiny flowers are hardly noticeable. These plants were started from seed in early March. They grow slowly at first, but add a little summer heat then they really take off. One of my favorite sources for seeds is Johnny's Selected Seeds because their catalog gives a wealth of information about how to grow the seeds you get from them! Check them out at: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/
A word of caution when using any type of euphorbia- the plants excrete a milky sap when the stems are cut that may cause skin irritations in some people. Be sure to sear the stems in hot water and set aside in very warm water to condition before handling. And always wash the sap from your hands.
If you are looking for a distinctive textural element for your summer or fall wedding flowers-
You may really want to consider Snow on the Mountain!