{Will Keeler}

Gone are the days of awkward prom photos and plastic boxes containing your red rose wrist corsage. Flower wristlets are making a gorgeous comeback these days and this girl is loving it. I love the idea of doing something different with blooms on your big day - why not give your bridesmaids pretty wristlets to wear instead of carrying bouquets? You know the bouquets end up sitting on the table at the reception anyways - with the wristlet, the flowers can be enjoyed all evening!

{ruffled}

The lovely (and super talented) Sarah True of True Event put together a DIY video for making your own wristlet - have a look!

So what do you think? Yay or nay to the modern take on the old school wrist corsage?

{image by Windy Dougall, florals by The Floral Lab} 

It’s been a while since our last Floral Spotlight, but this amazing wedding on Style Me Pretty had some blooms I just couldn’t get out of my head. Whimsical, romantic and light, these gorgeous Astilbe {thanks Natalie for clueing me in to what they are!} are absolutely gorgeous. Kind of like taking baby’s breath to the next level, don’t you think?

Appropriately nicknamed “feather flower” or “false goat’s beard”, astilbe blooms in summer to early fall, and comes in shades of peach, lime, purple, white, red, light pink, and lavender. It’s also an inexpensive addition to your wedding day florals, as its rich, dense foliage and feathery, summer blooms can fill a lot of space with just a few stems. How about we take a look at these lovelies in action?

{florals by Bows and Arrows, image by Natalie Shelton}

Such a pretty backdrop…

{via GWS}

Loving the textures in this gorgeous bouquet by Signature Bloom {image by Lacie Hansen}…

Or this simple stunner from Fasanello Floral Design {image by Courtney Davidson}…

{flowers by Matthew Robbins Design, image by Belathee Photography}

and oh, oh my gosh…

{flowers by White Lilac}

Do I have you hooked yet? How about this little lovely from Martha Stewart Weddings (oh and PS, Martha, I love you, but you really need to credit your images!)

Oh, hello lovely {flowers by La Partie Events}…

See what I mean? Is this the new baby’s breath? I hope to see more, that’s for sure!

Happy Monday :)

{The Full Bouquet}

{Lisa Romerein, Jess Chamberlain and Sharon Cohoon}

{Aaron Delesie}

{Left: Floral Arrangement by Holly Chapple Flowersphotographed by Kristen Gardner; Right: Poppies and Posies}

I’d love to have some of these in the garden I don’t have!

{Cutrose.com}

Aren’t they just perfect? I think so too :)

For a full round-up on peony alternates, click here!

Happy Monday!

Though a seasonal floral, cherry blossoms offer a sign of spring after a dreary winter for most and are available starting in late March in warmer climates and all the way in to Mid-May for the northeast regions. There are several families of these lovely blossoms but most provide a white to light pink color burst to your decor, and a little can go a long way with branches covered in blooming buds.

I had a few May brides in California who are getting married in the next few weeks request these gorgeous floral accents, and I just love how they provide a simple and sweet touch.

Here are some of my favorites:

cake from Jamie Anderson

How sweet is this image from Martha Stewart?

Martha Stewart Weddings

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Martha Stewart Weddings

Bella Figura

WeddingChannel.com

We even had them hanging from the ceiling at our For Japan With Love event a few weeks back in San Francisco!

Andria Lo

Not surprisingly, this one is from the amazingly talented Preston Bailey!

And lastly, here’s one from my parents front yard in Connecticut!

Have a lovely week!

Ian West/AFP/Getty Images

Reuters

Something happened to me. I admit it. I was anti-royal wedding until the second it began. In fact, I didn’t even stay up until 2am PT to watch it. I DVRd it and watched it the next day. But first thing on Friday morning, you can bet that I hopped online immediately to find out what Kate, or should I say Catherine, wore. And from that moment… friends… I was hooked. Absolutely smitten with every single detail, and I had to turn on my DVR right away to catch up.

I loved everything about it. The “real-ness” of Princes William and Harry walking down the aisle, joking with each other. How we were able to hear them speak their vows. Watching Prince William mouth “You look beautiful” to his bride. Seeing Harry turning around to check out the bride and making a comment to his brother, whose back was still turned. Their surprise getaway car in his father’s Aston Martin, strung with balloons and driven by the groom himself. It all just made them so real - know what I mean? And Kate, who is such an everyday {albeit drop-dead gorgeous} girl, how she was transformed in to this magical princess before our eyes. Such a lady in every way. I am so excited to see how this will transform wedding trends moving forward. Will we be saying goodbye to the Pnina Tornai-style bodice fitting dresses and hello to wearing your mother’s gown, minus the puffy sleeves? I don’t know which direction the fashion trends will go, but I know that I can’t wait to watch and see.

So I think it seems fitting that today’s floral spotlight focuses on the simple and pretty bouquet that Kate chose to carry - made up of lily of the valley, hyacinth, sweet william and myrtle. Many criticized it for being too small - on the other hand, I thought it was absolutely perfect. And each bloom was chosen with meaning:

Good morning lovelies! I hope you all had an amazing weekend, and are hopefully feeling some spring weather wherever you may be.

Today’s floral spotlight features Baby’s Breath, a flower that used to be known to provide a backdrop more than being a centerpiece on its own, but over the past year, I have really seen this little gem come out of its shell! Not gonna lie - it was hard to get me on the babys breath train, and I kind of fought it for a while, thinking of the 80s when my mom would put it in my french braids if I was a flower girl. But baby’s breath has really come a long way, and now I am pretty much loving it. I’m using it as a main focus floral for a few weddings I’m working on, and I have to agree with the brides that it really does provide a soft, romantic look.

Baby’s breath, also called Gypsophila paniculata or Gyp, is considered to be a weed of sorts in desert areas and sandy farmlands, as it can reduce the crude protein content of hay in fields it infests. It is very easy to grow and can withstand varying temperatures, making this readily available year-round. Because it is so easy to obtain, the price is very affordable, and a little goes a long way because of the large and full branches. I think I really love baby’s breath because of the very intricate flowers, they are so tiny and from far away, create a cloud of sorts, but if you’re up close, you can truly appreciate the delicate qualities of this flower.

As we do every Monday, let’s take a look at some baby’s breath in action.

Here it is as a backdrop to this floral wonderland

How about this little DIY garland from Once Wed?

Isn’t it so soft and pretty?

Happy Monday everyone!

Lilacs are some of my favorite flowers, though technically a shrub, they are so delicate and carry a lovely scent. Unfortunately, lilacs only bloom for a few short weeks every Spring (usually in the beginning of May but as early as April here in California and in other warmer climates), so if your timing is right, you can include them in your wedding-day florals. With colors ranging from light purple to dark violet, light pink to white, you have a lot of room to make these match your color palette!

I remember as a little girl I would know that spring had officially arrived in Connecticut once the lilacs bloomed in our backyard, and I loved how the sweet perfume would carry across the yard mixed with the scent of freshly cut grass. Side note: did I mention my father likes to be the first guy in our neighborhood to cut the lawn? It’s a bit of suburb competition, and he wins every year :).

Helpful hint about lilacs that I learned from my local florist: If you purchase branches of lilacs, make sure to cut a slit (about 1″ up) in the bottom of the branch because lilacs need help to drink water. When you get them home, put them in warm water, as this is easier for them to drink and absorb.

Back to the lilacs, let’s take a look at these delicate beauties in wedding action.

Paired with lisianthus (more on those next week!)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Love the white lilacs.

Here’s a DIY lilac bouquet from ProjectWedding:

Look at this cake!

And I’m loving these bouts I found on Postcards and Pretties:

And here they are on our dining room table; our blue mason from Mimi never goes empty and I just picked up these lilacs from the farmer’s market last week.

I hope you all have a lovely week!

Missed any Floral Spotlight posts? Click here for the rest!

 

I have been holding off on this floral spotlight for so long because I just love dahlias and besides ranunculus, I think they may be my favorite flower!  There are SO many varieties of dahlias that I will be doing this in a series, to give each one justice {and help you differentiate them}.

Today’s spotlight is featuring the large Café Au Lait dahlia which is in the dinner plate family; named for its gargantuan size, some blooms can grow anywhere from 6 ” up to 14″ in diameter! Unlike all dahlias, Café au Laits are available only in summer, usually in season until about September, but sometimes available through October. A few interesting facts I learned about dahlias are a) that a diabetic sugar was made from dahlia tubers for diabetic treatment before insulin was discovered, and b) clinical experiments and tests actually use chemicals present in dahlia flowers for kidney and liver studies. I definitely would have never thought of that!

Fluffy and romantic, these dahlias can take center stage or provide a textural backdrop.  I am working with my July bride, Kristy, and we may be incorporating some of these lovelies in a brighter shade of pink as a perfect plan B if peonies aren’t still available.

Now let’s soak up the prettiness in images.

Café Au Lait dinnerplate dahlias were used in Erin‘s wedding bouquet, one of the most gorgeous bouquets I’ve ever seen {by the amazingly talented Yumiko Fletcher of Hana Floral Design and images by Anna Sawin}.  You’ll also see silver brunia and juliet roses in there if you look hard enough!

This dinnerplate dahlia made up the main attraction in the bride’s bouquet.

En route to a wedding..

On the cake…

In the details…

 

I just love the light, fluffy textures that make these flowers so unique.  If peonies aren’t in season, dahlias are a great second option to help you achieve that lovely textured look!

Here are some I bought from the farmers’ market and placed in mason jars for our table.  Sweet and simple.

To catch up on all the floral spotlights, click here.

Happy Monday, everyone!

source

One of the oldest families of flowers on earth, this 300 million year old bloom comes in about 1,400 different varieties and is a totally unique way to bring in a pop of color to your big day.  Protea gets its name from Proteus, the Greek god who was able to change his appearance if he needed, because of the many varieties available.

These unique flowers are native to South Africa and Australia but are commercially grown in California and Hawaii as well, making them easily available year-round {depending on the type you are looking for}.

Here are some in action:

studio 563

 

Chris Munton

 

Cara Mia Photography

 

Jen Lynne Photography

How cool is this with the cactus?

Dreamstine

 

Floret Cadet

 

Brooklyn Wedding Flowers

{via}

With the clocks springing forward this past weekend, it only seems fitting that today’s flower should help to represent the “spring” season we’ve all been so eagerly waiting for.  Daffodils, also referred to as Narcissus, are one of the first flowers to bloom in springtime and can be found between March and end of May {but if imported from Europe can be available as early as October}.  Because they are so readily available here in the US, they are also an inexpensive addition to your florals and decor.

One interesting fact I learned about these lovely blooms while doing my research is that Daffodils have sap which is toxic to other flowers, so it is recommended that you leave them in water on their own for at least 12 hours before mixing with other flowers and do not recut the stems. There is also specially formulated cut flower food available for mixing daffodils with other flowers.  I never would have thought that!

Daffodils are the symbol of new beginnings and friendship, and are available in over 25,000 varieties of yellow, white, orange and if you search hard enough, even a peachy pink.

Though not a common wedding flower, after some digging, I actually found some lovely inspiration that surprised me, and I’m of course excited to share with you today!  {And with the recent trend of bright yellows and muted grays, Daffodils are a perfect way to bring in that pop of color}.

Loving this DIY Daffodil Brunch from OnceWed…

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Tara Donne, Real Simple

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Jonas Peterson

Love this, mixed with the ranunculus…

Richard Kelly Photography

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James Walton Photography

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How about this DIY wedding bouquet from Creature Comforts…

{via}

Or these DIY Crepe paper daffodils…

Suzonne Stirling

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Here they are in the form of eco-friendly favors!

plantamemory.com

And in the invite suite…

oliostyle.com

etsy

Can’t forget the boutonnieres…

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Jen’s Blossoms

And in the cakes…

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London Cake Co.

How adorable is this ring bearer pillow from etsy!

Hey Miemie on Etsy

And look at these fluffy and textured Split Corona, or Butterfly Daffodils (daffodils in blush pink?  Yes please!!)…

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