November Wedding 2017

Trying to come up with the "perfect" title for this blog post is difficult.  So I have opted to keep it simple and to the point. 

This wedding was large, elegant and I worked closely with some of the best wedding vendors in the Shenandoah Valley.  Most of whom I have worked with many, many times- even have enlisted their services for my own wedding in 2012. 

The setting for this wedding was at the gorgeous, historic George Washington Hotel in downtown Winchester, VA.   The Ballroom doubled as the Ceremony location with its focal point mantle decorated with candles and flowers in blush and ivory.   This mantle is one of the easiest (in my opinion) to decorate- it is large enough and wide enough to allow for a variety of design and decor options. 

The Bride requested a cascade in soft blush and ivories, touches of burgundy, and a accents of silver foliage. 

Dahlias were the focal point of the bouquet.  Dahlias are extremely popular in the fall, especially for weddings.  As a designer, I tend to handle dahlias with care.  I was so worried I was going to receive bent petals, popped off heads, or other dahlia-dilemmas...they can be really tricky to work with when you want every petal to be perfect.  Thankfully all shipments came in flawless and the 'Cafe Au Lait' dahlias were gorgeous- 

The Bridal party wore navy dresses in various styles with coordinating bouquets of blush, burgundy, and silver foliage.  Here is one of the bouquets in progress : 

I design almost every hand tied bouquet in the European style- meaning once I am finished it can literally stand on it's own because of the rotation of the stems. 

The Bridal party :

 


The Ceremony:

One of the personal touches this couple incorporated was their love of travel and all the places they have been.  On the place card table in the Lobby, luggage tags were used to send guests to a location themed table in the ballroom. 

The reception tables were decorated with similar elevated arrangements sitting on water filled pilsner shaped vases.  Due to the scale of the arrangements and weight, transportation and placement on the reception tables took place after the guests had exited the ballroom. 

The reception arrangements required a separate delivery trip and assembly in the staging area adjacent to the ballroom:

 This is called a room"flip".  By and far, the banquet staff and wedding coordinators made the transition seamless. The reception: 

It was a wonderful wedding and a huge shout out to all the vendors for the phenomenal work:

The George Washington Hotel, Amy VanMeter Events, Julie Napear Photography, 

The DJ Connection, An Affair To Remember Videography, The Lucky Cakery,

SAS Studio

Ultra Violet and all the various shades I love

"Ultra Violet" is Pantone's 2018 color of the year, but let's face it- Purple and its various shades have been gaining popularity for some time.  It is a versatile color family and flattering to everyone.  Literally I have never seen a shade of purple I do not like.   So let's look at the all the pretty hues !

Purples + Green 

(Julie Napear Photography)

Purple + Lavender

 

 

Purple + Red

Teal is No problem where Purple is concerned!

 

(Photo credit Regan Mongold)

Purple+ Yellow for those who like bold combos

Orange + Purple in the same flower!  

Every Shade between Purple and Lavender yet two totally different bouquets

Red+Purple+Blue

Shades of Purples + Plums for a Vineyard Wedding

Veramar Vineyards, Photo Credit: Rob Holley Productions

This wedding featured bridesmaids wearing all different hues of Purple.  The bouquets were the unifying factor. 

Pink+Purple+ Lavender + Blue = SPRING

Photo Credit : Amanda Gilley Photography

Rosemont Manor 

and THE incorporation of "Ultra Violet" + supporting colors: 

Photo Credit Sam Stroud Photography

I am really looking forward to seeing what gorgeous combinations happen in 2018 and beyond!

A bouquet divided

One of my weddings this past weekend had a unique request concerning the bridal bouquet-

The bride wanted to carry the bouquet down the aisle, but upon reaching the altar wanted to split it in half so each of the junior bridesmaids would hold it during the ceremony.

This is actually trickier than it sounds as I design the bouquet in my hand, european style, so each stem is rotated around the center.  Normally, this style will allow the bouquet to stand perfectly upright if  placed on a solid surface, only balancing on the stem ends:

I was able to design two seperate bouquets and combine them with a mostly seamless appearance.   I would not suggest this for every wedding due to the level of difficulty in making two bouquets appear as one.  Not all combinations of flowers will allow this "blending" of two bouquets.  This instance I was very pleased with the result: 

 Finished bouquet underside

Side one

 Side Two

Whole Bouquet : 

DIY Wedding Flower Budget

The number one question I am asked is about budget.  How much will the flowers cost?  This is hard to answer because there are literally thousands of combinations of flower varieties which contribute to total cost.   However, I can make a few suggestions based on many of the weddings I have done over the years.
To give you an idea of what controls your floral budget I have an equation below to illustrate:

Venue(s) + Time of year + Bridal Party Size + Guest Count = Quantity/Cost of Flowers needed

Example 1:

Church ceremony + Hotel reception + May + 300 guests = $2000+
Garden ceremony + Tent Reception + May +300 guests = $1500+

The difference between the two equations above is the locations.  With outdoor weddings in May, most outdoor plants will be in bloom creating a colorful backdrop to your wedding day and possibly eliminating the need for additional arrangements outside.   Have the same outdoor wedding in March, October, November (and possibly September) and you will need the addition of fresh flowers to add color to muted outdoor backgrounds.

Example 2:

Justice/Court house ceremony + 15 guests + Any Month < $200

With a court house ceremony only the bare minimum is needed, a bouquet, a boutonniere and sometimes corsages and boutonnieres for your guests.

The bigger the ceremony and reception location is usually in line with needing a bigger budget.
Again there are so many different variables that each wedding comes to a different amount needed for the budget.

To help (again, this is to help you estimate your budget and is not the final amount you may or may not spend on wedding flowers) I have put together a google spreadsheet with multiple budget options available:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M2TqR5RIDXhfDmMFp3ZKTfDhqpF_udxtHGdZpiCaM7Q/edit?usp=sharing

It should automatically calculate the subtotal for you.  Delivery and setup fees vary with each wedding depending on how much is transported, how many vehicles/employees are needed and how far the flowers have to travel.

This is the first time I have ever published an interactive worksheet to help brides calculate wedding costs.  I would love any and all feedback so that I can add more worksheets in the future or make the necessary changes to this one.

Happy Planning!

2017 Pantone Color : Greenery

Apple, Avocado, Grass, Granny Smith, Artichoke...just a few names that come to mind when looking at this color.  (Yes, I am writing this close to lunchtime- hence the food names)  Green can be a great platform for colorschemes when it comes to weddings.   This particular shade will accent and brighten many colors including purples and pinks.

Purple + Green

 

Pink + Green

 

And even Blue + Green

There are many different color combinations beyond what I posted here.  This is just the beginning.  

I am really excited to see this fun and vibrant color incorporated into weddings this year!