What's bloomin' at Jen's Blossoms!

New Blog

2010-11-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

I made the switch over to Word Press. You can see new post at the link below!

http://www.jensblossoms.wordpress.com/

Engage!10: Video Highlights

2010-10-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

I don't quite have words yet to describe the event I just returned from. Over the top...mind blowing...inspiring...simply fabulous!

Last week I attended my very first Engage Wedding Summit at The Breakers in Palm Beach, FL. In looking back on what I experienced, I feel so blessed and I am in awe. To our hosts (The Breakers & Engaging Concepts), I say thank you. My life is forever changed. To our speakers (too many to list now, check out the link for the full list), you were inspiring, encouraging, and you challenged me to think bigger and to tweak things in my life and in my business.

Bruce Patterson of Cloud Nine Creative, Inc. put together a few same day/next day video edits for us. Here is a glimpse of Engage!10: The Breakers Wedding Summit.

Engage 10 {Day One} from Cloud Nine Creative on Vimeo.

Engage '10 {Day 2 + 3} from Cloud Nine Creative on Vimeo.

Thank you again Rebecca & Kathryn...it was magical!

2010 US Amateur Open

2010-10-02T19:02:00.000-07:00

In August my team and I had the incredible opportunity of working with Chambers Bay Golf Course on the 2010 US Amateur Open Championship. Our job: to provide the floral arrangements for the VIP hospitality tent and dining room.

The idea behind the design was to keep it natural using foliages, berries, branches and pods. I pulled in white and chocolate cymbidium orchids to add a bit of elegance. The containers were all square glass vases of varying sizes and all of them were filled with black rocks. Here are a few photos of the floral designs and the course out at Chambers:

Kathryn showing off our on-site work area.

Above is a photo of half the VIP tent dining table arrangements (left) and a close up of the arrangement (right). These arrangement doubled as centerpieces in the restaurant for a few evening dinner events.

One of the beverage station arrangement.

The large buffet arrangement.

4 inch cubes with single cymbidium orchids were on the tall cocktail tables as well as on the buffet.

The tent at sunset.

A view of the course from just outside the VIP tent.

Check This Out: Best of Western Washington

2010-09-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

Jen's Blossoms has been nominated as Best Florist in the King 5 Best of Western Washington Contest. We would be thrilled if you would take a moment and vote for Jen's Blossoms! Just click the link below or the button to the right. Thanks so much!

VOTE NOW!

Looking Back: August 2010 Part I

2010-09-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

This last August was an incredible month! Here are a couple events I worked on:

For this first one the colors were pale lavender and candy apple red. We brought in a range of purples and a pop of red with the flowers.

The brides bouquet; a mix of purple, lavender & red

The bridesmaid bouquets (left) were a mix of purple & lavender. For the maid of honor we added a pop of red.

Here are the bouquets for a purple and white wedding we did at a private residence overlooking Hood Canal:

Brides Bouquet: schwarzwalder and picaso mini callas with rhinestone detail on handle

Bridesmaids Bouquet: white roses, gerbera daisies & dahlias with purple lisianthus.

More August events to come!

Check This Out: Pantone

2010-09-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

New York Fashion Week just ended on September 16th and Pantone released their "Top 10 PANTONE Colors for women’s fashion chosen by New York designers for spring 2011"! I truly love this mix of colors and I am looking forward to seeing how these choices play out in the wedding and event industry.

Here are the colors! What are your favorites?

Honeysuckle, Russet & Coral Rose

Regatta, Peapod, Blue Curacao & Beeswax

Lavender, Silver Peony & Silver Cloud

My favorite combination? Honeysuckle, Beeswax & Silver Cloud definitely tops the list for me. To view the colors along with fashion sketches visit the Pantone website.

September Wedding Expo!

2010-09-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

The 11th & 12th brought wedding professionals back to the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall for the wedding expo put on by Brides Club. I worked with American Party Place again to decorate their booth.

Linen Choice: Ironwood Pintuck Table Cloths with Magenta Chair Ties

Flower Colors: Magenta & Bright Yellow

Flowers & Supplies Used: magenta garden roses, pink mini callas, magenta gerbera daisies, pink hydrangea, pink stock, yellow freesia, magenta & yellow satin ribbon, manzanita branches, glossy black curly willow, black rock, and a little yellow flat wire

Here are the designs I created for the show:

Check This Out: Brides Magazine 09/10

2010-09-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

I was recently looking through the September 2010 issue of Brides Magazine and when I came to the back page I loved what I saw. Of course I think that flowers topping a cake is simply lovely but part of me loves the tradition of using figurines to top the wedding cake. Below is the back page of the magazine. The figurines are made of paper and can be customized to match your hair, skin color, bouquet, outfits and more!

Brides Magazine, September 2010, Page 374

These particular figurines were made by an artist with a storefront on Etsy called Concarta.

A few other ideas mentioned in the article:

Cultural Symbols

Origami

Monogram

Art

Shells, Starfish, Sand Dollars

Crepe Paper Bouquet

Seedling Trees (plant them after the wedding)

The Land of Weddings: September

2010-09-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

School has started, there is a chill in the air and although I wish for just a bit more sunshine and warm weather I welcome the opportunity to curl up with a cup of java and catch up on the paperwork, review the summer season and dream a bit. I recently ran into a friend and we were chatting about how quickly the summer months flew by and yes, I was reminded that I didn't post anything in August. But sometimes that is how it goes. August was incredible and in the next month or so I will take you back to those events but right now I will highlight the 2 events I did on Labor Day weekend, September 4th & 5th.

The ceremony for the September 4th wedding took place at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church. The inside is beautiful and ornate so we just did a few pew swags at the front rows. Unfortunately I was unable to get a photo of these hanging inside. Below is a photo of the outside of Holy Rosary as well as the red orchid swags.

The reception took place at the Hotel Murano. We delivered the bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres to the hotel and set-up the ballroom.

Brides Bouquet: black bacccara roses, schwarzwalder mini callas, red mokara orchids, fern curls and dried lotus pods

Bridesmaids Bouquets: black baccara roses, schwarzwalder and red mini callas, fern curls and dried lotus pods

Boutonnieres

Mother's Corsage: designed on a keepsake pearl bracelet

Centerpieces: glass cylinders with black baccara roses and a floating candle

On the 5th I had the opportunity to work at Kensington Gardens. The colors were smoky blue and white so we brought in blue hydrangea and a variety of white flowers along with white ostrich feathers and peacock feathers.

Brides Bouquet: white asiatic lilies, white mini callas, white roses and stephanotis surrounded by white ostrich feathers.

Bridesmaid Bouquet: blue hydrangea, white asiatic lilies, white mini callas, white roses and peacock feathers.

The boutonnieres and corsages were accented with peacock feathers except for the grooms which had a white ostrich feather as an accent. The boutonnieres are shown below (left) as well as the corsages (right).

For the ceremony we used swags of blue hydrangea and peacock feathers at the ends of the rows and also draped white and navy tulle down the aisle.

Tulle draping with hydrangea swags

Aisle Swag: blue hydrangea and peacock feather

It was wonderful to be a part of these events. I wish much happiness to these beautiful couples.

The Land of Wedding: Highlights from July

2010-07-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

I worked with some incredible brides this past month at some spectacular venues. Jenni & Chris got married at Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo. Her bouquet was pink and white while her bridesmaids carried bouquets of hydrangeas ranging from green to purple to blue. It was a gorgeous day!

Brides bouquet of pink hydrangea, white freesia and stephanotis.
The bridesmaid bouquets: hydrangea, freesia, and white lisianthus.

Ivy bowl hung from shepherds hooks down the aisle and were later transferred to the reception tables.

I then got to work at Laurel Creek Manor in Sumner for Jessi & Nate's wedding. The color palette of white and purple popped against the natural setting. Nate is a football player so I created an arrangement for the head table in a football. It was so fun to be a part of this wedding!

Brides bouquet: white hydrangea, garden roses, white mini calla lilies, and purple freesia. Hand-tied with plaid ribbon.

Bridesmaid bouquets: lavender hydrangea, roses, and purple stock. Hand-tied with plaid ribbon.

The head table arrangement in a football!

To end the month I worked with Amy & John! It was such a joy to work with Amy. The day was beautiful. She chose bright colors for her flowers and it was perfect for the setting on Bainbridge Island.

Brides bouquet: green hydrangea, orange roses, yellow freesia, and pink gerbera daisies.

The centerpieces were 6 inch glass cubes lined with limes and topped with green hydrangea, orange roses, purple lisianthus, yellow freesia, and pink gerbera daisies.

Congratulations to my July Brides & Grooms! I wish you much happiness. Thank you for allowing me to share in part of you special day!

The Land of Weddings: Where the heck did June go?

2010-07-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to me how quickly time is passing. Already into July, working on events, and meeting with brides for next summer...yikes! I seriously am wondering what happened to June. The month seemed to fly by.

I did work on some pretty special events in June. The first was a memorial service for a friend's mother-in-law. I used shades of purple for the flowers and incorporated a beautiful hand-made paper from Paper Zone as vase wraps. The hand-made paper was also used on the programs for the service.

(click above to enlarge)

Next came an event at the Chapel on Echo Bay on Fox Island. The bride, Heidi, chose a color palette of blue and green and we brought in pale pink, yellow, and white for the flowers. The primary flower used was the gerbera daisy but I also used dahlias, stephanotis, hydrangea and tulips. In addition to the custom ribbon wrap on Heidi's bouquet I also added a necklace to to design. The necklace was a gift to the bride from her groom and it has very special meaning for both of them.
(click above to enlarge)

The end of the month brought a large Grand Opening event at the new retirement/assisted living facility in Gig Harbor; The Lodge @ Mallard's Landing. For the event I worked onsite to create an ice sculpture design and brought in several additonal arrangments to decorate the facility. It is a gorgeous building with incredible amenities. I wish the staff at The Lodge congratulations on a great event and much success!
(click above to enlarge)

Overall, June was a great month. I promise to fill you in on July before the month is over...there are some fun events ahead!

Happy Summer!

The Land of Weddings: Events from May

2010-06-26T22:44:00.001-07:00

I am having a hard time believing that we are almost done with June...yikes! I didn't get a chance to posted for May so I thought I would take the opportunity to look back at a couple of events that filled that month.

The first was for Kristin and Dave. What a great couple to work with. In a previous post I shared their inspiration board. Below you will find the designs I did for their wedding.

(click to enlarge)

I also had the opportunity to work with Alisa on her wedding to Enriko. A color palette of purple, white and hints of silver served as the inspiration for this event. Alisa's bouquet was made of white roses and purple tulips while the bridesmaids carried bouquets of varying purple flowers (stock, lisianthus, tulips) and white ranunculus. The bridesmaids bouquets were personalized using silver and rhinestone pins that could be removed and kept as a keepsake.

(click to enlarge)

It was a joy to work with these couples. I wish them much happiness, love & laughter!

The Land of Weddings: April

2010-04-27T12:18:00.001-07:00

April has flown by and I cannot believe we are just a few days away from May. It is definitely spring and I am loving it! This past month a little thing called a volcano erupted throwing a bit of a glitch in flower supply coming from the Netherlands. We are getting back on track though and planes are flying! Yay!

I have been working with a lovely couple on their upcoming wedding (it is this coming weekend) and I thought I would share the color palette and some flower choices. The bride loves hydrangeas so I am bringing in light green hydrangea and hopefully (depending on the volcano) some darker green hydrangea along with pale pink roses and million star gypsophilia. The bouquets will be finished with variegated greens and thick ivory satin ribbon.

(click to enlarge)

Photo credits: bridesmaid dress, green hydrangea, ivory ribbon, green and pink arrangements, glass bubble bowl, hydrangea and rose bouquet, pink roses, glass hurricane.

Out and About: Tulip Fields

2010-04-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I was able to take the afternoon and go with my family up to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival! I absolutely love the tulip fields...it takes my breath away and I am left in awe at the concentrated color and sheer volume of flowers.

We started at the Rooozengaarde Show Gardens and later visited some of the fields.

At Roozengaarde they had several colors of these giant multi-layered tulips. I am pictured above next to the red "miranda" variety and the photo below shows the pale pink "angelique" which I have to admit is now my favorite tulip!

I love the contrast (shown below) of the orangey-yellow tulip next to the deep almost black tulip.

In the fields:

Rows of purple (above)

Rows of pink (above)

I really like the purples and pinks but for me there is something so dramatic and impactful about the red and yellow fields...I just love them!

I am so happy to have made it up to see the fields this year. Thanks Mom, Dad, & Grandma for coming along...what a memory!

The Land of Weddings: March

2010-03-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

This past month seemed to fly by. I am having a hard time believing that tomorrow is the beginning of April! I am completely enjoying the process of meeting new brides and working with them to create the floral designs of their dreams. This next month I will begin to post some inspiration boards for the upcoming group of weddings...it is so exciting to see it all come together.

In March we welcome another wedding expo to our region. It was held this past weekend (March 27-28) at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall and was put on by Brides Club. I again worked with American Party Place to create the booth. We chose a palette of navy blue and yellow. They just received in these amazing yellow pintuck linens...love them! Below are my photos from the show.

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The Land of Weddings: February

2010-02-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

As a floral designer for weddings and events, my February has been filled with consultations (I love meeting new people and hearing their love stories), creating inspiration boards (I will share some of these down the road), and working up bids. This month I also created the bouquets for the wedding of my friend, Brady. He married an incredibly wonderful, sweet, fun girl (Kim) on February 13th. I am so happy I was able to celebrate with them!

For their wedding we chose to use silk blooms due to allergy concerns. Kim wanted hand-tied bouquets of red roses tied with sheer black with white polka dot ribbon. The overall look was elegant and classy with a punch of fun. (photo below)

As for this coming wedding season...I am truly looking forward to creating the flower designs for the couples I am working with. Their stories are so precious and the ideas so incredible. It is going to be a blast!

Flowers In The Media: The Olympics!

2010-02-19T20:40:00.000-08:00

I got excited as the Olympic Games kicked off in Vancouver just a week ago. I love the Olympics and this year loved seeing the bold bouquets given to the winners at the medal ceremonies. The bouquets are hand-tied and consist of bright green spider mums, green hypericum berries, lily grass and ti leaves.

As I was catching up on news this past week I took note of a Yahoo Sports article about the Olympic flowers. It is called "There's quite a story behind the Olympic flowers". I love that the flowers received attention and were featured on the Yahoo Sports Blog "Fourth Place-Medal". The designer of the bouquet is June Strandberg owner of Just Beginnings Flowers in Surrey, British Columbia. Margitta Schulz (owner of Margitta's Flowers in North Vancouver) helped June create the 1800 bouquets ordered for the 2010 Olympics.

Job well done June and Margitta. The bouquets are great!

Flowers In The Media!

2010-02-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

I logged onto yahoo.com earlier this evening and was clicking through the "Today" stories section and came across this article on flowers and florists. It is called "13 Things Your Florist Won't Tell You." This story is a spin on an article featured in Reader's Digest by the same title "13 Things Your Florist Won't Tell You."

Some of the points in the articles are very helpful and informative and some of the points are a little silly. To highlight a few points:

1. It is true that a lot of roses lack the distinct rose fragrance due to particular breeding methods.

2. Yes, we will recycle your vases for you!

3. It is definitely important to keep some varieties of flowers away from fruit!

I suppose my overall advice to you would be: shop local and don't be afraid to ask questions (most floral designers love to talk about flowers)!

A look back: Sharing My Passion!

2010-01-27T22:31:00.000-08:00

I was just looking through some old portfolio photos when I came across the photos below. They were taken during a session I was teaching on arranging a grocery store bouquet. This particular event was the Friday before Mother's Day and the local grocery store was running a special on bouquets (something like spend $10 and get a vase free).

I began with the buckets of bouquets (pictured above).

Then, I deconstructed them, separating out my flowers by flower variety and type (filler/focal).

For the arranging portion I made a hand-tied bouquet, cut the stems, and inserted the flowers into the vase (that was free with my purchase of flowers).

In the days following, I was fortunate enough to get feedback from the ladies, several of them had gained confidence through our session and had arranged flowers for their moms for Mother's Day!

I have been invited to share with other groups as well and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity. Through a bit of research, I learned that studies show living with flowers can increase compassion and kindness, chase away anxiety, and boost energy (according to a 2006 New Harvard Study)! For this reason I love to share my knowledge with those around me.

So treat yourself to a bouquet...consider it part of living healthy in this new year!

The Land of Weddings: January

2010-01-17T16:07:00.001-08:00

January in the land of weddings means wedding shows, expos, and open houses every weekend. As a wedding and event vendor, I get the opportunity to meet excited brides, proud mothers, and caring bridesmaids. I love hearing the incredible stories of "the proposal" and seeing all the creativity that emerges as a bride plans her special day.

On the first weekend of January I participated in the Brides Club Wedding Expo at the Tacoma Dome. I once again worked with American Party Place to decorate their booth with flowers. Our colors for the show were an iridescent crushed orange sunset linen, cardinal red, and black. I used green, white, and orange flowers accented with a variety of ribbons from May Arts. This hand-tied bouquet (above) is made up of white gerbera daisies, green spider mums, white mini calla lilies, green tea roses, and variegated lily grass.

The trio of glass cylinders (left) was on the buffet table. Each cylinder contains a bunch of one single type of flower: white tulips, orange roses, and bells of Ireland. The cylinder on the right is filled with blood oranges (I purchase most of the fruit I use in arrangements from Harbor Greens) and topped with an arrangement of green cymbidium orchids, green tea and orange roses, green spider mums, curly willow, seeded eucalyptus, and maidenhair fern.

The bouquet above consists of all green flowers: green spider mums, green tea roses, and bells of Ireland. I added silver and green bullion wire around the bouquet and with the black skeleton leaves that frame the bouquet. It is tied with reversible black and white polka dot ribbon.

A classic yet fun bouquet of orange roses, 2 types of orange spray roses and seeded eucalyptus is tied with green striped ribbon above.

The cake (above left) is topped with green cymbidium and green dendrobium orchids while the altar decor (above right) consists of 2 columns topped by arrangements of curly willow and green dendrobium orchids arching towards each other.

The aisle is swagged with iridescent crushed orange sunset linens and accented with a single green cymbidium orchid, beargrass, and reversible black and white polka dot ribbon.
Mindy with "whiteweddings" on etsy.com made an invitation to compliment our color scheme.
Thanks Mindy!

This past weekend I also visited the Seattle Wedding Show which was filled with great ideas and wonderful vendors. I was able to take photos in photo booths, have a flip book created from 7 seconds of film footage, and visit with some of the incredible people I get to work with on a regular basis!

Tacoma Museum of Glass, 11.28.09

2009-12-12T21:47:00.000-08:00

On November 28th I had the pleasure of creating the flowers for a wedding at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. The bride and groom share a love for succulents, fall, and white ostrich feathers. In the photos below these elements are represented.

The brides bouquet (above) was very soft in color. Peach mini calla lilies, cream roses with yellow undertones, velvety succulents, seeded eucalyptus, fern curls, curly willow, and berries. The bouquet was wrapped with thin bark and tied with velvet ribbon.

Each bridesmaid in the wedding wore a different dress so I made a different bouquet for each of them and they got to choose which one they wanted. The flowers I pulled from were: mango mini calla lilies, orange and yellow bi-color roses, orange freesia, red hypericum berries, fern curls, seeded eucalyptus, and preserved fall leaves. Like the brides bouquet, the handles were wrapped with thin bark and tied with velvet ribbon.

For the centerpieces, we elected to keep them all tall and in beautiful "flower tower" vases.

Half of the tables had centerpieces made up of curly willow and orange vanda orchids (above). I wired the orchids to the branches and also to longer pieces of brown bullion wire (by Smithers Oasis). I hung the strands of orchids from the branches.

The other half of the tables had centerpieces of white ostrich feathers and red james storei orchids (below). The white ostrich feather holds special meaning for the bride and groom of this wedding as they purchased one on their first date.

What a pleasure to share in part of this memorable day. Congrats to a beautiful couple!

Persimmons, Crab Apples, Pods & More...

2009-11-30T19:52:00.000-08:00

On a beautiful fall evening this past month I had the opportunity to create a series of arrangements for a very special dinner party. The photos and descriptions are below. I thoroughly enjoyed shopping for this event and seeing the vision of my designs come to life.

The above arrangement was located in the family room and carried a more rustic elegant feel. Curly willow, millet, and seeded eucalyptus made up the base of the arrangement while Chinese lanterns and persimmons added playfulness to the spider mums, roses, and berries.

This small arrangement was made for the main bath. Seeded eucalyptus, millet, and dark greens showcased the cherry brandy roses and dried lotus pod.

I put together a trio of arrangements for the kitchen counter/buffet area. Each glass cylinder is wrapped with dark papyrus bark paper from The Paper Zone and finished with chocolate brown velvet ribbon. The smallest arrangement consists of antique hydrangea and seeded eucalyptus while the middle is a simple mix of gerbera daisies and Chinese lanterns. The largest of the trio is made up of dark greens, yellow dogwood branches, red berries, and cherry brandy roses.

Showcased in the formal living room, this arrangements gets its height from the yellow dogwood branches, leucadendron, and dark millet. The arrangement is anchored by antique hydrangeas, red berries, dried lotus pods, and seeded eucalyptus. Cherry brandy roses, orange tulips and green hanging amaranthus add a pop to the overall look.

On the dining room table cherry brandy roses, red spray roses, red mini calla lilies, leucadendron, orange tulips, and crab apples accented a base of green hanging amaranthus, seeded eucalyptus, and dark greens while curly willow looped gracefully around the arrangement.

Chapel on Echo Bay, Fox Island

2009-11-24T21:44:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful time working with Matt & Madelene on their October wedding. It was a perfect fall day at the Chapel on Echo Bay, Fox Island.

The brides bouquet (below) consisted of terracotta roses, black baccara roses, red mini calla lilies, purple lisianthus, and mixed greens. It was hand-tied with a red crinkle ribbon and accented with white lacing.

The bridesmaids bouquets (below) were made up of red freedom roses, black baccara roses, purple lisianthus, orange alstromeria, and mixed greens. They were hand-tied with the same red crinkle ribbon.

In addition to boutonniere and corsages we made up an altar piece (below). The arrangement was anchored in a bronze metal container and contained curly willow, burgundy snapdragons, roses, purple lisianthus, red mini calla lilies and mixed greens.

Matt & Madelene also chose to give their mothers a keepsake from the wedding day and had their corsages made up on pearl bracelets.

Best Wishes and Congratulations Matt & Madelene!

Enchanted Forest: Purples, Moss, Ferns & Fairies

2009-11-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

(click photo to enlarge)

Just a few photos from this event. I worked with A Greater Plan Wedding and Events on this wedding. The setting out at Rock Creek Gardens was a perfect.

The bouquets were wrapped with moss and deep purple ribbon. The brides bouquet was a base of green hydrangea, lavender roses, purple lisianthus, sword fern and fern curls while the bridesmaids bouquets were simple posies of white dahlias, purple lisianthus, tree and sword fern, and fern curls.

The reception tables were topped with iron trees from Rented Elegance. I attached seeded eucalyptus to the branches of the trees. There was also a seeded eucalyptus garland attached to the gazebo structure where the ceremony took place.

Purple, Plum, & Peacock Feathers!

2009-09-30T22:07:00.001-07:00

September 12-13 was the Tacoma Wedding Expo put on by Brides Club. I once again teamed up with American Party Place to decorate their booth with flowers.

We chose a linen palette of black and champagne with teal and purple accents. For the flowers I used purple and plum flowers with mini pomegranates and peacock feathers.

(click photo to enlarge)
Description (by column starting at top left):
Left: glass cylinder with purple lisianthus and peacock feathers; white urn with manzanita branches in a base of moss. Glass jars with tealights hang from the branches.

Middle: bouquet of dark purple mini calla lilies, lavender roses, hellebore, purple tulips, and peacock feathers; centerpiece of mixed purple flowers and peacock feathers in glass cube lined with hand-made paper; bouquet of million star gypsophilia (baby's breath).

Right: arrangement atop a tall cylinder consisting of bells of ireland, red hanging amaranthus, peacock feathers, lavender roses, purple tulips, and ivy; hand-tied bouquet of blue hydrangea, lavender roses, dark purple mini calla lilies, mini pomagranates, and peacock feathers; bubble bowl filled with carnations and lined with hand-made paper.

Kensington Gardens, August 2009

2009-09-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

In August we did a wedding at Kensington Gardens in Gig Harbor. The grounds are impeccable with fountains and lush green lawns and the indoor facility is elegant and traditional.

We worked with a color scheme of black, white, and red. Using black beauty and red freedom roses, white asiatic lilies, white roses, stephanotis, and mini red carnations.

The brides bouquet was consisted of black beauty and red freedom roses dotted with rhinestones. The bridesmaids carried posies of white lilies, white roses, and stephanotis dotted with red rhinestones that complimented their dresses.
For the ceremony the aisle was lined with pomanders made of red mini carnations. The gazebo structure was decorated with a garland of greenery, red fabric, and roses.

The sun was shining, the bride was radiant, and the event showed all the signs of being romantic, fun, and memorable. Congratulations to a beautiful couple!

Hot Pink & Navy Blue at Lakewold Gardens

2009-09-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Late July at Lakewold Gardens was beautiful. I had so much fun working with Sara on her wedding! What a great color scheme of navy blue and hot pink...perfect for gerbera daisies.

For the bridal bouquet I used white gerbera daisies, cream roses, and stephanotis with rhinestone pins. Sara's bridesmaids carried hot pink gerbera daisies and cream roses tied with a navy blue ribbon. For the boutonnieres, I paired a mini gerbera daisy with lily grass and then accented it with the navy ribbon. The garden setting was the perfect back drop for the cylinder centerpieces filled with grass and hot pink gerbera daisies. The base of the cylinder was finished with hot pink and navy ribbon from
May Arts.

Congratulations Sara and Shaun!

Summer Weddings 2009

2009-09-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

Britt and Tony got married at Steilacoom Town Hall in July. Their overall color scheme was sunset. For Britt's bouquet (below) I used sunset lilies, mango calla liles, red sunflowers, white dendrobium orchids and lily grass.

For the bridesmaids I used the red sunflowers, sunset lilies, and white dendrobium orchids hand-tied with and orange/red ribbon.

Also in July, Mark & Jessica got married in Cle Elum, WA. For their wedding I brought in a black and white polka dot ribbon from May Arts and I carried that throughout the wedding, tying the bouquets and napkins.

Jessica's bouquet (above) consisted of white roses, black painted lily grass, and black skeleton leaves.

Mark's boutonniere (above), was a white rose, black skeleton leaf, and a pop of polka dot ribbon.

One the tables I floated an open white rose in a large bubble bowl that had pale pink and black glass rocks in the bottom. The cutlery was rolled in black napkins and tied with the polka dot ribbon.

Mindy & Patrick, July 3, 2009

2009-08-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

My very good friend Mindy married a wonderful man named Patrick on July 3, 2009 at Pioneer Park Pavillion in Puyallup. She chose the color scheme of watermelon, black, white, and a touch of lime green.

For the flowers the main emphasis was gerbera daisies in hot pink and white but I also pulled in roses, dahlias, mini calla lilies, green hypericum berries, and beargrass.

Pink, green, and white striped grosgrain ribbon (by May Arts) finished off the bouquets.

Mindy (right) and I
photo courtesy of Ashley Schultz

Head table arrangement: pink gerberas, pink roses, dahlias, mini calla lilies, and hypericum berries in a base of cut limes.

The Bouquets
photo courtesy of Ashley Schultz

Tall glass cylinders filled with limes anchored the bar (above)
Short glass cylinders filled with limes decorated the escort card table (below)

Large bubble bowls with lime slices and floating pink gerbera daisies served as the centerpeices for the guest tables.

Bridesmaid Bouquet (white), Brides Bouquet (pink)
photo courtesy of Ashley Schultz

Mindy decorated her own cake! Varied shades of green fondant rolled to resemble flower stems with mini pink gerbera daisies decorating the top of each tier!

Photographer Ashley Schultz snapped a photo of me with all the bouquets...thanks Ashley!

Congratulations Mindy & Patrick, it was a beautiful day!

June 2009 Events

2009-08-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

It has been a little while since I have updated, but here are a few shots from this past summer. It was a great season and I am looking forward to the events coming up this fall. More photos to come!

Color scheme of deep purple, bright green, and white
Event location: Trophy Lake Golf and Casting

Brides Bouquet: white mini calla lilies, purple lisianthus, green hydrangea, green hypericum berries, and white dahlias.

Bridesmaid Bouquet: Green hydrangea and white lisianthus.

Grooms Boutonniere: White mini calla lily with green hypericum berries

Additional Boutonnieres: Green button mums with beargrass.

Centerpiece 1: Tall glass cylinders with purple lisianthus anchored in green grass.

Centerpiece 2: Green spider mum in a small bubble bowl.

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Color scheme: Sea Glass (light blue, green , white)
Event location: Inn at Gig Harbor

Brides Bouquet: Light blue hydrangea, white lisianthus, green cymbidium orchids and beargrass.

Altar/Head Table Arrangements: Light blue hydrangea, roses, green cymbidium orhcids, white dendrobium orchids and beargrass sit atop a tall glass cylinder filled with sea glass.

Bridesmaids Bouquets: Light blue hydrangeas, green cymbidium orchids, and beargrass.

May Weddings

2009-05-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

The first wedding was a color scheme of green and white.
This wedding was at Tacoma's Landmark Convention Center
in the roof garden ballroom and deck overlooking
the Puget Sound and Mt. Rainier.

Brides Bouquet: white phalaenopsis and green cymbidium orchids, green and white hydrangea, white tulips and lily grass.

The roof garden deck with a view of Mt. Rainier in the distance was set for the ceremony. Pomanders of green button mums hung from the chairs.

3-tiered square cake from Celebrity Cake Studio was decorated with green cymbidium orchids.

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I also did a pink and white wedding this past month. The main flower used was stargazer lilies.

Brides Bouquet: stargazer lilies, pink roses and beargrass.

Maid of Honor & Bridesmaids:
stargazer liles, white roses and beargrass.

Centerpieces: large bubble bowl with a single stargazer lily.

Altar: 2 arrangements (one on each side) of stargazer lilies, roses, spray roses, white hydrangea, white stock, bells of ireland, lily grass and variegated greens.

Cherry Blossoms

2009-05-01T10:52:00.001-07:00

The cherry trees in my front yard are in full bloom right now. They are so beautiful and I love that the blossoms are the promise of sweet fruit through the summer. Here are a few photos of the trees as well as a simple centerpiece idea.

Glass cylinder with a single branch tucked inside.

This is the small vase I keep on my desk. Perfect for a cluster of cherry blossoms!

April 25th Wedding

2009-05-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

The wedding colors were deep magenta, pale yellow, and silver.
The bride and groom wanted a very soft, romantic, spring look.

So I used peonies, tulips, narcissus cheerfulness, lisianthus, sweetpeas, waxflower, and ivy.

Brides Bouquet: peony, sweetpea, lisianthus, tulips & trailing ivy

Bridesmaids: their dresses were magenta so we focused on the pale yellow for their bouquets

Grooms Boutonniere: tulips, waxflower, & ivy

Groomsmen & Others Boutonniere: cream lisianthus with waxflower and ivy

March 3, 2009 Wedding

2009-04-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

The bride carried light blue hydrangea, yellow daffodils, yellow mini daffodils (narcissus), and silver painted beargrass.

The bridesmaids bouquets echoed the brides bouquet but smaller and with only the hydrangea and full size daffodils.

The candleabras and pew ends had swags of hydrange and daffodils with ruscus and silver satin ribbon.

Boutonnieres: 2 mini daffodils with looped silver grass and a satin silver ribbon.

Corsages: light blue hydrangea and yellow freesia with a silver satin ribbon.

Tacoma Spring Wedding Expo!

2009-04-02T14:56:00.001-07:00

This wedding expo, American Party Place provided a beautiful booth bursting with color and personality. The linens they chose were ocean, silver, and white. Jen's Blossoms brought in floral accents of orange with a bit of fuchsia, green, and white to compliment the linens.

The centerpiece above has 3 varieties of orange roses, fuchsia spray roses, kumquats on the branch, privet berries, and magnolia leaves. Below is a top view on the centerpiece.

Flower tower (above) filled with kumquats and topped with white phalaenopsis orchids and lily grass.

A bouquet of orange roses and mini calla lilies tied with an orange striped ribbon.

A glass cylinder (above) is filled with kumquats surrounding a pillar candle and topped with an arrangement of roses, bells of Ireland, magnolia leaves, and curly willow.

Hand-tied bouquet of orange roses, green cymbidium orchids, ti leaves, and beaded flowers.

Here a white urn (above) is filled with a spray of curly willow nestled in a base of moss, roses, magnolia leaves, and kumquats.

Green cybmidium orchids float in a bubble bowl.

The glass cube filled with kumquats is the perfect accent to these mini calla lilies and ti leaves.

Wedding Trends 2009 Symposium

2009-03-16T12:32:00.001-07:00

March 8th was the 2009 Wedding Trends Symposium at Washington Floral Service. The day brought many helpful tips, introduction to some new products, cool design ideas, and yes, snow! Here are photos of a few designs that top designer Loann Burke, AIFD, PFCI showed us.

Loann holding a "cascade bouquet", the cascade in this bouquet is the beargrass handle.

A trio arrangement (below) with daisies. The colored floral foam cubes look like cut fruit. Cantaloupe, honeydew, and pineapple!

A delicate cascading bridal bouquet (below left) complete with bustle flowers (below right). Martha Stewart Weddings Fall 2008 also showed bustle flowers although theirs were done with ribbon/fabric flowers.

Loann showing us a presentation bouquet of monstera leaves, burgundy ti leaves, cymbidium orchids, calla lilies, leucadendron, and gold glittered branches.

A close up of the above presentation bouquet.

Finally Loann showed us a tall arrangement with submerged hydrangea, river rocks, and a floating candle topped with an extravagant display of white and green flowers.

Socks & Onesies Bouquet!

2009-02-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

I was invited to a friends baby shower recently and was looking for a unique gift that would reflect me...I stumbled across these adorable arrangements of baby clothes folded and rolled to look like flowers. How perfect! I decided to try and make one myself. Here is how it turned out. I love it and I am sure there will be more of these made in the future!

This bouquet was for a baby boy. What you cannot see is that the handle of the bouquet is wrapped in chocolate brown ribbon and tied with a bow.

Winter, Spring, & Something In Between!

2009-02-17T15:50:00.000-08:00

Signs of Spring are popping up around the Northwest but still winter lingers with the occasional snow shower.

I couldn't help but take a photo of these tulips in the lingering snow...such a contrast, winter meets spring.

For Valentines Day this year I kept things pretty traditional (usually I am striving to find a new way to present red roses) but I was feeling a bit nostalgic for classic design. A display of red roses, baby's breath, and leather leaf fern. I got beautiful Black Bacarra roses, Million Star (baby's breath) and an awesome pink/red/white striped sheer ribbon.

Classic and playful!

January Wedding Expo

2009-01-31T17:16:00.000-08:00

So I decided to kick off my blog with some shots of the Tacoma Wedding Expo this past month. I exhibited with American Party Place (they do event rentals) and we had such a great time. Here is a photo (left) of me and Loree from American Party Place. Our colors were red and a minty aqua...such a stunning contrast...so vibrant!

I tried to work in a variety of designs at different price points. American Party Place supplied the vases and containers and I took it from there. I used red gerbera daisies with dark centers, red anemones, red hybrid ranunculus, red carnations massed together, and red mokara dendrobium orchids to contrast the variety of white flowers including peonies, hydrangea, anemones, freesia, cymbidium orchids, and dendrobium orchids.

Left: 3 red gerbera daisies "planted" in wheatgrass all inside a tall cylinder vase with a grosgrain ribbon wrap around the base.

Right: A floating candle in a glass cylinder surrounded by a wreath of white flowers including: peonies, cymbidium orchids, anemone, and freesia.

Below: A hand-tied bouquet of peonies, anemone, and freesia wrapped with a striped grosgrain ribbon and tied with a bow.

Left: Tall cylinder filled with aqua colored water and topped with an arrangement of curly willow, monstera leaves, hydrangea, and orchids.

Right: Bubble bowl lined with custom paper and then topped with a mass of red carnations.

The tented booth!

Check back for new posts about the latest event trends, new ideas,
and my adventures in floral design!
till next time...