Garden of Preston

Leave it to Preston Bailey to make such a wonderful centerpiece in the center of a table, a "tabletop garden". How cool would this be as your guest book table centerpiece? We could modify it to any flowers and colors, maybe incorporate some moss and river rock even. Very organic, earthy, yet classy and very beautiful. I would love to do this for you... Call me and we'll talk.

Photos from PrestonBailey.blogspot.com

Por Favor

I came accross a wonderful website today that I thought I would share with you all. http://www.papermart.com/ It has some wonderfully inexpensive favor boxes, tins, and much more. If you are still wondering what you can do as a favor for your wedding guests, then do yourself a favor and check this site out for some wonderful ideas.

ALOE lujah

I love succulents! I love them for my patio, I love them for my kitchen windowsill, but how about a little succulent & orchid combo seen here for a wedding centerpiece. Wouldn't this be a wonderful earthy & long lasting centerpiece, especially here in warm & sunny Arizona? I would love to see this on a chocolate satin tablecloth. Or for a big splash of color on a bright magenta tablecloth. WOW! For you non flower & plant people out their, succulents are water retaining plants. They store large amounts of water in their leaves & stems. The storage of water often gives succulent plants a more swollen or fleshy appearance than other plants. Perfect for our desert climate.

Calling all brides....

Brides love the Bridal Fashion Debut. This awesome bridal expo is going to be held in just a few more months. Ladies, time to mark your calendars for Saturday January 10th and Sunday January 11th. Come see all that there is to offer at the Phx Convention Center. My booth will be located right accross from the David's Bridal booth and not too far from the Azteca Wedding Plaza. What a perfect way to come out and meet me, see some of my personal work, ask questions, register for free give aways, and enjoy all that the Bridal Fashion Debut has to offer. I am very excited as this will be my very first time participating in a bridal fair. Don't miss it. For more info go to: http://www.bridalfashiondebut.com/

Summer Weddings: Top Tips for Summer Flowers

I took this from theknot.com as it was a great article about summer flowers....... However, the photo to the left is my summer wedding work. It was a tropical themed wedding done poolside at the Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center. My bride also had a steel drum band and a lei for the minister. It was great! Here is some great advice for summer weddings.

We talked to top florists to get tips on how to keep your summer wedding flowers fresh.

Choose hearty flowers
Opt for flowers that will stay fresh throughout the entire day. Look for ones with a waxy texture to ensure staying power. Hawaiian blooms, such as orchids, are a great option (check out cymbidium and dendrobium orchids). Ginger halcyons, birds-of-paradise, tiger lilies, and even roses will champion high temperatures too. Buying local flowers is another way to go; blooms that are in season in your area will more likely survive a long day in a bouquet. Check with your florist to see which ones will work for your venue.

Maintain your blooms
When it comes to wedding flowers, the higher the temperature, the more upkeep they'll require. Have them delivered the day of the wedding and make sure there's a refrigerator on-site to store them before the ceremony starts. Also, be mindful of your flowers during photography sessions. When your photographer isn't snapping away, have a friend or bridesmaid hold your bouquet in a shady spot, or place it in a vase of cool water. If your blooms will be exposed to the summer heat for an extended amount of time, keep a spray water bottle on hand and give your flowers a light misting every hour or so. Summer brides -- beware of oversized bouquets. A smaller, hand-tied bouquet will hold up in the heat better than a full, cascading one.

Opt for bright and bold colors
For the color of your flowers, check out which flowers will be in bloom around your ceremony and reception site, and consider bold versions of those hues. For an outdoor or semiformal wedding, think violet, hot fuchsia, mango, magenta, and green. Wine colors and deeper shades are appropriate for formal weddings, like dark red roses or deep purple lilies. When it comes to casual weddings, sunflowers are a great option since you only need a few to create a vibrant pop of color.

Choose the right centerpieces
You have plenty of summer centerpiece arrangements to choose from. If you're having a formal ballroom wedding, go for tall vases overflowing with a mix of bold and deep-hued flowers accented with feathers or gems. To create a modern vibe, display monochromatic green, orange, or even yellow blooms in clear Lucite containers. For an outdoor wedding, consider wooden containers filled with colorful, locally grown flowers. During the cocktail hour, daisies in simple Mason jars will perk up the space. Or look into potted centerpieces so guests can take them home as favors.

Fleuroscope

Today is my birthday, so what better way to celebrate than to share with you the floral horoscope for August. Click the link below to read yours:

http://www.teleflorist.com/FLOWERBLOG/post/Flower-horoscopes-for-August.aspx


I'm a leo or a Sunflower according to Teleflora here is mine:
Leo: July 23- Aug. 22 / Flower: Sunflower

There's something you've been talking about doing for several months, maybe even years. Now is the time for action. If you need help, ask and you will receive. Meanwhile, be sure to savor the rest of summer: outdoor concerts, picking flowers from your garden, a day at the beach.

Silk vs. Fresh flowers

Gone are the days when silk flowers were only for home decor. Now in the new millinium of floral design, silk flowers are made to look as real as possible. Many brides are now asking, can I do silk vs. fresh? I say, YES! Especially, here in Arizona, when weddings are not a common event in the middle of the summer. However, I suggest using the highest quality silk flowers possible. This way they look real and photograph more naturally. Most importantly your wedding guests will be asking, "Are those real?" The great thing about silk is that they will look great and last throughout the entire wedding, even in 115 degree weather. Matter of fact, they will last forever. Which saves you money getting your bouqet freeze dried and preserved. Now that I gave you the pros on silk, let me give you the cons. Silk does not mean cheap. Most high quality silks can run $5-$20 per stem, which is just as costly or in some cases, even more so than fresh flowers. The other con is that there is no scent, and they are made of plastic/silk/wire/etc... There is no right or wrong type of flower that you choose. Do what is best for your situation. I have even done some weddings that had fresh flowers for the bouquets and boutonnieres, yet opted to do silk flowers for the centerpieces. It worked out wonderfully!

Pictured above: Silk bouquet of white lilies, purple hyacinth, hydrangeas, and fillers. Photo provided by: Ever After Floral Creations

Pictured above top: Silk stem of candied cherry blossoms is tall clear vase. Photo provided by: Event Essentials & Ever After Floral