Rose of Sharon, Event Florist

Rustic Romance at Pratt Barn

2012-01-23T13:02:00.000-06:00

Bride's Bouquet

We started 2012 with a beautiful wedding held at Pratt Place Barn. Peonies, Hydrangeas, tulips, roses, wax-flower and baby's breath in rustic containers and vintage jars ... ivory linens with burlap runners...soft, romantic, vintage, BEAUTIFUL! The shop smelled wonderful for days.

Bridesmaid's Bouquet-this might be one
of my favorite bouquets ever.

Groom's Boutonniere

Head Table. The lace overlay MADE
this setting.

Centerpiece. 1 of 5 designs.

Location: Pratt Place Barn

Catering/Planning/Rentals: Kruton's Catering

Junior League Winter Dreams Tour of Homes 2011

2011-12-13T12:31:00.000-06:00

Our friends at Magnolia Gardens invited us to decorate the Sun Room for the Junior League 'Winter Dreams' Tour of Homes.

Spread a little JOY with button mums.

Our Floral Puppy was quite a hit.

All of our tables were decorated with fresh flowers.
This table included rose-bud 'ornaments and floral 'packages.'

Baby's Breath and vintage wrapped packaged ... with a little JOY.

The historic, and working' well in the Sun Room
was decorated with a custom silver pine cone wreath.
Next to the well stood a table filled with mercury glass,
white flowers, Christmas foliage and candles.

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PS-we're still taking orders for Christmas arrangements.

Call us today! 479-973-0588

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Linens were provided by InTents Party Rentals.

Holiday Gift Wrapping Services!

2011-11-30T09:36:00.001-06:00

The 'Hustle & Bustle' of the Holiday Season sometimes takes away from our time to gather with friends & family to celebrate.... This year, make time for Holiday Cheer by letting us "Wrap Up Your Holidays" in style!

The Rose of Sharon Event Florist

Gift Wrapping Services!!!

We offer any style of wrapping to fit your requests! Whether you have an exact idea in mind, or want us to create the idea for you, we will create the perfect wrapped art to go with your perfect gift! Call us today to schedule your wrapped art at (479) 973-0588 or email us at contact.roseofsharon@gmail.com.

Classic / Unique / Trendy
No project too big or too small
Personal & Holiday Gift Wrapping
Corporate Gift Wrapping

Base Pricing Starting At:
Small:            $4.00 & Up      (5"x5"x3")
Medium:         $7.00 & Up    (10"x10"x5")
Large:            $10.00 & Up    (12"x12"x 5")
X-Large*:       $14.00 & Up    (16"x16"x6")
         *All larger items will be custom quoted

Materials Included in Base Prices Above:

Standard Paper
Standard Ribbon & Bow
Basic Gift Tag

Premium Additions:

Boxes for irregular shaped items
Premium foil paper
Eco-Friendly paper
Custom Created Bows
Custom & Premium Gift Tags
Ornaments and Silk Floral Stems
Decorative Gift Boxes (no paper)

Pick up OR Delivery Services Available:

$0.75/ mile (from Drake Field in Fayetteville) - Minimum $10.00
You may drop off or pick up your packages at any scheduled time!

2 day service is standard turnaround time, however expedited services are available. Call us today to schedule your pick up or drop off at (479) 973-0588 or email us at contact.roseofsharon@gmail.com.

Happy Holidays!

Photo Credits www.pintrest.com/althea_wiles/gift-wraps

Vintage Autumn Wedding

2011-11-21T06:17:00.001-06:00

This bride chose soft, romantic colors for her October wedding. The pallet included shades of peach, plum, ivory, and golds.

The best part of the wedding was the surprise bouquet party where each of the attendants created their own bouquet using flowers picked by the bride. As you can see, they had a great time!

Ceremony Location: Central United Methodist Church

Reception Location: UArk Ballroom

Carnations and Baby's Breath...bet you've never seen them like this!

2011-10-26T11:56:00.002-05:00

I'm in love with carnations this year! Earlier this month we worked with a bride from Texas on this white and green wedding. The combination of Dendrobium Orchids, Baby's Breath, Bear Grass and Carnations turned out beautifully. Check out the foliage 'bows' we created for the ceremony and reception, as well.

Ceremony Location: Mildred B Cooper Chapel, Bella Vista

Reception Location: Bella Vista Country Club

What the bride had to say: You will never go wrong using Rose of Sharon! Althea went above and beyond and made our ceremony absolutely beautiful! We had rave reviews on our decorations of the chapel, of the reception at the Bella Vista, Country Club, of the bouquets, boutonnieres and all the flowers. Aletha even went above and beyond and delivered candles to the reception that got lost in the shuffle! The wedding party told me how friendly and helpful she was, even making a boutonniere for someone she thought should have one! We can't brag big enough on Rose of Sharon!!!! We recommend them to all!!!!

Summer Bride at Pratt Place Barn

2011-10-18T15:22:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite places to work is Pratt Place in Fayetteville, where this beautiful bride held her August wedding.

photo by Scott Plauche Photography

Bridal Bouquet

Attendant's Bouquet

Altar

Hydrangea Pomanders lined the walkway.

Cake with just a few HYDRANGEAS!

Vendors:
Bridal Portrait: Scott Plauche Photography
Venue: Pratt Place Inn and Barn

Carnations in August

2011-10-09T08:30:00.001-05:00

One of our August weddings was all about Carnations. We used shades of peach carnations accented with peach Hypericum Berries for all the personal flowers.

Carnations are a wonderful flower for the hot summer months. They hold up well in the heat and they are quite beautiful. Take a look...

Bridal Bouquet

Attendant's Bouquet

Toss Bouquet

Small Flower Girl's Corsage

Flower Girl's Halo

Corsage

Boutonniere

Cake Topper

Location: Mt. Sequoyah Retreat Center

Summer Wedding at the Botanical Gardens

2011-09-01T07:05:00.000-05:00

This beautiful summer wedding featured Carnations, Stephanotis and Gardenias...and a temp of110 degrees!

Bride's bouquet

Corsage

Groom's boutonniere

Centerpiece

Ceremony Site

Location: Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks

2011 Arkansas Florist Assoc. Convention

2011-08-22T20:45:00.000-05:00

Held in Hot Springs each August, this is the first time I've been able to attend.

Here are a few photos from the weekend....Enjoy!

Some of the competition entries for the sympathy category.

and a few from the wedding category.

Vendor booths

Rose varieties

My favorite part: designs from a few of the presentations.

June Wedding at Simple Pleasures was Simply Beautiful

2011-08-15T10:25:00.000-05:00

Check out this June Wedding at Simple Pleasures Event Center in Bella Vista, Arkansas.

Pictures were taken by Lacey Kohl Photography. You can see her blog here.

Cut flowers and the Temperature: Even they think it is too hot!

2011-08-08T14:30:00.001-05:00

As you may (or may not) know, our shop is located in Northwest Arkansas. Our area, and the southern part of the country, has been in the middle of a drought with some very hot weather conditions for the past month. It has been hot here-very hot. The other day the thermometer at my local bank said 114 degrees Fahrenheit! Forget using the frying pan and stove, the side walk or even the leather seats in my car will work just fine!

All this hot weather made me wonder: How do flowers fair with such harsh conditions? Answer: they don't. Let's face it, flowers are delicate and are quite temperamental when it comes to their living conditions. You have never heard the expression "as durable as a tulip" now have you?

In this post we will address the proper care and keep of cut flowers. As for the dead ones in your yard, well you might either want to pay an arm and a leg to keep them watered, do a rain dance, or just give up.

Before

After

As I mentioned earlier, flowers do not do well in the heat. The cooler the temperature that flowers are exposed to, the better. However, that temperature needs to be above freezing. (Nobody really wants freeze dried flowers anyway.) The opening of a flower signals the end of their growth and heat just speeds up the process. The warmer the temperature that a flower is exposed to, the quicker they will fade and the more work it is for you. Allow me to share an equation with you to help understand:

warmer temperature = warmer water = breading ground for more bacteria = water that needs to be changed often.

Now if you like to keep your house the temperature of the desert, don't assume that you can just place a fan or air conditioner right on your flowers. Fans and air conditioners that are placed with a direct hit to an arrangement causes the flowers to dry out and fade more quickly.

A few more tips for keeping flowers beautiful longer:

-Keep away from fruits and vegetables. Dying fruit and vegetables emit a gas that is harmful to your flowers.
-Car exhaust is also bad for your flowers so if you were hoping to keep your flowers stored in your garage, don't.

-And finally, don't breathe on your flowers. Even if you brush your teeth 50 times a day, use mouthwash, and chew gum, a flower doesn't care how good your breath smells. Human breath is also harmful to flowers. So smell but hold your breath while you do!

So as you are attempting to keep cool this summer, remember to keep your cut flowers cool as well!

Made in the USA. . .Or Not?

2011-07-05T12:47:00.000-05:00

As I'm spending a month in Lithuania something crossed my mind. Are the flowers we receive "made in the USA?" Well, not really. Unless we get the flowers from a farmer's market (which we have done before), the flowers we receive have as much international flavor as Northwest Arkansas itself.

Last summer I traveled to Guatemala and I was stunned by the beauty of the flowers there! They had Bird of Paradise. . that grew wild! We pay a lot of money for those flowers here in the United States. Most of the flowers that we receive come from South American from countries such as Ecuador, Colombia, and Chile However, we also receive flowers from Italy, Holland, and Australia.

In the United States, Florida and California are at the top of the floral growing chain but they struggle to compete with foreign countries. The number one importer of flowers in the United States is Colombia. "Bogotá", in particular, one of our floral suppliers told me. Colombia's premier climate makes it possible for us to have flowers such as roses, alstroemeria, baby's breath, and delphinium.

According to aboutflowers.com, 66% of flowers are produced in Colombia, 15% are from Ecuador, and 6% are from the Netherlands. Mexico, Costa Rica, and Canada all round of the top six list of flower importers at 3% of flowers coming from those countries.

So why don't we use flowers from the United States? Now, I'm not saying that we never use flowers from the US. In fact, many tropical come from Hawaii. One reason that florists search for flowers from outside the US is because of the limited growing season here. South American countries have warmer weather all year round which makes them perfect for growing some of our favorite flowers. European countries have a more wet, spring like climate, that make them great for growing Tulips and other US favorites.

So the next time you hold a fresh flower in your hand think to yourself "this flower traveled perhaps thousands of miles to be placed in an arrangement especially for me."

Its Like Building a House

2011-06-13T18:53:00.000-05:00

Making a bouquet is similar to building a house. You must have the right foundation and support or else your arrangement can snap or fall apart all together. So much more goes into making a strong, long lasting, beautiful bouquet than meets the eye.

This arrangement containing stephanotis and carnations is actually a time consuming arrangement that requires lots of preparation before the bouquet can be assembled.

The first thing to remember is to keep your fingers wet. The oils from your hands can damage the petals and make them turn brown. The flowers come with a green stalk on the end of them. To begin, I removed the green stem from the flower.

The fuzzy looking sticks that are laying in the water are called stephanotis stems. On one end they have cotton attached to them, similar to a q-tip, that soaks up water. These are inserted into the flower so that the flower can be used for arrangements and bouquets.

Next, I inserted the stephanotis stem backwards into the flower to remove the rest of the stalk that is left inside the flower.

I then turned the stem around and inserted it into the flower so that the cotton part rest gently into the middle of the flower. This allows the flower to stay moist as well as provides a place for the pin to be placed in the middle of the flower.

When I was done, I had several nice flowers to be placed in bouquets. All that is left is placing a pin in the middle of the flower and arranging them into a bouquet like the one above!

Another bouquet that I made on the same day also required much preparation to the flowers before it could be assembled. This bouquet contains football mums and carnations (see, I told you I like carnations!).

Carnations can have weak stems when they are arranged into a bouquet. For this reason, it is important to place a wire around the stem in order to add support.

When building a house, you don't want to build your house upon the sand but instead upon a rock, a strong foundation. When creating a flower arrangement, we don't want to create something that is going to fall apart before it reaches the hands of a bride. We want an arrangement that will stand strong through the ups. . and stresses. . .of a wedding day!

~Hannah
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I Speak for the Carnations

2011-06-06T10:36:00.001-05:00

As Doctor Seuss writes in his book, The Lorax, "I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees because the trees have no tongues." (I'm an Early Childhood Education Major in college, even flowers remind me of children's books.)

I know by now that you are probably wondering where I am going with this. Well, I am Hannah. I speak for the carnation. I speak for the carnation because carnations don't have tongues. Carnations have received a bad reputation for long enough and I am here to speak out for the carnation and its tainted reputation. Oh the carnation, bless it's heart.

All too often I am sitting in on a consultation for a bride or I overhear Althea talking to a bride and the question "And which flower do you absolutely not want in your wedding?" comes up. More often than not, the response that follows is the same. "Carnations".

Now I must admit, there was a time when I would have responded the same. When most of us think of carnations our mind instantly takes us back to football homecomings and school dances. Now if we are truly being fair, we can't blame our bitter relationship with the carnation on some poor, poor fellow who thought that carnations would be wonderful flowers when mixed with five million ribbons and glitter and accented with baby's breath. However, believe it or not, there is more to a carnation than those memories. Yes, if given the chance, a carnation can make any wedding, arrangement, or prom beautiful.

According to proflowers.com, the scientific name for the carnation, dianthus, can be translated into "flower of the gods" and "flower of love." Carnations date back to ancient Rome and Greece where they were used in art. In those days, carnations bloomed in primarily pink, peach, and white. However, now carnations come in a variety of colors and sizes including peach, dark purple, and even a fuzzy green. Similar to roses, the meaning of the carnation varies with the color. White carnations symbolize purity while pink carnations show gratitude. I bet you didn't know that in the early 20th century the carnation became the official flower for Mother's Day. If carnations were good enough for the Romans, Greeks, and mom, they are good enough for me!

Take for instance this lovely bouquet with peonies, roses, and carnations. Yes, carnations! Carnations can add color, fullness, and depth to any arrangement when used correctly.

Photo by Scott Plauche Photography

These bouquets include a mix of roses and carnations and the bouquet below include stephanotis and carnations. (Now I know you can admit that nothing about these arrangements yell "1980s homecoming.") Carnations can stand alone or they can be mixed with flowers to create any feel, look, or color scheme that a prospective bride might desire.

Photo by Scott Plauche Photography

So the next time you are tempted to say "oh, no carnations for me, no way, no way." Remember, carnations earned their spot in the floral world and we just need to give them a chance.

~Hannah

Flowers are a Blessing

2011-05-31T12:45:00.000-05:00

If you have ever received flowers, I'm sure you know just how much of a blessing flowers can be. To the patient in the hospital, the new mom, a birthday wish, or a sympathy arrangement, flowers can brighten, inspire, and even bless.
On Wednesday, I was able to see first hand how much a bouquet of flowers can brighten the day of an unsuspecting recipient. Once a month, my church in Siloam Springs does random acts of kindness for people in our community. We take groceries to families in need, quarters to the laundry mat, and write letters for missionaries overseas. Ever since we have started this tradition I have felt the need to provide my talent and services to provide hope and a blessing to somebody in need. After weeks of praying and trying to decide what to do, I was at work on Tuesday when it dawned on me. I could take flower arrangements to the nursing home!
So, on Wednesday morning when the floral truck arrived, I had decided the amount of money that I could spend on flowers and that I wanted to make at least 10 small arrangements for the residents of the nursing home. While I was picking out the leather leaf, daisies, and Alstromeria lilies off the truck, Scotty, the driver, placed more flowers in my pile and told me that I could have them for free. That's right, the flowers were all donated. I also had enough flowers to make 24 arrangements, now talk about a blessing.
Two women from church, my mom, and I all arrived at the nursing home around 6:30 pm. The residents were getting ready for bed for the night so we walked around the halls looking for people who were awake to give flowers to. Several times I would have to fight back the tears as a sweet elderly lady would reach out her hand to touch mine as tears welled in her eyes because she had received flowers. One sweet man wanted to keep the flowers to give to his granddaughter who was coming to visit him on Saturday. Several times the residents would say "oh no thank you, I don't have anything to put them in." As I looked around their rooms I noticed that all they had was a drinking cup that they used for water. The lack of vases or other containers that hold flowers showed me that these patients never receive flowers. They are never or rarely blessed with the beauty that flowers provide.
I was particularly touched by a sweet lady with an oxygen mask on. As I walked in to her room I noticed that she was staring at the wall with a look of sadness. As I knelt down beside her I asked her if she would like an arrangement of roses. She looked up at me and said in a whisper through her oxygen mask, "but I don't have any money." "Oh ma'am," I say, "these flowers are free, they are for you." From that moment I noticed her eyes of sadness turned to eyes filled with joy and jubilation. "Oh thank you, thank you" she said to me, at least twenty times. I held her hand as I helped her open her card as she read "God bless you" and the verse inside. As I touched her soft, frail, skin all I could think about was how this small arrangement of leather leaf, one red rose, and a few spray roses, all nicely tied in a pink ribbon, was what this woman needed to brighten her day.
If you have ever looked at flowers as something that you see everyday, perhaps even on the side of the road on your way down the highway, I urge you to think of this. Think of how just a small bouquet of flowers can brighten a day and bring hope to the most unsuspecting of recipients.

-Hannah

There is so much more to a flower shop than designing arrangements

2011-05-24T11:52:00.000-05:00

Hey, this is Althea's "Personal assistant (I like to call myself that)," Hannah. The busy wedding season is upon us and the shop has turned into a maze of flower, vases, ribbons, and buckets. The black and white checkered floors are just a distant memory to us as we weave our way through the items. From my work at the computer I hear the usual "ugh" as somebody cuts themselves with a wire, or a nice "ooo" as Althea is please with a bouquet that she has prepared for a bride. As I look up I see hydrangeas, daisies, football mums, and delphinium. I often wonder if I am in a flower shop or in a wild garden where the flowers are strangely planted in white plastic buckets. The phone rings, and email blinks in, or I am awaken from my wonderment and realize that I have a ton of work to complete myself. You see, there is much more to a flower shop than creating flowers.

Four weeks ago I had knee surgery and well, it is hard to carry flowers, stand on your feet for hours, and create arrangements while on crutches. I have been given the assignment of office assistant. Until I was "placed" in this position I guess I never realized how much work goes into a floral business besides the lovely arrangements that the clients and public see. There are hundreds of emails to answers, flowers to order, contracts to write, contracts to rewrite, phone calls to answer, and consultations with prospective glowing brides. Not to mention the thousands, okay maybe that was an exaggeration, of letters to write! Every client that orders flowers from us, bride and groom that selects us for their wedding, recipient of our arrangements, and couple with a one year anniversary receives either a handwritten letter or an email thanking them for their service. I will be going out of the country in five weeks to Lithuania and have been catching up on the letters for the months of May, June, and July. That's a lot of writing! There are bills to be paid, invoices to be entered, contact lists to be updated. Don't even get me started on filing. I am often reminded of those cartoons that you see where there are people pushing piles of paper all over the office. Yes, believe it or not, this is a floral shop behind the scenes.

Although it can be stressful at time and very busy for us all, when Austin brings in one of his delicious peanut butter pies or I break into song along with the radio, I am reminded that we are a family and it is this family that makes Rose of Sharon, Event Florist a wonderful place to work.

From Wedding Vendor to Bride: The Photos

2011-05-10T16:32:00.001-05:00

I promised photos from the wonderful Andrea Parnell. Of course, she sent me the first web-ready photos a few weeks ago, but I got busy working on other weddings and completely forgot to post these! So here you go...a few photos from our wedding on 1/1/11.

Mom helping me get ready.

Michelle and hairspray--NOT my favorite beauty item!

Giving Adrian my special gift.

Jason making everyone (including himself) tear up.

The KISS!

A quite family moment after the ceremony.

One of my favorite photos.

With Karie (Wonderful coordinator!) and Hannah (Florist -in-training)

Andrea Parnell (photographer) & Karie Sutton (coordinator)

My bouquet--a full length cascade.

Feather hairpiece

Michelle's bouquet...I finally found some carnations she likes.

Adrian's Bouquet. These are the flowers I wanted to use, but only got the one bunch.

Jason's boutonniere: succulent and hyacinth blooms.

My Vows.

A hug from Dad.

Administrative Professionals Conference 2011

2011-04-28T08:48:00.000-05:00

CONFERENCE

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Yesterday we participated in the vendor fair at the local IAAP conference. This is the third year we've been a part of this conference and we've made some wonderful contacts each time.

A few photos of our booth...

The booth after the everyone visited.

We made these small floral posies for the attendees. They are a hit every year!

The favorite of 3 bouquets created for door prizes. We had a yellow one, a pink one and this purple one. These deep purple carnations were definitely the most commented on!

Design Workshops

2011-04-27T07:21:00.000-05:00

The Do-It-Yourself wedding trend seems to be here to stay...or at least for a good loooong visit. There are mixed feelings about this trend in the wedding industry. Some vendors hate it; some don't care one way or the other. And some (like me) are all for it. Well, I'm all for it with reservations. If it adds stress to your wedding day, I think you should avoid DIY at all costs. Talk to your vendors. You may be surprised at what you can actually afford.

But if you love the idea of making your wedding even more personal, do-it-yourself projects are a great way to go.

Flowers as a DIY project can be tricky. With fresh flowers, you really are on a tight time schedule. This isn't something that can be done months or even weeks ahead of time. You are pretty much limited to the two days before the wedding.

To help with the planning of a successful DIY floral project, we suggest practice! Learn what it takes in materials and time to create the designs you want. Take class--or two. Buy the materials and practice at home. But DON'T wait until two days before the wedding to try for the first time. This path can easily lead to tears, frustration and STRESS.

Still interested in floral DIY? Did you know that you can schedule a Bridal / Large Event Workshops for you and up to 11 of your closest friends/helpers/wedding slaves? The Workshops are designed to help the Do-It-Yourself bride or host. We will meet with you to decide on the style of arrangement and the flowers you want to use for the event, then schedule a class where we will show you how to create that design, using the flowers you've chosen. This allows you to plan enough time to create multiple arrangements for the event. Oh, and you get to keep the arrangements you make!

If interested in booking one or more classes, please click here to complete the CONTACT FORM.

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Comments? Questions? See below...

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Sunny Wedding at Cooper Chapel & The Garden Room

2011-04-17T11:29:00.000-05:00

"The architectural aspects of this
impressive design, coupled with the
beauty outside, can't help but take
your breath away..."

The Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel (Cooper Chapel) in Bella Vista is one of the area's most beautiful wedding locations. The chapel, designed by E. Fay Jones, is nestled in the Ozark woods overlooking one of Bella Vista's many lakes. The chapel is open to the public, but can also be reserved for weddings and other events.

The Garden Room (215 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville) has long been a favorite of mine for weddings and receptions. The back garden, which seats 100, is perfect for extending the dining area (seats 130) or hosting a small wedding ceremony. Inside has beautiful wood beams, high ceilings, wonderful full-length windows looking out to the garden, and tons of unique details that come together for a beautiful and unusual location. Plus, the staff is easy to work with and extremely helpful!

Kristen and Clarke chose these two locations for their wedding and reception--a perfect combo for this couple! From the Converse sneakers worn by both the bride and groom to the polka-dot accents, this couple truly made their wedding their own!

The colors were bright yellow and charcoal gray with green accents. When I first met with Kristen, she told me that she wanted to avoid 'traditional' flowers. No roses, orchids, carnations, iris, or lilies were to be used. Instead we used Billy Balls, Gerbera Daisies, and French Tulips.

Because Kristen didn't want the usual hand-tied bouquet or a traditional cascading bouquet, we created a trailing bouquet of yellow French Tulips tied with a wide gray ribbon. The bouquet was carried at her side, rather than held in front.

And for her attendants, we designed a custom hand-made clutch in gray (created by Eileen Jennings) with a yellow floral accent that could be removed. The clutches were presented as gifts to the attendants as well. Eileen's quirky design style was a great fit for Kristen.

At the reception, we brought in dark grey table runners and placed a mix-match of vases with yellow Gerbera Daisies (to keep with the polka-dots) and Sticherus--one of my favorite foliages. The overall look was cheerful, playful, and fun!

Congratulations, Kristen and Clarke!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Photo Credits:
Cooper Chapel: http://www.beautifulbellavista.com/chapel.htm
The Garden Room: http://www.gardenroomcatering.com/
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Shown in Celebrate Magazine

2011-04-12T09:34:00.000-05:00

See full article here: (pg 46-48) CELEBRATE APRIL 2011

Celebrate April 2011

Blushing Bride at Pratt Place Barn

2011-04-01T16:43:00.001-05:00

Located at 2231 W. Markham Rd in Fayetteville AR, Pratt Place Barn has been a wonderful place for weddings and events for many years. If you are looking for a casual but elegant place to host a larger wedding, Pratt Place Barn is the place for you. The Barn has a capacity of 350 guests, but with the addition of tents in the adjacent pasture, more can be hosted. The renovation of Pratt Place Inn in recent years has added more choices for ceremony and receptions of all sizes. Located at the top of beautiful Sassafras Hill, Pratt Place Inn and Barn are worth visiting--for your upcoming event or just to enjoy the wonderful location.

Samantha and Scott's wedding was held in the Barn on March 19th. The ceremony was held inside, followed by a cocktail hour outside while the room was 'flipped'--a quick change-over from ceremony decor to reception decor by a team of vendors and volunteers. Flips aren't always easy, but this one went off without a hitch. Afterwards, guests moved back inside for the reception.

Sam's choices of blush pink and chocolate brown, were beautiful in the Barn and Sam's bouquet of pink garden roses smelled heavenly!

This image was captured by Callie Ganderson -- can't you just feel the love here? Samantha was one of the happiest brides I've known and was a complete joy to work with!

Congratulations, Samantha & Scott!

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Get More Rose of Sharon Info!

2011-03-16T17:25:00.001-05:00

We would like to invite you to join one or more of our email lists. So that we ensure you only receive the information you are interested in, please click the link(s) below that correspond to your interests.

--NEWSLETTER will add you to the Monthly Newsletter list.
--SPECIALS will add you to the Major Floral Holiday and Shop Specials list.
--WEDDINGS will add you to the list for Wedding Planning Information.

Email Marketing You Can Trust

Spring Wedding at Magnolia Gardens Inn

2011-03-14T07:05:00.002-05:00

Located at 500 N. Main St. in Springdale, Magnolia Gardens has always been a wonderful place for weddings and events. I've always loved how many choices Magnolia Gardens offers for customizing an event: the Great Lawn with it's wisteria arbor, Spring Creek and the gazebo, the Sunroom for an intimate indoor event, and, of course, the towering Magnolia Trees. Recently, the Inn added the Great Room--a beautiful space with tons of natural light (3 walls of windows) and room for up to 150 guests.

Michelle and Brandon's wedding this March was my first opportunity to work in the Great Room. The couple's color scheme of lime green, royal blue and white set in the Great Room turned out to be one of my all-time favorites!

Michelle's bouquet: a clutch of French Tulips tied with a royal blue satin ribbon.

Spider Mum accent and toasting glasses.

The Great Room all decked out.

Congratulations, Michelle and Brandon!

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Our first time at "Exclusively Yours Bridal Expo"

2011-03-07T16:43:00.000-06:00

Bridal show # 2 for the year. My favorite both set-up EVER! Even though the weather was chilly, our booth was full of spring...can you tell which flowers are fresh and which are permanent?

Cherokee Casino in West Siloam Springs, hosted the 2nd annual 'Exclusively Yours Bridal Expo' this past Saturday. I'm glad to have been a part of this show and hope to work more with Cherokee Casino in the future!

Arts Live Theatre and Rose of Sharon

2011-02-21T17:45:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we started a new program with Arts Live Theatre, Northwest Arkansas' children and youth theatre company. Small bouquets will be available for purchase before each show, and a portion of the profits from each sale will be donated to ALT.

ALT just finished 'Anne Frank and Me.' My stepdaughter's best friend was in this play, and it was riveting! We went on Thursday night (the 2nd performance of five). It really is amazing what these kids can do with just a few props and a stage.

I had a great time watching the cast and crew prepare before each show. I could see how much fun they were having and how close the group had become. And these kids really put a lot of effort into the productions! By Sunday, you could see that everyone was tired--5 performances in 4 days is tough! And they do it on top of school and other obligations as well.

The next performance will be 'Oliver Twist' with performances March 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th. 'The Secret Garden' will be April 14-17, 2011. We'll be there with flowers and support...hope you will be, too!

1st night: buckets of flowers and materials.

Sweet Words!

2011-02-15T06:27:00.000-06:00

After a long weekend that began with cancellations and rescheduling due to snow, we've completed the first wedding of the year and made it through Valentine's Day.

I woke up this morning this in my inbox:
"Thanks so much! I heard they were beautiful! They stayed at the office. I guess the receptionist thought so too since she had the arrangement alone on her desk away from the table full of others and the card was facing her. It took my wife a little long to find it because it looked like it was hers!"

Words like this make it all worthwhile!

A few designs from yesterday...

Our Events: Ashley and Josh, November 2010

2011-02-06T16:19:00.000-06:00

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One of our favorite weddings we worked on last year...great venue, great vendors, and of course, AWESOME couple!

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Design / Coordination: Details Weddings and Events

Rental Items: Eventures

Location: Pratt Place Barn, Fayetteville

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Photos by Rachel Blackwell Photography

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DIY--Is it for you? + Favorite Event Photos of 2010

2011-02-01T11:12:00.000-06:00

DIY--Is it for you?
It's wedding planning season again. Wedding season starts somewhere around May; planning season starts with the new year. Wedding planning means client consultations for us. Lots and lots of consultations.

And in almost every consultation we discuss DIY (do-it-yourself) items.

Two things seem to be feeding this. First is, of course, the economy. DIY is seen as a way to cut costs and save a bit of money. But also, there seems to be a trend towards making wedding more personal.

What could be more personal than being surrounded by items hand-made by you, your friends, and your family? Whenever I meet with a client who feels this way, I applaud them. These are the clients I want to help and to work with. Bring me your ideas, bring me your creativity. Let me work with you on securing the materials you need. Ask me questions about how to do something. Your day will be meaningful and beautiful because of your passion, your vision; because of YOU!

But for the client who is trying to save money, I ask this: Is it really worth it? After you add up all the costs of purchasing ALL the materials; after the stress that is added by putting ONE more thing on your to-do list; after you spend hours working on something, only to realize you don't have a creative bone in your body...is it worth it? If so, go for it! You will be adding a part of YOU to your wedding; something few (any?) couples regret. And if it's not worth it, good for you for realizing it! Hire a professional to handle it (whatever 'it' is) and save the yourself the added stress that can come with trying to do something you don't want to do, don't like doing, or just don't know how to do.

Sometimes, in the long run, cheaper isn't less expensive after all.

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Some of my favorite items from 2010

WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards 2011

2011-01-26T10:24:00.000-06:00

Fayetteville, AR– January 26, 2011} - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Rose of Sharon, Event Florist has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Flowers and Décor!

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

Rose of Sharon stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Rose of Sharon for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that Rose of Sharon, Event Florist is among the very best in Flowers and Decor within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at Rose of Sharon WeddingWire Storefront.

For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

Featured in CitiScapes

2011-01-25T09:07:00.000-06:00

The January issue of CitiScapes includes their annual Wedding Planning section. This January, one of our bouquets was featured...

River Valley Bridal Extravaganza 2011

2011-01-17T19:38:00.000-06:00

For the first time, we will be exhibiting at the River Valley Bridal Extravaganza. The Extravaganza will be held this Sunday, January 23 from 1pm to 4pm at the Kay Rogers Park Expo Center in Fort Smith. (MAP)

Bridal Fairs can be overwhelming. As a bride, you'll be on the receiving end of tons of wedding information. You'll be asked over and over, 'When's your wedding?' And you'll be asked to sign up for prizes, drawings, and mailing lists.

So, to help you enjoy the day a bit more, here are a few tips...

"...you'll be on the receiving end of tons of wedding information...": Think about who you want to visit with. If you already have a florist, let us know when you arrive in our booth. We still want you to look around (Hopefully, you'll change your mind and choose us instead!), but if you're sure about your current florist (or other vendor), don't feel like you HAVE to take our information. It will also save you time, if you know ahead of time which vendors you want to visit.

If you want more information about a vendor than is provided at the show, ask to schedule a consultation. We're inundated with brides during this limited amount of time. It's hard to remember that you wanted pink roses to go with your honeysuckle (the 2011 color, by the way) dresses, while another bride wanted white hydrangeas and absolutely no pink roses! In a consultation, you'll have our undivided attention!

Realize it will be crowded. If you don't like crowds, avoid arriving when the show starts (1pm). But don't wait too long. Most vendors start leaving when the fashion show starts.

"...You'll be asked over and over, 'When's your wedding?' And you'll be asked to sign up for prizes, drawings, and mailing lists...": Bring address labels with your name, wedding date and contact information. You can order pre-printed labels, make your own, or get a self-inking stamp. Just bring something so you don't have to fill out the same information at each booth. (We ask for this information because we want to know who visited us during the show. We also want to stay in contact with you after the show. So, if you prefer NOT to get further info from a vendor, be sure to make that known.)

Bring your camera. There's no better way to remember an idea you liked or a vendor you want to work with.

"... to help you enjoy the day a bit more..." Visit our booth! During all the craziness, take a few minutes to relax and 'smell the roses.' We hope to see you on Sunday!

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From Wedding Vendor to Bride: The Wrap-Up

2011-01-11T13:12:00.000-06:00

Week 5
My last post in this series left us at minus 20 days (December 12th). I started to post for Week 5, but quickly realized that there really wasn't much to say. The only significant thing that happened was getting the marriage license. Other than that, I checked napkin colors, confirmed details with the JP, finalized the catering, and got the travel information together for the honeymoon. Not much to write about really. Just checking things off the list.

Week 6
The next week was Christmas. Absolutely no planning happened this week. We spent the week with family, doing Christmas stuff.

Wedding Week!
* Monday: Minor details finalized. Payed vendors. Confirmed appointments for pampering.
* Tuesday: nothing wedding related, regular work day.

* Wednesday: flowers arrived. Unfortunately, some of the flowers that I wanted, weren't available. But my supplier always has great stuff, and since I wasn't set on anything specific, I made some changes and went with it.
* Thursday: Designed wedding flowers. Hannah and Walt came in to help. I designed my bouquet, Jason's boutonniere, and the bouquets for Adrian and Michelle. Hannah took care of the centerpieces, and Walt worked on the ceremony setting pieces. Everything came together beautifully!

(My bouquet, Jason's Boutonniere, Adrian's Bouquet, Michelle's Boutonniere)

Jason took care of the playlist today. We decided to use an iPod because we just wanted background music, no dancing.

* Friday: Pampering Day! Picked up my dress, and then spent some time with Adrian getting our nails done. (I love a good manicure and pedicure!). My girlfriends took me out for massages and dinner for the perfect last-day-of-non-marriage.

Throughout the week, I was asked over and over about being stressed out. But I wasn't. Karie handled all the set-up details, and kept telling me to enjoy myself because everything was being taken care of. I really feel like the only pre-wedding work I did was designing the flowers...and that's because I wanted to!

* Saturday: WEDDING DAY! This day was absolutely perfect. I can't think of a single thing that went wrong or that I would have changed. Every vendor was great; every guest had a good time. During the ceremony (OK, during Jason's vows), there wasn't a dry eye in the place. As soon as I get the photos, I'll share. On Monday, we left for Jamaica. 'nuff said!

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Things I'll be passing along to my clients:
> Hire a coordinator! Worth every penny...especially during the last week.
> Don't be traditional unless that's who you truly are. I'm not, Jason's not. Having a traditional wedding would have felt off. Instead we went with who we are and had a great time.
> Service matters! Seeing the vendors through bride eyes brought home just how important this is. I've always believed this and I always strive to provide great service for my clients, but now I KNOW how important it is.
> Hire a coordinator!

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The Wonderful Vendors
coodinator: Karie Sutton, Weddings By Karie, http://www.weddingsbykarie.com/
photography: Andrea Parnell, www.andreaphotography.com
location: Compton Gardens, http://comptongardens.org/compton/index.htm
catering: Donna Welsh, Custom Catering, 479-751-8595
rentals: Eventures, http://www.eventurespartyrentals.com/
flowers: Hannah, Walt, Myself, Rose of Sharon, www.roseofsharon-eventflorist.com
rings: Israel Diamond (Tulsa), http://www.israeldiamond.com/, sales associate: Ashley
my dress & attendants' dresses: David's Bridal (Fayetteville), http://www.davidsbridal.com/HomeView, sales associate: Ashley
Jason's clothing: Walker Brothers, http://www.walkerbrothers.com/
hair: Roxie, Mayapple Salon, http://mayapplesalon.com/
makeup: Jessica, Luxe Beauty (Fayetteville), http://luxearkansas.com/
Justice of the Peace: Michelle Blaty, blaty4jp@yahoo.com
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Did You Know?

2010-12-29T10:21:00.000-06:00

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On average, US couples spend $19,581 for their wedding. However, the majority of couples spend between $14,686 and $24,476. This does not include cost for a honeymoon or engagement ring.

On average, couples that live in or travel to Fayetteville, AR spend between $12,576 and $20,960 total for their wedding.

On average, couples that live in or travel to Fayetteville, AR spend between $953 and $1,589 (or 7.5% of the overall budget) total for Flowers & Decorations.

On average, couples that live in or travel to Fayetteville, AR spend between $79 and $131 for the Bridal Bouquet. You should expect to pay, on average, between $158 and $210+ when choosing well-experienced professionals, unique or custom products and services.

Info taken from http://www.costofwedding.com/

How much did you spend on YOUR wedding?
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3 Words

2010-12-16T12:39:00.000-06:00

Last week I sent an email to friends, clients and colleagues asking for 3 words describing the Rose of Sharon. With the responses I created this word cloud.

From Wedding Vendor to Bride: Week 4

2010-12-15T20:59:00.001-06:00

Wedding Date Minus 26 Days (Monday, December 6)

* Rings are in! Can't wait to wear mine! EXACTLY what I wanted. So pretty. (sigh)

* I made my final decision on the dress. After hours of soul searching, I realize that while a little bit of me wants to be the princess bride, that part isn't 6 hours long. And after looking at my expressions in the photos, I'm OBVIOUSLY having more fun in the non-traditional dress. So, non-traditional it is! It's a relief to have the decision made.

In Adrian's favorite dress...

In another traditional dress...

and in the non-traditional dress.

Note to all brides: when shopping for a dress, take a camera! It makes a world of difference for seeing how you REALLY look!

* Purchased the cutest faux-fur bolero jacket from ModCloth (because I HATE being cold). Now I need shoes.

* Met with the first caterer today. At the last minute, Jason couldn't go with me, so my sister went instead. Yummy bread pudding and crème brule! We should get the estimate tomorrow. After telling Jason all about the tasting, we realized that there had been a miscommunication and he wanted a served meal instead of a buffet meal. Emailed the caterer to see if this was possible.

* Talked to Karie about using real dinnerware. We decided that for the size of our guest-list, the real dinnerware works.

* Finalized the floral designs in my head--all except for a couple of large pieces. I'll order flowers tomorrow.

* Made plans with Karie to visit Compton Gardens this weekend for a walk-through, to decide the layout of the ceremony and reception, and to schedule the day.

Wedding Date Minus 25 Days (Tuesday, December 7)

* Not much happening today, just waiting to hear from the caterer.

* Had a few extra minutes (well, an hour or so) so I decided to look at Dillard's shoes. I found two pairs: a really cool black platform and a pretty nice silver peep-toe. Both have extra cushion so I can stand for several hours if needed. Couldn't make up my mind...I bought both!

Wedding Date Minus 24 Days (Wednesday, December 8)

* Ordered most of my flowers. I’ll wait until next week to get the final few items.

* Today I'm making the FINAL final decision on my dress. I've definitely decided to go non-traditional. Fitting appointment tonight. Ended up trying on a couple more dresses. Yep, the first one I tried on is still my favorite. And it's non-traditional. I'm going to surprise Jason, so, on the very off chance that he will read this, details will have to wait until after the wedding. On a less fun note, I had to try on body shapers as well. NOT comfortable! I think I'll try Spanx...I've heard good things about them. Unfortunately, the black shoes are too tall for the dress. Silver it is.

This is a dress I tried on for fun...so NOT me!

I've been overwhelmed with the kindness of my friends and clients. Since posting the last blog last week, I've had several offers for dresses. Thank you!

* Michelle's dress is in! Adrian's should be in today as well.

* Whoops, I forgot to go by Eventures and double check the napkin color. It's on the calendar for next week now. Details, details.

* Still no word from the caterer. I’m emailing another to see if they are available.

Wedding Date Minus 23 Days (Thursday, December 9)

* Adrian's dress came in yesterday...and our first gift. Do we open it now or wait until the wedding?

* Heard back from the 2nd caterer today. Price is a bit higher, but she provides plates, forks and stuff, so we won't have to rent that. It evens out. Got a great review of her as well.

* Adrian tried on the dress and her new shoes. WOW! She's all grown up! I think Jason almost cried when he saw her. She has to practice walking in heels now. 'Shoulders back.' 'Stand up strait.' 'take smaller steps.' ... all things my mom used to say to me and now I'm saying it!

Wedding Date Minus 22 Days (Friday, December 10)

12/15 note: no emails from Friday, nothing on the calendar. Is it possible that I didn't do anything wedding today?

Wedding Date Minus 21 Days (Saturday, December 11) THREE WEEKS!

* Except for returning the black shoes (and finding some really great boots), the only wedding stuff today was shopping for undergarments. Dillard's carries Spanx, so I tried those. MUCH more comfortable. If you absolutely have to wear shaping garments, I'd go for the Spanx!

Wedding Date Minus 20 Days (Sunday, December 12)

* Met with Karie at Compton Gardens today. We decided where everything would go and planned out the day. She's taking care of EVERYTHING! All I’ll have to do is get pampered and show up. She'll make sure everything is set up, everyone is where they are supposed to be, and clean up afterwards! If I haven't said it before...a planner is worth EVERY PENNY and then some!

* Room layout…CHECK

* Ceremony schedule…CHECK. Jason and I will be walking down the aisle together. I was really having trouble visualizing the ceremony. Since we’ve both been married before, the whole walking down aisle and being ‘given away’ by my dad didn’t feel right at all. Karie suggested Jason and I walk together.

* Music plan…mostly CHECK. (Just need Jason to pick some songs now.)

* Transportation…CHECK

* Pre-wedding pampering plan…CHECK

* Karie also gave me a list of things to take care of next week:

* Get the marriage license

* Confirm a caterer and finalize the menu

* Get Jason's suit purchased

* Stop by Eventures and check napkin color

That’s all for now.

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From Wedding Vendor to Bride: Week 3

2010-12-07T12:55:00.000-06:00

Warning...text heavy blog.

Well, things certainly picked up this week!

Wedding Date Minus 33 Days (Monday, November 29)
* Back to work on the wedding planning today.
* Heard from one of the caterers I was hoping to use...closed for the holidays. :(

* Emails sent and received, online dress shopping, online shoe shopping, online jewelery shopping.
* Talked to Jason's sister-in-law today. She and Jason's brother aren't going to be able to make the wedding (they live in California). I was willing to change our date if need because I know Jason REALLY wanted his brother here. But Jason said it was OK. I'm going to try to set up a web-cast of the ceremony for them. If anyone has tips in this, it would be greatly appreciated.

Wedding Date Minus 32 Days (Tuesday, November 30)

* Got the cost breakdowns for our honeymoon. Who would have thought that it would be less expensive to go to Jamaica than To Hawaii? Now if Jason gets his passport application together tomorrow, we can book the trip. I'm a little worried that the upcoming Christmas holidays will make getting a passport more difficult.

* Found my gift for Adrian. I'd say more about it here, but she might see it. Also found a BEAUTIFUL necklace on super-sale for myself. When I told the jeweler, that I'd be back on Saturday to pick up Adrian's gift, he told me I'd be back before that to get the necklace for myself. He was right...I didn't make it out of the parking lot.

* Made the final payment to Compton Gardens.

* Spoke with another catering option. Was NOT impressed with the service attitude. We're going to try to make it by for a meal at their restaurant this week to see if we like the food (they don't have time to schedule a tasting with us).

* Sent an email to a third catering option in hopes of getting a tasting scheduled. One of the drawbacks of planning a holiday wedding is that caterers are BUSY at this time of year!

Wedding Date Minus 31 Days (Wednesday, December 1)

* I finalized the invitations tonight...with the help of my super-talented sister, of course. (We're using pingg.com to send e-vites.) The original design artwork didn't fit the options available on pingg.com, so I decided to stay with pingg.com and change the artwork instead. Luckily, my wonderfully talented sister was willing to make changes for an hour until we got something we both liked.

* Jason got the passport sent off and...

* Booked the honeymoon. We're going to Jamaica! Sun, warmth, and room service...I can't wait! Oh, I guess there will be a beach or two as well. Sarah at Destinations has been great to work with. We did everything over the phone and email... Just the way I like to work.

* Spoke with vendors about my flowers some more today. Still haven't decided exactly what I'm doing.

* Here's my email to Karie today:

OK...

--rings on order

--dress shopping this weekend

--left messages/talked with Leslie's Catering & Spring St.

--make-up trial run tomorrow

--hair trim scheduled for mid december

--honeymoon options being looked at

--talked to jason about play list

* do i need to provide the ipod?

* what about speakers?

--invites being finalized

--bridal registries started

--sending photo contract in as soon as I find out if she takes credit cards

--talked to jason's mom...there won't be a rehearsal dinner

Questions:

--when does jason need to have his suit purchased & fitted by?

--when do adrian and michelle need to have their clothing ready?

--i haven't heard back from the JP...can you follow up, please?

--with the holidays, what's our deadline on getting a marriage license?

What Do I Need To Do Next?

I tend to not use capital letters when emailing friends. :) Her reply was much more detailed and informative!

Wedding Date Minus 31 Days (Thursday, December 2)

* Put together the guest list and gathered all the email addresses. Only two of our guests don't have email, so we'll call them tomorrow for a personal invitation. For the invitations, we used pingg.com. They have lots of options and are easy to use. I upgraded to get the virtual envelopes, which look really cool.

Here's a sample card I created for the blog...

* Finally spoke with one of the caterer we want to try out...we've been playing phone tag for a few days now. Tasting set up for Monday.

* Got a message from the jeweler that the rings are being overnighted and will be here tomorrow!

* Sent out the invitations. I have to say, I'm impressed with this method. I've already had 4 RSVP's (out of 21)!

* Karie followed up with the JP. There might be a slight timing issue; the JPs usually swear in on the 1st, but she doesn't know know what time this will be. Hoping for the best!

Wedding Date Minus 29 Days (Friday, December 3)

* Received more RSVPs today.

* Looking back at my emails and calendar, I apparently didn't do much for the wedding on Friday.

Wedding Date Minus 28 Days (Saturday, December 4)
Realized to day that the wedding is ONLY 28 DAYS AWAY!!!!

* Dress shopping! At Adrian's request, we are shopping for a 'real' wedding dress. Honestly, I wasn't too into this, but it turned out to be fun. Adrian brought a friend and I had my mom, sister, and best friend , as well as Adrian and Sarah. Ashley from David's Bridal was the best! (I need to take her some flowers!) She was honest with her opinions, and never got upset or frustrated with us...even when we added two more people to try on dresses! Ashley helped us find a wonderfully cute dress for Adrian and a matching dress for Michelle. Adrian's dress will have to have straps added, and Michelle's is in a matching color and is in a style that is perfect for her. By the end of the day, we were all tired and hungry, so I decided not to make a final decision on my dress.

follow-up: So I'm completely at a loss as to which dress to pick. I keep flip-flopping. This is frustrating!

Wedding Date Minus 27 Days (Sunday, December 5)

* Reminded Jason that he needs to
find a suit and get alterations scheduled.
* Spent all day looking at dresses again and trying to 'see' myself in them. Still no decision.
* Tried to visit one of the caterers, but they're closed today. On the other hand, we found a wonderful little Mexican bakery in Springdale. Fresh donuts....mmmm!

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Whew! Quite a week. Stay tuned....
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Off Beat Bride

2010-12-02T10:24:00.000-06:00

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We're now listed as a vendor on OffBeatBride!

http://vendors.offbeatbride.com/2010/rose-of-sharon

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From Wedding Vendor to Bride: Week 2

2010-11-29T19:28:00.000-06:00

Week two of wedding planning included a holiday. Thanksgiving slowed down the process quite a bit.

Wedding Date minus 40 Days (Monday, November 22)
* Today I completed the contract for our location (Compton Gardens in Bentonville).
* I scheduled my pre-wedding hair appointment for a touch-up and trim. Also scheduled a make-up trial run.
* Because of the short work-week and our upcoming wedding on Friday, I'm shifting focus to the shop. Flowers are coming in for our Friday wedding and we need to prepare for our design day tomorrow.
* After work, I surfed the web for wedding shoes. What do you think:

neutral (vintage look):

sunburst (sparkles!)

Fuchsia Dance Shoes (color!)

These also comes in silver.

... and a cute jacket to wear over my dress. Have I mentioned that I HATE being cold!?!

Wedding Date minus 39 Days (Tuesday, November 23)

* I heard back from a caterer today. Now to decide what kind of food we want and start scheduling tastings. I'm looking forward to this part!

* Called the travel agency to start looking for honeymoon options.

* Not much else done today--off to the holidays!

Wedding Date minus 38 Days (Wednesday, November 24)

* Holiday time...means vendors aren't available to answer questions. I've been on the receiving end of this, so I guess I'll wait until Monday.

* Window shopping on the registry websites. Not much we need, but fun to look anyway.

Wedding Date minus 37 Days (Thursday, November 25)

* HAPPY THANKSGIVING! No wedding planning today.

Wedding Date minus 36 Days (Friday, November 26)

* Black Friday. Wedding to set up this afternoon, so it's a work day for me and the crew. I did get the contract from the photographer (Andrea Parnell). Other than that, very little planning happened today. The crew talked about what flowers I should have. They are doing most of the design; I just have to get the flowers. We talked about tulips and peonies ('Coral Charm' www.clemson.edu) ('Coral & Gold' www.canada-gardens.com) and orchids (www.orchid.org.uk). Oh, and lots of foliages. The design for my bouquet is starting to take shape in my mind, too.

Wedding Date minus 35 Days (Saturday, November 27)

* One of my brides from this summer read last week's blog and reminded me that she works at Israel Diamond in Tulsa. We decided to drive over and shop for our wedding rings today. Ashley was wonderful and helped us pick the PERFECT rings. I'll show a pic after the wedding. :) If you're looking for jewelery, call Ashley! NOW it's starting to feel real! Something about buying the rings really brought it home that I'm getting MARRIED!

* Had a date at the Tulsa Zoo and came home to eat at ROTC (one of our favorite places). Not too impressed with the zoo...maybe because it was winter.

* Shopped around on-line for jewelery. I found this on Etsy...what do you think?

I also need a gift for Adrian; something to make her feel special. Nothing's felt just right yet. Suggestions anyone?

Wedding Date minus 34 Days (Sunday, November 28)

* Do-nothing day. Looked for more gift ideas for Adrian; that's about it. Tomorrow it's back to major planning since the holidays will be over.

From Wedding Vendor to Bride: Week 1

2010-11-23T19:53:00.000-06:00

As a wedding vendor, I'm around wedding a lot. And by 'a lot,' I mean several times a moth. this week, however, I moved to the other side. On Monday, Jason and I decided to become 'officially' engaged. We've been talking about marriage for almost a year. But life got in the way and we decided to hold off. Monday, however, brought some more changes and Jason asked me to marry him. Of course, I said YES!

And, in true when-you're-ready-you're-ready fashion, we picked January 1, 2011 for our date. That gave us exactly 47 day s to plan! Included in those 47 days are Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas.

Can it be done? Of course! Can it be done with minimal stress? We'll see...

Here's what happened in week 1:

Wedding Date minus 47 Days (Monday, November 15)
* Jason asks me to marry him. I say yes.
* We pick the date: 01/01/2011

* We talk about general stuff like afternoon or evening wedding? Alcohol or alcohol-free? Size of guest list?A few basic questions are tossed around, but not much else is decided.
* That evening Jason tells some of his family the news, spurring the need to tell my parents. We wake Mom (who is at our house that evening) and tell her. She's excited and somewhat surprised. Then we call Dad and Jason asks for his blessing. (This was super cute and unexpected...I AM in my mid thirties, after all!) Dad gave his blessing.

Wedding Date minus 46 Days (Tuesday, November 16)
* The day starts with calling family and telling them the news.
* Official planning starts. First call: Karie Sutton (Weddings by Karie) because I need a planner. Every bride needs a planner, by the way! Here's a person you get to give all the chores to that you don't want to deal with AND they won't get mad at you. Plus they know stuff. Like how a tasting works with the caterer and what needs to be done first/next.
* Call friends and give them the news.
* Start thinking about where to have the wedding.
* Set up wedding website and go through checklist of things to be done. Remove all non-essential items.
* Start setting up the wedding budget.
* Talk to Jason about what's important to him (food, photography, guests enjoying themselves rather than dreading ANOTHER wedding attendance) and what's important to me (food, size of guest list, the guest experience). Good, we match on more than one!
* Answer 'Who's going to do YOUR flowers?' a dozen times. (It's Hannah--my super talented assistant designer. I'll do my bouquet.)
* Spend at least an hour talking to Karie about what we want.

* Get a list of people to contact from Karie.
* Email JP for availability.

Wedding Date minus 45 Days (Wednesday, November 17)
* Starting to stress the location. So much can't be decided until this is locked down. It can't be too big (takes too much to decorate a big space and our guest list is small); it needs to have some personality; hopefully, it will have water nearby; it can't be too expensive; and most importantly, it can't be a place I've worked at a million times! I do NOT want my wedding to feel like a day at work!
* Talk to super-talented graphic designer sister about designing invitations. We're doing e-invites because we have so little time, because of budget, and because I prefer electronic stuff to paper stuff.
* Decide on a kid-free wedding. We decided to do this because we realized that with our small guest list, the inclusion of kids would mean 1/3 to 1/2 of our guests would be under 10 years old. That just changes the whole feeling of an event. So instead, we're going to offer a child-sitting service. As Jason's sister-in-law put it, 'That will make [your wedding] a date for us, too.
* Decide on colors. Charcoal Gray and Coral. Realize there aren't many flowers or dresses in coral in January. Decide to keep the colors anyway.

* Spend at least two hours on-line looking for a location. Spend another good chunk of time talking to Karie about locations. Run some location options by Jason. Get vetoed. Try again.

Wedding Date minus 44 Days (Thursday, November 18)
* Picked a location!!!! Compton Gardens in Bentonville. Everything on the list but water near-by.
* Now all the other stuff can be planned.
* Look at photographer websites.
* Updated planning site and budget.

Wedding Date minus 43 Days (Friday, November 19)
* Today is a work day. Well, a design day. I've been working all week and fitting this stuff in on breaks and at night. But we have a wedding on Sunday, so today the focus is creating beautiful flowers for someone else.
* Talked to Karie and Jason about catering options.
* The BIG thing for today is telling Adrian (Jason's daughter) and hoping she's happy about the news.
. . .
* She is! and she wants to be part of the planning. She asked if she could go dress shopping with me, my mom, sister and maid of honor. I wasn't planning on a formal wedding dress, but i can see that this is important to her. So we'll at least have one day of dress shopping. It will have to be an off-the-rack dress that requires very little alteration. There just isn't time for anything else.

I have to say, her response was the thing I was most worried about with all the planning. I'm SO very happy that she is excited!

* Picked first member of wedding party. At dinner Adrian asked Jason who his best man was going to be. Jason asked her to be his Honor Attendant. Her face lit up; it was beautiful!

Wedding Date minus 42 Days (Saturday, November 20)
* Day off (mostly). Apparently my brain has stopped working. Nap time.
* Asked Michelle to be my Honor Attendant. I don't like 'maid/matron of honor.' Who really cares if they are married or not. And 'matron' makes them sound OLD.

Wedding Date minus 41 Days (Sunday, November 21)
* Delivered the wedding we designed on Friday. Congratulations Natalie and Tye!
* Talked to Karie about various details. Delegated picking linens and chairs to Karie.
* Talked to Hannah about flowers. Told her I'd order them and giver her a bit of direction, but it was mostly up to her. I have total confidence in her. Between Hannah and Karie, I have no doubt the reception will be beautiful.
* Emailed a couple of caterers.
* Looked at photographer web sites. Found one we like; need to see if she's available.
* Talked to Jason about rings. We're not getting an engagement ring, just wedding rings. We're picking those out next weekend.

* Tried on a wedding dress from a friend. It needs altering, but it's beautiful. Adrian wasn't so thrilled. I think it's the shopping experience she wants.

So that's week one! Come back next week to see how things are progressing.

Wedding Professionals Conference 2010

2010-11-08T17:42:00.000-06:00

Last week I attended the Wedding Professionals Conference in the Bahamas! It was my first trip outside the States. I'll write more later about the conference, but here are some photos...

View from the hotel...I promise it was all about work.

Colin Cowie!!!

Biggest Pothos I've EVER seen! (This is a house plant here.)

New Friends: Debbie, Elizabeth & DJ-Carl

Gift buying time.

You're looking at my awesome pedicure, right?

Coffee Break!

2010-10-26T09:40:00.000-05:00

'Coffee Break' Rose
This rose is amazing!

The head measures 5 1/2" across and it's not fully open yet.

Of course, the stems (and thorns!) match...they are extremely large as well. :)

10 wedding tips you won't get from a bridal magazine (via Off Beat Bride)

2010-10-11T20:59:00.001-05:00

A must read for anyone planning a wedding!
10 wedding tips you won't get from a bridal magazine

This one comes from one of MY favorite blogs: Off Beat Bride

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Feel free to comment...leave #11, #12 or even #50!

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Sympathy Flowers: Part III ... How to Order A Sympathy Arrangement

2010-10-04T19:26:00.005-05:00

In my last Sympathy post, I talked about they different types of client who order sympathy pieces. In this post I'm going to cover how to order sympathy flowers, whether you're family, friend, or acquaintance.

Client: The Acquaintance or Colleague
This client needs to send something for the funeral / memorial service of a colleague or acquaintance. You want to let the family know you are thinking of them in their time of sorrow. The floral piece needs to match your style and budget; the enclosure card can be fairly simple.

To order, you will need to know the name of the deceased and the name of the funeral home handling the service arrangements. (If the funeral home name is known, the last name is enough.) It's helpful, but not necessary to know the time of the service and visitation. Not all services have visitations. Usually these are held the night before the service. Don't worry if you don't have this information; we'll call the funeral home and verify all information before filling the order.

Next you'll need to decide on what to send. This includes several choices that we'll guide you through. The basic options for an order going to the funeral home include: plant, arrangement (in a basket or container), or spray (an arrangement placed on an easel rather than in a container). After that, we get a bit more detailed: green or blooming plant, fresh or silk arrangement, fresh or silk spray. You can also send an arrangement or plant to the family home. The funeral home usually has this information for us if you don't. Sprays are not sent to the home, but are generally delivered to the funeral home for the service, both church and graveside. They are then left at the graveside.

The next two items are for personalization: budget and color/flower choice. We can give you a price range for each style or you can set your preferred budget for us. If the item is for an acquaintance, you may not have a color or flower preference. If not specified, we'll go with traditional male/female color associations (we won't send pink to a man's service) and we'll use the most cost effective flowers for your budget.

photo: JHC.com

There are two other pieces of information we will get from you to complete the order. First, we'll need to know what you'd like to put on the enclosure card. This is the small card attached to the plant, arrangement or spray. For items going to the funeral home, we use a two part card. One part stays with the piece. The other is detached by the funeral home and given to the family later so that they will know what was sent. We have preprinted cards that say 'With Deepest Sympathy' and 'In Loving Memory.' For the acquaintance or colleague, just adding the names of the senders is sufficient. We will ask for your address for the back of the card. This is for the portion of the card that goes to the family, and allows them to have all the return addresses for thank you cards.

That's it: name of deceased, name of funeral home, time of service, item to be sent, budget, flower/color preferences, enclosure card information. But you don't need to remember all this...we'll guide you through it as needed.

Client: The Family or Close Friend
These orders are more personal to the sender. They need to reflect the person being remembered as well as let the family know you are thinking of them. The enclosure card is usually a bit more personal.

In general, this client needs the same information as the acquaintance/colleague. (Name of deceased, name of funeral home, time of service, item to be sent, budget, flower/color preferences, enclosure card information.) However, since this client was closer to the deceased or the family of the deceased, we try to make the order more personal. If there is a color or flower you prefer or something that has special meaning, we will do our best to incorporate it. Keep in mind, for most sympathy pieces sent to the actual service (as opposed to the home), the card is open for the public to read. If there is a personal message, you may want to send a private card as well.

Client: Family of the Deceased
These are the clients actually planning the service. They are usually those who were the closest to the deceased and they are in the most pain and under the most stress. It's their job to finalize all the details. And it's my job to make the floral pieces as personal and as meaningful as possible. It's also my job to ease whatever stress I can during this time. This means being professional, taking all the time needed to reach a decision, reassuring the client that all the details will be handled according to their wishes.

To order these pieces takes a bit more time. In fact, we recommend scheduling a personal meeting to look at photos and so that we can get to know you and your needs. We will need to know the name of the deceased, the funeral home handling the service arrangements, and the time of the service and visitation. In addition, we will need to know your budget. This can be one of the most difficult and delicate subject to bring up. We know that you want to honor you loved one. We also know that you may not have a lot to spend on this. After all, it's not exactly a planned expense. Knowing your budget and learning about your loved one lets us create a personalized piece for you at whatever budget you may have. There are a wide range of floral choices, and we can work with any budget. If you know what you are comfortable spending, we will be able to guide you in your choices and design something personal to you and your family. We understand that this is one of the most stressful times of your life. Added to that, you are expected to make some pretty major financial decisions if a very short period of time. For some, this gives direction. For others, it just makes everything harder. We will do everything we can to ease this process. However, for us to do our job, we must ask about budget.

As the planners of this event, there are a few things to know about (and we will help with this as well). First there is the casket piece. This is also known as the casket spray or family piece. This can be a full- or half-casket design. For a closed casket service, you may choose either based on your likes, dislikes and budget. For an open casket service, you will need to choose a half-casket piece. This is designed to sit on the closed portion without hanging over the end or into the casket itself. While smaller than a full-casket piece, the half-casket spray can also work for a closed casket service. When properly designed and placed, it will not look too small (and may fit your budget better.)

If there are any cultural or religious items relating to flowers, please be sure to mention these. Some things to consider would be colors or flowers that signify death or are taboo at a funeral. While we try to remember as many of these as possible, we may not know specifics. It's better to remind us, than have the wrong flower used.

Casket Spray

Coordinating Standing Spray

Some families also order coordinating pieces to come from immediate family members. These pieces can be sprays (on an easel) or arrangements (in a basket or container). For some families, it's easier for one person to order all the floral pieces. Others will call in and order based on what has previously been chosen for the the casket piece. Specifics will be based on budgets, likes, dislikes, and coordination to the casket spray.

Enclosure cards are not necessary for pieces from the immediate family. We will let the funeral home know which pieces came from the family. However, if you prefer, we can add a card to the coordinating pieces.

Ribbons or banners can be added to any sympathy piece. These usually designate the relationship of the deceased to the family or client. Common banners include: Mother / Father, Wife / Husband, Sister / Brother, etc.

One item often missed is the boutonnieres for the pall bearers. If you want to include these in the service, ask your funeral director if the funeral home provides these. If not, you will need to order them. These can be simple white carnations or roses, or you can coordinate these with the casket spray and other family pieces.

Finally, we must address payment. For orders from acquaintances/colleagues and family/close friends, payment follows the same rules as any other order. If you have an account, you can be billed. If not, you will need to pay at the time of purchase.

For the family, you can either be billed directly or through the funeral home. Again, if you have an account, payment can be deferred according to your account details. Otherwise, payments will need to be made at the time of purchase.

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And that's how to order sympathy flowers. Many people rarely have to place these orders, and are therefore unsure of how to proceed. Remember, this is part of our job. So, if you're not sure what's appropriate in the situation, please feel free to ask us any question you may have. (And if I don't know the answer, I'll call one of the funeral directors that we work with and find out for you.)

Helpful Link: Our Sympathy E-Store
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Helpful? Not? Please leave comments....
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Shopping for Furniture

2010-09-05T07:21:00.156-05:00

Furniture shopping is exhausting! Tons of stores, too many options. And it's even worse when you're shopping with someone else, especially when your priorities and tastes aren't a perfect match. Then you have to compromise.

When I shop, I...
  * move quickly, deciding quickly what I sort of like and what I DON'T like
  * want sales help ONLY when I need it
  * hate paying full price
  * have to be in the mood to shop

We have several large items we've been looking for. With Labor Day Weekend, I decided to do a little pre-shopping, but save the decisions and final negotiating to this past weekend. For my shopping style, not necessarily the best idea but the promised savings was just too much to pass up.

Saturday I spent about 20 minutes at two stores looking for one item. This one was easy. We'd previously narrowed down the item needed to 3 choices. I just had to see which sale was best. At one store, not so great. At the other, not too bad. Decision made. Item on order.

Then I spent about an hour and a half at two more stores buying bits and pieces. This was a little more more challenging because I was shopping for bargains and color schemes. Matching the two was a bit of a challenge. The store where I wanted to do most of the purchasing (knowing from experience that they have better sales) didn't have much that I liked. The store with the stuff I liked, didn't have many sales. Ended up not buying a lot of stuff on my list. Disappointing, especially knowing I know have to shopping AGAIN.

The rest of my day (2 and a half or 3 hrs) was spent at two stores looking for a sofa/living room items. Having been in both stores recently, I knew pretty much what was offered, so it was a matter of finding the best combo of price and desire.

So I'm sitting on a sofa waiting for the sales man to get back from talking to his manager about what kind of deal he can offer me. (By the way, this tactic really bugs me. I think that if you are the salesman, you should know what can be offered and be empowered to make those decisions. Unless it's your first day--OK, first week--I am NOT inclined to cut you much slack for this. Seriously annoying!) And because I'm annoyed...and tired...and somewhat hungry (read: cranky), I'm thinking through the options available at this store and the others I've visited. I realize the personalities of the salesmen really did affect my decisions. Through the last month of shopping, I've been met with:

   * Super-Annoying Sales Guy. This one followed us from sofa to sofa as we tried options, even after we said we'd let him know if we had any questions. I'm afraid to go back to that store, even though the prices are good and I've purchased from them several times, the salesmen are just too pushy.
  * Ignore-Me-Until-I-Hunt-You-Down Sales Guy. Again, annoying. Pay attention. See if look like I might have a question. The only reason I went back here is because the ONE sofa we both loved was at this store. Had it been a sofa we only sorta liked, I wouldn't have gone back. Ignore-Me-Until-I-Hunt-You-Down turned into Have-To-Check-With-My-Manager Sales Guy. Strike 2.
  * Don't-Have-All-The-Facts Sales Guy. Unfortunately, this only showed up when I went back to ask another question and he'd left for the day. The next sales guy was much more knowledgeable and helpful. He made the sale, by the way.
  * Attentive-Without-Hovering Sales Guy. Actually, there were two of these. Both were slightly older men (no idea if this is important or not, just something I noticed). Both greeted me when I walked in and asked if there was something specific I was looking for. Both backed off when I said, 'Just looking today.' Both kept up with me as I looked around, noting when I lingered but didn't intrude unless I looked like I had a question. Both offered suggestions of similar items that might interest me. Both introduced themselves once we'd interacted a couple of times and gave me their card. (Other salesmen gave me their card immediately. Honestly, can't say what I did with those cards and the only name I remember was that of Supper-Annoying Sales Guy.) Again, sale made!

Lessons learned:
  * Show interest in you customers
  * Learn to accurately read the situation. Not every customer needs you to hold their hand.
  * Introductions work best once there is already a connection.
  * Offer solutions that fit the need. If the solution is something the customer didn't know was possible, even better.

Yeah, these aren't epiphanies. And they are the same things every how to make sales book says. The difference: now it's personal to me. NOW I know what kink of salesperson I want to be. (I also know that I'm DONE shopping for quite a while!)

Comments always appreciated. What annoys you (or what do you like) in a salesperson?

Sympathy Flowers: Part II

2010-08-31T10:25:00.000-05:00

In my last post, I talked about my feelings about creating designs for sympathy occasions. (Sympathy Flowers: Part I). This week I want to look at the types of sympathy orders we work with. Each type of order brings it's own clients, etiquette, and needs.

First are clients who need to send a design for the funeral / memorial service of a colleague or acquaintance. These are the easy orders to fill. I can guide you through the choices with effenciency. For most of these customers, the need is to let the family know you are thinking of them in their time of sorrow. The floral piece needs to match the style and budget of the client, and the enclosure card can be fairly simple.

Next are clients needing to send something for the funeral / memorial service of a close friend. These orders are more personal to the sender. They need to reflect the person being remembered as well as letting the family know you are thinking of them. And the enclosure card is usually a bit more personal. Keep in mind, for most sympathy pieces sent to the actual service (as opposed to the home), the card is open for the public to read. If there is a personal message, you may want to send a private card as well.

Finally, there are clients who are immediate family members of the deceased. These are the clients actually planning the service. They are usually those who were the closest to the deceased and they are in the most pain and stress. It's their job to finalize all the details. And it's my job to make the floral pieces as personal and as meaningful as possible. It's also my job to ease whatever stress I can during this time. This means being professional, taking all the time needed to reach a decision, reassuring the client that all the details will be handled according to their wishes.

No matter what type of client you are, our job remains the same: delivering beautiful flowers to remember a beautiful life.

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Comments always appreciated...what experiences have you had in ordering sympathy pieces?
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Sympathy Flowers: Part I

2010-08-16T15:25:00.000-05:00

Every year there are a couple of slow periods. Whenever these times hit, it's time to drag out the projects I've been putting on hold, pull up the list of people I want to contact, dust off the back burner. This year, I decided that it was time to focus on a slightly different area of the floral world: sympathy work.

This is definitely a subject we don't talk about very often. But as an event florist, it's something I have to think about. So I decided to write about it.

I recently sat down with John Beard of Beard's Chapel to discuss ways of working together and to find out what he needs from the florist he works with. Very quickly, I realized we share the same outlook towards our chosen fields: it's our job to make things easier for our clients.

I was asked today, 'What do you like best about wedding work.' My answer...'Reducing the stress, seeing the look in a client's eyes when I've made a difficult day easier for them; creating something beautiful to bring something special to their day.' After I said it, I realized that same is true for sympathy work...making a difficult day easier by creating something beautiful for them--that's what I like best about ANY floral work.

Flowers are a way of saying 'I remember your loved one' to the family of an associate and 'I'm thinking of you' to a family friend. But most importantly, flowers are a way of honoring the memory and celebrating the life of a loved one as a person by bringing personality to each floral piece created and by helping the family through a really tough time. And if I can do that for someone today, then I count today as a successful day.

Shop Sympathy

June & July 2010 Creations

2010-08-03T18:51:00.000-05:00

OneWed.com Ask The Experts (see our advice below)

2010-07-22T09:57:00.000-05:00

Ask the Experts: How to Have Elegant Decorations in an Unusual Setting

by Marta

Dear experts,
My wedding is in 29 days and I have yet to come up with ideas as to how to decorate my reception. We are having both the ceremony and reception at my mother-in-law’s church. The reception is in their "hall" which is actually a basketball court with a stage and kitchen (which our caterer will use).

Photo: Photo Courtesy of Rose of Sharon Event Florist

HOW DO I DECORATE A BASKETBALL COURT!? I want the reception to tie in with the rest of the wedding, which is elegant and classic. So far we have candles, candle holders and marbles to go in the candle holders. That is it as far as decorating goes. How can I turn this basketball court into an elegant wedding reception?

Signed,
Bouncing off the Walls

Thea Daniel of Rose of Sharon Responds:
Basically, you want to draw the eye away from the basketball court. To do this, you have to create other focal points. My first suggestion would be to use a tent. However this would depend on your budget.

Another option would be to use tall columns and drapery creating a 'room' or several 'rooms.' You could have these over the dance floor, over the food, and over the seating. If you're looking for something with a little more nature, create groupings of plants around your reception areas (dance floor, seating, buffet, etc.)

Use ferns, hosta, liriope, and shrubs. These can often be rented from a garden center. You'll need decorative containers to hide the grower's pots as well. Here's a photo of one such grouping we created. This was for an outdoor wedding, but you could easily move it indoors.

About Thea:
Thea Daniel, owner of Rose of Sharon Event Florist in Fayeteville, Arkansas, has been designing floral arrangements for events for 15 years.

Ask the Experts is your chance to have your wedding questions answered by a panel of experts. If you have a question write asktheexperts@onewed.com.

See our answer here: OneWed.com: Ask the Experts

Requests, Please

2010-07-21T06:49:00.000-05:00

Waaay back in January, I set a goal: publish a blog post at least once a week. Mostly, I've done that. Now it's YOUR turn...

What do you, my readers, want to see in this blog?
--Educational stuff; 'how to' guides
--Information about us; get to know the personal side of Rose of Sharon
--Information about flowers; specific care tips; what you can expect from different flowers, designs, etc
--Stuff about weddings; planning tips; wedding realities
--What we've been up to
--Product information
-- Something else entirely? PLEASE leave your comments!

In Gratitude...Nurturing a New Florist

2010-07-13T20:49:00.000-05:00

I started working in a florist shop (I can't say 'working as a florist' because I really didn't have any skills yet) in 1994. Manny, the original owner of the shop and a florist with 36 years of experience, was kind enough to take me in under his wing. He taught me everything from how to wire a rose, to how to make a funeral spray, and how to wire and tape a bridal bouquet. Manny gave me a strong foundation while he nurtured a long-lasting love for the art of floral design. Without Manny's instruction and guidance there is a very good chance that I would not have become a florist and would not have a career that I love.

Now I have the opportunity to share this gift. Hannah has been working for me for almost three months. In this short time, it's obvious that she has a natural talent and gift for floral design. With some guidance and background in the fundamentals, Hannah will blossom into an extraordinary florist herself.

So, we’re starting an apprenticeship where Hannah will be learning the basic techniques and the fundamentals of floral design. As she learns new techniques, she will be making arrangements for practice. The arrangements she makes will be posted for sale on Facebook at a discounted price. Feel free to leave comments, critiques, and buy these arrangements to support and encourage Hannah's progress.

Today's Lesson: The Bud Vase (You can't get any more basic than that!)

Short Daisy Bud Vase

Tall Daisy Bud Vase

Alstroemeria Bud Vase

In a side note, I was reading Preston Bailey's blog today. Yesterday's post was titled: To Do: The Gift of Mentoring. "...For me, mentoring is about helping someone discover his or her gift. ..."
Read Preston's full post here: To Do: The Gift of Mentoring.

Hope to hear from you soon!