Featured on Flirty Fleurs!

Rose of Sharon was featured on Flirty Fleurs blog yesterday!  Some of my favorite and most inspirational florists have been featured here, and I'm honored to be included.

Check it out.... http://flirtyfleurs.com/?s=fabulous+florist

Flowers just die.

I hear this a lot, "Flowers just die."

Well, yes, they do.  That's one of the best things about them.  They aren't static; they aren't permanent. Every time you look at a flower, it's different.  They move, they grow, they change and then they're gone.  And it's time to move on to the next one.

Ever had something that 'the new wore off'?  Something that you just absolutely loved...for a while.  Then you got used to it. It quit being unusual or exciting.  It became common.  This won't happen with flowers.  It can't because you know whenever you look at a bloom that it's only there for a short time.  You have to enjoy it while it's here, because it won't be for very long.  It doesn't have time to become boring or common.

Another good thing about flowers: you never have to dust them.

From Wedding Vendor to Bride: The Photos

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.

From Wedding Vendor to Bride: The Wrap-Up

 

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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From Wedding Vendor to Bride: Week 4

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

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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From Wedding Vendor to Bride: Week 2

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.