2011 Arkansas Florist Assoc. Convention

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.

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

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some of my favorite items from 2010

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.

From Wedding Vendor to Bride: Week 1

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.

Shopping for Furniture

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?

June & July 2010 Creations

Not Your Typical Bridal Blog: Offbeat Bride

To keep up with wedding trends, I often surf wedding blogs, generally being overwhelmed by information, ideas, photos, ideas, colors, ideas, and so on.   I can only imagine how a bride feels!  Sign up for one thing and you're quickly drowning in wedding STUFF!  It's enough to make you dread wedding planning.

Recently, however, I came across this site: OFFBEAT BRIDE.  I like it because it gives some great ideas for ways to personalize your wedding.  I mean really personalize it.  We're not just talking about color choices or whether you should have chair covers or just bows here, but non-white dresses; themed weddings; and really unique touches to make your wedding about you!  

From their site...

Image from OffBeatBride.com

If Offbeat Bride's ethos had to be boiled down, it would be this:

• We aim to provide positive encouragement to couples who are trying to retain their identities through the drama and pressure of wedding planning.
• We believe that no two weddings need to look the same, because no two couples are alike.
• We believe that your wedding isn't a contest — there's nothing to prove except for that you love your partner.
• We love really awesome photography.
• We want to prove that online wedding planning communities don't have to be snarky, bitchy places where women decree each other tacky.
• We support couples all along the nontraditional spectrum — from beautiful hardcore freaks & geeks all the way to what we affectionately call "Offbeat Lite." Your wedding should be a reflection of YOU, not other people's expectations or tastes — that includes us!

NOTE: some adult language used


Check out the site...then call me when you're ready for some offbeat flowers.

Enjoy!

HOLIDAY ALERT: Mother's Day is This Sunday (May 9th)

Here in Fayetteville, both Mother's Day and the U of A graduation take place on the 2nd weekend in May.  This makes for a VERY busy weekend for florists, restaurants, and anyone else servicing the celebratory market in this area.  It also creates some serious traffic delays, as anyone trying to make a timed delivery has found out.  May is also a busy month for weddings, with many couples not realizing the extra difficulties of planning a wedding on this date in this area.

Here are some helpful tips in planning your weekend:
1) Thinking of taking Mom out for dinner on Sunday? Want to send flowers out of state?  Want to send flowers in town?   Planning a spa day for Mom?
  --The answer for any of these is DO IT TOMORROW!  Don't wait.  Make reservations, call your florist (i.e. ME), purchase the card & gift certificate.  Whatever it is, just go ahead and take care of it tomorrow.  You'll save yourself a lot of stress and problems.  I promise. Plus you'll make all those service people happy that they aren't having to scramble to fill your order.
2) If you aren't attending graduation and you aren't taking your mother somewhere...
   A. Stay home.  Leave the roads and restaurants to those who are.  We'll all be happier.
   B. Get out of town.  Preferably somewhere that doesn't rely on a wait-staff to feed you, 'cause they'll be busy, too.
And
3) If you are involved in one of these activities, SMILE.  We really do love you as customers and clients.  You're what it's about.
Love and Hugs to all the Moms out there.  Thank you for taking care of us, for loving and teaching us.
Congratulations to all the new graduates.  Good luck in everything you do.
Wishing you a wonderful life together to all the newlyweds!

What are YOU doing this weekend?

'Exuberance'

ex-u-ber-ance

  [ig-zoo-ber-un ns]

--noun

1.   Also, ex-u-ber-an-cy.  the state of being exuberant.*

I recently purchased a pair of earrings for an amount that I consider quite high for earrings.  The amount really isn't important, but its an amount that usually takes quite a bit of rationalization for me to pay this amount for something so small.  

The reason I purchased them?  The story the artist told me.  He made them personal, and I couldn't pass that up. 

I was really just window shopping and didn't intend to purchase anything.  But when I stopped at this booth, some of the earrings on display caught my eye.  So I picked up a pair and looked a bit closer.  Then I looked at the price tag. And I put them back.  Continuing to browse the booth, I noticed another pair.  And noticed the same price.  On the 3rd pair, I didn't pick them up.  Having seen the proprietor of the booth notice me, I didn't want to think he was making a sale, when I really didn't intend to buy anything at all.  

But he was watching carefully.  He saw that the three pairs of earrings were basically the same design.  These earrings aren't all that large, maybe 3/4" long, so the design on them isn't extremely well defined from a distance.  But I picked the same design all three times.  Having seen this, the proprietor came from behind the booth, picked up the original pair and proceeded to tell me the story of the creation of the design.  He showed me the symbolism portrayed when the earrings are hanging and the alternate symbolism when they are laying flat.  He told me that the name of this design was, 'Exuberance.'  Then he put the earrings back and went back behind the booth.

That's all.  He didn't talk about price.  He didn't make me a deal.  He didn't pressure me.  He just told me a story--a story of what this design meant to him, the artist.

I purchased the original pair that had caught my eye.  And every time I wear them I experience a little bit of 'Exuberance.'  I feel:

ex-u-ber-ant

  [ig-zoo-ber-uh nt]

--adjective

1.     effusively and almost uninhibitedly enthusiastic; lavishly abundant: an exuberant welcome for the hero.

2.     abounding in vitality; extremely joyful and vigorous.

3.     extremely good; overflowing; plentiful: exuberant health.

4.     profuse in growth or production; luxuriant; superabundant: exuberant vegetation.*

* from dictionary.com

When I grow up, I want to be able to sell like that!

...and, yes I wore those earrings today.

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

Ask the Experts: Earth Day Tips for a Green Wedding

Apr 22nd 2010 9:30am | by Marta

In honor of Earth Day we asked our Ask the Experts panel to share some of their favorite tips and suggestions for Green Weddings.

Thea of Rose of Sharon Event Florist in Fayetville, Arkansas says:
My favorite practice that I've seen recently is to re-purpose the florals after the wedding.  By collecting the flowers and donating them to a hospital or live-in care facility rather than throwing them away, arrangements can be enjoyed for the full life span of the flowers, residents of these facilities get to enjoy fresh flowers, and the bride & groom get a little more value from this perishable product.  (Plus the florist doesn't have to throw away HOURS of hard work!).

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

Spring Wedding & Design Show

Earlier this month I attended the Spring Wedding & Design Show hosted by Mears Floral Products in Springfiled MO.

The show was tons of fun--it's always a joy to hang out with other people who are interested (i.e. passionate) about the same things interest me!

Some of the great ideas I picked up....

How perfect is this for a flower girl?  It could be used any time of year just by changing the flower.  And it gives your flower girl a wonderful keepsake.  The flowers pictured here are silk, making a great keepsake, but we could easily create a similar look with fresh blooms.

Also a great twist on the traditional Easter basket...

With proms fast approaching, we learned some great techniques for creating custom bracelets (again, a great keepsake) and hairpieces.  Flowers of your choice can be added to these decorative wire bases.  Some of the detail is difficult to see in the photo, but trust me--these are very intricate designs!  This was probably my favorite segment of the show.  I can't wait to try some of these designs for the upcoming proms around here!

Are you planning on DIY florals for an upcoming event?  Here's an easy but unusual vase...and we can supply all the materials needed.  Materials included a silk poppy blossom, decorative wire, a small square vase and colored stick 'confetti.'









We also saw some of the options for using decorative wire in wedding bouquets.  Perfect for a modern/contemporary bride.  And the wire is available in a wide range of colors.  This wire can also be used in vase arrangements, corsages, and pretty much any floral design you can imagine.  Wonderful new product! (It's actually be around for a few years, but is gaining popularity by the day.)

See something you like?  Have questions about any of the designs or items mentioned?  If so, comment away!

Stuck: Where did all my creativity go?

Recently, I had a short period of time where creativity was just pouring out of me.  Any time I sat down to write,  the words flowed easily and effortlessly (and for me, that's a HUGE deal).  Floral designs came naturally--everything matched the vision I had in my head.  I could stay up for hours reading blogs, watching educational videos, and just learning new stuff in general.  What a great feeling!

Then it stopped.  And my question is: Where did all my creativity go?  

Today I realized something.  My creativity isn't gone; I just lost a bit of focus.  I'm an introvert.  I prefer being behind the scenes.  I love being the boss and I love being the creative designer that I can be (am).  But recently I've had to be 'out front' quite a bit.  OK, in reality, I WANTED to be out there, because I really do want to be successful, I really do want my business to grow, and I really don't mind (most of the time) doing the stuff it takes to make this happen. 

So instead of taking deliberate time to recharge, I unconsciously took time off.  I let blogs pile up to be read (427 unread posts on Saturday); didn't update Twitter; minimally updated Facebook; totally quit thinking about SEO stuff, AdWords, marketing, networking, or anything in the social media world; and took 4 naps this past weekend.   Not good.  Well, the naps were nice--especially on snowy Sunday.

And today (I really do like Mondays!) I went to work and knocked out 3 estimates in less time than it usually takes me to do one, answered emails, paid bills and organized my week all before 2pm.  (One of the joys of being self employed is that when you finish at 2pm, you can leave work.  I went shopping for a new consultation table.  Technically, this still counts as work but I wasn't at a desk any more.) 

So here's the new goal or the call to action or whatever it needs to be called to get me doing it: Be conscious of when I need to recharge.  Not only be conscious, but do something positive about it.  No more mini-burnouts.  I love my job, my clients, and all the things I get to do working with my clients in my job!  

Now on to updating photos. . .  :D  Oh, and if anyone wants to comment about all this, I'm listening.  

Our visit with A PARTY TO PERFECTION

Shannon from A Party To Perfection recently stopped by to visit and she posted the interview on her blog.  You can read the full story here: INTERVIEW.

Too Many Vases In Your Closets?

We are happy to announce that we are starting a Vase Recycling Program!  

It is easy to accumulate too many vases without even knowing how it happens; they are too good to throw away but taking up valuable storage space.  Rose of Sharon has the solution to this problem!!  Simply bring in any vases you don’t want or use and we will do one of the following with them:

-          If they are of a quality that can be re-used by us, we will give you a credit for your next floral purchase.

-          If they cannot be re-used, we will donate them to the Peace at Home Thrift Shop, where proceeds are donated to the battered women’s shelter.

-          If they cannot be re-used or donated, we will take them to the recycling facility.

So when you clean out your closets and cupboards this Spring, give your old vases a new purpose by bringing them in to Rose of Sharon!

Please call us at 479.973.0588 before bringing in your vases.  We are often on location and would hate to miss you.

Real Groom: What to Ask the Florist

A groom's take on the floral consultation from Nancy's Brown Bag


Blog Flower Wedding Advice - Nancy Liu Chin - Top Floral Event Designer: Real Groom: What to Ask the Florist - Part Two

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

Ask the Experts: How to Create a Unified Wedding Look

Feb 11th 2010 8:57am | by Marta

 

Ask the Experts is your weekly chance to get wedding planning advice from a panel of wedding professionals.

If you have a question write the panel at asktheexperts@onewed.com
This week, a bride writes:

Dear Experts,
It’s always looks a little silly to me when the bridesmaids dresses match the tablecloths, which match the centerpieces, which match the groomsmen’s ties, etc. So, I was thinking I just wouldn’t have “wedding colors.” But, whenever I talk about this with my mom and sisters they insist that if I don’t have “colors” everything will look hodge-podge. What are some ideas for making the wedding look unified and together, without making everything “matchy-match.”

Signed,
Miss-Matched

From Jeff of Blackbird Images

We photographed a 500-guest wedding at the Congressional Country Club last fall. $100k budget, which typically translates to “matchy-match.” The bride chose color “themes” instead: Bridesmaids dresses with groomsmen’s ties; tablecloths with table settings and lighting; etc. Everything worked as component pieces but didn’t have to match in totality. (She even let her bridesmaids choose different dresses, as long as they were the same color and basic style… since no one style fits everyone.) If you think it’s silly to over-match, don’t! Just give it a little thought… and then move on to making the day yours. You – and your guests – will remember how much fun they it was.. not whether everything was perfectly color-coordinated.

Thea of Rose of Sharon:
A color theme does help unify the event. But that doesn't mean everything has to match exactly. You can pick one or two main colors and a couple of accent colors. The accents can be variations of the main colors or something that compliments the main colors. Another way to have a color theme without being too one-dimensional is to have a seasonal color theme. For example, you might pick 'muted fall tones' giving your burgundy, burnt orange, brown, and golden yellow. Anything that falls within these colors can be used. Or you might go for 'winter whites' and use white, cream, champagne, ivory, an a very pale pink. Color isn't the only way to unify an event, however. You can also pick a theme, such as an wildflowers or fall.

Arti of Zoya Couture:
I couldn't agree more. I think you have the right idea on not trying to go overboard on matching. However, I don't recommend doing away with wedding colors altogether - otherwise you may, accidentally, end up with all of the colors in the rainbow! A very vibrant wedding, but probably not what you have in mind. Instead of 2-3, pick 4-6 colors to maintain flexibility. Start with what you know you must have, and then try adding darker or lighter shades of some of those colors that would still give the palette a sense of harmony.

About our experts:
Arti Anand works with ZOYA Couture, a boutique design and print studio in Washington, D.C. that creates wedding invitations and marketing collateral. The company incorporates work of numerous in-house and freelance designers, offering clients fresh new designs, layouts, and materials.

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

Jeff Haden is President of BlackBird Images, wedding photographers based in Harrisonburg, VA. Not only is he a well-respected and talented photographer, but has also gained recognition as a ghostwriter.

Thanks to Rose of Sharon Event Florist for providing these photos showing one way to unify without looking too matched!

Photo: The bouquets

Photo: The reception centerpieces

Photo: The rehearsal dinner centerpieces

* Compiled from OneWed Ask The Experts Article & Blog