The Florist Lasted

The following is by Hannah Cook...the most recent addition to the Rose of Sharon Team and budding florist extraordinaire!

Hannah--writing her
 first blog post

It all started a year ago when I myself was a young, wide eyed bride looking for a florist for my wedding.  My mom, aunt, and I had been driving around Northwest Arkansas all day looking for wedding ideas when my sister told me that I just had to go see Thea at Rose of Sharon.  Now by this time I was exhausted and well, if you've ever been a bride, wedding planning with your mom and her sister can be rather stressful.

You see my mom is one of those women who think that they can cut corners and cost on EVERYTHING by making it themselves.  After hearing my mother say, "I can do that, I can make that, you don't need to hire them, I can make that" about everything, well I just knew that meeting with a florist would not be any different.

So I made the long trip down to the Airport to meet with Thea on a Saturday afternoon.  As we sat there discussing flowers (and I even think she threw in a little relationship counseling for free!)  I must admit that I had no clue what I even wanted or what looked good.  And as I can recall, my mom and aunt changed everything that I thought I wanted.  Thea worked hard with us and we finally settled on a white and red tulip theme.  Yes I know, tulips for a late June wedding, I don't know what I was thinking. . .or wasn't.

Thea was awesome and I knew she was a keeper.  Heck, she even stuck with me after I changed my budget on her about 15 times (okay more like twice).   Months passed and I was a good little bride who begged her daddy to pay off the cost of the flowers as my due date came close.  Thea would always answer all my questions and emails!  I don't think I was bridezilla but she might have a different story. . .

March came around and the wedding date in June was getting closer and closer then. . . .

BAM!

That's the sound that my life made as it blew up in front of me. 

Well one thing led to another and then the wedding was cancelled and our relationship was over.  However, Thea was very gracious and gave me a full refund, minus my deposit (which I'm still waiting for even though I know I signed a contract that said she could keep it, okay fine I guess she can keep it). 

I just knew my summer was going to be torture when my sister suggested that I start working for Thea.  Little did I know that this was the best thing for me!  After one day I knew that I wasn't going anywhere and that she wasn't going to let me go anywhere. Somehow I feel that I'm suppose to be here and I love the trade. 

Needless to say, the fiance didn't last but the florist did.

Locally Grown Flowers

It's been a crazy-busy couple of weeks.  I was supposed to post this last week because it tied in with a wedding we were working on for Saturday.  The bride came to us wanting her bouquet and a few other items and was planning on using flowers from the farmer's market and friends and family for reception decor.  This is a request we get fairly often.  Truthfully, I don't mind this.  Sometimes this request is made because the client's goal is to save money (more on the true cost of DIY in other posts),  sometimes it's to get a certain look (usually a more 'natural' or less structured look), and sometimes the goal is to be Eco-friendly.  With all these goals, the Farmer's Market is a natural place to turn.  And there are some truly beautiful flowers at our local market.  

Knowing this, and having some similar goals we've been working with some of the vendors from the Fayetteville Farmer's Market to provide a list of locally grown flowers and the time's that they are generally available.  As the list changes, we'll post updates.

We'll also add photos as we can  (you can also google these for images).  

Oh, and the bride that started this post, well after discussing the time her friends and family would have to spend away from festivities, she decided to hire us for the reception flowers as well.  And, yes, we still used the flowers she'd originally picked from the Market.  

Peonies and Seeded Eucalyptus.  We ordered these items because we are currently past the Peony season locally.

    

These 3 were a mix of local and non-local flowers, including herbs.

These flowers came exclusively from the Fayetteville Farmer's Market.  Using vases provided by the venue and local flowers, we worked with the bride to create the wedding she wanted. (ASIATIC LILIES, DIANTHUS, BACHELOR'S BUTTONS, and a few others.)


And I have to say, this was one of my favorite weddings this year.  A beautiful and fun bride, her wonderful mother, flowers I don't usually get to work with, and some great local vendors (The Garden Room and Dripping Springs Gardens)! 

Going Green With Local Flowers 

Below is a list of  the flowers available specific to the Northwest Arkansas growing seasons.  While this list comes from our local growers, it does not guarantee availability of the specific flowers or specific colors.  Due to the many factors (such as weather) affecting the growing season, a specific flower may be available earlier or later than indicated, in limited quantities, or only in specific colors.   It must be noted, however, that while choosing local is the greenest option, it does limit the availability of your choices.  But if having an earth-friendly event is important to you, we will work closely with you to ensure that your locally grown event flowers reflect the vision you have for your big day!

APRIL

TULIP

MAY

ASIATIC LILY

BACHELOR'S BUTTONS

BEE BALM

DIANTHUS

IRIS

LARKSPUR

PEONY 

SNAPDRAGON

JUNE

AGERATUM

ASIATIC LILY

DAHLIA

GLADIOLUS

MARIGOLD

SUNFLOWER

YARROW

ZINNIAS

JULY

AMARANTHUS

BUTTERFLY WEED

CELOSIA

EUPHORBIA

GOMPHRENA

LISIANTHUS

RUDBECKIA

STATICE

AUGUST

ORNAMENTAL MILLET
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Feel free to ask us about specific flowers you love...we'll research the availability and get back to you.  Or just leave a comment.   

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!