Boutonnières!

Well, you can’t do a blog on bouquets without doing one on their male counterparts, the Boutonnière. The origin of the Boutonnière dates back to the 16th century.

French for “buttonhole” this petite fleur was typically pushed through the buttonhole on the left side of a man’s jacket lapel and held in place by a loop (I always wondered why we made it with that loop.)  With the absence of buttonholes, the Boutonnière is secured in place with a small pin or a magnet made specifically for this purpose.

I like to match the grooms Boutonnière with an appropriate flower that’s also in the bridal bouquet.  There are traditional bouquets that are made with miniature roses or orchids and there are bout’s with an edgy or modern design. Another favorite are bout’s that use a more organic and non-flower approach.

Bouquets! Bouquets!

If I could make bouquets all day, that would be enough for me!  I don’t have a favorite…I love bouquets made with a single type of flower and I love  multi-textural combinations that use three, four, five types of flowers or more!  Monochromatic or multi-colored (as long as the colors blend well) are equally beautiful!

 

A bridal bouquet is one of the most important components to your wedding! Besides an exquisite gown and flawless make-up, your bouquet is your own personal accent piece.  

 

It’s origins go back to ancient times when strong smelling herbs and spices were thought to ward off evil spirits, bad luck and ill health.  During the Victorian era, flowers became the secret messengers of lovers.  During Roman times, both bride and groom wore floral garlands, the circle symbolizing new life, hope and fertility.

 

So pick your posey’s wisely but pick something that YOU love and don’t worry about warding off evil spirits! That’s what florists are for!!! XO

Thank you to the following photographers:

B & G Photography

Jim Kennedy 

Tara Rochelle 

Henry Chen

Sweet Monday

Laurie Bailey 

Dave Richards

Back Yard Wedding!

I love designing weddings when the venue is someones private home and garden!  What a great experience it is to be welcomed into a personal space and given free reign to design away! When a bride says, “PINK” I am all over it! Pink is one of my favorite colors, especially when pairing it with burnt orange.

 

  

Exotic, sexy and luscious! Hydrangeas, peonies, orchids galore, to name just a few, went into the design for the wedding of Emily and Patrick.  With the help and vision of wedding coordinator Kelly Meyer of Kelly Michelle Weddings, we were able to transform this already gorgeous garden and tennis court, into a dream setting! Here are some amazing shots courtesy of Jim Kennedy Photography:

     

Vendor dream team:

Kelly Michelle Weddings

Jim Kennedy Photography

Town & Country Event Rentals

Vicky & Dean!

What could be more fun than creating a “Shangri-La” themed wedding? Having the Langham Hotel in Pasadena as your backdrop! When I first met bride, Vicky Wang, she had a clear vision of what she wanted her wedding and reception to look like. Vibrant colors and lots of textural flowers with an emphasis on the exotic! Orchids, orchids and more orchids were used everywhere we could think of! While the ceremony site was created completely with white flowers and white fabric on a bamboo structure, the bridesmaids bouquets were bursting with shades of fuschia, pink and green. What a great shot of the bouquets by photographer Henry Chen!  For the reception, Vicky & Dean wanted their guests to feel like they had just stepped into the forests of mythical Shangri-La so her vision included centerpieces that would create a “canopy” of sorts.  The day went off without a hitch thanks to the expertise of on-site coordinator Nancy Lyon and the outstanding banquet staff of The Langham. I hope the happy couple had as much fun on their special day as I did creating this luscious environment! Congratulations!

Bouquets for the mom’s, a mossy flower-girl basket, bridal bouquet with texture!

Burma with a Scottish Twist!

I love working with wedding coordinator, Mary Sushinski of Occasions and when she referred Adrienne & Tim to me, I loved her even more!  Initially I met with Adrienne and her wonderful parents who gave me a general idea of the environment they wished for and allowed full creative expression on my part! Adrienne’s bridesmaids wore traditional Burmese dresses and carried delicate wood fans that her parents brought all the way from their homeland of Burma! I had no idea what I would do to embellish the fans until I had them in my hands. I knew right away it had to be cymbidium orchids and smilax garlands.  The couple also wanted to acknowledge Tim’s roots from Scotland so they decided to turn the bar into a miniature Scottish pub complete with “pub-style” appetizers and a variety of beers!   Tim’s boutonniere was made with lily grass that was turned into a Celtic Knot and Adrienne carried her Grandfathers antique prayer book as an alternative to a bouquet.  Their wedding was filled with sentiment and reflected both of their amazing personalities, to a tee! Slainte Mhath!  Photography by Miki & Sonja Photography.

The favors were hand-carved owls from Burma. So adorable!

The flower girl carried a Chinlone ball and fans were used for placecards.

In The Pink!

I was wrapped in pink and loving every minute of it with Meghan and Matt’s wedding which was celebrated at the Tournament Players Club in Valencia. Megan’s father designed this gorgeous country club with its warm lodge-style architecture and spectacular views of the golf course.  If there was a pink flower to be had, we had it for this wedding! Peonies, hydrangeas, roses, orchids, lilies and more. The mixing of so many different textures made for some extraordinary eye candy! Speaking of candy, the candy table in-the-round was accented with pink pomander balls that sat on top of curvaceous apothecary jars.  The breathtaking photography of Tara Rochelle and the flawless coordination by Kelly Meyer of Kelly Michelle Weddings made for an awesome event!  Cake by A Sweet Design.

Mini green cymbidium boutonnieres and Matt’s was made with a peony bud and braided wrap.

Love these crystal bouquet buckles! Meghan’s bouquet with a locket and braided wrap. Sexy!

This is my favorite shot of Matt & Meghan. Congratulations!!!

Stone Manor in Malibu

I love architecture and truly admire precise landscaping so when I was hired by Mike and Jeanne to create the florals for their wedding at Stone Manor in Malibu, I was thrilled! I have worked at over 100 venues and locations but this private residence overlooking the ocean was a place all new to me! Not only was the home gorgeous but the landscaping that encompassed the property was glorious!  It was the perfect setting for these minimalist love-birds!  Hand strung dendrobium orchids and sheer flowing fabric were used with a natural white birch wedding structure and the look was whimsical and delicate!  For the reception, Mike and Jeanne wanted a vibrant color combination of dark blues, purples, burgundy, orange and yellow.  Coordination was handled by efficient and always fun Lisa Nuttall of Crystal Clear Weddings and the pic’s were shot by Kerry Corcoran of David Michael Photography.  Vanilla Bake Shop was on hand creating a sweet tower of delicious and adorable cupcakes!

Andrea & Mark get Married at the Athenaeum, Pasadena!

When Andrea Hartt first came into my design studio, I knew right away that she was going to be one of those fantastic clients!  She was so enthusiastic and so creative and within about 45 minutes, we had combined all of our ideas together and came up with, what turned out to be an event filled with color, lots of textures,  and candles galore. This vintage environment glowed with warmth and magic!  Let’s not forget about the flowers! Peonies, orchids, dahlias and lilies filled the Athenaeum with lusciousness!  With the talented Mary Sushinski of Occasions running the show, the night went off without a hitch!

Take a look at this vibrant and sexy palette captured by the oh-so-amazing Blendi Reynolds of Sundance Photography:

The Marriott, Marina Del Rey

The day couldn’t have been more beautiful than on the wedding day of Lena & Dan! The view from the rooftop at Marina Del Ray Marriott was breathtaking as captured through the amazing photography of B&G Photography! I always get so excited when I get the opportunity to be a part of one of my favorite dream teams which included coordinator Mary Sushinski of Occasions, Joeleen Medina of A Sweet Design (voted #1 cake designer by MyFoxL.A.’s Hotlist) and of course photographers Nate and Jen! 

As far as details go, this wedding was filled with them!  The place-card table featured polished black river rocks that were hand painted with each guests name that were used in place of the traditional card. These also doubled as favors! The rocks were placed on a bed of lush green moss and fresh cymbidium orchid blossoms were placed in between. This table was a definite hit with the guests! The palette was fresh and classic using shades of white, ivory and green.  The table arrangements were designed in hand made Dupioni silk covered boxes and were filled with hydrangea, roses, lissianthis and cymbidium orchid blossoms. 

 

David & Natalie

We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day for David and Natalie’s wedding at Shutters On The Beach in Santa Monica! David, Natalie and their families and friends added so much love and happiness to this awesome day, the feeling was overwhelming! Natalie knew exactly what she wanted in the way of flowers and decor yet she gave me so much creative freedom that my design team and I were able to add special elements everywhere which only made the setting even more beautiful. The wedding structure was custom made from white birch and white birch bark and the chuppah was given to the couple from Natalie’s grandfather all the way from Israel! The cake from A Sweet Design and lighting from Luna Party Rentals made for an even more perfect reception! Photographer Laurie Bailey did an amazing job capturing every moment and no detail was left out! Kathy Recchia from Save The Date Events made sure everything ran smoothly.

For the bridesmaids, Natalie chose a flower that was specific to each unique personality. Natalie’s bouquet was a combination of all of those flowers plus delicate and fragrant Lily of the Valley.  I had so much fun getting to know this family and our heartfelt congratulations goes out to them!