Congratulations!

So you are engaged....what's the next step?  

The new year always seems to be the perfect time to start planning for the big day....In the many years that we have  been doing events, specifically weddings, I have noticed that January through March tend to be extremely busy with prospective brides calling and coming in for consultations for weddings planned for the coming year.  Although I have booked weddings more than a year in advance,  7-10 months advance booking is about typical.  That being said, there are some busy months that should be booked sooner.  July through October are our busiest months and although we are staffed and can accommodate more than one wedding a weekend it's always best to be first on the books.

Typically our booking process works like this:  We would set up a consultation to discuss the overall vibe, look, color palette and review inspiration images (no charge- unbelievable but some vendors CHARGE for a consultation!).  I am then able to write up a fairly detailed proposal, with the various options we have discussed, with price ranges and averages for each option.  I believe in offering as many viable design choices as possible to allow for flexibility, mainly with budget.  If the quote looks "do-able", then  a 20% deposit secures the client's date in our calender.  We then continue to have contact via phone, email or in-person meetings to review and edit as necessary.  About 4-6 weeks prior to the wedding we will design a sample table top for the client.  This is the perfect time to see a preview of the big day and make changes so there are no big surprises on the day-of.

Bride's do ask what they should have prior to meeting with me.  Here is a list:

* a Venue and Date

*Inspiration Images.  Pinterest has been an awesome tool for this.

* An open mind to design options to best obtain the desired vibe, while staying within budget

*A realistic expectation of what the "Wish List" may be and the actual budget.  Remember- you do get what you pay for and it is important to compare "apples to apples" when comparing bids from different vendors.  Someone will always be able to do it cheaper but what will be the quality, the attention to detail - not only to the flower but to you as a client- and professionalism?

* Have fun and try not to get too stressed out. This can be such a  fun experience for you , your fiance and your family.  I have bride's tell me all the time that the flowers are the best part of all their meetings, planning etc.  That makes me smile because flowers should make everyone happy!

"Out of the Box" Wedding

 

 We recently had the opportunity to create some centerpieces for a wedding that had us working in a box...but thinking outside of the box!  We filled these smoky mirror glass boxes with bleached grapevine branches and an assortment of unique and unusual flowers and plants, such as magenta cattleya orchids, queen proteas, elephant ear foliage and Tillsandsia (air plants).  Each one is different yet cohesive since we used a similar base to the design.

 orange pincushions, white scabiousa, elephant ears, gloriousa lilies and succulents

cattleya orchids, queen protea, tillsandsia, elephant ears and a mini phalenopsis orchid plant

white anthirium, orange pincushions, tillsandsia, succulents and the most gorgeous honeycomb  ginger I have ever worked with!

honeycomb ginger, cattleya orchids, orange pincushions and tillsandsia

queen protea, cattleya orchids, orange pincushions and scabiousa pods

gloriousa lilies, honeycomb ginger, white anthiriums, orange pincushions and succulents

 

green leucedendron protea, fan bromeliad, gloriousa Lily, white anthiriums, succulents, scabiousa pods

the cocktail pieces

                                                         the bride's unique bouquet
                       cattleya orchid, gloriousa lilies, scabiousa blooms and elephant ears

It's that time of year! Sorority "Presents"

Flowers For the New Initiate

We often get calls this time of year from family members wanting to send flowers to the young ladies in their life that may have just pledged a sorority.  "Presents" is the official announcement by a sorority of its newest members.  Often times a gathering is held in the sorority house to celebrate and the flowers are there waiting for the girls.  Flowers given to the new members are a great way to say "Congratulations! We are thinking about you and are so proud!".

We like to suggest that the flowers we create and deliver to the young lady reflect their personality or are perhaps designs of their favorite flower(s).  We can also design the flowers in a color palette to match the colors of the Sorority.  There's no right or wrong....it's all about a little something to say congratulations!

Below are some samples of flower arrangements that would be perfect.

Rhada & Brian

Indian weddings are one of my favorite types of weddings to design...the vibrancy of colors, the traditional elements, like the ceremonial canopy aka mundap and the groom riding in on a horse or even an elephant.  One of my favorite parts though is the family.  The women wearing beautiful saris and henna and the men in their traditional outfits that add just another added dimension of color but mostly the FUN that the family and guests seem to be having participating in the many different parts of the wedding ceremony.  We had he fortunate opportunity to work with Michael Willms of Entertainment Event Designs on Rhada and Brian's wedding at the SaddleRock Ranch in Malibu.  The day started with a traditional Indian ceremony on the large lawn.  We created the large mundap to emphasis the traditional marigold garlands typically used for Hindu ceremonies.  Because the Indian wedding, the first of 2 ceremonies, happened earlier in the day, we created with white chiffon shade canopies and provided fun purple fans to help keep guests comfortable.  The bride and groom also chose to have a western ceremony at the other ceremony location at Saddlerock and the bride changed into a gorgeous gown and we created a fabulous magenta orchid cascade bouquet (one of my favorites thus far!).  Guests then enjoyed a lovely cocktail hour relaxing on lounge furniture and then sat under the beautiful oaks to continue the night.  We created three different centerpieces...lovely mixed arrangements in glass vases, cut iron lanterns nestled in flowers and a cluster of custom wrapped candles in a bed of moss, gardenias and petals.

Thank you to Next Exit for providing the beautiful images....love working with you guys!

 

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day...It's almost here-

Get ready!  

A dozen red roses are the traditional go to for the classic Valentine's day arrangement for your Valentine.  But...Here are a few options for an alternative to send to your sweetie...

For the Traditionalist

For the Romantic

For the Contemporary Glam Gal

For Him

Signature Ixora Style