andrewinfryeeventsblog.com » Flowers

A Romantic Side To Alice in Wonderland

andrewin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:34:50 +0000

This morning I came across (via WeddingChicks) the most darling spin on the ever so popular Alice in Wonderland photo shoots/theme weddings. The spin on this theme is the use of the stunning, vivid purple which takes this theme to a level of certain of romance. The bride wore a very romantic gown by Rivini and her bouquet composed of all Orchids is simply exquisite!

To read more about this theme and for more information on the vendors, visit WeddingChicks.

Well, what do you think of this theme? What do you think about the colors that were used? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Hoping to inspire you,

Violaine Diogene

How Well Do You Know Your Flowers?

andrewin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:54:59 +0000

About a week ago, we started the conversation on How Well Do You Know Your Flowers and this today, we’re just continuing that conversation.

On Brides.com there’s this amazing Flower Finder and it’s a great place to get all the flower facts your little heart can handle. I’m thinking in the next few weeks, I’ll feature 10 flowers per week for us to get to know.

You know the deal, let me know your thoughts on this post and if you find it useful.

Happy flower learning,

Violaine Diogene

Gerbera Daisies

One of the world’s most popular cut flowers, and available in virtually every color imaginable, it looks fresh and casual when gathered in a simple vase.

Style

bohemian, beach casual, modern, classic

Color

pink, orange, red, white, yellow

Season

summer, spring

Size of Bloom

medium, large

Cost

$ = inexpensive

Chamomile

You’ll find fields of this diminutive wildflower in late summer; include it in wreaths, centerpieces, and bouquets for a shot of charm. (It wilts easily-avoid using it in boutonnieres.)

Style

bohemian, beach casual

season

summer

Size of Bloom

small

color

white, yellow

Cost

$ = inexpensive

Parrot Tulips

The basic tulip goes for baroque; this parrot variety, available most of the year, entices with its ruffled edges and stripes. A big bouquet is stunning, and the price is right.

Style

bohemian, glamorous, romantic

color

apricot, pink, purple, orange, red, white, yellow

season

fall through early summer

Size of Bloom

large

Cost

$$$ = expensive

Foxgloves

These long stems (known as digitalis in the medical world) that feature a dozen or more bell-like blooms are excellent for creating arrangements with both elegance and height.

Style

bohemian, glamorous, beach casual, classic

season

spring

color

purple, white, yellow

Size of Bloom

large

Cost

$$ = medium price

Craspedias

Also known as “billy buttons,” these tidy buds are available year-round. Dot bouquets and small arrangements with them for hits of color (watch out for pollen).

Style

bohemian, beach casual, modern

season

summer

Size of Bloom

small

color

orange, white, yellow

Cost

$$ = medium price

Bouvardias

These diminutive, tube-shaped flowers cluster on stalks like miniature bouquets, and are available year-round. Kept saturated in water, they add feminine flourish to arrangements.

Style

bohemian, modern, romantic

color

pink, red, white, yellow

season

year round

Size of Bloom

large

Cost

$$ = medium price

Nerines

This mini lily (the flowers are only two inches long) is available almost year-round, so you can add its delicacy to bouquets in any season. Consider massing stems together for a round nosegay.

season

year round

Style

beach casual, romantic, classic

Size of Bloom

small

color

pink, orange, red, white

Cost

$$ = medium price

Andromedas

Bitty bell-like blossoms appear on evergreen shrubs in late spring and early summer; use generous clusters of them to decorate linen napkins and the table runners, and as texture in your bouquet.

Style

bohemian, modern, romantic

season

spring

Size of Bloom

small

color

white

Astrantias

As eye-catching as any hothouse hybrid, this summer field flower makes magic in mixed arrangements or when going solo, simply placed in a row of bud vases.

season

summer

Style

beach casual, modern

Size of Bloom

small

color

pink, purple, green, gold, red, white, yellow

Cost

$ = inexpensive

Gloriosa Lillies

This wavy-petaled flower, typically sold as individual blooms, lends a Far East air to arrangements. With a stiff stem and the ability to hold its form out of water, it’s ideal for bouquets.

season

year round

Style

glamorous, modern

Size of Bloom

large

color

orange, red, yellow

Cost

$$$ = expensive

How Well Do You Know Your Flowers?

andrewin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:53:47 +0000

Ok, this is almost kind of embarrassing to admit only because I’m a wedding planner and all, but I’m not exactly, no scratch that, I’m not a flower expert at the very least! There, I said it and yes, I’m breathing in sight. Now, don’t misunderstand me, I LOVE flowers and I absolutely love picking out a few flowers to make an arrangement but I couldn’t tell you about their names, meaning and all that, and that’s fine because I leave figuring out what’s in season and what’s what to my favorite floral vendors.

Because I don’t know much about flowers, I’m thinking it’s a great idea to for us to educate ourselves about these wonderful, simple pleasures of life. On Brides.com there’s this amazing Flower Finder and it’s a great place to get all the flower facts your little heart can handle. I’m thinking in the next few weeks, I’ll feature 10 flowers per week for us to get to know.

You know the deal, let me know your thoughts on this post and if you find it useful.

Happy flower learning,

Violaine Diogene

Muscari
These delicate, tightly clustered flowers, also called grape hyacinth, burst from bulbs in spring; small-headed, with supple stems, they’re easily wired into head wreaths for flower girls.

Color
purple, blue

Style
beach casual, classic, romantic

Cost
$$ = medium price

Season
spring

Size of Bloom
small

Hyacinths

This winter-to-late-spring bloom has a strong scent and a fresh-from-the-garden appeal; use the stems in small centerpieces or planters, or pluck a couple of individual flowers for a boutonniere.

Meaning: constancy

Style
beach casual, classic, romantic, modern

Color
red, blue, yellow, pink, orange, white

Size of Bloom
large

Cost
$$ = medium price

Season
winter through spring

Alliums

Like fluffy lollipops perched on tall sticks, these perfect globes of tiny petals create eye-popping displays, but don’t put them directly on your buffet-they smell a bit like onions.

Meaning: unity, humility, patience

Color

purple, blue, white, lavender, violet

Size of Bloom

large

Season

summer

Cost

$$$ = expensive

Hydrangea

Gardens burst into life with these poufs in late summer and fall; in shades from pink to lavender to green, they look modern when massed in bouquets and large arrangements.

Meaning: devotion

Style

beach casual, glamorous, classic, romantic, modern

Season

year round

Size of Bloom

large, medium

Color

blue, pink, green, white

Cost

$$$ = expensive

Sweet Peas

Skinny stems mean you can gather these frilly favorites in a bouquet, and it will still be featherlight. More good news: While it looks delicate, this early spring bloomer is deceptively hardy.

Meaning: delicate pleasures

Color

purple, red, lavender, pink, white

Style

glamorous, classic, romantic

Season

fall through late summer

Size of Bloom

small

Cost

$$$ = expensive

Peonies

This voluptuous, ultrafragrant flower has a fleeting season—late spring to early summer. Bunches of these chubby, old-fashioned favorites are beautiful placed in pretty pitchers.

Meaning: bashful

Style

beach casual, glamorous, classic, romantic

Color

red, burgundy, pink, white

Size of Bloom

large, medium

Season

late spring

Cost

$$$ = expensive

Roses

These are the classic long-stemmed roses that you see in the florist’s shop every Valentine’s Day. A perennial wedding choice, their petals can be plucked to carpet the ceremony aisle.

Meaning: love and passion

Color

red, yellow, pink

Style

glamorous, classic, romantic

Season

year round

Size of Bloom

medium

Cost

$$ = medium price

Lenten Roses

When is a rose not a rose? When it’s this five-petaled flower—more accurately called helleborus—that blooms in the Lenten season; it adds a springy bounce to bouquets.

Color

purple, pink, green, white

Season

early winter through spring

Style

beach casual, glamorous, bohemian, romantic

Size of Bloom

small

Cost

$$$ = expensive

Gardenias

With a scent to swoon for, this stem less flower can be floated in water or wired into a bouquet; though edges turn brown when handled roughly, it’s a stunningly retro-glam hair ornament.

Meaning: joy

Style

glamorous, classic, romantic

Size of Bloom

large, medium

Season

spring, summer

Cost

$$$ = expensive

Color

white, ivory

Eremurus Foxtail Lillies

Each stalk of this long-stemmed spring flower can have hundreds of star like florets; it can last for up to three weeks in a vase, so it’s great for make-ahead arrangements.

Style

beach casual, glamorous, bohemian, modern

Size of Bloom

medium

Cost

$$ = medium price

Season

spring, summer

color

yellow, pink

Bold Centerpieces

andrewin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:28:31 +0000

By now, I trust that you know how much I love to make a statement. I love accessories that screams elegant, I love a dress that is classic and certainly I love flowers that are bold and colorful. Some of the most memorable events I’ve attended included the nicest centerpieces that will remain with me for the rest of my life. When going through my photo album of the weddings that I’ve been fortunate enough to plan, I went on the knot to see what else I can show you to bring your creative side out.

Below are some of the nicest arrangements I’ve ever seen and it is my hope that these arrangements will inspire you to think out of the box when it comes to picking your centerpieces.

Did you just ask if I’m going to tell you which ones are my favorites? Don’t be silly, off course I am! What kind of planner would I be if I didn’t tell you which one truly had me at first sight? The first two are most definitely my personal favorites. Wow for the first centerpiece for being one of the most creative centerpiece ideas I have seen in a long time! Heffernan Morgan Designs designed this masterpiece by using classic lampshades and glass vases filled with water and small strands of white orchids. In each lamp was a pink light bulb which provided the soft glow. To finish them off, each centerpiece was lit from the bottom up using a mirrored light box. A fairly involved set-up, but very scene-setting!

My second favorite was achieved by using three cylinder vases were filled with sea glass and LED light cubes which provided that stunning but soft glow. Your eyes can’t help but stare at blush cymbidium orchids, cream peonies, white hydrangeas, lisianthus, and roses.

Well, what do you think of these centerpieces? How will you use these to inspire your décor? Did you choose your centerpieces already? I would love nothing more than for you to share your pictures and your thoughts with me.

Hoping to inspire you,

Violaine

The Bridal Bouquet

andrewin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:53:53 +0000

One of the nicest elements of weddings is the bouquet the bride’s maids will walk down the aisle with as anticipation builds up to the bride’s grand entrance. Regardless of wedding size, intimate or grand, the bouquet is trademark of décor which will reflect the style of the couple about to exchange their vows. When designing a bouquet, brides always assume they have to stick to a particular color to match their bridesmaid’s dresses and that, my darling brides is the furthers from the truth.
When thinking about your flowers, it’s perfectly ok to go outside your girl’s dress colors. It’s ok to mix the colors up to reflect your style. One way to do this is to use the flowers as an “accent” color. One of my recent bride’s colors were black with “accent” colors of pink and silver. The bride wore her Ivory gown, the bridesmaids wore black dresses, and they carried solid bold fuchsia bouquets wrapped in silver and it was stunning! Looking through my albums I thought I would share with you some of my favorite bouquets and I hope you’ll find some inspiration in them.
As always, I would love your feedback and thoughts on these bouquets. What are your colors? Are you mixing them up? How are you going about in designing your bouquet?

Inspired by you,

Violaine Diogene