chatting about fleurs...

Apparently, I'm just like Fancy Nancy.  Everything sounds prettier in French.  Thus, flowers become fleurs, and oh, so pretty!

Before You Go...

You might have heard the old Southern saying, "Don't arrive empty handed."  Well, going to your florist is no different. Don't go empty-handed!  Your florist cannot event begin to think, design, or create what you will like without having some idea of what your vision for your flowers is.

Pin It.

Have fun pinning away and make yourself a board or, you can go the old fashion route and clip out from magazines.  Your florist will be thankful for pictures, either way.  As you pin, you will begin to see a trend with colors and arrangements, that will help to show what your style is.  (Don't take mine as an example of similar tastes and styles...Mine is the opposite...it's a starting board for finding out which ones are clients favorites, so that then I can begin to narrow down which ones are their style.)  But, just from looking over a few pictures, you can begin to see which style and colors you like the best with flowers.

The last thing you want is to have your flowers show up at your wedding and be completely off from what you were thinking your flowers were going to look like.

So, if you're in the middle of planning, that's your homework...find pictures of what flowers you absolutely love, so that you know you're all on the same page.

flourish{ing}

 Flowers are amazing.  

You have a bare space, and then all of a sudden, you add flowers or greenery, and there's life!

But, similarly to color schemes, the trends with flowers change over time.  What I picked for my bridal bouquet (13 years ago today actually!) was perfect...then.  

Maybe I'm just too fickle, and vary my taste too much, but my flowers would be completely different now, than what I chose in August of 1999.

Over the last decade, {like many things in the wedding industry} the floral industry has taken quite a turn.  There is a whole movement toward more organic and natural arranging, and not your grandmother's (no offense!) florist.

For years, I didn't like the term florist.  It just felt stuffy, and unexciting, to say the least.  But, I love flowers!  It wasn't that I was unhappy with the flowers, more of how I would see them arranged.

There is a huge difference between having someone do the flowers, and someone being a floral designer.

In the next few posts, I'll be giving some tips on how to pick your favorite flowers, and how to make sure your style will truly flourish.

Day 30: Entertaining at Home

If you're planning on entertaining at home this fall, you may find yourself turning your decorations up a notch. It's okay to glam it up once in a while, just make sure to stay true to yourself.

Using things that you already have to create centerpieces may seem mundane to you because you see these items all the time. The trick is to use your imagination! Place a gorgeous bouquet of flowers in a pitcher or a couple of clustered mason jars instead of a vase. Make a bouquet of cinnamon sticks to accompany the bouquet, or sprinkle a couple of nuts and/or cranberries around. Or even, put a bouquet of flowers inside of the pumpkin you just carved out (to make pie filling, of course)!

Casual centerpieces, with the use of candles or lanterns, are great for setting a comfortable and intimate tone. Turn up the volume with some sparkle and glam by using glitter pumpkins instead of plain gourds.

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Day 21: Decor & Design

One thing that Abby really wanted were balloons. She mentioned it in one of our first meetings, and I knew it was the "thing" she wanted the most...that and frozen yogurt, which we also accomplished.

We rented a helium tank, and ordered a bunch jumbo balloons, (begged WinMock to let us use them!) and for hours on the day of, blew up her big beautiful balloons. And, they really were fabulous.

That gray sky was perfect for those pictures...and thankfully the reception was inside the barn. Those dark clouds soon turned to a tornado warning, but we just kept right on dancing!

Abby and Allan had a poster board with their silhouettes holding balloon strings, where guests used stamp pads to stamp in their thumb print as the balloons. So cute and personable!

For the tables we used a collection of wine bottles and antique milk jugs to display fresh wildflowers. We had twine globes, so I stuck mason jars into the middle of the globe, and had the candles inside for a different version of a votive. We scrunched a little burlap under each centerpiece to give it some texture and interest. They turned out great!

Remember all those beautiful bridesmaids? Well, we put their bouquets to good use and repurposed them as centerpieces on our smaller hi-boy tables. They were just the right size, and allowed us to save a little, too!

My favorite florist, Farm and Filigree, did a great job designing the bouquets! They were rustic enough to go with the barn feel, but still extremely elegant.

We loved all the little touches that made this wedding feel like Abby and Allan. All day, I kept hearing people say,"It's just so Abby!" Unknowingly, they were giving the perfect compliment to me. It was such a fun design scheme, and yet maintained the sophistication we wanted for their wedding. Mission accomplished!

Linking up today with In the Studio!

Artsy...and Crafty

Whew, what a week! It was an amazingly full week of weddings, showers, and all the normal stuff that makes up life. As much as I wish it weren't true, more events equals less blogging. Such is life right now.

I wanted to show you a few precious things

that one of my artsy crafty friends has been making.

This girl is so creative and wonderful. Not only is she one of my best friends, I get to hire her to make cute stuff for events that I'm designing. We've been mulling over how to combine our efforts to make Events by Design more artsy and crafty than ever.

So cute as place cards

recipe holders

bookmarks

or just to add a little flair to notes or gifts.

Just another simple pleasure!

A Long Awaited Visiter

The last few weeks, I've been waiting for a friend.

I knew she was coming,

But I wasn't quite sure when she would arrive.

She surprised us on Saturday with her striking pose

And her delicate layers.

I'm so thankful for her company every Spring.

Love peonies, too?

Use them this Spring for a special event...

or choose them for a bouquet.

They're sure to steal the show...well, almost.

Linking up to Simple Pleasures and Imperfect Prose.

bouquet picture credits: http://www.oncewed.com/index.php?s=peony

A Little Flower Inspiration

For all you spring and summer brides, I couldn't help but love this storyboard. I think it's so fresh and elegant, with just enough natural charm! I love how they mixed and matched the colors and flowers to present a clean and unified look, but still kept each look a little different. A good rule of thumb when thinking about flower centerpieces is, "If you can't see over them, you should be able to see through them."

I can't wait for all of the flowers to be in full bloom again. These winter months get a little long for bouquet lovers!

From the Field

I adore flowers. In fact, if I had to say one thing that makes an event, or home for that matter, more lovely, it would be flowers. They give such personality and splendor to any setting.

My favorite kinds of arrangements are the ones that come straight from the field. They don't always look neatly trimmed and polished, and yet they have such a pure beauty about them.

As my favorite flower season is coming to a close, I have to remember that they will return. And in the meantime, I get to look forward to all those autumn beauties! What's your favorite flower? Or a more interesting question, If you were a flower, what would your name be?