Last Call for Custom Fragrance Giveaway!

Here's your all Hallow's Eve-eve reminder that the giveaway for the custom fragrance ends tomorrow! So you have until midnight of tomorrow to enter. If you didn't catch it before, all you have to do is leave a comment (on the previous post) about at least one aspect of your wedding you are DIY-ing. It could be as simple as "Helping design my flowers with Love Is Blooming" hint hint;)

I am absolutely loving all the creativity flowing through this blog right now! I certainly have some very ingenious newcomers. It's refreshing to hear about how you brides are co-mingling fun with meaning. It doesn't seem to be so much about just trying to do things differently than our mothers, but really making it about you and your fiance and the loved ones around you. So bravo for rising to the occasion to make your special occasion a truly unique and memorable one.

Check back Friday for the winner!

Custom Fragrance--FREE GIVEAWAY for the unique Bride!

Customizing the details of your big day to your tastes is one of the most exciting parts of wedding planning. You might be hand-making invitations, buying tea lights and accessories en masse for table decor, or canning delicious jams and jellies for favors, but what about designing your own wedding day fragrance? Design your fragrance from the comfort of your own home and have something truly personalized for your wedding. My friend Denise, of Urban Botanic, is providing this awesomely luxurious giveaway of 8 oz unscented lotion with 3 essential oils for mixing up your own special concoction. Because let's be serious, you don't want people smelling your hard working deodorant as you reach for those hugs. They would rather smell your sweetness and wonder what smells so delicious.

You can visit Denise's site and take a quick personality test to learn what your customized fragrance might include. I just discovered that my fragrance personality is "Fruity!" My custom fragrance would have hints of pomegranate, violet, sandalwood, green apple, and honeysuckle.To get this great prize it's simple! Leave a comment telling me about an aspect of your wedding that you are doing yourself to make your big day unique and truly yours. You have until October 30th to enter and the winner will be announced on Halloween. It's like trick-or-treating without going anywhere. Good luck and get writing!

Wedding Giveaways from Stella Event Design

We all know there is plenty to do before the wedding, including selecting your flowers *wink wink.* But there are also some details that will need to be taken care of after you've returned home from the honeymoon. A good friend of mine who is an up and coming event planner is offering some great giveaways to help you with some of those post-wedding duties.

Check out Stella Event Design's Blog to find out about these fun and helpful prizes. All you need to do is leave a comment on her blog before the specified time to enter. And if you're thinking about planning a wedding or other event in Southwest Michigan, Jessica of Stella is the one to talk to!Thanks Jessica for these great offers!

The Design Process: Changing Minds, Changing Styles

Designing bouquets and wedding flowers isn't a cut-and-dry procedure. As ideas evolve from a mass of flowers with no direction to carefully crafted bouquets and arrangements, so can your opinions and style begin to change. Here is an example of what typically happens as a bride and I work through her original design ideas and end up with the finished product. Enjoy!

The bride chose burgundy and ivory roses, and orange, gold, and burgundy callas for her fall wedding.

The bridesmaid posies incorporated mini ivory callas and larger burgundy callas.

She felt as if something was missing so we tried adding a larger ivory calla in the middle.

It wasn't quite doing it for her, so we added a gold calla, and bingo! Just adding a little pop of color made it feel complete for her.

Some ivory ribbon gave it that final touch for an elegant and unique bouquet.

Here's the changes her bridal bouquet went through:

Her bridal bouquet incorporated all her chosen flowers and colors and when she saw the original shape, she felt there was a little too much going on. So we began to play around with it.

Our first step was to take out the ivory, which decreased the size of the bouquet and left some holes. So she suggested we dye the ivory roses burgundy and re-insert them into her bouquet. The verdict? Too much burgundy.

Her final look was achieved by removing only some of the dyed roses, using those for corsages, and instead adding them to the bottom of the bouquet for a rounder look. Of course the ever-so-classy satin ribbon gave it a touch of elegance and made for a happy customer.

While this may seem like a lot to go through, don't be scared of speaking up! Your florist should be open to your suggestions and feedback. Voicing your opinion is the only way to get what you want. Of course, going with silk flowers is a great way to know ahead of time exactly what you'll be getting, and it will already have your stamp of approval.

In Memoriam...Honoring and Remembering Loved Ones at Your Wedding

Weddings are a time of gathering friends and family and celebrating a huge day in your life. Unfortunately, there are often important people to you who are unable to come or who have passed away. It can be an emotional time for couples to reflect on lost loved ones, wishing they could be there at the ceremony. But there are some really sweet gestures that can add meaning and a sense of remembrance to your wedding.

Many times brides and grooms choose an arrangement of flowers to honor grandparents and other special loved ones. How might that be different than an altar arrangement? The meaning comes in the flowers. Maybe the favorite flowers of the one being honored are used, or the number of flowers included represents something of significance about the absent loved ones. Traditionally the officiant or the program calls attention to the arrangement during the ceremony to recognize who it's for.

If you are looking for something non-traditional but still meaningful, here are some ideas:

• Carrying a handkerchief or other small keepsake from a grandparent, mother, etc.
• Wearing a special piece of jewelry that belonged to a special loved one
• Framing photographs and placing them with a small flower arrangement at your ceremony or reception site
• If you are doing a slideshow, including pictures of them with a special note in the presentation
• Walking down the aisle or doing the unity candle portion to your loved one's favorite song
• Asking the officiant to include a special story as related to marriage in the ceremony message
• Using a favorite song for your first dance as husband and wife
• At your reception site, leaving place settings empty with their pictures and a note about how each person is special to you
• Add a candle garden at your ceremony or reception site; mix in flowers or pictures or coordinate the number of candles with the loved ones being honored

So today, on a day we remember the victims of September 11, think about those loved ones who deserve a special moment of recognition because of their impact and influence in your lives. Choose fitting ways to honor their lives as you start yours together.

A big decision -- how to choose flowers perfect for YOU

Sometimes nailing down a certain design idea for your wedding is a no-brainer, "pink linens and candlelight of course!" And other times there are big, looming details that can intimidate and threaten your planning pace. I often meet with brides who come to me, pictures in hand, with a very specific plan for their arrangements. And about just as often I have conversations with brides who have no idea where to start in designing their bouquets.

Alana, one such bride and self-proclaimed "Southern hippy chick" knew what colors and what style but had no clue as to what flowers. To make matters more dramatic, she had numerous people telling her that what she wanted wouldn't work, which only made her want it more!

The big breakthrough in choosing flowers came when I simply asked her what she didn't like. It was as simple as that! We narrowed down the field of contenders and landed on some of her favorite flowers that would work perfectly with her theme. She now has a gorgeous cream/pink/pale green bouquet of peonies, gardenia, orchids, ranunculus and hydrangea that have become her dream bouquet. Her vibrant bridesmaid bouquets hit the mark with purple hydrangea and ranunculus, orange ranunculus, and green orchids. From the customized flower selection down to the hand-picked champagne ribbon, these bouquets were designed with her in mind and she couldn't be happier!

Your story may not fall into place as easily as hers, but there's no reason you still can't have the perfect bouquet, even if you don't know what it looks like. Take time to search online for images of flowers or bouquets that coordinate with colors or styles that you are drawn to. And if you still come up empty-handed, one phone call or e-mail may be all it takes to find exactly what you've been looking for.

Pomanders - A KISSing Ball You Won't Soon Forget

Pomanders, or Kissing Balls, are one type of arrangement that really stands out from traditional flower styles. Their unique shape and design draw attention whether they are carried down the aisle or hang throughout the reception hall.

A Pomander "is a round ball completely covered by flower blooms."

Here's an example of an elegant and simple use of pomanders.

View fullsize

While the main flowers of this wedding were white roses and blue hydrangea, though the bride chose to incorporate a different flower into the pomanders -- carnations. Carnations work great because of their full-petaled bloom and their larger size; it takes less flowers per pomander to get that full and luxurious look. The royal blue ribbon incorporated her wedding colors and added a little shine to the arrangements.

Mixing multiple flower types is another option, and it creates an entirely different feel. The hydrangea, snowball bush and daisies bring different textures to the arrangement while still keeping a polished look. A delicate strand of pearls is double looped through the center of the arrangement for a dainty and classy accent.

Pomanders are often a great choice for flower girls or junior bridesmaids. When looking for alternatives to mini bouquets or baskets and petals, brides look to the pomander to make their younger participants feel special but still included in the wedding party. Either looped over the wrist or carried in front, pomanders are romantic, stylish and a great visual accent to your big day. So consider a kiss of sweetness with kissing balls as part of your ceremony experience.

Flower Girls never looked so cute! Cherry Blossoms Designs

The little cherubs go bouncing down the aisle, eliciting the warm-up "oohs" and "aahs" before the bride's big entrance. While the traditions have dictated frilly white dresses and white wicker baskets, one up-and-comer is adding a little bit of new style into the mix.

Kiley, owner and designer for Cherry Blossoms Designs was kind enough to fill us in on her business, her inspiration, and her life.

I established Cherry Blossoms in 2006 when my baby girl was born. I sought high quality unique hair accessories that were both beautiful, functional, and affordable, with no success.

I began fabricating my own designs with distribution amongst friends and family. Compliments and inquiries from others soon followed, as well as numerous requests for customized work. I decided it was time to make the big jump and began selling my creations.

Where her inspiration comes from:

My inspiration would definitely have to be my daughter, Ella. She is just this amazing little person. If an item doesn't feel comfortable on her or look good on her I will not sell it. She is my little muse I guess you could say.

How this could relate to the wedding world:

I have done many custom orders for Flower girls and Bridesmaids...my hair accessories are all handmade and all unique.

On the benefits of using silk flowers:

I love using silk flowers on my designs because unlike real flowers they won't wilt, fall off, or turn brown!I only use the best quality of silk flowers available...they look and feel real to the touch!

Fun facts about Kylie:

I am married to the love of my life, I am a stay at home mom, an actress, and I also do graphic design on the side....I don't know how I do it some days...but it keeps my days busy and full of creativity and fun! I love what I do and I am so lucky to work with such amazing customers!

Check out Kiley's blog to see some of her products, leave feedback and enter a great give-a-way. Thanks so much Kiley for joining us and for sharing some new ideas.

Make Your Colors Fit Your Style: Citrus With a Twist

Today's post is all about getting the most out of your colors. I've chosen three vibrant colors to show how easy it can be to adapt flowers in your favorite colors to fit the season or location.


I started with tangerine, lemon, and lime as my colors and chose flowers that were both classic and contemporary: Lemon roses, lime-green Button Mums, and tangerine Vanda Orchids. With such different textures and shapes, this bouquet is inherently engaging. However, I wanted to take it a step further.



Let's start with seasons. This bouquet looks bright and summery, but what if you want to add the delicate feel of spring? Doing something as simple as adding in cream Rock Cress brings in another size of flower, giving it that "picked from the meadow" feel.

Having a fall wedding but don't want to go the expected route? Try adding foliage and berries in toned down versions of your main colors. These Hypericum berries and olive-colored Astilbe leaves add interest to the bouquet while keeping it festive.

Many of my brides have chosen silk for it's portability! My flowers have seen the beaches of Mexico more times than I have. While the colors and the orchids have a tropical quality, we can enhance that by framing the bouquet in Monsteria leaves. It adds a nice backing and makes the bouquet fit right in with its exotic surroundings.

So before you overlook a bouquet because it doesn't quite "fit," think about how to get the most out of the colors, style, and flowers.

Jumped the Gun!

As a few kind souls pointed out, I jumped the gun a little on announcing my inclusion on the Elizabeth Anne Designs Wedding Library. I'm happy to say that my name is now officially up there, as of tonight!. Thanks to Ami and Rebekah (again) for including me in this great resource! Feel free to stop in and write a review of your experience working with me and give other brides an insight into the world of designer silk wedding flowers.

8-8-08 Wedding! One month to beautiful custom bouquets.

Congratulations to Love Is Blooming bride Valerie who got married Friday on lucky date 8-8-08! Valerie's theme was all about purple and classic roses. She wanted to set apart her bouquet so she chose all purple roses for herself and a matching clutch bouquet for her daughter to carry. The bridesmaids had creamy open roses in the posy style.

Valerie was really a fan of the ballerina wrap on the stems but didn't want too much purple. I used sheer ivory ribbon as the base for the two purple bouquets and laced them up with a shimmery sheer purple ribbon. The bridesmaids had the opposite ribbon configuration as a way to bring a little more purple to their bouquets.

Valerie also ordered two special corsages for the mothers. I made them with a matching open cream rose and a bud, accented with purple rock cress, purple ribbon, and the ever popular *bling* rhinestone picks.

Valerie was on a short time-table and ordered her flowers within a month of the wedding. No sweat though! We had plenty of time to work on the design, gather all the flowers and construct each arrangement.

One of the most important aspects of this whole process was Valerie's input. After I created the base design for each of the three bouquet styles and the corsages, I e-mailed pictures and talked with Valerie about the size, shape, color, and construction of everything. For her peace of mind, there were no surprises in the finished product. She was extremely happy with the results and glad to have another item checked off her to-do list.

Congratulations again Valerie, I hope your wedding was special and memorable! Thanks for letting me be a part of your big day!

Wedding Resource: Blogs - Love Is Blooming on Alltop

If you are looking for some fresh ideas, look to the world of wedding blogs. Trying to wade through the wealth of sites and information can be a little intimidating, but thanks to sites like Alltop you can find a lot of great resources in one place! I am happy to announce Love Is Blooming is the newest addition to the site! Alltop is a fun place to, at a quick glance, check out the wedding blogs of all sorts of fine folks. You can see that Elizabeth Anne Designs is a resident there, as well as another of my favorite new blogs:The Brides Cafe.

I've found Alltop to be a great place for inspiration as there are so many ideas pouring in. In just a few minutes of browsing you can find unique stationery, suggestions for guests about dress etiquette, unique favor ideas and tons more. So with that, I say, dive in! Find what inspires you and make it yours!

Wedding Resource: Elizabeth Anne Designs Library

I am excited to announce Love Is Blooming's addition to the wedding library for Elizabeth Anne Designs. It is a great resource for finding recommended photographers, venues, planners and other wedding vendors. If you haven't checked out their blog, Ami and Rebekah are both delightful and helpful as they share about all aspects of wedding planning. Check out the vendor review page to read about other brides' experiences and suggestions, or to write about designing your flowers with me! Kind of like the little change tray by the cash register, "Take a penny, leave a penny," were all in this together!

Hot Trend: Duchess Rose Composite Flower

Composite flowers are being revived as a hot new trend! A Duchess Rose is a composite flower made up of the petals of 2 or more roses. I recently created this beautiful Duchess Rose for Yvette in Illinois. She is celebrating her anniversary and giving herself the wedding she never really had. Not wanting to carry a big bouquet, but wanting to set herself apart, she searched online and found the composite flower to be a perfect solution. I used 5 designer "Fresh Touch" pink garden roses to get just the right fullness. Yvette could have chosen an exposed or ribbon-wrapped stems for a handle, but she opted for a classy bouquet holder. The "Twist" style had clean lines and an antiqued gold finish, which will complement but not distract from her fancier gold dress.

For brides who want something unique, simple, and stylish, a composite flower might be just the ticket.

Wedding Colors: How to Choose and Use

Color plays a huge role in the theme and design of your wedding. You may get ideas from seasonal colors or from designs on websites or in magazines. Whatever your inspiration, be sure to make the most of your color scheme.

Last night I watched this video from The Knot and was really excited to pass this on. Don't be afraid to vary tones within a color, like when the video suggests exploring the various shades of purple. Using a color wheel is another good way to head in a creative direction.

Here's a list of some of my favorite color schemes to date:
-Spring green and hot pink
-Burgundy and olive green
-Cream, pale pink, and pale green
-Deep purple, green, and orange
-Spring green and navy blue (courtesy of that great table set up in the video)

A creative way to bring colors into your bouquets is the use of embellishments. Ribbon is a great way to add in an accent color or two. Rhinestones add not only sparkle but can also add color. Feathers add a very unique touch and an air of sophistication.

Whether you want your colors to be bold and vibrant or soft and romantic, each little touch will build on your theme. So, immerse yourself in color and enjoy the feeling you get when you see all your details perfectly presented.

Customer Review: "People couldn’t believe the flowers were silk..."

Hi Erin-

The wedding on June 14 went off with out a hitch... it was the perfect day, but went by too fast! The bridesmaid bouquets looked awesomely stunning up against their dresses, and I absolutely loved my bouquet! I attached a picture of me and my girls. People couldn’t believe the flowers were silk, when they touched the daisies and roses they said they felt real! I have told two brides-to-be about you, I highly recommend them to worked with you because the process was easy and stress free.

Thanks again and hope you are having a good summer!

Jennifer and Shawn W.

St. Francis, MN

How to Avoid Wedding Flower Surprises

I was just reading the blog of Masterpiece Wedding Planners and they provided this pretty comical video of one of their wedding adventures.

Two things stood out to me as I watched:

1. The brides' bouquet looked similar to one I created recently; seen here:

Pink and Cream Peonies and Phaelonopsis orchids

2. The bridesmaids bouquets were not right the first time!

(Though props to Melissa for dealing with the florist's mistake and keeping her client happy when everything seemed to be falling apart.)

All this to say, I am proud that none of my brides have ever been surprised by their bouquets. Colors, flowers, styles have all been approved beforehand and they get to give input during the actual construction of their flowers. It is a fun process for everyone involved, and it gives brides the chance to help create each beautiful arrangement.

Even though things may not go perfectly smooth with your big day, you really can have peace of mind when it comes to your designer wedding flowers.

Photo Finish: Vintage Wedding Flowers

I'm pretty sure there's no better feeling than seeing my work "in action," so to speak. These shots, provided by their photographer, are some of the best shots I have received from brides I've worked with. I literally almost fell off my couch when I saw this first one.







I met with Amy and Nathan at a local Caribou for a chat about how to get a vintage look with the flowers. Their ceremony was being held at Minnesota's Varsity Theater and they wanted every detail to reflect their theme. They also were planning on using Peacock feathers for boutonnières and wanted them also to be in the bouquets. We worked together to find the perfect colors and flowers to flow with the atmosphere of their site and tie in with the feathers. What we came up with turned out wonderfully which is why I am happily gazing at these pictures -- what a picture-perfect couple. I can't help but feel like I'm looking back in time with the finger curls in Amy's hair and Nathan's dapper pin-stripes.









The great thing about this job was that Amy and I had the chance to work closely to figure out how to get everything to come together. We reworked the design until we found a way for the feathers to show their face in just the right way. That's one of the benefits of using silk flowers, we had the chance to collaborate together to find perfection.



Thanks to the happy couple!

Customer Review: "I was the person that said I would never have silk flowers..."

"To be honest, I was the person that said I would never have silk flowers for my wedding day. However, Bryan and I decided on a destination wedding and I wanted 3 completely separate colors for bridesmaids and I wanted each to carry a bouquet of flowers that matched their given dress color.

When Erin had first met with me, she was honest by saying those colors were typically hard to find but she would do everything she could to match my dresses. Sure enough when I met her in February, she had matched colors perfect! We tweaked them a bit and added some tropical flowers for flavor to Erin’s recommendation. Even after meeting with a few other floral places, the quality of the flowers Erin used completely beat out every competitor. If I had to do it all over again, I would start with Erin! I, my bridal party, friends, family, and outsiders at the wedding were all amazed that my flowers were silk!

I probably wasn’t the easiest customer to work with as I had trouble making up my mind and changing my mind along the process. Erin worked with me to create, tweak, and to change things whenever I asked. Thanks Erin for making the most complicated part of my wedding the easiest."

Bridget H.

New Brighton, MN

Inaugural Post

Welcome brides!

I am excited to start off this blog to coincide with my launch of my freshly expanded website. It has been a really great Spring so far, and I am excited about the buzz my business is generating. I am honored that you are checking things out and I am eager to help you design the flowers for your perfect wedding!

I want to say a special hello to the 4 new brides that decided to have me design their flowers in the last week. Can't wait to see what we come up with together!

I have to give credit for the artsy header to my good friends the Niebelings. They were good sports while I dragged them around a local park looking for the perfect shot to let the flowers speak for themselves. Thanks you two!

I have to say, I've been putting off doing this for a while, but I have a renewed vigor for blogging lately. In the past, I've seen great articles on wedding trends, flowers, and other interesting design tidbits and thought, "Gee, that would be perfect to talk with my clients about." And now, I'm here, I'm ready, I'm doing it.

My hope for this blog is to make more information accessible to my clients, post progress updates and pictures, have a venue for feedback, and just a fun place to delve deeper into the world of wedding flower design!

I love hearing your comments, so please feel free to interact with my posts. It's easy to subscribe, and any and all questions are welcome! And please keep checking back for exciting things to come!