I have a special treat today for all you Denver area brides--the
! If you are looking for traditional music or a twist on contemporary, this is the group for you! I was lucky enough to have one of the members,
, play at my own wedding. His musicianship, professionalism, and pure talent added so much to our ceremony.
His quartet that has been playing together since 1997 is just as amazing. If you check out their
page, you can listen to a sampling of their more traditional tunes as well as some sweet new covers including Coldplay, U2, The Beatles, Enya, and Snow Patrol. Curious about some of the music options available for your wedding? Check out their
for more details and instructions on how to get a free demo cd and brochure about the group.
Music is often a big part of your wedding day. If you are looking for a group to play live, be sure to find experienced musicians with professional training who can give you the style of music you want. With the Denver String Quartet, you are guaranteed to get all that, plus a unique experience for you and your guests.
To top off our Real Wedding series for today, the cake! The scrollwork is beautiful and this cake certainly could have stood on its own. But our subtle additions gave a little pop of color and added even more interest to the layers.
This shot is so dramatic! Love it!
I love how the layers aren't just stacked square, the change in shape puts a nice 'twist' (haha) on a classic style.
Beautiful!
This wraps up a fun day full of beautiful images. Thanks so much Meg for sharing with us! If you are in the Indianapolis area and looking for a talented and fun photographer, be sure to look her up.
Thanks to Jessica and Matt for letting me contribute to the beauty of your wedding day! You were a peach to work with and I enjoyed designing all your flowers!
The adorable toss bouquet. The style she chose was different from all the other bouquets but still fell within her theme. We tied in the yellow/orange hydrangea in by incorporating it into the ceremony flowers as well.
These mint julep cups are the way to go! Available in gold or silver, you would never even know they were made of plastic. Not only are they lightweight for shipping but they are 1/3 the price of metal ones and look just as elegant as their tarnishing counterparts.
A look at their altar where the above arrangements made their appearance. We added in some decorative twigs and light foliage to give the arrangements some elevation. These two beauties were versatile enough to move to tables in the reception afterwards.
I had the honor of creating custom designs for Jessica and Matt for their October wedding. Their very talented photographer Megan King of Megelaine Images sent me some beautiful shots to share with you.
What a striking couple! They look so happy to be married. *Sigh*
A sweet moment:
Our beautiful bride Jessica:
The dashing groom, Matt:
Keep watching for the next three parts featuring more of the flowers, the cake, and ceremony flowers.
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.
Thanks Jessica for these great offers!
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.
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.
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!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.
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.
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.
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.
wanted to take it a step further.
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.
uquet in Monsteria leaves. It adds a nice backing and makes the bouquet fit right in with its exotic surroundings.
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!
