From our family to yours: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Silk Floral Headpiece Review
I've got 4 kids, so I know what it's like to see something you love grow up right before your eyes. I imagine the day when my kids grow up and move on with their lives, but that first time they come back after leaving the nest must be pretty special. Well, when I ship off or hand over one of my custom silk bridal bouquet recreations, a box full of silk wedding flowers, or a unique silk floral headpiece, it's little like sending out one of your babies into the world. You hope you hear back from them. So when I open up my ever-filling email inbox and see pictures from one of my treasured clients, it's like that baby coming home!
**Disclaimer: No one has ever accused me of being under-dramatic**
You may remember my post about Winter's beautiful custom floral headpiece, stylishly displayed on my deck rail, followed up by my obviously non-bridal self. Her email caused a squeal of delight as I had all the heart eyes for these pictures. Take a look at the beautiful images provided by Lynsey Tjaden with Studio 220.
Checking out her bling- you know we've all done it;)
I love the joy that is so evident here!
“The flowers held up VERY well. I have worn this crown on several other occasions and it has looked perfect every time! ”
Thank you again to Winter for this awesome opportunity to be a part of a whimsical woodland wedding and create a unique silk floral headpiece. If you are looking for that perfect piece to cap off your bridal look, contact me today to find out if a floral headpiece is for you.
Silk Bridal Bouquet Recreation
Most bride's loved their bouquets. Most bride's never saw their beautiful bouquet again once the wedding was over. There are processes to preserve a bouquet, but let's be honest they won't have those same vibrant colors as they did on your big day.
One of the best parts of recreating a bridal bouquet in silk flowers is that you get the benefit of an artistic eye hunting down the flowers that made your bridal bouquet unique and lovely. And while not every detail may be an exact duplicate (I'm still working on my cloning machine), it will bring the spirit and style, colors and elegance that it did the day you walked down that aisle. Here's an example of what it looks like to have your bouquet recreated.
Photo courtesy of Devlin Photography.
I included all the elements from her original bouquet with a new style of wrap that she picked out herself. Now Sabrina has a beautiful reminder of her wedding day.
“Since I had a destination wedding, I didn’t get to keep my bouquet, which I loved. On my four-year anniversary, my husband told me to find someone to recreate the bouquet as a keepsake. After doing a lot of research, I came across Erin’s website, and could tell she really cared about her work. I was right! She knew just what questions to ask, and after I sent a few pictures, all I had to do was sit back and wait - not very long, either! My bouquet was not the typical white roses, and it even had some flowers I didn’t know the names of. But Erin did and had no problem acquiring them for the bouquet. I LOVE the recreated bouquet. It not only looks real, it looks exactly like my original wedding bouquet. Thank you, Erin!”
Whether you are interested for your self or someone special, contact me today about a custom bridal bouquet recreation in silk flowers.
Rustic Barn Wedding Flowers with a Glam Twist
Tracy wanted her fall wedding to full of rustic barn accents and glamour, but not the usual glitz and bling. When she emailed me this spring about her wedding flowers, she painted a very vivid picture of their theme. I'll let her tell it in her own words.
" Just to give you a feel for the wedding, it will be in a renovated barn. But the theme is old time gangster meeting his sweetheart at a hideout because things were too hot back in the city."
Do you not just love that?! With that story in mind, we worked to find flowers that went with that theme, incorporated her colors, and followed the style of some inspiration photos she sent me. Here's what we came up with:
The Bridal Bouquet
Tracy will be carrying a teardrop bouquet with burgundy Lilies, purple Roses, purple and lavender Hydrangea, orange Button Mums, and Silver Dollar Eucalyptus.
The Bridesmaid Bouquets
Her three bridesmaids will carry a bouquet with matching flowers but in a loose round style bouquet with a single featured Lily. She had a couple of other arrangements she ordered that I crafted with the same flowers and that tie it all together.
The Wedding Cake
Not exactly a Pinterest-worthy setup, but shows off the beautiful cascade of flowers that will be added to their wedding cake.
And the flower girls...
Tracy's two flower girls are going to be wearing these adorable floral head pieces, modeled by my daughter. Apparently her Vikings jersey was a good match for modeling these pieces--girl loves watching football with her daddy;)
So what's your theme? Thriller inspired costumes, Disney fairy-tale ballroom, or maybe just a "hey, we love each other wedding"! Whatever your theme, there are silk wedding flowers to match. Send in your Free Bride's Checklist today to see what it will take to bring your vision to life.
Silk Bridal Bouquet Reviews
There's almost no better way of knowing whether something is good or not than when you hear it from someone else. "You have to try that new restaurant, the food was amazing!" "I just bought the most comfortable pair of shoes." "My dog stopped eating things off the counter since we started him on his new dog food!" You get the idea;) So when I get a great silk bridal bouquet review from a bride, husband, mother, whoever, the responsible thing to do is share it with all of you!
Catherine's bridal bouquet review
Catherine, who you may remember from this recent post, sent me a photo from her wedding day. We had worked together to find the perfect matching roses for her bouquet and I think we did a pretty darn good job!
Don't they look fantastic?
“My experience with Love is Blooming was very heart warming and exceptional. This vendor went all out of their way to match the color of the silk bouquet that I wanted. Mrs. Erin responded back to my questions promptly and she did a very beautiful job in arranging and styling how I wanted my bouquet. She emailed me pictures of every stage of creating my bouquet in case I wanted to change something or not. She is the best person that I know of that will work with you especially if you are on a tight budget. I will recommend her and this vendor to all the couples who are planning to marry in the near future.”
Reviews are a great way to read about various vendors who might be working with you to create your dream wedding. If you are considering using silk wedding flowers in Minneapolis or anywhere in the country, get in touch with me today to find out how we can make that perfect match for you too!
Bridal Bouquet Recreation with Succulents
Dan found me through my Etsy shop and sent me a message to see if I could help him pull of a most excellent anniversary gift for his wife. He was looking for a silk bridal bouquet recreation with succulents. I took one look at the photos he sent and knew I wanted to take on this beauty!
Here's the original bouquet, photographed by Kristen Holly Carlson. Check out her site here.
Is that not just a gorgeous bouquet? Vibrant colors, interesting texture and composition. And the twine detail on the stems is perfect!
When it came to recreating the bouquet with silk flowers, the pictures were definitely helpful. But the most help came from Dan himself who was able to clarify some questions I had about the center of the Anemones (black or blue?) and the type of ribbon under the twine. He also gave me great feedback on the color of the succulent which I tinted for him to get as close a match as possible. Take a look at the finished product!
Thanks again to Dan for finding me and working so closely with me to get this bouquet looking spot on. If you too want to be a great gift giver and have a few weeks to spare, send me a message to see if your one and only's bouquet can be recreated with designer quality silk wedding flowers with great customer service (if I do say so myself...and I do).
Destination Wedding Bouquet Recreation in Silk Flowers
Destination weddings are awesome and magical and so many types of wonderful. If you go to my blog and search "destination wedding," you'll get a good picture of how happy my brides have been planning their flowers ahead of time and taking them along for their destination wedding. But what if the wedding is over, and you'd like to relive the magic of your beautiful bridal bouquet? Easy! Do what Caitlyn did and have your destination wedding bouquet recreated with silk flowers!
Silk Wedding Bouquet recreation for reception at home
After her amazing ceremony in Hawaii, Caitlyn and hubby planned a reception back home for this fall. She had absolutely adored their wedding flowers and knew she wanted to find a way to have her bouquet recreated when they celebrated again with friends and family. Caitlyn got in touch with me, sent me as many pictures as she could find and I got to work.
Here are some photos from their Hawaii destination wedding:
They look fun, don't they?
Caitlyn had orange orchids in her hair that she requested be added to her bouquet recreation. It was a fun little way to include yet another detail from their destination wedding.
Here's the recreation in a not-quite-Hawaiian-but-totally-Minnesotan-yard. Stargazer Lilies, Orchids in white, magenta and orange, Ginger, Bird of Paradise, and white roses.
Sunshine you can carry!
“I cannot describe how amazed I am at the quality of work I have received from Love Is Blooming! I was so sad to leave my wedding flowers behind when I got married in Hawaii earlier this year, but Erin took every photo I tossed at her and recreated my flowers to perfection. I am so excited to know that I’ll have a gorgeous bouquet (and boutonniere!) to display for many years to come. And I can’t wait to show off the incredible job well done at our reception next month! I would recommend Love Is Blooming to anyone. What a great way to preserve a memory!”
Thanks again to Caitlyn for choosing me to recreate an amazing bouquet and a meaningful part of your wedding story. If you had a destination wedding bridal bouquet that you'd love to admire whenever you want, but can't afford multiple tickets to your tropical paradise, contact me today to see how I can help!
Hurricanes impacting the Floral Industry in Minneapolis
Last month we saw lots of difficulty and heartbreak around the world. And I don't want to take anything away from that; people lost their lives, their belongings and their livelihoods. But often, when we are far enough removed from a natural disaster here in Minnesota, we don't feel the impact in many noticeable ways. However, I was very interested to see this pop up from my local news station. It features one of my local wholesalers that provide many of the beautiful products I'm able to offer my customers.
When considering what direction to go with your wedding flowers, there are many benefits to using silk flowers: my favorite being that you can have your flowers on hand weeks and even months ahead of time. Because no one has the ability to predict the future when it comes to your wedding planning, consider silk wedding flowers as a way to plan ahead with confidence. Request a quote if you like the sound of that!
Silk Wedding Boutonniere on Smell-o-vision = Television. Get it?
I seriously considered writing a limerick, but that would take a little more brain power than I have left after being interviewed on live television. Concentrating on swallowing, breathing, not looking demented, and doing a demonstration on silk wedding boutonniere crafting used up a lot of what brain activity I had left. My pulse has returned to it's normal rate and now I'm able to share with you about my exciting experience being interviewed on live television about my sweet little business.
One of our local community stations decided to do their quarterly live show all about weddings. They tracked me down as a local florist and offered me a spot to share about what I do, why I do it, and why silk flowers are a good choice for weddings. I was honored to even be asked and of course said yes before I thought about the ramifications of how hard I would have to work to not sound resoundingly Minnesotan, dontchaknow? So before I ramble too much and lose what's left of this online audience, take a peek:
A big thanks to QCTV and the producers there who gave me such a great opportunity to tell my local community about Love Is Blooming. If you saw the show and happen to run into me on my 9th Target run of the week, give me a "hey there!" and just pretend I spent as much time on my hair and outfit as I did for the show. And if you are interested in hearing about what I can design in silk flowers for your wedding, send in the Free Bride's Checklist today and get a quote from your newest neighborhood B-list celebrity;)
Silk Bridal Bouquets Secrets: Rhymes with Smell-o-vision
A few weeks back I got an interesting email and it lead to an interesting proposal...well not that kind. Let's say it lead to an interesting event that I'm really pumped to share with you. But for now, I'll leave you with this clue:
We're all about creating silk bridal bouquets out of our workshop here. But this was definitely a new experience that included extra makeup (and deodorant if I'm being honest) and a demonstration on the fly. Check back soon to see the dramatic conclusion to this story!
Silk Bridal Bouquet Recreation- Autumn Edition Part 1
I don't know where you're at, but here in Minnesota we are back to pants and coats in the morning, windows open and a little sweaty in the afternoons. That tells me that fall is just around the corner! The silk bridal bouquet arrangements I've been creating have been another sign that fall anniversaries are on couples' minds.
Back in May, Anna sent me an email saying her 10th anniversary (woohoo!) was this fall and she was planning a vow renewal. She wanted to be able to feature her bouquet, recreated in silk flowers for the renewal. Her tulip, orchid, berry bouquet was gorgeous on its own, but Anna wanted to bump it up a notch and add some bling into the bouquet. She decided to keep the handle simple as she planned to display it in a vase after the renewal. I got to work and was able to find everything we needed to recreate her stunning bridal bouquet.
Photo credit: Valery Shpak; Brooklyn, NY
Thanks again to Anna for bringing me into her special plans for her vow renewal this fall. Maybe you have a vow renewal or other special way to commemorate your upcoming anniversary--have your bridal bouquet recreated in silk flowers for a meaningful and unexpected gift. I can help with that!
Silk Wedding Flower Backdrop Reveal
You may remember my previous post about Ali's flower backdrops using silk flowers for her wedding backdrop. When she called me, Ali already had her flowers figured out but had her heart set on a couple of flower backdrops for an altar arrangement during her wedding ceremony and a secondary site during the reception. She was able to send me a few inspiration photos to give me some ideas of what she liked. I just got back some amazing photos from her photographer Jennifer Jane.
Check out Jennifer's Work here
Instagram: @jennifersimonton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferjanephoto/
Website: www.jenniferjanephoto.com
And now, I'm going to let these photos speak for themselves.
“I heard about Love is Blooming through my sister Katy, as she used Erin for her wedding and was completely amazed by her and couldn’t say enough good things. I witnessed this through the flowers she did for the bridesmaids and how they looked so real and were beautiful. When it was time to plan my wedding and I had a Pinterest vision in mind for a floral backdrop, I reached out to Erin to see if she would be able to make it a reality. To say the least, she went above and beyond what I had expected and created my vision perfectly! Erin was timely, communicated very well, reasonably priced and did her absolute best on them! We had many compliments during our day, thanks to her! It made for a perfectly magical day. Thanks again to Erin, from Love is Blooming, for helping make our day special!
Thanks again!!
”
Thanks again to Ali for choosing me for this super fun project. And a big thanks to Jennifer Jane Photography for sharing these photos of a beautiful wedding! If you are interested in a Minneapolis wedding flower backdrop or maybe something else you dreamed up, contact me today to get a free quote!
Silk Floral Wedding Crown with Pheasant Feathers
One of the awesome new(ish) trends making the rounds is the romantic and rustic floral wedding crown. Offering endless styles and options for flower combinations, it's almost like the new bridal bouquet. For those of you still wondering if we're talking about the hippy floral crowns of old, let me just say, this ain't your momma's daisy chain.
Winter contacted me a few weeks back with some pictures and even a hand drawn sketch of what she wanted in her floral crown for her Autumn wedding. She gave me some more details for her big day: out in a field, they would be picking flowers from the property the day of for bouquets, and the ceremony will be outside rain or shine. As you can imagine, pulling together a bouquet of wildflowers for a fresh-from-the-field look is a lot more doable with your bridesmaids than crafting a crown...out of flowers...to attach to your head. I think Winter made the right choice to have this sort of arrangement ready to go before the day of her wedding.
She gave me a few more thoughts on what she wanted to incorporate including a larger cream flower, pheasant feathers, and fall colors and foliage. I got to work finding the perfect components and began working on her crown. Since this was a one and done arrangement, I communicated a lot with Winter over email (even though she's local) so we could get the shape, look, angle, and even the side it would go on her head all perfected. I finished the floral crown off with a moss green velvet ribbon. I left the tails plenty long so Winter's hair stylist might be able to actually weave it up into her hair. It's going to be gorgeous!
Here are some shots of the floral wedding crown with pheasant feathers.
And, because, what's a floral wedding crown without a head under it? Here's me awkwardly posing trying to showcase the beauty of this piece.
Thanks again to Winter for bringing this fun and creative piece to me to craft for you! If you're looking for a floral crown, something with pheasant feathers, or another type of headpiece for your wedding day, a custom silk flower crown might be what you're looking for! Send me an email today to see what designs are waiting for you.
Silk Bridal Bouquet Recreation- Autumn Edition Part 2
This summer was a busy time for fall weddings and silk bridal bouquet recreations, as well as for travel and other summer fun things with my family. That's one of the really awesome parts about my job. I'm able to enjoy my family time and still create custom silk flower arrangements, all year long!
Autumn Wedding Silk Bridal Bouquet Recreation
Lee contacted me in July to have his wife's bridal bouquet recreated and to be delivered in September. This gave me plenty of time to track down the beautiful flowers from her original bridal bouquet, work on other clients' arrangements, take my kids to the park and zoo and camping. I was able to put together Lee's bouquet, email him pictures for feedback, make the tweaks, add the finishing touches and ship his bouquet to Washington with time to spare! And Lee didn't have to wait around hoping his wife's gift was going to show up in time for their anniversary or that it wouldn't look like he wanted it to.
“A wonderful experience, from initial emails to delivered product. The bouquet was a mirror image of our original wedding bouquet!”
Silk Bridal Bouquet Recreation: Before and After
Here's a photo of the original bouquet Lee sent me. He was able to give me a few more details to fill in the blanks before I got started on the recreation bouquet. This beautiful photo is by: http://www.saleinamarie.com/
If you are interested in having a bouquet recreated for fall, winter, or anytime, contact me today for a free quote!
Budget Friendly Silk Bridal Bouquet
When you're planning your wedding, every detail counts. Those special touches you've been dreaming about can either break the bank or work within your budget. I work with brides with budgets of all shapes and sizes to create the perfect silk bridal bouquet of their dreams.
Catherine's story
Catherine emailed me a few weeks back with a link to a bouquet that she loved. She was looking for a budget friendly silk bridal bouquet. The photo she sent was a classic rose bouquet with a shiny rhinestone in the center of each flower and some bling on the handle. Catherine was also able to email a picture of her dress so that I could match the color of the roses to the fabric as closely as possible.
After a trip to my local Minneapolis florist supply, I emailed her pictures of the options that were available. When we compared her dress picture to the roses I found, we decided the first type was too bright tomato-y of red, the second was too pink of a burgundy, but the third was just right. With the roses decided on, like Goldilocks, I tra-la-la'ed off to my studio to nap...not really, but that would have been nice.
Catherine really liked how the original bouquet looked and no changes were in order, which made my job simple! I created a modest size bouquet, threw in a dash of bling, wrapped it up with matching ribbon, added on more bling along the top and bottom of the handle and called it good. I mentioned a groom's boutonniere to Catherine and she was excited her man could wear a matching flower. I used a single rose, some greens and the same ribbon and she loved it. Take a look at this budget friendly silk bridal bouquet and groom's boutonniere!
I know that, as you've been planning your wedding, you've been dreaming of every detail down to your bridal bouquet. If you're working on a tighter budget (and who isn't these days?) send in our Bride's Checklist for a FREE quote and see if our budget-friendly flowers are a good match for you!
How to Order Silk Wedding Flowers
The flowers for your wedding are important part of your big day. You'll want to choose the perfect flowers and colors to compliment the beauty of your ceremony and reception. Determining whether you'll order fresh or silk wedding flowers is the first step. In addition, you'll want to consider the ordering process to ensure a hassle-free experience leading up to your big day.
The Fresh Florist Process
I just came across an article that outlines the process for nailing down your contract with a fresh florist. It was well written, thorough, and...complicated. I couldn't help but think that it was quite overwhelming and seemed brutally time-consuming. Let me sum up what this article proposed it would all entail:
- Scheduling appointments to interview multiple florists
- Meeting again with the one you choose to get a quote
- Going back to your florist to review quote and make changes
- Go home and think about contract
- Go back and discuss payment options, cancellation policies, how to make changes, discussing hourly/delivery/additional on-site service charges, coming up with a list of flower substitutions that are acceptable vs. unacceptable
- Sign the contract and pay deposit
- Go back several times to discuss final designs and quantities
- Wait until your wedding day to see exactly what's going to show up.
Ordering Silk Wedding Flowers with Love Is Blooming
Now it's fairly obvious that I'm biased towards my own process, but here's why:
- Email Erin with pictures, ideas and details you'd like included
- Receive an email with design ideas, some pictures and a free quote
- Like the quote, email Erin to say, "Looks awesome!" Receive an emailed contract and detailed list of exactly what each arrangement will include.
- Pay 50% Deposit
- Receive emailed pictures as arrangements come together and to approve final versions of everything.
- Pay balance, receive flowers weeks or even months in advance.
Did I mention you don't have to leave your house, couch, or pajamas to get the wedding flowers of your Pinterest board dreams? Did I also mention that you'll be guaranteed to receive the flowers in your original designs? Did I also mention I have lots of happy customers to attest to these facts?
Whether you've got months or over a year to plan, send in your Free Bride's Checklist today so you can just kick back and watch Netflix guilt free.
Vintage Wedding Flowers
A few weeks ago, I got an email from out-of-state bride Susan looking for me to replicate one of my own vintage wedding flower bouquets. You can see the original design here. That particular bouquet had already sold on my Etsy shop, and because it was crafted more than a year ago, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to duplicate it exactly as pictured. The more I talked with Susan, the more I began to understand her vision for her vintage inspired wedding. She wanted to tie in the color mauve that would be an element feature in her wedding dress. So I set out to find some flowers that would give Susan a similar look as the original bouquet but also give it a custom twist.
Vintage Bouquet in Process
The bouquet is still in progress, but here's a sneak peak of the main flowers you'll see in the finished product.
I'm really excited to share more as I progress on this design. Susan's bouquet will also have some awesome bling in a variety of pieces, including a cameo broach made by Susan herself. It's going to be gorgeous!
If you see something you like, whether on my site or across the interwebs, contact me today to find out if a recreation or modification is doable!
Red, White and Blue Silk Wedding Flowers
Happy Independence Day! While some of you are thinking of lounging pool side with a frosty beverage while hanging out with friends, you might also be contemplating your upcoming wedding and all the details that need to be figured out. And since it is a national holiday , I thought I'd use Old Glory for some red, white and blue silk wedding flower inspiration.
Check back soon for details about this gorgeous red bouquet for southern bride, Catherine.
You can read the story behind this simple white bouquet here.
Blue can be tricky to incorporate. You can read about how we worked it into Trisha's burlap and lace wedding here.
If you're considering planning a holiday themed wedding or a July 4th wedding for next year, contact us today to see how we can bring your wedding plans to life!
Minneapolis Wedding DIY Aisle Arrangement
I'm all about the Benjamins...saving them that is! So when I whipped up a pretty little craft for my home in a matter of minutes and for a bargain price, it occurred to me that this would be a beautiful addition to any wedding aisle arrangement and decor.
In a matter of 10 knots I had a lovely little hanging planter or votive holder. Find a mini shepherd's hook and you're all set!
What You Will Need
- Macrame Cord in desired thickness (mine is 3 mm)
- Glass jar, globe or other container (got mine at Dollar Tree)
- Scissors
- Measuring Tape
Check out this awesome tutorial which can help you determine all your measurements and show you a step-by-step process on how to create this pretty aisle arrangement. You can gussy this baby up with a few more complex knots, different colored macrame cord, or even choosing a colored ball jar for your vase. So many options for a beautiful outcome! Happy DIYing!
Flower Backdrops For Minneapolis Wedding Ceremonies
This past fall I got an email from Katy, who I created these flowers for. She put me in touch with her sister, Ali, who was now planning her own wedding. Ali already had her flowers figured out but had her heart set on a couple of flower backdrops for an altar arrangement during her wedding ceremony and a secondary site during the reception. As we discussed and planned over email, Ali was able to send me a few inspiration photos to give me some ideas of what she liked. Her colors were pastel shades of pink and purple with white and greenery. Ali also sent me photos of the set up at the church they would be getting married in and exact measurements to make sure we filled the space. Take a look at our unique and rustic flower backdrops for her ceremony!
Standing at 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide, this beauty is going to make quite the statement. I used a variety of flowers and greens to make the backdrop both interesting and delicate. It also made it challenging to find a place open enough to photograph this sizable altar arrangement. And in case you were wondering, yes, those are chopsticks wedging the branch into my barn door track. A girl's gotta do...
Here's the smaller 4' x 4' flower backdrop incorporating similar flowers, greens and stick topper to make a cohesive look without being the big guy's mini-me.
If you've been looking for a special and unique element for an altar arrangement, photo booth backdrop or party decor, a flower backdrop might be just the thing! Contact me today to get a quote!