Arm Candy

My friends used to joke that I had monkey arms, which proved to be advantageous for my high school tennis career. But today I felt more like...ummmm...a T-Rex. I was excited to photograph a wrist corsage that I taught my floral class to make last night and, of course, I had to be both the model and the photographer at the same time! These were the results, minus the first 5 shots that completely missed the subject.

I am proud to say I eventually captured one good shot.


THEN, I had a more brilliant idea...



Aren't these Bombay Dendrobium Orchids gorgeous? I think wrist corsages, for the most part, should be kept simple and dainty. Anything too heavy will just be a nuisance to wear. Anything too busy will just detract from the dress instead of enhancing it. If you have extra time to waste and want a good kick, try google-ing (is that a word?) images of "wrist corsages" and you will see an array of out-dated, over the top versions that look like they belong in a creaky, upstairs, wooden-floored hallway in a black-and-white photo with straight-faced women all dressed in black. (That made me kind of giggle since the imagery is so vivid and kind of true).

Let me end this entry by saying that in most instances, I prefer pin-on corsages over wrist corsages, mainly because they are a little more contemporary. The only times I suggest wrist corsages are for more traditional brides, grandmothers, or women wearing lightweight fabrics. I don't have anything against wrist corsages and I'm actually kind of in love with this one. But if given a choice, I would prefer to wear the pin-on version. It really is just a personal choice.

The Long Awaited Photos

The photos are in! Thanks to Michael at A House of Photography, I have beautiful photos of Geline and Jod's wedding. The coloration and execution of the theme really came together perfectly and I so appreciated their genuine gratitude when I received their "thank you" phone call during their honeymoon in Florida.



The three most important things to Geline and Jod were the colors standing out against the background, the designs being unique, and their ocean theme being carried through into the flowers. I suggested adding a vibrant red to the magenta and eggplant they were already set on and they loved the idea. The jewel tones stood out against the blue (or green...haha) of the ocean, the white and purple of the dresses, and the warm brown wood of the boat's interior. Of course, no better flower than orchids could have finished off this color scheme and theme so brilliantly.



The manzanita branch ceremony pieces created a distinct focal point for the event. Small clusters of flowers were designed in large shells and suspended from the branches.



A ghostwood sweetheart table piece mimicked the appearance of driftwood and it so perfectly finished off the theme.



This was definitely a flawless blend of colors, an effective, not "in your face" execution of the theme, and, of course, a perfect marriage in the works!

A Sneak Preview of This Week's Wedding

Here is a sneak preview of the flowers for a wedding I'm doing this Monday...yes, it's a Monday wedding with 25 guests! They are a smart couple! A small, but eventful wedding with a select group of family and friends is definitely the way to go. I have to say, I've been really lucky with the clients that I am getting. So far, every couple has been wonderful to me and more importantly, wonderful to each other. This couple, in particular, gave me alot of artistic leeway, which challenges and excites me as a designer. We are doing manzanita branch ceremony pieces and a ghostwood sweetheart table piece (photos will be posted next week!). I couldn't resist giving everyone a sneak preview of these gorgeous blooms of mokara orchids, phalaenopsis orchids, dahlias, dendrobium orchids, and hydrangea.
The wedding will be on a boat, so the vibrant jewel tone colors will definitely pop against the blue of the ocean and the dark woods of the boat.

Destiny & Destinee

A month an a half ago, I had the pleasure of meeting a fun-loving bride and her equally genuine fiance. She was the first flower account I booked immediately after making the decision to start my own business and ironically, her name is Destinee (a sign, perhaps!). Two weekends ago, their big day came and went with the blink of an eye. Everything went smoothly and turned out beautifully. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to take photos since the chair rental guy decided to show up only 15 minutes prior to the ceremony start time and left without filling up the generator with gas!...Never a dull moment in the wedding world. Destinee's wedding is the first of a series of fall weddings I have to come and I couldn't have asked for a better start. It's clearly "destiny" in the works.