The Big Misconception

I haven't met too many brides that do not include peonies as one of their top five flowers. I can't say I can blame them since it is truly a beautiful bloom that is just a notch above most of its counterparts. Such beauty also comes with a hefty price tag, usually 5 to 10 times the price of a rose depending on the season. The size of the flower head and the intricate petal pattern (say that 10 times fast!) offers an ironically simplistic elegance that need not be paired with much more than some hot pink ranunculus and green hydrangeas.

On the flip side, I haven't met too many brides that do not list carnations as one of the flowers they dislike. So today, I'm playing Devil's Advocate of sorts (something my husband has seem to master!). At half the price of a rose, can a carnation really live up to the standard of a peony? Let me let you in on a little secret...the bouquet above has no peonies. Guess what those beautiful ruffly flowers are?

Carnations! Even if you were not fooled, you have to admit that they are quite stunning when they are incorporated correctly into a design. Perhaps its lack of beauty is a bit of a misnomer.

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.