My husband and I honeymooned in Hawaii. It was our first big trip together and, ever since, it has been our family's favorite destination and a bit of a tradition for us to go every September. The last couple of years, we haven't been, so I miss it.
How fitting that this bouquet reminds me of the LA version of a Hawaiian hand tied...sort of city meets tropical island. What's interesting is despite the heavy ratio of orchids, the bouquet does not scream "tropical flowers," or "summer bouquet." This is due in large part to the color combination. It's not out of the ordinary to pair orchids with roses, but the obvious choice of rose color would have been white, ivory, or a color that has the same degree of vibrancy as the magenta Bombay dendrobium orchids or the blush centers of the cymbidium orchids. Instead, I chose a muddied greenish taupe color that brings a little "city polish" to the mix.
For now, this will have to be my Hawaii [in LA]. Mahalo.
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.
I guess I've learned to appreciate rain more and more as I get older. It used to be a hindrance to just about everything--play, commuting, life. Now, it not only waters my extremely thirsty garden and washes away the dust on my bath-challenged vehicle, but it also makes me feel rejuvenated and cleansed (a "frenemy" of sorts). Why oh why does it always have to happen when I have to go buy flowers though? **sigh**
Instead of thinking about the hectic commute tomorrow, I'll reminisce about a recent morning outing up to Wayfarers Chapel atop the stunning hills of Palos Verdes where I was enveloped by rays of sunshine, a slight breeze and (dunt da da dah) silence (that just sounded like it could be the lyrics to a hit 70's song!). I had an early afternoon wedding to do and showed up a couple of hours early and took photos of the venue and the flowers I had designed.
If you are not familiar with the infamous Wayfarers, it is a beautiful chapel surrounded by glass walls and ceiling that features tremendous views of the ocean and affords you the feeling of being immersed in a natural environment even though the city is just a hop, skip and a jump away.
The bride made two requests from me: 1. Her bouquet needed to have the herb sage incorporated into the design and 2. The groom needed to have a hand in finishing off her bouquet. The first request was a cinch. The second request required more ingenuity and a bit of secrecy. The groom was excited with my suggestion that he surprise her by attaching a hand written note onto her bouquet handle. When the groom showed up to write his note that afternoon, he was smiling from ear-to-ear; a definite sign of their wonderful future together.
His boutonniere carried the same garden-inspired feel with the use of ranuncula buds and accents of sage.
I fell in love with the elegance of the Maid of Honor bouquet made of just ivory roses and ranunculus.
The flowers definitely embodied the beautiful simplicity of the venue and the refreshing feel of its surroundings which, on that particular day, was miles away from the weather I will be facing tomorrow...ugh. I know, I know...I can't complain. I live in LA.
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!
We are now entering the lull of the wedding season, which will last the holiday months through about February (although I hear from many designers that February is looking pretty active next year). In my case, I welcome this temporary calm in order to play catch up on all of those little things in life that get neglected when life is a bit chaotic (like posting a blog entry!). My computer has been a bottomless pit for photographs and I am determined to go through them during the next 3 months and post what I think might inspire others. I also might post some crafty designs that I create along the way since designing invitations and decor is another passion of mine.
Buried in my graveyard of photographs, are these event photos mainly made of circus and fuchsia roses. Circus roses are a great choice for a fall wedding. They are yellow roses with red tips, which appear orangey. They are quite hardy, have a good size head and open rather full.
For all of you that check back periodically on my blog, I appreciate it so much and apologize for not posting any new entries. Recently, I found that my blog was being used inappropriately, what I would call, blog trespassing. I leave out all the details associated with it only because I like to cut off negativity at its source. For everyone else, I whole-heartedly welcome you to continue to share in the inspirations and designs that I offer.
Today, I was perusing through some of the images in my portfolio and came across this particular bouquet and this might sound kind of odd, but inherent in this flower mix was a feeling of happiness and a subdued excitement that I felt summed up my weekend quite nicely. Incorporating flowers in decor lends more than just physical beauty. It also adds an emotional aspect to the event. For instance, an arrangement with a palette of deep rich reds using structured flowers like roses, calla lilies and orchids lends a bit of drama to the decor. In the same sense, this bright bouquet of tulips, ranunculus, and tulips adds fun, whimsy and joy to any function.
So, why was my weekend like this bouquet? (Still sounds odd to say!). It all started with a successful yard sale that allowed me to make room for my new flower cooler that was delivered earlier than quoted!!!! Then, I had the opportunity to meet a client and her fiance and she proved to be just as genuine and nice in person, as she was through her email communications. I also got the opportunity to relax with my family while sitting out in my front yard watching my piles of junk (or treasures!) disappear. When you are starting a company, life tends to be a bit hectic and you forget to relax. It is when you start appreciating the little things that makes you realize that life is going well and indeed it is. I've always known I have great family and friends, but recently with the start of my business, I've been blessed to work with a great group of clients who are so easy going and open to different ideas. With weekends like these, who needs a box of chocolates!
Nothing reminds me more of fall than vivid images of vineyards at sunset and rows of maple trees entrenched by fallen colored leaves. These images alone, full of rich deep colors and an overwhelming sense of serenity, are quite inspiring serving somewhat as a muse for this design. The arrangement of flowers are rather simple, but the impact that the color palette has is self-explanatory.
A dash of floral design, a splash of crafts, a pinch of wit, and a whole lot of inspiration...all from a former magazine Art Director. Follow my journey as I grow as a designer, artist and person.
For now, this will have to be my Hawaii [in LA]. Mahalo.
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