Floral Design: An Art Technique

There are moments in my life when I look back and I have to chuckle softly to myself.  Well, I had one of those moments a few weeks ago.

The Scene:  Bookstore
My Mission:  Finding an inspirational floral design book 
The Problem:  Didn't know what section to look in

I scan the walls for the department heading not once, but TWICE.  I walked over to the section that I thought best described what I do as a floral designer--Art/Design Techniques!  I looked through all the books in this section not once, but TWICE.  I guess, only graphic design is considered an "Art Technique."  I felt lost.  Where could the books for my craft be?  I ask for help.  There they were, in very limited quantities under "Hobbies!"...very subjective, in my opinion =)

I had to laugh at the assumption I made and I secretly still think I'm right...**chuckle**.  So, if any of you work for B&N and are in charge of categorizing books, here is a bouquet for you to consider.  This is a quick photo I took before an event.  I'm still waiting for the professional images, but I thought it was a good representation of art in floral design.  

 

The placement of the yellow mini calla lilies had to be carefully designed.  Coral peonies gave an unexpected pop of color.  Craspedia was used to offset the fluffy texture of the white hydrangea and lisianthus and for its inherent whimsical quality. 

New Mission:  Getting floral design re-categorized at the bookstore

I tell this story only in good fun.  It was sad to hear when I talked to a sales rep at the bookstore that they took out the floral design section for lack of books in that category.  I hope you guys enjoyed my story...and my art.

A Modern Lemon Yellow Wedding

Last month, I gave you a sneak preview of a contemporary, lemon yellow wedding I did back in September for a very charming couple, Regina and Rowel. I'm finally getting a chance to post the official photos even though Jordana from Hazelnut Photography was kind enough to immediately send them upon receiving my request.  Click on the link to check out more of her stunning photography and if my communications with her are even a small hint of how it is to work with her, you will be in for a delightful surprise. 

For the ultra-modern church, I designed two pieces to flank the front of the church using manzanita branches, orchid plants, China mums and aquabeads. 

 The Bride's bouquet was made of white cymbidium orchids and miniature calla lilies. 

 

We used yellow tulips and miniature calla lilies for the bridesmaids' bouquets, but added yellow roses, dark red spray roses and black miniature calla lilies to the maids of honor bouquets.

The reception was kept clean and simple with pave arrangements at different heights.  Each table had a different combination of yellow flowers.

Following this wedding, I was obsessed with designing in bright yellow for a while.  It's such a cheerful, clean and modern color to use.  Also, I didn't want to forget to mention their wonderful wedding coordinator Abby LaDuke who was awesome to work with, as well.  Congratulations, Regina and Rowel! 

Hotel Erwin Photoshoot

A few months ago, I was approached to be a part of a photoshoot for a hip and trendy hotel in Venice called Hotel Erwin. I knew it was a match made in Heaven when I walked past an elaborate graffiti wall to enter the hotel. The staff was wonderful and I really had a great time designing for their modern, minimalist banquet room. Here were some of the design highlights.


I chose to design arrangements that can work for both weddings and corporate events, so the flowers were on the simple, clean, modern side.

If you have a smaller size wedding or just want a fun place to grab drinks with friends, I would highly suggest their rooftop lounge, which has a spectacular view of Venice Beach!

Spring Garden Bliss

I have been sick since Tuesday...actually, I think I've been sick since last Saturday, but my body and mind wouldn't accept it knowing I had a Monday wedding to prepare for. It's funny how the mind works! In order to lift my spirits as I get over the lingering cough, I decided to post a cheerful spring garden bouquet and its matching centerpiece that I had in my portfolio. I find this color combination rather soothing (and a great seg way into the topic of color selection!).

Most brides focus on one or two main colors and repeat them throughout their entire wedding, which is fine. However, many times a color scheme can be enhanced by adding one accent or "bridging" color, as I like to call it.

Let's first explore cases when you probably shouldn't add in another color:

1. You are going after a monochromatic color scheme.
2. Your color palette already has 3 or more colors.
3. You already love your colors the way they are!

So, in what cases do I think another color might be a good idea?

1. You feel like the two colors you have are bland and just blend together. For example, the light pink and lavender in the bouquet above may feel too similar in coloration. By adding the green, the pink and the lavender now have a contrasting color to stand out against.
2. Your current color palette has extreme contrast and you don't like that. For many people, red and white work as a great pair. If you don't personally like this type of contrast, try adding in pink as a "bridging" color. This allows you to visually move up the spectrum from light to medium to dark.
3. You want your color scheme to have more depth. If your wedding color is medium pink, try adding flowers one shade lighter and one shade darker to the bouquet to make it more dynamic.
4. The colors you chose don't exist in flowers. I have seen this alot in a blue color scheme. Very few flowers naturally occur in blue, so what do some florists suggest to their clients? They suggest spray painting them blue! (I might address spray painting flowers on another blog entry, but for now let's leave it at, run the other way if you hear this as the first option!). Greens, purples and whites are excellent options as accent colors for blue.

I was an Art Director of fashion and trends and one of my duties was color prediction. Even with my experience, if one of my brides asks me for my opinion, I still end the conversation with, "Ultimately it's up to you." I can give you options for days, but you have to love it for "your day." The most recent success story I have in terms of color pairing was the Monday wedding I just did (right before I got sick). Geline and Jod were probably the most open-minded couple I've had in terms of color selection. They really wanted magenta and purple to be in their color scheme, but they wanted the flowers to pop against the purple bridesmaids' dresses. So, what did I suggest? Add red. You will see how successful this marriage of colors was (if I can get some photos from their photographer...keep your fingers crossed). Let's just say, it already lifts my spirits reminiscing about it!