Harbingers of Spring

Last weekend - the last weekend of March - my bride chose colors which truly personify the month of March: silver and brown. The landscape is one of silver raindrops on leaden stones and sidewalks and spindly outlines of ashen trees set against the richness of damp, coffee-colored earth. And then, one day, when you least expect it, the branches burst forth with flower. Such are the juxtapositions of a springtime garden - a seemingly barren terrain suddenly erupts with life.

My wonderful bride had a very distinct look she wanted for her evening wedding and she chose chocolate brown cloths with a lovely somewhat liquid sheen and silver charger plates. To complete the look, I created sky-scraping all-white arrangements - half were hydrangea, stock, and Tibet roses in glass pilsners and the other half were the most gorgeous bundles of cherry blossom and hybrid white delphinium grounded in white stones within enormous ginger jars.

Guests were greeted in the foyer by a spring white arrangement bursting with cherry blossom, casablanca lilies, stock, larkspur, snapdragon, and Tibet roses circled with amaranth and set in a granite-colored urn atop a table strewn with rose petals. In the bridal bouquet and the bridesmaids bouquets, I used hydrangea, Tibet roses, white freesia, and many stems of the most perfect white ranunculus.

My photos don't do the room justice - at night, awash in candlelight, the room simply shimmered - the outside was brought in and the guests celebrated under the flowering cherries. Magic!

New Galleries

Happy April! Doesn't it feel wonderful to say that?

Four new galleries are up on my website - each are named for the brides - Kara, Marta, Maureen, and Noelle.  You'll find them at the top of the page, adjacent to the Main Gallery thumbnail.

Galleries

Also, stay tuned for another post about my spectacular wedding of last weekend - I can't wait to show it to you!

Some glimpses of the new galleries:

Spring is in the Air: Greystone Hall Open House

Despite the fact that the weather forecast includes snow and wintery temperatures for the next few days, I am still in the springtime spirit! Spring is (officially) here and I am eagerly awaiting budding branches, flowering bulbs, and the greening of the grass. Until real spring temperatures arrive, I am content to work with the lovely flowers in season at this time of year.

This past Sunday, I was asked to participate in the Greystone Hall Open House. It was a beautiful sunny day and I really enjoyed meeting many prospective brides and their families. Greystone Hall is such a magical place for a wedding and it is a favorite venue of mine.

To celebrate the season, I created three key looks featuring three different color palettes and a magnificent variety of flowers. Many are available year-round, but a few precious ones, such as the anemones and muscari, are only available for a few weeks, and it was fun to incorporate them into my designs.

I hope you enjoy these images and keep remembering that spring is almost here - almost!

Flowers pictured include: camellia, cherry-o roses, white cherry blossom, heather, fringed tulips, viburnum, bells of Ireland, light blue and dark blue delphinium, stock, casablanca lilies, orange ranunculus, orange chincherinchee, thistle, blue hyacinth, ilsa sweetheart roses, green and white hydrangea, calla lilies, majorca sweetheart roses, trick dianthus, amaranth, cymbidium orchids, vendela roses, anemone, and muscari.

My Funny Valentine

Oh, Valentine's Day - I think as the calendar nears the 14th of February, most of us treat it with an attitude of approach/avoidance.  I think this is a direct result of the over-commercialization and somewhat trite, tired nature of the day itself: one exchanges the usual gifts accompanied by the usual card. Ho-hum.

But why be ho-hum - love certainly isn't - and given what I do for a living, you probably aren't surprised to learn that I am a true romantic. That is why I have so loved to hear all of the 'how we met' stories of my brides for so many years - love springs anew at every turn!

So with an eye toward what is fresh, new, and bright (like love), I had so much fun creating these little jewels of centerpieces for a Valentine's Day dinner as well as a heart-shaped wreath of all flowers. Roses (hot lady, malibu, sweet unique, charlotte, majolika), gerbera daisies, bells of Ireland, pink snapdragon, white hydrangea, ginestra, and flowering branches of quince. As a favor for the ladies, I had cookies made with Robert Indiana's LOVE statue iced on top, which I tied off with bright white grosgrain ribbon.

Don't let love down on this day of all days by rushing to the finish line with the same old gifts and sentiments - be bold, be fresh, be inspired - and never, ever, give into the ho-hum!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!