Flower Focus: Orchids

I always tell my brides that a simple way to make a big statement is to do just that - keep it simple - and I mean by either going with a single color or a single flower. I have designed flowers for weddings in just about every color in the spectrum as well as quite a few single flower-focused weddings - roses, daisies, lilies - you get the idea. Working with color or flowers en masse creates a rather spectacular visual impact your guests will remember for years to come.

It was such a treat to get to design a wedding comprised entirely of orchids a few weeks ago. My bride wanted to use all white orchids at the reception and at the church and purple and lavender orchids in the bridesmaids' bouquets. We did use a few other purple flowers in the maids' bouquets to set off the orchids, but the stock and celosia merely provided a backdrop for the amazing mokara orchids.

A single orchid provides great visual delight for the eye close up; masses of orchids do what a pointillist painter does - creates a magnificent vision from far away and endless detail up close. Lovely!

(Also: take a look at the bride's choice for a wedding cake - a wedding rhubarb and strawberry pie! Each guest was treated to a homemade tart baked by the mother of the bride. We decorated the cake table with the mother's wedding veil, orchids, and masses of mint.)

Materials pictured include: dendrobium orchids, mokara orchids, cymbidium orchids, phalaenopsis orchids, stock, celosia, pittosporum, and salal.

Here we superimposed orchids to existing wreaths of dried magnolia leaves at the church

Semper Fidelis

Every year, for many years, I have been honored to do the flowers for the Annual Marine Corps Scholarship Ball in Philadelphia - this year hosted at the Bellevue. It's a huge event and each spring I look forward to working on it and participating in this worthy event that raises scholarship money for the men and women of the Marine Corps.

Representative of the Marine Corps uniform, I use mainly red and gold flowers but do include some purple, orange, and yellow for interest and to help the red flowers pop in the arrangements I design in gold urns.

What a fantastic, inspiring event. I am inspired by the team that plans the evening - those who are utterly devoted to their work for the Marine Corps - as well as by those who benefit from the evening - the men and women who make incredible sacrifices in their devotion and service to our country.

I am always honored to be a part of this cause.  Thank you.

Flowers pictured include: Freedom roses, lilies, hydrangea, snapdragons, solidaster, stock, kermit chrysanthemums, carnations, pittosporum, and salal.

Vibrant Colors

Working with really bright, strong, vibrant colors is something I love to do. When I get the chance to work with a client who prefers contrasting jewel tones, I so enjoy using flowers that are more out of the ordinary and discovering new varieties or colors.

This summer, my client asked me to design some arrangements as well as a wishing tree of curly willow for a bridal shower using materials to match the invitation: chartreuse and shocking pink (a la Schiaparelli). I thought the colors perfectly suited both the season as well as the occasion, and using such strong tones rendered arrangements the antithesis of what one thinks of when one hears "pink and green"- sophisticated rather than cute.

What a fun party!

Here are some shots of the arrangements boxed up and ready for delivery (hence the green tissue). Materials pictured include: white hydrangea, curly willow, bupleurum, shocking versilia roses, celosia, and godetia.

Summertime Elegance

Summer is nearing to an end, and I'm just getting to post much of my work from the past eight weeks. I cannot believe that September is in a few days!

One of my brides from earlier in the summer wanted a rather old-world, old-fashioned look for the reception and selected a palette of creams, whites, and greens in antiqued vessels - half of which were my vintage metal containers that have a ring of dangling crystals, and the other half were gilded stone urns. We designed similar arrangements for the church - enormous creations of dozens of lilies and peonies - the scent of which is truly the essence of summer.

In contrast to this, the bride wanted a clean, plain, and very colorful bridesmaids bouquets to set off the navy blue of the bridesmaids' dresses - so I created classic nosegays of blushing akito and donna roses - orange and pink. For her own bouquet, we went with a tiny teardrop of all phalaenopsis orchids to set off her beautiful, detailed gown.

The contrasts worked: the bright colors with the cool navy, the lush designs of various white and cream flowers against the plain cream cloths, the simple orchids with the richly detailed gown.

Variety, when executed properly, delights the eye and I think that's what your guests remember most about your wedding day - the way it looked and the way they felt as a result. I am sure these guests felt almost magically transported to another time. A time of long summer days and old-fashioned blooms and soft light. Magic!

Flowers pictured include: Casablanca lilies, snapdragon, larkspur, peonies, Tibet roses, hydrangea, dendrobium orchid sprays, lemon leaf, pittosporum, and Israeli ruscus.