First Come Flowers

4 Reasons to Send Your Valentine's Day Flowers Now

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Do you have a good plan for getting flowers to your beloved?

Valentine's Day is fast approaching. Before you know it, it will be February 14. I'd like to suggest that you take the pressure off and buy them now.

 

4 Reasons to Send Your Valentine's Day Flowers Now:

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1. Valentine's Day is on Saturday this year. Get real. You know you don't feel like getting up early on your day off if you don't have to. Ordering your flowers and having them delivered takes all that stress off the table.

 

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2. A new cell or Ipad is nice, but where's the romance in that. Surprise your mate with flowers during the week, then follow up with the unexpected tech gift on Valentine's Day.

 

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3. It's really nice to get flowers from your loved one at your workplace. I still have the card from the flowers my husband surprised me with umpteen years ago. Reading it still gives me a thrill. Make Valentine's Day memorable this year. Do it like they do in the movies, but remember to sign your name on the card. Most women don't like getting flowers anonymously.

 

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4. It's winter people. I know everybody doesn't live in a cold climate, but for those of us who do, who knows when the next storm is coming? Order and send your Valentine's Day flowers early and cross it off your list.

 

If you're looking for affordable, unique and sophisticated flower arrangements to be delivered in Yonkers or in the surrounding Westchester County, New York area, we'd love to help. Just visit our website  or call us at (914) 476-2200.

 Mimi

 

All Images - Fly Me To The Moon Florists

How to Make Simple Mini Thanksgiving Flower Arrangements

Thanksgiving Flower Arrangement Options

It's nearly Thanksgiving. You've probably already decided what you're going to cook and who's gonna bring what. But have you thought about a centerpiece for the table? 

 

 Image: BHG 

A gravy boat and some jellied cranberry sauce on a pretty dish do not a centerpiece make. 

 

Image:  BHG

But, if you're not really crafty, what can you do?

 

  

Image: Fly Me to The Moon

You Can Get A Traditional Thanksgiving Floral Arrangement 

Autumnal-hued roses, mango calla lilies, dripping with bronze chyrsanthemums, red pears, foliage of many kinds and other stuff you can't even name. Sometimes, there are even candles embedded in them.

I know, because I make them. If you'd like one, you can order it here.

But, maybe this year you'd like to try something different. Perhaps you want a simpler, more relaxed Thanksgiving.  Enter the simple mini Thanksgiving flower arrangement.

 

Image:   via Flower Picture Gallery

Centerpieces that involve nothing more than cutting small clusters of flowers and putting them into a glass or small vase. Of course, you do have to get some flowers though.

 

  

You can put one of these mini Thanksgiving centerpieces at each place setting. You can place them here and there along a table. Or you can cluster them in a group on a cake stand or pretty tray. 

 

Image:   Sandra P Photography
 

 Here's how to get the look:

• Get a few small stem glasses or vases. They don't have to match or be the same size. I'd use all the same color though for continuity. The shape doesn't matter, but the stemware must be deep enough to hold flower stems. You may not want to use your finest for this. Buy mismatched ones from your local thrift shop.
• Buy a bunch or several bunches of flowers depending upon how many arrangements you plan to make. Sunflowers are way too big and heavy for these arrangements. Small flowers, roses, pom poms, berries, carnations are good choices. Consider the colors you're using on the tables as a jumping off point for your flowers.

 

Image:   NewlyWoodwards

 

• Or make mini arrangements of all one kind of flower or all one kind per vase. You decide what you like best.
• Condition your flowers. Learn how here.
• Cut the flowers apart and create little bouquets of flowers. Trust your own judgement about what looks good.  
• You may want to take the flowers and separate them into piles first. If you are making 5 arrangements then make 5 piles with a rose, then add a carnation to each pile, then the next flower... That way you 'll be sure to have enough flowers for all your mini arrangements.
• You can do this the day before you need them. 
• These arrangements are great for other places in your home like the bathroom, bedroom or office.

 

Image:   Martha Stewart

The mini flower arrangements above were made in small glass candle holders and then wrapped in corn husks.

If you'd like to elevate your mini Thanksgiving flower arrangements and don't have a cake stand. Learn how to make one here. 

I often make these kinds of mini flower arrangements at  In fact.  I made 60 of them for a farm-to-table event last week here in downtown Yonkers. 

Customers buy them as birthday gifts for co-workers. You can make these yourself and give them as gifts too.

So it's time to get started on this project. If you're still feeling like you can't pull this off alone, invite a crafty friend or relative over to help the night before. 

And please, let me know how they turn out. 

Mimi

 

Linking to:

French Country Cottage

At The Picket Fence

No Minimalist Here

Coffee & Conversations

Home Is Where My Story Begins

Chic On A Shoestring Decorating

Common Ground

My Romantic Home

 

 

 

 

Sunflowers: 6 Reasons Why I Don't Hate Sunflowers Anymore

I used to hate sunflowers. When we opened Fly Me To The Moon I wouldn't even buy them for the shop. But, then customers began asking for them so I had to start carrying them.

 

 Floret Farm

 

Here's what I hated about sunflowers:

1) They were over-sized, looked cartoonish and weighed a ton  a lot.

2) The contrast between the dark brown center and the bright yellow petals was too strong.

3) They were usually poorly arranged with flowers they had no business being with.

4) There was just nothing elegant about them. 

 

 Rck Barich

 But, then when I opened an Instagram account for the shop, I began to see sunflowers in a whole new light. All those artisitic shots of sunflowers gave me a diferent perspective.

 

Design Sponge

 

 So here's why I like sunflowers now:

 1) Sunflowers are inexpensive. You can get a bunch of them without breaking the bank.

2) Sunflowers last quite a long time. They last well over a week if you give them basic care.

3) You don't need a lot of sunflowers to make a statement. A single sunflower in a vase makes a powerful statement. The more, the merrier.

4) They look great when casually arranged by themselves. No need to get fancy. Just cut them and place them in a vase. And whatever you do, please don't add baby's breath.

5) Sunflowers come in several different varieties

 

 Doug Kalal - The Teddy Bear Sunflower

 

 Gravy Lessons - Velvet Queen or Chocolate Sunflower

 

 

 Fly Me To The Moon

 

Ovando

6) When the yellow petals start falling off, pull off the rest of them and you have a sunflower with a whole new look.

 

Sunflower Resources

Flower Glossary: Sunflower - Design Sponge

How to Make A Sunflower Arrangement - Martha Stewart 

 

If you never liked sunflowers, I hope this post will encourage you to give them a second chance.

Mimi

 

7 Tips for Choosing Mismatched Bridesmaid Bouquets

Can't decide which bridesmaid bouquet to choose?

Why not have your bridesmaids carry different bouquets?

 

Bridal Bouquet

 

If you're a creative type and are looking to distinguish your wedding from others, you may want to consider having your bridesmaids carry different bouquets.

 

Zumaphoto

Most brides opt to have matching bouquets and dresses in the same colors. But when it comes to your wedding, you get to do things your way.

 

Will it cost more to have your bridesmaids carry different bouquets?

It might. If your budget is tight, having to buy lots of different flowers that may not be used elsewhere in your wedding can add up. But, if you choose nice inexpensive flowers in the right colors it might work.

Photo: Shane Welch

Most of my brides at Fly Me To The Moon Florists want a pretty uniform look among their bridesmaids. They may wear different dresses or shoes of the same color or tone. Their hair can be up or down. But almost always, the bridesmaids bouquets must match. But they don't have to.

 

 

 Mark and Jennifer Garber

 

 7 Tips For Choosing Mismatched Bridesmaid Bouquets

Marianne Taylor Photography

1. Use bouquets of different flowers in a single color. I like this, because a single color unifies the look. Monochromatic bouquets are always beautiful especially if you use a lot of interesting textures. Not all flowers come in all colors though. So do your research before you select your color.

 

Niki Rossi

2. Try matching the shoes and bouquets.  This works, because all of the women are wearing the same color. I absolutely love this whimsical idea. Even though a variety of flower colors are used, the matching shoes make it unique, but classic. If you look at this photo in 20 years, you won't be saying to yourself, "What the heck were they thinking?"

 

Anna K. Photography

3. Use different color bouquets and dresses. In my opinion, this look is a bit harder to pull off, but not impossible. Though each bouquet needs to complement each dress, all the different dresses and bouquets need to go together.You want everything to look intentional and cohesive. Not like a big hodge podge of color, unless of course, that's the look you were going for.

 

 

 LeAnna Theresa Photography

 4. Keep the color palette simple. Use one, two, but no more than 3 colors in the flowers and dresses. Using different shades of one or two colors can look quite sopisticated.

 

 

Tac Petaja

 5. Keep bouquets small to medium in size. This will prevent any of the colors from being too overwhelming.

 

 Captured Photography by Jenny

 

6. Select dresses in the same color, but in different styles. 

 7. Use only a few types of flowers and arrange them in different ways.

 

I love when brides get creative. My job is to keep it elegant and within the budget. I guess that's what makes floral design so interesting!

 

You can see bridal bouquets:

10 Pink Bridal Bouquets

10 Green Bridal Bouquets

10 Purple Bridal Bouquets

10 Burgundy Bridal Bouquets

 

To see even more wedding bouquets check out my pinterest boards here.

 

Would you use a mix of bouquets for a wedding?

Mimi 

 

 

Behind the Scenes: Visit to Jamali Floral and Garden Supplies

Special events lighting - FMTTMF

Jamali Floral and Garden Supplies, a store in the New York City flower district, sells just about everything you need for a special event. Think Platinum Weddings.

I visited the store one rainy day and thought I'd share my trip with you. My pictures don't show every single category of the items they sell, so please don't blame me if I miss something.

 

Faux foliage and flowers - FMTTMF

They carry a selection of faux foliage and flowers. I guess these would come in handy if you were making a display you needed to last for a long time. Otherwise, fresh flowers and foliage would probably be cheaper. They have nice boxwood foliage in little pots. Perfect for a desk or lined up down the center of a table as a deconstructed centerpiece.

 

Sparkle for special events - FMTTMF

If it's sparkle you want, you've come to the right place. They've got sparkle galore. Chandeliers, candelabras, vases, bowls, votive holders, hanging spheres, etc. They also have amazing lights to enhance centerpieces and other displays.

 

Decorative lanterns - FMTTMF

If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen these gorgeous lanterns.  I love the intricate detail on them. You can place a candle inside or if you're feeling adventurous, a small plant or floral arrangement.

 

Modern metallic vases - FMTTMF

Jamali carries a nice selection of vases from the very small to the rather large. You''ll find vases of all kinds made from different types of materials. Think glass, wood, metal, acrylic, ceramic or resin. They also sell the French metal buckets we use at the shop. You can see more of their vases here.

 

Natural elements - FMTTMF

If you need baskets, shells, drift wood, rocks, stones, feathers or other natural items, Jamali has them. Glass beads and other decorative objects to place at the bottom of a vase can be found there as well.

 

Pink long-tailed birds - FMTTMF

Big Bird's somewhat daintier and pink cousins are waitng for you to stop by. These bad boys are pretty big. Jamaili is always on top of the latest trends. If it's on the runways or in the design magazines, it's at Jamali

Gold and silver vessels - FMTTMF 

If you're having an over the top special event, here's where you'll find all your fancy vessels. They come in gold, silver, copper, bronze, shiny or matte finishes. Just add flowers, and water of course.

 

Colorful candle holders - FMTTMF

Here are just some of the candle holders Jamali has in stock. By the way, if you find something there you really like, you'd better buy it soon, because it will proabably be gone by the time you get back. That goes for most things they sell. People come in and buy in huge quantities. And here's a tip: they may not get any more for a very long time. 

  

Moroccan-style lights - FMTTMF

Jamali doesn't usually carry lamps, but these were so cool I thought I'd let you see them. If you were doing a Moraccan themed party or design for a room these lamps would be perfect. They have lots of products related to a variety of themes.

 

Peacock feather wreath - FMTTMF

Been looking for a peacock feather wreath? They have it. Or at least they did when I took this picture. 

 

Colorful ribbon collection - FMTTMF

I have a little secret for you. Well two actually: 1) I love ribbon 2) If you need googobs of ribbon, try your local flower district stores first. Ribbon at Jamali is kind of expensive, but Central Floral Supply at 40 West 28th Street has great prices on double-sided satin ribbon. Tell Bruce, Mimi sent you. 

 

Floral design supplies - FMTTMF

You can buy fancy colored wires, raffia and all kinds of trendy floral design supplies at Jamali. If you're making floral bouquets for weddings, you can get everything you need here except for the fresh flowers that is. 

 

Hanging Bulb vases - FMTTMF

I found these cute hanging bulb vases here. I know I've seen DIY tutorials on how to make them, but if that's not your thing, relax, they've got you covered.

 

Jamali Storefront - FMTTMF

So if you're looking for inspiration for a special event or need to buy floral design supplies, Jamali is worth a visit. They're located at 149 W. 28th Street in New York City. You can also check out their website.

Where do you find your inspiration when you're decorating for special events?

Mimi

12 Tips For Fooling People With Fake Flowers

Why Fake Flowers?

Some people prefer fake flowers, because they require little or no care, don't die and never go out of season. 

 

 Image: Pany Floral Corp

 

 Even though we don't sell fake flowers at Fly Me To The Moon, I admit, even I have some at my house. I live in an apartment in New York City,  where it's hot all year long unless the air conditioner is on. Not the best conditions for keeping fresh flowers alive.

But let's face it. There are good fake flowers and bad ones.

I know. I know. I'm not supposed to call them fake. Some people call them artificial. Others refer to them as silk, though they aren't. You can call them faux flowers if that makes you happy. And the floral industry gets a kick out of calling them permanent botanicals.

But, no matter what you call them, there's really no reason for them to look fake anymore. Here's how to keep people guessing:

 

 12 Tips For Fooling People With Fake Flowers

 

1.  Research fresh flowers. Before you can buy good-looking fake flowers you need to know what real ones look like. Visit a florist or look at images of real flowers online. Be sure to check out the leaves. Each flower has its own leaf shape. Makers of fake flowers blow it on this point all the time. By the way, different types of flowers don't all grow on one stem either. I'm just saying.

 

 
Image: Pany Floral Corp.

 

2.  Choose flowers in realistic colors. Look for fake flowers in natural colors. There are no black lilies or roses in nature. No neon blue flowers either. If you're creating flower arrangements for a cutting edge special event, then go ahead and play with color. But, if you want those unrealistic colors to match your sofa they may look nice, but they won'r look natural. Which is fine, if that's the look you're going for.

 

Image: Polyvore 

 

3.  Invest in good quality fake flowers. Realistic fake flowers aren't cheap. But they will look a thousand times better than cheaper ones for years to come.

 

4.  Buy great looking inexpensive fake flowers. If you can't afford expensive ones, buy those that look like them. Visit a store that sells high-end fake flowers and study them. What makes them look real?  Notice that they're never shiny. How do they display them? Pottery Barn is a good place to get ideas on how to incorporate fake flowers into your space. 

 

5.  Avoid weird details. Some fake roses have plastic water droplets on them. You can just peel these off. Others have little baby's breath type growths. Remove these too. Flower manufacturers think these things make the fake flowers look prettier. They're wrong.

  

6.  Beware of super thick stems. Bunches of fake flowers are wired individually then enclosed in thick plastic to create one giant stem. You get lots of flowers for the price of one. Hide those stems in a vase you can't see through. 

 

 

Image: Welcome Haven

 

7.  Divide and multiply. Just because your fake flowers may come in a bunch doesn't mean they have to stay that way. Separate bunches of them into different vases. Use wire cutters to cut the stems. If you use your good scissors, they won't be good anymore. An inexpensive pair of wire cutters should do the job. Learn how to make flower pens out of fake flowers here.

 

Image:  Pottery Barn

 

8.  Go monochromatic. Find one fake flower you like. Buy lots of them in the same color. Place them in a clear glass vase with the stems arranged in an orderly design. I think this is one of the most stylish ways to display them.

 

 

Image: Doryn Wallach
 

 

9.  Limit your color palette. Decide on a color scheme. To achieve an elegant look, use no more than 2 or 3 colors. Those colors should relate well to each other. If one flower is mostly pink, but has a hint of green and white use those colors to complement the first flower. Using 25,000 different colors will make your fake flower arrangement look all over the place. Focus on a few colors for the best result.

  

10.  Dust them. If you don't keep dust off your fake flowers,  they'll look an awful lot like fake flowers.  Real flowers don't get dusty! Unless you're one of those who bring your fresh flowers home, put them in a vase and allow them to die in place without a single bit of care. 

 

 11.  Add fake flowers to real flower arrangements. If there are real flowers that are too expensive or not in season for a special event, replace those with high quality fake ones. If you follow the tips above, few will even notice. 

 

12.  Just add water. Some people add water to their fake flower arrangements in clear vases to give the illusion that they are real. 

So those are my 12 tips for fooling people with fresh flowers. 

 

Articles on faux flowers:

Not Your Grandmother's Centerpiece: Five Fresh Ways To Use Faux Flowers - Apartment Therapy

Why Faux Flowers Are Really Chic - The Wall Street Journal

Fake Flowers: Fabulous or Faux Pas? - HGTV

 

 

Image: Fly Me To The Moon

 

Actually, at  Fly Me To The Moon Florists, we have the opposite problem. People have the illusion that our real flowers are fake. Either they think they're too pretty to be real or they've never seen them before. Not a bad problem to have I think.

What tips do you have for working with permanent botanicals fake flowers to make them look real? let me know in the comments below.

Mimi

 

 

6 Ways To Say Hello To Spring With Flowers

 

Armchair Collective

 

It's finally feeling like spring here in New York. Wondering what to do with all those spring flowers you're seeing for sale almost everywhere? 

Don't worry. I've got you covered. Below you'll find links to great posts about info on spring flowers you may not know, ways to arrange them, how to make your own bouquet, and how to display them in different ways.

 

6 Ways To Say Hello To Spring With Flowers

5 Flowers To Welcome In Spring - Apartment Therapy

How To Arrange Flowers For A Centerpiece - The Inspired Room

Trying To Tie Bouquets, with Jamie Aston and Bennetton - The Women's Room

3 Creative Ways To Give Flowers - Homey Oh My

Last Minute DIY Flower Arrangement  - Coordinately Yours

How to Care For Cut Daffodils - First Come Flowers

 

Oh yeah, and by the way, the picture of the flowers was not taken here in New York.  It's from a cool houseware/cafe in Australia. They're actually re-doing their website now, but the link under the picture will take you to an article about them or you can visit the Armchair Collective Facebok page here.

Let me know what you think in the comments below. 

Mimi

 

Linking to:

French Country Cottage

5 Spring Flower Arrangements From Fly Me To The Moon

 

I love posting on different topics, but I thought I'd share a few pictures of some of the floral design work I do at Fly Me To The Moon. If you like them, please feel free to pin away!

 

5 Fly Me To The Moon Flower Arrangements

 

Fly Me To The Moon  

 

Flower Arrangement 1.  I love the drama hanging amaranthus adds to a flower arrangement. I used blue hydrangea, yellow spray roses, craspedia (the little ball shaped things), and football mums. The green spider mums always add a touch of freshness to a flower arrangement I think.

 

 

 

Fly Me To The Moon  

 

Flower Arrangement 2.  No, I don't actually use hanging amaranthus in all my flower arrangements, even though I love it. Yellow, pink and green are great colors to help lift a one's spirits. There's a yellow pin cushion protea at the top of the flower arrangement. Having a mix of textures is part of the Fly Me To The Moon Florists look.

 

 Fly Me To The Moon 

 

Flower Arrangement 3.  Blue, green and purple is a color palette we use quite a bit. When you ask for blue flowers in an arrangement, there won't be a royal blue rose in sight. We stick to hydrangeas and the various shades of delphinium. There are other blue seasonal flowers, but these tend to be our staples. The purple flower which you might think is a rose is actually lisianthus. 

 

 

Fly Me To The Moon 

 

Flower Arrangement 4.  I created this tropical flower arrangement for a corporate dinner. Our client does large events several times a year and always wants something a little different. This exotic flower arrangement includes two types of heliconia, red ginger, a miniature pineapple, pin cushion protea and several different kinds of tropical foliage.

 

 

Fly MeTo The Moon Florists  

 

Flower Arrangement 5.  This arrangement was designed for a first wedding anniversary celebration. Each centerpiece was different and had to have a fireworky kind of look. We used lots of steel grass and willow to get that effect.

I hoped you enjoyed seeing some of our flower arrangements. You can see more of our floral design work here.

Did you pin any of the flower arrangements? Which one?

Mimi

Why We Named Our Flower Shop Fly Me To The Moon

 

 

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars." 

                                                            Les Brown

 

Why Fly Me To The Moon Florists?

People often ask how we came up with the name Fly Me To The Moon Florists. 

I woke up at 3:00 a.m. one morning, knowing that it was the right name and hoping that my business partner, Dave, would feel the same way. He did. That was nearly 7 years ago and we have no regrets.

Since our goal was to create a sophisticated yet affordable, Manhattan-style boutique flower shop in downtown Yonkers,  we knew only a clever name would do. 

Besides being the title of a popular song, we believed that Fly Me To The Moon would imply that our flowers would always be high quality, unusual and way beyond anything you'd ever expect. Our reviews on Google and Citysearch seem to indicate we're headed in the right direction.

Tips On Naming Your Business

I'm not convinced it's the best way to name your businesss though. If I were naming our business today, I'd keep these things in mind:

Note to Self #1: If you plan to give your business an unusual name don't expect your friends and family to get it. People we knew thought it was the dumbest name in the world.

But, when I began attending industry trade shows they loved the name and thought it was brilliant.

Once we actually opened Fly Me to The Moon, customers thought the name was great. They said it was creative and memorable. Exactly what you'd want a business name to be.

Note to Self # 2: Don't expect people to understand your logo either. As you may have noticed, there's not a single flower in it. Our friends and family thought that was stupid too. No one actually used that word, but the looks we got were, well, less than encouraging.

We used an onliine logo development company called Logoworks. We wanted to capture a metropolitan, cool vibe with a nod to the past. We were really quite pleased with the logo they designed until we started showing it to people. 

Everyone we asked had an opinion. They all  thought there needed to be a flower in the logo, but sticking one in there just so it would be there seemed wrong to us. We were just about ready to tell our Logoworks project manager we wanted to scrap it until he said, "Really? I think it's one of the coolest logos I've seen."

Though everything in me wanted to scream, "I bet you say that to all your clients!" Dave and I both thought, you know, he's right. Though nobody else liked it, we knew in our hearts it was right for the brand we were building. So we stuck with it and we're happy we did.

Note to Self # 3 Fly Me To The Moon, regardless of how creative and memorable it is, is way too long. Especially for online usage. So if you're naming your business, go short if you can, but not so short that you lose the essence of what you're trying to say.

What I love about the name, Fly Me To The Moon Florists is that it tells our story. Read it here. And while you're there, join us on Google +

So that's the story of how we got to be called, Fly Me To The Moon. 

What's the most unusual business name you've heard and does it fit the business?

Mimi

 

10 Pink Glamelia Bouquets

A glamelia is a bouquet made from combining petals of many flowers to create one large one. Glamelias are sometimes called composite bouquets or rosamelias, if they're made of roses. They make beautiful bridal bouquets. 

I did a 4 part series on glamelias, which will tell you just about everything you'd ever want to know about them. You'll find the individual links to those posts as well as my glamelia Pinterest board at the end of the post.

Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy these lovely pink glamelias.

 

10 Pink Glamelias 

 

1.   Holly  Heider  Chapple Floral Design

 

2.    Blumen Floral & Event Design

 

3.   Lana Bates

 

 4.   Svetlana Lunin

 

 

5.    Daniel Ost

 

6.   via With This Ring

 

 

7.   Victoria BC Weddings

 

8.   Svetlana Lunin 

 

 

9.   Flor Cerezo 

 

 

10.  Svetlana Lunin

 

Glamelia Series:

Part 1: What In The World Is A Glamelia?

Part 2: Glamelia Gallery

Part 3: How to Make A Glamelia

Part 4: The Glamelia Project 

Glamelia Pinterest Board

 

I hope you liked this pink glamelia gallery.

We've begun experimenting  with glamelias/composite bouquets here at Fly Me To The Moon Florists. Though labor intensive, especially to make them perfect, they're not as difficult to make as I had imagined.  Perhaps we can add them to our line of wedding flowers in the future.

It's your turn. What do you think about glamelias?

Mimi