First Come Flowers

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 

 

 

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

 

Will You Drool Over These 14 Pink Flower Arrangements?

As florists and floral designers, many of us wish we could change our dependence on red, pink and white flowers for Valentine's Day.

We have to pay more for them. The quality is not as good, since the growers have been stock piling them for months. And they're in short supply.

At Fly Me To The Moon, we actually sell a lot more richly-hued and tropical style flower arrangements and bouquets on Valentine's Day which is great. But, we still must have the red, pink and white flowers for those who want them.

Don't get me wrong. I love pink flowers. Especially the pale pink ones.  So as we approach Valentine's Day, here's a selection of beautiful pink flower arrangements to pin to your heart's delight.

 

14 Pink Flower Arrangements

 

via Pacific Coast Florista

Lovely pink and red peony flower arrangement perfect as a centerpiece for a wedding or special event.

 

Brabourne Farms 

 

Feminine pink, white and abundant flower arrangement.

 

 via With Style

 

Love these traditional looking flowers made modern in this architectural vase.

 

 

 Photo: Monica Salazar

 

Elegant and traditonal pink flower arrangement  in several shades of pink in a silver vessel.

 

Ovando 

 

Ultra modern hot pink flower arrangement of phalaenopsis orchids.

 

 

via Belle The Magazine

 

Pale pink flower arrangement in a footed vase.

 

Fly Me To The Moon 

 

Pink rose, celosia and carnation flower arrangement in an olive green teapot. I apologize for not taking a better picture. The image that captured the full teapotishness of this flower arrangment didn't do the pink flowers justice.

 

 Getrude & Mabel Photography

 

Multi-petaled, pink ranunculus flower arrangement in a matching cube vase.

 

 

 via Botanical Brouhaha

 

Elongated mixed pink flower arrangement great for an oval table.

 

 The Empty Vase Florist

 

Pale pink rose and succulent flower arrangement in a glass bubble vase.

 

via Eclecchic

 

Love the juxtaposition of these pale pink flowers and the rich black vase.

 

via Gypsy Purple Home

 

Rustic yet elegant pale pink flower arrangment great for an outdoor affair.

 

Southern Living

 

Romantic mixed pink flower arrangement.

 

Zsa Zsa Bellagio

 

Shabby chic and wonderfully romantic pale pink flower arrangement.

 

Hope you enjoyed these pink flower arrangements. I'm assembling a collection of pink bouquets to share with you probably next week.

Which pink flower arrangement do you like best?

Mimi

 

 

 

 

What should you look for in a floral designer?

 What should you look for in a floral designer?

 

reddingaz

 

Picture this. A bride walks into a flower shop for a wedding consultation. She either has a lot to spend on flowers or she doesn't. She's intimidated by all the possibilities. And has never bought a flower before in her life. Never.

If you've planned a wedding or a special event, you may have experienced these same thoughts and emotions.

 At Fly Me To The Moon, I work closely with you to allay those fears. I want to hear your story. The role the flowers play and how you want to feel when you step into the room. That's how I build the relationship.

I witnessed something on the subway this morning, that demonstrated what you should look for in a floral designer.

 

Erica Rose Design - Catherine Hall Studios

 

I was on my way into Manhattan to buy lace for a bridal bouquet. A blind woman got on the #1 train with her service dog a few stops later.

She asked if the two seater across from me was available. A fellow passenger said it was. She proceeded to sit as her dog lay dutifully at her feet.

As the train left the station, she began to pull on the dog's harness. He had plopped down somewhere between her seat and the vacant one next to her.

Fueled by either her desire to tuck the dog under her seat, to leave ample room for another passenger, or to prevent him from being trampled upon, she continued to ever so gently tug and slide the rather big dog into place. She kept dragging him until he allowed himself to be re-positioned exactly where she wanted him. 

What has this got to do with floral designers? Well, plenty I think.

 

 

via The Knot

 

What to look for in a floral designer:

1.  Willingness to be a member of the team - The woman and her dog were unified. She wanted the dog in a certain spot and that's where he decided to be.  

You and the floral designer must "be on the same page." There has to be a committment from both parties to work together to make the event a success through flowers.

If what you want is something the floral designer can't or won't do it needs to be made clear right up front. Failure to do so makes the process of working together a burden rather than a joy. 

 

via Stock Photo

 

2.  Great listening skills - The blind woman and her dog had a symbiotic relationship. They had trained together, knew what to expect from each other and trusted each other. I watched the dog as he was being shifted around. His expression never changed. He was a professional and being moved around like a piece of furniture did not bother him at all.

A potential floral designer should be listening to you intently and taking notes. When I do consultations, I want as much info as I can get about your event. Those details influence what I do with your flowers.

 

 Image: Patricia Lyons

 

3.   Confidence in each other - The woman felt perfectly comfortable moving her dog. She didn't say a word to him other than sit.The job of   her service dog is to give her a greater sense of mobility, independence and peace of mind. He knows that and acts accordingly. They make a winning team.

When looking for a floral designer, you have to do your homework. Spend time on floral design websites. Read reviews. Seek recommendations from people with great taste.

But ultimately, you need a floral designer that "gets you" and whose opinion you respect. A floral designer that has your best interests at heart. And one who will feel comfortable enough to tell you if you're making a mistake.

When I began as a floral designer, I was afraid to tell a bride that what she wanted was not going to look right. I don't do that anymore. I suggest alternatives and if the bride disagrees and doesn't hire me, I consider us both blessed.

 

Further Reading:

15 Wedding Flower Mistakes To Avoid

7 Ways To Save On Flower Centerpieces

What To Ask Your Wedding Florist

 

 

So do you homework. Trust your instincts. Then hire a floral designer that will:

1. be a member of your team

2. listen to you

3. and make you feel confident that your flowers will be exactly what you wanted or even better.

Because, when you've got the right person, neither one of you should have to "roll over and play dead." 

Mimi

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 Emerald Green Tablescapes for St. Patrick's Day Weddings and Events

Here are four amazing emerald green tablescapes for your next event:

Mark's Garden

The gorgeous green tablescape above is an incredible mix of luscious green foliage and flowers. The foliage underskirt beneath the citrine and golden yellow tablecloths are magnificent. It's all about the layering of many textures.

 

Preston Bailey

Monstera leaves are the stars of this incredible "tree canopy" perched high above each table. The vivid striped green foliage  on the architecural trunks are a striking counterpoint to the emerald green leaves above.

 

Preston Bailey

Another stunning "treescape" stands high above a bed of mixed florals. The mossy green tablecloth and leaves at each place setting make you feel as though you're sitting in a garden

 

Tantawantan Bloom Floral and Event Design

The unusual gift box-inspired floral creation is suspended above each table. The moss-coverd boxes embellished with delicate white flowers and looped grass give them an other-worldly look.

Let me know what you think of these beauties in the comments below.

Mimi

Floral Centerpiece Secrets Part 5: Elegant & Affordable Arrangement Ideas

This is the 5th and final post of the "Floral Centerpiece Secrets" series.  You can read Part 1,  Part 2,  Part 3,  and Part 4  here.

Below you'll find ideas for affordable centerpieces. Make them yourself or invite some friends over to help.

Remember, just because they're simple doesn't mean they can't be striking.

 

Elegant & Affordable Floral Arrangement Ideas

Martha Stewart

 

Pick A Color and Run with It

Buy a bunch of flowers to match your decor. Get small vases, bottles or glasses. Cut the flowers so the bloom is sitting just above the rim of the vessel. Make lots of them. Put one at each place setting. Or place them on a DIY cake stand in the center of your tables. The sky's the limit.

 

For more centerpiece idea :

"7 Ways to Save On Flower Centerpieces"

"How to Make Stem Glass Flower Arrangements"

"Simple Floral Centerpieces" 

"The 4 Lessons Walt Disney Can Teach You About Success and Carnations" 

 

I hope you've learned something useful about centerpieces from this series. Perhaps you'ii try making one for your next dinner party or special event.

Did I forget to include something about centerpieces?

Mimi

 

Floral Centerpiece Secrets Part 4: 9 Tips On Picking Your Colors

This is part 4 of the series, "Floral Centerpiece Secrets. You can read  Part 1,  Part 2 and Part 3 here.

I don't have any hard and fast rules about flower colors. You can do whatever you want. But I'd like to share some basic floral design color principles that I find helpful in my work. Please let me know what you think.

 

Bloom Anuschka

 

9 Tips On Selecting Flower Colors for Your Centerpieces

 

 

Stoneblossom

1. Stick to the natural colors of flowers. There are plenty of them. If you're having an over-the-top birthday party and your name is Sapphire, go ahead and have all your flowers dyed royal blue. Otherwise, choose your colors from nature. Or at least the engineered colors floral laboratories can now get flowers to grow in.  I mean, or the new colors now available from cut flower growers.

 

Dolce Design Studio

2. Choose your flower colors first and build your event around them. I'm always amused when my brides come in asking for flower colors like winsome green. These colors don't exist outside of a bridesmaid dress catalog. Not by that name anyway. Once I see the swatch,I can guide them to colors that will complement their floral arrangements.

 

via Little White Blog

3. Use only 2 or 3 flower colors.  A limited color palette will give your centerpieces a more sophisticated look. If there's a pink rose, for example, that has a bit of green and white in it, I'd use those colors. Mostly pink and white flowers with green foliage.

 

Colin Cowie

4. Go monochromatic.  If red is the color you want, then shoot for an all red centerpiece. Use flowers of different types and textures to give your floral arrangements more pizazz.

 

 

White Lilac

5. Stay in the same tone. Some colors are bright and others dusty. Use either one tone or the other. The dusty colors look like they have a little gray in them. If you're using a dusty rose color, then a watermelon pink flower wouldn't go. One would look a little dirty next to the other. Do you know what I mean? I'd choose either a bright or dusty color palette.

 

 

Beautiful Blooms

6. Use paint chips to help you pull your colors together. Once you select your colors, go to a paint store and pick up free paint chips that match your flowers. Then when you begin choosing your tablecloths, napkins, etc. you have your colors handy.

 

Bliss Flower Studio Image: Julia Bailey

7. Go ahead and play with color. It's your party. Who says you can't use hot pink and bright yellow. Orange and purple. Red and lime green. You don't have to use harvest reds, oranges and golds just because your event is in September. But, remember that using seasonal flowers may be cheaper. Florists are more likely to carry seasonal colors than others. But, if you order your flowers in advance, there shouldn't be a problem. 

 

Beautiful Blooms

8. Be open to suggestions from your floral designer if you're using one. It should be someone whose style you like. And whose judgement you trust. When we first opened our shop, we used to get many brides whose styles didn't match ours. They wanted very traditional and sometimes tacky floral design. So I began praying that God would send us customers seeking the kind of floral design we do. And voila, our kind of clients began coming out of the woodwork.

 

Lauryl Lane

9. Consider the event and your guests. If you're doing a 90th birthday party for Aunt Tillie the neon yellow and green minimalist floral centerpieces you were thinking about might not be the way to go. Unless that's just how she rolls. If yellow and green are her favorite colors opt for something a bit more traditional. It doesn't have to be boring though.

So those are my tips about how to choose flower colors for your centerpieces. Any questions? 

Mimi

 

 

 

Floral Centerpiece Secrets Part 3: 10 Tips for Choosing Flowers

This is Part 3 of a series called."Floral Centerpiece Secrets." You can read Part 1 and Part 2 here.

Flowers by Connie Riemer

 

10 Tips for Choosing Flowers for Your Centerpieces

 

Fly Me To The Moon Florists

1. Select flowers that are in season. Many flowers are available all year long. But if they have to be special ordered they may cost more. Flowers in season are generally healthier, prettier and more cost-effective.

 

Blush Floral Design

 2. Select less  expensive flowers and use a whole lot of them. People love to hate carnations, but you can achieve a big look for less money if you choose a simple design. Gladiola is another great candidate for this look when placed in a modern vase.

 

Arome

 

3. Select a few striking flowers and go for a modern look. Tropical or exotic flowers in a simple vase look great.Try a few stems of amaryllis in full bloom.

 

Sandra P. Photography

 

4. Choose a mix of inexpensive, multi-stemmed flowers and make them into lots of small arrangements. Use flowers like lisianthus, pom poms, spray roses and carnations.

 

Posy Floral Design

 5. Use a few different flowers in a single color. It's a modern look that is quite elegant.

Verbena Floral Design

 

6. Choose big-headed flowers. They take up a lot of space, can be mixed with other flowers and can give you a great bang for your buck. Consider football mums, hydrangea and gerbera daisies. Three stems of hydrangea and you've got a centerpiece. The loveliest come from Holland and cost a bit, but the look is sheer glam.

 

Charlotte Geary

 

7. Don't use flowers. Instead use interesting branches like willow alone in a nice vase. They can be spray painted to match your decor. Don't go crazy with your colors here though. Cymbidium orchids can be wired to the willow branches as well.

 

via The French Tangerine

 

8. Choose unscented flowers for your centerpieces. Some people are highly allergic to them. Most people don't want to be overwhelmed with the fragrance of flowers while they eat. Select unscented varieties of lilies for your centerpieces if that's your flower of choice.

 

Amy Merrick

 

9. Use lots of foliage. Though the style of flower arranging we do at Fly Me To The Moon Florists uses lots of flowers, you don't have to. Think about a rose or hydrangea bush. They have flowers, but there's space between them. My current favorite foliage is Italian ruscus, but salal (lemon leaf) , pittosporum plain and variegated are lovely in floral centerpieces.

 

 White Lilac

 

10. Take it easy with the filler flowers. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you've heard me say it before. Don't go crazy with baby's breath. Unless of course it's the only flower you're using. It won't make your floral centerpieces look bigger. It will make them look tacky. See tip #9 again. You can read more on this subject here.

 

 

 

Preston Bailey

I encourage you to think outside your usual flower box when thinking about centerpieces. Try something new. Play with the traditional. I think you'll be glad you did. 

Part 4 of the "Floral Centerpiece Secrets" series will discuss color. Hope you're enjoying these posts and finding them helpful.

What kind of flowers do you dream about using in a centerpiece?

Mimi

 

Linking to:

At the Picket Fence

French Country Cottage

Savvy Southern Style

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floral Centerpiece Secrets Part 2: Selecting The Right Height

 

Fly Me To The Moon Florists

This is part 2 of a series of posts called, "Floral Centerpiece Secrets." You can read Part 1: How to Match Your Flowers To Your Table here.

 

Designs by Hemingway

Floral centerpieces are meant to beautify and enhance the decor of your special event. To make your guests feel special. 

 

Martha Stewart 

 

They help make your special events memorable.

 

Fineflowers

The Problem With Most Centerpieces 

They're too tall. They were never meant to keep people at the same table from seeing each other.

Ever been at an event where you moved the centerpiece so you could have a conversation with the person sitting across the table from you?

The person who made the arangement was probably more focused on design than function. This happens a lot.

 

Preston Bailey

How to Avoid this Problem

 

 

Deeproots.net

Use Short Centerpieces - Make sure your centerpieces are not more than 12 inches tall.This will be well below the line of vision.

At our shop, I usually go no higher than 14 inches. I like centerpieces with presence. I think height is an important component of that. But we actually measure our floral arrangements periodically to make sure we don't go above that height.

 

Greg Bumatay

Use Tall Centerpieces - Use a tall clear glass vase with the actual flowers beginning at 20 inches above the table. A tall narrow vase with a dish holding the flowers at the top works well too. 

Martha Stewart

Mix Short and Tall Centerpieces - Love this combination of floral arrangements.  It can be quite stunning. Just keep your budget in mind as you consider this option. I'll show you a few DIY centerpieces in Part 5 that will keep you within your budget.

Further Reading

• Centerpiece Basics

 

So now that you know the rules about centerpiece height. Feel free to break them. Just remember design and function, design and function, design and function...

Do you have any funny centerpiece stories?

Mimi

 

 

Floral Centerpiece Secrets Part 1: Matching The Arrangement To The Table

Fly Me to The Moon Florists

 

Customers come in Fly Me To The Moon Florists with questions about floral centerpieces all the time.

Some know exactly what they want and just order them.

Others want to make their own, but have questions.

And still others just don't know where to begin.

 

Fleur

Floral Centerpiece Secrets is a 5 part series that I hope will answer basic questions you have about making or ordering floral arrangements. 

I might not cover every single thing you'd like to know about floral centerpieces. But if I leave out something you've been dying to know, just leave a comment and I'll address it in a future post. 

 

May Wedding Flowers

Here's what the "Floral Centerpiece Secrets"  Series will cover:

Part 1:     Matching The Arrangement to the Table  

Part 2:    Selecting The Right Height e

Part 3:    How To Choose Your Flowers 

Part 4:    How To Pick Your Colors 

Part 5:    Elegant and Affordable Arrangement Ideas 

 

Martha Stewart

 

Part 1:   Matching The Flower Arrangement To The Table

Centerpieces look great when they're the right size and shape for the table. Too small and you'll look like you ran out of money for flowers. 

Way too big and you'll look like you're trying too hard to impress. Unless of course you're having a mega special event.

Rather than give you specific proportions, I'd like to help you train your eye to see.the size the flower centerpiece must be to give the table a balanced look.

Martha Stewart 

Choosing the right size floral centerpiece is all about presence. Does the flower arrangement make a statement on the table? Or is it just a dinky bunch of flowers that look like an afterthought.

Please note that my suggestions, in this series, assume that the centerpieces are being used on tables where people will be sitting:

Tips for Round and Square Tables

Carolyne Roehm

• Choose a centerpiece that looks great from all sides. The flower arrangement must be round. Not flat with nothing but foliage on one side.. 
• Use a round or cube shaped vase so that the flowers mimick the shape of the table. Both of these shapes work with both kinds of tables.

 

Tips for Oval or Rectangular Tables

 

Carolyne Roehm

• Oval and rectangular tables look best when they have long arrangements. It can be a series of smaller ones or one long one. 
• The floral centerpiece doesn't have to be as long as the table. But people at either ends of the table should be able to see it.
• Long table arangements should be at least 12" or more inches in length.

 

Further Reading

Wedding Centerpieces for Every Kind of Table

Tabletop Tips and Tricks

 

 So those are the basics for matching your floral arrangements with your tables. 

Part 2 of this series will cover how to choose the correct height for your centerpieces.

 What else would you like to know about floral centerpiece shapes and tables?

Mimi