Wall + Flowers at OSP

The other day I discovered that the beautiful blue wall of waves in the Olympic Sculpture Park’s Paccar Pavilion is no longer! (I know, where have I been?) Made me realize just how attached I’d gotten to that gorgeous backdrop by Sandra Cinto, for celebrations of all kinds. Of course, the geometric, richly hued piece that took its place is also very cool — but I thought I’d share this wedding from the wave days in honor of their passing.

Plus, the photos that Barbie Hull took from this wedding are AWESOME!!! Wow, did she ever capture all the vibrancy of summer — and all the textures that I so love to play with. Garden roses unfurling next to scritchy scabiosa pods. Maidenhair fern trailing gracefully from playful groupings of ball dahlias and zinnias. The coral, orange, soft yellow, white, and green color scheme that the bride and groom requested was the perfect counterpoint to the blue and grey tones of the venue. It’s a florist’s dream when colors come together like this.  Added bonus:  Holly-Kate and Company on hand to make sure everything went flawlessly.

(And if you missed the blue waves, you can at least see a fascinating video showing its installation here.)

Ivory spray roses and dahlias, green zinnias, and maidenhair fern for the bride.

A little waterfront canoodling

How cute are the bride and groom with their pre-wedding beers?

Scabiosa pod and hypericum berries for the groom

Pops of color for the bridesmaids

Here comes the bride…

Centerpieces do double-duty on the aisle

An escort card table arrangement

Centerpiece detail

Maidenhair!

Casting the Right Bloom (at Cast Iron Studios)

What a difference one single flower can make. That’s what I think about every time I look at the images from this juicy, winey wedding we did at Cast Iron Studios last September. As any florist can tell you, purple weddings are tough. There just aren’t a ton of purple flowers to choose from, and the ones we do have at our disposal can be finicky:  hydrangea runs an unpredictable gamut from pale pinkish-lavender to plum speckled with green, lisianthus suffers the dreaded botrytis all too often, delphinium is so darn gangly, and some of the best plum-purples, like ranunculus, just aren’t available all year round. It’s a tough life, I tell ya.

But purples were the order of the day for this early fall celebration – which happened to take place on the MOST blustery, stormy day I have seen in a long time. (We’re talking about heavy iron doors blowing open and sending things tumbling down the stairs. Ack!) I rounded up my best purple soldiers and sent them marching into elegant silver vases and sweet hand-tied bouquets. But something was missing….

It was the gorgeous, vibrant, unique plum cascading phalaenopsis orchid, found by accident and purchased by the armload immediately! This deeply saturated blossom gave everything the punch and wow that I was looking for, and elevated the arrangements from sweetly gardeny to sexy and sophisticated. Behold, the power of a flower!

The delectable purple phalaenopsis!

These centerpieces did double-duty on both the tables…

… and the stairs during a candlelit ceremony.

A little purple uplighting to add to the ambience

The guest book table

Dahlias, scabiosa, callas, and more!

No botrytis on that lisianthus!

An eggplant mini-calla for the groom

Beautiful images courtesy of Carolyn Kipper Photography. Thank you, Carolyn!

Peony Season at Sodo Park

What month is this? Not where am I, but when am I? Those are the questions that I catch myself unawares with. As a florist, I’m very focused on the seasons and what is at offer to my working hands. But as a wedding florist specifically, I am also caught in that odd whirlpool of planning for events to come and tying up loose ends on events past. Right now, in engagement season, my mind is so much in August and September that sometimes I have to remind myself that we haven’t even officially left winter yet!

I was thinking about Risa and David’s wedding at Sodo Park last spring, as in our orbit around the seasons we circle closer back to peony season again. While 90% of brides who meet with me say that they would LOVE to have peonies in their wedding, only a small handful actually get married in the 3-4 week window of late May-mid June when local peonies are doing their thing. Risa was one of those lucky brides.

We filled her wedding with delicious, vibrant, juicy Coral Charm peonies, as well as Icelandic poppies, godetia, sweet peas, asclepias, and other seasonal delights in super saturated colors of hot pink, orange, and coral. Bits of cool silver dusty miller and grey-green succulents provided contrast. I loved the overflowing planter boxes laid out on the “Hogwarts”-style tables at Sodo Park, and loved the way stripes and chevrons worked their way into the festivities. Color and texture:  my favorites!

Peony season is only a few months away again… Or was it only a few months back??

A stunning yet simple bridal bouquet of coral charm peonies.

Stripes = more fun!

The groom’s succulent boutonniere

Icelandic poppies for the bridesmaid bouquets

Color and texture galore for these table settings

Taking the long view

All set and ready at Sodo Park

Bridesmaid bouquets serving double-duty on the cocktail tables

Fireworks!

All-Star Vendors:

Planning and Coordination:  New Creations Wedding Design

Linens:  Choice Linens

Photography:  Bradley Hanson

DJ: Bamboo Beats

Hollywood in Seattle, from Houston with Love

In the spirit of the upcoming New Year’s Eve celebrations, this post looks back at one of 2013’s sparkliest, NW-blingiest weddings. What is “NW-bling” you might ask? Well, seeing as I just came up with the term, it’s a concept in flux — but you can safely assume that NW-bling includes beaded lamps AND ornamental fungus. Shimmery vases AND understated blue hydrangea. And in this case, the whole scheme was inspired by a super fun bride from Texas.

The Hollywood inspiration tablescape — we can do better than this!

Planning a long-distance wedding requires a lot of trust on the part of the client. Candace and I began the process of fleshing out ideas for her wedding at Urban Light Studios over the phone; she and her fiancé had been to Seattle but both lived in Houston. Her decor vision was inspired by the 83rd annual Academy Awards Governor’s Ball. It was a to-the-hilt look, and one I don’t see a lot of in Seattle. Frankly, I thought we could do better! 

Candace rounded up all of her vendors for a site visit a couple of months before her wedding. The ever-insightful and awesome Kirstie Warren of Simply Wed was on the team at that point. Seeing the linens plus table lamps plus florals plus chargers plus flatware plus Chiavari chairs…. (whew!)… helped us edit the look. The room was going to be PACKED with elbow-to-elbow guests. We nixed the blue glass goblets and the sequined linens, and came up with a gorgeous, Houston-meets-Hollywood-meets-Seattle decor scheme that turned out to be one of my favorite weddings of 2013!

What do you think?

A full but festive room at Urban Light Studios!

There’s nothing like the smell of fresh mint!

Craspedia, aka “billy balls,” boutonnieres

Stately yet playful for the groom

A gorgeous mix of color and texture

Detail of the bridesmaid bouquets

Full, textural centerpieces

Lush linens completed and complemented the look

VENDORS:

PHOTOGRAPHY:  Julie Harmsen Photography

VENUE: Urban Light Studios

DESIGN/COORDINATION: Simply Wed

DRAPING: Rented Elegance

CATERING: City Catering 

DJ: Bamboo Beats

Fun and Games at Ray’s Boathouse

Christmas is coming, and toys are on the loose. (How else would I have come home with a pair of used bongos the other day, when I only meant to buy a $5 bottle of valve oil for our household trumpet?) Thinking about the parade of toys through the ages, a hoola hoop rolls through my mind and reminds me of this sweet little wedding from the summer…

Eva, the bride, had great vintage style — and was also an avid hoola hooper. What better way to bring some of her unique personality to the decor than to place a hoola hoop front and center? She and her guy Ian were to be married on the deck at Ray’s Boathouse. You don’t want to block the stunning view there, but the railing can use a little love.  We took a regular old hoola hoop and wrapped it with pink and cream vintage-esque ribbons, and hung it on the railing right where the bride and groom would stand. Soft garlands of smilax and romantic floral clusters featuring Cafe au Lait dahlias completed the look. Inside the dining room, sweetly simple centerpieces in milk glass and depression-era rose glass carried out the vintage vibe.

Wish I could have seen the first dance! Something tells me that a special hoola hoop might have been just within arm’s reach….

How sweetly retro is she??

The hoop marks the spot

Sweet somethings for the table

Thank you to  Joshua Mahar Photography for the lovely images!

Grand Homeyness at the Olympic Sculpture Park

Weddings are about balance, in so many ways. The balance of vision and budget, organization and surrender, intimacy and public witness. Maia and Kevin came to me with their own specific balancing act for their August wedding:  to make the modern, sophisticated Olympic Sculpture Park feel homey and welcoming for their down-to-earth families. This was a seriously stylish couple. They would have looked right at home in any high-falutin’ setting – but I appreciated that their first priority was making sure their own vision found harmony with their guests’ comfort level.

Color and texture were the keys to this assignment. A vibrant palette of hot pink, coral, yellow, green, and hints of orange would establish a summery, playful, celebratory feeling. We decided to incorporate lots of greenery – big sword ferns, trailing clematis vine, fruiting raspberry cane – so that the arrangements had a feeling of Northwest wildness about them. And of course the flowers themselves – dahlias, leggy sweet peas, zinnias, bee balm, garden roses – were flowers that many of the guests probably grew in their own gardens.

Looking at the photograph that Karen Obrist captured of all the guests in the PACCAR Pavilion, I have to say that people look very much at home. (And aren’t all her images just awesome?) The super-tall centerpieces float above their heads like cheerful beacons, directing this couple to a life of love and happiness amongst their friends and family.

The bridal bouquet, with sweet peas, raspberry, garden roses, dahlias… and more!

Romantic, dramatic arrangements for the altar

The sweetest little clematis vine

Closeup of a centerpiece

The bridal bouquet in action

Colorful arrangements lined the terraced stairs

One style of tall centerpiece…

….and another

There is no such thing as “too tall” in the OSP!

• Design and Coordination: Very Important Events
• Table linens: Creative Coverings
• Photography: Karen Obrist Photography
• Cocktail Band: $4 Shoe
• Reception Band: The Nines
• Flowers: us, of course! (Floressence)

The Wind Wins at Seattle Aquarium

Of all the elements that mother nature throws at me as a florist, the wind is definitely one of the most challenging. (Dare I say even more than the sun?) It can knock over chuppahs, send tall glass cylinders a-tumblin’, bust the petals right off a more delicate bloom. Let’s not even get into what it does to carefully coiffed wedding party hair, or a neatly twisted stack of cocktail napkins.

In July I gave up all my wind resistance at the Seattle Aquarium, for Cassidy and Ali’s beautiful ceremony on the pier. For the lampposts flanking the altar area, we ziptied lively floral swags around those posts as tight as Victorian corsets. Hanging from each was a passel of streaming ribbons in the wedding colors: hot pink, orange, gold. Paul Joseph Brown took my favorite wind-shots ever of these ribbons, blowing straight out to horizontal across Elliott Bay.

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. “‘Em” being the breezes in this case. And really, shouldn’t a ceremony be vibrant and full of life forces?

And yes, thankfully, the reception was indoors.

The bridal bouquet with special accents of gloriosa lilies and craspedia

Soft yellow dresses as a backdrop to intense pinks and oranges

Poppies, peonies, and nerine lilies — it doesn’t get much better than that!

Ribbons comin’ at ya

The resplendent bride and groom

Simple but sweet cocktail table arrangements

Height and drama for the reception…

….balanced by submerged trios

P.S. Those super cool light boxes under the tall centerpieces were provided by Good Times DJ Services, and were custom programable.

At the Woodmark Hotel: Lakeside Splendor

I’ll never forget the 4th of July bride I had several years ago, who wanted her flowers in shades of red, white, and blue — and asked that they not appear patriotic. Jerusha and Dave didn’t get married on the 4th of July this year, but on the 5th — and they didn’t ask me to pull out the red, white, and blue flowers, either. This wedding at the always lovely Woodmark Hotel was a crisp splash of blue and green and a little white. Perfect for a lakeside celebration on a hot summer day.

Jerusha’s bouquet was especially fun for me to design. I don’t often get to go all out with a cascade bouquet, and especially not one made mostly of green flowers. Foxtail ferns gave texture and body to the cascade, while lily grass wisped downwards like sea grass in reverse. I’m so grateful for the amazing talents of Affinity Photography, who captured that bouquet (and everything else) so perfectly. I might not get my hands on another bouquet like that one anytime soon!

Two varieties of centerpieces reflected the waterside setting, all in — you guessed it — blue, green, and white. At the altar, we hung floral pomanders from iron “trees,” and strung them with green cymbidium orchid blossoms for good measure. There was a soft breeze coming off the lake, just enough to send the orchids a-fluttering. Just like bride’s and groom’s hearts, I’m sure.

It was a treat to work with Taylor’d Events on this wedding, and I’m sure that DJ Leslie of Seattle Parties kept the party going like fireworks into the night.

The bridal bouquet looked downright aquatic!

Note the color coordination of the lily pads

One style of centerpiece…

….and another

White rose petals for the aisle

Iron trees festooned with pomanders and hanging orchids at the altar

Blue and green everywhere!

Delphinium and hydrangea pomander

White carnation pomander

Featured Photographer: Laurel McConnell

There is so much fabulous talent in this town! When the Seattle Bride Magazine “Best of 2013” awards were announced, I was not a bit surprised to see Azzura Photography,Barbie Hull Photography, and Laurel McConnell Photography on the finalist list. All three of these businesses are led by dynamic, lovely people with huge talent. Whatever the results of tonight’s award ceremony are, I raise my glass to them all!

Azzura’s work has been featured on this blog, and Barbie’s is soon-to-come, so today I’m posting just five images of one bridal bouquet that Laurel shot last summer. This was a special wedding for a close friend of Laurel. I was honored to design her bridal bouquet — and totally inspired by her color palette and direction to just use my instincts.

The end result was a coral, peach, and melon-infused bouquet with poppies, ranunculus, peonies, garden and spray roses, succulents, and little tufts of lambs ear peeking out. Narrow chevron ribbon paired with a wider silver for textural fun. This remains one of my favorite bouquets — and thanks to Laurel and her awesome talents, I can look back and remember why.

Congratulations, Tania+Ken, Barbie, and Laurel — and thank you for being so darn good at what you do!

(Oh and by the way, Laurel made yours truly relaxed in front of the camera for an official portrait — back in the days before I lost those glasses at the beach. Oops! Time for another session, Laurel?)

Spring on the Seattle Waterfront

Lauren and Aaron, who just got married on a beautiful May day, were one of the sweetest couples I’ve ever met. Back in the fall, I invited them to attend Get Hitched Give Hope — where Aaron pulled out all the stops by bidding on and winning a special gift for his bride-to-be. (They also bid on and won personal flowers for their wedding from yours truly.) The excitement in his face — and hers, when she knew something sneaky was underfoot — stayed with me through the months of thinking about and then designing their wedding flowers. I wanted to give them that same feeling of joy and excitement on their wedding day!

Their vision for décor came in part from an article on sea-life inspired floral design in Seattle Bride magazine. I had created a centerpiece and some boutonnieres for that shoot, and the talented Alexa Johnson of Fiore Blossoms had designed a gorgeous bridal bouquet. Lauren loved the sea fan and the fully blown spray roses of that bouquet, but wanted lavender tones in her scheme, which we pulled in through freesia and sweet peas.

The table centerpieces balanced their wish for full floral abundance with a quirkier, more beachy look. Half the tables were beachscapes on matte ceramic trays, with driftwood, air plants, succulents, sea fan, beach glass, and simple arrangements in glass bottles and jars. The other half were big lovelies with all our favorite spring flowers (ranunculus, hyacinth, freesia, to name a few).

When I brought Lauren her bouquet that May day, she smile was just as sparkly and contagious as it had been at the prospect of Aaron’s secret surprise. I wish them both a lifetime of that joy!

Deep teal dresses were lovely on the waterfront

Sea fan adds a unique element to the bridal bouquet

The reception was held at Seattle Marriott Waterfront, and Jenny GG made great use of the surroundings in her fabulous photographs of the day!