Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Updated Website!!

Honestly my website embarrassed me....it wasn't terrible, but I never though it was a true indicator of the quality of work I can do...I'd always steer brides to checking out my blog instead.  Well,  I am embarrassed no more.  I finally updated it (all by myself...with a little help from wix.com) ...and now I am proud to have brides visit there as well!  Take a look....  


www.stayinseason-budget-style.com

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Wedding Show, Edison NJ

Earlier this month I participated in a wedding show.  I wanted to use my manzanita branch trees, but do something a little more organic looking, and it was nice to just go into the flower market and pick what caught my eye...and what matched the mismatched table setting I had purchased to complete the look.   I also created the bridal bouquet that I envision going with this garden wedding affair.  Enjoy!


 










This was the smaller table centerpiece...The Bridal Show had up lighting and it was difficult trying to take pictures..the lights were changing from pink, to blue, to purple, to yellow....you can see in the pictures below how it effected how the arrangement looks.

In this one it was blue...

In this one it was yellow...

I love looking for unique things and think at some point I'd love to do expand and have a prop shop to rent items out to brides from.  It would be a justifiable excuse for my yard sale/estate sale addiction.  I was at an estate sale the weekend before the show and picked up these intricate table clothes...I underlayed it with a yellow flower print that I picked up at a fabric store.





The bouquet was patience garden roses, craspedia, brunia, star of Bethlehem, fuchsia spray roses and lambs ear.  My next wedding is August 18th and there are birdcages, lamps, trees...it's going to be beautiful!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Snug Harbor Cultural Center

I must be honest....I was helping out my friend, Lilli, from Mimosa Floral Design here.  We met in the flower market over a year ago when we were both picking up orders for weddings, and we've keep in touch, discussing our weddings, what's the best way to do things, and so on.  She had booked this wedding and then found out her very good friend in Texas was getting married the very same day!  So she came to me for help.  She did all the leg work and I executed the designs for her the day of.

Lilli  knew exactly what the bride had planned on doing for centerpieces but the ideas for bouquets were not as clear.  The bride knew she wanted white calla's in a geometric pattern surrounded by a collar of delphinium, and that each bridesmaid would have a different color bouquet and that her groomsmen would have a matching bout.  (This idea always looks so great in pictures)  Lilli had general ideas of flowers for those but it was up to me to make the final decision.  When I picked up the delphinium I was on the fence on whether it would work.  The stems I got had only opened on the bottom....bottom line was that the top ones never opened and they looked so sad.  So I incorporated flowers from the rest of her bridesmaids to create the collar.

Bridesmaids Bouquets:  Purple sweet peas, Red Ranunculus, Green Roses, Orange Gerbera Daisies, Yellow Calla Lilies


Brides Bouquet:  A geometric arrangement of white callas, encircled by the flowers each of her bridesmaids carried.



Matching boutonnieres for the groomsmen, each was labeled to the color of their bridesmaids dress so they would know which was theirs...I think they still needed help though...the bridesmaids all had different dresses, and some of them changed the day of the wedding!  



The Snug Harbor Cultural Center is a beautiful old venue with tons of history.  The ceremony was in a hall where retired sailors used to bunk...a long room with a beautiful compass dome in the center.  The dial that showed which was the wind was blowing creaked when it moved, and the guard there told me it was to mimic the sound of a creaking ship to make the sailors feel more at home.

Isn't this a nice sentiment...







The reception room has amazingly high ceilings and these cute little out coves with benches around old fireplaces,  a perfect place for guests to mingle.  



The centerpieces before they were placed on the tables


































Saturday, July 7, 2012

Knoll Country Club East, Boonton NJ

The bride had big dreams and a little budget, but I was determined to do something for her that her guests would appreciate and not see as skimpy.  The centerpieces were made of single stems of Apple Blossom Amaryllis, draped with crystals.  Yes...these are real and not the fake flower in fake water arrangement you see in stores!  These had lights in the bottom, but I don't have any pictures of how amazingly dramatic they looked at night with the lights coming up and the candle lights from the table.  And anyway, I wouldn't even know what settings to put my camera on to capture an image like that....whenever I try it just doesn't do justice to how the arrangement looks in person.  

I know I usually include my little stories from the day, and I should have written these down.  I've been busy busy busy...already booking a bunch of weddings for 2013!  This wedding was about a month ago and I can't remember any of the silly funny things that happened....Recently though...and I think I forgot to mention this in my post about the wedding I went to pick up my flower order...and...there was no order.  My supplier forgot to place it....a brides nightmare...and mine too.  But since I always go to pick up the flowers myself, I was able to run around the flower market and get everything I needed.  That will never happen again...neva!  



This is my favorite part....a bouquet of ivory roses and spray roses...this looks so buttery!  And she requested we find some bling and a broach to place at the bottom of the wrap.  I hand sewed the crystals to the ribbon...I should open and etsy shop!  Ivory spray roses were used to make both the boutonnieres and the bridesmaids bouquets.








A Little Something



I often have requests from friends and family to do a little something....so my latest little something was a "Breakfast at Tiffany's" themed bridal shower.  It was mid-June...the best time to get the lowest prices on peonies.  The bride desperately wanted a white peony bouquet for her wedding, but she is getting married about a month after peony season ends, so I made one for her for the shower. 

If anyone ever asked why so many brides ask for peonies....this picture says it all.





This broach belongs to the brides grandmother...how pretty!


Come Down and See Me!

Calling all brides, if you'd like to see my work in person and meet me too, I will be presenting at the Elegant Bridal Productions Show at the Sheraton Raritan Center,  Tuesday July 10th.  To learn more about the show click here!  I've come up with a beautiful design for my display.   Looking forward to seeing you there! 

Just Having Some Fun

Oh, how many times I've been in the flower market during May or June, picking up my light pink and white peonies for a wedding...as I get my order I longingly look at the beautiful dark pink peonies and wonder why they are shunned by brides.   No more I say!  I picked up a few bunches and other lovelies that caught my eye (get a load of the purple artichokes!) to show a bride doesn't have to be all light and sweet on her wedding day.

These arrangements are all made with dark pink peonies, dark pink spray roses, silver brunia (the balls) and, purple artichokes....wow.  I gave the bridal bouquet a long train of grey lace to pick up the silver in the bouquet.








Sunday, July 1, 2012

Lambertville House, Lambertville NJ

I do have a few posts to get to between this wedding and my last post, but I wanted to get it up while it was fresh in my mind.  The wedding was right after we had a few days of scorching heat, but it broke the day before giving the bride a warm, but not a hot 'your relatives are cursing you for having an outdoor wedding' kind of day.


The wedding took place at the charming Lambertville House, in Lambertville NJ.   With rooms for your guests to stay in, a beautiful courtyard for the ceremony, and the reception hall located on the premises, this is the perfect place to hold a smaller wedding.  (Nicole the event coordinator was so great to work with, and I guessed she liked working with me too, because I have just been added to their list of preferred vendors!)  And there is plenty for your guests to do in the surrounding area, quaint shops, great dining, and a fun steam locomotive ride right across the bridge in New Hope, which is equally as charming.  (I brought my family with me on this job, and my 4 year old and 2 1/2 year old loved, loved the train ride..while I was setting up my husband had the fun job of walking around town with them ;)


The bride wanted to use the camomile that is in season everywhere during June and the flower gave the arrangements the relaxed laid back feel she was looking for.   She is also a big fan of Lilies and while they didn't fit in the budget she was so great to work with, I squeezed in a few stems for her bouquet.  


Enjoy the flowers!  


Brides Bouquet:  Lily Marisa, camomile, green hydrangea, freesia, green, pink and peach roses.





Centerpieces and cocktail table:  White hydrangea, pink, green, and peach roses, with camomile



The Groom's Boutonniere:  Yellow Rose and Camomile

Aisle:  In mason jars, hydrangea, roses and camomile.