FRESH by: June 2011

Thursday, 23 June 2011

There's a Groom in the Building!

I am a little obsessed with "Say Yes to The Dress" and truth be told with most every wedding show on TV and one thing I'm noticing is that more and more fiancé's are going bridal dress shopping with their future brides. This is going to sound really old fashion, I KNOW, but I'm not sure how I feel about that.

I asked my husband his thoughts and his exact words are "It's odd! Why do they need to be there? It's supposed to be a surprise from her to him."

Dress by Pnina Tornai

Not really sure where the tradition came from, I did google it but there was a lot of confusion on this including that it was OK for him to see the dress just not her in the dress. So, I'm thinking somewhere along the way someone said it was bad luck and it has just stuck. Now I understand each "tradition" that we hold is based in some form of superstition or religious tradition but I have to say, gonna sound like a Nonna again here, it's just the way it's done! (So old LOL)

Dress by Pnina Tornai

Dresses by Vera Wang

On these shows I've seen everything from opinionated, sometimes a little mean, men to men that look so uncomfortable they would feel better in the feminine product isle of their local drug store. I know that some guys want to make sure that their Bride's dress makes her look her most flattering....k, gonna stop right here-does he not trust her to make the right decision for her body type? Does he pick all her outfits? For me this could start a whole other conversation......anyway I get that he wants to be part of the decision making process but does he have to be involved in this one? Can't he help with the cake or flower selection instead?

Dress by Vera Wang

Ultimately it's not my choice or for me to judge but I was curious to see what other people thought. Any Bride's out there that wanted their fiance there? did he insist? or was it a complete surprise?

Monday, 6 June 2011

It's good to really look at those small things....

....and by small things I mean the boutonnieres and corsages. You can tell A LOT about a designer by looking at their work on the things that "may not matter".

Photo Lori Miles of Sweet Pea Photography

Photo Jasalyn Thorne Photography

Photo Tracey I Heppner Photography

Boutonnieres and corsages can eat up a lot of time and, let's face it, it is not a high priority of the couple (well maybe the groom and groomsmen's boutonnieres but not much after that) so some florists will slap, literally slap, together a leaf and a bloom and call it done and boy is that U-G-L-Y! And that amount of ugly will show up in your photos:)

Now well constructed boutonnieres and corsages can cost a little more than ones that a designer takes special care with but I've heard of people going to "budget florists" only basing their decision on cost alone and the boutonnieres have FALLEN APART before they even walk down the aisle-now that is a waste of money! A lot of the time, unfortunately, your wedding may be one of a dozen (or more!) events that week-businesses are there to make money and if they aren't charging you properly they need to make their money on volume, so boutonnieres and corsages are the first casualty.

There are ways to keep costs down without having them fall apart. Designers can create simple, no frills, boutonnieres and corsages (mostly for the extended family where a couple would really like to keep costs down) but still maintain the same level of care...this is an important question to ask your designers when you are in meeting.

Here are some simple boutonnieres and corsages for such times....

Kermit mums for Ushers

Calla lilies are a little more money but this basic one was used for the usher and they last all day!

Green dendrobium orchids, wrist corsage and boutonniere, for the extended family

Simple red rose w/greenery but still attractive Photo Kim Christie Photography

Spray roses Photo Hee Creations Photography

For the groom and bridal party is important that their boutonnieres are as great as the bouquets and the general rule, but by no mean the only way, is for the groom to pull his flower from the bride's bouquet and the groomsmen's boutonnieres to be pulled from the bridesmaid's bouquets.


Photo Jasalyn Thorne Photography

The Maid of Honour had some added bling so we added some to the Best Man's Boutonniere

Photo Tracey I Heppner Photography

The bridesmaid's had blue delphinium & baby's breath in their bouquets and some wire accents which I added to the groomsmen's boutonnieres as well-very effective!

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Bride had white calla lilies and rust coloured freesia which we did for her groom but she also had wire accents on her handle so I added some to his boutonniere

Photo Tracey I Heppner Photography

Bride LOVED calla lilies and had some in her bouquet as well as one for her groom. He has some Irish roots so we added just a bit of heather to acknowledge that, not in her bouquet though, but there was wire accents on her handle so we added some to his boutonniere

Mini-cymbidium orchid, GREAT flower that lasts well!, with stephanotis and I wrapped the stem with a leaf and a black ribbon "belt"- very cool!

This groom loved the speckled leaf and the bride loved the striped leaf so we used both to make them both happy:) Her bouquet contained calla lilies and spray roses and we used this in his boutonniere

Calla lily and lily of the valley for this spring wedding but their colours were pink, and the groom was not a fan of a pink flower, so I added a small pink crystal to a tiny leaf accent just to bring it in without scaring him away

Bride's favorite flower is ranunculus so the groom had a double ranunculus, with a touch of green hydrangea, and a variegated monkey grass wrap with a tiny grey, one of their wedding colours, ribbon accent....it looked great!

Photo Kim Christie Photography

Photo Mischa Bartkow Photography

Parents are another place to maybe splurge a little, they are your parents:). They may drive you nuts but they are so thrilled to have something a little special

White dendrobium orchids

White spray roses

White mini-cybmidium orchids with a "tennis bracelet" w/crystal & wire accents

Mini-cymbidium orchids with upgraded bracelet and a green "pearl" accent


White spray roses & green hydrangea w/a pearl & crystal combo accent

White spray roses, kermit mums and hypericum berries

You may notice a lot of orchids, spray roses and calla lilies-they are a little more costly but will really stand up the best during the day. If you're having a longer day or it is going to be warm out these are good options.

And just a side note-does your designer tag your boutonnieres and corsages? It is so important because the day of your wedding you will not be handing anything out and you can't expect anyone to know who all of them are for. It can be absolute craziness and you've spent the money so make sure everyone who you wanted to have them does!

WARNING: Boutonnieres and corsages are very delicate and should be treated as such. They should only be worn just as everyone is leaving, and should be kept in the fridge until then. When people are hugging, holding children, putting on over coats, or any number of variables, these can all damage the bloom (I've even had a groom sit on his boutonniere before he walked down the aisle-UGG). Also, lighter coloured flowers, especially when it is warm, will show their ware much more quickly than a darker coloured flower-they are flowers that are out of water all day so really talk to your designer about options that work for you and your day.

Hope this gives you a little more understanding of how the small things can tell so much! Ask questions and have fun too....boutonnieres and corsages can be fun:)

Friday, 3 June 2011

Purple Passion

Purple and weddings will never go out of style.....with all the shades most everyone can find one they love! The colour of royalty it can be elegant and sophisticated or fun and exciting...it can be anything you want!
You need to start with the perfect stationery and I'm loving the bold graphic of this large bloom!