Showing the warmth of a dear friend...

"It took my breath away...That truly was our experience, upon seeing the ballroom at my daughter's wedding reception. Michele T. embraced the vision my bride daughter had for her wedding and ran with it!! She spent many hours with us getting all the details together and listening to the bride's wishes and ideas. She handled the floral arrangements to our... rehearsal dinner and the church ceremony and the wedding reception, all at different locations, with impeccable professionalism. All the while, showing the enthusiasm, confidence and warmth of a dear friend. No need for concern or anxiety when your event rolls around. She is in complete control, handling everything perfectly. We were so impressed and thankful to have used her for this important event. She is the one to use, no doubt about it!" 

Thank you, Julie J.

Wonderful Client!

Wedding Channel Review:  "Wonderful florist! posted 10/10/2011...Michele was my florist for my wedding. She listened to what I wanted, made great suggestions, adhered to my budget and superseded my expectations! I had an outdoor ceremony and she tested the ceremony decorations to see if they would stand up the record breaking heat we were having. She visited the wedding site and was able to give suggestions that would compliment the scale of the spaces, background colors, and wedding colors."

Thank you, Adriana.

Thank you for following our blog!  Unfortunately Blogger will no longer allow pictures to post, so stay tuned and we'll switch to another format soon!

You're most welcome!

It is so wonderful to receive such heartfelt thanks.

  

"WOW! Our flowers were even more amazing than we dreamed of! We can't thank you enough for all of your hard work and we are so happy that you were able to be such a special part of our wedding day. Everything turned out perfect! Thank you again, C & J"

Classic Black & White at Villa Antonia

I attended a classical, elegant wedding at Villa Antonia this past weekend.  The beautiful, blissfully happy bride wore white with sheer organza ruffles and carried white & cream roses/garden roses while her bridesmaids wore cute, black cocktail dresses and carried red roses with green leaf accent.

Adorable flower girls dressed in tulle sprinkled petals down the aisle.  The guys looked very Bond in black tuxes with either white or red boutonnieres. 

Decor:  The ceremony arbor was swagged and draped with white chiffon, further complemented by a white aisle runner.  White chairs sporting black chair ties awaited guests.

Inside the Italianate villa, the decor was refined and elegant.  Tables wore black linens with white toppers and were graced with three different centerpieces.  The first was a gorgeous tall arrangement of almost one hundred red roses.  The vase of this arrangement was accented with red spray orchids, red petals and light blue water.  The blue was further picked up by the blue crystal drops hanging from each of the tall vases.  The table was lit by three tall cylinders, each with a black ribbon and floating white votive.

The second arrangement was of medium height with a green leaf, black ribbon and topped with an arrangement of red roses.  The final arrangement was similar in nature, but in a square vase.  All tables were accented with sparkling votives.

The cake table complemented the decor.

Vendors:
Flowers/Chiffon Draping:  The Silver Vase
Cake:  The Bride's Table
Catering:  Sterling Affairs
Photography:  Maria Bernal
Officiant:
Strings:
DJ:

Fresh.

The flowers for this wedding imparted a fresh, springy feel--so welcome on these hot, summer-like days.

  

 

Attired in purple cocktail-length dresses, bridesmaids carried white lilies, white stock, deep purple carnations, peruvian lilies and yellow roses.  Though a bit fuzzy (shot w/cell phone), this picture shows the soft interplay between yellow and white accented with a deep, rich royal purple.

 

The bride carried purple hydrangea, variegated peruvian lilies and white lilies.  (I loved the way the petite lilies peek out from amid the large white orientals.) 

Memorial Weekend

All gave some; some gave all.

Lavender Dreams

Just finished a dreamy wedding at the Hummingbird House.  From flowers to linens to lanterns, lavender accents popped against the verdant green of the venue.

The ceremony was held at the wrought iron gazebo.  Several shades of lavender petals lined the aisle as silver chivari chairs with lavender bows stood ready to seat guests.

The bride carried a beautiful lavender and white rose bouquet, embellished with crystal-accented, white stephanotis.  The groom wore a white guayabera (Mexican wedding shirt) and lavender boutonniere.  The bridesmaid wore lavender chiffon while the groomsman wore a lavender guayabera and white boutonniere.

After the ceremony, guests drifted into the cocktail area for a cool drink as music and laughter filled the air.  

As the evening progressed, glistening crystal chandeliers beckoned guests into the white tent, which was swagged and draped with chiffon, twinkle lights & silver accents.  "Sparkle" was an understatement, as crystals dripped from ceiling to floor.  

The round guest tables were dressed in white linens "sashed" with lavender.  Half of the floral arrangements were over five feet tall and consisted of orchid-filled glass cylinders accented with orchid tinted wire.  A large arrangement of lavender roses and orchid lilies sat atop these cylinders.  The entire arrangement was then draped with Swarovski crystals.  Beautiful.  

The second arrangement was a contemporary composition which consisted of a square glass vase accented with alternating bands of lavender roses, a ti leaf and a lavender bow.  Did I mention that the bride LOVES bows?

All together, the centerpieces made for a very pretty composition.

The groom's cake was a divine chocolate/chocolate-raspberry creation.  Between the cake and silver plateau was a thin crystal accent.  Surrounding his cake were eight large square glass votives.  Adjacent to his cake was a crystal tree with masculine ornaments, further accentuating the "crystal" theme.  This was all displayed on a rectangular table, draped with lavender satin.

The piece de resistance...the bride's cake table.  Chef Casey Rogers of The Brides Table created a delightful pale ivory/lavender confection. The top and bottom layers were quilted and decorated with silver dragees, while the middle layer featured a lavender fondant ribbon and, yes, a bow.  But not just any bow.  This bow had a large crystal in the center and was further accentuated with smaller crystals.  

The lavender rose topper by The Silver Vase was laced with the same crystals.  (Yes, those are real, naturally-colored, lavender roses.).  The top two layers sat upon slight crystal-accented plateaus, with the lower layer upon a heavily encrusted, pave crystal plateau.  The cake and crystal plateaus were then placed upon a large, round silver plateau. Surrounded by lavender petals and votives the entire display was placed on a small round table, draped with lavender satin with organza.  

Dreamy.

(Chef Rogers applies a final touch.)

Can't Wait!

Doing gorgeous wedding at the Hummingbird House next weekend.  Flowers start coming in tomorrow...shades of lavender...beautiful!  And the venue is a stunning, tropical paradise...so many flowers...the perfect spot for an outdoor wedding.

Happy Mother's Day

I am blessed that my mom is still around.  She lets a few things slip now and then (don't we all?), but when I think back, she is in some of my most treasured memories.  As the mother of nine, (I could barely handle two), she took wonderful care of us.  Everything that she did was for the family.  I have snapshots of her etched in my mind:  sewing, shopping, cooking, washing, as well as "power" napping to get through each day.

Mom made beautiful clothes for us...with dressmaker details.  We had smocked dresses w/matching scarves, embroidered dresses w/organza capes, white go-go dresses with layers of white fringe (2nd grade...eat your heart out Nancy Sinatra), adorable shifts with chain belts ala Twiggy, and gorgeous, lace-trimmed Communion gowns.  And everything was lined.  She even made our shorts for us--not just any shorts, but short sets.  I remember one hot pink short set, with frog fasteners on the front.  My sister and I looked like little baton twirlers (a Southern thing).

For holidays, Mom would go all out and we would set the table with the good china, crystal and silver.  The centerpiece for Easter was always a magnolia snapped from the tree in the backyard (I don't remember what the Thanksgiving or Christmas centerpiece looked like...I just loved the creamy white, scented magnolia flowers).  At Thanksgiving, each of us would have a tiny bit of wine in a crystal goblet and either poached cinnamon pears or shrimp/red sauce in matching little crystal compotes. (Grace first, napkin in the lap, please.) Afterwards, she would bring a huge, stuffed turkey to the table and Dad would carve.  In addition, we had the Thanksgiving staples of mashed potatoes w/real giblet gravy (from a roux!), peas, salad, fresh rolls, dressing, yams w/broiled marshmallows and fruit salad w/maraschino cherries and tiny marshmallows (love marshmallows!).  And that was just Thanksgiving.  This was repeated for Christmas and Easter (of course with different menus.), and anytime company came over.  It was a family affair that you didn't want to miss.

Mom made everyday a holiday; however, Easter was MY holiday.  Mom would take us shopping for new hats (wide-brimmed for me, please), new Sunday shoes (I loved black patent maryjanes!), new gloves and a new white purse (My favorite was a small, boxy straw bag with pearl handles.).  Of course, we had the requisite Easter dress that Mom made with loving care.  My younger sister wasn't crazy about all the fuss, but I absolutely loved it!

That was the glamorous stuff.  Mom washed tons of laundry every week and brought us 7up or hot tea & crackers when we were sick in bed.  Once, we ALL had the flu (Mom included).  We camped out on the floor of Mom/Dad's room on palettes, so she could go from one to the other to check temperatures, administer medicine and feed.  She did this without complaint; for she truly loved us.  She would sometimes nap in the afternoon and ask us to wake her in 15 minutes...I just never had the heart.  Sundays, we got up early and went to Mass.  As a family.

The point is, none of this would have happened without Mom.

And so Mom, we wish you a Happy Mother's Day.  Thank you for all you have done for us.  We love you.

A Royal Wedding

Bright and early this morning, I watched the wedding of William and Catherine. A plethora of titles accompanied the nuptials:  William and Catherine now take the titles of Earl and Countess of Strathearn, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Baron and Baroness of Carrickfergus.

The wedding took place in Westminster Abbey--the decor, classic and refreshing.  The contrast of red, from the uniforms of William & the pages to the collar of the choir boys, was stunning against the abbey's blue walls and gray columns.  Kate carried an all white bouquet consisting of myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet William and hyacinth: The petite blossoms of which perfectly complemented the chantilly lace of her sweeping white gown.  As a crowning touch, she wore a cherished tiara given to her by the Queen--seen as a symbolic gesture of the future of the monarchy.  And the tiny bridesmaids!  How adorable were they with their petite white dresses, crowning halos and frumpy frown or two! 

All together, it was a happy event.  Wills smiled throughout and threw loving glances at Kate, who maintained a relaxed, regal bearing.  Harry, being Harry, kept things light.

A great day for Great Britain...Diana would be proud.

Enchanted Evening at The Wildflower Center.

 Daylight hours revealed a beautiful spring palette of pale blue, yellow and orange. 

Large arrangements of blue hydrangea, white lilies, yellow and orange roses graced the ceremony site,

while silver juleps of the same accented the aisle.

The bridesmaids were lovely in french blue and carried bouquets ranging in color from orange to yellow, 

while the Junior Bridesmaid skipped through the evening, utterly delighted with her delicate halo of orange and yellow flowers, complete with sheer/satin ivory streamers.

 

The graceful bride carried a lovely bouquet of mokara orchids, yellow ranunculus, splash roses & gloriosa lilies.

Soft linens accentuated the simple lines of her cake.



Centerpiece 1 consisted of gorgeous hurricane and 3 silver juleps overflowing with spring flowers.

 

Centerpiece 2 consisted of a single large arrangements set in a silver pedestal vase.

A few smaller tables, accented by small hurricanes, provided for more intimate conversation.

As the evening progressed, the abundance of candlelight created pools of light on each table.

Truly, an enchanted place.