Refreshing

On a warm summer day, there is nothing as cooling as the color blue. Blue calms and soothes, it is the color of oceans and lakes, shadows, and night skies. Blue refreshes the eye - think of how the retailers introduce all blue clothing after the Christmas holidays - we are instantly awoken and fresh after the incessant red and green.

As I have said before, it is one of the rarer colors in nature in terms of flowers, so finding hardy blue flowers to withstand summer heat can be a bit tricky. Delphinium is not traditionally a strong flower, but I got lucky for this summer wedding and I had bunches of the most brilliant (and hardy) delphinium.

My bride wanted all blue and whites and silvers - blue is both a favorite color and a salute to her groom who serves in the US Navy. The colors looked great against the grey stone and flagstone of the terrace and structure of Greystone Hall. On a clear summer day, the vista from the terrace to the ceremony site was simply lovely.

Flowers pictured include: blue and white hydrangea, blue delphinium, vivian spray roses, tibet white roses, casablanca lilies, white snapdragon, peonies, white alstroemeria, freesia, Israeli ruscus, salal, seeded eucalyptus, pittosporum, and silver branches.

Wedding arch with Mother of the Bride's veil 

Centerpiece for wall was placed just before ceremony to avoid sun

Centerpiece for wall, waiting to be placed

Bridesmaid's bouquet

Bridal bouquet

Welcome, Baby

Here is a look at a Christening party I did in the spring for a baby boy. I so love this because not only is it unexpected (as in, it's not blue), but it is a fresh twist on the newly popular combination of yellow and silver/grey - the pop of turquoise-y green milk glass is cheerful and different.

The vintage glass of my client played well with the burlap-and-log look we designed for the cake and cookie table. Vintage can look rather stayed and, at times, dusty and tattered. This was the exact opposite - it was fresh, clean, and fun and the perfect way to celebrate a new son's christening.

Materials pictured include: white hydrangea, yellow ranunculus, dusty miller, branches, and lemons.

Garden to Table

My wedding from earlier this spring wanted a simple, rustic, just-cut-from-the-garden look for their wedding at Greystone Hall.  My bride and her mother are both very creative and had a distinct vision for their look – it was a pleasure to help it come to life!

The bride’s chosen flower was anemones, and their dark-eyed, pure perfection could have been enough on their own, but we finished the look with the daintiest maidenhair fern, ranunculus, spray roses, and hydrangea, all loosely gathered and placed in trios of mason jars atop burlap cloths. Other tables were arrangements of peonies, roses, hydrangea, anemones, and lotus pods in vintage wooden boxes. The mixed vintage dining plates completed the old-fashioned vintage look the bride was going for out on the terrace – lovely!

The garden-y, natural theme continued throughout - mossed initials of the bride and groom were hung on either side of the huge double doors into the Hall, pomanders of kermit mums and moss hung on chairs down the aisle, and enormous vintage milk cans overflowing with flowers and reeds stood on either side of the wedding arch on the lower terrace/garden. Inside, I used my vintage English watering can to create a whimsical placecard table arrangement. I thought the creams, whites, and greens contrasted so well with the velvety, black-centered anemones and I truly loved how everything turned out – especially the bridal and the bridesmaids’ bouquets. The anemones were spectacular.

Simplest is often best in terms of color, texture, and arrangement, especially as we move into late spring and early summer – and nothing is better, in my opinion, than the beauty found in one’s garden. 

Flowers pictured include: hydrangea, anemones, ranunculus, dusty miller, lotus pods, maidenhair fern, vendela roses, hypericum berry, Duchesse peonies, kermit mums, vivienne spray rose, reeds, salal, Israeli ruscus, and fresh green moss.

Bridal bouquet

Bridesmaids' bouquets - smaller versions of the Bridal

Pomander of kermit mums, moss, and burlap ribbon