As most know fall is my favorite season of the year because to the cooler evenings and the crisp color palettes.  But my second favorite season is spring!  Yesterday as I was out on an adventure with a friend, we both got so excited when we saw the first batch of daffodils in passing yard! It’s amazing how just a splash of that bright yellow puts a smile on your face after a long and dreary winter. So that’s the reason this morning I went on a search for the perfect wedding palette that really jumps out as spring for me! I love the mix of bright yellow with the cool platinum that gives the look so much depth that Wedding Nouveau put together.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Last Wednesday evening I had the pleasure to be part of the EightWest Wedding Event at Noto’s.  My dear friend and the talented photographer Amy Carroll came to me a couple of weeks ago and asked me to help her design a vintage glam look for her space.  Between our combined ideas and talents; items from our own homes and local antique shops; some simple but beautiful floral; and of course Amy’s gorgeous photo’s, we accomplished what we set out to do!  What a fun evening and I feel so honored that Amy would think of me to help showcase her work.  Thanks again Amy!

Happy St Patty’s Day!  Being a of “bit” Irish myself, this is one of my favorite “holidays”.  With that being said, today I went on the search for two different design palettes that shows the spirit of green.  Enjoy and have a safe and wonderful St. Patrick’s Day!

Design Palette 1: The Bridal Blog Design Palette 2: The Bridal Bar

With more and more couples having weddings in locations other than their “hometown” the “Out of Town Guest” gift bags are becoming the norm.  But a question I get a lot is “what’s a good recipe of items for the gift bags?”  So here are some ideas to pick and choose from.

For the Travel Weary Guest

Bottle Water, Snack items, mints, pain relievers, tissues, or mini lint rollers

Specialty  items from the area

Tulip bulbs from Holland; Popcorn from the Grand Rapids Popcorn Company; Salt Water Taffy from Charlevoix; Wine from Fenn Valley Winery

Wedding Relevant Items

Maps and directions for the Wedding weekend events; Wedding Itinerary; Contact information in case of questions; Information of local attractions

But I believe the most important item that needs to be placed into the bag is a personal note from the bride and groom thanking their guest for coming.  This is very personal and I know for a fact that your guest’s will love it!

I loved the above wedding because it highlights how you can find the perfect shade of colors for your wedding.  When I met with Rachel and Andy for the first time, they were very clear that they knew exactly what color palette they wanted to design their wedding around.  But trying to find the perfect shape, texture, and shade of color for the flowers was much more difficult than any of us thought it would be.  Rachel knew that she loved the shape and texture of the dahlia, but the two colors that she really wanted just could not be matched naturally.  So three weeks before the wedding, the couple and I, with fresh floral paint in hand, headed to the Hamilton Dahlia Farm to find us the perfect blooms.  Once we arrived the fun began!!  Rachel was like a girl in her favorite shoe store skipping through the endless aisle of flowers smiling ear to ear! And after a “few “tries we accomplished exactly what the couple wanted and the perfect color combo was found! And after painting 300 plus dahlias for their wedding we were able to make Rachel and Andy’s visions comes true.

Now painting is not something that I normally do and I always stress to clients that not every flower should be painted…  I personally have heard horror stories about people painting flowers and causing them to turn brown.  So with that being said a few items to think about if you are requesting EOE or another florist to paint flowers for you.

1. Make sure the florist is experienced in painting flowers and do not be afraid to ask to see what the end product would look like before the actual event.
2. Make sure they are using a paint designed for fresh floral.  I personally use Design Master and love how this product works.
3. There will be additional cost in labor for your designer to paint verses using natural flowers.
4. Some flowers such as gardenias bruise very easily so blemishes after the painting process might show more than on a hardier flower.
5. The scent of the flower will be altered from the paint, so please be aware.

There are other processes that can alter the color of flowers such as dye but I personally prefer that if a change in the color is needed to actually hand spray. The reason is because then I can control the exact coloring that I want to achieve for my client.  But also remember that flowers come in a wide variety of colors that you might not see every day, so please ask us if your favorite bloom is available in your color palette.

Happy planning!

All Photos courtesy of Amy C arroll P hotography