New Website

Check out Whitney Floral Design's newest website.

www.whitneyfloraldesign.com

In other news, April has been a slow month around here so I had time to plan a tea party for my 4 year old daughter.

 The table's all set and ready for a tea party lunch. (Please take all the time you want to admire my wall in the background.  It took me hours and more hours to hand paint the design.)

 Centerpieces of pink roses, purple scabiosa and viburnum in old silver tea pot, creamer and sugar bowl.

Whitney eating at the party.

All of the girls had a blast at the party.  Now I have to think of a theme for next year.  Backyard carnival maybe?

floral trends 2012-2013

This month Florists' Review Magazine presented its fifth biennial trend forecast for floral professionals. Their five imaginative looks are hoped to inspire compelling and successful flower arrangements, merchandising decisions, retail atmospheres, and wedding and event themes. So, here are some of my ideas for bridal/weddings in 2012/2013 according to these forecasted trends.


1. Rural Route - Casual and simple floral materials lead the way in compositions that comprise humble blossoms, field flowers and heirloom varieties along with grasses, pods, fruits, vegetables, and vines that demonstrate a gathered-in-the-country look. This color palette consists of hues like barn red, buttercream, denim blue, pumpkin orange, lemon yellow and clay.

2. Garden Club - Boldness and graphic impact mark the "Garden Club" flower arrangement, which uses vivid color and geometric form to make its powerful statement. This color palette is centered on red and capturing a full range of kindred hues from violet to orange.

3. Sea to Shining Sea - Reflecting the water and sky tones, blue blossoms and sea holly, proteas, wispy fillers and grasses complete the mix in arrangements that are casual and spontaneous and reflecting the carefree attitude of the seaside. This palette embraces the varied blue and green hues, as well as a wide range of neutrals, from driftwood brown to creamy sand and blush shell pink. 

4. American Gypsy - Oversized and brightly colored blossoms are key to the expressive nature of this trend. The palette contains a spirited mix of energetic pinks and a retro-inspired turquoise join a full range of polychromatic mid -to -full hues.

5. New Victorian - Garden floral will gain distinction. This palette exhibits a dual nature - the muted cosmetic colors in blushing tans, warm beiges, muted pinks and rich clays.

If not for me this cake would be boring!

Big or dramatic that is the question on this cake topper.  This is an old photo from a wedding last year but I just ran across it and wanted to share.  I love the way the topper turned out it looked even better in person since you could see the red roses in more detail, but as I made my lovely cake topper everyone in the shop decided to give me trouble about the size of it.  In my opinion bigger is better and if the flowers are there do it.  So with everyone still having a chuckle about my cake topper we went down to the reception site and saw this completely dull cake.  If not for my extravagant cake topper this cake would have paled in the large reception room it sat in.  Needless to say it saved the cake!  Ha ha to everyone I worked with that day.

Yellow and white

Here are a few pics from the wedding on March 10 at the Jewel Box.

Bridesmaid bouquet of white roses, white matsumoto asters and white irises.

Bridal bouquet of yellow "gold strike" roses, yellow ranunculus and yellow irises

Finally, half of the centerpieces.  Forsythia in tall cylinders.  They really added drama to the room.  They had so much whimsy and movement.

Congrats Andrew and Jamie!

Red "forever young" roses smelt so wonderful last week.

These red "forever young" roses had the most amazing smell for Stephanie and Ryan's wedding last week. I don't think I've ever stuck my nose in a bouquet so many times.  FYI,  I do smell all of the bouquets I make.  I just can't help it.
All of the boutonnieres were the same red roses and my favorite part was hearing all of the guys talk about how wonderful their flowers smell.  I would look over and one of them had their nose crooked smelling their flower.  I don't think groomsmen have ever enjoyed their flowers as much.

These roses were the most fabulous shade of dark red.  I wish my photography could express it.  We also found the perfect match of carnation that was used more generously in the bridesmaids bouquets below.  I love carnations they give the best ruffly look.

All packed up night before the wedding.

Congratulations Ryan and Stephanie!

Battle of the Irises

Picked up a few bunches of irises yesterday for Saturday's wedding.  So far only six of them have opened and I need to get these bridesmaid's bouquets finished!  

So while I'm waiting for more to open let me show you what some of the finished bouquets will look like.  The all white ones anyway.

I think they've turned out wonderful.  Four of the bridesmaids will carry these white bouquets, maid of honor will have a hybrid of white and yellow flowers and the bride will carry all yellow.  I think the use of the white irises will look great with those pops of yellow.  By the way, the little asters in the bouquet were supposed to be matsumoto asters.  This is what I got and they told me these were a form of matsumotos.  I'm still not sure if that is true or they were pulling my leg at the wholesaler.  They work, just not like I was hoping.

The whole wedding will be coming next week!