Wedding: Tatiana & Greg – Hellenic Center
I was honoured when a well known Toronto wedding planner (Helen: www.weddingsbydesign.ca a division of Spectra Events) sought me out to help her plan and create the flowers for the wedding of her clients Tatiana and Greg!
Tatiana and Greg are a great couple who really wanted their wedding to be spectacular! The end result of lots of planning and work was truly an amazing event complete with gorgeous linens, florals, lighting and décor. The colour palette of purples, fuchsias, ivories and silvers created the lush, luxurious ambiance Tatiana and Greg were looking for. At the reception, Manzanita trees with hand wired dendrobium orchids were showstoppers, while on other guest tables, vases with cymbidium orchids and floating candles stole the show! (While I have larger versions of the Manzanita trees which I use for everything from ceremony arrangements to wish trees, if you’re looking to rent the smaller versions (perfect for a centerpiece) for your wedding, Tatiana and Greg actually decided to purchase 12 of them and have them available for rental- contact me for details if you’re interested).
I’ll let the photos speak for themselves, but check out all the amazing details including orchids on each guest napkin, mirrors lining the head table and the gorgeous cake!
- Samirah
Wedding: Lauren & Chris – Sunningdale G & C Club – Part 2: Reception
Now for the fabulous reception! … (see previous post for ceremony) … Details, details, details…
A few details worth noting: Black chivari chairs with leatherette cushions and white silk linens were brought in from Toronto. Exclusive Events covered Sunningdale’s curtains in black and white silk. They also created a fabric canopy above the head table which I then decorated with orchids and crystals! The centerpieces were a combination of lavish tall and lush low. Each centerpiece was surrounded by 3 vases filled with either hydrangea, succulents or orchids. Atop each guest napkin is a green and white orchid. Crystal candle holders along with regular votive holders were used to add sparkle and tie in all the crystal details. Even the table numbers aren’t simply numbers, they are Italian places and food the bride and groom would be experiencing on their honeymoon!
No matter how many weddings I do, I’ll never get over how much life flowers can bring to an ordinary reception room. This wedding demonstrates what a powerful impact flowers have in transforming a room.
Flowers abundantly surround the guest seating chart.
Some shots of the amazing crystal and orchid canopy! This sure had the guests talking!
I absolutely love what I do but most people are not aware of the time and labour that goes into creating and setting up the flowers for an event. Here are a couple of rare shots of us in action! I’m on the left and my fiancé was brought in (on the right) for crystal duty! His engineering skills come in handy when it comes the mechanics of wire tension vs. weight of the crystals… and “technical” things like that! Plus I just like his company! He was one of the 4 workers who along with myself, worked to transform this room. For those of you interested in the process: Usually I get the flowers on Wednesday for a Saturday event. Because they are perishable and I want them to be as fresh as possible, I don’t have the luxury of starting earlier. On Wednesday, the entire day, right into the night is spent conditioning the flowers, cutting and putting them into buckets. Thursday and Friday are usually long days of designing, for a big event like this one, I would have only slept a few hours Thursday night and gotten no sleep Friday night! Saturday, the entire day is spent setting up and going from bouquet drop off, to church, to venue, and back again! Sunday is pick-up day. Monday and Tuesday, my studio gets put back into order- recycling of boxes, sweeping, washing buckets, sorting supplies, washing any rental vases etc. I also must prepare for the next weekend of weddings and meet with clients for upcoming weddings. And then Wednesday it starts all over again! When do I rest you ask? I don’t- not during wedding season! You really have to be passionate about what you do to stay in this business. As my massage therapist can attest, standing and designing for 2-3 days straight, can sure do a number on your back!
You’ll have to forgive my appearance here- At this point I’m on day two of no sleep!
But the hard work is totally worth it when I make a bride and groom’s dream wedding into reality!
- Samirah
Professional photos courtesy of Ralph Heinze Photography.
Wedding: Karen & David – Bellamere Winery & Event Centre
Another fabulous wedding at Bellamere! Fall weddings are some of my favourite. On this warm October day, you could almost feel the fruit ripening and the colours depending. For Karen and David’s afternoon wedding, we combined rich berry tones to create bouquets perfectly suited for a winery wedding! The always amazing HRM Photography captured this picture perfect day.
As each wedding by Designs in Bloom is custom designed, it can often be hard to envision what the end combination of flowers will be. For Karen, we wanted lush berry shades that drew inspiration from the rich grapes and wines found at a vineyard. Often I will create an outline for my clients that can help them to picture the overall design and medley of colours.
Here is the “storyboard” or outline of flowers picked to achieve the “vineyard rich look” this bride wanted. We incorporated deep tones of burgundy, merlot and plum along with rich pinks.
And here is the outcome!
We couldn’t let go of the fresh summer greens yet! – For the two bridesmaid bouquets we incorporated a bit of summery green by bringing in the green berries and cymbidium orchids.
I always love when personal details can be incorporated into the bouquets. Here we used lace from Karen’s mom’s wedding dress. Karen also purchased crystal monogrammed letters that were attached to all the bouquets. Here is Karen’s:
The rings were carried down the aisle in a wooden box that had special meaning to the couple. We filled with moss and pinned the rings in!
Combination centerpieces have become very popular. Why pick one centerpiece when you can have two? For this wedding we had an earthy wooden box of moss, floating candles and orchids on half the tables and a full floral centerpiece arrangement on the other half.
Vintage family wedding photos were hung in the Manzanita tree along with crystals and orchid bloom.
Another amazingly delicious cupcake display by Razzle Dazzle. All that was needed were a few orchids to top it off.
If you love candy, you’ll love these custom made candy bouquets. (I think I’ve admitted in a previous post to snacking just a wee bit when making them!) Looks like the guests at this wedding love candy as much as I do!
- Samirah
Professional photographs courtesy of HRM Photography. See more photos from this wedding on their blog here.
Wedding: Leeann & Kyle – Delta London Armouries
This April wedding was one of the first weddings of the 2009 season and what a great way to begin! Leeann and Kyle wanted something organic and earthy but also fun, fresh and unique! We combined a palette of fresh greens, whites and blacks to create just that!
The bouquets were composed of ornamental grasses, green berries, ivory hydrangea, green spider mums and (mini green hydrangea and ivory roses in the bride’s bouquet only).
For the ring bearer we created a moss pillow. The flowergirl carried a pomander made out of green Kermit mums!
A few quick “driveway shots” before we’re off on delivery!
A few shots captured by Salt and Pepper Studios:
The black, white and green colour palette was carried through into the reception with alternating black and white damask linens paired with solid black linens. On the tables we alternated very simple tall leafy arrangements with low white and green arrangements in grass. For a bit of height and to add that earthy element, willow is incorporated into all the arrangements.
In lieu of favours, Leann and Kyle made a donation to the Canadian Breast Cancer Society. They then offered their guests a table of pink M&M’s to snack on! A great splash of colour for a great cause!
And check out the great cake! I visited Melrose Bakery a few times to make a template in order to be able to surround the cake with grass. I love how it turned out!
- Samirah
Wedding: Tamera & Simon – Bellamere Winery & Event Centre
This amazing August wedding was meticulously and beautifully planned by Tamera. She herself wants to get into wedding planning and definitely has more than enough talent to do it! (Once she gets her business up and running, I’ll pass on her contact information. She has absolutely amazingly creative ideas!!). Tamera came to me with a vision for her flowers and we “bounced” ideas off each other over months of planning to bring her vision to life. I don’t even know what to say about this wedding… The always fabulous Heather from HRM Photography captured every detail and the atmosphere so perfectly that I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves! It was hard to choose just a few photos to show, so this will be a big post!
The adorable bride carried a bouquet of garden roses and callas in shades of pink, and cymbidium orchids in pinks and greens.
I’m loving this trend of vibrant shoes for the bride! (This can be a perfect way to infuse a bit of your wild side into an otherwise tame wedding dress).
The bridesmaids carried similar bouquets to the bride but we added in green berries to add a bit more pop against their chocolate brown dresses.
The Groom wore a calla-orchid combo while the groomsmen wore a single green orchid with berries.
Some great shots from the ceremony! –
Tamera ordered a custom monogrammed runner. We framed the ceremony by decorating the mantle with a garland, orchids and candles and setting two large coordinating pink and green floral arrangements on deep chocolate brown stands. The finishing touch is the chandelier dripping with crystals and green dendrobium orchids!
In the corner tree, green orchids and candlelight “danced” above the gifts below!
The reception flowers were a combination of low full floral arrangements and tall willow arrangements that really suited the rustic elegance of Bellamere.
We “dolled up” the centre chandelier with strands of crystals.
A single green dendrobium bloom accented each napkin.
The cake is placed on a stand of single green cymbidium blooms in square vases. Pink and green cymbids adorn the cake along with a crystal monogram topper.
Love this photo! It almost makes you want to say “And they lived happily ever after!”
- Samirah
Photos courtesy of HRM Photography. See more photos from this wedding on their blog here.
Wedding: Michelle & Justin – The Old Court House
Look out, there are new rules in town! Well, not so new really. Whoever said that you can’t mix pink and red, or brown and black? This wedding shows just how awesome pinks and reds can look together! For this September wedding at The Old Court House, we paired gorgeous pink and red flowers with rich chocolate browns, and light mocha browns to create a dramatic effect!
The bridesmaids’ bouquets consisted of hot pink roses, vibrant red roses and pink cymbidium orchids.
To soften things up a bit for the bride, soft pink roses were incorporated in her bouquet.
The sweet flower girls carried mini pink and red bouquets.
Two large vibrant arrangements framed the outdoor ceremony.
A couple of the groomsmen looking good in their coordinating pink callas!
Inside The Old Court House, the centerpieces were a combination of short and tall. See if you can spot the red dahlias, they’re locally grown in all sorts of glorious colours and my favourite for late summer!
An impressive “blooming” tree of pink and red orchids greeted the guests upon their entrance.
- Samirah
Professional photos courtesy of Photography by Yvonne
Wedding: Laura & Adam
Laura and Adam were married at his parent’s home just outside London. It is a spectacular property with sprawling lawns- perfect for an outdoor tent wedding! It was an incredibly hot July day (I must admit I was very tempted by their glistening blue pool), but the couple had planned for the heat and had two gigantic fans helping to keep the tent cool. From the looks of the photos, the heat didn’t bother anyone in the least! Congratulations Laura and Adam, I wish you all the best!
Laura’s bouquet was composed of dahlias, roses, orchids and celosia.
The bridesmaids carried similar bouquets except we also added in mini orange gerberas and green berries. Check out their neat dresses! (You may not be able to notice this detail in the photos, but the two-toned pink roses in the bouquets are the same two pinks found in the dresses!)
The men wore pink callas to compliment their ties.
The ceremony was held outdoors framed by an archway of gerberas and two large arrangements.
Inside the tent, we continued the bright and fun theme with square centerpieces of hydrangea, gerberas, roses and hypericum berries.
Always re-use! The ceremony arrangements served double duty when they became the backdrop. They held up really well too considering it was over 30 degrees!
I just love my job and that I get to play a part in such amazing events. Just look at the joy on this adorable bride’s face! Another fantastic and fun wedding!
- Samiarh
Professional photos courtesy of Last Forty Percent Photography. See more photos from this wedding on their blog here.
Wedding: Michelle & Jeff – Ancaster Old Mill
Michelle was one of those brides that has a real talent for planning! (She has informed me that she is seriously contemplating wedding planning as a career, because she enjoyed the process so much! And she’d be good at it!) The wedding was in Hamilton at the Ancaster Old Mill (beautiful, romantic venue!), but we planned and created her flowers here in London. Michelle came to me with a specific colour scheme and all the details in place, except for her flowers which she needed a bit of help with. We worked with her colour palette of lively oranges, pinks and browns to create fresh and fun flowers that really popped against the October leaves!
The beautiful bride and her vibrant bouquet composed of garden roses, standard roses and pink hydrangea!
The couple was married in front of the beautiful stone fireplace. On the chairs were cones of flowers.
I just love the intimate setting and feel of the reception!
So I mentioned this bride is an exceptional planner…Check out how perfectly coordinated the reception table details are! The hot pink candles and orange packaged favours are a perfect compliment to the flowers. The centerpieces are created in a brown metal container with coordinating orange and pink ribbon detailing. By the way, the favours are lottery tickets!! I wonder if any guests left the wedding richer than they came!?
- Samirah
Photos courtesy of Taylor Jackson Photography
Wedding: Jennifer & Pete
Jennifer’s parent’s farm outside London was an idyllic location for this July wedding! Jen’s bouquets were vintage inspired, but in the outdoor tent we went a bit more whimsical and introduced vibrant orange into the neutral colour palette! This wedding proves that an unexpected mix of colours and flowers can work out fabulously!
Jen’s bridal bouquet consisted of all pink peonies! The bride had her heart set on peonies even though it was a bit late in the season for them. We had our back-up flowers planned, but at the last minute I was able to inform Jen “We got our peonies!” I think we got the very last peonies available anywhere!
The fluffy peony bouquets really worked well with the wedding’s vintage feel and Jen’s gorgeous dress!
If the weather cooperates, nothing is more perfect than an outdoor ceremony. Check out the AMAZING tree that served as the ideal backdrop for this ceremony.
The bridesmaids carried bouquets of peonies, roses and freesia. The white with a hint of green really popped against their stunning blue dresses!
In the open tent, the centerpieces were a triad of vases composed of a unique mix of flowers. As the groom is Australian (Jen met Pete in Australia!), we incorporated a unique mix of succulents and pods that pay homage to warmer climates and brought a little of the feel of his homeland to this Canadian farm.
I’ll leave you with a few photos that capture the beauty of this outdoor country setting. (Love the red barns!)
- Samirah
Photos courtesy of HRM Photography. See more photos from this wedding on their blog here.
Wedding: Rema and Zhowan – Marconi Club
Early August, Rema and Zhowan had their Friday ceremony at Windermere Manor and the next day they held their reception at Marconi Club. Friday was a beautiful and hot August day, perfect for an outdoor ceremony. Rema had thought in advance to provide all her guests with fans on their chairs in case it became a bit too hot for some. As I write this on a cold January day, I’d sure like some of that heat now!
Photos from the Friday ceremony at Windermere Manor.
The bride’s bouquet was made up of phaleanopsis orchids, cymbidium orchids, roses, and callas.
We dressed up the ribbon wrap by attaching Rema’s antique brooch. To compliment the bride’s bouquet, the groom wore a mini cymbid with a mini calla.
Orange was incorporated in the bridesmaids’ bouquets and the groomsmen boutonnieres. The Groomsmen wore orange callas while the bridesmaids carried bouquets consisting of roses, orchids, callas and berries.
I love the colours of this wedding. LOVE the richness of the bridesmaid’s dresses!
Some fantastic shots from the reception.
The cake was made by Razzle Dazzle. (They make such amazing cakes and cupcakes!) We decorated it with phaleanopsis and cymbidium orchids.
- Samirah
Photos courtesy of Photography by Jennifer Partington. See more photos from this wedding on Jennifer’s blog here.
