Big apologies to my dedicated readers for not blogging this month, other than one small mention in a cake post.
Without going into great detail, there have been some hiccups this month, and I am guilty of biting off more than I can chew. Lesson learned, and I will be back in a week - dedicating November to some good, useful content!

At least you know I'm a real person

Michelle

Here's a cake that we decorated with fall materials - chestnuts, mums, cranberries, roses (whole blooms and petals), boxwood and rosemary.

The Bride gave us "carte blanche" which allowed us flexibility to take advantage of some fresh and local materials. They all fit into her desired colour scheme.

Another reason why this idea works well is that the size of the cake table is not so important to the overall presentation - by having smaller-sized and a wide variety of fall materials, we simply placed the items according to the edge of the table.

No matter what season you are getting married in, brain storm about what fruit and vegetables are in season. Maybe your floral designer can incorporate those materials into your designs?

In September, I love working with grapes, since they are in season. You can buy flats from Costco at a great price (plus they are a consistent quality/shape/size when they come from the same source). Think "tablescape" of black grapes, cherry red roses and lime green orchids - super fantastic combination.

If the seasonal material is a good price, then you can fill the bottoms of vases with it, en masse, and accent the upper portions with fresh flowers.

This is part 8 of 8 - "Wedding Centerpieces" - Measurement Guidelines.
The "Wedding Centerpieces Series" was posted every Friday in August and September.

A consideration to think about when consulting with your floral designer, is the size of your Wedding Centerpieces. Much of the final measurements will depend on your table size. Also, if you are having a buffet meal, you will typically have more room on the table, vs. a fully plated meal will have more items on the table - ie, cups & saucers, bread plates, chargers, stemware etc.

The width or diameter of the centerpiece should be in proportion to your table size. The height should either be taller than 22" OR lower than 10". Anything that sits between 10" and 22" in height will block the view amongst your guests and limit their interaction with each other. As well, their view of the head table or speeches/podium may be restricted.

Today is the beginning of the fall equinox. We begin our descent into Winter and re-adjust to less daylight - (okay, technically that has been happening since the Summer equinox, for all you puritans out there). If you have had the pleasure of becoming married this summer, you may be nesting your new home, or transitioning into your new life as a couple. Or perhaps you are to be married next year, and you are at the beginning of your planning...

For me, autumn is a time for reflecting, re-focusing and at times, it feels like the natural time to re-group.

Whatever the case may be, enjoy the oranges, reds, crimsons and rusts as they surround you along your path.

Here's a quick tip for you; shop the sales areas of discount stores (and regular stores) for great deals!

I will often source items for Wedding decor and floral designs in such places as Value Village, TJ Maxx, Home Sense and Walmart. Even Ikea has further discounts available.

A few weeks ago, while at Ikea, I strolled through their "discount" area (or "as is" section) and found 12 higher quality glass dishes - exactly what I needed for a certain centerpiece design. They were only $ 3.00 each, and had no apparent damage.

When shopping, always head to the "sales" or "as is" section first!

Welcome to "Wedding Centerpieces" - part 7 of 8 - Alternate Your Wedding Centerpiece Designs for Impact.

I apologize for these photos, but they should give enough of an idea to get my point across...

In larger Wedding Reception venues, you can add a bit more interest, as well as fill more visual space (think Hotel ballroom or other high ceiling room) by alternating your Wedding Centerpiece designs. What this means is that your floral designer can use the same or similar flowers (or at least stick to your desired colour scheme) and design two different centerpeices.

In the example above, this Bride's theme was red and white. In one centerpiece design we used a low dish with all red flowers on a white linen. The second design was an Eiffel tower vase with a few stems of white dendrobien orchids and a row of red rose petals at the base.

The two designs, although quite different from each other, blended the colours the Bride wanted, and created a cohesive visual design which added interest.

Check Back next friday for part 8 of 8 - "Wedding Centerpieces" - Measurement Guidelines.
The "Wedding Centerpieces Series" is posted every Friday in August and September