Need a simple idea for your guest book table? Or how about any place at your reception that requires a small
bit of "wow" without breaking the budget?

This is a floral design made with Ecuadorian roses (which are bigger and taller
blooms, so they fit in these vases).

Photo by BloomRoom.ca

Happy Holidays to everyone from Michelle at BloomRoom, husband Michael, Mr. Brown and Josie.

Best wishes for a safe and enjoyable holiday surrounded by close friends and family.

Watch for the upcoming five-part series of "Choosing Your Florist" - to be published on
this blog on Fridays in January, 2009.

Here's to the first day of winter.

It's been cold in Vancouver these last few weeks, with some snow - a rarity
in this area, but the skiers love it.

As the gardens and flowers fall into their deep slumber until spring arrives,
we silently anticipate the arrival of santa.

This photo shows a great match of cobalt blue delphiniums with the fabric of the Bridesmaids' dresses. The mixture of white freesia, off-white roses and the gray foliage of dusty miller give a good texture against the blue dress. While this is a good example of a perfect colour match, Mother Nature does not always allow for it. It's a good idea to give your florist the flexibility to choose another, suitable colour if a perfect match is not available.

Photo by Tying The Knot

Yes, I used marshmallows last year in a few of my designs.

It was so well received that I did it again at a boutique wedding show where I snapped this shot!

When coming up with this idea, I tried to think of an item small and white that would not break the
bank. It needed to fill the bottom of the vase for an accent without overpowering the whole feel of the design.
The marshmallows work well with the lime green spider mums and airy dendrobien
orchids to create a fun and amusing ambience. Of course it is not the traditional way to showcase your
flowers, but for some Brides who want that extra bit of humour and wow factor, this can put a smile on
your face - what better way for your guests to enjoy some unexpected fun?

Here's a bouquet I created last season.

Hydrangeas, Avalanche roses and Vendela roses make for a simple and classic design. At the end of the ribbons I hand-beaded random accents for that extra bit of sparkle. If your floral designer does not provide beading services, it is a great task to assign to an Aunt, Mother, or Nana - someone who wants to contribute in some way to the Wedding day.

I will show you more of my beading and bouquet accents in future posts.

Just why are bunches of flowers at the grocery store a minimal cost compared to something similar in a quote from Wedding Flower professionals?

Here's the answer. As florists, we need to secure product to satisfy colour choices &/or flower choices set by the Bride. For instance, in springtime if a Bride wants bubble gum pink tulips in her Bridesmaids' bouquet (and she has five Bridesmaids), then your florist will pre-order the number of stems needed with the grower or wholesaler. If your florist does NOT pre-order then the chance of NOT getting those tulips will increase significantly - a risk that most florists will not want to take, so the price increases. Pre-orders are usually more expensive than buying what is available that day at auction, or at the wholesalers.

The other factors that we must contend with is conditioning the flowers, stem by stem - a very time consuming task that adds labour costs. Those five stem tulip bunches at the grocery store have (most likely) not yet been conditioned.

So the next time you see those lovely bunches of tulips outside your grocery store for $ 4.99 a bunch, remember there's a reason for it! I'll leave you with a fun video that sees the humourous side.....