Ireland and Italy Winery Wedding: Part 1

What fun we had on Saturday! After a long week of preparations Monica, Wayne, and I set off for our wedding set up adventure at St. Mary's and Testarossa Winery in Los Gatos. There we so many details to this wedding and I owe all of the credit to Monica and Wayne for working so hard all day (Monica for two long days) and getting everything done on time. I couldn't have done it without them!
THANK YOU!!!

There are so many photos I want to share but one of my favorites so far is of the 3 foot hydrangea wreath as we installed it on entry gate at the winery. It framed the famous Testarossa "T" and it's the largest wreath I have made to date. What a beauty!

More to come as I process all of my amateur photos and await the amazing work of the photographer, Terry Way. http://www.terryway.com/

Posted in: , on Monday, May 25, 2009 at at 10:00 AM 0 comments  

Blue and Green Inspiration

Our final exam in floral school this Thursday was bridal bouquets. The teacher needed someone in a wedding dress to model the bouquets and there were only two of us students who volunteered. It was quite a sight to see me in the parking lot with my full bridal gear on. It looked like I stopped to take my final exam before I got married! Total strangers were even congratulating me. I should dress like that more often. Above is the photo of me in my gown primping a bouquet before class. The collection below of Blue and Green is inspired by an upcoming wedding and the actual client sample from a previous blog post. I can't wait to see this blue garden wedding come to life and I am glad school is out for me.

Posted in: , on at at 9:46 AM 0 comments  

Sample Meeting


Today I have a sample meeting with a June bride. I just can't contain my excitement for the blue, green, and white Scottish wedding, (kilts and all!)

Enjoy the centerpiece that decorates the outdoor guest tables at Hacienda Del Las Flores in less than a month...and counting.

-Karin

Posted in: on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at at 10:35 AM 0 comments  

Sneak Peek: Escort Card Table


I have started the pre wedding work for this weekend and one of the fun reception elements is made from my best friend: Mood Moss. This goddess of greens is a tad dirty to work with, but once groomed and cleaned it feels and looks like a soft emerald stuffed teddy bear. Just like everything else in the floral market, the moss comes out of the box unkempt. I just love to uncover each clump to primp and polish!
Photographed above is a preview of the escort card table for the Irish-Italian wedding. The long box has almost 16 square feet of moss and boasts 400 corks all lovingly tied together with sage colored raffia.
This wedding should not disappoint with surprise elements that the bride and groom have carefully crafted into their special day. I just can't wait to see it all come together!

-Karin

Posted in: on Sunday, May 17, 2009 at at 4:47 PM 0 comments  

Seeing Double

I love the effect of multiple arrangements. Above are twins for Mother's Day. The lillies will continue to open like pink fireworks and keep the interest in the arrangement as fresh as the flowers. Working with the Snowball Green/White Vibirnum is a dream. I wish it was affordably in season all year round!

When creating gift pieces a florist must visualize the open flowers and give them room to bloom. It always makes me happy to deliver flowers, but I do wish I could see the finished product. Weddings, on the other hand, are rewarding in that you see the flowers on their most glorious day. It is one of the reasons I prefer weddings and events for my business, but still give flower arrangements to loved ones and friends.

Posted in: , on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at at 2:43 PM 0 comments  

A Different Mother's Day Bouquet


My own mother sent me the most beautiful bouquet today and it didn't have a single flower! Well that's not exactly true, it had icing flowers. I'm talking, of course, about Cookies By Design! I am a huge fan of theirs and we just happen to have one in the Santa Clara area. http://www.cookiesbydesign.com/
My mom is always thinking of me. She is one of the reasons I have been able to train and work so hard at getting Haute Horticulture off the ground. The doorbell rang this afternoon and my son, who is only 2, recognized the sweets right away. "Cooookie!", he said in his best Cookie Monster imitation, "mwa-ya-ya-ya!" (the sound of eating cookies loudly).
It was a moment I will never forget.
And so in honor of all the mothers like my own who are tirelessly loving and supporting their children (even grown children like me) I say thank you and send love to you this Mother's Day!
You inspire us all to be more supportive and selfless in our lives.

-Karin

Posted in: on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at at 10:01 PM 0 comments  

Candied Watermelon: Bouquet of the Week


This week at school the flowers were all in hues of green and pink. As you can see from the competition piece on my last blog entry they are a fun and scrumptious combination. The bouquet of the week was made yesterday and even though I don't use carnations typically in bouquets, this one works somehow! I think it's innocent, fun, fragrant, and most of all delicious. If one was opposed to carnations, this would easily be ramped up with some roses or plush peonies.


The accompanying inspiration board is just for kicks. I have never personally seen a watermelon themed wedding, but it actually sounds unique. Everyone loves fruit and this could be a new trend in the eco-weddings; complete with centerpieces in watermelon halves! I love it!

Enjoy!

Karin
Images from:

Posted in: , , on Friday, May 8, 2009 at at 1:43 PM 3 comments  

Martini Monday: Competition School


Did you ever wonder what people do with those giant Martini glasses you see in fine craft stores? This Monday was my final day in competition class and after a long semester we gathered together for the last friendly competition. The theme was "Martini Madness" and this was my clever buffet table entry, complete with olive on a straw. I was pretty proud of the outcome. The judges said the piece made them want to drink it up. I'll take that as a compliment! Bottoms up!

(One of the other projects was a unique napkin ring and below is my deconstructed Phalaenopsis Orchid entry.)

Posted in: on Monday, May 4, 2009 at at 9:37 PM 0 comments  

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