Showing posts with label Behind the Scenes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Behind the Scenes. Show all posts

October in Memphis

This past October was a busy month for Haute Horticulture. The autumn flowers were awesome and in high demand. Here is a look at some of the show stoppers bursting with color. I call this the 'tour of buckets' on our Facebook fan page.

Posted in: , on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at at 8:09 PM 0 comments  

Vignette #2 Bird Boutique & Shabby Chic

Shabby Chic was a blast to make! Just ask Jaime from Social Butterflies, who showed me her "find of the century" the morning of the Meet Mahaffey party. She found this old chair with a wooden birdhouse on top of it {on the "take me" side of her neighbor's curb}. We sprayed it to the proper colors and brought it right into the vignette. I love stories like that.

This table has a lot of details starting with the centerpiece which is flowing from a vintage tea tin (my new favorite piece) I found on Etsy. The centerpiece is held on a curved cake plate that has streamers of ribbon each ending in a tiny cameo or rose painted cameo. There are mini tart dishes that house flower filled pies and for a place card, the top of a jelly filled mason jar. Even the fabric is perfectly turquoise and lemon yellow rosettes!

I love the old windows and birdcages hung in the background. True story: The big grid in the back is from my largest window in the log cabin!!! Ever since we popped out the frame I have been wanting to hang something from it. I'm a sucker for suspended arrangements. The dainty flowers include some of the first ranunculus of the season and acacia. Add in the stock and freesia and this was the most fragrant table around. I hope to do more of this theme in the summer; it's a great look.

Posted in: , on Sunday, March 7, 2010 at at 9:34 PM 0 comments  

Vignette #1: Beautiful Butterflies


Since I have been working with the Social Butterflies on the Mahaffey Project I have been noticing the actual butterfly pattern more often in stores and merchandise. I am always that way with a wedding theme. If a bride loves copper, then I will stop at all things copper in the months preceding, during, and proceeding wedding. It takes a while to deprogram my mind from looking out for anything that matches the theme that the happy couple might want to have included in their special day. It's just the way I am.
That said, I have a feeling after this table and working with the fluttering ladies, I will have a penchant for anything beautiful and 4 winged for a long time.

Beautiful Butterflies table has a modern linen that even reflects the wings of this creature and all the flowers are such that a butterfly couldn't resist them! On the chandelier, a vibrant hanging teardrop shaped orange butterfly "ball" is made with Mokara Orchids, Orange Tulips, and Voodoo Roses. The Purple leis were hand sewn from hundreds Purple Mokara orchids. The whole table was fragrant and lovely! Michelle even got in on the flower action and hung extra orchids on the chandelier and placed them on the napkins. Those extra touches are one of the best parts about having a coordinator on your wedding day team to make sure every detail is the best it can be.




Posted in: , , on at at 2:07 PM 0 comments  

February Recap


This month was extremely busy for me and yet full of wonderful opportunities for the coming summer. Since I wasn't able to blog much this month let's have a recap:

First, I am proud to announce that Haute Horticulture is going to be creating the flowers for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 40th Anniversary Fundraiser on April 10th and the famous Peabody Hotel in Downtown Memphis.

Second, after the amazing party "Meet Mahaffey" on Tuesday the 23rd of this month, Haute Horticulture is on the preferred vendor list located on their website: Mahaffey.

Third, there will be a launch party for the Wish Upon a Wedding Tennessee Chapter this summer and I will be involved in the event as well as the chapter. I can't wait to see what the team brings to this worthwhile charity and to Tennessee residents.

Fourth, I have quite a few weddings booked and more than half are to work with the uber fabulous ladies of Social Butterflies for Wedding Season 2010. They have been instrumental in my leap into the heart of the Memphis wedding scene. I really enjoy their creativity, teamwork, and organization. They have already begun blogging about the 5 vignettes, 3 lounges, and other decor from the party this past Tuesday!! Check it out here: Social Butterflies Blog

I am so excited and even a little jittery when I think about all of the wonderful projects and businesses in our area. What an honor to be a part of them! Let's keep a promise to give more, work hard, and showcase what makes the event industry a valuable asset to the area!

Posted in: , on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at at 9:21 PM 0 comments  

The 101st Post on the Petal Press

When I started this blog I honestly didn't know where it would lead. I still find an endless amount of flower and event related topics to share and it seems even more so after my transition to Memphis TN. What has made this possible is friends and family. I cannot say this enough. When starting a business, support is key. As I see Haute Horticulture grow, it shows how much love and help I have really received.

As is customary every New Year one makes resolutions and plans for a happy future. This week after meeting clients for the 2010 wedding season I have also started the remodel to office and studio under our Log Cabin. I can't wait work in a space designed just for Haute Horticulture!

Other plans include collaborating with exceptional Mid South event planners and vendors this year. There is excitement in the air over all the new ideas and inspiration that will be generated by our hard work. As always, I will spotlight the best of the best ideas and people I love to work with in the coming months. Thank you for reading and being a part of something so dear to me. 2010 season here we come!

-Karin

Row 1:

Kevin Chin www.kevinchin.com

Gabriela Reid www.colorfulevent.com

Nancy Liu Chin www.nancyliuchin.com

Liz Guthrie www.sanjoseweddingconsultants.com

Amy Frugoli www.twitterpatedweddings.com

Astrid Mueller www.champagnepromises.com

Row 2:

Aditya, Kiren, Karina, Rudy, and Sonia

Row 3:

Rudy, Wayne, Karina, Aditya, Kiren, Krystan, Liz, Monica, Eric, and Sean

Monica Kau www.signaturebloom.com

Posted in: on Sunday, January 24, 2010 at at 2:01 PM 1 comments  

Photos from the Bridal Show

The Premier Bridal Show was great! I did have a tiny cold that I was getting over, but the show really had me full of energy and hope for a creative and full scheduled 2010 wedding season. I met new vendors and reconnected with old friends who "did" my wedding in Memphis 5 years ago. That was a real treat and now that Haute Horticulture officially joined the Memphis scene I was welcomed with true Southern Hospitality.
Above are some photos of the flat screen TV used for the slide show of weddings and flowers. The difference between my flatscreen and all of the others that were in nearly every booth; over 350 carnations! See for yourself. We also assembled some modern arrangements to compliment the flora-vision. I really liked the all white table. It was complete with the 100 roses that were given away to the brides who talked to me at the show. What a Sunday! How can I top that this weekend? Probably by resting!
I must also mention the volunteers that made the show a success and kept me on time: Wayne, Chrystal, and Melissa I thank you from my heart. Also, my mother, as always, by supporting the HH team on the home front while watching my son. Photo below: Us three ladies before noon.

Posted in: , on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at at 8:59 PM 0 comments  

Hard at Work & the 4 Foot Long Vase


While hard at work for the next event (The Premier Bridal Show January 10 in Memphis) I received some great photos from the hosts of the recently featured Holiday Party. I just had to share this great pic of the 4ft long vase that we filled with crystal deco "ice" beads, submersible lights, and just 5 spider mums for a simple yet impactful arrangement. I loved it! What a great vase to have in my collection now.
Here is another photo of us "Hard at Work" which prompted me to go back into my wedding snapshot archives only to find I don't have enough of these backstage moments. New Year's resolution for Haute Horticulture is: More team photos! Anca is one of a group of people that has helped me along the long road of event installations. If I had the right photos I could blog for hours about the sacrifices and help of others for this business and for me.

Thanks everyone (you know who you are) and let's start 2010 right. It's a New Year!

-Karin

Posted in: on Sunday, January 3, 2010 at at 9:08 PM 0 comments  

Sneak Peek: August 1st Wedding


I still don't know exactly what I will title the wedding from this past weekend. It was a beautiful blend of a garden wedding with Asian elements and Chinese banquet reception. The colors were hues of purple, blue, copper, and orange. Often the night before the big day I will send the coordinator, in this case Liz Guthrie of San Jose Wedding Consultants, an iphone photo of all the flowers sitting pretty in the cooler. I do this for few reasons:

1. It's a sneak peek at what is to come for the next day
2. It assures her I am ready to go for the wedding
3. It's fun to see all the flowers waiting for their big debut.

Above is an example of one of the photos I sent her in the middle of the night. I'm just too excited to keep them to myself!

Posted in: on Thursday, August 6, 2009 at at 9:18 AM 0 comments  

Honorable Mention

My name and face showed up in Liz Guthrie's own Wedding Soup blog for San Jose Wedding Consultants. There's a photo of me enjoying the wine at the Long Branch Saloon and Farms event to showcase the venue. Liz describes it best here: http://www.bayareaweddingsoup.com/

Liz's site: http://www.sanjoseweddingconsultants.com/

Posted in: on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at at 1:53 PM 0 comments  

Birthday Fun





In the middle of all the floral events this Spring, my son turned two and we had a wonderful Saturday carnival at the house. It was complete with popcorn, a bouncy inflatable house, and the best two things I have ever gotten for a party: a slushy machine and a caricature artist!
The artist's name is Rene Pulido. If you are interested in having this truly amazing and fun person at your events I highly recommend him. http://www.aboutfacesentertainers.com/caricature/artist_pages/pulido_r.htm

The party theme was red and mostly primary kid colors and even though I went a bit overboard, everyone truly had a fun time! Enjoy the pics from the party and my popcorn containers filled with carnations!

Karin

Posted in: on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at at 2:34 PM 0 comments  

The Las Madres Mad Hatter Tea Party 2009: Part 3


The inside Scoop:


There were some unsung heroes of the event last Sunday and I want to point them out. The volunteers we has from the Key Club Division 34 South were SO helpful and gave their time and endless energy to helping in setup and clean up of this grand affair. These young adults did everything that was asked of them without hesitation or complaint.
There were a few girls who were particularly dear to me and even became my floral designers for some bar arrangements. They also got their hands all stained with dye so we could make the orange and yellow colored water that filled the test tubes on the garden arch and the bowl arrangements on the garden entry tables. I had so much fun working with them and hope to see them again in the future!

Posted in: on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at at 11:39 AM 0 comments  

Three (legged) Cheers!




I am not an extreme person when it comes to politics. This doesn't shock any reader that knows me well. I am, however, an extreme animal loving person and hearing Obama had taken photos with a three legged puppy makes me happy! I just so happen to be the 5 year long "mommy" of a tri-pawed animal myself. He is a cat named Rabbit. My husband and I adopted Rabbit in Memphis from an emergency vet who had performed a mercy amputation instead of euthanizing him.
What a character out dear Rabbit is! He is like lightening when he streaks up and down the stairs and he twirls his little "rabbit tail" when curious or about to do something naughty. In certain respects I am envious of our little kitty because he can sleep with ease on his non-existent shoulder without feeling that awkward hump under his back. And yet sometimes I look at his missing appendage with deep thought about my own daily life if I were to suddenly lose even a hand. It amazes me how normal our Rabbit is. Most people who meet him don't even notice the missing leg and tail because his body is contoured like an MC Escher painting that draws no attention to where his legs begin and end.

If you would like to read more about Obama and Baby or the Tri-Pawed dog community (yes, there is one) click here! http://www.tripawds.com/2008/05/31/three-legged-dogs-bark-for-obama/

Posted in: on Saturday, January 17, 2009 at at 12:04 AM 0 comments  

"OMG!" The Runaway Bouquet

Every wedding has a story or two that is more memorable than the prescious details painstakingly arranged months, maybe years ahead of time. My toss bouquet is one such story. I offer you a tale of hilarity, timing, and accuracy - the likes of which I could not reenact if I tried 100 times.


The Toss:
Being a hard core DIY Bride, I decided that I would fashion my own toss bouquet the night before I was married. What else is a bride to do at 4am the night before her wedding? The big day arrived and most everything was perfect: the weather, the guests, the venues. They were all cooperating in full. That is - until the toss. You see, for the reception my husband and I picked a very swanky, upscale, and modern club in Memphis with these peculiar low hanging ceiling tiles. I turned around to fling my bouquet into the waiting hands of all the singe ladies and when it left my hands..... silence. I turned around to look at the winning recipient only to see every face in the room aimed at the roof, eyes wide, mouth wider. To my disbelief and great aim, I had wedged those flowers into the ceiling tile! The most persistent bridesmaid with the help of her brother, climbed up a chair and plucked the bouquet from the sky.

It was a moment I will never forget. And so future brides, you can plan everything to the tiniest detail but it is the silly and strange stories of your big day you will remember the most fondly. May this also be a reminder to pick a photographer that is good at photo journalistic style as well as trustworthy enough not to miss a thing. I thank Frozen Zen Photography for catching these priceless moments without blinking!






Posted in: on Monday, January 5, 2009 at at 3:13 PM 0 comments  

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