Coffee Break

Just a quick note to give my brain a break...

My mom called me while I was in class and didn't leave a message. That's never a good sign. She always leaves a message unless she has bad news. I didn't want to call her back. My mom and my youngest brother are scheduled to fly in tomorrow for a week-long visit. This is the only chance I have to see them before Christmas. I wanted to put off whatever bad news was coming. But I also couldn't take the anticipation, so I called her the second I was out of class.

She has the flu.

Her doctor advised her not to travel (like you really need a doctor to tell you not to get on a plane when your brain is oozing out of your nose) and I really don't anticipate her feeling well enough by tomorrow to make the trip. I'm sad-facing.

But since I'm too preoccupied with this business to get anything productive done, I've been playing around on the internet where I found this:



Gorgeous! Waterford (as in the crystal) has launched a new perfume inspired by their Lismore collection. Generally, I'm not a fan of Waterford. We were given a vase as a wedding gift and I think it's mildly ugly. I'm also constantly terrified of damaging it (I worked at a flower shop that sold Waterford and one day the shelving unit that held all of it collapsed) even though I only put it out when the people who gifted it to us stop by. However, Waterford apparently makes a lovely perfume atomizer. Who knew? This perfume would make a wonderful gift for bridesmaids or mothers to wear on your wedding day. Not only is it beautiful, it can be engraved with the recipients name or a special word. And since scents are so strongly connected to memories, it will evoke the emotions of your big day every time they wear it.

(Waterford Lismore Perfume $65 - The Knot)

In springtime, love is carried on the breeze

As promised, here is another go at the spring wedding.



This interpretation is a little softer and makes me envision an intimate garden gathering. The invitations were designed by Marijke Janssens of Enfin, La Voila!. I'm a huge fan of her designs and have gifted many friends with her stationery. Even if you're not in the market for wedding invitations, you should pop into her shop to see more of her work. The scroll work bordering the invites is mimicked in the peek-a-boo lace hem of the Alvina Valenta gown. The label is known for their feminine silhouettes and offers their gowns in shades of white, ivory, and pink. The mono-botanical bouquet of clematis adds texture without overshadowing the gown and resembles the blooms on the invitation. Realistic looking earrings of hydrangea buds complement the structure of the dress. As for the tux, brown doesn't have to mean autumn; it all depends on the colors in the rest of the wedding. Bridesmaids would look fresh in this perfect shade of green. Best of all, the dresses aren't "bridesmaid" dresses and they're less than $70. Finish their look with a simple necklace and matching earrings(not shown). If your ring bearer is young and wobbly on his feet, trade a traditional ring pillow for something with an easy-to-grip handle. This upholstered bird is sold as a favor, but it would make a perfect alternative. Finally, when you're holding an outdoor wedding, you need to be mindful of the wildlife. Rice and confetti are harmful for birds and rodents. Instead, provide your guests with beautiful sachets of birdseed to wish you well!

(l to r, t to b: green stretch satin dress - Windsor, firefly necklace - Cary's Boutique, mini birdie bon bons - Mon Ami Vie, hydrangea blossom cluster earrings - Patrick Irla Jewelry, green hummingbirds invitations - Enfin, La Voila!, clematis bouquet - Martha Stewart, Summit tux - After Six, little bird wedding favors - Sew Fragrant, wedding gown - Alvina Valenta (AV9658))

They say to start with what you know...

...and I know spring weddings.

The calendar says that spring is here. I think it's lying to me. But in anticipation of the most glorious of all seasons, I have put together a couple of collages that showcase some of the best that spring has to offer. However, what is "springy" to one may not be to another, so I chose two distinctly different looks. The inspiration for both sets came from the invitations. Stationery is a great place to start your wedding plans since Save-the-Dates or invites are usually your guests' first peek at your event.



The strawberry-and-chartreuse color scheme here gives a spring wedding lots of punch. It's more subdued (I use this word loosely) than the fuchsia-and-lime that is so popular for summer weddings. The focus here is on the colors, so the details should be small and textural. Cymbidiums pack a lot of "wow" factor in a single bloom and are paired here with ranunculus. Cluster them together in small cylinders or cubes for pops of color on every surface. I love the headband for a flower girl; it's much more clean and modern than a floral head wreath. Use the mini-pinwheel clips to hang place-cards; attach a magnet to the back and they can double as favors. The screen-printed ties make a great gift for the guys and the company offers wedding party discounts. Keep the girls' look simple with a flowy dress and uncluttered jewelry.

Stay tuned for my second inspiration board for a more sophisticated take on spring.

(l to r, t to b: pinwheel clips - Pinwhirls, Marie Claire headband - Claudia Yazzy, green cymbidium orchids, hand sculpted rosette earrings - Stranded Treasures, Garden invitations - Inky Livie, peacock.daquiri necklace - tryst by kerry, hot pink ranunculus, ties - Cyberoptix Tie Lab, bridesmaid dress - WToo)

Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.

Quote by Robert Benchley.

One whopping post in four months; I'm off to a great start. In my defense, we had a ridiculous amount of December weddings at work (all highly elaborate), I went home for Christmas break (all five weeks of it), and my laptop crashed! It's up and running again, but I lost all of my files. We're not on good terms right now. Then came the Valentine's Day flower rush, my second wedding anniversary, and spring break in NYC. As I'm typing this, I should be working on my research paper, studying for my calc. exam, doing macro homework, and getting the house ready for my mother's visit. But what can you do? My heart is screaming, "PROCRASTINATE!" and I must obey.

Gone, But Not Forgotten

My wedding day is almost two years behind me, but I still find myself buying wedding magazines, browsing personal pages on The Knot, and drooling over wedding gowns in store windows. It probably doesn't help that I work for the premier wedding florist in Minneapolis, or that we are just about to launch our full-fledged event planning company. I also planned my wedding myself and had the best time of my life doing it. Whatever the reason, I can't seem to pull myself away.

Planning your wedding, while I applaud anyone who does it themselves, doesn't necessarily mean you're a wedding planner. And I by no means am trying to present myself as such. I just love the feeling a beautiful event evokes in me. So, that being said, I want this space to gather my ideas. Maybe I'll share tips that I learned along my path or that I learn from the brides that I work with. Maybe not. And, just maybe, I can give someone else a little inspiration for their own event.