This post starts with photos of the church. I’ve decorated this church dozens of times (I actually grow up in this church).
There was no draping; instead, my brother and his design partner custom made these stands of branches and put sprigs of hydrangeas on top and on the bottom. One arrangement was placed at the opening of each row along the aisle.
My brother’s wedding at the Huntington Beach Hyatt was his first big solo job, so even though he didn’t need me to do any draping, he enlisted my help in advance to take photos, since he always forgets to take them. Of course, when I showed up, I was immediately set to helping moss arrangements, fill water piks and other tasks.
Because of the vast number of photos I took for this wedding, I’ve split my blogging into two posts — this one is about the personal bridal flowers, like the boutonnieres, corsages and, of course, the bridal bouquet.
Above, you’ve got three examples of boutonnieres from this wedding, and there were actually more — I just liked these three the best. To the left, I believe the green cymbidium orchid with some burlap backing is a groomsman’s boutonniere. In the center, the purple and white mini calla lily, is a ring bearer’s boutonniere. To the right, the purple anemone with coffee beans and burlap backing is for the groom. My brother had also made a backup for the groom using a white anemone that’s not pictured here.
My brother the budding florist decorated a wedding this past Sunday and it turned out splendidly. I don’t quite have time yet to do a comprehensive post on the event, but I wanted to give a sneak peek at what it looked like!
I got a frantic call from my church mom about two weeks ago, saying she needed help putting together a centerpiece that didn’t cost too much money for her mom’s 70th birthday party. First, I was aghast — did she need it the very next day??? No, she needed it in one week. Still that didn’t give me much to work with.
In most cases, I would have said, “I’m going to go shopping with you!” But I had just returned to work that week from maternity leave, plus I now have two boys to care for, so flitting off to go look for stuff to use in a centerpiece was not an option. I had to direct my church mom on what to look for and hope for the best.
First, I directed her to go to Big Lots and look for vases and items using lights, since its January and those sorts of things will typically be on clearance after the holidays. Her shopping trip just two days before the party was pretty fruitful.
Did you just get engaged? Congratulations! So what now? A lot of brides-to-be answer that question with, “I’m going to go to a bridal show!” Bridal shows can be totally useful, but the sheer number of them can be staggering, and once you get there, you might be bombarded and overloaded with all the possibilities.
The BrideWorld Expo in 2008
Once in a while Darleene lets us take over her blog with a guest post, and today is one of those days! So thanks, Darleene, for allowing us to share a beautifully handcrafted wedding we recently photographed (my husband Keith and I are Orange County wedding photographers—Lori Anderson Photographers).
Cate and Ian are a cute couple who met while in college in Florida. They are also both quite tall, which Keith, himself six-foot-four, enjoyed, but that’s not what made this wedding so special. For this budget-beautiful wedding in Huntington Beach, bride Cate did most of the planning—and therefore the decorating (or at least the imagineering)— herself, with the help of her family and fiancé.
How do most brides find their florists? To be honest, most brides check out the flowers of weddings they’ve attended previously. In short, florists are usually found by word of mouth.
