Hillside Consultants News

New Year's Eve Wedding!

2011-01-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

Shaunes and Brian had a New Years Eve wedding at one of my favorite venues: Glen Eyrie Castle! What could be more romantic than a wedding, in winter, with new fallen snow at a castle!? Flowers were all white, of course, with touches of snowflakes, snowballs made from white carnations and pinecone details everywhere. Check out the awesome pictures from their photographer, Carrie Wildes. www.carriewildes.com/blog Congratulations to Shaunes and Brian and thank you for ending my business year on a magical note!

Cultural Infusion Wedding

2011-01-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

Sunny had an amazing dress made from pineapple leaves. Nope! Not scratchy, but the fibers from the material were made from pineapple leaves! I wish I could have seen it in person, but she did send me a picture and it truly was a gorgeous gown! In addition, her bridesmaids wore light green tops that were hand beaded and embroidered in her native Philippines! Now, if that wasn't enough, Andrew the groom, was Scottish so of course we had to put some of his culture in the flowers! I incorporated small swatches of his clan tartan into Sunny's bouquet as well as into his bout. The flowers were all natural looking with lots of greenery types, as well as twigs. Even the bouttoniere's had tiny twigs as well as a stem wrap of wired twine. Perfect for this natural, culutural infused wedding! Congratulations to Sunny and Andrew!

Tracys romantic, heirloom fall wedding

2011-01-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

Tracy loved the look of sangria, orange and champagne. She also loved the look of heirloom romance and she wanted it to all work with a fall wedding. No problem! Combining flowers that have the colors she loved with textures that spoke of romance and a heirloom style, set everything in the historical Cliff House in Manitou Springs and you have exactly what she was looking for! Tracy even called me to thank me just before she left on her honeymoon! I guess I hit that one out of the ball park! Congratulations to Tracy and Scott. And Scott, I am going to miss your phone calls about all the details! :o)

I made the bride cry!

2011-01-23T09:36:00.000-08:00

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I love it when I make a bride cry when she sees her bouquet! I love knowing that what I created for her special day was so beautiful that it made her well up with happy emotion! This was the case with Chrissy. When I delivered her flowers to her hotel on her wedding day, I was at the reception desk chatting with the front clerk (who also was wowed by the flowers!) when Chrissy walked in. Gasp, ooh, and suddenly there came the tears! After some happy hugs, I left knowing that my part in her big day was a success! Months later, I was delighted to get a Christmas card from Chrissy and her new hubby Branden showing highlights from their wedding day, including the bouquet that made her cry! Thank you Chrissy for sending me that special surprise!

Fall Flower Fun!

2011-01-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about fall flowers is that they come in such wonderful varieties! And yes, many of these flowers do come in at other times of the year thanks to growers in all climates all over the world, but somehow, when you combine them with fall colors for a fall wedding, they just seem like fall flowes! Patty's flower combo of sunflowers, lilies, ranunculus, freesia, bouvardia, gerbera daisies and hypericum berries were perfect for her fall wedding to Matt. And, there may not be a picture here, but guess what we used for her aisle decor? Fall leaves scattered down the length for her to walk through of course! Congratulations to Patty and Matt!

Blue, orange, yellow and hot pink! YUMMY!

2011-01-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

I have written before about how fall weddings are so rich in color and full of texture. And how, you don't always have to stick to the yellows, reds, and oranges to make an impact with your fall flowers. Natalie and Eric's wedding florals were a perfect example of this! Natalie chose a bouquet that was mainly blues, whites, and a bit of chocolates/blacks while her bridesmaids carried bouquets rich in oranges, hot pinks, yellows, blues and chocholate! Between the colors and the textures of the flowers, greenery and even a bit of rosemary for the bride and groom, this wedding had a power punch of color and fun! Congratulations Natalie and Eric!

One of my favorite flower combos!

2011-01-23T07:41:00.001-08:00

Now, I have to say, I love pretty much all flowers and all weddings. I can't help it! There truly isn't a wedding, flower or color combo that I don't love. But, there are some that just reach out and really grab me. That was the case with Cory and Brad's wedding at the Garden of the Gods Club in September. I just LOVED the combination of flowers/colors for this wedding. Maybe it was the use of fun textures such as the scented geranium leaves and the bunny tail grass. Or maybe it was just that with the setting! After all, GOG is truly one of the best wedding venues in Colorado. I don't know, but check out the pro pictures from Becky Young Photography http://www.blog.beckyyoungphotography.com/ and then you tell me, was that just plain yummy or what!?! Click on September 2010 and go to their wedding for Becky's amazing photos! Congratulations Cory and Brad! And thank you for letting me create your gorgeous wedding day flowers!

Jennifers unique cascade

2011-01-21T08:49:00.001-08:00

Jennifer loved the idea of having some flowers hanging down the front of the bouquet, but did not want the plastic handle. Traditional cascades are created in a holder that has a handle. Some flowers actually work well to being manipulated into hanging down the front of a round bouquet and others really don't. But, Jennifer loved dendrobium orchids and they work perfectly for this style of bridal bouquet. Along with white roses, pale green roses, white hydrangea and stephanotis sporting crystal centers, Jennifer's bouquet was just what she ordered! Thank you to Chris at Blue Moon http://www.springsdj.com/ for referring Jennifer to me. I really enjoyed working with her!

Double Duty Flowers

2011-01-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

Just what are double duty flowers? Simple. Flowers that can be used in several ways for your wedding. That is just what Nicole did for her wedding to Matt. The bridesmaids bouquets were not only used for her maids to carry, but were transfered to mason jars on the reception tables as the centerpieces! In addition, I created 5 more bouquets exactly like the bridesmaids bouquets and tied them to the ceremony chairs. They were then transferred from the chairs after the ceremony to the mason jars on the reception tables. Flowers used in several ways are a great option for helping to stretch out your wedding flower budget.

Where is the bridal bouquet!?!

2011-01-21T08:17:00.000-08:00

No, it wasn't lost, or forgotten by me if that is what you are thinking! Instead, Sarah carried an all sage bouquet created for her by her officiant! The officiant that Sarah and Alden chose offers to create an all sage bouquet that not only has special meaning as part of the ceremony, it is blessed so that it can reside in their home after the wedding! This was perfect for this nature loving couple. They were married in Castle Canyon State Park, chose flowers that looked like they came right from outdoors, and had their reception at the home of Alden's parents in the back yard. The flowers you see here were for the rest of the bridal party. Weddings do not have to be about buying the favors in magazines, getting a designer gown, and haunting the craft stores for the perfect ribbons. Infusing your personalities into your wedding and sticking to what you love creates a day that is YOURS and no one else's. Congratulations Sarah and Alden! Oh, and, just so you know, you are the first couple I ever delivered flowers to at a state park to their rented motor home. :o)

Tiny budget does NOT equal bad flowers!

2011-01-21T08:07:00.000-08:00

Melissa, like many brides in this economy, had a smaller floral budget. No problem! At least, not for me it isn't. I completely understand trying to plan and pay for a wedding when you are on a really strict budget. I just find creative ways to get you the flowers you want, for the price you can afford. Many of today's brides think that just because they have a smaller budget, it means they have to resort to doing it themselves using silks from the craft store or one of the online flower sellers. (Which are fine, but they are NOT wholesale as many claim! I should know, I pay wholesale!) Check out the pictures and judge for yourself. Melissa's flowers for perfect for her, and her budget and did not look like they were "tiny budget" flowers. :o)

Hot colors with a modern twist

2011-01-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

Nikki's wedding was held at the Pinecrest in Monument. Usually, people who have their weddings there tend to do a more Colorado/outdoor/mountain feel. Nikki on the other hand, loved purple with hot pink and flowers that weren't your typical mountain type flowers. Instead of shying away from what she loved, she just went for it and the results were beautiful! Modern, upbeat and bold blended wonderfully with the Pinecrests' lodge feel. And for any bride who is using purple, you can't go wrong with purple vanda orchids and stock. Both of these underused flowers have the perfect deep purple color that works so well with grapes, plums and even lilacs!

Christina's Apple Red and Champagne wedding!

2011-01-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

Christina loves flowers! Particularly roses! She wanted her wedding to look romantic as well as flower bedecked and I was happy to deliver. Christina also chose to carry a cascade style bouquet. Now, I usually get one or two requests every year for this style bouquet. It is very dramatic but also can be very heavy. I just happened to get a lovely shot of Christina and Gregory with her holding her dramatic cascade bouquet and I think you can see that it was gorgeous, but also could be heavy. I actually overheard her say, "wow, this IS heavy!" I know she loved everything and even got a little teary eyed when she saw her bouquet. That always makes this floral designers heart swell with pride and joy when I see my bride become emotional over the flowers I designed just for her. Congratulations Christina and Gregory!

Kelli's super duper detail oriented and organized wedding

2011-01-03T14:14:00.000-08:00

Kelli is a teacher. This probably explains why her September wedding had a lot of wonderful details and was very organized. She knew exactly what she wanted, where she wanted it and how it all needed to be arranged. I am a detail person myself so I can relate!

Kelli chose a color palette of chocolate, cream and dark pink. (Let's say raspberry because, frankly, doesn't that sound yummy!?!) Roses and orchids were the flowers of choice for Kelli's wedding and from the pictures, well, WOW! Check out that reception set up! No detail was left untouched. From the linens, the centerpieces, the favors, the candy bar, the cake, and more! Every place that needed decor got it and it all worked out wonderfully! I am going to miss working with Kelli. She was a joy to talk to and a lot of fun to boot! Congratulations to Kelli and Mark!

(Special shout out to Taylor and Josh! THANK YOU!!! Your help was truly a blessing and one I will never forget!!)

Destination Wedding!

2011-01-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

Now, I love helping all brides with their florals and decor. This holds true no matter what the size of the wedding, but sometimes a bride needs a bit more helps. This is usually the case when I have a bride from out of the state. Stacey was a destination bride planning a wedding in Breckenridge all the way from Georgia! I have had brides from out of the country as well, but I have found that if a bride is from out of state or country, she needs a bit more help than those who live here. And frankly, there is something very satisfying when I get to help someone to that extent!

Stacey wanted a Colorado style wedding with a fall theme. And boy did she get it! Oranges, reds, golds, and a touch of green for the flowers with centerpieces consisting of curly willow trees in which I hand wired fall leaves and hid little LED lights among for added glow as the sun went down. One of the details I enjoyed was her inspiration rocks. I took black river rocks and wrote inspirational words on them in golds and reds. Stacey told me later that she loved everything but she was happy to report that her guests clammored for those rocks and not one of them was left at evenings end! Thank you Stacey for trusting me to help plan your destination Fall in Colorado wedding!

Creams, yellows and hot pink!

2011-01-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

I love all kinds of flower and color combinations but I have to say, Marisa's yellow and hot pink combo really looked wonderful together! Marisa chose to have her bouquet of all creams, whites and ivories using flowers that smell fabulous! White hydrangea, ivory Vendella roses, white garden roses, white freesia and ivory spray roses = YUMMY! For her bridesmaids, who happened to be wearing dresses in butter yellow, she chose a combination of hot pink hydrangea, yellow roses, and ivory spray roses. Congratulations to Marisa and Dan!

Red and White- not just for the holidays!

2011-01-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

How do you take red, white and black as your wedding colors and make it look like an August wedding and not a holiday one? Easy! Use summery looking flowers! That is what Emily did for her August wedding to Kyle. Gerbera daisies, alstromeria, freesia, berries and eucalyptus combined to create wedding flowers that fit the time of the year as well as Emily's chosen colors.

Sally loved color!

2011-01-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

Sally found me through a former bride of mine, Lauri. I love it when I get referrals from former brides! It is truly one of the best compliments I can get.

For Sally's wedding, she wanted an assortment of all kinds of flowers in lots of different colors. She left most of the choices up to me, but we both agreed on an assortment of daisies, roses, lizianthus, ladies mantle, delphinium, lilies and wax flower. The result was perfect for her out door ceremony by Shove Chapel. Congratulations Sally and Alex!

Not your usual Air Force Academy blue wedding

2011-01-03T12:20:00.000-08:00

While Rebecca did choose a light blue accent to go with her flowers, her main colors were orange and yellow. Perfect for an August wedding! Rebecca loved the idea of wildflowers and a gathered look that was more natural and loose. The flowers she chose worked perfectly for this style: Sunflowers, gerbera daisies, kermit mums, solidago delphinium, alstromeria and ladies mantle. Combining location, personal style as well as our beatiful Colorado mountains as a backdrop worked wonderfully for Rebecca and Matt!

GO mom GO!

2010-11-29T13:31:00.000-08:00

Every year I get at least one if not two weddings where I never see the bride. Not once. This is usually due to a brides very busy work and/or school schedule which tends to involve lots of travel. Thus, the bride literally has no time to plan. Enter in: the bride's mom!! Lynn to be exact in this case. Kelly was a bride who truly did not have much time. She knew what she wanted, but just had no time to execute it all! So, Lynn took over for her daughter. She may have been stressed and worried at times, but she did a fabulous job! Congratulations to Kelly and Scott, but also to Lynn!

Red and Cream roses!

2010-11-29T13:23:00.000-08:00

Shelby chose a classic red and cream rose flower palette for her wedding to William at the Air Force Chapel. One of the best stories behind this wedding was the planning determination by Shelby and her mom, Sheila. Not only did they make several trips to Colorado from Kansas, they did so at least once in a snow storm!! Now that is midwestern stamina! And, for all you babies breath haters out there, check out how fun it looked in all the florals for Shelby and William's wedding. It is coming back and that is all right with me when you can get your hands on varieties as full and luscious as this million stars type!! Congratulations to Shelby and William!

Nina and Nathan's Garden wedding

2010-11-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

Nina and Nathan were married at one of my favorite gardens in Denver: The Hudson Gardens! There are several lovely spots to choose from as well as the ability to get married and have your reception all at the same place! The day may have been rainy, but the clouds parted long enough for the ceremony to take place outside. Nina chose a color palette of perriwinkle, cobalt and blue with hydrangeas, delphinium and roses. And, check out that cake! This Dutch gal loved that design! Congratulations to Nina and Nathan!

Brianne + Scott = Romance!

2010-11-29T12:45:00.000-08:00

I love it when the groom comes along for the floral appointment! Scott was so good at sharing his ideas and opinions while making sure his lovely bride, Brianne, was happy too. I was utterly charmed by this sweet couple and I just know they are destined for many happy years together. the color palette they chose was slate grey and pale pink. Flowers were a combination of the romantic as well as the elegant which fit in well with their venue, The Blackstone Country club. And, it truly was a magical day for them as the weather had been very blustery and rainy. But, the clouds parted and everything calmed down just long enough for their outdoor ceremony. Now, I have to share a little something about this wedding. I was able to create a little suprise for this couple. I designed a rose petal aisle in a heart and scroll work motif. They knew they were getting rose petals, but they didn't know I was going to create a design just for them. Sometimes a designer gets the time frame and opportunity to do something fun and when I found that I had that time, I went for it! Congratulations to Brianne and Scott!

Thank you Kelley for the champagne strawberry cupcake and to Becky for the fabulous photos!!

kelleykakes.com and beckyyoungphotography.com

and the bride's grandmother cried.....

2010-11-29T12:35:00.001-08:00

WHAT! The bride's grandmother cried!?! Actually, in this case, it was a wonderful thing to hear. When Jessica sent me a thank you note for her wedding flowers, not only did she include pictures, which I always LOVE, but she also mentioned that when her grandmother saw her bridal bouquet, she loved it so much that she cried!! Now that makes me all teary eyed! It is one thing to make your bride that happy, but another to find out that her grandmother loved what you did as well! Jessica and Solomon were married at the Pinecrest Event center with a bright, cheerful color palette of watermellon and horizon. Flowers included Jessica's favorite flower: the stargazer lily. Truly one of the more stunning flowers as well as one of the most fragrant ones. Congratulations Jessica and Solomon!

Details anyone??

2010-11-29T12:21:00.000-08:00

I am going to miss Melissa! I miss a lot of my brides after they are married, but several always stand out and Melissa is one of those brides. Not only was she highly detailed with her flowers, she was highly detailed with all aspects of her wedding. All her hard work paid off because this wedding floral designer was truly impressed with how everything came together. I even told her she really should submit pictures to several bridal publications. It was just that amazing! The pictures I have here don't even begin to show the extent of it, but if her wedding does end up in a bridal magazine, you will know it when you see it! Job well done Mellissa and congratulations once again to you and your new hubby, Derek. (Fabulous photos by Real Photography!!)

Mallory's wildflower wedding

2010-11-29T12:14:00.000-08:00

Mallory wanted flowers that were wildflower, natural looking and contained lots of different colors and types. Now, I love all weddings, but when I get a bride who gives me a few basic outlines and then says go for it! Well....I GO FOR IT! I have the freedom to find the flowers that are at their peak as well as the ability to get creative in my choices. Which ends up being a winning situation for the bride because she gets flowers that are more than she dreamed! Mallory also went with a fun centerpiece trend that truly is budget friendly as well as fun. She collected a variety of bottles and vases which I then took and arranged lots of loose wildflowers in. These were then grouped on the tables to create a casual, wildflower look that had the ability of being different for every table. Congratulations!!!

Moroccan inspired/gallery location wedding!

2010-11-29T12:06:00.000-08:00

Yes! You can combine different styles, locations, color schemes and flower choices to come up with YOUR perfect wedding day! This was the case for Cassandra and Tanner. They were married in a park with a reception held at gallery 1261 in Denver. They loved red roses and the fabulous details of Morrocan decor, but wanted to make sure that the more modern gallery they were in worked with their overall look. I would say from the pictures we achieved just that! Congratulations Cassandra and Tanner! And, I am going to miss working with you Karen! You were a delight and truly a mother that any bride would be lucky to have in her world!

Hot pink roses!

2010-11-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

Not all weddings need a lot of flowers. This was the case for Kara and Justin. Even so, I always make sure that no matter what the size of the floral order, the flowers are always stunning! Check out her hot pink rose wedding!

Cascade bouquets are truly dramatic!

2010-11-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

Sharon and her lovely mother, Susan, were a planning duo that knew what they were doing! Not only were they super fun to be around, but they really had an eye for what would look good for Sharon and Dave's Broadmore wedding in mid June! Lavender and white was the color scheme with orchids, roses and freesia the flower choices. Sharon chose a dramatic cascade style bouquet for herself and nosegay style bouquets for her bridesmaids. We decorated the chuppah and aisle with flowers and created tall centerpieces for the tables. One Broadmore staffer commented that it all truly looked as if a fairy tale had come to life!

Congratulations to Sharon and Dave!

Brittani's classy, elegant and well, HOT wedding!

2010-11-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

Brittani was a bride who knew exactly what she wanted! Her purple, black and white color scheme had to be classy and elegant, but the reception had to be hot and a party to remember! Guests arrived to a ceremony decorated in creams, whites and greens. Stately urns brimming with hydrangea, roses, lilies and orchids flanked the aisle at the back and the front, clusters of flowers adorned the chairs and rose petals lined the aisle! Brittani was preceeded by 6 bridesmaids all in purple as well as two adorable flower girls. And Brittani herself? Gorgeous and glowing! After the cocktail hour, guests entered a darkened ballroom lit by the glow of spotlights, candles, purple, black and bling! Truly the wedding Brittani had dreamed of!

Congratulations to Brittani and Jason!

Can you say Romantic!?!

2010-11-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Ainslie chose a combination of colors and flowers that not only were really fun but also romantic in the details. Turquoise, Coral and Apple Green gave them the fun color combo but the romantic details came out in full force when you see her super romantic bouquet and....drum roll...check out that picture of the two of them kissing among their fresh orchid garlands hung in the trees just for their ceremony! Nic and Traci of Real Photography hit it out of the ball park with that picture and I am so happy they sent it on to me! And kudos to Danielle of Something Classic Events....she is the one who got to hang those lovely orchids! Got to love your day of coordinator!

Congratulations Sarah and Ainslie!

Sniff! Sniff! Must be Stargazer lilies in the air!

2010-11-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

Some flowers are more fragrant than others and the stargazer lily is certainly one of the most fragrant! Carrie loved them and so we had to use them in her wedding flowers! And, while we were at it, we added in some hot pink roses and chocolate cosmos! Now that is a good smelling combination! Congratulations to Carrie and Travis!

Friend Referrals are always loved by me!

2010-11-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

I just love it when I get a new bride who saw my work at her friends' wedding! They have already seen my work and love what I do and I always get such a kick out of hearing about how they became friends and details of their weddings. Christina heard about me when she went to her friend Julie's wedding in 2008 and much to my delight, Julie came along to the consultation! It was such fun hearing about Christina's plans as well as catching up with Julie.

Christina knew what she wanted for her flowers right off the bat. She came armed with photos but one in particular had her eye. It was a lovely combination of flowers in pinks and whites. The result: A custom bouquet that looked similar to the picture but was perfect for her! Christina also came through and sent me some photos so you can see for yourself how it all turned out! (And just so you know, I LOVE when I get pictures from my brides...makes my day to say the least!)

Congratulations Christina and Tim!

Be bold! Purple and Orange Combo!

2010-11-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Corrissa chose a bold color palette of purple and orange! Not any purple and orange, but lapis and creamsicle orange! YUMMY! And what a way to make your flowers pop! Corrissa was kind enough to send me some photos from their June wedding so I will just let the pictures do the talking for me! Congratulations to Corrissa and Francis!

Adrienne's Green, white and cream wedding

2010-11-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite settings is the Lodge at Cathedral Pines! This venue has all the elements of a lodge style wedding in Colorado and was the perfect setting for Adrienne and Cary. Their color scheme of green, white and cream was perfect for their early June wedding. Adrienne chose a floral palette of bells of Ireland, chocolate hypericum berries, green hydranea, white stock and ivory vendella roses. Creamy tablecloths with chocolate brown overlays perfectly offset the outdoorsy centerpieces in square vases surrounded by river rocks. Even their candy buffet followed their green and white color scheme! Congratulations to Adrienne and Cary!

Jennifer loved the details!

2010-10-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

Jennifer had a great eye for details and some of those details were retro in feel. Every single boutonnier and corsage had a little lace leaf that Jennifer cut out herself. She also had the venue in mind when she added in touches such as tiny twigs in the boutonnier's and green berries throughout. The Lodge at Cathedral Pines was the perfect choice for Jennifer and Chad. Jennifer is also one of my newfound friends and I am thrilled that I get to be not just her wedding day florist, but I get to keep up with her by reading her posts on Facebook! Congratulations Jennifer and Chad!

Clare's Eggplant and Lime color scheme

2010-10-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

I truly enjoyed working with Clare! Her bubbly personality made floral planning with her a delight! She loved flowers that had an edgier look and feel to them and frankly, they fit in wonderfully with her wedding venue: The Walker Fine Art Gallery in Denver. Several orchid varieties as well as plum/black mini calla lilies helped to create an artistic, edgy look and feel to her May wedding. Congratulations Clare and John!

Hot Pink! Sizzling!!

2010-10-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

Shove Chapel is one of my favorite chapels in Colorado Springs! How could it not be!?! The Gothic styling, the marble floors, the painting on the ceiling...I could go on and on! BUT, there is one thing that Shove is that may not be so great. It tends to be a bit dark. So, Kim chose well when she decided on a hot pink and white color scheme! Hot pink will liven up any decor no matter how dark it can appear. Congratulations Kim and Ryan!

Lime green and chocolate brown!

2010-10-27T15:14:00.001-07:00

Sounds like a color combination that not only is really fun looking but seems like it could be a really good Mexican style drink you know!? Kaitlyn and Sean were married at Hillside Gardens with this fabulous color scheme as their decor style. Now, a lot of people tend to think that because my business is called Hillside Consultants I am somehow connected to Hillside Gardens. I am not, but I do enjoy going there to set up for weddings on their grounds. Kaitlyn chose the ever elegant calla lily bouquet as hers to carry and gave her bridesmaids green bouquets to compliment their green dresses. In addition, we jazzed up the wrought iron ceremony gazebo with funky green arrangements. A fun combo for a fun couple! Congratulations to Kaitlyn and Sean!

Crimson and yellow!

2010-10-27T15:08:00.000-07:00

There is something about red and yellow that just makes me smile! Yellow is such a happy, bright color and red always seems romantic to me. So, I guess it could be called the happy romantic look in my mind! Stephany had the happy romantic look of red and yellow for her wedding to Tyson at the Garden of the Gods in May. Perfect way to bridge spring and summer if you ask me. Congratulations to Stephany and Tyson!

Pretty in Pink!

2010-10-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

Kristi is the perfect example of how you CAN have some of the more expensive flowers without killing your budget! Her color scheme was dark pink, light pink and green. But she LOVED peonies and garden roses. Not to mention hydrangea. Not always the best flowers for a tighter wedding budget, but I knew there were ways to help her get her dream flowers in her chosen colors without make her check book cry! Check out the pictures. Do those say flowers on a tighter budget!? I think not! Congratulations Kristi and Scott!

Abby and her butterfly flower girl!

2010-10-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

Abby chose a fun spring palette in raspberry, sky blue and chocolate. Sounds good enough to eat doesn't it! But, on top of it, she also had a sweet little girl who was not only her flower girl, but she sported little butterfly wings as well! The Historic Pinecrest was the setting for the April wedding of Abby and Bryson. Abby chose hydrangeas, peonies, roses and stephanotis which worked perfectly for not only her color scheme but the overall look and time of year in which her wedding was held. Congratulations to Abby and Bryson!

Cream, white and black

2010-10-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Color experts define white as all absence of color and black as all colors mixed together at once. I say, that may be true but how can you deny that this color scheme is more than something that is lacking or too much of? I say it is just right! Right for Heidi and Tylers wedding that is for sure! Roses, calla lilies, hydrangea, freesia and stephanotis combine to make this black and white affair beautiful as well as fragrant! Congratulations to Heidi and Tyler!

Champagne, Black and peach!

2010-10-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

There are so many wonderful colors you can use for your wedding. One of them is champagne! It is so versatile with so many color compliments that truly, only your imagination is the limit. Christina chose to have her champagne and black scheme complimented with a touch of peach and ivory. The result was elegant without being fussy! And, in case you were wondering, Sahara roses have the perfect blend of champagne to them, no matter what you use to compliment the color!

Congratulations to Christina and Devon!

The first niece to marry!!

2010-10-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

Sniff! Sniff! It brought a lot of memories and emotions to my mind when I helped to plan and set up my niece Ashley's wedding. Of course, the flowers had to be over the top, with surprises along the way, but I also had the honor of being a part of the gown shopping, cake tasting and general planning. After all, I am Aunty Dawn! I am like a second mom to not only Ashley, but to her two sisters as well. Something that I have always treasured and will to the day I finally kick off and meet my daddy in heaven. But, enough of the sappy! On to the flowers/decor! Ashley and Nick were married in a small town not too far from where they live. The location was a historical VFW type hall which we turned into a candlelit, white light fantasy for them. Yards of white organza, white lights, hundreds of orchids and loads of stargazer lilies later we managed to create a wedding fit for any princess! Congratulation Nick and Ashley! I am very honored and proud to have been such a special part of your big day!

The day before Valentine's day!

2010-10-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

Kristen and Matthew decided that the day before Valentine's day was the perfect day for their Air Force Academy chapel wedding. Now, you can easily go over the top when having a wedding around this date, but Kristen managed to pull off a romantic wedding without looking like she went too far! Her colors were wine, black and white. The flowers were mainly ivory with pops of the wine color with roses playing the major role. And to keep the party rolling, they chose to have their reception at the officers club on the Air Force Academy complex. Touches of the red rose theme abounded here as well which resulted in a military location with a romantic twist!

Congratulations to Kristen and Matthew!

Leslie, Amelia's mom but also amazing planner!

2010-10-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

Amelia was the lovely bride, but her mom, Leslie, was the planner and boy, did she plan! All she wanted for her daughter was a beautiful, perfect wedding day and, since Amelia is her only daughter, that was one tall order! I wanted to make sure my part of the big day was perfect and judging from their happy compliments, it was. Amelia chose a palette of pinks and reds for her big day and as a sweet touch, we used tulips in her bouquet because Leslie had them in hers years before. We dressed up the front of the 1st Congregational Church downtown Colorado Springs with a few florals and some bows as well as romanticized Phanton Canyon with some tall, sunken rose centerpieces, rose petals and candles. The overall look was one of incredible romance between the happy couple as well as a reflection of a mother's love for her daughter. Congratulations Amelia and Austin! (and job well done to Leslie!)

Leslie, a bride

2010-10-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Kelley and Ames, aka: the dynamic duo!!

2010-10-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

Kelley has long been a favorite cake artist of mine! Not only does she create the most amazing wedding cakes ever, but she is super fun as well! I have always enjoyed working with her so when the subject of her super secret surprise wedding became known to me I was all on board!! I knew I just HAD to create the florals for this very special event! Kelley and Ames are truly one of the neatest couples I know. Their personalities mesh perfectly with each other and everyone who knows them, loves to be around them! So, you ask. What does a highly creative and fun loving couple do when they want to surprise everyone? They throw a surprise wedding of course! They invited their closest family and friends to what they called their engagement party at the Curtis Hotel in downtown Denver. Reality: It was a wedding! As the guests all met in the lobby of the hotel, friend and wedding coordinator, T.C. Decker of Muse Events announced that we were there for a wedding and to please follow her. She led us all through the streets of downtown Denver to the dancing statues!! And there stood Ames! We all gathered, Ames held a boom box high overhead, the music started and down walked their two daughters dressed up in Steampunk outfits! Kelley wasn't far behind in a red gown she had made! Their theme was Steampunk but also family. The blending of their two families into one, made magical with the location and the fun surprise of it all! Flowers had to match the theme and I had a blast creating florals that matched the reds and burgundies but also by adding in touches of Steampunk fun in chains, little clocks, gears and metals bead details. Congratulations Kelley and Ames! May your inner zombies, batmans and colored hair styles always make you smile!

Elegance in downtown Denver

2010-10-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Fran was all about the uptown girl style in downtown Denver! Her modern style wedding was held at the Holy Ghost church with the reception at the historic Magnolia Hotel. And what better flowers to choose for this elegant affair than the calla lily with accents of black baccarra roses!? Ivory, champagne and black were her main colors and with the additions of these flowers, the look was complete! I wish I had a photo to share with you of Fran in her gown, because she truly looked every inch the elegant, uptown bride! Congratulations to Fran and Charles!

Oasis with bright colors for POP!

2010-10-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

Jennie was a bride who knew she loved color! Her bridesmaids were dressed in Oasis, which is a vibrant turquoise color. And to make things really pop she chose to accent that with flowers in reds, oranges and yellows! Not only was this not your usual fall looking wedding color scheme, it was one that made you sit up, take notice and think, WOW! That looks so awesome! Congratulations to Jennie and Chad!

Sunny yellow in October!

2010-10-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

Stephanie was given my name from one of my former brides. I always LOVE referrals because it means that not only did I make that bride happy, I get the chance to make another bride happy as well! Stephanie chose a palette of black and white with pops of bright yellow! When chosing a black/white palette, pops of a single bright color can make a very bold and dramatic statement and this is exactly what happened with Stephanie and Clint's wedding! Now that is the way to make sure your October wedding day is sunny no matter what the weather forecast!

Adrienne, aka The Spending Bride!

2010-10-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

No, Adrienne wasn't blowing the budget every chance she got nor was she a bridezilla! She got her nickname due to a story I told her and Paul at our first meeting! I mentioned how when my hubby and I were in Europe for our honeymoom, my name does not translate very well. I was even asked at one point if I had an American Indian name due to the fact that when I tried to explain my name to this fellow he assumed that Dawn, meaning the time when the sun comes up, must mean that I was from that heritage. As you can see from my photo on this blog, I do not have the features for this heritage as I am 100% Dutch in origin. We had a good laugh and from then on, she had her nickname and I had my new one: Rising Dawn. Thus began what would become not only a client relationship but a friendship as well.

Adrienne and Paul are romantics and it showed in their wedding decor. An abundance of red roses, rose petals, crystals and candles were everywhere for their big day! Not even an ice storm could put a chill on this happy couples nuptials! Adrienne was highly detail oriented in all her wedding planning and it showed. I am so glad that I went on to become friends with Adrienne and Paul. I wish them many years filled with happiness, laughter and love!

Just as a side note, the first photo in this blog was taken by the fabulous Nic and Traci of Real Photography!

Got to love Garden of the Gods weddings!

2010-10-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

How can you go wrong when you get married at the Garden of the Gods park? That is exactly what Kristen and Kevin thought when they choose this amazing natural site for their wedding. Kristen came into our appointment armed with an inspiration sheet of things that she loved as well as photos of her romantic gown. She also had these lovely white porecelain bowls she had found for the centerpieces. As we talked we formulated the perfect wedding florals for her big day. Flowers in lavenders, greens, burgundies and peaches with pops of ferns were the result. I had a great time creating these bold, beautiful pieces for Kristen and Keven and wish them all the very best!

A neighbor's sister gets married!

2010-10-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you get to design flowers for someone you know, or at least someone that they know! Our wonderful neighbors have all been a dream to live next to, so when Marni came to me and asked if I could help her sister Leigh with her wedding flowers I did not hesitate to say yes! Leigh and Steve planned an intimate, family and close friends style wedding at the charming Cheyenne Cannon Inn in Colorado Springs. Leigh and I never met in person, but this is not new to me as I tend to have many conversations with my brides via email and the telephone. Busy schedules and long distance just makes this an easier option. When Leigh described to me what she loved, I knew exactly what I was going to do for her. A hand tied bouquet of cream hydrangea, cream roses and astilbe with chocolate cosmos and dark blue delphinium accented with seeded eucalyptus edging was the perfect choice for her. Marni was her maid of honor and only attendant so a matching pin on corsage was the natural choice. A few centerpieces and a large vase piece completed the florals and made this special wedding one to remember! Congratulations to Leigh and Steve!

Jen and Patrick-the groom who was involved!

2010-10-27T10:47:00.001-07:00

When I first met Jen and Patrick I was delighted at how much they worked together as a team! Patrick even pointed out to me that my contract has a space for the bride to sign, but what if the groom wanted to sign it instead? Because of this, I changed my contract! Thank you Patrick for showing me that sometimes the groom likes to have a say so in the flowers as well. This duo went on to choose a wine colored theme as well as wine themed centerpieces. Calla lilies, both full size cream ones and mini burgundy ones played a predominate role in all the floral decor. Jen's bouquet, her bridesmaids, the bouttoniere's, corsages and even the cake showed the elegant calla lily off to its best advantage! Wine bottles filled with curly willow, ivy and real purple grapes gave the guests a fun conversation piece as they sat down to dinner at the Mount Vernon Country Club in Golden. Congratulations Jen and Patrick!

Tess's Ranch Wedding

2010-10-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

Tess and David were married on her family ranch; Chico Basin Ranch to be exact. All the floral elements incorporate wild sage that grew all over the ranch. Tess wanted an elegant look but it had to be natural as if everything came from the ranch itself. Her choice of flowers reflected this style with white garden roses and white with black center anemone's playing a dominate role in her bouquet. The reception was held at the ranch as well under the trees which were festooned with white lights as well as chandeliers made from mason jars! The centerpieces were composed of assorted wine bottles, antique perfume bottles and medicine bottles that she and David found. It truly was a Colorado style ranch wedding from start to finish! Congratulations to Tess and David!

Shelly gets married on her familys vacay spot!

2010-10-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Shelly and Brandon were married in southern Colorado near Westcliff at her parents' lovely vacation home. The vista was breath taking to say the least! Mountain ranges as a backdrop and rolling grasslands all around, how could it not be amazing! There was even a dusting of snow from an early snow storm the day before on the mountains. Shelly's keen eye for detail was evident everywhere you looked and her hard work at planning the perfect wedding day really paid off when it all came together. The happy couple were married under a beautiful aspen log arch built by Shelly's dad which I decorated with a swag of greenery filled flowers in her chosen colors of pink, cream and purple. I then matched the arch decor with chair pieces which I later moved to the nearby tent and attached to the poles. Shelly fell in love with two bouquet pictures which I then combined to create the perfect bouquet for her big day. Instead of corsages, both mother's carried small nosegays which were a smaller version of the 5 bridesmaids' bouquets. As a fun touch, a galax leaf canopy was supposed to go over the top of the arch, but mother nature decided to play wind tricks that day. So, it adorned the cake table instead as a unique tablecloth. Congratulations Shelly and Brandon!

Purple and Cream

2010-10-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

Lauren and Andy were married at the Garden of the Gods club! The weather was perfect! For their September wedding they chose a color palette of cream and dark purple. All 6 of Lauren's bridesmaids were in black which offset their handtiend bouquets of cream hydrangea, dark purple lizianthus and purple vanda orchids. Lauren's bouquet was composed of mini calla lilies in dark plum, purple lizianthus and dark purple vanda orchids. After the cremony at the reflection pool, guests moved to the nearby sunset terrace patio for the reception. Congratulations to Lauren and Andy!

Dark Purple and Teal for Sara and Aaron!

2009-12-06T13:07:00.001-08:00

With colors like Concord Grape and Tealness you know the flowers are really going to pop!! For Sara and Aaron's September wedding, they chose to stay away from the more traditional fall colors and go with colors they love! When we sat down to figure out the flowers, I knew we just HAD to use the dyed dendrobium orchids somewhere. They have the perfect combination of the purple and teal all in one blossom. Sara wanted her bouquet to be mainly purple with accents of white. Since there isn't a purple rose, I always recommend what I like to call the rose imitator: Double lizianthus and it comes in the best purple color! Sara's had purple hydrangea as well as purple delphinium. The three shades of purple blended beautifully with one another and the stephanotis added that hint of white while adding a touch of fragrance. For her girls, we decided on a base of blue hydrangea studded with the dyed orchids and and purple delphinium. And, as always, when I am placing flowers on the cake it is one of the aspects of my job that I just love!! The smell of the fresh cake is sooooo yummy!!!

Congratulations to Sara and Aaron!

Devon and Dionnavan's fall details!

2009-12-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

I just had to put a lot of pictures on this particular blog! The details were just so much fun!! Everything from the tiny pinecones in the bouquets, bouts and corsages to the curly willow accents in everything!! And that aisle! It was created by fall leaves instead of the usual rose petals! Can we talk about that back ground? That is the veiw from Devon's parent's home up in Divide! GORGEOUS!!!! I told her dad, Chuck, that if he ever decided to sell he better call me first! I wish I would have taken pictures of their "driveway". You go under this big log arch with their ranch name on it and then drive down a gravel driveway with all kinds of pine trees flanking you on either side. It then opens up to the meadow area you see in the picture with their home right behind! It truly was the perfect place for their wedding!

Congratulations to Devon and Dionnavan!

Jamie's hot pink and green wedding

2009-12-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

Jamie chose a color combination that never fails to delight me! For some reason I just think hot pink and green is a fun color combination! Jamie and David were married at Shove Chapel. One of my all time favorite places in Colorado Springs. One thing we did for Jamie was to reuse the pew pieces in the centerpieces. Simple rose clusters were tied to the pews and then transfered to square vases at the reception. This is another budget saving tip that gives you double duty for your money!

Congratulations to Jamie and David!

Shelby's Black Forest wedding

2009-12-06T10:18:00.001-08:00

Shelby and Nolan were married on a beautiful day at the Black Forest Bed and Breakfast! We had so many weddings get rained out over the past weeks that it was a relief to finally get a Saturday that was sunny and bright! Shelby's color scheme of brown, green and white fit the setting perfectly. When my daughter Amanda and I arrived to set up we found a calm and happy bride, bridesmaids as well as family members. Shelby's mom, Kay, greeted us warmly and showed us where to put the personal flowers. They had a very unique idea for the centerpieces. They had found an online supplier that had real aspen bark wraps that I used to wrap around the vases for the tables. In each vase was a spray of white dendrobim orchids with curly willow branches. We also decorated the gazebo with green hydrangea and asparagus fern. Unfortunatly, I did not get good photos of either one. So, I am hoping that my friend and photographer, Becky Young of Becky Young Photography will take pity on me and send me some of her professional pictures of these details! To see her pictures and read her blog go to here web site, click on the blog and archives for August of 2009. Shelby and Nolan are on that page. www.beckyyoungphotography.com

Congratulations to Shelby and Nolan!

Happy Holly!

2009-12-06T09:38:00.001-08:00

Now, most brides are happy people on the day of their weddings, but Holly was happy all the time! Ok, maybe she isn't all the time, but every time I talked to her either on the phone or by email she was just so happy! It was truly a joy working with her as her emails always made me smile. Holly and Aaron were married at Doolittle Hall at the Airforce Academy. Their colors of burnt orange and dark red were reflected in the flowers. A fun, fall combo of roses, berries and mini mango calla lilies. They had a wondeful team of vendors including talented coordinator Danielle Odil from Something Classic Events www.somethingclassicevents.com and dream team photographers Nick and Traci from Real Photography! To see just how happy Holly is check out the blog about their wedding from Real's web site. www.realphotography.com/blog/ At the bottom of the page click on the archives labeled September 2009. Holly and Aaron will be listed on that page and you can click on their blog with photos!

Congratulations Happy Holly and Aaron!

Just the Bouquet please!

2009-12-06T09:19:00.001-08:00

Tiffany was a great example of a do it yourself bride! Some of us are just born with an ability to create and do so in a way that it looks great! Tiffany was one of those brides. She took on the task of all the decor and personal flowers except for one thing: her bouquet! She knew she wanted that handled by a professional and came to me. Together we decided to go for a cream/white combination and since she has bling on her gown, bling went into her bouquet in the form of crystals in the center of the stephanotis. Now, please note, the Vendella roses in this bouquet are actually a lot peachy looking. They are a true ivory rose and smell heavenly!!

Congratulations to Tiffany and Nate!

Sarah's Lesson on Tight Budgets

2009-12-06T09:02:00.000-08:00

Sarah's wedding is a lesson in budget. Sometimes a wedding budget can be pretty tight. Considering our current economy, this is pretty normal right now. Sarah chose to focus on color and a few simple but fun flowers. Take the groomsmen boutonnier's for example. Rather than chosing a more expensive flower she decided that an all berry look with a touch of greenery would be just as fun while still saving some money. And she was right! To help make her groom stand out, we simply added in a few fiddlehead ferns. Again, a fun flower that really stands out and makes a statement without costing a fortune! The next hurdle we needed to overcome was the bridesmaids bouquets. Originally she was thinking of doing these herself. Now, in my experience, this works out maybe a 1/4 of the time. Consider this, the day before your wedding you are going to be tackling a LOT of last minute details, not to mention arriving out of town guests, rehersal and rehersal dinner. All in one day. Do you really want to be up most of the night before your wedding arranging flowers when there are professionals who can do this for you while still making sure your budget stays intact? Most people would say NO! But, there are those few who can and do arrange their own flowers and they look great! No, they are not designer, over the top florals, but they aren't bad either. Sarah, after thinking this idea over, decided to check in with me to see what we could do. The biggest problem was that she had 7 bridesmaids. Here is another lesson on super tight budgets. Cut the bridal party down to no more than 2-3 bridesmaids and 2-3 groomsmen. The more people you have standing up there with you, the more money you will have to spend on everything from the flowers to the food. Yes, I know you have good childhood friends, sorority sisters, etc. But, simply being invited to your wedding is an honor in itself and most people would be delighted with the invite. So, how did we solve Sarah's dilema? Easy! Gerbera daisies are a very cost effective flower. They are a great size and come in all kinds of fun colors. 5 stems of hot pink gerbera daisies, some green hypericum berries and ribbon tying the stems and you have a bridesmaid bouquet for a lot less than if you would have chosen multiple blooms. Remember: multiple types of blooms in a bouquet will equal to a higher costing bouquet in the end.

Congratulations to Sarah and Corey!

Romantic Red Roses and special friends!

2009-08-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

Lia found me in a roundabout way, which happens to me a lot. A former bride of mine happened to mention to a co-worker about my work. They had a friend, Lia, who was having her reception at their lovely home and needed a designer for her wedding. Lia loves red roses so the natural choice of colors was red, white and black. We initially figured out a good working point for their flowers with the knowledge that it would need to be tweaked due to the fact that this was not a typical wedding venue, it truly was a personal home. I heard from Lia's mom, Pat, not too long after I met Lia. I love working with southern moms and Pat was no exception! They just seem to have a unique style, grace and ability to plan truly elegant events. Planning took off from there and over numerous emails and phone calls, we nailed all the details down. The result as you can see was very romantic! The McConnell's home was amazing in its own right, not to mention how nice this family is, but once it was set up for Lia and John's reception, it was breathtaking! I am no fan of baby's breath, but it worked so well in the candle rings and the cake that even I had to admit, WOW!! The caterer for this event took on a lot of the logistic's burden as well as the catering. I had been hearing about Cravings, www.cravingscatering.com for a long time so I was so happy to finally meet one of the owner's, Lisa, at the house. I hope we get to work together again someday. And, last but not least, I got to meet Pat! After all those phone calls and emails I had hoped we would meet face to face and we did. She raved about the flowers and I raved about how great it was to work with her! I will miss Pat and her wonderful southern woman spirit!

Congratulations to Lia, John and their families!

Kayla's sparkly purple wedding

2009-08-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

I met Kayla and her mom at a bridal show held at The Pinecrest in Monument. I normally do not do bridal shows as I have found over the years, they tend to be super spendy and kind of a wedding mill. I decided to do this one as it was hosted by Taylor Fry, one of the owners of www.Go2Wed.com I love Taylor's energy and hard work. We hit it off way back when and have been working together as much as we can ever since. Anyway, Kayla was having her wedding and reception at The Pinecrest and was still in need of a florist for her August 1st wedding. I just happened to have brought a bouquet with stephanotis featuring crystal centers and Kayla was sold! Seems that not only does Kayla like her bling, her dress and veil were heavily beaded! Perfect! Her color scheme was victorian lilac, lapis and cream. Now, I have been a purple lover from way back. I use to wear it almost all the time in high school. Even had purple trimmed Nike's! So, for me, this was an easy to design wedding. Love the combination in her bouquet of sweet peas, hydrangea, delphinium, bavardia and crystal centered stephanotis! It was great to work with you Kayla and I wish you and your new hubby, James, all the best!

One of my fun couples of 2009: Victoria and Ace!

2009-08-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

When I met Victoria it was quickly apparent that we were going to have fun! Not only do both Victoria and Ace have such a fabulous sense of humor, they are just down right fun! When she told me the colors of David's tangerine and clover, I just knew this wedding was going to look so bright and cheerful! Perfect fit for their personalities! Check out that arch! I actually had to politely shoo a few people away so I could get a picture of it as they all were using it as the perfect couples' photos opportunity! And, those centerpieces! Do they scream Colorado summer time or what? The ceremony and reception were held at the Evergreen Lake House. Now, if you have never seen this place, GO! The views are incredible and the House is literally located among a lake, flowing streams, winding paths and mountains all around. Not to mention the wildlife! A photographers dream for sure. Oh, and, when the bride arrived in her custom designed gown, she pulled up the skirt to reveal: her cowboy boots! Their hiking hats were on prominent display and each table had a picture with a place they had vacationed at or hiked. This was their table "numbers" and added a fabulous personal touch. Last, look at the cake. It is kind of hard to see in the picture but the cake topper is an itty bitty Gumby and "Mrs" Peanut. Personal nicknames that the bride and groom gave to each other!! I am going to miss this couple but am happy for them as well! Congratulations to Ace and Victoria!

Flower decisions are harder for some than others

2009-08-09T10:10:00.001-07:00

This was the case with lovely Katy! Initially, she wanted to do pinks and greens. The ceremony was to take place in Hudson Gardens where her mom works! At the time of our first meeting, the reception location was up in the air but she was leaning towards the Space Gallery in downtown Denver. A very modern, funky location. It would be a mix of gardeny on one hand and funky on the other. Katy quickly realized that she did not want pink at all! Instead, she loved the look of shades of greens, black and a touch of yellow. No problem. We changed the flowers to reflect that. Now, some people have a hard time visualizing what a particular combination is going to look like. It can actually frustrate brides to the point where they can get emotionally bankrupt. That happened to Katy. We decided to step back, allow her time to refocus and then we would finalize it all. Within the last several weeks before the day we did just that and the end result turned out fabulous! It was the funky, fun, modern wedding that she had dreamed of and it was perfect! Note those awesome table runners? They hand sewed them for the reception! And don't you just love the same detail on the cake!? Now this is a wedding where green flowers was done right! With the tireless energy and professional help from their coordinator Danielle Odil with Something Classic Events, http://www.somethingclassicevents.com/ we all pulled together and pulled off an amazing and fun day/night for all! Nick and Tracy with Real Photography were on hand to capture each detail! www.realphotography.com I am hoping to get some professional photos from them! This is one wedding I truly want in my portfolio!

Congratulations to Katy, Bryan and their families!

Carnations used in a modern way!

2009-08-09T09:50:00.001-07:00

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I don't like carnations. It comes from a good 20 years ago when we did not have the wide range of flowers on the cut market as we do today. Back then, carnations went into everything! They just got overused. Now, I have made exceptions to my dislike. I actually love them massed together either by themselves or with another full flower such as roses or hydrangea. So, when Bethany came to me and showed me a picture of an aisle with white carnation spheres perched on top of tall, clear vases and branches in side I knew I had to design this! Not only did it look stunning on the aisle, but the spheres were then re-used as the centerpieces on shorter vases. Great way to double duty your flowers! Unfortunately, the ceremony was not able to be outdoors. It had to be moved in due to a downpour. The quick actions of the family as well as her coordinator, Taylor Fry, http://www.coloradoweddingsandevents.com/ along with Diane Bice and the excellent staff of The Club at Flying Horse, everything was quickly moved inside. A few tears were shed by both the bride and groom over the need to move inside, but once those were dried, everything went along perfectly. Congratulations to Bethany and Matt!

Lauri's outdoor extravaganza!

2009-08-09T09:38:00.001-07:00

Lauri is the daughter of a good friend and personal lawyer to my husband and myself. When she became engaged, her dad, Stuart, knew exactly who to call for the flowers. When I met with Lauri and her mom, Nan, she pretty much had an idea of what she wanted as far as colors but not as much with flowers. As I listened to her describe what she was thinking, I just knew what we were going to do! Dyed orchids in lime green, turquoise and fuschia!Lauri fell in love with my hand glued orchid trees as well as my sunken orchid centerpieces. Viola! Three styles of centerpieces were born playing on this concept. Lauri and Jim's wedding was not only large, 350 guests, but so was their wedding party! 7 bridesmaids and 8 groomsmen. Check out the bouquets! Don't the turquoise orchids look like little butterflies hovering above the flowers!?!

And, to top it all off: it was an outdoor reception with NO tent. Yes, there was a backup, but they truly wanted it outside, under the stars. They got lucky! In weeks filled with storms, winds and rain, their night went off perfectly! Shove Chapel was the ceremony site, with the courtyard of Barnes Science hall the location for the reception. Both located on the campus of the University of Colorado. Guests were able to take a super short walk from one location to the next. Talk about convenient for your guests! When I went to pick up the vases, etc the next day, I ran into Stuart. He said that everyone talked about how beautiful the flowers were and that I better expect to be even busier in the future. All I know, is that I loved how it all turned out and that I am happy for both families. Congratulations to Jimmy and Lauri!

A shout out to Amberly and Robert!

2009-08-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

Why a shout out? Because both Amberly and Robert are proud members of our military! Thank you both for your service to our country. It means a lot to have known you! Flower wise, they did not need much. No bouttonierre's as all the men were in uniform, only a few corsages, bridesmaids and of course, the bridal bouquet. Amberly loves gerbera daisies and roses so it was a pretty natural choice for her wedding day flowers. Incidentally, as an FYI, anyone in dress uniform from one of our branches of armed services are not allowed to wear a bouttoniere. It is out of respect for the uniform. And, besides, even if they could, why!? Those uniforms are special enough. Congratulations to Amberly and Robert!

Leah's brightly colored flowers

2009-08-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

When I first met Leah, all she knew that she wanted as far as flowers went, was bright colors. She didn't need a lot of flowers either. Personal flowers only, but then, she was getting married at one of the most beautiful mansions along the Front Range: Grant Humphrey's. The grounds, the mansion itself, everything about it is elegant, old world flair and "rich". We got close to the wedding day and it was time to finalize. Leah basically told me to just go for it! She couldn't decide and trusted me to make her florals her dream. I didn't get to see Leah that day, but everyone who did see her flowers raved. So, I trust that she was happy too. Congratulations!!

Professional Pictures

2009-08-08T13:00:00.001-07:00

So, as many people know I get ridiculously excited when a professional photographer is kind enough to send me pictures of a wedding we have done together. Megan Hardre of Megan Hardre photography sent me a CD in the mail. www.meganhardrephotography.com I am placing a few of the pictures she sent to me in this blog. As you can see, her work speaks for itself!! Amazing!! THANK YOU Megan!!!!

Rainbow Wedding!

2009-08-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

Check it out!! We in the floral world haven't seen a rainbow wedding since the 70's! They did make a brief come back in the 80's but it seems that this may become a new trend once again! I have to say though, I like it done up this way than the way we did it back then. Just Google it sometime and see for yourself. Jamie had a very large wedding. Over 400 guests! Close to 500 from what I heard. She also had a large bridal party with a maid of honor, 6 bridesmaids, 2 junior bridesmaids and a flower girl! Each maid wore a different color so the perfect choice in flowers: All colors of the rainbow together in each bouquet. Jamie's bouquet and her groom, Matt, also had a flower all their own. The rainbow rose! These roses are created with a special dye process that dyes the rose in a rainbow of colors. Perfect for this wedding. Jamie and her mom, Jori, worked to create the arch using a rainbow of silk flowers. I then created a fresh floral piece for underneath to hold the unity candles. This piece was then moved to the reception. In addition, the aisle was swagged with my crystal organza and then filled with silk rose petals in all the different colors. To help keep costs down, they rented my cylinder vases and shallow bowls and filled them with silk petals, river rock and floated a candle on top of the cylinder. Rentals are a great way to get the look you want without investing a lot of money into items you may not ever use again. (Who needs 50 cylinder vases!?!) Congratulations to Jamie and Matt!

Yellow and Navy Happy Flowers

2009-08-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

Yellow has become a popular color of all a sudden much to my happiness! Not that it is my favorite color, rather, I love the change. Several other designers in Colorado have also mentioned they too love the change to such a sunny color!

The July 11 wedding of Krysten and Eric was held at The Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Denver. Becky Young, www.beckyyoungphotography.com was their photographer! You really must check out her web site as well as her blog! My poor photos are nothing next to her beautiful work! I only met Krysten once, but found her to be a very charming woman. Their reception was held at the University Club in downtown Denver. The centerpieces were yellow floating dahlias with blue glass gems in round, shallow vases. My fabulous sister, Lisa, along with her daughter, Casey, set this wedding up for me. I literally had three weddings this particular Saturday so their help was very important to me. I hope to get pictures of the centerpieces from her so that you can see how stunning this combination was.

Congratulations to Krysten and Eric!

Kirstine's purple purple purple!

2009-07-08T06:58:00.001-07:00

I only met Kirstine and Casey once when they were out on a planning visit with their fab coordinator, Danielle O'Dill with Something Classic Events. http://www.somethingclassicevents.com/

Right off the bat Kirstine was very particular about what she wanted in flowers. PURPLE!!! Lots of purple! No problem! She loved hydrangea and the look of certain mum varieties as well as delphinium and lizianthus. She was very happy to see her all purple bouquet the day of the wedding and I was happy that she liked it! One interesting touch that Kirstine incorporated was her stuffed penguin. This penquin was very much cherished by Kirstine. As such, it was the ring bearer and had a little tux. I also made a tiny bout for the tux. The flower girl carried him down the aisle while he carried the rings!

While I did not do a lot of flowers for this wedding, it goes to show, that sometimes the more inexpensive flowers can create a very fun look. There are all kinds of mum varieties out there so don't be afraid to explore this sometimes overlooked flower. After all, how many times do we see green kermit mums these days? LOTS! And all they are is a mum that is green!

Congratulations to Kirstine and Casey!

Katie and Tim's modern and fun wedding

2009-07-08T06:47:00.001-07:00

Katie and Tim were married at the lovely Sanctuary Golf Course and Club on June 20. Tim as well as his male relatives all wore their traditional family plaid kilts! They chose a palatte of dark blue, yellow, green and white. The weather was rather windy and rainy at times, but that didn't stop these families from having a great time! It was obvious to me that both Katie and Tim got their sense of fun from their families!

Katie's bouquet was one of my top favorites of the year. It had mini calla lilies in white and yellow with white asiatic lilies and citrus green cymbidium orchids. It truly was a bright and fresh look!

Check out the chair picture. It looks like the aisle was swagged in tulle right? It wasn't! The wind was just strong and steady enough that the tails from the tulle bows kept blowing straight back which made the aisle appear to be swagged!

A great way to get a pop of color without spending a lot on linens is to go with either a white or cream tablecloth and have a brightly colored centerpiece in the middle. See how the blues and yellows just stand out on that cloth? You can get big impact without big bucks by just using bright colors.

Congratulations to Katie and Tim!

Laura's chocolate, green and white wedding

2009-06-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

Laura and Schon's outdoor wedding was held at The Lodge at Cathedral Pines. They choose a wonderful palatte of green, chocolate and white. And, the flowers couldn't have been more natural looking in that setting! I was not able to deliver and set up this wedding as I had three on this day. I am fortunate to have a sister who is every bit as detail oriented as I am if not more so! She was the one to deliver and set up for me. I was sad as it is always hard for me not to see my happy couples on their special day, but Lisa reported that the bride was gorgeous and her two bridesmaids couldn't have been any sweeter! Apparently, the entire family was very happy and excited which always makes for a wonderful wedding day. Lisa has some pictures of the centerpieces and cake which I will pass along once I get them. In the meantime, here is a link to their fabulous photographer's blog complete with beautiful pictures! http://blog.beckyyoungphotography.com/blog/

Becky, you rock!!!

One neat and popular detail this season: Laura had a cameo brooch from her grandmother pinned to her bouquet, she also had initial pins, one for each bridesmaid on their bouquets. Wonderful touch! Congratulations to Laura and Schon!!

Colorful Kelly's Garden wedding!

2009-06-27T09:13:00.001-07:00

Kelly and Jeremy were all set to get married at City Park Pavillion in the garden when Kelly decided to go check out the ceremony spot with her caterer a few weeks before their June 20 wedding day. Much to her shock and dismay, instead of the lush, colorful garden wedding she thought she was going to have, it was a lot of dirt and newly planted seedlings! They quickly choose a new spot and the emails were on! In the end, she decided on a combination of wildflowers to place in mason jars which would then be hung from shepherd hooks to line the aisle. This wedding is one I truly wish I had more pictures for. Kelly is a detailed, DIY bride who had some of the neatest ideas I have ever seen! Instead of a bunch of bridesmaids, she had her sister be her maid of honor and then she had 5 flower girls! Each of them had a pail which she covered in green moss and silk flowers. I brought a large bag of lavender, yellow and pink roses petals for the buckets. There were plenty for her to use either on the aisle or at the reception itself. Her centerpieces were cupcake stands filled with flower frosted cupcakes! Her dad made each of the stands and she topped them with hand made ribbon flowers that she very valiantly powered through to create. The other detail that I wish I had a picture of was her hair style! She had a beautiful side swept style with curls and fresh white dahlias tucked in. It was one of the prettiest and freshest wedding day styles I have ever seen! My daughter even commented on how beatiful it was. Kelly, if you get the chance, I need the name of your stylist so I can pass that info along. (Not to mention a few pics of the flowers and details for the florist....hee hee...) Congratulations to Kelly and Jeremy!

Chelsey and Brad's Monday wedding

2009-06-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Chelsey and Brad had quite and interesting few days! I learned about this when I arrived at The Lodge at Cathedral Pines to set up the ceremony area and bring by the bouts and corsages. I had already dropped off the bouquets to Chelsey at her hotel room. I did not see her so I did not know what she had been going through! I found out from a family friend that Chelsey had to be rushed to an acute care clinic the night before with a raging fever!! She missed her rehersal and dinner. :o( But, she rallied and was getting ready! The weather was a tad iffy but everyone was determined to get the ceremony set up outside. Their chosen site was across the bridge by the water feature. Her aisle pieces doubled as centerpieces which is a great way to save money. Chosen colors were Espresso brown and hydrangea light blue. Now, I love pretty much all flowers but one of my favorite things is when a bride chooses flowers that not only look great together but smell good! Believe me, Chelsey's bouquet was heavenly smelling!! How could it not?! It had roses, hydrangea, sweet peas, stephanotis and freesia! The stephanotis even had little crystals in them for an added bling. As I was leaving it started to sprinkle. I have not heard as of this blog date what ended up happening but I truly hope that will all the drama going on, it all turned out wonderfully after all! Just think of the great stories they will have to tell their children someday! Congratulations to Chelsey and Bradley!

Clarissa and David's June 6 Wedding

2009-06-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

Finally! We got a sunny, gorgeous Colorado day! Perfect for a wedding! Clarissa and David were married at Shove Chapel. Truly one of my favorite chapels with its Gothic architecture and painted ceiling. How can you not love all those fabulous gargoyle downspouts!? Clarissa and David chose a palette of berry and champagne. Even the names of the colors sound good don't they!? They loved a more modern look so we went with calla lilies for Clarissa and peonies with green orchids for her bridesmaids. We did not decorate the chapel as I truly feel it is one place that really does not need any floral "help". Reception was held at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. I love delivering to the resort as I have always found the staff to be very helpful and fun. Some places can be stuffy to say the least. Not so with CMR. Clarissa and David had the entire Grand Rivers ballroom. Clarissa loves twigs and branches so we did a super tall curly willow centerpiece with sunken white orchids inside my three foot tall vases. I got a kick out of one of the event staff when I set it on the table. His eyes popped open wide and said, "Whoa....that is the tallest centerpiece I have ever seen!" LOL I love a good shock factor in a good way of course. For the parent's tables, we stepped it up a bit and did my three foot tall vases with sunken white dendrobium orchids topped with a lush ring of white hydrangea, white roses, vendella roses, sahara roses, and white dendrobium orchids. From the middle sprayed an array of curly willow branches onto which I hand glued white dendrobium orchid blossoms. It is truly one of my top favorite pieces! It just screamed elegance, whimsy and class all at once! I could not help but snap a few fun pictures from their reception as they had some great details! The menu cards had their picture on the front and the menu on back. Each guest had a rock with their name in both English and Chinese characters. Their wedding coordinator, Danielle O'Dill, with Something Classic Events, http://www.somethingclassicevents.com/ told me that each rock also had the guests' choice of meal on them. What a clever idea!! And I loved the fact that the menu card was a laminated picture so that each guest could have a nice photo of the couple. Since I had a few extra orchids. I decided to place one on each plate at the head table and on the two parent's tables. I frequently do extra touches like this as I always love the idea of surprising the couple with something fun that they weren't expecting. Congratulations to David and Clarissa!

Melissa and J.D.'s Wedding

2009-06-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

I got to say, WOW!!! What amazing purple hydrangea!! It was truly some of the most gorgeous purple hydrangea I have seen and I have seen a lot of flowers over the last 20 years! Melissa chose a color scheme of black, purple and white. Her bridesmaids were in floor length black gowns with lavander sashes. Melissa's gown was white, strapless with ruching at the waist and lace around the bottom edge. Their ceremony was held in Woodland Park on a rainy, but beautiful day! The dramatic views with the clouds racing throughout the mountains and all the lush green everywhere was breathtaking.

One of Melissa's requests was to make the flower girl halo as narrow as possible. No problem as I know some bride's prefer the petite look. Then, I saw her precious daughter, aka, the flower girl. She came running up the aisle, sippy cup in hand asking me, "Where is my mommy?" I led her to where Melissa and her girls' were getting ready where grandma very happily greeted her. The sweetheart had fine, blonde curly hair and I just know that halo looked precious on her little head!

A great tip for the budget: Melissa chose hydrangea clusters to adorn her chairs. These clusters were then taken off and placed in vases on her guests' tables for an instant centerpiece. Double duty is always a good thing I say!

Once again, I truly hope I get pictures of this happy couple and their wedding from their photographer Megan Hardre'. http://www.meganhardrephotography.com/

Congratulations to this wonderful family and Melissa, I am going to miss you. :o)

Added on June 8, 2009:

I just got an email with these pictures from professional photographer Megan Hadre'. http://www.meganhardrephotography.com/ I am always THRILLED to get professional pictures of my work as I am a lousy photographer. Thank you so much Megan!!! The first three are her work, obviously!

Angelica and Adam's May 30 wedding

2009-06-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

What a sweet couple!! When I first met with them to discuss their wedding flowers it was very evident to me that this was a couple that was very much in love and in tune with each other. Angelica, not pronounced with the "g" but prounounced with an "h" as in Anhelica, is from Columbia. Can you say exotic beauty!? Not only sweet but beautiful as well. I am hoping to get a good professional picture of this couple for my photo albums! They chose yellow and blue with white accents for their colors. I have found that most couples marrying at the Air Force Chapel usually have some shade of blue which I feel is very appropriate. I used blue bachelor buttons for the blue in this wedding. I love those little flowers. For some reason I love the idea of them in bouts. "Bachelor Buttons=guys"

I wish I had gotten a photo of the entire table. Not only were there these amazing cookies on each napkin, but also beaded wine glass charms and napkin rings. I later found out from their coordinator, Taylor Fry, that Angelica's mother had made all three! WOW!! They were really amazing to say the least. I am also sad that I did not get the chance to meet Adam's mother. We had several communications over the planning process and she was a very organized and friendly person. Congratulations to Adam and Angelica!

Nicole and Mario's Pinecrest Wedding

2009-06-02T10:25:00.001-07:00

Nicole and Mario's May 30th wedding at The Historic Pinecrest in Monument Park was a great mix between Colorado country and traditional elegance. The Pinecrest has a chapel and an event center so that you can have your ceremony and reception in one place. They chose traditional red roses with white accents as their flowers. Her bridesmaids all wore red and her chosen gown was strapless, beaded and in her words, "pouffy". To compliment her gown she decided on a cascade style bouquet heavy on the red roses with white dendrobium accents throughout. I always warn my cascade brides, "Beware!! Cascades, while dramatic, are heavy!! Not only your arms, but your maid of honor's will get a work out!" Congratulations!!

May 24th Wedding

2009-05-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

May 24 and I was headed to Denver for the Hindu wedding of Sameer and Manjari! This wedding was filled with loads of color from the beautiful sari's the women were wearing to the flowers themselves. Sameer and Manjari decided to forego the traditional bright colors of reds, yellows and oranges and instead focused on antique golds and peaches. The result was gorgeous! Their mandap had four large floral sprays in the corners. The wedding garlands were a mixture of several type of mokkara orchids in shades of antique gold accented with red spray roses and gold ribbon. We did a deconstructed centerpiece of cylinder vases in three heights. Each one contained a mass of hydrangea, alstromeria or lilies in various shades of peaches. Unfortunatly, I did not get a picture of this happy and good looking couple in their wedding finery. I am hoping that their photographer will be so kind as to send me a few professional ones as I would love to have them for my albums. On a funny note, the coordinator emailed me just this morning telling me that the flowers were such a hit that the guests were fighting over them at the end of the evening! Now THAT is a first for me! :o)

May 23rd Wedding

2009-05-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

Shannon and Tyler were married at Air Force Academy Chapel on May 23. Their reception followed at the Officer's Club. Shannon was a joy to work with from start to finish! Her bubbly personality made the planning fun! Her chosen colors were light blue, yellow and green with the blue the main color. Her bouquet consisted of white roses, white hydrangea and stephanotis with crystal centers. Her 7 bridesmaids wore light blue, floor length gowns and carried bouquets of blue hydrangea, yellow roses and green hypericum berries. Truly a fresh, fun and spring like wedding! Congratulatsion to Shannon and Tyler!!