Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Wedding Snapshot: Lynne and Chris

This wedding snaphot features Lynne and Chris, who exchanged vows in August 2011 at the Vine Hill House.
A gorgeous, warm, lazy summer day met these two love birds. This wedding had lots of fun details including Peach Cardamom Jam favors (umm...yum), fun polka dot straws and an elegant but laid back outdoor reception.

The flowers for the couple featured Dahlia, Roses, Garden Roses, Sneezewort, Hydrangea, Mint, Eucalyptus, Passion Vines and Fig Tree. Perfect for their Napa surroundings.

All image credit goes to Sabine Scherer Photography:









We're so glad we could be a part of tihs special day, congratulations Lynne and Chris!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Wedding Snapshot: Angela and Praphant

We spent Valentine's Day with a lovely couple, Angela and Praphant, as they said their "I Dos" in an intimate ceremony. We love the idea of a quiet, elegant ceremony, so we made the flowers for their day simple - just a boutonniere and a bouquet.




We wanted to make these flowers look like they were just gathered from a garden, so we used seasonal picks: Ranunculus, Sweet Pea, Anemone, Jasmine, Geranium Leaves, Inky Viburnum Berry. Blue berries were added to the bouquet and matched perfectly with Angela's navy mini skirt with (love) red shoes.

Congratulations Angela and Praphant, best wishes for many years to come!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Valentine's Day: Things We Saw and Loved

We hope everyone is enjoying a their cherry heart lollipops and cheesy cartoon cards. Here are some other great Valentine's finds we stumbled upon this week:




We hope you all enjoy your evenings out (or in!). Have a Happy Valentine's Day...

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Crafting the Perfect Valentine's Bouquet

The arrival of Valentine's Day also brings pressure to find the perfect sweet gesture for a significant other. Gorgeous blooms are always a hit, but they can also be bland. This year, why not assemble a fun an unexpected bouquet by yourself! Follow Asako's easy DIY advice and add a super sweet touch to a Valentine's classic:

For this bouquet, we used: Cherry Blossom, Hyacinth, Tulip, Parrot Tulip, Ranunculus, Hellebore and Jasmine
1. As soon as you bring flowers home, take off all the excess foliage. Cut the stems at an angle and put them in a container while you work.



2. Cut the flowers at an angle to the length you like. Use clippers to cut the thick stems. In order to help with water in take, shave the stems. If the branches are very think, split and crosscut at the bottom. You could also hammer the stems. 


3. Place your branches in the balance you would like.

4. Take the largest variety of your flower first, and arrange one single stem at a time. Two, three or more different types of flowers placed in random intervals create a pleasing shape and a balance of color.


5. Bella! But we're not done yet. Finally, add your Jasmine. These vines will soften the arrangement.


Gorgeous, and oh so much better than a dozen roses. We've paired ours with delicious macarons instead of the usual chocolate.


Where can I find great flowers: We love Trader Joe's or Whole Foods
Do you have to have a vase? No! This time Asako used a small vintage vase that she picked from her home. The vase is about same size as drinking glass, so you could make this arrangements in glasses or jars. 
Why we love it: We love it's natural style. The colors - soft and sweet picks with an accent of purple - are very elegant.
Those Macarons look pretty fabulous...: They are! We love Chantal Guillon Macarons. Divine.

Happy arranging!



Thursday, February 2, 2012

You Say "Goodbye" I Say "Hello"

Wedding guru Mindy Weiss has shaken her crystal ball and released what she thinks are the wedding "DO"s we'll say goodbye to this season, and others which will start to make an appearance....


We LOVE large bouquets and pops of color! Also, more cake is always welcome.

What do you think? What are you happy to see go? Expecting any other "IN"s this year?

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

51 Love Stories (or, Things That Make Us Go "Awww")

We are queueing up lots of lovely wedding posts featuring our favorite love birds from 2011. But today we're thinking about, or rather counting down to, Valentine's Day. Psst: it's in 14 days.

We're working on a gift guide for those of you that need a little inspiration, but couldn't wait to share this print from Paul Octavious.



From books on the love of botany to paperbacks of cheesy romance novels, this print funkily displays at least a handful of stories which will resonate with you and your other half.

Coming up next: Valentine's Gift Guide, the Perfect V-Day Bouquet and Floral Finds from The City.