Floating Alter

Gah! Saipua! She's done it again. This time in the form of a gorgeous floating, floral alter. I guess it helps when she is your best friend and maid of honor!

Blushing Bloom

As lovely as they can be, I didn't think I wanted a bouquet. It just seemed like a cumbersome thing to worry about. I'd have to keep putting it down everywhere and mostly like I would lose it or ruin it within the first 10 minutes. I'm not walking down an aisle (more on that later) which is really the only time people would have a chance to see it. Then I saw this bouquet by Saipua. Damn you Saipua and your beautiful blooms! Why do you taunt me so?!

Tigers to Lilies

I found Lili through the Scout Holiday blog. Lili did the gorgeous arrangments for Cheri's wedding. I love her elegant yet wild arrangements for the San Juan Capistrano Ecology Center's Green Feast. I'm planning my friend's wedding right now and am hoping to convince her to use Lili for her florals.

{photos via Lili's flickr}

Big Blooms

Ok...now back to the details. I love the large and in charge (and economical) single blooms from this wedding.

Farmer's Market Flowers Part 1

I've decided that in order to prevent a complete breakdown and utter frustration on my part on the day of the wedding I need to start getting my flower arranging skills in order now. Sunday means the Farmer's Market around here so every once and awhile I'm going to take $20 bucks down there and come home with a bundle of blooms.

I have to say that my first attempt wasn't so great. I was having a grand ol' time putting the flowers together per Sarah's instructions but the finished project was a little messy. Maybe less is more. I do love the little jars that I made and I think I'll work with more large flowers next time and less filler.

I bought the hydrangeas at Trader Joes. Now these things are supposed to last at least a week but the TJ flowers wilted in 24 hours. I don't think I will buy flowers from there again because there might just be a reason why they are so inexpensive. Anyone else have similar problems with TJ flowers?

Do you have any tips for DIY flowers?

PS: Who can tell me what the pink flowers are? I could not understand what the seller was telling me! UPDATE: They are lisianthus. Thank you, Elisa!

Anemone, I Love You

Sarah of Saipua has recently turned me into an anemone and ranunculus convert. And it's not just because ranunculus is, like, THE most fun word to say ever. I have been a die-hard lily and orchid fan for probably my entire life. Growing up, every summer would bring bunches and bunches of tiger lilies to my mother's gardens. I have always hated roses and their selfish imposition onto the floral world. Then I saw those sweet, sweet anemones and I fell in love with their delicacy, friskiness and expressiveness. Yes, I just called a flower frisky. I'll call it flirty too. They're like long, dark eyelashes batting playfully over some baby blues. Ok, I'll stop talking dirty and get to the good stuff.

From left to right: Nibs Blog, Once Wed, Saipua, Fleurs NYC, Design*Sponge, Stone Blossoms Floral, Camilla Flowers

DIY Mason Jar Centerpieces

I'm really excited about skipping the vendor route and doing most, if not all, of our wedding stuff ourselves. I'm a pretty hands-on kind of girl and a wee bit of a control freak so there was never any question about this being a DIY wedding. I also like simplicity which makes this centerpiece trend ideal for me. For a long time I didn't even think I would have flowers for the wedding. And then I thought wouldn't it be fun to go around to all of my folks' neighbors the day before and ask if I can have some flowers from their gardens. My parents live in an itty bitty, New England town where there are a lot of Colonial houses and gorgeous gardens. We've been there for a million years and my mom is in the garden club so it wouldn't be too hard to gather beautiful bouquets. Just in case I can't collect enough I'll probably take a quick swing by Trader Joes for some extra buds. My mother and I both collect jars of every shape and size and I would love to just put a mish mash of jars on each table. I imagine a million jars full of candles too. Even though it's a big trend these days, I think it's pretty and classic enough to work in a couple of years too.

(Martha, I think; Junk Drawer; Country Living; Snippet and Ink; Once Wed; I forget!; The Fairmount Bride; Snippet and Ink; 10,000 Wedding}

And my perfect bouquet:

From Snippet and Ink's board for the always amazing Katie