Archive for July, 2011

July Wedding At Vermont National Country Club

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Katie and Dan tied the knot on one of the hottest days of the summer, but their color palette and overall style was extremely cool.  I first met the groom when I was conducting a seminar at The Vermont Vows Wedding Affair at Shelburne Farms last November and if I had an award for “most involved groom” it might go to Dan because he attended to many details…including following up on floral details with me!  I get a genuine feel-good vibe from couples who share the planning tasks.  The bride and groom brought a true taste of Vermont to their guests at their reception at Vermont National Country Club and their style was right up my alley.

Katie chose a coordinated, but not overly matchy palette of white, black, green and grey for a modern, yet classic feeling.  The bride’s bouquet included white mini callas, ranunculus, roses & dahlias with burgundy scabiosa (our nod to “black”), dusty miller, sedum and lemon leaf.

Here’s another look at the bride’s bouquet along with a couple of centerpieces in green depression glass pedestal vases which the bride and her mother collected.  I LOVE THEM!  They added a perfect touch of vintage charm.

The bridesmaids wore grey dresses in various styles so a grey dupioni band of ribbon with pearl pins finished each bouquet.  The girls’ bouquets also included green ‘Jade’ roses and trachellium to set apart from the bride.

 Like, seriously, don’t you love these pedestal vases?!

 There were a several different styles represented for an eclectic look.

 Lemon leaf garland and julep cups adorned the cake table and keeping with their color palette were these super fun striped straws in classic dispensers!

 Lounge furniture from Vermont Tent Co. created a comfortable space for guests to relax & enjoy the view of the dance floor.

 Their menu featured Vermont ingredients for a local, seasonal flair.  Chalkboards (with green chalk of course!) directed guests to the cocktail reception on the lawn and the oyster bar!

 Julep cups with vintage appeal adorned the cocktail tables on the lawn and highboy tables at the reception.

Congratulations to Katie and Dan who pulled together a lot of details and created an elegant, yet comfortable and welcoming atmosphere.  The setting of Vermont National Country Club (which is beautiful both outside and inside!) created a fantastic backdrop for a truly unique Vermont-inspired event!

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FAQ’s For Your Wedding Florist. Answered.

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

Questions & Concerns You May Have:

Q:  How do I book you as my wedding florist?

A:  Once you fill out my Wedding Query Form I’ll be in touch asap.  From there we will schedule a phone consultation to get the ball rolling.  Our first conversation is a mutual interview to see how our styles and personalities match up.

If it feels like we’ll be a good match I will create a preliminary proposal for you which includes an estimated total cost for your wedding flowers. After you review the proposal a signed contract and nonrefundable deposit will reserve your date.

Q:  How far in advance should I book?

A:  I only book about 15 weddings per season so my calendar can book up quickly.  Couples planning a wedding in Vermont from May-October should secure a florist as soon as a location and wedding date have been decided upon.  I usually start booking events about 9 months to 1 year before the wedding date.

Q:  What happens after I book you?

A:  We move at your pace once we are under contract meaning we can finalize a plan as soon as you’re ready or wait until as late as 4 weeks before your date.  There is no rush to decide “exactly” what you want/need, but usually we have a pretty good plan figured out a few month before your wedding.

We can arrange an in-person meeting if you would like to sit down and look through flower photos with me to refine your style.  We do not meet more than once unless you are having a large wedding with a lot of details to manage.

Q:  I have a budget of {fill in the blank}.  Will that be enough to do what I want?

A:  This obviously depends on your total floral budget as well as all the details you have in mind, but I will offer you a clear and honest assessment of what a realistic budget for your flowers will be.

Q:  We are planning from out of state.  Can I book with you without meeting in person?

A:  Absolutely.  A majority of my clients book with me after our initial phone consultation and preliminary proposal.  We can schedule an in-person meeting at my home-studio in Jericho when you are in the area and I try my best to be accommodating to your schedule.

Q:  I know what my style is, but don’t know any specific flowers that I like. Now what?

A:  You don’t need to know anything about flowers to have beautiful flowers for your wedding.  I will ask pointed questions to help me determine the best flowers for your style.

Q:  Can you help me with other design elements/details of the day?

A:  Flowers are my main priority, but I am more than happy to offer suggestions and guidance in any way that I can to help the overall flow of your day go smoothly.  Linens, stationery, wedding attire…you name it and I’ve probably got an opinion, a suggestion, or a referral for you.

Q:  How many weddings do you book in a weekend?

A:  I prefer to book only 1 wedding per weekend, however, there are occasions when I will design more than one event. You may reserve the entire weekend for an Exclusive Event.

Q:  Will you travel for an on-site consultation?

A:  Absolutely.  There is a charge which includes travel time.  The average rate is $250.

Q:  Are local/seasonal flowers available?

A:  Local flowers are most readily available in Vermont from mid-June through August.  If you have a particular color palette or favorite flowers in mind it may be more (or less) difficult to source specific blooms for you.  I personally think that July is the best month to find local, in-season varieties.

Fill Out A Wedding Query Form Here

It’s important that you work with vendors that make you feel comfortable and that suit both your style and budget.  I don’t believe you should be left wondering what the final bill will be or if your florist “gets you”.

Planning the flowers should be one of the fun parts of the wedding process and it’s my pleasure to assist you along the way.

If you have a “Q” that I didn’t “A” please shoot me an e-mail and I will get back to you with an answer asap!

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White, Green, Yellow and Blue Wedding Flowers in Stowe, Vermont

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

I truly consider myself lucky to have a job that elicits compliments on my work and thank you’s from my clients, but the biggest compliment by far is when I am hired to work on more than one wedding in a family.  I designed the flowers for the sister of the bride’s wedding in 2009 and when their mom contacted me about Stacey and Justin’s wedding at Spruce Peak in Stowe I was both flattered and excited to have the opportunity to work with the family again.

The colors for the wedding were a clean, crisp palette of whites, greens, yellows and blues.  The bride carried white lisianthus, roses, sweet peas, freesia, mini green hydrangea and fresh oregano tied with a band of green silk dupioni ribbon.

The bridesmaids wore blue dresses and carried bouquets with yellow accent tones of ranunculus and freesia.

 I’m kinda loving these bouquets paired with the antique tin ceiling background.

The weather was absolutely perfect for their July wedding on the natural stone patio at Spruce Peak.

Centerpieces in birch containers were filled with white and green hydrangea, poppy pods, yellow snapdragons, spray roses, cottage yarrow, bupleurum, curly willow and blue delphinium for a fresh, summery look.

Perrin Williams of Vermont Cake Studio created a lovely display for dessert.

Wine corks greeted guests with their table number.

For their rehearsal dinner at Stowe Mountain Lodge I designed centerpieces of yellow irises, fresh mint, roses, sweet peas and green hydrangea to complement the style of the next day’s designs without giving away the entire look of the wedding.

The majority of the wedding planning was handled by the mother of the bride since the couple lives in Colorado and due to the timing of the day I never got the chance to meet the bride or the groom (crazy, I know!), but I can say that it was a genuine pleasure to have the opportunity to be a part of both daughters’ weddings!   Congrats to Stacey and Justin who had one of the most beautiful days of the summer for their outdoor ceremony.  (And congratulations to MOB, Carole, for planning two destination weddings in VT over the past few years!)  I look forward to seeing your smiling faces in pics from Kathleen Landwehrle!

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Raspberry Crumble Recipe

Thursday, July 14th, 2011

I shared one of my favorite wonderful wife tips with you in this post with Jacques Pépin’s Berry Crumble Recipe and since black raspberries are in season in my garden it’s the perfect time to share it again!

I made a few improvisations on the original recipe (which you’ll find below) by using only black raspberries from my garden, adding about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and this time I used butter as Jacques suggests in his recipe, but I only used about 2 Tbl. instead of 5 Tbl.  (I mixed about 1 Tbl. of butter in with the granola and then put small pieces of butter on the top so it would melt into the top.)  Try this recipe and tell me what you think.  You can mix together the ingredients in about 15 minutes or less and I suggest you keep an eye on it when it’s in the oven because you may find it cooks in less than 35 minutes.

I made this raspberry crumble this morning.  I’ll reheat it a bit before serving tonight and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Here’s my original post with the recipe:

Jacques Pépin is one of my kitchen heroes.  He rocks.  His Fast Food My Way series on PBS is inspired with a message that delicious food doesn’t have to take a long time to make (my mantra!).  This is a recipe I tried a few weeks ago for the first time and it will definitely be a welcome addition to my repertoire.  As usual you will see I made a few subs, but that’s what being a wonderful wife is all about–sometimes you’ve gotta use what you’ve got!

Rhubarb and berry crumble–This recipe couldn’t be easier or more lovely.  The mint makes it pop.  With only 7 ingredients I think it’s good enough to serve in a restaurant.  Really.

You will need:  3/4 pound rhubarb, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3 cups–which I found was about 2 really long stalks), 3/4 pound strawberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 Tablespoons flour, about 24 fresh peppermint or spearmint leaves, 1 cup granola (he suggests pecan granola, but I used a granola with coconut and sesame seeds from a local bakery), about 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp. (I used unrefined coconut oil which happened to be a room temp. and worked deliciously!!) and finally 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche for serving (I skipped it and it was perfect.)

A little side note:  I used cherries instead of strawberries because I didn’t have any yet and I can imagine several tart fruits working well.  I am going to try it again with black raspberries that are bountiful in my garden right now…maybe with a little lemon in there…I’ll let you know how it turns out!

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Put the rhubarb and berries in a bowl with 1/4 cup of the sugar, 2 Tablespoons of the flour, and the mint leaves.  Mix well and transfer to a 6-cup-capacity gratin dish or glass baking dish.

Put the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 T. flour, the granola and the butter or coconut oil in a small bowl and combine with your fingers (the fun part!) until crumbly and well mixed.  Sprinkle over the fruit.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is browned.  Serve with sour cream or creme fraiche if you choose.

My mother-in-law just happened to stumble into a book store one day when Jacques was doing a signing.  She picked up a cookbook, had it signed and after learning of my admiration she gifted it to me.  My mother-in-law’s name is Sheri, but no doubt due to his French influence he wrote Cheri before correcting it.  He also drew some scallions around the inscription.  Did I mention he rocks?  You can check out a slideshow of some of Jacques artwork here.

Happy cooking!  I know you will enjoy this recipe.  If you try it, let me know how it turns out!

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Vermont Wedding at Hildene

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

Even though I’m from NJ I grew up skiing in the Manchester, VT area so it’s always fun when weddings bring us down that way.  Bethany and Danny chose the historic Lincoln family home, Hildene, to host their destination Vermont wedding.  Beth described a “luxe garden party” as the theme for this colorful summer wedding and with the vibrant purples, pinks, yellows, greens and orange tones of the flowers along with the gorgeous setting this wedding was clearly garden inspired.

The bride carried a bouquet of pink ‘Tiega’ roses, deep pink peonies, two shades of purple dahlias, sweet peas, lisianthus, yellow freesia and bupleurum.

 The groom wore a boutonniere of green kermit palms and a lisianthus bud.  Green mums were one of the bride’s favorite flowers.

A birch chuppah in the garden complemented the natural setting.

Another wife-husband team, Daria and Andy Bishop, were on the scene to capture the couple getting their “first look” at one another.

 It really is a beautiful setting…even on a cloudy day!

Deep purple linens added the perfect pop to the tent at Hildene.  Centerpieces of dahlias, gerberas, roses, sweet William, sweet peas, Kermit poms, bupleurum and royal purple stock brought a burst of color to the tabletops.

The tables were named with different flowers including orchid, peony, daisy, iris & poppy.  We placed flowers at each setting…a special touch to greet guests!

 Here’s another look at the summery centerpieces.

I’m a sucker for cute signs on the backs of the bride and groom’s chairs so I grabbed this final shot before heading home.

Congratulations to Beth and Danny!  We first started planning your wedding details last June and it’s hard to believe your big day has come and gone already!  When we caught the tail end of the cocktail hour it seemed like guests were enjoying quite a party and all of your thoughtful details (including the beautiful silk fabric you chose for your chuppah!) came together in a fabulous way.  A beautiful setting and a beautiful couple…what more do you need?!

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Homemade Iced Tea

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

I first posted this iced tea recipe in March of 2010 as one of my favorite things and now that summer’s in full swing it’s the perfect time to share it again!

When the weather gets warmer and the sun is shining I’ve always loved a good sun tea.  I’ve spent countless summer days placing a pitcher in the sun to capture that heat and make my brew, but last summer when I heard about refrigerator tea while listening to The Splendid Table I gave it a shot and said Sayonara to my sun chasing days.  It is so refreshing and you can make it rain or shine all year long!

Here’s how I do it: I fill a half-gallon mason jar (64 oz.) with water, add four tea bags–any kind you like will work, but I personally prefer green tea, peach tea or black tea, twist the top on the jar and put in the fridge overnight.  I’ve left my tea for anywhere from 8-14 hours.  It’s a true “set it and forget it” situation.  In the morning you can remove the tea bags and enjoy this simple, passive, cold brew.  Note:  If you prefer to use a loose-leaf tea you can estimate the amount of tea so it measures about 3+ tablespoons depending on how strong you like your tea.

I have no doubt you will love it!  {Add a few ice cubes and some fresh mint if you’re fancy!}

 

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Middlebury Vermont Wedding

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

I just love a romantic, garden-style wedding and it was a beautiful day for Maija and Brian’s wedding in Middlebury, Vermont.  A ceremony at Mead Chapel was a perfect location for these Middlebury College graduates followed by a reception at Waybury Inn.  They did their planning from Vermont and Massachusetts as the bride was in Medical School and the groom coaches college baseball–yup, I know a few friends who would call this a dream job!–and then, Maija took an opportunity to do an internship in Peru which had her returning to the good ole USA only a couple of weeks before their big day!  Their gardeny wedding came together beautifully with a color palette of soft pinks, white, coral, peach, yellow and orange.

The bride wanted a romantic, summery feeling for their wedding.  Her bouquet included coral peonies, pink ranunculus, two-tone white and pink dahlias, peach spray roses, as well as two varieties of two-tone pink roses and spray roses.

The bridesmaids wore lovely light grey dresses and carried bouquets with a touch of yellow to brighten the palette.

Here’s a shot of all the bouquets boxed up and ready to go to Middlebury!

David took a photo of the centerpieces before placing them on the tables.   These arrangements included peonies, freesia, ranunculus, roses, spray roses, dahlias, sweet William and hydrangea.

The centerpieces were all a little bit different since they wanted a slightly organic and eclectic feeling.  They were designed in white ceramic containers with a vintage-garden style.

I love these menu cards!  The favors were maple sugar candies individually wrapped at each setting.

Ceremony arrangements from Mead Chapel were moved to the porch at the Inn.

The tent definitely had a romantic, gardeny feel for the reception with tissue paper peonies on the tent poles.  My husband said, “Those paper flowers look like these peonies in the centerpieces.”  To which I replied, “Yep, they’re supposed to!”  Nice work, Maija!

For all the thought and TLC that went into planning this wedding one of my absolute favorite details were the table numbers.  I’ve never seen tables numbered like this before…they picked numbers that had special meaning to them…SO for example table 30 represented “the number of days Brian was forced to take over wedding planning because Maija was working in a Peruvian hospital.”  They also had table 1.38 which was the price of gas when they went on their first date.  Ummm…yeah, you should totally steal this idea because it’s pretty great!

Congratulations to Maija and Brian!  It was a beautiful day in Middlebury {quite possibly the nicest day of the season so far!} and I hope it was all you dreamed it would be!
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