Archive for August, 2011

Destination Wedding At The Quechee Club

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

Rachel and Mike tied the knot on a beautiful sumer day at The Quechee Club.  Their destination wedding had a colorful, gardeny feeling with raspberry pink, orange, yellow, green and white flowers.  The couple lives in D.C., but they met at Dartmouth College so a New England wedding was a perfect fit!

Rachel carried a bouquet of pink dahlias, roses, yellow and pink freesia, orange and white ranunculus, and mini green hydrangea tied with a raspberry pink silk dupioni ribbon.

Her six bridesmaids wore blue dresses and carried colorful bouquets similar to the bride’s with orange dahlias and white nigella.

The men wore boutonnieres of rosemary and yellow spray roses with hypericum berries.

It was a perfect Vermont day for an outdoor wedding at Murphy Farm.  Our birch chuppah helped set the scene.

Their reception at the Quechee Club also showcased a nature-inspired theme with birch centerpieces of gardeny designs including dahlias, raspberry pink roses, godetia, ranunculus, mini green hydrangea, dianthus and yellow spray roses.

Guests were greeted with a piece of fresh rosemary or hypericum berries set with their menus.

A placecard display of branches in birch containers was also in-step with the natural branchy style of the wedding.

Congratulations to Rachel and Mike on your destination wedding!  I can recall our first conversation last October and it was such a joy to see everything come together (including beautiful weather!) for your perfect day!

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How To Wear A Boutonniere

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

I was looking through photos on a wedding blog the other day and noticed that the groom’s boutonniere was pinned to the wrong side of his suit!  So….here’s a quickie for ya on how to wear a boutonniere…

First, the boutonniere gets pinned to the left side of the lapel of a man’s suit.  (This is the same side as the pocket for a pocket square.)

Most suits and tuxedos have a buttonhole in the lapel that is intended to hold a flower.  (You’ve seen this in old movies where a dapper Dan stops off to buy a pink carnation that he tucks into his lapel before picking up his dame.)  Now, one doesn’t put a boutonniere through this buttonhole, however use it as a guide for where the flower should be placed.

If the suit doesn’t have a buttonhole, then position the boutonniere so the flower is in line with the bottom of the shirt collar and top of the lapel {much like the photo below}.

I always put 2 pins with each boutonniere so one can be pinned going up the back of the boutonniere (pushed up toward the flower head) and then the other pin can secure it from the top down if need be.

The pins should be placed behind the lapel so they are not seen.

To recap: boutonnieres go on the left; pins go behind the lapel.  Simple.

 

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English Garden Style Wedding at The Essex

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

Nell and Michael travelled across the Atlantic for their Vermont wedding at The Essex.  The couple met in England and an English garden style was inspiration for the decor.  The bride had a color palette of peachy and creme tones with pale blues and she wanted designs that were natural and asymmetrical in shape.  They created an absolutely beautiful day for their 35 guests.

Here is a look at the 7 attendants’ bouquets and the bridal bouquet.

The bride carried white garden roses, freesia, double tulips, sweet peas, pinky-peach callas and pale blue tweedia.

Here is another shot of the bride’s garden inspired bouquet.

The bridesmaids wore periwinkle blue and carried bouquets of delphinium, callas, peach roses and yellow spray roses.

The ceremony in the garden was framed by an arbor with ivy, roses and delphinium.

The creative vision of Belinda Norris Events transformed the Atrium into an elegant dining room, pub and overall comfy space.

The table was lined with orchids, callas, roses, delphinium and floating tulips with beargrass and finished with lots of candlelight.

You can see how this classic bar from Rain or Shine Tent and Events, cocktail tables and couches made the Atrium feel welcoming.

Cheers to Nell and Michael!  It was a pleasure working with you and I look forward to seeing your professional photos from Barrie Fisher!  The day after their wedding Nell told me that Belinda, Barrie and I were part of her “Dream Team”…I’ll take that any day!

A little update…Belinda sent me this photo of the room from a different angle!  Thanks, Belinda!

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What’s A Toss Bouquet?

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

A toss bouquet is a small bouquet (oftentimes a smaller version of the bride’s bouquet) that is considered a “throw away bouquet”.  We’ve all seen a bride throw a bouquet over her shoulder at the end of the night to all the single ladies as a symbol of “luck” that whoever catches the bouquet will be the next to marry.

Many brides forego this tradition, but I still make toss bouquets several times a year.  I usually place the toss bouquet on the head table or sweetheart table in a vase so the bride can swap it out to display her bridal bouquet during the reception.

Are you going to toss a bouquet at your wedding?  Did you order a toss bouquet from your floral designer?

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Yellow, White and Green Wedding At The Brick House

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Anne & Jeanne had a beautiful, intimate summer wedding at The Brick House in Shelburne.  The color palette of yellow, white and green creates a clean and bright display of seasonal flowers with an elegant, romantic feel.

The view from The Brick House is quintessential Vermont.

The brides carried small clutch bouquets of hydrangea, freesia, sweet peas, fresh mint and roses.  Also pictured here are a yellow spray rose boutonniere with chamomile for Jeanne’s father and small gathering vase of hydrangea, roses, freesia and yarrow for the cocktail tables.

A ceremony on the lawn with the backdrop of the lake set a gorgeous scene.

The centerpieces included white & green hydrangea, yellow Asiatic lilies, ranunculus, spray roses and white & creme de la creme garden roses for a lush, romantic feel.

Gorgeous linens and rental items were provided by Vermont Tent Co. and Cloud 9 Caterers handled all the details on the scene.

Congratulations to Anne and Jeanne on your Vermont wedding!  It was the perfect day and your destination wedding came together beautifully!

“Jeanne and I wanted to thank you for putting together such beautiful arrangements – the mix of flowers were wonderful and contributed to making our wedding day very special…Again, thank you, thank you!”  -Anne & Jeanne

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Perfect Arranger: The New Floral Frog

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

I took a trip down to Hildene in the spring for a site visit for a wedding {by the way you can see Beth & Danny’s Wedding here} and whilst I was in their super fun gift shop I could not resist buying this “Perfect Arranger” which is what I’d describe as a newer version of a floral frog.  The weave of the stainless steel coils allows for stem to easily be maneuvered inside of a bowl or low dish and submerged in water.  I think they’re pretty cool.  They’re rust proof and dishwasher safe so ✔check and ✔check!

I know what you’re probably thinking…I’m such an experienced designer that flowers must bow in submission at the mere sound of my clippers…what would I need with a floral frog?!  This is the kind of tool that can help transform a silver candy dish or gravy boat into the perfect flower vessel.  I look forward to using it in many different ways!

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White Wedding Flowers At Stowe Mountain Lodge

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

Kristen and Timothy were married in Stowe, VT with a reception at Stowe Mountain Lodge.  I can remember my first conversation with the bride when she described the style she wanted as peaceful and romantic.  I had never heard someone use the word “peaceful” to describe their wedding style and I liked it…a lot!

Elegant white blooms of roses, hydrangea and ranunculus created a look that was clean and natural for their destination wedding.  The bride carried white roses, sweet peas, lisianthus, ranunculus and stephanotis.  The stems were wrapped with lace from the bride’s dress.

This is another look at the bride’s bouquet.

 Here’s a better look at the lace wrap with pearl pins and fluffy white attendants’ bouquets.

The bridesmaids wore green dresses and carried bouquets of white hydrangea, roses and ranunculus.  The flower girls and mothers also carried small clutch bouquets.

Boutonnieres and corsages were made of spray roses and stephanotis for the groom.

 The eight attendants’ bouquets were packed and ready to go to Stowe!

 For the reception at Stowe Mountain Lodge the centerpieces included hydrangea, roses, ranunculus, lisianthus and star of Bethlehem with aspidistra leaves to hide the stems.

The place cards were displayed in wooden trays with moss and lily grass wrapped votives.

Kristen is a teacher and her students put together an unbelievably cute collection of stories for the wedding.  Here is what one student wrote for the letter “V”.  {I personally love the “very exciting voyage into marriage” and “valuing each other’s virtues”!}

Congratulations to Kristen and Timothy on a beautiful wedding day!  It absolutely made my day to get a message from the bride on Sunday night…

“I just wanted to express our gratitude.  The flowers were absolutely beautiful and really set the scene!  Thank you for working so hard and being so dedicated!!    I loved the bouquets, centerpieces, votives, and everything!!!!”  -Kristen

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Peach Cobbler Recipe: Wonderful Wife Tip Revisited

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

I shared this peach cobbler recipe last year on my blog and since peaches have been fantastic this year it’s time to share it with anyone who missed it!

I grew up with my mom making this peach cobbler as a special breakfast treat.  My husband still cannot believe we used to eat this for breakfast, but I think it’s perfect for any time of day.  It’s a super easy recipe that will automatically put you in the wonderful wife category.  We’ve always favored peaches as our fruit of choice, but it is delicious with apples as well!

First you’ll mix in a casserole or gratin dish:

1 ½ – 2 cups fruit, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup water and ½ teaspoon vanilla and top with cinnamon.

Then, microwave it for about 1 minute until it is warmed up a bit.  (You can also do this in a pan on the stove if you prefer not to use a microwave and just heat for a few minutes on medium until warm.)

Grease a glass pie dish and put the fruit in the dish while you prepare the topping.

To make the topping mix in a medium mixing bowl:

1 egg, ½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon of shortening (I think melted butter is best, but I have used safflower oil and sunflower oil, too), 1 tablespoon milk, ½ cup flour, ½ tablespoon baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt and stir with a fork until combined.

Pour the topping over the fruit and bake for 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven until lightly browned on top.  Allow to cool for a little while before serving, but it’s delicious warm or cold!  Be prepared for praise.  Enjoy…and have it for breakfast.  Live a little!  It’s my favorite way to eat a peach!

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Wedding At Topnotch Resort, Stowe, VT

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

The pastoral beauty of Vermont is the ideal setting for an outdoor wedding.  Renee and Keith had their destination wedding on a gorgeous end-of-July day at Topnotch Resort in Stowe.  Coral and aqua were the inspiration for the wedding attire and the flowers complemented that palette with a bright summery style that was rustic and gardeny.

The bride carried a bouquet of coral roses, orange ranunculus, white freesia, lisianthus, pale yellow spray roses and callas.

Eight bridesmaids wore coral dresses and carried bouquets of gerberas, roses, spray roses, ranunculus, phlox & kermit poms.

The ceremony took place under a natural wood arbor adorned with snapdragons, roses and phlox.

Birch was used throughout the wedding including the centerpieces.

The father of the bride made birch candle holders for each wedding guest!

The gorgeous cake by Perrin of Vermont Cake Studio was also in step with the birch design elements.  Mason jars filled with dahlias, phlox, gerberas, snapdragons, ranunculus and roses added a casual touch to the tables.

Custom signs (again, by the talented father of the bride!) pointed guests in the right direction.

Place cards displayed in birch logs with moss and floral accents greeted guests at the cocktail hour.

Family wedding photos were another special detail on the place card display.  These pictures are fab-u-lous!

The day was incredibly beautiful and so was the view!

Congratulations to Renee and Keith!  The DIY (or should I say, Dad-DIY!) details came together so nicely to bring a natural, Vermonty  theme to the day as well as a truly personalized style.  You can check out photos from Eve Event of Renee and Keith’s engagement session here which is super cute by the way!

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