Archive for the ‘flowers’ Category

Wedding at Shelburne Farms

Monday, July 26th, 2010

This wedding at Shelburne Farms was all about hydrangea!  When I met Lisa and her daughter just about a month before her July wedding I knew she would be great to work with.  She had a very clear vision of simple, clean hydrangea in multiple colors and a classic white bouquet for herself for an intimate ceremony including family and close friends.

Seeing Lisa on her wedding day was one of the most satisfying moments for us because she was so happy when she saw her flowers that Dave told me he got goosebumps and honestly, I did, too.  Thus proving that a second wedding can be incredibly exciting!

The bride’s bouquet includes hydrangea, roses, lisianthus, freesia and fresh lavender with a ruffle of variegated pitt along the edges.

Lisa’s daughter and soon-to-be daughter-in-law were her bridesmaids.  They carried blue, purple and green hydrangea with white roses, lavender, purple freesia and variegated pitt.  The men wore white spray rose boutonnieres with accents of fresh lavender.

As a final touch the bouquets were wrapped with doillies that belonged to the bride’s mother.

The wedding took place on the north porch of the Inn.  Simple centerpieces of multi-colored hydrangea adorned the tables and the delicious looking chocolate cake from Chef’s Corner.

As we walked through the Inn there was a display of fresh veggies from their gardens!

After we set up the flowers we took a few shots of the beautiful surroundings.  This is a view from the north porch at the Inn.

I love the view as you drive away from the Inn with the Coach Barn in the distance.

Bryan from Beltrami Studios caught us snapping this shot as he was on his way up the road.  He said that since we live here we don’t need to take pictures of cows anymore!  (He clearly has no idea how much I love cows!)

Congratulations to Lisa & Fran and their families!  Cheers, to love being lovelier the second time around…even if he is taking Lisa out of Vermont!

Whitney & Andy’s Wedding at The Ponds

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Whitney and Andy were married at The Ponds at Bolton Valley and it was one of the biggest weddings that The Ponds has hosted according to the wedding coordinator, Rachel.  Whitney chose soft purple tones with blue, white and green accents as the color palette and their style was summery and Vermonty with a touch of elegance.  The bride’s mother attended a wedding I did last year and she happened to recognized their flowers in my portfolio!–so it was really important to me to meet (if not totally exceed!) their expectations. 

The bride’s bouquet includes white hydrangea, pink lisianthus, white sweet peas, roses, freesia and fresh lavender.  The stems are tied with a sage green organza ribbon.   

Below is another shot of the bride’s bouquet, a clutch bouquet for the mother of the bride, and some of the bridesmaids’ bouquets which are made up of lavender stock, 2 shades of blue delphinium, white roses, green hydrangea, purple trachellium & lavender freesia. 

How cute is their little sign at the entrance to The Ponds?!

Whitney wanted the centerpieces to be fluffy and garden-inspired, but not too wildflowery.  They are all a little different, but most of the pieces include either purple or blue hydrangea, green hydrangea, stock, thistle, roses, lisianthus, delphinium & Ti leaves to cover the stems. 

I love the mantelpiece at The Ponds.  Hydrangea was the perfect accessory.  Simple & clean.

Here are some more centerpiece shots and a couple of smaller pieces for cocktail tables.

The arbor by the pond is a beautiful backdrop for a Vermont wedding ceremony.  I get a kick out of the sound of frogs “ribbit-ing” as I set up the flowers out there! 

Congratulations to the newlyweds on what sounds like a dream wedding day!  I cannot wait to see professional pics from Amanda at Orchard Cove Photography.  I saw a sneak peek at a shot of Whitney and Andy as they recessioned down the aisle–they were absolutely beaming!

Classic white wedding bouquets

Monday, July 19th, 2010

These classic white bouquets were created for a wedding on Friday evening at Shelburne Farms.  The bride wanted something casual, yet elegant to compliment her apple green & silver color palette.  She grew wheat grass for centerpieces and displayed it on silver trays.

The bride’s bouquet includes mini green hydrangea, ranunculus, lisianthus, roses, spray roses, freesia, sedum, variegated pitt and lamb’s ear.

The image below is a view of the back of the bride’s bouquet (aka the bride’s view!).

Her four attendants wore charcoal-silver dresses with green pearls.

Here is a closer look at a bridesmaid’s bouquet.

Congratulations to Alesa & Rob!  I hope you had an amazing evening in an idyllic Vermont location!

Boutonnieres and Corsages–Who get’s them?

Friday, July 16th, 2010

Most wedding flower decisions are pretty straight forward–a bouquet for the bride and her attendants, flowers for the ceremony, centerpieces on the tables, but personal flowers such as boutonnieres and corsages tend to be more of a personal choice.

Every now and again I’ll come across a couple who opts to skip boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen (usually due to somewhat casual attire) and I’ve even had moms decide to go without flowers on occasion, but here are a few guidelines to help you decide who’s in on the personal flower list.

Boutonnieres should be considered for the groom, groomsmen, fathers, grandfathers, ushers and ring bearers as well as your officiant if you are not having a religious ceremony. 

Likewise, corsages are traditionally given to mothers & grandmothers, although I often suggest small clutch bouquets for moms–I think they are particularly nice for pictures!  

I would add to the lists above that you should include any siblings that aren’t in the wedding party and their spouses, readers, singers and other important family members including step-parents.

Think of it as a way of acknowledging people close to you on a very special day.  Include as many people as possible and decide for yourself who’s on your list.  Every family is different so ultimately you need to choose what makes the most sense for your families.

Above:  Thistle & lavender boutonniere (left) and corsage with lisianthus buds tied with raffia from Kate & Alex’s wedding.

Above:  White dendrobium orchids, spray roses, seeded eucalyptus & cedar make up these vintage-inspired winter wedding corsage & boutonniere.

Above:  An array of calla and spray rose boutonnieres with hypericum berries and myrtle.

Oh, Sweet Peas!

Friday, July 9th, 2010

My birthday is in April so when I was growing up in New Jersey it pretty much always rained on my birthday.  Since I moved to Vermont I can usually count on a snowy birthday, however there are two silver linings to these cumulus clouds that make having an April birthday kinda rock:  1.  our birthstone is a diamond, and 2. the official flower of April is the Sweet Pea. 

Sweet Peas are often called “the Queen of Annuals” by gardeners and they have been in fashion in English and country style gardens since the 17th century.  They are one of my favorite flowers (but aren’t they all?) and their butterfly-shaped appearance make them especially endearing to me. 

Here are a few Sweet Peas in an old Ball jar that brightened my day yesterday.  I hope they brighten yours!  I can’t take credit for growing them, but they made a nice addition to a bridal bouquet for this weekend’s wedding.  Happy Friday everybody!

Here is a single Sweet Pea on a blueberry box.  The tendrils give away their “pea” quality.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!  If you’re enjoying my flower pics, random musings and wedding posts I hope you’ll vote for me for “Best Local Area Blog”  in the first annual AisleDash.com wedding blog awards.  There are less than 2 weeks left for nominations so vote for your favorite wedding blogs today!  (Yes, you can vote for more than one, but do it before July 22nd!)

Kate & Alex–Destination wedding in Vermont

Monday, July 5th, 2010

I have been really lucky to work with some awesome couples and Kate and Alex who had a destination wedding at The Essex on June 27th definitely continued that trend!  They planned their Vermont wedding while attending law school and medical school, respectively, and they could be found in D.C. or Montana…or somewhere in-between!…while they were planning their big day.  Their nature-inspired designs feature dahlias, lavender, thistle, poppy pods, snapdragons, roses, larkspur, lisianthus, scabiosa, ranunculus, sweet William and freesia.  

The groom was involved in the planning details and he told us a few times how much he liked the flowers.  How cool is that?!  Boutonnieres include thistle & lavender (left), Corsages for the grandmothers also include lisianthus buds wrapped with raffia for a simple touch.

Bride’s bouquet (right & top left) included orange dahlias, snapdragons, yellow freesia, purple stock, lisianthus, scabiosa, spray roses, lavender, poppy pods, ranunculus, sweet William & thistle.  Her 2 attendants bouquets (bottom left) also include yellow roses. 

The bridesmaids wore black plum dresses & their bouquets were tied with a green silk ribbon.

In the hours before their traditional Jewish ceremony in the garden the clouds were ominous, but happily the rain held off!  The chuppah was draped with the bride’s grandmother’s lace tablecloth.  I love this detail!  Adding family pieces always make a chuppah more special.

A closer look at the chuppah decor, the sap buckets & mason jars that hung down the aisle. 

As a wedding favor Kate and Alex donated 500 lbs. of food to the Vermont Foodbank.   Heartwarming, isn’t it?  I think an altruistic gift is the best way to start off a marriage!   

Mossy containers are sort of my ‘signature’ centerpiece–I love the gardeny flowers & thistle.  These designs include larkspur, snapdragons, roses, sweet William, lisianthus, poppy pods, freesia, leucodendron, spray roses & thistle with Japanese pussy willow from my garden. 

I cannot wait to see their wedding photos!  We saw Daria and Andy Bishop hard at work! (Well, actually they said they were having a great time, but hard at work nonetheless!)  Kate was simply stunning in her beautiful dress and Alex was as dapper as a groom could be.  It was a pleasure working with you on your Vermont wedding.  Mazel tov! 

Want to make a donation to the Vermont Foodbank?  Click here!

Bee Balm from Alison’s Garden

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

Happy Fourth of July weekend!  It looks like it will be a gorgeous weekend here in Vermont and aside from BBQing with friends and attending Mitch Miller’s 99th birthday party we will hopefully get a lot of work done in our garden. 

In honor of the fireworks (which I hear are going to be fantastic in Burlington this year!!) here are a couple shots of bee balm, or ‘Monarda’, a member of the mint family, which is exploding like firecrackers in my garden.  The scarlet color and sweet nectar helps attract bees.

Becca & Blain’s Wedding in Stowe, Vermont

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Becca & Blain are a VT couple whose style I love!  They love wine & they love their dogs and both were represented beautifully in their June wedding at Stowehof.  Their easy-going, leave-it-to-the-professionals approach made my job so much fun…And a color palette of coppery oranges and lemon yellows with pops of peach is just what the drizzly day called for. 

Their adorable table numbers featuring their dogs, Salinger & Dallas, are probably my favorite detail, although the custom corks with their logo which held the escort cards were pretty darn DIY savvy.  I usually start with something floral, but check out their pooches who posed in various locations around Vermont!

Onto flowers…The bridesmaids wore lemon yellow and their bouquets included (top row) leonidas roses, yellow spray roses, white freesia, orange ranunculus, peach gerberas & roses, yarrow & oregano.   The bride carried white peonies, sweet peas, leonidas & peach roses, yellow freesia, ranunculus, yarrow & oregano.  Bottom left is the front of her bouquet, right is the back (aka the bride’s view!). 

The place cards were displayed in customized corks.  They asked their guests to write a wine recommendation on the corks & then gave them corkscrews to take home. 

The casual, country inspired centerpieces included snapdragons, freesia, roses, fresh oregano, sweet peas, spray roses, gerberas, dahlias and ranunculus in mason jars.  I love the linens.

A groomsman posed so I could get a shot of his tie…the groom wore a bow-tie.

Here’s another glimpse at the table numbers.  They really are too cute.  Clever couple!

So clever in fact, that they made a key so folks would know where in VT the pics were taken.  These dogs got around!  They were at the State House, Magic Hat, Mad River Glen, VT Teddy Bear Factory, Church Street, Snow Farm Vineyard, Ben & Jerry’s…to name a few!

The bride & groom were not afraid of a little rain.  We set up for their ceremony in a drizzle.

Congratulations to Becca & Blain! (and Salinger and Dallas, too!)  Best wishes to both of you and good luck getting through all those new wines you are going to have to try!  It was great working with you…I love when a couple gives me the freedom to just do my thing!  I am sure your fabulous DIY details will inspire other Vermont couples.

Alison’s Garden–Peonies part deux

Monday, June 28th, 2010

As June is coming to a close and the last of my peonies have bloomed it’s time to bid a fond farewell to these beauties that have graced my gardens these past few weeks.  I will miss them!  In my first peony post one month ago (right here) I declared my perennial love of the peony, but when looking through the pictures I can’t decide which are the prettiest because they are all so uniquely beautiful–from white double peonies to hot pink single blooms–so I’ll post them in color order from lightest to darkest.  You’ll notice a few busy pollinators in the mix.  I can see why the bees and ants are so attracted! 

We planted these white peonies from roots that were gifted to me 2 years ago. 

We inherited the light pink peonies (both above and below) when we bought our house. 

This coral peony is the first peony I purchased for our garden from Cady’s Falls Nursery.

The single peony above looks so exotic to me & the double hot pink below…perfection!

After 2 years of wet summers that brought some botritis to many peony lovers, while I had some terminal buds that didn’t bloom, the overall bloom quality was great.  I think the coral & the large, double light pink are pretty fantastic.  Do you have a favorite peony?

P.S.  Thanks to Krista Washburn (the super-fab editor of Vermont Vows and Well Wed magazines) for suggestioning that I do a series of blog posts called Alison’s Garden…and for your love & appreciation of beautiful flowers!!!

Alison’s favorite things (vol. 16)

Friday, June 18th, 2010

When I was in college a friend said to me, “You say faaavorite a lot.”  After he said it I had to agree!  “I guess I do”, I said.  “It’s cool”, he said, “I just don’t have that many favorites.”

This particular habit is amplified when we are talking about flowers because I truly have a lot of favorites in the flower world.  Dahlias are my favorite…so are ranunculus and poppies…and peonies, of course, and anemones…oh yeah, and lisianthus.  And tulips.  (I’ll stop there because this could go on for a while.)  Oh wait, I love orchids, too. 

I have taught a few beginner flower design classes at Burlington City Arts over the past few years and I always make a disclaimer in the first class that they will probably hear me say the word favorite a lot.  Then, they usually laugh at me each time I say it over the course of the next few weeks!  I suppose a fairly regular blog post series entitled Alison’s favorite things kinda comes naturally to me! 

Today I want to share some dahlia pictures from my garden this year.  An annual bloom that is a perennial faaaavorite of mine!  What’s your favorite flower?