Can We Agree? It's Time to Say Adieu to the Vintage Trend | Floral Trends

I recently read this article from The Huffington Post, and I just couldn’t agree more. Don’t get me wrong. I love “vintage” as much as the next person. But, can we agree that the theme in general is becoming, well, vintage, itself? As in, it’s in the past… 

I think the thing that bothers me the most about what has become of the Vintage aesthetic is that it has gone so far past just having a “vintage feel” to a wedding, to making the wedding all about being “vintage”.  In other words, it’s vintage-for-vintage sake, and no longer about the Bride and the Groom, and their unique personalities and tastes. What do I mean? Well, if the Bride is, say, a writer, and she wants to display an antique typewriter, or say, use some unique vintage typewriter keys she has collected over the years to use as place cards, well, that’s great. That actually has meaning in the greater scheme of the wedding. It is a little touch that speaks to who the Bride is, and those little touches are what really make a wedding. Or, if the Bride has a collection of special antique tablecloths she has collected from a favorite grandmother or great aunt, and she wants to use them on her tables at her reception, I think that is a very special touch. But if, say, my Bride works in P.R., lives in an urban setting, loves clean lines and an architectural aesthetic, then why, WHY does she want to have a wedding inspired by the Great Gatsby or an Edwardian novel? (See the bottom of the Huff Post Article which features “Overdone Vintage” for a humorous example of what I’m talking about). Why? Because she is giving in to the overwhelming tide of VINTAGE inspired wedding imagery out there. 

So, here’s what I’m proposing (no pun intended). Make the wedding about you. What, in real life, are your favorite color schemes, types of design, art, architecture? What are your interests and your hobbies? Do you love to play croquet? Okay, fine, then set up a croquet set out on the lawn at your wedding venue. But if you’ve never touched a hammer in your life, and you and your beau are more the urban, modern, lets-find-the-next-hot-restaurant type of couple, then feature something along those lines for your guests. Welcome them to your reception with a signature cocktail reminiscent of your first date or something from your favorite city hot spot. Or pull from the vast array of furniture rentals available and create a chic, modern lounge feel and have your floral arrangements be bold, monochromatic, architectural, eco-friendly, or whatever fits with your real style. Don’t give into the pull of vintage-for-vintage sake and surround yourself in soft ivories and peachy-creams, just becuase that’s all you’re seeing on your favorite wedding blogs. 

However, if your heart and soul live in another era, and that is YOU, then go vintage-crazy. Just keep it real. Keep it about you.

Believe, me…it’s okay to be yourself. And I think expressing yourself and your originality in whatever form that takes will be the next wedding trend. 

Bridal Questions | Brides-men? | Innovative Floral Ideas

Gene Higa

 I have had a lot of Brides recently want to have their male friends or close family members stand up for them during their ceremony, but not as traditional “groomsmen” rather, as “bridesmen”. After all, if your best friend in the world is a guy, why shouldn’t he be part of your bridal party, standing right next to you and supporting you on your wedding day? Gone are the days of the strict “wedding rules” we have come to know over time: Bride’s side vs. Groom’s side seating for guests, specific ‘timeline’ rules (you have to have 2 toasts, then serve the salad. The cake must be cut after dinner, etc.) Why? Why not cut the cake during the cocktail hour and shake things up a bit? But wait, who says you have to have a traditional wedding cake? What about a ‘gourmet’ ice cream truck to pull up during your reception? You get the picture. The rules are changing. Actually, the ‘rules’ are getting thrown out the window, and it’s a very exciting thing to see. Your wedding should be about the two of you, and your family and friends—a celebration of what is unique and special about you and your relationship, and joining those together. So why on earth should we have to follow some arcane rule that a bride can only have fellow women stand up for her on her wedding day? Well, she doesn’t. 

The trend is catching on. But this always raises the question, “How do I distinguish my ‘Bridesmen’ from the other Groomsmen, or other men in the wedding party?” 

There are lots of ways to acheive any goal, but one tradition-bending bride had her two brothers stand up for her, and insisted that they, too, hold bouquets. She wanted them to play the role of a bridesmaid, but to still be set apart from her female attendants. She didn’t want to have them hold bouquets that matched her female attendants, and she didn’t want them to feel uncomfortable in any way, but yes, she did want them to hold flowers.

Why not!? I love a challenge, and I was very excited to create some ‘masculine’ Bridesmen bouquets, which were uniquely different, but still worked with the entire design scheme of the wedding. When we delivered their ‘manly’ bouquets, they were impressed. One said to the other, ‘Wow, when (the Bride) told us we were going to carry flowers, I was worried—but these are actually pretty cool!”

Gene Higa

I smiled to myself: Mission accomplished! And, tradition overturned. A very good day. 

To see more from this inspired purple wedding, please follow the link to a very special video blow:

http://www.projectwedding.com/real_wedding/show_media/nicole-mark-winters-ca/1

Fabulous, Fantastic Fall! | Floral Inspirations

I am just mad about Fall. I love all the rich colors and textures. Are you planning a Fall wedding? Lucky you!! Here’s a little inspiration for you some some of our previous work.

Thank you: Table4Weddings, Michelle Walker Photography, Richard Wood Photography, Adeline and Grace Weddings, Anna Kupperberg, Red Loft Studios

October Wrap Up | Las Vegas to Napa and Back | Fall Floral Design

October is probably my favorite month of the year. It is that perfect intersection between the last blast of Indian Summer warmth and that transition into cooler temperatures with those cozy, wrap-up-in-a-fuzzy-sweater evenings. I love the turning colors of the trees, and vines in Wine Country. I must say, I have been missing those things since we moved to the desert. (Do palm trees and cacti really turn fall colors? Not so much.) And, until this past week, the temperatures here have been right up thre in the 80’s and 90’s! Not exactly sweater weather. But, I got the perfect cure for all my homesickness earlier this month, when I traveled back to the Bay Area to do flowers for Noelle and Mike’s wedding at the Villagio. See, lucky girl that I am, I have joined forces with the unbelievably talented team at Image Three Events. (More about this later—exciting stuff!) Which means I still have studio space and office to work out of for my Northern California events. So this lucky and homesick girl got the best of all possible worlds: I got to hang out with the boys from Image Three, got to go to the fabulous S.F. Flower Market and see so many of my floral friends there, I got to hang out with my pal and co-designer Joellen, AND I got to stay with my friend Tiffany (of the fabulous Adeline and Grace Wedding Photography) and her husband Matt and their adorable son (my ‘nephew’) Hunter. It was like a salve to my homesick soul to see all those familiar faces and feel so ‘at home’. And what’s better than that? Getting to create flowers for a gorgeous wedding and wonderful couple. AHHH! So nice. 

The weather for the wedding day was perfect: sunny, warm, but not too hot…. a gorgeous California fall day. The bride, Noelle, had told me in our first meeting, “I’m not sure exactly what I want….but I want to basically hold Autumn in my hands.” Well, that was all I needed. I absolutely love fall floral design. The textures, the colors. Pods, berries, leaves. I am talking right up my ally. (For this reason, I too, was a fall bride). So, here’s a sneak peek from Noelle and Mike’s wedding, courtesy of Table4Weddings.

The wedding was a success. It felt great to be finished, knowing we’d made another bride happy on her Big Day. And then I got to celebrate with a fun dinner out with friends in Yountville. (When in Rome, right?) 

Of course, no matter how homesick I might be, there is nothing better than coming home, to my new home, to be with my family, and getting hugs and kisses from my kids. It’s cliche, but true: home is where the heart is. 

And, as much I miss being in California full-time, I am finding that there are things to love about my new home. I do love the sun. And, we get a lot of it here. The mountains that surround the Las Vegas area are stunning. And, the sunsets here can be breathtaking. We are making friends, a new community. My husband absolutely loves his new job, and there is something to be said for the husband having a 15-minute commute to work, vs. a two-hour commute. We actually get to see him at dinner time. He’s happier. We’re all more relaxed. We have more space in our new home to spread out. My son, Alex is enjoying his preschool. So, things are good. 

And, what makes living here even better? When friends come into town!! 

Mid-month, the boys from Image Three came to town! And, not only did I get to see them, I got to work with them, too! So, I enjoyed doing my very first official Las Vegas event: A floral installation at the Hard Rock Hotel for the McAfee event, which included a concert by Third Eye Blind. All I have are some iPhone photos of our work in progress; I am hoping to see professional photos soon. The florals were fun: 50” tall towers of flowers for the buffet tables. There were only 6 in all, but they were so structural and involved that it really took two days to produce.

And last, but certainly not least, on October 25th, my husband and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. 8 years? Really? Where does the time go. Unfortunately, the whole family was struck down by the Mutha-of-all-Colds, so we haven’t had a chance to go out on the town and properly celebrate. But, when we do I’ll be sure to write and update and let you know where we went. (Every time we go out on the town it is a new adventure for me—the restaurants here are amazing, and I do so love FOOD!)

…a photo from my wedding day in 2003

Thanks for reading about my little adventures…Happy Fall, Y’all!

Color Palettes We Love! | Orange and Lime | Early Fall Wedding Colors

Anyone who knows me knows I love, love, love Fall. It is probably my favorite time of year. One main reason for this is the texture and beauty of the materials we get to design with for our events at Lush Floral. I also love the colors. Watching the trees start to turn shades of gold, crimson, and orange makes me smile. And anyone who’s ever designed with me at the studio knows how much I love GREEN! I love combining any bold color with green—it just makes everything pop. So for early fall, while summer is still whispering at our backs, but cooler temperatures or on the horizon, I like the fresh, happy, sort of transitional color choice of orange (very Fall) with lime green (very fresh and summery). Seriously, you can’t go wrong with this color combination.