Kate & Justin - My kids!

 I may be a little bit prejudiced, but my wonderful daughter-in-law, Kate, was very easy to work with on her wedding.  Her favorite flowers are hydrangeas - so I used lots of them.  It was easy to incorporate them because her color palette consisted of purple, lavender, green, and white - all hydrangea colors!  She sent me a photograph of a manzanita arrangement that was her inspiration for her branch and bird theme and gave me a lot of leeway to design her wedding. I put the kids to work on many projects and they did a terrific job!  We added lots of little details, that I don't have the space to add here, but Kate did a whole lot of work tracking things down. And Justin put his carpentry skills to the test!

Kate wanted an outside ceremony and a unique reception venue - which the kids found in The Foundry.  Fantastic Food was provided by Robert Ryan Caterers. Most of the photographs I've used here were taken by Bill Frasier of Through the Lens Photography.  Bill was a good friend of Kate's brother Jimmy and was so happy to photograph the wedding. 

 In most cases the picture of the bride goes first.  But the handsome guy below is my baby!  I apologize to Kate, but I'm sure she knows how proud I am of this young man.  Justin wanted to wear something a little different for his wedding. So he had my father's vintage gray tuxedo jacket tailored to fit him.  He paired it with black tuxedo pants and even wore his Pop-pop Irving's vintage formal shoes!  He looked gorgeous and I made him a special pocket boutonniere of Lamb's ear - from my garden - combined with dendrobium orchids.

 I love to see Kate with her warm smile and  laughing eyes. Her Marissa gown was perfect for her.  Her beaded veil looked wonderful in back of her stunning hair courtesy of Meghan Cahill.  Make-up for Kate and all the bridesmaids was provided by the amazing Kelly from Face the Occasion. Kate was such a beautiful bride!  Welcome to our family sweetheart!

 
Kate's bouquet consisted of cymbidium orchids, dendrobium orchids, Picasso calla lilies, roses, lisianthus, hypericum berries, fiddleheads, and small bouquet jewels. I wrapped her stems in tulle from her mother's veil and secured it with purple/silver aluminum wire. I placed a bicycle charm within the wire in memory of Kate's brother Jimmy.

Bridesmaids carried bouquets of lisianthus, roses, and hypericum berries. They looked great with the color of their dresses.

Bridesmaids wore lovely Amsale short dresses with  flowers on the bodice. Perfect! Groomsmen wore gray suits - or should I say most of them did. One of Justin's friends "accidentally" ordered a cream colored suit - which wasn't discovered until the groomsmen got dressed for the weding. Justin thought it was hysterical but Ray felt terrible. Kate is a good sport and just laughed along with everyone else.

Our beautiful flower girl Fiona was a star from head to toe. She wore a satin/fresh flower birch halo around her gorgeous hair (courtesy of John at Studio 73 in Skippack).  I made her a birch basket of flowers to carry. And as a surprise, after the ceremony, Fiona flipped her basket around to show a Mr. and Mrs. sign we made for her as she walked back down the aisle in front of Justin and Kate.

Instead of putting a structure in front of a structure, we used the pagoda at The Foundry for a chuppah. We covered the steel beams with large birch branches and orchids and placed large mossed white metal urns full of flowers on the ledges. Matching white metal hangars lined the aisle. We hung birch balls of orchids and roses from each of them. Ribbon was wrapped around the backs of the last row of chairs, I also made matching ribbon wands to wave as the bride and groom walked back down the aisle.

After the previous summer I dried the blooms from my hydrangea bush. I painted them purple and made a hydrangea grapevine wreath for each of the entry doors to The Foundry.

Justin has played golf for most of his life. Kate is still  learning, but really enjoys it. So we created a golf themed cocktail hour. I sat a golf "green" on each cocktail table labelled with a tag from various clubs where they've played. In each box of wheatgrass we put little purple asters and on a tee - put a golf ball imprinted with the kids' names and wedding date. On one buffet table I made a cluster of glass cylinders filled with golf balls, tees, or pencils and topped them off with hydrangea. On the other table, I sat an urn that i painted lavender. Justin cut down my mom's old golf clubs and cemented them into the urn. I arranged flowers around the clubs. My mom would have loved this! I also supplied the caterer - Robert Ryan Caterers - with golf tee toothpicks and golf flag stirrers for the bar to carry through the theme.

Justin cut down the a large branch from a tree on our property and fit it into a log base that he made. My husband carved a heart with their initials into the log. The base was covered with flowers, moss, and candles. I also staged small animals, hydrangea filled logs, pictures, and photographs around the table. The kids, Kate's mom, and Glenn and I created back to back family photos to hang from the branches among birds that the kids had received as gifts. I also painted wooden birds a lavender color to match the laser cut placecard birds. Justin cut and slit each of the logs to hold the placecards.

Justin built a large wooden birdhouse to hold gift envelopes. Aunt Carolyn lovingly hand-painted it. She did an amazing job.What a treasure for Justin and Kate to keep.

Justin cemented all of the manzanita branches into moss pots for one type of centerpiece.  I filled them with hydrangea and roses and then hung crystals and orchids from the branches. We made different colors for the tables. Kate and Justin named their tables after places that mean a lot to them with pictures of each location.

We also cantilevered manzanita branches in the top of tall glass vases and hung pomanders of roses from them for the other half of the tables.  I put flowers inside the bottom of the vases and then table-scaped flowers, bird houses, bird baths, ceramic birds, and bottles around the base. Every table was a bit different.

I love this picture of Justin and Kate laughing. Reminds me of how happy they are! Glenn used a chain saw to sculpt one of our logs. We filled it with flowers, moss, and candles. This is one of my favorite pieces. And I made mossed Mr. & Mrs. signs for the backs of the bride and groom chairs.

Justin and Kate each painted a wooden egg to resemble a bird wearing their wedding garb. They even made the eyes match their own! We set them in a nest as a cake topper. Masters' Baker replicated the carved initial heart that was on the log too. I made the moss letters to add to the table decor.

I want to give a "thank you" to other vendors that did a great job but were not listed above.  Rose Tree Video did a fantastic job capturing my daughter's wedding, so we welcomed David with the utmost confidence.  Beautiful ceremony music was provided by Pete Smyser - (guitar and flute) while  DJ Todd Frederick of Silver Sound worked the ballroom. Justin and Kate and their wedding party rented out all 7 bedrooms at Shearer Elegance B&B (in Limerick, PA) for the entire wedding weekend. Hostess Sue Tator treated everyone so nicely and they all had a blast.

Justin and Kate's wedding was truly a labor of love.  We all worked really hard on many projects for a year prior to the wedding. But the journey was well worth it and a lot of fun (at least for me!)  I love you both!

Ideas I Love - Heat vs. Gerbera

 Gerber daisies are not a very hardy flower. Their stems are like tubes thus they don't retain water very well and are subject to droopy heads. Most f the time I have to wire them or use gerber straws to make sure they stand up straight. So when a bride LOVES gerber daises and wants to use them to decorate outside for her wedding - in August - what do you do?

 

You use fun faux gerber daisies and not worry about the drooping in the heat. Denine was using such bright wonderful colors that the substitutes worked perfectly outside.  I also tied them to the sides of the chairs on the aisle.  And finally, I bought oversized faux gerbers and scattered them in the grass instead of rose petals which would have turned brown in the heat anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kelly and Jason - A Victorian Affair

Kelly and Jason chose to hold their inside and outside wedding at a wonderful old Victorian mansion located in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. The "theme" of this wedding was "Leather and Lace" - think Fleetwood Mac - with a color palette of black, white, and purple. Kelly's mom, and my friend, Robin worked so hard to make Kelly's wedding perfect with so many personal touches. And her wedding gown was drop dead gorgeous - as was Kelly. I had the best time working on this wonderful wedding.

 Kelly carried a tear-drop shaped bouquet made up of peacock feathers, eggplant Moon carnations, purple anemones, and white mini gerber daisies with a black center. I added crystals and greens throughout the flowers.  Jason's boutonniere was made up of three stephanotis backed by a peacock feather.

Bridesmaids' bouquets were made up of white roses, white lisianthus, white mums, and purple Moon carnations. The stems were wrapped in white lace. Groomsmen wore matching boutonnieres of white roses. The canine ring bearer even wore a silk gerber daisy boutonniere. Unfortunately I don't have a decent photo, but he was awfully cute!

We made a bracelet of purple and silver wire for the officiant to wear. Moms held small nosegays of white and purple flowers.

This was one of the prettiest chuppahs that I have ever seen. Kelly borrowed it from a family friend, who also performed the ceremony. I added flower sprays to the corners. Down the aisle, I placed my white hangars which held my white pressed tin cones filled with purple alstromeria. I tied the cones on with vintage purple acrylic ribbon.

Victoria previously made it onto my blog before the rest of the wedding.  Kelly used her to hold wedding gift envelopes. I dressed her up with a head, hat, and pretty boa!

Although my friend photographed this piece hanging from a tree, it actually sat on a table in the mansion. This is actually a black wire "chandelier" that I bought. I affixed black wire around the base to hold test tubes and then filled each tube with a flower or filler. I added very tall candles to the outside candle holders and Voila - a flower arrangement.  We draped pearls over the black wire to dress it up even more.  This is part of my personal collection that I do rent out.

Another Victoria piece that I used in the mansion was this replica made up of black wire and test tubes. This is one of my favorite personal containers.  We also draped strands of pearls and hung crystals from it for Kelly's wedding.

Half of the tables had centerpieces that "wore" corsets of black velvet to represent leather. I can't believe that Robin found these! I filled all of the vases with a mass of hydrangea. On each table was a jar of old-fashioned candy - which represented the table "number". Guests found their table by the type of candy contained in their personal jar/favor. Adorable idea!

Robin's friend Susan G. made the "lace" corsets for the second half of the tables. She did a terrific job adding grommets and ribbon and tying them up so beautifully. The shape of the vase really made them look like a proper Victorian woman's body.

I end this blog with the fabulous caricature my friend Robin had made for Kelly and Jason.  What a clever idea and so well done!  Thank you Robin, Kelly, and Jason for letting me be a part of your wonderful day!  May you celebrate many, many, many more.  Mazel Tov!

Ideas I Love

I want to introduce everyone to Victoria, who is Kelly's wedding gift card holder. I added her head and of course, every Victorian lady needs a proper hat and boa! What fun!

Kalpana and Chiyong - Fantastic Fun!

Anna and Chi wanted to have a happy, fun wedding at Aldie Mansion with their family and friends. The couple chose a color palette of white, yellow, and blue which lent so much to the cheerful ambience. We used elements including bubbles, polka dots, and gerber daisies which added to the whimsical atmosphere.

Anna carried a full bouquet of white and yellow roses. I added pips of light blue agapanthus in between the roses. Bridesmaids' bouquets consisted of standard white roses mixed with yellow sweetheart roses.  I wish I had a photo of the gorgeous colorful saris that the attendants - and Anna - wore for her first ceremony.  I also saw two women in traditional, magnificent Korean hanbok.  What an array of beautiful color I saw that day.

There are several locations that a couple can hold their ceremony on the grounds of Aldie Mansion. Anna and Chiyong selected to have both of their ceremonies underneath the wonderful old tree, which you can't see in this picture - but it's there!

I've worked at Aldie many times. This was my first one where the white globes were used inside and out. Since this couple wanted a fun wedding - they worked perfectly with their theme. And I must say that I absolutely loved them - especially with a ceremony under the large tree. I think they are well worth the rental fees. And if you look on the left side of this photo, you'll see Anna in her gorgeous sari.

This is a small table near one of the entry doors. It's a perfect location for a couple to place their programs so guests can pick them up on their way in.

Near the beautiful staircase is a landing area where a bride can do so many different things. We asked for a table to be placed here. It's a great location for frame photos. I filled a blue ceramic vase with hydrangea, yellow mums, and agapanthus.

On the inside cocktail tables I placed glass squares of yellow foam. I used blue hydrangea and white crown asters to top them off.

Outside on the patio are several sets of tables and chairs. I filled silver buckets with white hydrangea and cornflowesr. I added yellow polka dots to the buckets which added to the cuteness factor.

The balcony at Aldie Mansion is a great place to take pictures - or throw a toss bouquet! I like to add a little color to it and did so for Anna and Chi with white tulle and yellow bows.

Also outside of the mansion are two fountains - one in the back and this one in the front. I scattered white and yellow gerber daisies in the water which moved around with the spray.  I also made a really cute polka dotted wreath for the front door but failed to take a photo.

I scattered yellow rose petals among the placecards. In the center I put an eiffel tower filled with yellow bubbles. From the top I sprayed white and blue dendrobium orchids.

Anna wanted to make use of her color scheme throughout the ballroom. We decided that every table would have blue, yellow, and white flowers and bubbles - which added to the happy atmosphere this wonderful couple were going for.

Some tables had centerpieces made up of white and yellow alstromeria with blue dendrobium orchids while others had a mix of yellow roses, white roses, and cornflower. I don't have a photo of the other centerpiece made up of white lilies, yellow lilies, and blue delphinium.  All of these arrangements were done in glass cylinders filled with a mix of blue, yellow, and white bubbles.

Finally I used white orchids in a central cylinder surrounded by blue hydrangea with blue bubbles and yellow roses with yellow bubbles. I thought all of the centerpieces were wonderful.

I placed floating candles on top of cylinders of white orchids on the sweetheart table. These alternated with more yellow pillar candles to add more glow to their table.

I loved this cake...so whimsical!  Anna and Chi chose to put a koala bride and a panda bear on the top of their wedding cake.  But the very best part was that someone added a little brown baby bear as a surprise!  They had no idea!

Anna and Chi - thank you so much  for having me be a part of your wedding and being so easy to work with.  You certainly sparked my creativity.  I think I had almost as much fun working on it as your guests had attending.  The very best to both of you!

Raechel & Patrick - Peachy Perfect

Peach has become such a popular color for brides this year. Raechel chose to combine the beautiful pastel with lemon yellow, green, and white - perfect for her summer wedding.  

Raechel's beautiful bouquet consisted of peach spray roses, white lisianthus, green hypericum berries, yellow dahlias, and craspedia.  I loved this combination.  Patrick and his groomsmen did not wear boutonnieres.

Bridesmaids carried adorable bouquets of daisies, craspedia, green hypericum berries, and peach mini carnations.

Moms wore wrist corsages of yellow spray roses with an accent of peach ribbon.  Of course the boutonnieres for Dad matched!

In keeping with the lovely peach color, Raechel chose peach mini-carnations for flowers for grandparents.

Raechel did send me some wonderful pictures of her flowers to share, but I am so incompetent on the computer that I can't copy and save them correctly.  Sorry!

A big thank you to Raechel for having me help Patrick and her with their wedding flowers. I wish the two of you the very best.