Sweet little autumn bouquets

Last weekend my high school friend Jenn married her British prince charming. After enduring all the visa drama (they had hoped to be married back in Spring but ran into some visa snags due to federal incompetence) they couldn’t have been more ready and willing to finally be wed! I had the honor of crafting bouquets for her bridal party. She wanted loose, textural nosegays in shades of mustard, terracotta and burnt orange. I scoured the LA flower mart for the best of what this season can offer, and came home with bunches of fuzzy geranium leaves, coffee bean, dahlias, tulips, roses (tibet, circus, gypsy curiosa and my new favorite, “coffee break”) cymbidiums, freesia, cushion poms and sandersonia. Phew, that’s quite a list. Joe had a minute to snap a couple pics of 2 of the bouquets before I packed them up for delivery. Thistle is the flower of England and was incorporated into the bouts. That was Jenn’s idea. Brilliant! I like when British people say that

Stumbled Upon a Favorite Wedding!

As I was pouring over Southern Wedding Mag’s gorgeous new blog-site, I happened to see a familiar bouquet in the “Inspiring Details” section, and it instantly brought back memories from one of the most stylish weddings I’ve been a part of.

It was snapped by the amazing Jessica Claire back in May, before The Treasured Petal blog had been born. Angel Swanson coordinated Monika and Nicholas’ swanky, vintage-inspired wedding.

Monika’s bouquet was playful and textural, with majolika and tibet roses, fat gardenias, hydrangea, freesia, and arabicum and black-centered gerberas for a touch of black.

I can never seem to remember to snap pics of the flowers when I’m setting up for a wedding (too much adrenaline I suppose), so thanks to my designer Steph for remembering to take a few photos before we left: The escort card table arrangement, on a curvy vase and fluffy cloud of petals.

Tall centerpieces on elegant fluted vases. I’m sure the drama-factor increased when all the floating candles were lit. The simple white florals were so clean against the avocado silk linens provided by Wildflower.

More fluffy white goodness in glass pedestal bowls.

Monika and Nicholas are just a cool, charming couple in love. They were able to flawlessly combine super classy elements (gorgeous classic car, breathtaking cathedral, luxurious linens, etc.) with more playful, casual elements (converse shoes, gerbera daisies (I can’t tell you how many brides think they are “too cutesy”) , bubbles, swing dancing, etc.) for a wedding that was so uniquely them.

As my husband and I were driving around Manhattan Beach one Saturday in late summer, I could have sworn I saw Monika and Nicholas walking on the sidewalk. They were laughing and smiling and having a ball, just like on their wedding day. Best wishes to you both!

Rustic Romance Wedding, Part II

A touching ceremony:

As the evening unfolded, the mason jars were lit, and the tables moved to the center of the courtyard. The scene was dazzling!

I loved working with the fresh sprigs of English lavender all week- I felt like I was at Burke Williams having a spa day. The silvery pink roses are called “Faith”, now one of my favorite varieties. You have to see them in person- the color is magical.

Simple wooden boxes were stained a deep brown- a nice alternative to vases or urns.

I can’t take credit for any of the following details- these were all the genius ideas of the bride and groom.

Rosemary sprigs in the glasses- such a pretty touch.

Pretty water.

Pretty cake.

I love this idea- eucalyptus sprigs used for escort cards. Tiny birds swooped down to carry these little sprigs in their mouths and delivered them to each guest. In my little fantasy world! But that would be so cute.

Score! An awesome party favor that guests could munch on.

Brian and Seb, thank you for being so wonderful, considerate, and creative. You were a dream to work with! If weddings are a reflection of the couple, your wedding proves that you are elegant, laid-back, romantic, heartfelt and full of joy. Enjoy your life together as man and wife- may God bless you abundantly and guide your every step!

Thanks again to Dennis Viera Photography for being so quick to share these images with me. You are awesome!

Rustic Romance Wedding, Part I

This wedding was total gorgeousness. As I mentioned in the last post, Seb and Brian wanted an elegant, romantic, candlelit wedding with a touch of rustic charm. Their incredible Spanish-styled venue, Villa Del Sol, is a hidden courtyard tucked behind a few bars and restaurants in Downtown Fullerton. It’s a beautiful little oasis from the rambunctious nightlife all around. Brian and Seb chose a gorgeous color palette of dusty rose, lavender, and silver against a canvas of deep brown. One of the motifs was trees- dark wooden boxes for the centerpieces, manzanita branches for the cermony, beautiful tree-stamped programs and bits of eucalyptus used as escort cards. The flowers of the day included roses, hydrangea, lisianthus, giant dinner plate dahlias, and fragrant sprigs of fresh English lavender. Hundreds and hundreds of mason jar candles added a warm glow to the long banquet tables. The atmosphere was classy yet cozy at the same time.

All of the following images are courtesy of talented Dennis Viera Photography. They captured the night so beautifully!

Labeled mason jars awaiting bouquets. Seb thought of everything!

Her Christian Louboutin shoes.

Her stunning hair adornment made of ruffled sheer fabric and beads.

Seb carried a simple bouquet of roses, dahlias, and deep purple hydrangea, wrapped in lace to match her gown.

My hubby hard at work hanging mason jar lanterns on the tall manzanita trees . It was Brian’s idea to do a color gradation from pink roses on the bottom to lavender roses on the top. I love when grooms aren’t afraid to collaborate on flowers!

Each dahlia was as big as my open hand.

His tie was the perfect silvery lavender shade.

Sweet corsages of ranuncula, lisianthus, pink snowberries, and sprigs of English lavender.

How cute are these silvery Anthropologie dresses? I love the demure silhouette, and the rosettes are just lovely. One of the prettiest bridal parties ever! The girls carried fluffy bouquets of white dahlias, roses, and hydrangea.

My favorite detail, created by the bride and groom: Beautiful programs printed on handmade paper with embedded cosmo seeds. Guests are able to plant their programs and hopefully see a gorgeous bloom in its place! I took a program home with me- I’ll let you know if it starts to blossom. I’m great with cut flowers, but not so good with flowers in dirt.

More to come later!

Style and Grace, in a Nutshell.

Seb and Brian exude effortless style. They had no wedding coordinator helping them find their venue, mood, vibe, color palette, or motifs. They did it all on their own by just choosing things that they fancied and that fit into their “rustic romance” theme. When I came back at midnight to pick up rentals, the mason jar candles were still flickering, the dance floor was still bumpin, and the couple was smiling and chatting under the stars. One of the prettiest weddings I’ve ever been a part of!

The disc of images from their photographers Jaime and Dennis of Dennis Viera Photography is traveling via snail mail as we speak. I will run to my mailbox tomorrow afternoon and hopefully it will be there, because I’m just itching to show you this elegant wedding.

For now, I’ll leave you with a few images from Dennis Viera’s blog posts of the wedding and engagement session.

I just love those brown boots with that amazing silky dress. Even Seb’s outfit fits the “rustic romance” theme.

Along the same lines, I can’t find a pair of knee high boots that will go over my monstrous calves. Trust me, I’ve tried on HUNDREDS of pairs, and have never ever been able to zip them up or tie them on without completely cutting off my circulation. That’s always bothered me because I’ve always wanted to rock knee high boots with a flirty, feminine dress, just like Seb did in these pics! Oh well, there are bigger problems in the world.

Need to get a few hours of sleep before 3 am flower mart madness. Adios!

Happy Halloween!

This year, I won’t be passing out candy to kids in our neighborhood. I bought two tons of candy last year and only 5 kids stopped by, 2 of whom were not in costume. Whatever happened to all the trick or treaters? I ended up eating the rest of the candy all by myself, of course!

I also didn’t find time to dress up my doggies this year. But I did come upon these cute pictures of my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Pesto, from last year’s costume party with the dogs in his training class.

He was Pocahontas!

And he even had a “peace pipe”:

He didn’t win the costume contest. Actually, he was cut with the first group of losers.

Basil is so goofy looking she doesn’t need a costume! She always looks like one of those sad black and white clowns…