Fall... Finally!

Fall is bittersweet for a wedding florist... it's a welcome rest after summer's craziness and a chance to catch up on things like photos, notes, receipts, cough*blogging*cough - but with the next large event booked months away, it gives me that panicky "what am I going to do with myself???" feeling! Luckily, my behemoth "to-do" list quickly chases those feelings away.

While I sift through the remains of a busy wedding season, here's some recommended reading:

Bride&Bloom magazine on why not to DIY your flowers
Please note that I love to help DIY brides get things done in a sane fashion, but there are some situations in which DIY is just not going to end in fabulous flowers with no tears! Always, always ask someone with real experience to help you plan your project... preferably me! :)

Holly Chapple of the Full Bouquet on what a fully committed wedding professional looks like
This is what I strive towards as a wedding & event professional... well said, Holly!

Holly Chapple (again) on how to stay on a flower budget
Thank you, Holly, for saying what we couldn't figure out how to (tactfully) communicate! A floral designer will know how to give you the most for your money, but you might need to let go of absolutes (Hate carnations? Me too... but they can be used to add glorious texture and color in ways that hide all of their pedestrian carnation-ness. Yes, that's a word... now.) and embrace substitutes (I promise that no one, save possibly Grandma, knows that all the fluffy goodness in a bouquet comes from huge mums and lisiantus rather than peonies and roses). Come with as many examples of the look/feel you're after, and let your trusted floral designer figure out the details. 

last but not least, Seattle Met's "Secret Lives of Floral Designers"
Don't miss the very last interview... been there, done that (and almost enough time has passed to laugh about it... almost.)


I tend to leave the photography to the experts (there's a reason I'm a florist, not a photographer!) which results in amazing pictures... but quite a long wait for them :(  I'm praying that each wedding's photographers finish up quickly, so I can share this summer's designs!