Megan and Will in Flint, Michigan

This weekend I had the pleasure of helping Megan and Will create beach-themed wedding flowers. The beach theme was inspired by Will's romantic proposal to Megan on a sailboat under the Mackinac Bridge. How sweet is that?!

Megan's bouquet was a delicate mix of pale blues, greens, silver and ivory. It contained tweedia, hydrangea, dusty miller, Vendela roses, bunny tail grass, tuberoses and leucadendron cones. I was really excited about how the bridal bouquet came together - the bunny tail and leucadendron really completed the coastal feeling.

The neutral bridesmaids' bouquets effortlessly complemented their pool blue dresses, and were made with fragrant Polar Star roses, hydrangea, dusty miller and leucadendron cones.

I actually used two species of the South African native leucadendron in the personal flowers. Leucadendron argenteum (silver tree) is the slender silver foliage used as the base of the corsages and boutonnieres. You might recognize it from the Silver Tree Composite Bouquet that I posted in April. The smaller, greener foliage with cones is a Leucadendron cultivar named 'Pisa'.

I made a variety of boutonnieres for this wedding. The first was Leucadendron 'Pisa' accented with silver tree and seeded eucalyptus.

The boutonnieres for the fathers were made of Viviane spray roses, silver tree, dusty miller and Leucadendron 'Pisa' foliage.

The groom and groomsmen wore boutonnieres of fragrant tuberose florets, silver tree and dusty miller.

Finally, I made a pair of conch shell arrangements for the reception. Megan's mother provided the shells, which were souvenirs from her travels, and I filled them with flowers. The Sarracenia leucophylla, or pitcher plant, was my favorite part of these arrangements.

I would like to send many thanks to Megan, Will and their wonderful family. Thank you for being open to my suggestions and last minute additions. You were an absolute dream to work with!

Best wishes and congratulations to Megan and Will!

Kate and Chris in Columbus, Ohio

On the last Saturday of April I drove down to Columbus, Ohio to deliver flowers to a very special couple, Kate and Chris. It was an unseasonably warm and sunny day, and the air was sweet with crabapple blossoms - a perfect day for their outdoor nuptials.

Kate's bouquet was made up with Freedom roses, Peter Pan spray roses, waxflower, lunaria, lycopodium and myrtle. The stems were tied off with red silk and ivory lace.

The bridesmaids' bouquets were similar, with Escimo Roses, Viviane spray roses, waxflower, lunaria, lycopodium and myrtle

Kate's attendants were her three brothers and her sister (Hi Joy!). I love how both Kate and Chris had male and female attendants stand up for them. My favorite part of the ceremony is when Kate's brother, Bryce, played guitar and serenaded the couple with the song "More Than Words."

I would like to thank Kate and Chris for inviting me to be a part of their beautiful and intimate ceremony. And I would like to send out deep gratitude to Kate's family for their hospitality during the weekend, and the fantastic Sunday morning brunch!

Congratulations Kate and Chris!

Jolie & Chris at The Inn at St. John's, Plymouth MI

Jolie was a very easy going bride who knew exactly what she wanted - peonies for herself and tulips everywhere else! Did she pick the right time of year, or what? The ceremony was held at the Chapel of The Inn at St. John's. I can't wait to see (and hopefully post) the pro-shots by Mattson Pictures. Jolie was absolutely STUNNING on Saturday, and her groom Chris was oh-so handsome!

Jolie's bouquet was made entirely of frothy white peonies, and was finished with a ballet-style satin stem wrap.

The groom's matching boutonniere was made up of a single peony bud paired with variegated lily grass and eucalyptus foliage.

The bridesmaid's bouquets were made out of red Ile de France tulips. The ivory satin stem wrap was overlaid with black lace, echoing the detailing of the beautiful stationary that Jolie designed and handmade.

The reception was a short walk down the hall from the chapel, in the Galilee Ballroom. In the tall centerpieces, Ile de France tulips gracefully arc out of 32 inch pilsner vases.

To highlight the color black in the ivory, black, and red color scheme, we used Black Jack tulips for all of the low centerpieces. Notice how the lace pattern on the table numbers and wine favors is picked up in the handmade votive sleeves. I made eleven dozen ivory silk and black lace votive sleeves for this wedding!

We supplemented the bouquets on the head table with more wrapped votive candles and low arrangements of Black Jack tulips.

Congratulations Jolie & Chris!

*The votives shown  in this wedding are now available on Etsy.