Inspiration Pictures from Pinterest- The Price is in the Details

We say over and over at our studio that we really don't know how our clients select the type, color, and style of their wedding flowers.  There are so many flowers to choose from and so many more options than there was just a decade ago.  Many of our clients use Pinterest and the internet to give them ideas of what they like and don't like, but the options really are endless.  Once a client has settled on a picture or pictures that they are really drawn to, we do our best to pull off the same look and feel within the season and price range we are given.  Here is a picture of a bouquet that we recognize from some of our recent consultations:

This is a very beautiful example of the popular blush pink and ivory color scheme that a lot of our brides seem drawn to.  It is soft and lush and has just a hint of color.  The blooms you see are white peonies, blush pink astilbe, and white anemones with black centers.  These flowers work well together in this arrangement and are romantic and distinctive.  

If you are not a floral designer by trade, you wouldn't know that all the blooms pictured have select seasons of availability and are very popular, making them high-end choices for a garden bouquet.  Because this bouquet's background and base is all high-priced peonies, and the "detail" flowers that give the arrangement interest are medium to high priced,  this bouquet can easily be on the upper range or exceed many budgets.  Our rule at our studio is the bride should get what they want, regardless of price.  We can always make suggestions on cost savings elsewhere if the inspiration picture is exactly what the client wants.  However, if you are simply drawn to this photo or others like it, here are examples of other inspirations of a similar style that are more cost effective:

The first two photos are of the same bouquet.  In this design, peonies and anemones are still used, but the bouquet is backed with white hydrangeas to lessen the number of peonies needed.  It is still a very lush bouquet and the blush pink could be added with a filler flower or by changing the shade of the roses pictured.  The third image is a very similar bouquet but without anemones.  If they are not a deal-breaker for you, removing those blooms and adding hydrangea in the background can be a significant cost savings.  We just did a consultation with a bride that brought us the Pinterest picture with all the high-end elements.  Since she had a budget range that wouldn't quite cover the inspiration picture, we made similar suggestions to save her almost 30% on her bouquet.  Although flower prices fluctuate in different markets and different seasons, just a few substitutions for our bride meant that she could still have the look and feel that she wanted without breaking her bank.  In a lot of cases, the price of an arrangement really boils down to the flower details- bloom varieties, demand within a season, and the quantity needed to achieve a look.  Flexibility is key when working within a budget AND a great inspiration picture.

Cute Backyard Ceremony

Heather and Steven were the sweetest clients!  They were married in Heather's parents' backyard.  There were so many personal details to this outdoor ceremony!  The beautiful landscape and sweet, romantic additions made it all so unique.  Here are some photos from Nicole Welch Photography.

All the sweet details were just perfect for the ceremony location.

All the flowers were kept loose and lush to mimic the flowers in the landscaping.

Hanging jars full of gardeny blooms lined the aisle.

We added flowers to the ceremony structure, which was made from old wooden posts and a ladder for a cross piece.  With the fabric, flowers, and ribbon chandelier, it was just as sweet as could be!

We loved the lanterns that were strung in the trees!  So much fun!

All our best to Heather and Steven and their families!  We had such fun being a part of your day!

Vintage Winter Wedding Photo Shoot

Have a look at some very pretty shots by Elizabeth Ngundue.  We worked with her on this stylized photo shoot and designed vintage-looking winter flowers with seasonal textures.

This bouquet featured peonies, hydrangea, brunea berries, pine cones, and seeded eucalyptus.  The softness of the blooms contrasted nicely with the winter textures of the berries and pine cones.

Some good inspiration for winter flowers, even though winter is (hopefully) long past us.  :)

Spring Wedding at Moulin

The spring-like weather has made us reminisce about our favorite spring weddings.  Here is one from last May.  Patti and John enjoyed their wedding and reception at Moulin surrounded by family and friends.  Not only is Patti a former wedding vendor that we have worked closely with, but she is also a friend of the Sisters team.  We were so honored to be a part of their day.  Here are some images by SJ Macky Photography.

Shades of purple were used in all of the flowers for Patti and John.  Loose and textured seasonal blooms including stock flower and tulips were mixed with silver dusty miller greenery.

First look!

The ceremony was held in the Chouteau Room at Moulin.  Fabric draping and tall flowers pieces framed Patti and John during their vows.

After the ceremony, the guests moved upstarts to the Centennial Ballroom for the reception.  The tables were decorated in all lavenders and purples.  Two different centerpieces were used to give varying heights and designs to the tables.

All our best to the bride and groom!!  It was a pleasure!

Inspiration Pictures from Pinterest-- Seasonal Blooming Branches

The power of Pinterest does have many advantages.  One advantage is that some recently popular flower types have become more readily available all year round to meet the growing demand of popular looks demonstrated on the site and others like it.  Examples of this include hydrangea, peonies, and dahlias.  In past years, these flower types had defined growing seasons and were only available certain months of the year.  Now, it is steadily becoming more commonplace for us to see them in all seasons of the year.  However, this trend is not as common for some blooms, especially blooming branches.  Though there are more individual farms that cultivate and grow blooming trees/shrubs, they are a commodity that still heavily relies on mother nature versus climate controlled greenhouses to reach blooming maturity.  Here is one of our more popular Pinterest inspirations that includes blooming branches:

As with most of the images on Pinterest, this centerpiece is stunning.  We love it and wish we could do this every month of the year!  However, (you knew it was coming) these blooming branches are really only available in the spring months.  The exact weeks/months will vary year to year due to weather factors.  For instance, if an early spring freeze occurs in one region, all the flower buds on the blooming branches at several farms may be wiped out.  The remaining branches at other farms will then be in high demand due to lack of supply.  Likewise, a warmer than normal spring can also be a challenge.  Though we all like a warm week in early spring, it can cause premature blooming in whole crops of branches.  If it warms up enough, trees will bud and bloom in a very truncated period of time, causing a shortened blooming branch season.  This would be bad news for someone hoping for blooming branches in mid-May for instance.

So, here are some thoughts about achieving this design without the blooming branches.  As we have mentioned in previous blogs, a good designer can find ways to mimic a look without the exact blooms.  Take a glance at the shot with several of the blooming branch pieces in one room: 

This image gives a very soft, ethereal-looking sense to the space.  A similar vessel and non-blooming branches could be used with the same base of hydrangea at the opening of the vase.  Then, tall, linear flowers could be incorporated into the branches to soften the whole arrangement and mimic the blooming branches.  The overall look and feel would be very similar and would have applications far beyond the spring months.  

As with any inspiration picture, flexibility is key to achieving the same general feeling.  Don't become discouraged if the blooms in your favorite photo are out of season for your wedding.  Just be willing to take suggestions about how to make the next best thing available your new favorite.

Blush Pink & Ivory Wedding & Reception at the Westin

Kerri and Westley are a lovely couple we had the pleasure of working with on their December wedding.  They said their vows and celebrated their marriage at the Westin.  Here are a few of the photos from the amazing Megan Thiele.

Kerri's bouquet was a blush and ivory mix of peonies (yes in December!) and roses with a collar of seeded eucalyptus.

The bridesmaids carried a mix of white hydrangea and blush spray roses with the added texture of the seeded eucalyptus.

The ceremony and reception were held in the same room at the Westin.  The guest table flowers were used to line the aisle first and then "flipped" for the reception.

Blush pink and ivory roses, tulips, and hydrangeas decorated all the tables- some were low and mixed and others were a deconstructed look with a few different vases.

Many happy wishes to the sweet couple!!

Inspiration Pictures from Pinterest- Ceremony Garlands

Ceremony decor is becoming increasingly popular- not only in flowers, but in other elements as well.  As couples seem to be exploring lots of other venue options, including outdoor venues, the creativity and detail put into making a ceremony unique and romantic is more important than ever before.  Thus, we receive lots of ceremony pictures from Pinterest and other sites from our clients.  The following photo is one that we have seen quite a bit over the past few wedding seasons.

When we see this photo in an email or on a Pinterest board from our laptop, we think the size and perspective are more easily seen.  However, we realize that the majority of our clients do their searching and pinning from their phones, which is where we think some of the confusion about the size and scope of these flowers comes from.  What may be hard to see from a phone is that this is a very large structure judging from the thickness of the pillars that the fabric is covering.  Just based on that, the flower garlands must be pretty substantial to make such an impact on the very wide concrete pillars.  Another thing to notice is the chandelier.  Let's guess that it's at least four feet in diameter.  The flowers garlands, though most likely pictured slightly in front of the chandelier, appear to be a similar span and height.  For even more perspective, here is a picture that we have never gotten from a client, but is a shot of the same ceremony and structure, fully decorated.

With the help of this photo, we can all see that this is a pretty awesome venue with a pretty awesome flower budget to match.  The scope of this is not easy to pick out from the first photo, especially on a smart phone or other smaller device.  We have had some clients that just want this look and we were able to make suggestions on how to achieve it at their venues and with their structures.  

This picture represents one end of the spectrum when it comes to perspective and scope in the photos you see from Pinterest and other similar sites.  It's easy to pin something or take it to a design meeting without really knowing what it is.  Any professional who enjoys her work will be glad to educate you about your choices to mimic your pictures as best they can.  But why not try and self-educate as much as possible?  Look for other objects in a picture to help you gain some idea of size.  Also, compare apples to apples when it comes to your venue verses an inspiration picture.  If you don't have a structure for your ceremony at all or one that can support this look (rounded pillars vs. canopy or arbor) you may need to adjust your expectations.

Pinterest can be a great tool to get some visual ideas of the look you envision.  Don't forget to look a little closer at your favorite inspiration pictures to help yourself better articulate that vision.