Part I
Featured below are photographs my daughter, Mary captured during a “family affair” bridal bouquet assembly. On August 16, my niece Maura Rockcastle was married in Minneapolis. Below her Grandmother, Ellie (Rockcastle) Blum and founder of Rockcastle Florist designs her bouquet as Maura looks on.
As a landscape architect, Maura chose unique items for her floral décor: an assortment of grasses and botanicals including fragrant cedar, oregano, rosemary, pods, berries & branches with open white garden roses. The fresh herbal fragrance was lovely and a perfect fit for Maura.
Here I am; providing an extra pair of hands, as this “hand tied” bouquet is prepared by my Mother- in-Law and Mentor!
Just a glimpse of Maura & Matt’s wedding party, a moment of their day, their way, captured in time. The wedding site was Mill City Museum on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.
Part II
As a business, we have been providing wedding services for over 55 years.
Professionally, I have been involved in weddings for over 16 years. With the history and reputation of this business to draw from, I have continued to develop my skills as well as the team of designers who create weddings in both of our locations.
A contemporary cascade of blush calla lilies created for a “Summer Bride” this July, provides a formal bouquet style.
Weddings, large or small, are guaranteed to be beautiful and emotionally moving affairs when couples illuminate each other through the love that they share. We hear so much these days about “Bridezillas” and wedding mishaps; however, with proper planning, perspective and the experience of wedding professionals your day will be an affair to remember with lasting and timeless memories!
There is so much information to share with you on this subject that I have decided to write this wedding blog in a series. Let’s start at the beginning….shall we!
Before you choose a Florist, try to visualize the overall theme of your wedding. As a couple, ask yourselves the following questions:
- How will your personality and lifestyle be reflected in the wedding?
- How many, if any, of the “wedding traditions” will you want to incorporate into your ceremony and reception?
- What time of year do you want to be married?
- How much of “your story” do you want woven throughout the wedding?
- Will you prefer a large wedding or an intimate affair?
- Will this be a formal affair or will it be more relaxed and casual?
- What colors will you choose?
- Have you chosen the style of the wedding attire?
- What flowers, colors and styles do you like?
- What is your floral budget?
The last two questions will most likely be the hardest for you to answer without further research. Here are some suggestions to get you started.
Surf the web………
The best way to research flowers, colors and styles is to spend as much time as possible to peruse bridal magazines and web sites. I have found theknot.com and Bride & Bloom magazine to be very comprehensive resources for floral trends and ideas. Florist websites are also a good place to start. However I speak for us all when I say it is very difficult to keep the wedding pages up to date due to the volume of business in that category. We offer a catalog of our current work as well as offerings from floral reference guides.
As you are surfing these sites and publications look for shapes, sizes, colors and flowers that appeal to you and fit with the style of your wedding. A variety of different ideas can be combined to achieve your look. The more visual information you can share will allow the designer more creativity in capturing your vision. The next step is for the designer to outline a signature look for your wedding décor.
Recently, I met with a couple who downloaded a few pages of graphics that they found on line to a CD and we were able to view it together during their consultation. They labeled each photo; what they liked or didn’t like about it and it. It was a wonderful tool and provided us with a united vision for the signature look for their “wedding story”.
A garden inspired clutch bouquet designed with calla lilies, hydrangea, peonies and veronica for another Rockcastle
Summer Bride.
Think about what you are comfortable spending on flowers$$$$$$
Consider your budget please……..most couples come to us without a budget in mind. The more direct you can be about what you are interested in spending, allows the designer more latitude in the options he/she can offer you. You should feel comfortable enough with the Florist to share that information.
It won’t be difficult to find someone who will offer wedding flowers at a lower rate than a professional florist. If you decide to go that route you will be giving up some of the quality, craftsmanship and creativity that an experienced professional will provide. A reputable floral designer will also be prepared to handle any situation that may come up along the way.
Some of the most beautiful weddings have been designed on a shoestring budget! There are alternatives to large, showy floral pieces and a trained professional will do their best to keep you on track.
In closing for this first edition of the Wedding Blog, I’d like to emphasize the following points:
*Spend time considering your style, size and budget for the wedding.
*Find a Professional Florist you can trust and feel comfortable working with.
*Keep everything involved with this planning process in the proper perspective. Let your love shine through and take time to enjoy each other through this pre-wedding process!
Look for Part III of the Wedding Blog where I will cover wedding trends, styles and colors, as well as wedding floral etiquette.
