So here are some alternatives for those women who fall into the 62%:

At Rockcastle Florist, we see pink as a strong trend for roses.  This feminine color has been seen throughout the year in varieties ranging from an pale white pink to a deep hot pink.

The light pink roses symbolizes grace, gentleness, and happiness.  They are perfect when paired with heather or other purple toned filler flower.

Deep pink roses represent gratitude and appreciation.  Try mixing up the arrangement by adding some bright green accents, like the hypericum berry.

Another popular color we see at the shop is yellow.  This bright and cheerful color is often symbolic of friendship.  Maybe not the best color for valentines day, but if your special someone loves yellow it could be the choice for you!

Looking for that perfect alternative to red this Valentine’s Day?  Look no further than the lavender rose.  This symbolizes enchantment, desire, and love at first sight.  Try pairing this stunning color with some eucalyptus and other varieties of greens.

Perfect for a bride-to-be or a newly wed Valentines, white roses are known as the bridal rose.  These roses represent humility, reverence, and purity.

The last of red rose alternatives is orange.  Orange roses range from a peach to a warm, vivid color.  Their vibrant tone symbolizes passion and excitement.

So this Valentine’s Day, consider another color in place of the traditional red roses.  You can send a whole new message to that special someone in your life.

To purchase roses this Valentine’s Day, visit our rose shop here.

This past weekend we designed a tablescape at The Wedding Affair by Well Wed Magazine.  Our booth highlighted Natural Elegance, a modern interpretation of romantic design featuring a timeless new color scheme, highlighting robin’s egg blue, cherry red, peony pink, and organic green.

Our arrangements featured lush peonies, garden roses, hydrangea, and spray roses.  The whimsical colors looked simply elegant in the natural birch vases.  For height we used black colored branches adorned with pearls.

The tablescape features a silk black linen and lacy, bead embellished overlay with a turquoise table runner.  We finished off the table with a natural birch frame and birch inspired escort cards with the help of Pauleenanne Design.

Aside our beautiful flowers, Priscilas Cookies & More LLC added to the Natural Elegance with a lovely fondant cake and robin’s egg frosted cookies.

We hope you are inspired as we are by the whimsical look of Natural Elegance.

If you are one of those brides, or even know one, join us January 21st at the Memorial Art Gallery for The New York Wedding Affair hosted by Well Wed New York.

If you can’t make it to the show, check out this gerbera daisy wedding below.  It was featured in one of our Well Wed advertisements.

Located at Bristol Harbor, the venue was a perfect backdrop for this destination wedding.  Our Canandaigua location works frequently with Bristol Harbor, and out of the many weddings we do there, we love the chocolate and hot pink mix.  These trending colors allow for high contrast with a casual elegance.

The bouquets & decor were designed with gerbera daises, kermit mums, and monkey tails.  All add a playful yet beautiful touch to the overall wedding look.

Before you even choose a florist, try to visualize the overall theme of your wedding.  Ask yourself a couple of questions:

• How will my personality and lifestyle be reflected in the wedding?
• How many, if any, of the “wedding traditions” will I want to incorporate into my ceremony and reception?
• What time of year do I want to be married?
• How much of “my story” do I want woven throughout the wedding?
• Will I 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 I choose?
• Have I chosen the style of the wedding attire?
• What flowers, colors and styles do I like?
• What is my 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.

Robin, one of our Wedding Design Specialists helping a Bride plan her wedding flower decor. This photo and others were featured in a Floral Management issue hi lighting our wedding consultation services.

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.

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.

Some of our favorite blogs and websites include:

• The Knot
• Style Me Pretty
• Brides
• Well Wed New York
• Inside Weddings

Consider Your Budget

Think about what you are comfortable spending on flowers.  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.

Coming even more in touch with their roots, Liz & Gabriel spent their honeymoon in Africa.  During their visit the couple spent some time at schools supported through a special organization, The HOPE for Ariang Foundation.  Founded by husband Gabriel, this organizations mission aims to make “education accessible to all children and adults in Sudan by removing cultural and socio-economic barriers-One village at a Time.”  Support HOPE by liking their Facebook Page or making a donation.

One of the newest additions are the Kuvasz Companies Inc. greeting cards.  Each of the cards have been created with original artwork by local artists.  The art is inspired by animals, flowers, and other sentiments.  And even better, a portion of the proceeds of each card are donated to Lollypop Farm.

So be sure to pick up a special card that supports a great cause.  It will be perfect with any holiday arrangement.  Below are just a few of our favorites:

White Heat by Mike Tanoory

Facci Elms by Brooke Churchill

White Angel by Christine Mitchell

Kobee II by Kristine A. Greenizen

All The Little Piggies… by Mike Tanoory

Hi my name is Julius (in the Santa hat).  I was adopted from the Verona Animal Society three years ago.  I have a happy home.  This is my “sister,” Lisa.  I visit her and my friends at Rockcastle every week for treats.

Each year the employees at Rockcastle Florist choose a charity to support during the holiday season.  This year we have selected the Verona Street Animal Society and will be collecting donations to fill their “wish list.”

The Verona Street Animal Society supports the local Rochester area by providing resources to Rochester Animal Services, allowing them to serve the public through animal care and control, pet adoption, and many other services that benefit the furry friends in our community.

We will be collecting donations at our Greece location (870 Long Pond Road) during store hours, Monday – Saturday 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM.  So feel free to stop by now through December 13th and help us complete the following wish list:

• Collars
• 6-foot leashes
• Professional grooming clippers
• Heating pads (for newborns and injured animals)
• Liquid laundry detergent
• Laundry baskets
• Sturdy chew toys
• Pig ears
• Pet brushes and shampoo
• Pet carriers & training crates
• Puzzle feeders
• Pet treats
• Pet care and animal reference books
• Can openers
• Cat litter scoopers
• Liquid dish soap
• Cool mist humidifiers
• Rubbing alcohol
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Cotton swabs
• Spray nozzles for garden hoses
• Kitchen drain stoppers
• Standard brooms and dust pans
• Hand brooms with dust pans
• Large plastic storage bins with lids
• Large kitchen spoons
• Folding chairs for off-site events
• Fruit-scented air fresheners
• Puppy training pads/Chux/underpads
• Unopened cat food and cat litter (for foster homes)
• Empty prescription bottles
• Baby food (meat varieties only)
• Pet Oxygen Masks www.petsamerica.org

Help other pets like me live a happy and healthy life.

Love,

Julius 

One of our favorites parts of the Hamlin couple’s special day was the reception.  The white table with purple toned flowers looked magnificent.  Even better was the custom porch, built just for the wedding, which added a rustic vibe to the decor.  With the long table style, we were able to scatter compact arrangements along with candles to create the lush effect.  Additionally, the cake looked simply stunning with the floral cake tower and flowers running up the side for added adornment.

Looking back, what made this wedding such a pleasure for Rockcastle was the ease of the bride, Rachel.  She allowed us to have freedom with designing her flowers.  When the bride gives us this artistic freedom, we are able to select the freshest flowers and create something the bride may not have seen before.  The result?  A stunning array of lavender roses, purple hydrangea, and other complimentary florals.

A special thanks Dianna Hart for her sensational photography!  Check out more of her work here.

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.

Summer is upon us with the rising temperatures and of late fuel costs!!  Area gardens are in full bloom and many of you may be thinking about how to harvest some of those magnificent flowers to enjoy them indoors!

Cut & Care Tips

Always cut stems with a sharp knife or pruning shears.  Regular scissors or dull cutting tools will close off the stem and impede hydration.

Remove all or most foliage from stems.  Foliage below the water line will cause bacteria build up in the water and also limit the amount of hydration to the flower blooms.

Place in clean water at room temperature.

The shorter you can keep the stems; the flowers will last longer, it provides a shorter distance for hydration and sturdier bouquet if the stems are delicate.

Enjoy!

Read on for the Chelsea Flower Market Blog……..

Recently while on a Spring trip to NYC with my family, we decided to visit the Chelsea Flower Market.  I have always wanted to visit this area of the city and was thrilled to finally see the New York Flower Market.

The time of year was perfect; in April, where the wholesalers had their fresh plants and flowers spilling out to the sidewalk.  It was a beautiful sight to behold! I can only imagine the not too distant past (before our marketplace became global) when the flower lined streets would be filled with local florists in the early morning scurrying to find the most beautiful product to fill their orders!

Some outlets sell to the public now as a way to address the lagging wholesale business as Florists are purchasing through a variety of outlets now. 

The selection was upscale, unique and amazing.  If you ever find yourself strolling past the fashion district on 7th avenue, take a left and visit The Chelsea Flower District, you won’t be disappointed!  

For you fellow dog lovers, the funniest part of the day was when a dog walker paused to admire the hydrangeas and her bull dog plunged his head into the flower bucket for a morning drink!!

Below are pictures from this trip!