When it comes to your wedding decor, rather than blasting the table with all the colors of the rainbow, why not try selecting one or two simple colors and stick to them. This summer’s edition of Bride and Bloom features member florist, Toby Kassoy, of Lilla Bello Studio, www.lillabello.com, talking about just that: “When your goal is to create richness and drama to your wedding, using a monochromatic color palette easily achieves this without always having to ‘go big’ with the actual floral arrangements. It keeps the look clean and powerful and at the same time giving a feeling of lushness and abundance. It’s a look that will always make and impression!”
Torryne Choate of Birch in San Francisco, www.birchsf.com has created a unique calling card by designing decorative pieces of recycled paper. As featured in Vogue magazine online this December, Torryne shows off her flair with a Recycled Vogue Wreath. How Fitting!
It all started with the giant newspaper topiaries that Torryne made to fete her shop Birch’s opening three years ago. Since then, Choate, a favorite among the San Francisco social set, has just opened a second San Francisco outpost—which doubles as a high-end magazine shop featuring a curated selection of those hard-to- find European and Japanese titles. The fact that the discarded, unused magazines are perfect fodder for her numerous paper creations is simply an added bonus.
As featured in online city guide Daily Candy, www.dailycandy.com, shop owner Nisha Kellen is closing the year with a bang! She has just opened the doors of new shop devoted entirely to the orchid, Fleurish Orchidée!
Choose from Cymbidiums, Vandas, Paphiopedilums, and more when shopping Fleurish Orchidée’s, www.fleurish-orchidee.com, affordable flowers, floating blossoms, minimalist bouquets and elaborate potted arrangements with different types of the varied species.
There is also a course on bouquet design which takes place at Fleurish’s floral studio, www.fleurish.com.
Recent new owners of member Church Street Flowers, www.churchstreetflowers.comStephanie Foster, Rachel Shinfeld and Brianna Foehr, were featured on the front page of the newspaper in early May. The trio took over in December 2008 from their previous employers who had operated the shop for a decade.
Having each worked in the shop for some time, the new business partners are attuned to the expectations and tastes of their local patrons. Foster says, “ People nowadays want personalized, reasonably priced, green-minded, and locally sourced. We fit into all that — most of our flowers are from the downtown flower market and we keep an eye out for organic. Plus we strive to create a real connection with our customers, so we can give them exactly what they want.”
“It was really all about trust,” says Foster, when asked about the benefits and perils of transferring ownership of the delightful bouquet boutique. “Sure, there have been some adjustments,” Shinfeld adds. “There’s a lot of paperwork … But our experience working here helped us through, and I think we’re just beginning to blossom in our new roles.”
Our First Lady, Michelle Obama has stamped her claim on being fashionable. Lucky for us all, her sense of style extends to flowers as well!
It has been noted that First Lady Obama shows the same eclecticism that we have seen displayed in her choice of wardrobe – simple and sophisticated.
Member Chestnuts in the Tuileries, www.chestnutsnyc.com demonstrates this aesthetic brilliantly with a gorgeous pave arrangement of luscious varigated Peach Parrot Tulips featured in the June issue of In Style online magazine.
Our member Local Flora is going to the White House to help decorate for Christmas – we are so excited! Take a lot of photos. Maybe Samantha can recruit the White House as a sending member of bbrooks!
Long time member Lewis Miller, founder of LMD Floral Events, www.lmdfloral.com was praised along with 24 other event industry trendsetters in North America in the Jun/Jul 2009 issue of Modern Bride. Such chic tastemakers as Carolina Herrera, Jessica Seinfeld, Kristen Davis, Amanda Peet, and Annie Lebovitz have relied on Miller’s modern sensibility.
Miller is equally at home mixing rough with pretty, cheap with expensive or fancy with simple. For a bride with a $500 budget, Miller suggests “keeping it simple and chic.” For example – a simple bundle of white chamomile for the bridal bouquet and using potted herbs to decorate guest tables. Another idea for budget conscience brides is to put the costs into one amazing item and enhance the mood with a multitude of candles. Not one to shy from a more lavish affair, LMD has also custom-built a 20-ft chuppah of roses, clematis and a woven ivy canopy.
Looking for a way to get a unique personal gift for your bridesmaids and still have it relate to your big day, think Gem stones!
The summer 2009 issue of Martha Stewart weddings features a wonderful yellow and green bouquet comprised of Florex Gold Callas, green hydrangea and craspedia created by Studio Artiflora www.studioartiflora.com, which has been tastefully accented with a double face satin ribbon and an exquisite Peridot, the Gemstone for the month of August.
It’s the perfect way to say ‘thank you’. And, it’s chic and simple, skip the jewelry box and put it right on each attendant’s bouquet!
In mid -September, member Babylon Floral Design,www.babylonfloral.com joined neighborhood boutique shops in hosting a fabulous Grand Opening Party for the new EZE MOP shopping district and Busk-EZE in Denver, CO.
Babylon strutted their stuff on living, breathing models – custom haute couture floral design in the flesh! Clever, dolls!
Member Alvin’s Florist celebrated being voted “Best wedding Florist of the Main Line for 2009” by Main Line Today Magazine with a newly designed website www.alvinsflowers.com, the unveiling of their boutique’s “fresh new look” and the anticipation of their new company identity coming in the Fall!
“Good on ya” Alvin’s! Wish we could be there for the party!!
When it comes to your wedding decor, rather than blasting the table with all the colors of the rainbow, why not try selecting one or two simple colors and stick to them. This summer’s edition of Bride and Bloom features member florist, Toby Kassoy, of Lilla Bello Studio, www.lillabello.com, talking about just that: “When your goal is to create richness and drama to your wedding, using a monochromatic color palette easily achieves this without always having to ‘go big’ with the actual floral arrangements. It keeps the look clean and powerful and at the same time giving a feeling of lushness and abundance. It’s a look that will always make and impression!” 
Recent new owners of member Church Street Flowers, 
Our First Lady, Michelle Obama has stamped her claim on being fashionable. Lucky for us all, her sense of style extends to flowers as well!
Long time member Lewis Miller, founder of LMD Floral Events, 
Looking for a way to get a unique personal gift for your bridesmaids and still have it relate to your big day, think Gem stones!
Member Alvin’s Florist celebrated being voted “Best wedding Florist of the Main Line for 2009” by Main Line Today Magazine with a newly designed website 
