Los Angeles-based fine artist Greg Kalamar paints colorful scenes of wedding celebrations in the likeness of a classic Degas or Monet.

Kalamar only takes on around 25 weddings  annually.  At each, he sets up an easel and finishes an acrylic on canvas in three to four hours.  Couples can discuss size, color scheme and request with Kalamar beforehand.  Or, as a gift unbeknownst to newlyweds, it’s a most cherished surprise.

As seen in California Style magazine, Fall Weddings 2013 issue.

As seen in the April 2013 issue of Sunset magazine, Johanna Silver  outlines her “unexpected romance” with Dahlias.

Nicholas Gitts of Swan Island Dahlias.

Flower Magazine Summer 2013 issue has a lovely feature on Martha Stewart‘s gardens at her various estates.

“I’ve been gardening since I’ve been walking. Dad put me in the garden when I was three years old and taught me what was a weed and what was not a weed.  Of six kids I was the one with the green thumb.  I would do it for hours and hours.

I absolutely loved it. I have always been an avid gardener.” explains Stewart of her horticultural origins.

Welcome to bbrooks member, Ariella New York, as featured on www.flirtyfleurs.com.

“Ariella has developed a new vocabulary of floral design, one based almost entirely on the natural gesture of a plant and the way it grows in the garden. She’s inspired me (and a whole school of floral design) to avoid rigid perfection, and to rely more on cultivating an artist’s intimate eye on the world of flowers.” – Stephen Orr, Garden Editor, Martha Stewart Living

We found this helpful pricing guide online at Flirty Fleurs and Snippet & Ink!

“When it comes to wedding expenses, sometimes it’s hard to understand just why a particular element costs what it does, or why there’s such a range in rates. Well today we thought we’d take a look at bridal bouquets to see if we could better understand some of the factors that might result in a certain price tag…”

At left $350 bouquet

Reasons this bouquet might run you $350: quite a large bouquet, almost no “filler” flowers except to add some texture, uses more of the expensive flowers (such as lilac, peonies, garden roses) with the addition of even more expensive clematis, tied with antique French velvet ribbon, more elaborate overall design and color scheme.

At right $150 bouquet

Some of the reasons this might be a $150 bouquet: medium size, use of a few expensive garden roses, use of less expensive sweet peas and crab apple to fill things out, simple color scheme and design.

Below $250 bouquet

Why this bouquet might cost $250: slightly larger size, uses more large flowers than the previous bouquet (such as peonies, lilac, and ranunculus), uses fewer “filler” flowers like sweet pea and crab apple, accented with four unique ribbons.

Florals by Twig & Twine, Los Angeles.