Platinum Weddings on Sunday, March 28 showcased Member florist Visual Impact Design, Sacramento, CA  www.visualimpact-design.com featured as this fun-loving couple, Natalie & Bob who spared no expense for their $1.25 million dollar wedding!!

www.wetv.com

Shop owner Mina Bolouri – Arjan Flowers and Herbs in Piedmont, CA, www.arjanflowers.com has a nice feature in the February 12, 2010 of Bay Area News Group publication. Mina has found the perfect way to follow through on her longtime interest in art while displaying her own talents as well.   Bolouri showcases the work of local artists and photographers on the walls of her shop providing a wonderful accent for her bounty of premium florals.

Mina’ shop, named after a meadow outside of her native Shiraz in Iran has coupled the peacefulness of the shop namesake with the intoxicating aroma of fresh seasonal flowers and herbs which she mostly procures from the San Francisco Flower Mart.  “I think nature is beautiful and if you stay true to the season you cannot go wrong” says Bolouri.

Member Florist Geranium Lake of Portland, Oregon, www.geraniumlake.com, stepped up and made a commitment!  They donated 10% of all Valentines proceeds to Mercy Corps and their mission to help Haiti.

Blooming flowers are a universal symbol of renewal, friendship, and love.  What better way to double your impact on those around you AND those who seem so far away!

Thank you Geranium Lake, for showing us that a little thought can go a long way.

San Anselmo’s “green” florist Local Flora, www.marinflora.com, will provide beautiful California grown arrangements in a new small flower section at local Good Earth Natural Foods in Farifax, CA beginning Feb 10, 2010.

Why not take home a lovely artisanal arrangement to accompany your wonderful organic dinner items!

Avante Gardens in Anaheim, www.avantegardens.com posted on Floristblogs.com – Dec 15^th 2009 about the inclusion in the “Google Favorite Place” campaign.

“The buzz about Google sending out Favorite Places packets with window decals to 100,000 of the “most sought out and researched businesses on Google and Google Maps” began with an announcement on the Official Google Blog.  I kept crossing my fingers, hoping we’d get one. I mean… how cool to be called out as a Google Favorite Place among the millions of small businesses in the US.

Fast forward … a stack of mail looking like advertisements… and there it was, “Congratulations! You’re a Favorite Place on Google” right on the front of the envelope. (Yes, I did stroll through the shop singing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”)

The decal… was placed on our front door about 5 minutes after the envelope was opened — Gotta say though, I was hoping for a bigger poster,— but we’re tickled with the one we got!

I haven’t been able to scan the window decals bar code yet and am offering a free dozen long stem roses arrangement to the first visitor who can read it with an Android or iPhone, so come on down!  We’re also offer a free gift to anyone who scans the decal between now and January 31.

And a big thanks! To Google and the users who put us on the Favorite Places list.”

Congratulations to Avante Gardens on their continued success with Marketing and Business Development!  All the best in 2010!!

Photo courtesy of Birch San Francisco

Flowers remain one of the best and most affordable ways of celebrating Valentine’s Day. With the right ideas and flower arrangements, you really cannot go wrong!   This year, Cupid’s arrow strikes on Sunday, Feb 14^th.  Plan ahead and the rewards will be great!

Smart Move #1:  Start the weekend off with a bang and enjoy the Love Fest for more than just one day! Have your flowers delivered on Friday or Saturday this year.  If you really plan it right, you might just consider calling in sick on Monday!  But- you didn’t hear that from me!

Smart Move #2:   Include a 2^nd choice and a range of budget on your order request.  This can sometimes be the key to a more efficient delivery of your floral order.

Smart Move #3:  While Red Roses are thought of as the standard for reflecting your love and affection. Do not be afraid to “step outside the flower box” into the vast field of floral possibilities.  Other gorgeous flowers usually available for this holiday are Amaryllis, Tulips, Cut Orchids stems, Double Cup Anthurium , in varying shades of Reds, Pinks and Whites, as well as, less traditional Valentine’s colors.  With enough advance consideration, you can provide the object of your affections with an exquisite bouquet of unique quality flowers!

Smart Move #4: Consider having the floral arrangement delivered to your home or office and presenting them personally along with your own private romantic note and perhaps – a bottle of your favorite sparkling beverage or dare I say it – a promise to do the dishes for a whole month?  Hey, Romance comes in various packages!

Smart Move  #5: Quiet as it’s kept, many men love and appreciate flowers as much as women do!  Don’t be afraid to send him a floral key to your heart!

Planning a romantic getaway?  Keep in mind that bbrooks can provide high quality couture floral design service internationally as well as locally.  Call us with any questions regarding your delivery request.

Visit our web site www.bbrooks.com or give us a call at 1-888-346-3356.  Our Valentine’s Day experts look forwarding to assisting you with your orders!

Bella Fiori – Floral & Event Design – Denver, Colorado  showed a smart sampling of Bridal Bouquets showcasing monochromatic white premium flowers, http://bellafiori-events.blogspot.com.

Joanne Leiman of FlowersFlowers  in Evanston, IL., www.flowers-flowers.com, provided the elegant floral decor for the second issue cover of makeitbetter magazine.

A great  new magazine for the North Shore of Chicago. They have a wonderful website, full of great info and ideas, www.makeitbetter.net.

The wedding couple wanted an event full of Southern charm and grace utilizing traditional and native flowers choices such as peonies and camellias. As featured in Flower Magazine Summer 2009 James Clawson and his team of talented and hard-working designers from Urban Earth www.urbanearthstudios.com in New Orleans, LA met this request aptly and flavored it with a modern touch as well.

The bridal party flowers and church interior featured an elegant, traditional mix of white and pink peonies, hydrangea, Vendela roses, grape hyacinth, parrot tulips, ranunculas, gardenias and camellia.

The reception was set in a grand old home owned by the bride’s parents. This location provided ample room for guests to move from garden settings to the inviting environ of a gorgeous interior. To compliment theregal antiquity of the home and its heirloom treasures, Urban Earth created very traditional designs of soft, mounded white hydrangea, pink peonies, roses and tulips, camellia and lily grass for the interior décor such as banister and table dressings.

Afforded the spaciousness of the property grounds, Urban Earth created gorgeous and inventive “traffic-stopping” suspended chandeliers for two areas. Swaying from the branches of the old oak tree on the front lawn were elegantly modern pieces compiled of masses of French Tulips and Bear Grass “planted atop custom-fabricated drum chandeliers softly illuminating an intimate corner of the lawn. Even more impressive were the luminaries of Cherry branches, Curly Willow and long-stemmed French Tulips hung suspended from the glass ceiling of the pool house.

The happy couple and the talented designers of Urban Earth both agree that the wedding was a huge success. In fact, the couple says that people still talking about the beautiful design work to this day.

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!”