So, your client is planning her wedding flowers, and she’s asking for something way out of her budget.  You want her to be pleased with her bouquet, but you can’t do the impossible.  What’s a florist to do?  Take a tip from bbrooks’ member LMD Floral Events Interiors in New York, www.lmdfloral.com.  They were featured in the July/August issue of Brides magazine.  Take a look at these 2 wedding bouquets.  At first glance they may look very similar, but look a little closer and you’ll see that they’re totally different.

This stunning $275 bouquet is about half the price, but has the same look as the “designer” one.  South American hothouse grown roses are less expensive than the garden variety, and  ranunculus and tulips give great bang for the buck.

This gorgeous $550 creation contains rare orchids that must be wired, which takes time, and costs money.  Garden variety roses have a lovely fragrance, but they also increase the  bouquet’s cost.  The bow is a French silk ombre picot ribbon, and you guessed it, it’s expensive.

All in all, a great florist can stay within the bride’s budget AND give her the flowers of her dreams.  Stay tuned to the bbrooks fine flowers blog spot for more great “happy bride” tips!

Lewis Miller of LMD Floral Events Interiors, www.lmdfloral.com was featured in the “new ideas” section of the Spring 2009 Elegant Brides Magazine.

Miller began designing beautiful wrist corsages tied with long, dangling ribbons for important ladies not in the bridal party. They’ve become so popular that he now makes them for brides and bridesmaids, too, as an alternative to the traditional bouquet. He usually recommends flowers that hold up well, like orchids or firm peonies, ranunculus or gardenias.

Cathy Hillen-Rulloda of member florist Avante Gardens in Anaheim, www.avantegardens.com  was featured in an informative marketing article from the April 2009 Floral Management magazine.

Cathy addressed the challenges faced by florists in this economic climate saying that web and email campaigns have been a useful tool for her to reach customers with her latest shop information.  She encouraged florists to continue advertising and marketing of their orders as diligently as before.  Cathy especially feels that keeping customers who are seeking unique designs, and are willing to pay a premium price for a florist’s services, apprised of your current product will go a long ways towards maintaining your annual numbers.  Thanks to Cathy for sharing her positive approach to maintaining business during through trying times!

Event designer and member florist, Matthew Robbins of Artfool in New York City, www.artfool.com created three springtime bouquets exclusively for Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine Spring 2009 issue. All three are unabashedly romantic yet decidedly unfussy, perfect for the modern bride.

Belle Fleur has been featured yet again in the current issue of Modern Bride magazine.
Floral and event designer and owner of Belle Fleur (bellefleurny.com), Meredith Waga-Perez has created a posh and polished crystal fantasy venue, at a Manhattan loft – aptly named The Glasshouses.

The concept was to play the reflective qualities of different transparent surfaces – crystal, rhinestones and ice – against one another for a glittering gala.
Waga-Perez crafted a “free-flowing floral tablescape,” as she puts it: Instead of individual centerpieces, organic clusters of roses, sweet peas and phalaenopsis orchids in soft shades of peach, blush and pink cascade down the runner. The interspersed butterflies throughout the table, add a touch of whimsy.
Everywhere you look, dazzling details catch the light – and your eye.

Member florists LMD Floral Events, www.lmdfloral.com and Banchet Flowers, www.banchetflowersct.com are featured in stunning full page displays in the May/June ’09 issue of Brides magazine.

CLASSIC

Lewis Miller of LMD created a classic arrangement in soft pink, perriwinkle, lavender and green combining Finesse, Pierre de Ronsard, and Dorben roses, muscari, Campanula, leucocoryne, geranium, grape ivy leaves and trailing clematis in a silver pedestal bowl, as well as, a gorgeous hand-held bouquet of fuschia anemones, sweet peas and clusters of muscari – all held together with a beautiful striped satin ribbon in complementing colors.

EXOTIC

Banchet Flowers went for a bold presentation with an exotic hand-held offering of mango and aubergine calla lilies color-blocked with red and orange Jaguar makara orchids, and red James Story orchids complete with a treatment of Thai leaves.  In keeping with this warm, sultry palette, their vase arrangement is a simple, but effective mix of fire red James Story orchids and buffalo orange Vanda orchids, arranged in a deep crimson glass vase.

Busy member florist, Belle Fleur of NYC, created a variety of fresh floral accents for a feature on Hair Design, in the Feb/Mar issue of Modern Bride.

For one lucky bride a simple cluster of white garden roses, lisianthus blooms and snow berries, add a finishing touch to a soft low chignon.

Also featured is a chic presentation of gardenias pinned tightly around an upswept topknot.

Lastly, a lovely halo of tiny daisies and wild field flowers for loose, flowing hair style.

www.bellefleurny.com 

Lewis Miller of LMD Floral continues to create some of the most unique and beautiful arrangements ever. Four stunning pieces were designed for a layout in Flower Magazine’s winter 2008 issue.

Flowers in shades of cool silver, white, and green are designed in earthy, rustic containers, giving them a slightly old world feel.
Whether it’s a mass of parrot tulips, nerine lilies and basil leaves, or a cluster of white hyacinth with a collar of begonia foliage, Lewis’s designs feel classic but new; elegant but untraditional. Stylish topiaries overflow ornate Chinese candlesticks. Clematis vine, narcissus and anemones grace this unusual vessel – and another lovely LMD creation is born!

www.lmdfloral.com

Meredith Waga-Perez of our New York member Belle Fleur was featured in the Modern Bride February 2009 issue.  The wedding reception was held in NYC’s revered National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts.  A dramatic black and white color scheme was selected; Waga-Perez says this powerful contrast suggests strength and clarity, and lends a level of formality.  For flowers, she mixed graceful gardenias and hydrangeas with fashion-forward anemones, whose feminine white petals with a jet black center make a chic statement.   Because they were working with only two hues, texture also played an important role in adding richness.

The centerpieces consist of a bed of anemones and sweet pea surrounding a black “Bourgie” lamp, while Belle Fleur’s own line of scented votives, adorn the tables and create atmosphere.  The escort-card table features a lush arrangement of white hydrangeas, surrounded by petite iron urns holding tea lights, all from Belle Fleur.  Three gardenias grouped together enhance and compliment the black and white calligraphy invitations, resting on a faux-crocodile-lined place mat.   The beautiful bride’s bouquet of anemones, sweet pea and lilies of the valley coordinates with her dress and overall event design.
www.bellefleurny.com

Our Los Angeles member, The Hidden Garden, was featured in the ‘Beach Chic’ wedding article in The Bride & Bloom Spring 2009 edition.  Their stunning table centerpiece consists of white phalaenopsis orchid stems en masse, with a ring of fuchsia roses surrounding the base of the vase.  Lavender roses compactly arranged  in silver julep cups are placed on the napkins of each place setting, beautifully set against a silk blue tablecloth with complementing silver and violet chairs.

The bridal bouquet is a mix of fuchsia and lavender roses with beige and maroon accents, and intertwining silver and pink silk ribbon around the stems.  Delicate white phalaenopsis orchid heads lend the finishing touch to a three tiered blue wedding cake.  Simply stunning!

Learn more about our member at www.hiddengardenflowers.com.