that's a wrap!

i'm thrilled to be a part of spring/summer issue of the knot!! i was asked to create unique bouquet wraps for different styles of brides...classic, rustic, vintage, natural and preppy.

your bouquet is as important as any other accessory you will wear on your wedding day and it should be a reflection of you and the style of your wedding. include a special pin from your mother or grandmother or a monogrammed handkerchief...and remember it will be in all the pictures so it's an important detail!

i have butterflies!!

i feel in love with these butterfly balls as soon as i saw them. i have a thing for butterflies these days and i don't think that i'm alone. i loved this dress that i saw over on perfect bound a few days ago...it's a butterfly-printed silk wedding gown from colleen quen couture via brides.com

and martha stewart weddings showed a whimsical way to use butterflies on a wedding cake in the current issue. darcy miller talked about it on the show last week.

it's so fun to incorporate non-floral elements into arrangements and butterflies are the perfect way to compliment any design!

flower of the week...sweet peas

i want to start highlighting a flower of the week. i realize that i see these beautiful flowers everyday in so many varieties and in dozens of colors but not everyone is so lucky! i will share my favorites, the most seasonal and simply the most beautiful!!
today's pick is a long time favorite of couples for their wedding. it's soft, feminine, romantic and the fragrance is heavenly...sweet and subtle.
sweet peas are naturally available in a range of colors from whites, creams, soft pinks and peach to deeper jewel tones of hot pinks and purples. i also recently saw some new colors and did a double take when i realized they had been dyed!! i usually don't like to use dyed flowers but i have to be honest that they looked pretty amazing...

these are naturally purple



dyed a dark orange/brown these would look beautiful combined with cream and white flowers



these are great, a soft green color is the perfect accent to any color palette...or an elegant substitution to the green carnation for st. paddy's day!

add a textural twist...

i think the best way to create a dramatic effect or add a little something different to a design is to include interesting textural elements. i was walking through the market today and was struck by all the fun & interesting things that can be used...some of them don't even look real!

banskia baxteri



hakea cricket ball

the best part is that these can be included in fresh arrangements or will dry and last forever!

pick a color, any color...

choosing a color palette for an event is often the first thing that needs be decided since so many other details will be chosen based on the color combination. if you aren't sure where to start or need to choose an accent color i love kuler. you can play around with endless color schemes and find tons of color inspiration! another great tool for choosing colors is the paint store...i often pick up paint chips to help inspire my next project. you can also check out sherwin williams color visualizer and see tons of color schemes...there are infinite possibilities...maybe that's the problem.