A Grand Backdrop for a Garden Wedding in Waterloo

2012-03-17

A gorgeous backyard, perched on the banks of the Grand River, was the scene for this beautiful Waterloo, Ontario wedding. Matt and Ainslie chose a simple palette  of dove grey and pink, then filled the day with personal touches of glam and touches of fun.  Ainslie’s dress was a mermaid style, with simple details, and her lush bouquet set it off perfectly. Heavenly scented garden roses and peonies set the tone for this beautiful garden wedding.  All was beautifully captured by the very talented Debra Eby

Dreamy white David Austen garden roses and peonies were a lovely compliment to Ainslie’s gown.

 

Pink O”Hara garden roses and Pink Majolica spray roses for the bridesmaids.

 

Hydrangeas, roses and hot pink dahlias added a punch of colour on the guest tables, with a hint of rustic charm from the menu cards set into wooden frames.

 

A pink signature drink doing double duty as place cardholders.

 

Pink flip – flop fun!

 

Matt and Ainslie were such a pleasure to work with, and I love all of the details of their wedding day.  Many Thanks to Debra for the wonderful photographs!

Photography;  Debra Eby Photography

Fun details;  The Bride and Groom

 

 

Uncategorized | No Comments »

A Little Gothic Inspiration

2011-10-19

Gothic for  a wedding theme? Yes please!  I had the opportunity to work with a fantastic group of vendors to put together this inspiration shoot; a purple, red and black steam-punk meets Phantom of the Opera fantasy.  We loved the idea of a Gothic theme because of the rich colours and elegant details that we could play with. Gothic style uses rich, dark colours, and lots of textures such as velvet and lace, for a darkly romantic look.   It was also the perfect theme to show off the hanging cake from Too Nice to Slice. Yes, a  hanging cake!

Our venue, the Walper Hotel, had the fabulous grand piano, the absolute perfect setting  for our shoot.  Layering on the colours and textures, this was so much fun to put together!

Our photographer, Scott McQuarrie of  re:action photography, was amazing,  and captured all of the details perfectly.  We through lots of puzzles at him, and he was able to roll with them all.   I love working with great photographers, and seeing their insights into lighting and how objects will transform in photos.  The hanging cake, created by Chrissy Boon of  Too Nice to Slice, is the center piece of the shoot, and hangs dramatically over the scene.  These amazing cakes can be cut and served!

One of my favourite bouquets to create is a “Duchess” rose.  Layers and layers of rose petals are put together to make one stunning bloom.  This one is set in a long, pointed metal cone, wrapped at the top with a wide collar of black fringe.

The stationery, beautifully crafted in letterpress from James and Vinti of OOXX Invitations, is the perfect highlight to our theme.  I love the script, the beautiful garden roses, and the barren branches, with just a few thorns…

 

A deep purple ” Schwarzweld” calla, wired into a twiggy place card holder.

A pair of wire shoes to hold the bridesmaids bouquets.  And rose petals. LOTS of crimson rose petals.

 

Many thanks to Scott, Chrissie, Vinti and James for sharing your amazing talents!

 

 

 

Uncategorized | No Comments »

“Greening up” wedding and event flowers

2011-04-27

Flowers add so much to a celebration, from an intimate get-together, to a large formal wedding, to corporate launch party. They can also be a source of waste, and a producer of a large carbon footprint. With flowers coming from farms worldwide, as well as from our own back yard, making choices that reduce an event’s impact. yet keep it “eco-chic” can, at first, be daunting.

Beyond the flowers themselves, the choices about containers, arrangement styles and accent pieces can mean large amounts of chemicals, and waste headed to the landfill. A simple thought to keep in mind along the way is, where will piece this end up, a week, a month, or a year from now.

Here are some ideas to get started.

Choose locally grown or Fair Trade flowers

Favorite wedding flowers, such as roses, orchids and hydrangeas are almost always imported from other continents, and are grown under varying standards for labor and environmental practices. An informed florist will know which flowers require little or no pesticides, be familiar with countries having fair labor standards, and will use and promote flowers with Fair Trade, Eco-sensitive certification, such as Veriflora. Inquire which locally grown blooms are available, and whether there is access to those that are organically grown. Local greenhouses offer a good assortment of year-round flowers, as well as seasonal field crops that require less energy to grow.

 

Keep it real

Flowers are naturally beautiful, but they are often dyed or spray painted to match a bridesmaid dress or corporate logo. Insisting that no dyes or aerosol products, such as leaf shine, spray paint, or adhesives are used will not only reduce chemicals, but will ensure the flowers may be composted.
Fresh flowers or plants are much better than artificial stems that are produced in overseas factories, often under poor working conditions. Even though they may be used again, they will ultimately end up in a land fill, and will not bio-degrade.
Choose bouquets styles that don’t need a plastic holder, and opt for ceremony and reception arrangements styles that do not require floral foam, the unfriendly spongy material used as water source in many floral arrangements. Lower arrangements or collections of small containers and candle holder are ideal. Many accents, such as colored lights, are one-time use, or require batteries that are discarded after one use.

 

Rent whenever possible

Many florists will rent vases for ceremony and reception arrangements, and the containers are often high quality, made of glass or ceramic and will be used several times over. Choose center piece styles that can be hand-tied, and guests can simply lift them out of the container to take home. Candle holders are usually available to rent as well.

 

Remember, taking even small steps towards a greener lifestyle can make a big difference, all the difference in the world.

Photos;  organic peonies and veronica, Captured Soul Photography

Locally grown fall bounty, Two Tone Studios

Uncategorized | No Comments »