Just Posted!

La Luz Photography has just posted some highlights from Jana and Luke's wedding 8.15.08 and some nice comments about me and my company. Check it out!

I will be posting more of the flowers and details soon, so be sure to check back.

See the photos here!

Zinnias - In Season!

Zinnias are in season! The papery type flower that blooms in a multitude of colors. They look wonderful in a collection of different colors or mixed with other delicate flowers. I love their vintage quality.

Wrapped with an ivory satin and a vintage lace overlay. Embellished with pearl pins finish off the look.

Resources for Brides & Vendors

Wedding Wire is a great resource for Brides & Vendors alike. Vendors can post a storefront online for free and upload pictures, information about your business format, get referrals from previous clients and endorsements from affiliate vendors. It's a great way to get more presence on the web and easily connect with your clients and network with other vendors to help strengthen business relationships and create more "buzz" about your business.

For Brides, you can search local vendors and get reviews and see samples of their work or their business philosophy. You can easily see what other vendors they recommend decreasing your time spent searching for good, reliable vendors to do business with. You can also share information with other brides, start a discussion and create your own website where you can manage your budget and your vendors for the big day. You can get free planning and organizing tools as well.

Out of all the free websites available to wedding & event vendors, this is definitely one of the best. It is laid out well and has tremendous ease of use. Plus, you a get a lot for FREE! I love being able to quickly and easily connect with other vendors as well as ask my past clients for reviews that I can then use on my personal website. You can also either link to your blog or start a blog on wedding wire for your business.

Visit my Storefront to get an idea of the benefits for vendors. I highly recommend this site. Enjoy!

Real Weddings: Annie & Andy 7.19.08

Annie & Andy were married at The Manor in Everett, WA. They are a very sweet couple who just graduating from Seattle Pacific Lutheran University. I got these great photos from their photographer John Nolte Photography. He was a pleasure to work with and did a great job capturing some detailed shots of the flowers.

We created a garden style bouquet for Annie with roses, gardenias, mini calla lilies and stephanotis. She chose to accent it with her Grandmothers handkerchief embroidered with an "E". Something old and something blue!

We created 3 different styles of centerpieces for the tables. One a mixed garden style arrangment and another simple Hydrangeas in a vase and the 3rd was a trio of snapdragons, hydrangeas and roses.

We created 2 altar pieces on traditional corinthian columns and then an arbor piece that the bride walked through down the altar.

Love the pomanders framing in the aisle and the guests!

Annie & Andy were a pleasure to work with and I enjoyed being a part of their wedding day. The family and friends were so gracious in their compliments of the flowers and decor. I wish them the best of luck in their new life together.

It has arrived...

Today is Jana and Luke's wedding day. It came so fast. I'm excited not only because one of my best friends is marrying a wonderful man and is truly happy in life and love; but because she gave me full reign on the flowers. Stay tuned for the wedding photos soon.

Thanks to all my wonderful girlfriends that pulled together in difficult times (in more ways than one) to help make Jana and Luke's wedding the utmost affair. Caitlin too... (not pictured) we definitely couldn't have done it without you. You were there every step of the way with helping hands.

You are the best... I love you!

They will be married in 9 hours and 44 min's.

Off to the salon to beautify and relax!

Fantastic stationery for all occasions!

Wedding Paper Divas and Tiny Prints have wonderful stationery for everything Wedding related and Baby related, as well as just for everyday cute stationery and thank you's. Check it out!

It's affordable and super stylish.

Real Weddings: Jennifer & Jason 2007

Jason & Jennifer were married at Smuggler's Cove in Mukilteo, summer of 2007. Jennifer chose a soft pink color palette with striking coral Antheriums.

The bridesmaids carried clutches of Safari Sunset, Hypericum berry and Roses

Cute copper buckets with Dahlias, Roses, Hypericum Berry & Greens hanging from the chairs with copper satin ribbon.

I love this cake. It almost looks vintage.

Wedding Whirlwind Weekend... is over!

Whew... the weekend is over and that means so are all the weddings. I loved it, but it's nice to be done and relax a couple days before it starts all over again. I had 4 weddings this past weekend, which is something I don't normally do. Usually I only do one event a day, but I had some past clients refer me - which is great! So, I was able to fit them in. The biggest wedding was on Sunday and pictures of all the arrangements and bouquets will be coming soon.

I couldn't have done it all without my assistants: Jana, Katrina and Kayce! Thank you.

These are just a few pictures of my shop and how full of flowers it was this past weekend. Beautiful white Hydrangeas and Dendrobium Orchids.

Blue Hydrangea, such a rich blue, purple and green Kale and purple Lissianthus.

My shop, full of flowers!

Latin Lady Roses


EOS Roses

Hot Pink Dahlias

Stargazer Lilies

Not So Real Weddings...

Real Weddings: Robin & Tony 2007

Real Weddings: Heidi & Brian 2007

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

I was recently asked by a client to share what I thought was my best and worst floral design work. Hmmmmm..... now that's a challenge! While I really feel like some of my best work is yet to come since I continue to get better technically at my trade, more adventurous with color, design and styles; I've managed to select a couple of good runner ups. These three weddings or events I feel show a good range of my style and ability.

1.Not so Real Weddings... but made to look like one!

Nicole Goddard, a friend of mine asked me to create wedding floral for a mock wedding that Ned Frisk Photography was conducting at the Woodmark Hotel I happily obliged and this was one of the first weddings I had an opportunity to step out of the box a bit and do whatever I wanted. I love the vivid display of color the most.

2. Real Weddings: Robin & Tony 2007

Venue: St. Ignasius Church

Photography by: Barbie Hull

My take: I love the soft pinks and whites of this wedding. Fresh and clean with the sage dresses. Robin has such a soft spoken and gentle way about her I think the flowers matched perfectly.

3. Real Weddings: Brian & Heidi 2007

Venue: Sorrento Hotel Seattle

Photography by: Bella Pictures

My take: I love rich dark blacks & reds of this wedding. I think it paired perfectly with the venue and the personality of the bride. It was a lot of fun creating the towering centerpieces for a dramatic effect.

As for my worst, well... I really don't think any of my work has been bad in any way. I am proud of everything that I have created. Have I learned along the way? Absolutely and I still am learning every day. I look back on my first bouquet I ever created and I think it's beautiful! Would I have done things differently today, probably... but I did the best with who I was as a designer and what I knew back then and I still live by that principle today.

Real Weddings: Stephanie & Sean

Stephanie & Sean got married at the Carnation Farm, which now I believe is a Kid's camp and no longer a wedding venue, but it's beautiful nonetheless.

We created this very unique centerpiece. The vase is covered in rosemary and by the request of the eco-friendly bride we didn't use any plastic receptacles, just paper mache, so they could be composted and recycled after the wedding.

The arrangement is a fun combination of bells of ireland, belladonna delphinium, rosemary, lissianthus, roses and eucalyptus. So not only is it an eye catching piece, but a fragrant one as well. I had a lot of fun making them.

Her bouquet also completely compostable and recycable, was made of jade green roses, white lissianthus, lamb's ear and eucalyptus greenery, and lavender. Tied with white satin and accented with pearl pins.

Brazil's National Cocktail: Caipirinha

Mmmm... mmmm... delicious! With the sunny summer weather we have been having these would be yummy enjoyed on the patio with friends or poolside. They are super easy to make and don't take a full bar to do it either.

According to Wikipedia Caipirinha (pronounced [KIE-PUR-REEN-YAH]) is Brazil's national cocktail, made with Cachaça (pronounced [KA-SHAU-SA]), sugar and lime. Cachaça is Brazil's most common distilled alcoholic beverage. Like rum, it is made from sugarcane. Cachaça is made from sugarcane alcohol, obtained from the fermentation of sugarcane juice which is afterwards distilled. You can buy Cachaça at most major liquor stores.

How to make it? It's super simple.

1 lime
2 ounces of Cachaça
Sugar to taste

Ice Cubes

Muddle the sugar and limes together, add the liquor and ice. Shake or stir. Enjoy!

PF Chang's Asian Pear Mojito

My girlfriend's and I went for an all day girls outing last week, for one of our 30th Birthdays and at the end of our spa and shopping spree we went to PF Changs for a cocktail on the patio.

Many of us had this Asian Pear Mojito, which was delicious!

How to:

1 1/4 oz Light Run

3/4 oz Triple Sec

Ice

Muddle a couple of lime wedges and some mint in a cocktail shaker. Add the Light Rum, Triple Sec and Ice to shaker. Shake well and pour into a tall glass. Top with a splash of pineapple juice (this is what gives it it's pear flavor- interesting), club soda and 7-up. Garnish with a lime.

Sit on the patio with girlfriends and ENJOY!

(Thanks to Sara and her mom Jean for hunting down the recipe)

Real Weddings: John & Cherie Migas 6.21.08

Real Weddings: John & Cherie Migas 6.21.08

The wedding was inspired by the couples love for India. Cherie wore bangle earrings and carried a bouquet of lots of rich color. Purple Matsumoto Asters, Yellow & Purple Calla Lilies, Fuschia Mums and Yellow Button Mums, Fuschia Stock & Dark Purple Raffia accents tied it all together and gave it an organic feel.

Gold Embellisments on the stem wrap and moss collaring the bouquet

The Bridesmaids had similar bouquets as the bride's, but with some Red Roses & Purple Varigaged Carnations. I never thought carnations could look this good. The girls had a natural colored raffia to match the multitude of colors in the linen summer dresses.

My First Post

Well, I'm new at the world of blogging, so take it easy on me. I will do my best. I suppose I will start with a couple pics from one of my latest summer weddings. Since this is a business blog, let's get down to biz! Debbie & Adam's Wedding at Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Course 6.28.08

Absolutely beautiful venue and a glorious sunny Saturday afternoon to get married. Unfortunately, I only have the pictures from my little point and shoot, that never gives the flowers enough justice. Once I get the professional shots I will post those as well. At that point you'll get to see some of the awesome blue & orange bouquets we paired with the delicate aqua bridesmaids dresses. Just stunning.

Just love pomanders... my favorite!