The Often Overlooked Culinary Flowers

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I was absolutely horrified when I saw a beautiful culinary display at my last wedding. I thought the décor by the caterers was absolutely perfect, but at a closer glance I realized how flawed perfection was. To my dismay, the beautiful flowers used to decorate the culinary display were stems of oleander flowers and leaves. For those not familiar with oleander, it is common to Florida’s landscape and also one of the most poisonous plants in the world. Almost all parts of the plant are poisons, especially the sap. This can be fatal to children and have adverse effects in adults.

Although some caterers purchase in advance the flowers and greenery to accent their culinary displays, most rely on other sources…. the natural surroundings, the florist or the centerpieces. Yes, the CENTERPIECES!!! I’ve seen caterers remove flowers from the centerpieces to decorate their culinary display. Their justification…it’s just a few flowers, but to your guests and the rest of us, it’s holes in your floral arrangements. It happens more times than I can keep count of.

My suggestion is to ask your caterer what flowers will be used to dress their trays and culinary display. If you’re not confident with their answer, have your florist provide those greenery and flowers.

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Insight into the Bridal Bouquet

Contributions byFlowers Boca Raton  21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-391-5394

With each generation of brides, we see an evolution of the classic bridal bouquet. No longer popular are heavy, cascading floral sprays covering the bride’s entire midsection. Today’s fashion conscious brides are opting for smaller, hand-tied bouquets, free of bulk and clutter. Once considered the focal point, the bouquet has now evolved into an accessory to complement the bride’s gown.

· If your gown is heavily detailed, select a simple bouquet, preferably one with only one flower type and color.

· If your gown is very simple and lacks details, then splurge on the bouquet. Bouquets with crystals, pearls or feathers are great for this situation.

· If you plan on wearing flowers in your hair, make sure your bouquet is on the smaller side and has elements of the same flower throughout. You don’t want to look like an overly bloomed bride!

Hand-tied bouquets are constructed to be light and easy to carry. With this feature comes the disadvantage of stems out of water. Although many flowers hold up pretty well out of water for about 6-8 hours, there are a few “problem” flowers. Before selecting the flowers for your bouquet, keep these tips in mind:

Will your bouquet be exposed to heat for a prolonged period of time? This will be dependent on time of year, whether you have an indoor or outdoor ceremony as well as the duration of your photography session.

· If this is the case, stay away from flowers that brown easily like stephanotis and gardenias. White orchid blooms are a great alternative.

· Flowers such as delphiniums, hydrangeas, tulips and queen anne’s lace will wilt quickly out of water.

· Lillies (Asiatic & Oriental) will wrinkle if the bouquet is placed on its side.

· If you must have these ‘problem’ flowers, consider having a vase of water handy for your bouquet when it’s not in use and keep it indoors as much as possible..

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The Green Effect

Contributions byFlowers Boca Raton  21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-391-5394

Green is a very powerful color when it comes to floral design. Depending on the shade of green, an arrangement can become heavy and harsh to the eye or it can be soft and uplifting. Green & dark green are the primary colors of most foliage used in floral designs. These green foliages are used as concealers, fillers and separators. They help fill out arrangements quickly at a low cost. The disadvantage of using too many green leaves, is a heavy and somewhat dark centerpiece with minimal floral effect.

Not all greens are visually unpleasing, however. Lighter shades of green, such as pear green or lime green are at times, a design necessity. These shades of green are both neutralizers and highlighters. They come primarily in the form of a flower, rather than a foliage and can complement and soften any color combination.

If you’re working with two sharp, contrasting colors, adding a light green to the color palate will harmonize your color combination. When working with a color palate that needs a little eye-catching “pop”, consider using a light green. It will not only highlight your arrangement, but it will also bring a touch of softness to the piece.

Below are few of my favorite greens to work with:

Viburnum

Green Hypericum Berries

Green Buttons

Green Hydrengeas

Green Cymbidium Orchids

Bells of Ireland

Green Fuji Mums

Green Apples

Green Pears

Contributions byFlowers Boca Raton  21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-391-5394

Lighting – A Key Essential

Contributions byFlowers Boca Raton  21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-391-5394

To most of my clients, I may seem to be overly obsessed with lighting and color. The truth is, I can’t stress enough about the importance of the right lighting, It is a key ingredient to achieving the perfect display, yet many tend to overlook this simple element. As many of you know, just about 95% of evening events take place in a dim lit setting. It is the typical setting that heralds the beginning of a formal evening affair. It’s also in this dim lit setting that centerpieces either come to life or disappear into the darkness.

Up lighting and pin-spot lighting on centerpieces will help bring those centerpieces to life, but not everyone can afford the additional lighting. If you find yourself with limited lighting, then follow these tips that will help bring visual life to your event:
· Introduce as much candle lighting as possible (votives and pillars candles are our favorites)
· Focus on colors that will “pop” in the darkness.
· Stay away from deep blues, purples, Burgundies and other cool tones that lack vibrancy, as they will disappear into the dark.
· Select colors like whites, creams, lime greens, oranges, fuchsias and other vibrant warm tones.

If you must go with a dark, cool tone, then select highlighting colors to complement and keep your centerpieces alive. A good example would be the combination of purple and fuchsia. These colors paired together complement each other very well. By selecting this combination, you’re able to keep the richness of the dark purple and call attention to the centerpiece with the fuchsia.

I will soon be posting a color chart of some of my favorite color combinations to work with. Stay posted and keep in mind the importance of lighting and color on your next evening affair.

Contributions byFlowers Boca Raton  21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-391-5394

Trees – The Discriminating Centerpiece

Contributions byFlowers Boca Raton  21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-391-5394

Over the years, I’ve fallen in love with the tree, made of manzanita wood or willow branches. Unlike the traditional tree, these trees have no leaves. They instead, showcase their bare branches, displaying an artistic rapture of unique curves that tell the story of their life. This free and inviting quality of the tree allows us designers to adorn them with our rich glamorous crystal strands or simple earthy orchid blooms.

These trees have the natural ability to transform a simple room into a magical forest, bringing the elements of the outdoors to a magnificent indoor display in grande style.

Not every room, however, is suited for such an undertaking. “Busy” rooms with poor lighting, ornate trimmings and treatments in the background and lots of windows tend to distract from trees.
A clean backdrop or background on the other hand, helps to present the tree as a tree and not a centerpiece. Without the visual clutter and busyness of the background, your setting is no longer a ballroom with centerpieces, but rather, that magical forest.

When it comes to trees, the bolder the better. My rule – never skimp on your branches. A thick clustering of branches help to engage the eye; almost creating a blindness to the background.

If you’re planning to use trees as centerpieces, start with the simplest possible setting and minimize any visual background distractions by selecting the right lighting and bold, bulky trees that say “I’m a tree, not a centerpiece”.---Follow these tips and you will find yourself in that magical forest

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Consistency – Trickery to the Eye

Contributions byFlowers Boca Raton  21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-391-5394

For a bold, statement making look at your next event, stay away from too many colors.
Limit your colors in a single centerpiece to no more than 3 base colors.

Some like to mix and match flower tones from centerpiece to centerpiece, resulting in orange flowers on one table, blue flowers on another table, pink flowers on the next…and so on. This particular design does well in settings that are fun, casual and somewhat whimsical….great for a child’s birthday party. But for a formal, sophisticated look, it appears choppy and lacking in visual balance.

Keeping the colors consistent from centerpiece to centerpiece allows for a visually soothing floral presentation. Tricking the eyes, this consistency throughout the room creates the illusion of abundance.

Contributions byFlowers Boca Raton  21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-391-5394

Tips on Maximizing your Wedding Flowers

Brides spend a huge part of their floral budget on the ceremony. To save on the ceremony decor, select a ceremony location that is scenic and beautiful without the need of additional decor. Historic landmarks are perfect for this.
Below is a listing of a few of my local favorites
-Charles Deering Estate in Miami
-Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
-Sundy House in Delray
-The Bonnet House Museum & Gardens
-Grove Isle (a private island off Coconut Grove)

If you find yourself investing in ceremony flowers, I have a few tips to help maximize those flowers. Rather than leaving them to the venue after the ceremony, have your floral designer relocate them to these strategic locations:
Namecard Table
Cake Table
Buffet Stations & Bars
Powder Room

If you have a small sweetheart table, forget about getting a centerpiece for that table. Create your own sweetheart table centerpiece by placing your bouquet at an angle in a short glass vase for everyone to admire.

If you have a large headtable, then have your bridesmaids display their bouquets in the same fashion...placed at an angle in a short glass vase along the head table. You can buy the vases from your florist or recycle your old vases. Bring some personality to the table by mixing and matching old & new vases.

If you have large floral altar pieces, have your designer dismantle the large pieces and cluster them into 3-5 small vases that can be displayed throughout the room for more floral impact.