new camera!

So, I guess I can forgive my husband for not getting me flowers for Valentine's because he got me a new camera!  I came home from a bridal fair on Saturday, and he said, "So I got you a late birthday/Valentine's present..." and there it was!  Here are just a few of my favorites shot on it in the last few days.

Those are close ups of some blossoming branches, Queen Anne's Lace, and Fuji mums.  Oh I love pictures shot on a good camera!  It makes such a difference!

Valentine's flowers

I know roses are the traditional flowers for Valentine's, but sometimes it's fun to branch out and just follow the traditional color scheme of pinks, reds, and sometimes purples.  That's what my dad did this year with the flowers he got for my mom, and of course enlisted my help to arrange them in a vase so they would look good.  (I would post pictures of the flowers my husband got me, but he didn't!  Here's how the conversation always goes - my husband: "But you're a florist, so I never know what flowers to get because you know so much about them and I don't know anything."  Me: "But I'm a florist!  That means I love flowers so you can get me any of them!"  Maybe by our anniversary I'll have him trained...)  :)

Anyway... So I can't take credit for the selection of flowers, only the arrangement, but enjoy. 

I just love close-up shots of flowers.  They make me happy.

Happy Valentine's Day!

some pretty orchids

 Oh I love orchids!  Here are some corsages and boutonnieres featuring purple (almost hot pink) orchids, green coxcomb, and jade roses, with a splash of turquoise ribbon.

Wrist corsage - orchids, roses, and coxcomb

Boutonniere - orchids and coxcomb

Wrist corsage again

I just love the bright color combination for these flowers!  So fun and vibrant!

who gets flowers?

Many bride's come to me not really sure who in the wedding party should have flowers.  So here's a little guide to help you out.  Of course, many brides do not follow this exactly depending on who will actually be at the wedding, their budget, the look/formality of the event, etc. but this is at least how it traditionally works:

(see more of this event here)

Women:
Bride (of course!) - bouquet
Bridesmaids/Maid of Honor - bouquets or corsages
Mother of the bride - corsage
Mother of the groom - corsage
Grandmothers - corsages
Flower Girls - mini bouquets, headpieces, pomanders, corsages, etc.

With corsages for the women, you can choose pin-on or wrist corsages.  Consider the look/style you want, as well as what the women will be wearing.



Men:
Groom (of course!) - boutonniere
Groomsmen/Best Man - boutonnieres
Father of the bride- boutonniere
Father of the groom - boutonniere
Grandfathers - boutonniere
Ringbearer - boutonniere



Pastors/officiants often receive a boutonniere/corsage; and if you have any ushers or other attendants, they also often wear boutonnieres.  But of course, this varies with every wedding.  Many brides decide not to extend the wearing of wedding party flowers out to the grandparents, and others extend it out to many other family members (brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, etc) who may not be part of the official wedding party, but who they want to feel included or match for pictures.

And, because every post needs some good pictures (and these pictures are awfully cute!) here's another example of even the littlest of wedding party members getting in on the flower action.

Tropical Flowers

I got to go to Hawaii over Christmas (so beautiful!  and a wonderful break from the cold!!) So of course I took lots of pictures of all the beautiful tropical flowers.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Let's start with some hibiscus flowers

I love these big open blossoms.  We had a ton of hibiscus growing in my yard when I lived in California.  They are gorgeous!

Here's some ginger in pink and red

Here are some random cool flowers that I saw at a botanical garden we went to.  I forgot the names.

Watch out for this one!

Oh I love plumeria!  Sadly, this was somehow the only picture I got of the beautiful little blossoms.  They were growing all over, and the rain would knock the blossoms off the trees, so I would collect them up to wear in my hair or just take back to our condo.

I saved the best for last - orchids!  Orchids are probably my favorite flowers.  I just love them!  

They were growing out of the crooks of the tree branches.  So awesome!

color palette inspiration - navy blue and rusty orange

Navy blue and orange have both been incredibly popular wedding colors this year - but typically as accent colors, not the main color.  I have seen wedding color palettes of navy blue paired with yellow, navy blue with lime green, navy blue with pale pink, and several other combinations.  Orange has been popular alongside shades of purple (especially deep purple), shades of pink, tiffany blue, etc.  But I haven't seen many weddings that let these two take center stage and combine navy blue with orange.  And I think it would be stunning!  Especially navy blue with a rusty or burnt orange.

This color combination would be excellent for a summer wedding - emphasis on the bright orange hues, a fall wedding (orange and red tones are always good for fall), or a winter wedding - more blue, with the orange/red tones as a nice accent.

So here are some pictures to inspire you!  I typically focus my inspiration boards on floral elements, but I couldn't help but sneak in some shoes (I'm a total sucker for shoes!) that gorgeous Alfred Angelo bridesmaid dress, and some other fun wedding elements.

I love love love that gorgeous rust-colored lily.  And of course I always love orchids!  And that rose is one of my absolute favorite colors of roses.  Basically, I just really love this color palette.  Maybe this will inspire some future bride out there and I'll get to do a wedding with this color combo!

Image credits: flower pictures from dwfwholesale.com or fiftyflowers.com, dresses from Alfred Angelo, shoes from weddingbycolor.com, and cake from cakecentral.com

some more purple green and turquoise flowers

The photographer from one of my October weddings recently sent me some of the fantastic photos she took, so I wanted to share them!

 The happy couple!  Congratulations!

The bride's nephew - so adorable!  There was another picture where he was holding the bouquet.  Too cute!

Special thanks to Jill at JTB photo for the wonderful pictures!

Check out my previous post from this wedding here.