Botanica Floral Designs

Candles are a great way to add romance to any reception! Often times, reception rooms can turn dull due to the lack of lighting, but candles give us that needed light and romantic feel!
In addition to candles for your reception, a new trend is to line the aisle of your ceremony with hurricanes featuring lit candles. Imagine this in a dim lit room, talk about drama! This year we are seeing floating candles, colored candles, textured, and the list goes on! But, one of the greatest new inventions is battery operated candles. Is there anyone out there who can't have open flames in their venue? Well, here is your answer! Coming in array of colors and lasting up to forty hours, these are a great alternative and in some cases much better than the real thing! One of the greatest features of these battery operated lights are that they come in hot colors, but these can also be submerged in water as well! This gives a great effect and adds a touch that guests will be raving about for years to come! Expect to see brides creating a "lounge" feel to the reception by adding color to centerpieces and an unexpected twist to the traditional candle!

One of the trends we are seeing this year is the use of botanical items such as branches, mosses, pebbles, bark, shells, nearly anything originating from the earth. These items can are incorporated into centerpieces as well as bouquets. Along the same lines, we are seeing the use of fruits and vegetables tied into centerpieces to give an organic feel. Chances are you will be seeing these trends somewhere this year!

Centerpieces for your reception are one of the main ways to dress up any reception location, and here is what is hot for 2008

• Expect to see mixing of tall and short centerpieces that will add interest and get your guests interacting with other tables. Especially for rooms with tall ceilings, you need a middle ground to tie everything together. By adding in low centerpieces with tall, you also don't loose the tall centerpieces, since they are all at one level across the room... your eye will go up and down as you see the floral sprays.

• Incorporating uncommon items into floral arrangements such as fruit will continue to be a huge trend for this year. Lemons, Granny Smith apples, you name it, these are all great ways of tying in your color theme in an unexpected way.

• Submerging blooms, such as cymbidium orchids in tall clear glass vases filled with water has a sophisticated look to it and is European in roots. At the base of these tall vases expect to see natural pebbles, colored glass to tie in colors, and even specialty lighting made to withstand submersion under water, and available in an abundance of colors.

• Lastly, we will see the clustering vase effect where a number of vases are centered in the table and filled with different types of flowers in your color theme. A blossom floating in one, a submerged bloom in another and a posy of fragrant flowers in another. It all adds interest and keeps your guests entertained as they talk about the interesting blooms surrounding them.

The trends for 2008 are fun, fresh and unique. There are so many interesting ways to dress up a drab centerpiece. Make sure you add a little unique touch to your floral decor!

In the coming posts to my BLOG, I will be writing about the 2008 floral trends forecasted by The Knot. These are the trends which you will be seeing in full swing for this year, so keep on reading and checking back for the latest news....

The Bridal Bouquet

It is so traditional for a bride to carry the elegant white or creme bouquet down the aisle, and more and more we have been seeing brides carrying full-color hued bouquets to add drama to their grand entrance. Whether it be a subtle splash of color to tie in your bouquet with the bridesmaids, or an all out bold statement, a little bit of color creates contrast against your dress and makes your floral accessories have a statement in your photos. I love it when brides choose to do something fun and dramatic with their bouquet. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and something non-traditional! Set your bouquet apart from your bridesmaids by adding a specific color just to yours, or have a special technique such as looping foliages or adding gemstones to make your bouquet spectacular!

With prom season in full gear, high school sweethearts will be picking out couture gowns and suits for the most looked forward night of the school year. So why not have your prom flowers look as good as you do? Carnations and pin-on corsages are styles of the past, you want something just as trendy as the clothes you are wearing.

First of all, what style of corsage or personal flowers do you want to wear? A wristlet (worn usually on the left wrist), neck flowers (designed around a metallic necklace), hair flowers, ankle flowers, or arm band flowers? Though some of these ideas seem somewhat unusual, they can be very interesting and appropriate depending on the type of dress you may be wearing. Here are the latest trends and styles that are going to get all the other couples talking...

• Forget the ordinary- go with a unique bloom such as an orchid or dress up roses with the following...

• Adding in specialty wristlet bands designed with sequins and beading. These add an extra touch to tie in your dress and colors from your gown.

• Adding lighting- believe it or not! One of the coolest new trends, battery powered lights and fiber-optics will continue to shine as you dance the night away! They also come in an abundance of colors!

• Adding feathers for the "true Diva." Ostrich feathers, pheasant feathers and white feathers add a unique touch and give a glam effect.

• Gems, gems, gems. What girl can't get enough? This dresses up any floral piece and can tie in the jewelry you will be wearing for the night.

Even if you are not planning on going extravagant with your personal flowers, finding a nice ribbon to match your gown will finish off your look and tie in your floral accessories with your overall look.

There are many ways to get the most for your money with your floral budget. Here are a few tips to doing so....

• Choose flowers that are in season for the time of your wedding. Flowers in season are abundant and are available at lower prices.

• Greens go a long way. Foliage is much less expensive compared to flowers, so if you need to get a "larger, more dramatic look" without breaking the budget, utilize foliages to give you more size. There are many different shades and forms of green foliages that can compliment any type of arrangement or floral palette. Ask your floral designer to show you different options that will go with your flower theme.

• Have ceremony floral pieces incorporated into your reception decor. I like to place vases on the head table where bridesmaids can drop their bouquets into after the ceremony to add decor to the reception. Also, arch sprays or aisle flowers can be used in the same matter. This allows you to get double the use from your floral budget.

• Use your most expensive flowers sparingly. Splurge on your bridal bouquet or a focal arrangement for your reception. When deciding on where to include expensive flowers, think of which arrangements are going to be viewed the most.

Remember, your floral designer has an abundance of knowledge to guide you in maximizing your budget. Utilize this knowledge to your advantage and be open to suggestions.

Audrey Chaney

Botanica Floral Designs

Before you sit down with your floral designer, read over some of these key tips to getting the most out of your time with your designer and conveying your thoughts and ideas.

• Keep a collection of cutouts from magazines and books of flower types, designs and color schemes you like.

• Bring a swatch or photo of your dress as well as your bridesmaids so that your floral designer can get the best vision of your attire and color scheme.

• Have an idea of what your budget is. It can be a rough figure, but this will allow your designer to see if all your wishes are attainable. A good estimate for your flowers is 10-15% of your total wedding budget. Have your floral checklist prioritized. What is the most important area that you would like to splurge on?

• Make a list beforehand of all special people such as grandmothers and grandfathers who will be wearing personal flowers for your day. The last thing you want to do is leave someone special out.

• Find out if your venue has any special restrictions. Some venues such as churches require that fresh flowers stay at this location. And some reception locations do not allow open flames.

• Have a list of other vendors you are working with. Your floral designer may offer some referrals to help you track down needed professionals.

• Have fun and be open to new ideas. Your designer is very knowledgeable and is working in your best interest for your day.

Audrey Chaney