Sending Smiles ~

"What are the wedding trends for 2010"? As I sit at my desk typing up Wedding and Mitzvah proposals for events I recently booked, I'm noticing that people are really starting to include Friday Nights and Sundays in the party mix. Not sure if this is trend to save money or because those dates are available but I think this year we are doing almost as many weddings on Sundays and Fridays as Saturdays. For your viewing pleasure I've included pictures from Trisha's wedding this past Sunday at the Crystal Plaza up in Livingston! Looking into 2010 I already have two weddings booked for January and both are on Sundays. Hm, I find this curious but I love it. At one time I would be lucky to do 1 wedding in January and I predict that we'll do as many as 6 to 10 for January, 2010. Having them spread out over the course of three days is much easier on us. This past weekend, for example, we had 1 wedding on Friday, 1 on Saturday and then a fairly large one on Sunday. Muc...

How fun was this? This past Friday we did the prom for West Milford High School. Their theme was Oscar Night! The event was held at The Tides and we decked out the place with lots of movie themed balloons. All the students were greeted with a large balloon arch as they walked along the red carpet. The organizers really did a great job of adding additional props such as huge popcorn containers, themed centerpieces and full size movie star pop ups. My Event Staff, Sheryl and David, did a wonderful job and had a great time working on site. Kelly and her team from the High School were a pleasure to work with. According to Kelly, the students loved the decor and had a fabulous time! To see more of our event work, including balloon decor check out our website at http://www.mondaymorningballoons.com/

Roses, roses and more roses. People often ask me, as a florist, what is my favorite flower. Hands down my favorite are roses. I love them! They come in so many wonderful colors, can be used in so many different ways. If kept in fresh water and a quick daily cut they can last a long time, and I love they way they burst open. Recently a customer asked me what they should expect the vase life to be. This is a tricky question being some roses last longer than others. Certain varieties last longer than other. Just as there are differences in grades of meat, there are different grades of roses. Some roses are bred to be very fragrant but have a shorter vase life while others with little or no fragrance have a longer vase life. There are many farms located all over the world that grow roses. Some grow hydroponically, some grow out in a field and other inside green houses. After years of ordering roses for the shop for both everyday orders and roses, you get a feel for what each farm produce...

If you live any where near either of my shops, you woke up to snow this morning! How crazy is that? Well, it is if you are in New Jersey or near Buck's County Pa! Anyway, I am so ready for spring! This morning I walked around the Princeton shop taking it all in and so here are some Scenes from the Shop - Part 3!! Pretty wheat grass and spring colored roses. Fresh bunches of tulips (only $8.95) and hand painted vases with tulips designs. Designer Rocio shows off her very tasteful sympathy piece. It's taller than she is! Rocio is a designer in training and has been slowly learning sympathy design. Lucky for her (and us) she's been taught by her sister who helped bring her into the business. Both Reina and Rocio are naturals!!

When you do as many weddings as we do sometimes the bouquets, centerpieces and miscellaneous items become a blur of colors and textures that come into the shop and quickly leave! It's so much fun and I rarely do a wedding that I don't absolutely love the outcome. I thought it might be fun to post some in my blog. It truly becomes a matter of finding just the right colors and flowers to translate their dreams into a reality for their special day! I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them!

I laugh as I write the title to this blog, because I'm really dating my self!! Donnie and Marie Osmond. Ah, the good old days. I just got off the phone with a customer who is trying to plan an event and needs decor. As I ask the usual questions "Are we going for something fun, funky or elegant?" it reminds me of that song that Donnie and Marie used to sing. Marie loved Country music and Donnie loved Rock. It showed how they were different and it was always a catchy song. The truth is I am Donnie and Marie rolled into one when it comes to flowers, balloons and decor. It really is all about the client and finding out what their goals are. I often hear about florists who tell brides that they can't do daisies for their wedding because it's too casual of a flower. I've always been of the mind set that my job is to please the customer and interpret what they want. I love that part about my job. Nothing gets me more excited when I see a brides face light up when I s...

I'm back from the Philadelphia Flower Show and I have to say that I was not disappointed. The theme this year is Bella Italia and anyone that knows me knows that Italy is my favorite destination! This year I was lucky enough to have been asked to be a judge! I represented an award given out by the Society of American Florists, of which I am a member. Our judging began at 8:30 am sharp on the morning of the preview day and it was great fun to be able to see everything up close and with no crowds. My wonderful husband was kind enough to drive me in to the city and then keep himself busy for a few hours during the judging. Afterwards, he and I were able to spend about 1/2 hour walking the show. The final judging was happening but the show was not yet open for the preview afforded the members of the Horticultural Society. It was wonderful to try to take it all in before the crowds streamed in. One of my favorite displays was the one that represented Milan and was created by AIFD me...