Sending Smiles ~

 I always love talking about how flowers are an artform. I think folks sometimes forget that each and everyone is made, made care by a talented foral designer. Here our designer makes spring wedding bouquets for bride Katie. This huge glass bowl was filled with many fresh stems of imported Dutch Tulips, lily grasses and fatsia leaves. Designer Norman always has fun with designs like this and we are sure it made for a big impact when this amazing arrangement was received! Sometimes we are matching an arrangement on our website but the most favorite thing for our designers to do is create something custom, like this arrangement. At this time of year the tulips are plentiful but their season is just about over. We also bring tulips in from California, Canada and Virginia. I think they are one of the most beloved flowers we work with in Spring. Folks like Shop Coordinator Sheryl and your truly help out during busy time. Sheryl especially loves doing Gourmet Baskets and ...

 It rained and it rained but that did not stop our team from creating a pretty setting at the Holly Hedge Barn for Katie and Derrick's Wedding this weekend. Two large Eugenia Topiary frame the fire place perfectly. This photo is deceiving as the were over 6 feet tall! Now that's a large fireplace. The flowers up in the nook really soften the feel of all the stone and add a pop of her peach and pink floral tones to the room.  The tables were decorated with a burlap square and a mixture of drinking bottles, both provided by the bride. We add some pops of color with fresh Flowers such as spray roses, snapdragons, waxflowers, Queen Ann's lace, solidago and hypericum berries.  Each table was named after an animal. A sweet touch and added to the home down country farm, rustic feel. Nothing to matchie, match here. Keeping the guest guessing at every turn. :o)  The escort cards were each nestled inside a "wheel" of wheat grass lined with burlap ribbon. The K...

 It's always fun to be hired for a last minute wedding and we really enjoyed creating this one for bride Zulma. Shades of peach, lavender, pale pink and white using mini gerber daisies, roses, pom pon daisies, carnations and babies breath combined into a restful and sweet wedding bouquet. Similar flowers were used in the altar arrangement and the table centerpieces. Pops of soft spring greenery complete the look and should make for one happy bride and groom!! Congrats to all the folks getting married this weekend. To see this and more of our wedding designs visit our websites at www.sendingsmiles.com and www.perfectweddingflowers.com

 I love giving sneak peeks into the shop and today has been an exciting one for sure. Lots and lots of colorful floral arrangements are leaving the shop. Many were ordered directly on our website... www.sendingsmiles.com and the phones just have not stopped ringing.  Lots and lots of last minute parties have come in this week such as this Murder Mystery centerpieces going over the Windrows (which is an active over 55 residence) and the centerpieces below for the Trenton Thunder Ball Park for their game tonight!  I posted this photo on Facebook and got over 45 likes almost immediately. I'm thinking they will be a hit for all those who see them. I love the mixture of flowers that arrived today, such as the mini calla lilies below. The stems are almost 28" long and the color is just so vibrant! Imagine these twirled down in the water of big cylinder vase!  The peony that arrived today on our Dutch shipment has an amazing coral color. They are just beginn...

I came across this blog that I wrote for the Nassau Inn in Princeton and thought it might be worth sharing here on my own blog. One minute you are engaged and then next minute you are deluged with ideas and dreams. How do you turn your dream into a reality? How do you find a florist that will not only make your dream come true but partner with you to help you decorate your reception and create memorable bouquets? You are looking for someone who will partner with you, not just tell you what you should do. First off, remember, you are looking for someone who will partner with you, not just tell you what you should do. Finding someone that listens and can interpret your floral wish list might take a little extra work at the beginning but will pay off in the end. This blog will give you some pointers to help you save time and frustration. Here are my 5 steps to follow to find a great florist! Step 1: Start by asking friends, family and other wedding vendors (includi...

In our area, Prom season isn't just one or two weeks, it's almost 2 months long. This year we are trying to step our designs and have started offering "Build a Corsage" style of ordering. Our new Prom boards are such a great tool for the guys and girls to choose the individual elements that will make up their Wearable Flowers. The way it works is, they choose what they would like their flowers to be on, whether it's a rhinestone bracelet, a head band, a necklace or even an arm band. Each one shows their retail price. Then they move on to choosing the f lowers . Again, each price is shown for them. Then they move on to the extras such as gems, sprays, feathers, ribbon, etc. They can choose to add as many of those as they like. Add them up and that's the cost. The flowers for the boys work pretty much the same way, chose the flower, add a bit of bling and before you know it, you have a custom boutonniere that only he'll have!! To see more of our F...

It's always fun being in Floral Management Magazine and this time it was our Facebook Fan Page that was featured. We are going to take that as a compliment. Society of American Florists resident "Techie" Renato Sogueco was talking Facebook's new Timeline format and used our page to demonstrate the changes.

I can tell you that if you don't care, you really should. Did you know that 80% of the flower bought in the US are grown outside the US? It's true, that means that only 20% of the flowers sold in America area grown on American soil. You might wonder why this is and it's as simple as this - consumers want low cost. But wanting everything at a low cost can be a high price to pay as we see less and less being "Made in America". As I read a view point in Floral Management Magazine written by Lane DeVries, who is the current Chairman of the California Cut Flower Commission, part of what makes flowers less costly coming from Columbia has been because of the Andean Trade Preference and Drug Eradication Act, which provided duty free access to flowers from being imported from South America. As part of the geopolitical interest of the US, through "Plan Colombia", as the federal government called it, our government has "Invested" an estimated $570 m...

It's a fact of life that every now and then we have to send flowers for a funeral. Imagine a funeral without flowers... it's a depressing thought. Flowers are such a lovely way of express our grief and support for the family and there are so many flowers options to choose from. One of my favorites is to send a wreath of beautiful blooms. They come in different shapes such as squares (yes, squares), ovals, rounds and even hearts, like this one. Elegant and tasteful, a wreath arrangement really stands out and gets noticed. Choose a solid color of mixed flowers or a sunny color theme like this yellow and white heart wreath pictured below. The next time you need to send flowers, perhaps this blog will have you considering a wreath. It's always our greatest pleasure to guide our customers in their floral selections . To see these and other sympathy flowers options visit our sympathy site at www.sendingsympathy.com or visit our Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/lo...

BALLOONS AND THEIR BIO-DEGRADABLE NATURE Have you ever wonder if latex balloons are good for the environment and the answer is yes! There are two types of balloons in wide general use - latex and mylar. This distinction is important because each type requires different handling. Latex balloons are easily identified by their elastic character and are composed of natural rubber sap and small amounts of non-toxic coagulants and pigments. They are 100% bio-degradable. When exposed to outdoor elements they are completely consumed by soil or water micro-organisms at a rate quicker than that experienced by an oak leaf under identical conditions. In much the same way maple syrup is harvested from the maple tree, the production of latex balloons contributes positively to the preservation of tropical rain forests. Thanks Kevin for providing the information for this blog! To see more photos of our balloon even decorations vis...