Sending Smiles ~

Cranbury Inn is one of our favorite venues for weddings and last weekends wedding for Danielle and Jason ranks pretty high on our favorite decor list. Held just a few weeks before Christmas, this holiday themed wedding that included winter berry, holly, pine, red roses and of course, cranberries really set the mood for the holiday season. Below is the pretty table arrangement we created for the place card table.  Next came the ceremony. Because the ceremony was held in the same location as the ceremony, the arch was the perfect way to anchor the "altar" and the floating Cranberries and hanging juliet candles looks so pretty lining the aisle.   Imagine these when the lights went low.   A touch of cranberries at the base of the Juliette holders were the perfect little touch to infuse a bit of red.   During the reception the candle holders were now used to decorate the ledges along the outer edge of the ballroom adding a warm glow.  The centerpiec...

Iris and hydrangea Place Card Table , originally uploaded by Georgianne at Monday Morning Flowers . We created this arrangement for wedding of Bryan and Nicole at the Cranbury Inn yesterday. Usually I don't like using iris in wedding arrangement, mostly because they can be a difficult flower to work with. In this case, iris were the main theme and all the other floral elements used were meant to compliment this gorgeous bloom. One of my favorite pieces to design for any wedding is the escort card table, especially because we can make them a bit more grand and the couple are usually able to dedicate a few extra dollars to these displays. Setting the tone for the rest of the wedding decor, this piece greeted guests as they arrived for the ceremony at the Inn. Lavender hydrangea complimented with sweet geranium foliage created the base for lots and lots of deep purple iris.

Welcome back for Part 2 of "Inside the Design Bench" at Monday Morning Flowers. Part 1 explored all the work that goes into beginning to design wedding flowers. Our team works hard to make sure that everything is perfect for that special day. I know that sounds corny but it's true!! This part explores the actual delivery and set up of all the wedding flowers. By the time our set up team is back in the truck and heading for home base, 9 or 10 employees have helped to make it all happen! Now, back to bride Erin's wedding....Below is her bouquet. Depending on what our bride has chosen and if it's a unique looking bouquet, we try to get a quick picture before it leaves the shop. Future brides appreciate our ability to show them different styles and colors of bouquets we have created. Although the actual day of the wedding can be hectic, especially if we have more than one to set up that day, remembering to take a few pictures is top on our list of wedding details! Er...

So, what is up with this new trend of weddings in March? Back in the day (well, a few years back, at least) we might have one wedding during the whole month of March and this year we have 5 already I am expecting more! I'm not complaining, I love it but what gives? For that matter, I have quite a few in January and also in February as well. This new trend is wonderful. My designers are doing little floral happy dances because apparently there will not be the usual void of "No Weddings" from January to March again this year. I suspect it's the economy and reception sites giving nice deals. To be truthful, I think these winter weddings turn out nicely. The weather where we are in New Jersey and Pennsylvania rarely has a glut of snowfall so having a nice winter wedding is a wonderful idea. Brides and grooms that pick locations that can easily accommodate their ceremony and reception along with overnight rooms for guests seems to be a great choice! Some of our January loc...