Sending Smiles ~

Can't decide what color flowers for your wedding? I've noticed that lavender and purple never seem to go out of style and work for any season. Last month's bride April had us use all shades of lavender and purple in her July wedding and the look was gorgeous!  Above is April's bridal bouquet of lavender Ocean Song Roses, white Snowflake Spray Roses, purple stock, white and purple mini calla lilies called Picasso, green hypericum berries and accents of seeded Eucalyptus.  Remember that all wedding flowers are created by our talented artists one design at a time, by hand. Would you consider purple and lavender for your wedding flowers? 

It's Saturday afternoon and I'm thinking about the 3 weddings we did today. One was blush pinks and creams, one was creams, corals and peaches and one was purples and blues. It's amazing how floral designs in different colors ~ even using similar flowers can look so different. Case in point are these 2 centerpieces. Created for a Corporate Client who likes to see options, both are valued at the same $65 per table. When I posted these on our Facebook Page asking folks to tell us which was their favorite, it was easily 50/50 with a few saying they loved both. It's amazing how choosing one color theme can make floral designs even more dramatic. Imagine if these 2 centerpieces were multicolored ? They wouldn't really have the same level of sophistication and drama ~ don't you agree?  The peaches and corals are warm and elegant while the purple shades are cool and bright.   The next time you are ordering centerpieces for your next event, why not choose ...

No, I'm not talking about the movie, I'm talking about flowers (as I've been known to do) and the color purple.  Ah, remember THE DRESS? You know, the one that some said was white and gold, while others said blue and black? That really brought it home how different people see color differently so that got me to thinking about one of the hardest colors to work with and that is the color purple. When you look at the flowers below, do they look purple to you? Some will say yes, while others say no but in the world of flowers, they are all considered purple. Some have more red undertones, while others have blue but if you asked me for purple flowers; any and all would be what we would send. Imagine working with this color when decorating a home or creating wedding flowers? Not easy! What is your favorite purple flower?

This past week since returning from my California trip has been a whirl wind of bridal activity. Over the last few days alone I have booked on more 2012 wedding and 3 for 2013. What I have found interesting, is the demand for purple flowers for these weddings still seems to be quite high. Almost 50% of the new brides I'm meeting with are using purple in one way or another in their wedding flowers and decor. Many are choosing a shade of green for the maids or even deep lapis seems to be a favorite among current couples.  Thought I'd share this lovely centerpiece we made for bride Lori and her husband Steve. This floral design was create on to of our 24" tall candle holder. Inside the vase were twirls of purple callas and the cascading floral designing on top was made using green hydrangeas, purple roses, phaelanopsis orchids, calla lilies - both Picasso and Purple and light touches of a deep plum colored carnation. They were truly lovely in person.  I especially...

We post photos of our wedding designs just about every week so imagine our surprise when I posted this photo on our Facebook Fan Page to have it skyrocket to over 100 shares and at least that many likes and comments? Wow, it just went viral - showing how powerful this color palate of purples and blues is right now. We loved the mixture of flowers used in Bride Rochelle's wedding bouquet - including Cool Water purple roses, Picasso mini callas, purple stock, limonium filler, white stephanotis (with purple pearl centers), purple lisianthus (with buds removed) and deep blue volkenfreiden delphinium. To see this and more of our floral design work check out our facebook page at www.facebook.com/localflorist or our website at www.sendingsmiles.com

Flowers like this make me dreamy. I can imagine rolling up between the petals and falling off to dreamland in a fluffy cloud as soft as heaven. Ah, but I can fly away from myself into the world of floral fantasy. How gorgeous is this deep purple lisianthus? A flower often confused with a rose, each long stem has multiple bloomed flowers and "yet to open" buds. The stem is rather narrow and weak but is surprising strong giving how much weight is positioned at the tippy top. With multiple blooms and buds, the stem tends to arch and drape rather than stand straight up, again, part of it's subtle beauty that says "take me as I am, I'm not perfect but I'm lovely. I'm not weak but resilient."  Yes, yes, I know, you are wondering, "what the heck is Georgianne on today" but truly, when I look at flowers as gorgeous as this one, it's how I talk to myself. Soft mind full whispers of joy bounce around my head reminding me of why I love flowers,...

KISS - Keep It Simple Sweetie (Ok, so I changed that word) and this really tells that story. A brides maids bouquet made for yesterdays small wedding, this bouquet is made of Ocean Song Lavender roses and purple waxflowers accented with a tiny collar of fresh galax leaves. Posted onto my Monday Flowers Facebook page, with in a matter of hours we had over 45 "likes" by florists and non-florists alike. Sometimes you just have to keep the flower selection simple. To see this and other wedding designs feel free to visit our website at www.sendingsmiles.com or www.perfectweddingflowers.com

 I don't know what it is about the color purple but it's been showing up everywhere I Turn. This week past bride Suzan sent these photos our way and I'm so glad she did. I love the brides maids gowns, don't you? The flowers were just a sweet addition.  What fun seeing how the couple arrived in style!  Suzan's bouquet was gorgeous with ivory roses, brown cymbidium orchids, purple mini callas and purple roses. Her gown was so elegant and had lots of detail. What a lovely color palate for a late fall wedding, don't you think? To see this and more or our floral design check out our website at www.sendingsmiles.com or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/localflorist

Over a year ago I wrote a blog that focused on the Color Purple (hey, wasn't that a movie with Whoopie Goldberg and Oprah) and here we are beginning a new year and the color purple is still hot, hot, hot!! I've been meeting with brides left and right and the color purple is still showing up as dominate color for this year in wedding designs. The above centerpieces were created for our very own Sheryl's sisters wedding. Everything was purple, including the floral centerpieces that were made from hydrangeas in a variety of shading. This bouquet being made by our designer has pops of purple statice along with rich red roses and deep blue delphinium.  These simple brides maids bouquets were just the perfect shade to match their deep purple/fuchsia gowns.  Bride Naomi wanted a Royal feel to her wedding day and so we took apart purple hydrangea blooms and sprinkled them down the aisle at the Nassau Inn.  Two different shades of purple daisies created the...

We did it, we survived an unexpected October snow storm on a busy event weekend. Taken with the hubby's cell phone, these floral centerpieces were set up at Prospect House on Princeton Universities Campus. Look at the snow covered trees and gardens in the back ground. With 4 teams on the road doing daily deliveries, setting up this party (a Corporate function) a full sized wedding (with church and reception set ups), a flower and balloon decorated Mitzvah and a Halloween party thrown in for good measure - it took nerves of steel to pull it off. Thank you to my amazing crew who without the benefit of boots, gloves or chains for the their tires, managed to set up all parties and get back safely to home base, each with their delivery vans intact. With power outages, electrical poles on fire, party locations being changed at the last minute and all around mass confusion, I think we did a pretty darn good job. I don't think I'll ever think of October as "no need to worry...

I wanted to share with you one of our wedding bouquets from this past weekend. How pretty is this bouquet we created for Christina? Lavender roses, white stephanotis, cream hydrangea, purple stock, deep plum colored Floragene carnations and pink gerber daisies really combined to create something special, don't you think? We really liked the coordinating bouquets we created for the brides maids. Pink gerbers, roses, carnations and peony, accented with purple limonium fillers. So sweet but still very elegant. Pink and purple still remains as a very popular wedding trend and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. Looking at these two bridal bouquets, you can understand why! To see more of our wedding designs, bouquets and even centerpieces - visit our wedding site at www.perfectweddingflowers.com

No matter what I post on Facebook or this blog, if it's purple it's going to get a very positive response and this bouquet is no exception. Created for this past weekends bride Leah, for her Maid of Honor, this bouquet was made using ivory and lavender roses, purple lisianthus and touches of lime green buplurium along the outer edge. What a wonderful color for an April wedding, don't you think?   Brides asking for purple flowers still seems to be  a strong trend through 2011 with shades of pink being next in line (which was the brides bouquet was made of, in this case). Roses are still high up on the flower wish list with peony, hydrangea, lisianthus and even dahlias and orchids often being requested.   To see this bouquet and other examples of our wedding designs, be sure to visit our wedding website at http://www.perfectweddingflowers.com/

Have you ever noticed how a color can affect you? I've noticed that what is pleasing to one person could be a total downer for another. For example, I love the colors in this bouquet. When I see them they make me feel happy and calm and everything warm and fuzzy. Recently I was helping a family to choose some sympathy flowers and they really wanted lots of color. When discussing what exact colors they liked together, when I mentioned blues or purples, they expressed that they did not want any purple or blue because to them, they were very morose. Wow, what a strong, negative word for a color that makes me happy. It just goes to prove a point. A color that would be seen as positive for one could be seen as a negative to another. When buying flowers for yourself, choose flowers in colors that make you happy and remind you of fond memories. When buying flowers as a gift take clues from what color car they drive or clothes they wear. Let's face it, colors have played important r...

What is the flower? Can you guess? I'll bet you think it's a rose? Nope, it's actually a form of ornamental kale that we use in floral arrangements. This variety is hands down our favorite and it's called "Red Crane" and comes through the dutch market and is grown in Holland green houses. Apparently, it's edible but we've never tried it and I'm thinking we probably won't! Long lasting yet fun and fancy, our designers love "Kale Season". If you order a flower arrangement from our shop, you just might find it among the other blooms. It's especially nice used in Thanksgiving centerpieces and the green and white variety are spectacular during Christmas! Take advantage of Kale Season and ask for this awesome flower when you place your order! To see more of our floral creations be sure to check out our website at http://www.sendingsmiles.com/ and if you are planning a wedding our designs can be seen at http://www.perfectweddingflow...

Ah, the fragrance and beauty of stock. Never heard of the flower? Such a strange name for a gorgeous bloom, right?  I must confess, that not everyone "gets" this flower and those not familiar with it's ruffled flowers often complain thinking that there is not the way it should look, but alas it is! That being said, it's still one of my favorite flowers of all time (next to roses, of course) not only because of those crinkled flowers all in a row but also because of their amazing fragrance.  Their long graceful line comes in so handy when creating floral designs and the colors of white, cream, lavenders into rich purples and Burgundy's also make for pretty arrangements mixed with other flowers or used just by themselves. Most of the stock we sell here in the shop is grown right in the U. S. of A, in California to be exact. I love that it's homegrown, right out in gorgeous fields. Can you imagine what it must ...

Ok, now how fun is purple? It's not for everyone and most people you ask will tell you they either love purple or hate it but no one can say that it does not make a strong statement. I remember thinking how daring my sister in law was being when she picked purple as her wedding color over 15 years ago!! Love it or hate it you have to give the color purple it's due. It's dramatic!! These bouquets were created for our bride Julie's brides maids. Deep purple lisianthus, along with purple hydrangea and roses were slightly accented with lime green berries!   This bouquet was created for our bride Andria and was quite striking for her wedding ceremony at Grounds for Sculpture. There was no way this bouquet did not stand out among the garden setting! This hand tied bouquet of purple and cream colored roses along with blue hydrangea was simple and sweet for this brides outdoor ceremony. The collar of variegated greens softened the look and gave them that "fresh pic...