Sending Smiles ~

"I'm on a budget of about $1,000 for my wedding flowers. What's the best way to spend my money"?  Sound familiar? I get asked that question all the time and so I was inspired to write this blog.  I know it seems like a lot of money but if you need a bridal bouquet, 4 brides maids, flower girl, boutonnieres and corsages, altar decor and even centerpieces... wow, it can be a hard one to maneuver! My advise in this budget range would be to concentrate mostly on the personal flowers such as the bouquets, etc. Keep the flowers to one or two colors so that you can keep the bouquets smaller and more chic. Also, be sure to keep to seasonal flowers. No, peony are not in season in October - come on, I know you were thinking they were!! I'm going to hang a sign in our consultation room that says "spring flowers are mostly in season during the spring"!  It's ok to want pink flowers in November but with a little research you'll find that roses, lilies, carn

How striking is this photo of Andrea's brides maid? Yellow has been such a hot color all summer long and toss in at gorgeous shocking blue and you really get - wow!! A small but elegant hand tied bouqueet of yellow mini gerbers, roses, freesia and crespedia were the perfect contrast the the brides maid dresses. Thanks to bride AJ and photographer Lewis Kassel for sharing this fantastic photo with us! To see more photos from this and other weddings visit our wedding website at http://www.perfectweddingflowers.com/

Last Friday night we had the opportunity to drive over to the Mercer County Farmers Coop and what fun we had, so much in fact, we're going back tomorrow night. We were able to purchase fresh, local grown product such as these zinnias, sunflowers, cockscomb and even small pumpkins and Indian corn. We even purchased a case of fresh New Jersey peaches for our fruit and gourmet baskets! What made the night even more special was getting to meet the actual farmers who grew the products that we were purchasing. What nice people and are clearly devoted to their farms.It felt good to really put my money where my mouth is with regards to "buying local". Keep check back to see what comes into the shop all through the fall as I am told the mum plants are next!! Remember, shop local and support your local community. To see more of our local products become our fan at www.facebook.com/localflorist !!

We see it all the time in the obituaries in the paper and online - "In Lieu of Flowers" send money to this organization or charity but what is it really saying? Customers ask all the time if that means they are not allowed to send flowers and the answer is a big NO. That sentence does not mean that the family does not want flowers for the service and that the funeral director will not accept them, it means that if you wanted to honor the person by making a donation, this is the organization the family would like you to donate too. Can you imagine walking in to a funeral service and not seeing flowers? How sad indeed. Flowers help to express your feeling in a visual, loving way and families have expressed that flowers are measurable representation of how well loved their family member was. So the next time you need to express your sympathy, remember that flowers are still very much appreciated and I personally believe that nothing will ever change that!

How cute are these kissing balls made of yellow buttons? Made for last weeks bride, Andrea, they hung on the ends of the pews at St. James Church. Andrea's mom said they collected them after the ceremony and brought them to reception to add a little accent of color here and there. "The guests not only took all the flower arrangements at the end of the night, they even took the pomanders", said mother of the bride Pat when she came in today to hand deliver a thank you note. The perfect compliment because the guests loved them enough to take them home. To view more of our wedding designs visit our wedding website at http://www.perfectweddingflowers.com/

Late summer is always a nice time in the flower shop because of the local product that arrives each day such as these huge yellow centered sunflowers. Some measuring 7" across, what fun it is to bring a couple home to brighten up the house. Another flower that screams late summer are iris. Available year round from various farms, they are especially plentiful at this time of the year and the color is just so vibrant! Did you know that these very cool brown sunflowers grow this way? Nope, they are not dyed and they came from a local New Jersey Farm too! Look at these very cool gloriosa lilies that just arrived from Holland. Very spidery and vibrant, these little short stemmed version of this viney flower is perfect in summer basket arrangements and centerpieces. How about these tropical bird of paradise? Tropical floral displays are very popular during the summer months. Must be the heat!! Well, that's a view in the shop today!!

This morning I was looking for inspiration for something to post on my Facebook Fan Page and I came across this really cool website. It's called Living Arts Originials and it's all artwork. The part that I found interesting talked about artwork used in hospitals and doctors offices. Read below for some interesting stuff and thanks to Kathleen Karlsen for the inspiration!! Can using flowers in the decor in a room help relieve stress? A 1996 study conducted by Virginia Lohr and others showed that rooms and offices decorated with plants and flowers helped reduce stress as measured by decreased blood pressure and pulse rates. Researchers have further determined that there is a direct link between flowers and life satisfaction. A study done at Rutgers demonstrated that flowers decrease anxiety, depression and agitation. Flowers also lead to a higher sense of enjoyment and increased contact with family and friends. Flowers make a home more welcoming and create a sharing atmosphere