Wednesday, March 2, 2011

What to know before you meet with your florist

My love and I had our first appointment with a florist today, and I think we might have found our florist.  The lady was friendly and my love actually participated in the planning process. (I was so proud of him. Men are notorious for refusing to participate in wedding planning, aren't they?) She even had one bouquet in her portfolio that looked a great deal like the one I'd had in mind.

To prepare for our visit to the florist, I looked at a good many bouquets online. I saved all of the ones I liked to a folder and then looked for similarities. I liked feathers, flowers that are apparently white anemones, wrapped bouquets with a round shape and I liked the idea of fastening a vintage broach to the bouquet wrap. Consulting with the groom-to-be revealed that he was partial to orchids as well. I also liked the idea of using either feathers or velvet millinery leaves in the boutonnieres and corsages.

I am glad I did a bit of homework before I went into the florist's shop. It made it easier to have a conversation about what I wanted, and I, for the most part, knew how to answer he questions. I brought notes with me in case I forgot something.

This is a list of things I considered (and should have considered) before going to speak with the florist. I've based it on what I researched ahead of time, as well as the sort of questions she asked.

Colors- It is a good idea to be fairly certain about your wedding colors, if you are choosing to have them. If you are not having set wedding colors, it might be wise to pick out specific flowers that you want to incorporate into your arrangements.

Bouquet shape- Hand tied bouquets seem to be very popular right now, but there are many different options available. You may choose an old fashioned tussie mussie in a silver holder for an historical or historically influenced wedding, or you may opt for a dramatic cascading bouquet.

Wedding style- Forced to describe my wedding on the spot, I said that it was “vintage and quirky.” I hadn't really thought of how to explain it briefly in a conversational setting, but, luckily, I picked a description I think suited it quite well.

Numbers- I wrote down a list of people who needed things like corsages and boutonnieres beforehand. This was a good thing, because I am horrible at keeping track of numbers and would likely have forgotten someone.

Anything unusual- I nearly forgot to ask about making a hair ornament for me, but luckily I'd written it down on my list, and that helped me remember.

The officiant- If the officiant is wearing something other than clerical robes, it might be appropriate to purchase a boutonniere or corsage.

Rules- Ceremony sites may have rules that affect your choice in flowers. Our ceremony site, for instance, does not allow glass containers or thrown flower petals. It may be a good idea to consult your contract to see what is permitted before speaking with the florist.

The ceremony space- While our ceremony space is likely to be decorated minimally with vintage and homemade objects, many brides might want to consider what arrangements the florist can contribute. Arches, chuppahs decorated with flowers, or altar flowers are all things that might be appropriate for your ceremony space.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

birdies for the wedding

I've been playing with some different crafts projects for the wedding.  I want to give it a playful, vintage, steampunky, anthropologie-esque feel all at once.  I've completed a few things, like some little nested birds and a wreath.  (I may revisit the wreath later, though.  I'm not sure it's perfect.)

I made these little guys with some mushroom birds I ordered off of the Create for Less website and some nests I bought at my local craft store.  I used some silk flowers and other new and vintage items I had around, some of which were from other craft projects.  The items the birds have nested on are all vintage, thrifted items, and the wooden one is a candlestick I painted with matte black paint to match the wedding theme.  I'm attempting to use as much of my crafting stash as I can and to buy vintage items and repurpose them as well.


The doilies in the picture might end up dyed black.  It was my original intention to dye all of them black.  I think because I'm using mismatched vintage items it's a good idea to keep the colors simple and consistent.  (Also, the lace on my gown is black.)  However, I'm now reconsidering having such a simplified theme and might do different tables with different themes.

I originally didn't intend to use books, either, but as I was playing with my items, I found they worked pretty well with them.  I have some that aren't as old and valuable as these, but are still suitably vintage and cute and I am considering doing the long tables with varied themes.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Book reviews: Dover clip art

I intend to make a lot of my wedding printed matter and have hunted around for some nice, old fashioned images to incorporate into it. While my collection of Victorian paper ephemera has proven handy, the ease of Dover book and CD sets encouraged me to invest in a few of them.
This book and CD set from Dover's more expensive Pictura collection has a wonderful array of images, many in warm, earthy tones or soft pastels. There lovely full page pictures, but the frames, boarders, and small designs included in the book are also lovely and quite appropriate for wedding materials. In keeping with the Art Nouveau theme, many of the images are inspired by nature. Fanciful flower forms, birds and other elegant natural images would make this collection useful for someone with nature themed, outdoors wedding, as well as a bride with a love for this turn of the century style.

This black and white collection includes boarders, variously shaped frames, corner ornaments and a good many small pictures that might be of use in wedding materials. Specifically wedding themed images include a turn of the century bride and groom, wedding rings intertwined with a rose, and several vintage images of Cupid. This is a wonderful general resource for people who want old fashioned black and white images for their wedding and I intend to make extensive use of it. (I've already incorporated some of the images into my wedding program design.)

Friday, November 5, 2010

Introduction

I intend to marry next July in a vintage inspired wedding in Colorado.  This blog will detail my little wedding adventures to anyone who might find them interesting or useful.


Thus far I have picked the gown and begun to gather vintage pretties for use in decorating.  I still have a lot to do, and picking a venue is next on my list.