Bridget and Nick

Bridget & Nick's wedding flowers had a very natural, rustic theme. The ceremony fit right into the Battery Garden setting with vines, ivy and graceful stems of orchids. The subtle details were captured in beautiful photos by 5 West Studios.

Bridget's romantic bouquet combined cream and white flowers - roses, gardenias, lisianthus and freesia. It was a beautiful, textual bouquet, and the stems were wrapped with lace to match her gown!

The flowers girl's rustic basket was filled with open pink spray roses, lisianthus, Queen Ann's lace and astilbe for a lacy look.

Burlap textured fabric and ribbon trimmed the stairway leading from cocktails to the reception.

Scotts Flowers NYC expertise in installation and beautiful details made the wedding even more special.

Very soft, full, open pale pink and white flowers contrasted beautifully with the rustic birch covered containers. Even the table numbers were made of slices of birch. Soft sage green "Krinkle" table cloths added to the ambience with subtle color and texture.

New Look at the Stone Mill

For late November wedding at the Stone Mill with Surroundings Flowers & Events we used long tables for the first time in the space. It was a very elegant look with lots of candlelight, flowers in shades of purple and plum, and pale gray tablecloths.

Details!

Here is a sneak peak at my new book, Beautiful Wedding Flowers, coming January 2011. I'm very excited to have so many of my floral ideas and tips published in a beautiful hardcover edition. The book offers information to help brides at every step, from selecting a florist to working on a color scheme and choosing bouquet flowers. It is also a valuable reference for wedding and event planners.

This table design was inspired by the pink and gold tones in the beautiful cloth from my friends at The Total Table. The pink ranunculus in the centerpiece are so large and perfect, and just the right shade. To further complement the cloth, I gilded fresh ivy (it keeps for a very long time).

Don't forget the napkin flowers - they really add a custom touch to the tabletop.

Keep watching - there will be many more ideas!

Rustic Wedding Details

One of my favorite autumn weddings was for a bride who really did not want to carry flowers! She came to Surroundings Flowers & Events where I, along with her mother, convinced her to reconsider. The result is this very subtle combination of flowers. White cymbidum orchids were the only concession to tradition with burgundy scabious, acid green dendrobium orchids, deep purple lisianthus and veronica completing the color scheme. The bouquet stems were bound with sage green tafetta and the bouquet was wrapped with curly willow. The result was distinctive, beautiful, and perfect for the bride!

The chuppah, constructed in front of the NYBG arbor, was of cream chiffon in classic lines. Large bouquets of bouquets kale, dahlias, orchids, veronica and more curly willow tied the centers of the supports - a rustic floral theme that was carried throughout the wedding flowers.

The small, intimate dining tables were decorated with urns and wreaths of the same flowers. I love the use of green kale and variety of foliage

NYBG Halloween Wedding

The New York Botanical Garden was the setting for a beautiful wedding on Halloween. The "B" monogram, the couple's initial, was featured on the escort table's beautifully carved pumpkin. Tiny glass maple leaf bottles and a generous gathering of autumn flowers and branches completed the welcoming display.

The monogram also made an appearance on the table centerpieces - all designed with a natural, autumn feeling.

Roses, hydrangea, berries, craspedia, safflower, artichokes

and thistle were used for texture and color. A pumpkin colored ribbon, buttoned with the "B" monogram, circled the mossed container.

The Stone Mill - A Night in Africa

One of the most interesting projects I've recently been involved with was this African animal themed part to celebrate a baby boy's baptism.

Every table had a unique environment suited to the animal. With the help of very talented designers Angel and Christian the room sprang to life. Perched on a rock, the lion surveyed his domain and his family. Elephants marched across tables and cheetahs threatened to leap from trees.

The realistic animals were great fun to work with. The drinking giraffe has his own watering hole and another is stretching to eat from the trees.

Bright flowers livened the entrance windowsill and the escort table.

New York Botanical Garden

Pretty chair bouquets combined several types of foliage with light green hydrangea and berries. The curly willow added a rustic touch and the pale pink satin matched the bridal roses.

The colors for this wedding were pale pink and white. The generous addition of a variety of foliage and curly willow detailed the top of the arbor in a loose, natural style.

The chair bouquets and ceremony decor matched the green hydrangea planted along the side of the ceremony area.

Brighter shades of pink were added to make the escort table flowers pop in the elegant interior.

Below is a detail from one of the beautiful table centerpieces. All the flowers and natural materials were chosen to create a lush presentation with interesting textures and pastel colors.

Notice the open roses - my signature - they should be at their peak the day of the wedding!

Early Fall Wedding at the Stone Mill

The trees along the Bronx River created a beautiful background to the subtle warm tones of this very natural chuppah on the terrace of the Stone Mill. The delicate red leaves provided a hint of autumn foliage against the mostly green trees. The birch poles were wound with vines and foliage, and the pots were filled with roses, hydrangea, and berries.

Centerpieces complimented the decor with crisp white flowers in rustic brown urns - echoing the floor and wall colors of the Stone Mill dining room.

More Megan!

The professional shots from the vegan wedding ...

Laura Marie Duncan was kind enough to share her very creative and beautiful photos.

Purple is truly the color of the year. The gorgeous wedding party choose their favorite shades (they carried green flowers) and the striking bride carried a dramatic bouquet of lisianthus, thistle, berries, allium and hypericum berries in rich shades of purple and deep blue.

Visit lauramarieduncan.com to see more

Another Sunday at the Stone Mill

This is becoming my place to be on Sundays! Last week's wedding had a vegetable theme for a vegan Broadway actress. The centerpieces were again low, best for the intimate scale of the room. Blue and green hydrangea, deep purple lisianthus and dahlias, berries and thistle were combined with asparagus, artichokes, Brussel sprouts, mushrooms, rosemary and lavender for unique, personal designs. The tables aren't quite complete but the you can see that the designs fit the decor of the mill so well, and were very compatible with the Abigail Kirsch tradition of great, fresh food. Keep watching this blog, I have several weddings and events coming up here, all with very different themes!

The bride's bouquet was beautiful deep colors and very textural. I can't wait to see the professional shots, I was only able to snap the tables on my way out!

The Stone Mill at NYBG

The meticulous renovation of the Stone Mill at the New York Botanical Garden is finally complete. The beautiful, intimate space is cozy and warm, a great addition to the NYBG venue. These photos are from a recent Sunday wedding. The bright centerpieces add a pop of warmth to the very clean design of the space - the white walls and beautiful dark wood floors make a neutral but striking background for any decor. The wallpapered end walls add just a touch of color with natural flora and fauna motifs and the draped teal cornices soften the deep windows.

Battery Garden

It was a beautiful September Sunday, perfect for a wedding at Battery Garden. Candlelight and full, lush, low centerpieces of pink flowers created a warm , intimate ambience in the dining room. The natural style chuppah fit right into the grassy plantings near the water with the Hudson River and Statue of Liberty providing a dramatic background at sunset.

This romantic wedding was filled with beautiful flowers and special details. The escort card table displayed mercury glass vases, candlesticks and votives. The silver lace detail was carried out from invitations to escort cards.

Ivory fabric draped the stairway behind the bar, leading guests up to the dining room, where table were clothed with ivory.

Each dining table held a display of pink and purple flowers - full blown roses, hydrangea and orchids to carry out the romantic theme. Silver vases and frames varied from table to table, some classic, some more ornate, to add interest to the room. All centerpieces and candles were kept low to encourage conversation.

A selection of some of the 18 tables. Classic ivory pin tuck linens set off the designs and purple dendrobium orchids on each napkin provided the finishing touch.

The Horticultural Society of New York Gala

Here is my table all dressed up and lit for the party!

Ruby's Bat Mitzvah

Not all my events are in the blue/purple/green color scheme! This is a detail of the escort card table from a recent bat mitzvah at Tappen Hill in Tarrytown, NY. The design was all about exuberance and movement with flowers in hot colors and lots of butterflies. The overall feeling was lighthearted and colorful, perfect for a young dancer! The centerpieces seemed to grow from the tables with cut-outs of Ruby herself leaping between the flowers. Butterflies embellished all the tables and the kids also had colorful lollipops in flower and butterfly shapes. Photo: Luciebelle

Gerbera daisies are perfect bat mitzvah flowers to add a punch of bright color. Colorful square vases and orange and hot pink napkins coordinated beautifully.