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Live Podcast!

My podcast for the Meet The Masters series on the Wedding Podcast Network just went live! I had a great time talking with Holli Ehrlich about wedding flowers and details of the royal wedding.

Reviews

It is always nice to receive good reviews and I had a double dose today! I'm so pleased to be in the Bride's Guide with one of my favorite photos of one of my favorite brides!

Another very charming bride wrote this lovely review on Yelp, what a great day!

New Website

I'm very excited about my exciting new website, still under construction! It will be filled with my favorite photos from beautiful weddings and parties. Venues include the Stone Mill and Garden Terrace at the New York Botanical Garden, Tappan Hill Mansion, Battery Garden and other exquisite spots in the New York metropolitan area.

The American Will & Kate on The View

Take a look at my floral designs for Surroundings Flowers (see the blog) celebrating the wedding of the American Will and Kate on The View yesterday!
The beautiful runner with the couple's initials in a gilt crest was designed Julie Goldman and her talented staff at the Original Runner Company

A beautiful collaboration, thanks to The View for hosting a very beautiful event!

The Royal Wedding

I am very pleased to announce that I will be part of the VIEW"s own celebration of the Royal Wedding Friday April 29th at 11:00am EST. I, with Surroundings Flowers & Events have designed the ceremony and personal flowers for the live, on air wedding of the VIEW's own Kate and Will. Photos to come!!

Horticultural Society of NY 2011 Gala

This year the Hort's Gala, was also the NY Flower Show, with a viewing of the ballroom before the dinner dance. The press mingled with the public while the judges carefully pored over every "Fire & Ice" themed table design. I am very proud that my table was chosen to receive the award for "Delicate Harmony". The judges felt my "exquisite flowers perfectly complimented the icy elements" of my design! Thanks to Angel Hernandez for her creative assistance, the Total Table for beautiful linens, and the always exquisite flowers from George Rallis. See the first photos at the blog Garden Glamour by Duchess Designs.

New Projects

I have 2 fun projects this spring, different from my usual wedding work (which is also fun). One is my designer table at the Horticultural Society of NY Flower Show and Gala. The April 12th event offers a ticketed public viewing from 3-5 pm before the gala dinner dance. A great opportunity to see some beautiful table designs and get inspiration for upcoming weddings and parties.

The other project is a musical version of RAPUNZEL at Lehman College. Music professor Penny Prince wrote original music and lyrics and the talented cast provided the script - a very creative collaboration! I made Rapunzel's braid (and will reveal just how long it is after the show), a cabbage garden and contributed to the set design.

Watch for photos of both!

The Groom

The groom will often attend the floral consultation to be supportive to the bride but feel that he doesn't have much to say about flowers. A good way to get him involved is to spend a few minutes focusing on the boutonnieres. I like to match the boutonniere to the bouquet in flower type and color. Obviously, if the bride is carrying large, full, open peonies, a good match for the boutonniere would be a ranunculus or pretty spray rose. If he balks at wearing flowers suggest a sleek mini calla lily with a loop of lily grass. Seasonal accents can be very attractive - I've done guinea hen feathers for the fall, clusters of bright yellow craspedia in the sumer, and small orchids or subtle florets of green hydrangea for a less "floral" look.

Spring Gala

I am very pleased to have been invited (for the second year) to design a table for the Horticultural Society of New York's spring gala! Read all about it on their special website page showcasing all the designers.

What to do with "Old" Flowers!

Just in case you were wondering what to do with your Valentine roses, birthday flowers, or your bridal bouquet when the blooms begin to wilt... separate the stems and hang to dry (away from heat and light). The dried flowers can become a charming decor accents on their own or can be used in baskets, wreaths or for potpourri. See my books for lots of fun (and easy) ideas! BEAUTIFUL WEDDING FLOWERS and VICTORIA, FLOWER STYLE

On the Shelves!

For those of you that can't wait for the mail, BEAUTIFUL WEDDING FLOWERS is available in Barnes & Noble store. Eric Hildebrand was the first to spot it! http://plixi.com/p/77459323

DIY Brides

For all you DIY brides, and everyone else who loves flowers, take a look at my first book, VICTORIA, FLOWER STYLE for step-by-step instructions to make every floral design in the book! The project began with the archives of the beautiful original Victoria magazine and grew into a complete seasonal floral design guide. There is a full range of floral projects at every skill level with plenty of how-to tips. Favorite designs from Victoria are combined with new DW designs, and each season includes a wedding with a bridal bouquet, groom's boutonniere, and special items: flower girl basket, embellished candelabra, buffet centerpiece, and more.

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is almost here, and yes, it is traditional to express your love with flowers. This is for all the guys out there: it doesn't have to be the classic dozen red roses! Choose flowers that express your love and her personality.

Is she a romantic tea drinking antique collector? Give her spray roses in an antique tea cup.

Looking for fragrant flowers? Mix white Casablanca lilies with deep fuchsia roses.

Is a she a high powered executive with a minimalist decorating theme? Send a sleek glass cylinder filled with gorgeous burgundy cymbidium orchids.

Is she ultra feminine? She'll love pink peonies and roses!

Does she love all flowers? Choose a classic glass bowl with an arrangement of seasonal favorites: deep red tulips, burgundy peonies and ranunculus with a few red roses and spray roses tucked in.

Enjoy!

Garden Roses

Garden roses have been popular for years. They are a little more delicate, and expensive, but the colors and subtle fragrance make them worth while! These Maria Teresa roses (from George Rallis Wholesale Flowers in NYC) are one of my favorites - beautiful combined with other shades of pink in a romantic bouquet. See even more roses in BEAUTIFUL WEDDING FLOWERS

Book Promo

BEAUTIFUL WEDDING FLOWERS has received two recent reviews, one from Victoria Loustalot at the fabulous Aisle Dash where you can find everything you need to know about weddings! The other is from

the super talented Julie Goldman of the Original Runner Company. I had the pleasure of first meeting Julie several years ago when she designed a series of beautiful aisle runners for Disney weddings in Orlando. Check out her fun blog Aisle be Your Guru . Several of her runners are pictured on

pages 116-117 of BEAUTIFUL WEDDING FLOWERS.

Thank you both!

Too much snow!

This cold, snowy weather is not friendly to cut flowers! If you need a little color, and the promise of spring, buy just one or two special blooms. Try pale pink or deep burgundy peonies (yes, they are available now) or a beautiful rose. Cut the stems short and float in a special bowl - cut crystal, pottery, or colored glass. Surround with votives or other candles and you have a fragrant, inviting display with little expense and no fuss!

See BEAUTIFUL WEDDING FLOWERS (where else?) pages 55 and 219 for some pretty examples.

A little help from my friends!

Now that BEAUTIFUL WEDDING FLOWERS is available, I want everyone to know that it includes gorgeous photos and expert tips from several of my favorites in related areas of the wedding business: master cake maker Ron Ben-Israel (page 195), creative Julie Goldman from the Original Runner Company (page 117), and fabulous Ann Davis of the equally fabulous Total Table (page 143). My sincere thanks to all involved!

BEAUTIFUL WEDDING FLOWERS

I am very excited to announce that my newest book will be available tomorrow, January 4th, at Barnes & Nobel stores and online at Amazon and other booksellers!

BEAUTIFUL WEDDING FLOWERS