September 2012

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Carmen Rose Bouquet

This style of bouquet is also known as glamelia or composite rose bouquet, they were very popular in the 40s and 50s.  The bouquet is essentially one large flower assembled from the petals of around 20 roses.  It is a labour intensive method and is definitely a task for a skilled florist.  Hundreds of petals are painstakingly attached one by one.

The bouquet above was made using Red Naomi roses, which have lovely large petals in a deep velvety red.  Red roses look very dramatic in a carmen rose bouquet and would suit a 50s theme perfectly.

This lilac bouquet below contains lovely Dolcetto roses in a collar. Smaller versions can be made for bridesmaid bouquets, but they may be more expensive than normal bouquets.

These bouquets have been made into wedding centrepieces.  The soft pink rose used in them is called Malu.

The technique can be used with other flowers like lilies or gladioli; this bouquet is made with longiflorum lilies.

Carmen bouquets may not last as long as a regular bouquet, but they will stay in perfect condition for your wedding day.  If you are thinking of  having something a little different to a hand tied bouquet, a carmen rose bouquet could be the ideal choice.

 

Images:

Red Naomi bouquet – Schreurs Roses & Gerbera by Robert Koene

Pink Malu bouquets – Schreurs Roses & Gerbera by Robert Koene

Dolcetto  bouquet - Schreurs Roses & Gerbera

Lily bouquet - viggo-joergensen.dk

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Annie Lennox married for the third time in an intimate ceremony on 15th September.  Annie met her husband Dr Mitch Besser in 2009, when she worked with his charity Mothers2Mothers.  The charity helps single mothers and children with Aids.

They celebrated their wedding with a boat party on the Thames.  Annie’s two daughters Lola and Tali were bridesmaids at the ceremony.  150 friends and family attended the celebration including Actor Colin Firth and comedienne Ruby Wax.

The legendary Scottish singer performed at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert and the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in London this summer.

Annie shared two pictures of her wedding flowers with fans on Facebook and Twitter.  The bride wore a floor length ivory lace gown and 1920s style headpiece.  The couple chose flowers in a vintage pastel palette including roses, dahlias, hydrangea, rosemary, sage and ivy.

The beautiful bouquet Annie posted a picture of contains garden roses, hydrangea, and dahlias in antique pink, lilac and ivory tones. The soft green sage complements the flowers and also adds a wonderful fragrance to bouquets.

Annie had previously said would not marry again, which proves that love really does conquer all.

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Floral Chandeliers

Add some drama to your wedding or event with a floral chandelier.  It will create a focal point in the room and be a real talking point for guests.  Earlier in the summer I posted some articles about the Chelsea Florist of the Year and Young Florist of the Year competitions.  The florists had to create a floral chandelier for the Queen’s Jubilee dinner.  Some of the lucky entrants even got to meet the Queen when she visited the show and admired their work.

Today I’ve got some more chandelier inspiration for you and a few more of the amazing chandeliers from Chelsea Flower Show.  The design above has been attached to a chandelier in a wedding marquee.  It features vibrant lime, purple and cerise flowers, with dendrobium and phalaenopsis orchids hanging down.

The stunning chandelier above was made by Jessica Rose Andrews from The Garden Rose florist.  The design is based on a chandelier frame wrapped with textiles and hanging glass baubles.  I love how the intense indigo and violet flowers contrast with the green passion flower vines.  Jessica was awarded a gold medal for her design.

This chandelier by Betsy Ford is a simple but effective wedding decoration.  Betsy has hung germinis from a chandelier of fairy lights.

Katie-Jane Pridmore made this very elegant design, it contained lots of strings of pearls and intricate wire work.  The central garland of flowers contained phalaenopsis orchids, cymbidium orchids, carnations and gypsophila. Katie-Jane received a Silver Grenfell medal for her piece.

This beautiful tiered chandelier is by Erica Tippett of Bleujen Florist.  I really like this design, it was awarded a Bronze Grenfell medal, which I think is a bit mean.  The design features gold chains and hundreds of hanging crystals.

Floral Chandeliers can be very extravagant with hundreds of flowers and twinkling crystals, like the ones at Chelsea show or quite simple.  If your venue already has a central chandelier, your florist may be able to make a simple design of hanging flowers to rest on it. Which ever style of design you decide on it is sure to create wow factor and be remembered by your guests.

Images:

1 Cerise chandelier – stylemepretty.com, Donna Von Bruening Photography

2 Purple chandelier – Jessica Rose Andrews, The Rose Garden

3 Yellow gerbera chandelier – greenweddingshoes.com, Lemon Lime Photography

4 White chandelier- Katie-Jane Pridmore

5 Gold tiered chandelier – Erica Tippett, Bleujen Florist

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Common name:  calla or arum lily

Botanical Names: zantedeschia

Origin: South Africa

Colours: white to yellow, terracotta, shades of pinks and deep purple.

They are usually referred to as calla or arum lilies, arums are usually hardier and larger varieties. The botanical name is pronounced zanter-DEE-sha.  They were named zanterdeschia in honour of Giovanni Zantedeschi an Italian botanist.

There are eight species including giant white arums and various coloured callas.  They have thick fleshy stems and showy flowers, which are popular as cut flowers.  They grow naturally in marshy areas, in some countries they have naturalized and are regarded as weeds.  All parts of calla plants are poisonous and should not be consumed.

The structural shape of calla lilies makes them very popular as cut flowers and for corporate displays.  They are available in many colours and last about 2 weeks.  Some varieties like green goddess last up to 4 weeks.  Callas are a luxury flower used in premium bouquets and wedding flowers.

Images:

Image 2 – Flowercouncil of Holland

Image 3 – Flowercouncil of Holland

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The 1920s is always a popular era for vintage weddings.  The Fabulous flapper dresses and glamorous flowers make for an elegant look that you can still have fun with.

The items in my montage are all inspired by the 1920s.  I’ve based them on a black, white and silver theme with a splash of sparkle.  If you want more colour in your 1920s theme, try a strong pastel shade, reminiscent of art deco colours.

This theme adds a bit of life to a white colour scheme, with pearls, feathers and sparkle.  Headdresses were very popular in the 20s, there are lots of fabulous handmade creations on etsy and folksy, with intricately beaded designs.

The dresses featured are from LeLuxe, who make amazing reproduction 1920s dresses.  The shimmering designs are encrusted with beads and crystals, perfect for a vintage style wedding dress and your bridesmaids if your budget will allow.

The 20s was a time of prohibition, you can play on this with flower cocktails for table arrangements.  You can use groups of normal martini glasses with a couple of flowers, or large martini vases with bigger floral arrangements.

Crystal bouquets are perfect for this theme, with vintage brooches, pearls and diamantes.  You can also include lots of vintage touches in your fresh flower designs, like strings of pearls or crystals hanging from your vases. To complete a roaring 20s theme hire an authentic jazz or charleston band.

Image montage (clockwise):

Ostrich feather centrepieces – saveoncrafts.com

Phalaenopsis orchid vase and candelabra – cbsweddings.com by Darin Fong

Bridal headband – Erica Elizabeth Design on Etsy

Crystal floral candelabra – cbsweddings.com y Darin Fong

Invitations – StellaJenn on Etsy

Crystal brooch bouquet – lovemydress.net by Jo Barnes Vintage

White beaded dress – LeLuxe Clothing

Ostrich Feathers – saveoncrafts.com

Black and silver beaded dress – LeLuxe clothing

 

Images:

White phalaenopis orchids – Flower Council of Holland

Flower cocktail design – Sprout-flowers.com

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