Wedding Blossoms

Beautiful Photos

2012-03-11T21:07:00.001-07:00

I was lucky enough to create the bouquets for a very talented bride this past weekend who is actually an award winning photographer, Lucy G from www.lucygdesign.com. I was thrilled when just days after the wedding she sent me a thank you email with some shots of the bouquets that she took before the wedding.

I wish I could have shots like these for every wedding... so beautiful!

The bouquet was cream vendela and starlight roses, metalina roses, and avalanche roses with silver dusty miller, lambsear and rolled leucodendron leaves.

The buttonholes were cream starlight spray roses with silver foliages

The binding was detailed with crystal and pearl brooches.

I just love the softness of these shades together and the way the silver foliages soften the tones even further. A gorgeous combination!

Thanks for stopping by!
~ Emily at Blossom Wedding Flowers

Sunday Star Times and Floral Frustrations

2012-02-21T19:56:00.000-08:00

The Sunday Star Times released a really fantastic little Wedding pull-out last Sunday 19th Feb. It was choc full of great advice and loads of lovely ideas for wedding styling based on all the latest trends.

There was advice on everything from dresses, to decor, to hair and make up to flowers......

My 'freshly picked' bouquet was featured (the one from the below blog post).

And a bit of a blurb from me on fashions in flowers...

It is really cool to see wedding media coming out of NZ that is on par with what is happening in the US and Europe. We are so removed from everywhere else it sometimes seems like we just don't get all the beautiful things like you see on American wedding blogs etc. The industry can be a little frustrating at times, and the suppliers haven't quite caught up with the demand.

I would love to offer my clients David Austen roses , black and white anemones, and those cute yellow billy balls that are all the rage right now.


http://www.davidaustinroses.com

Ambiance Floral

http://www.rebekahwestover.com/

But the growers just don't grow them here. The yellow billy balls got pulled out by the one grower who grew them a couple of seasons ago because there was no demand and now I can't get them for my lovely fashionable brides who see the trend and want it. Yes it can be a little testing but we do what we can and I am always brainstorming alternatives. For an upcoming wedding instead of the billy balls we are using these button chrysanthemums.

http://www.wholeblossoms.com

Anyhoo, that's enough venting of floral frustrations for one day. And I am not really complaining, I love what I do and feel very privileged to do it!

Thanks for stopping by!
Emily@ Blossom Wedding flowers

Freshly Picked

2012-02-08T14:23:00.000-08:00

I had a newspaper journalist contact me regarding a feature they are running on Weddings. They wanted to use some of my images and get some quotes on the current trends in wedding flowers.

The biggest trend in wedding flowers has to be the 'freshly picked' look. Bouquets are loose, natural, unkempt styles that look like they were freshly plucked from the garden.

Since the journalist wasn't quite sure what I meant by 'freshly picked' I whipped up a sample bouquet to show her.

I literally plucked some of the details such as the maiden hair fern, and the gorgeous cream and pink fuchsias out of my garden.

I was so entranced by the bouquet I then proceeded to take a million photos...
But here is just a couple for you of my 'freshly picked' sample bouquet.

The bouquet consists of open avalanche roses (ivory), something special roses (dusky pink), Viviane spray roses (white), white hydrangea, white freesia, tuber rose, white lisianthus, white and pink fuchsia, bunny tails, lambs ear foliage, maidenhair fern, and mint leaf. Bound in ivory lace ribbon.

The key to any good 'freshly picked' style bouquet is the foliage touches, herbs and soft garden style green touches are just perfect.

I would love to recreate this look for one of my clients so if you are interested let me know! We can do it in your choice of colours and varieties so don't feel like you would have to have the pinks and whites like this one. Get in touch and we can chat it out.

~ Emily @ Blossom Wedding Flowers

From Concept Board to Reality

2012-02-01T13:59:00.001-08:00

Here are some of the beautiful concepts we have worked this season for our brides... Each unique in their own way but equally beautiful.

The concept board is part of our planning process for our custom wedding work. We try to give the Bride and Groom an overall feel for how their flowers will look on the day. It is near impossible to be exact as flowers being natural things are never the same size, shade, look, as the last time you worked with them and but the boards give our clients a taste of the finished products.

The boards show the varities and colours we plan to use to create the arrangements on the day.

On the left is the concept board and the right is the finished product.....

For our clients Susan and Scott who had soft mocha colours through their bridesmaid's attire. Susan's own dress was detailed with pearls and so we brought that same detailing into her bouquet.

Philippa and Justin's wedding flowers had a vintage feel with full blooms and dainty touches of baby's breath.

Catherine and Nick had a beachside wedding and wanted a natural feel to the bouquets and to incorporate hints of their dusky blue colours as well as pinks and whites and greens.

Nicola and Ngarimu opted for soft colours, pale pinks, lavenders, mauves, whites and creams.

Rosalie and Nathanael wanted to incorporate Jasmine vine into their bouquets and excentuate their soft nude coloured attire with this mix of soft cream and nude roses.

The above board is an upcoming wedding I can't wait to create. The inspiration is 'Alice in Wonderland' with all the soft powder blues and ivories. The tables will have posies placed in vintage teapots. The bouquets will be a delicate mix of powder blues and ivories in a natural 'freshly picked' style. It is going to be so beautiful!

Thanks for stopping by and do get in touch if you would like to discuss a concept board for your wedding!
~ Emily @ Blossom Wedding Flowers

I'm Seeing Red...

2011-12-15T14:53:00.000-08:00

...and I like it!

These luscious red posies were for a client having a Scottish wedding. The breif being she wanted to coordinate with his multi-coloured tartan kilt. This being blues and greens and reds, we went for these bold red posies to pick up the red accents in the fabric.

I think they turned out fabulously.

The bouquets consist of red spray roses, red freesia, red dahlias (aren't they stunning!), red alstromeria, red tulips, red spray carnations, and red hypericum berries.

The bridesmaids were wearing black dresses so we bound their posies in black satin. A very chic look!

All boxed up and ready for the big day!

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Emily @ Blossom

Petal Puuurrrfection

2011-10-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with the perfection of these stunning white ranunculas.

This is a bouquet I did a couple of weekends ago for our lovely bride Angie.

We were originally going to make her a posy of baby's breath but there was a freak Baby's breath shortage in Auckland and what was on the market was terrible quality so we quickly came up with a back up option for Angie and it just goes to show you flexibility pays off because the resulting ranunculas posy was a stunner.... I mean just how perfect are they!?

It's kind of ridiculous, they look almost fake.

Angie was thrilled and so was I because I got to add this gorgeous bouquet to our ever growing portfolio.

FYI Ranunculas season is Winter-Spring for all you 2012 brides who fancy a bit of this gorgeousness.

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Emily @ Blossom

She's a hot one!

2011-08-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

...Hot pink that is!

How vibrant are these roses?! Such a *POP* of colour, how fitting that the variety is called 'Panache'.

These very pretty bouquets were for a July Wedding, and what a great way to add some vibrancy to a grey winter wedding day.

The gent's buttonholes were Panache roses with ruscus leaf, bound in pink satin.

The ladies corsages also consisted of pink Panache roses with ruscus leaf, bound in pink satin.

Vintage and Peonies

2011-07-28T20:34:00.001-07:00

Theresa and Sam married in November 2010 and so were fortunate enough to be able to incorporate these beautiful ivory peonies into their wedding style.
These beautiful photographs were taken by Kimberley Piggot.

The ruffly ivory peonies worked so well to add to the vintage glamour of the day and the touches of soft coffee and mocha/pink 'Metalina' and 'Something Special' roses tied in perfectly with the bridesmaids dresses.

The buttonholes were simple ivory and soft coffee roses. The Groom's buttonhole was bound in ivory satin to complement Theresa's dress and the Groomsmen's buttonholes were bound in the soft mocha to complement the bridesmaids dresses.

The flowers girls were adorable with their posies of ivory peonies and mocha roses, with their flower circlets using baby ivory roses and leaves adorning their heads.

Thanks to Theresa and Sam for allowing us to share their beautiful wedding photos, and to Kimberley Piggot for letting us show her work.

If you are marrying in October-Dec do consider Peonies... they are just to divine not to.

Happy wedding planning everyone!

~Emily @ Blossom

For the love of Hydrangea

2011-07-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a favourite wedding of mine that we did earlier this year for our lovely client's Sam and Courtney who married at the beautiful Grace Hill Vineyard Estate.

Their colour theme was purple and the style was shabby chic vintage, so incorporating these two concepts we used the stunning mottled purple hydrangeas as a base and various other delicious varieties including purple lisianthus, purple trachelium, purple sage, green amarathus, rosemary, ivy, asparagus fern and green berries.

The tables at Grace Hill were styled using shabby chic vintage cut crystal vases, bottles and cups, filled with tinted water in varying shades of blues, purples, lavenders and wines.

We then filled the vases with clusters of antique hydrangea and lisianthus in all these amazing variations of purple hues. Each set up used approximately 8 bottles or glasses and all their different heights, shapes, sizes and decorations made for such a sweet and interesting table centerpiece.

The vases were surrounded with tea light candles in glass holders which when lit would catch the flame light in the crystal glassware and look amazing.

Their unique multi-tiered cake was surrounded with the same stunning hydrangea in the various shades of purples, blue, mauve and wine.

Hydrangea is such a wonderful versatile and cost-effective bloom due to its voluptuous size and the amazing array of shades available. Hydrangea season is late November to early May with the antique colours coming through near the end of the season. Perhaps once considered old fashioned Hydrangea has made a come back in a big way and is a part of the very chic retro-wedding trend that has been around for the last few years.

I hope you loved this wedding look as much as I do. Happy planning everyone!

~Emily
@ Blossom

Elegant Harbourside Wedding

2011-06-28T23:36:00.000-07:00

It is my pleasure to be able to present these elegant shots from our client's Lauren and David's wedding in May, held at the very stylish venue in Northcote, The Wharf. We created these striking bouquet in a deep plum shade using calla lilies and roses to compliment with Lauren's bridesmaid's beautiful pewter silver dresses.

The gorgeous photographs were shot by www.jelphoto.co.nz

Great angles and styling by Jel Photography. Lauren and David married on a gray Auckland day and I actually love the soft silver back drop and lighting captured in these shots adding to the striking look of the deep reds and grays.

How cute are the little wedding party members! This little man looks very dapper in his suit and tie.

A beautiful shot here of Lauren's gorgeous dress and shoes against the gray Auckland cityscape...

Lauren is a picture of classic beauty here. A very striking shot and nice framing of the bridesmaids in the background.

I love this dramatic shot of Lauren under the Auckland Harbour bridge. Such a stunning juxtaposition of Laurens bridal elegance and the gritty bridge foundations.

Another beautiful framing shot of the dapper little page boy between the Bride and Groom

The guys look so handsome. Some clients these days debate whether buttonholes are too traditional but I argue they really bring something special to wedding shots.

This final shot is the outlook from The Wharf wedding venue. It looks on to the bridge and Auckland city skyline, how spectacular.

I hope you've enjoyed and been inspired by the beautiful wedding of Lauren and David and their fantastic photos by www.jelphoto.co.nz

Happy wedding planning to you all

~ Emily @ Blossom

We need to talk....

2011-06-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

...About Peonies! Or as some fancy people call the Paeonies.

Today's post is dedicated to these wondrous blooms because to me they are the epitome of a wedding flower; soft, full, and ruffly, with delicate petals and sweet scents.

Peonies are one of the most asked for wedding blooms from our clients probably because they work well with both vintage and modern, casual and formal looks.

Theresa and Sam's Wedding in November 2010, Photography by Kimberley Piggot

The only annoying this about this beautiful flower is that it only blooms for a very limited time during the year; Late-October to Mid-December, and then *poof* they're gone, just like that and we have to wait another 10 months to see them again. This is rather sad news for our clients who have their hearts set on them.

These stunning peony images were shot by the extremely talented Yoko Nekonomania whose work on Flickr is inspiring

So, for those of you considering Peonies or those unsure of what you want and getting married in early summer, I am posting some information for you about the timing and shades available during Peony season and hope I will encourage you all to fall in love with this flower as much as I have.

Things start off in late October with a bang and a blaze of deeps reds;

From fire engine reds like Red Charm, Red Grace and Old Faithful which we see early in the season to mid-season, to deep crimson shades such as Chippewa and Maestro, the red peonies are spectacular statement blooms.

Along with the blazing reds, early peony season sees these sultry salmon tones... aren't they magnificent, like beautiful sunsets!

Coral charm and coral sunset, pictured above are gorgeous options for those brides not keen on traditional bridal pinks. Whether simply arranged in posies on their own or mixed with creams and whites they are fabulous. These babies start early in the peony season so if you're are getting married late October, early November you are in luck!

And then the classic bridal magic happens, with these soft, feminine baby pinks. They're like fluffy marshmallows...yum!

Mon Jules, Sarah Bernhardt, Nick Shaylor and Pillow Talk are the names of a few of these pretty varieties. We start seeing baby pinks mid season, so Mid-November onwards. It doesn't get much more girly and feminine than these!

Along with the baby pinks we have the blush pinks with just a hint of colour they're another classic option.

Miss America, Moonstone, Mr Ed and Baroness Schroeder are a the colourful names of some of the blush pink varieties. We typically see these mid-season so Mid November.

If you are looking for a pink with a little more *POP* then you are in luck!

These stunners bloom mid-season. To name a few we have, Vivid rose, Dr Alexander Flemming, and Dinner plate!

Last but not least we have the whites and creams. There is nothing that quote compares to their classic beauty.

Bridal Shower, Bowl of Cream, Duchess de Nemours, Ann Cousins, Elsa Sass are a few of the glamorous names of these stunning varieties. Whites and creams typically start off in early-mid November.

For more information about what varieties might be available for your wedding date send us an email - enquiries@blossomweddingflowers.co.nz or call 09 4759988.

Gracehill in the Summertime

2011-05-17T17:43:00.001-07:00

Romance is in the air because I am in love with this next wedding.

It was summertime, at Gracehill Kumeu, the day before Valentine's Day when this beautiful romantic wedding took place between Paula and Matt.

These gorgeous shots were taken by Perspectives Photography

The pretty posies were created with antique pink and green hydrangea, something special soft pink roses, green and white roses, with touches of tuberose. I think they look amazing with the soft pink bridesmaids dresses.

Paula is a picture of elegance. I just love the hair styling, very classic romantic.

I am getting a little teary myself. It is all so beautiful.

These shots are just magic. The talented people at Perspectives Photography have captured the lightness of this day so beautifully.

Wow! this shot of the sky is incredible.

Simply devine! The light from that chandelier is enchanting!

Thank you to Paula and Matt for letting us take a peak at their special day and to Perspectives Photography.

Perspectives has a fabulous website, packed full of information and advice for getting the most out of your wedding photography. They also have a beautiful blog, definitely worth following for any brides looking for inspiration. I also love how they display their booking calender on their website, I imagine this would be very helpful to prospective clients. Great work guys. True professionals in the industry.

We're going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo......

2011-04-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too.....

Or maybe you can just look at these pictures from a gorgeous wedding we did this summer at the Auckland Zoo...

Our bride Terri wanted a crisp white and green look to compliment the beautiful lush surrounds at the Auckland Zoo. She loved the green button chrysanthemums and the textural details of berries and buds.


Copyright Michele Austen Photography

These exquisite photos were taken by Michele Austen Photography

The reception was held in a a huge white marquee next to the central band rotunda, the place was adorned with fairy lights, chandeliers and candle sticks a plenty. I can only imagine it looked incredible as night fell.

Copyright Michele Austen Photography

On the long Banquet tables we followed through the crisp white and green look with clusters of white hydrangeas in white ceramic cube vases, with berry and leaf detailing. The look is minimalist but still natural and inviting. There is nothing like flowers en masse to create a wow factor.

The cube vases were grouped symmetrically around these gorgeous silver candle sticks.

I just loved the dessert table with the gorgeous cake stands. A beautiful play on modern and vintage.

Copyright Michele Austen Photography

It was a pleasure to create this gorgeous stylish wedding that was a fitting tribute to the tasteful personal style of the Bride and Groom. Congrats guys!

~Emily @ Blossom

Roses and Pearls in the Summertime

2011-04-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Alas, the end of summer is upon us and the end of this hugely busy wedding season is around the corner.
Today I have a little respite in between the stack of emails I have just attended to and the prep for this weekends weddings Ive managed to steal a little time to go through some of the photos we shot from our summer weddings and get a few up here to show y'all.

This one was a beauty, Emma and Charles were planning their wedding from Australia, so in the months leading up to the big day we had a truck load of emails back and forth discussing ideas and concepts till we settled on the final look.... soft, pretty, muted pinks, apricots, creams, and pale greens.

The bridal bouquet was all open soft apricot/cream vendela roses, bound in ivory satin and pinned with pearls.

The bridesmaid's bouquets were open vendela roses and soft pink sweet avalanche roses, threaded through green hydrangea and bound in ivory satin.

The buttonholes and corsages were mixtures of the cream and pink roses with touches of foliage.

Here they are all boxed up for delivery...

Emma and Charles married at the historic Beaufords in Totara Park. On the tables we placed these torpedo vases with strings of pearls hanging through the centre and adorned with balls of green hydrangea, and cream, pink and soft apricot roses.

She was a beaut alright!

The Princess Bride

2011-03-28T04:35:00.000-07:00

It is the wedding every little girl dreams of. The princess dress, the pink roses, the crystal tiara.... truly a fairytale wedding day was had by Michelle and James.

Michelle knew exactly what she wanted when she came to consult with me; pretty, perfect, pink roses, and you can understand why when you see all the gorgeous manicured details throughout the rest of the wedding, it is truly a picture of perfection. This bride had a vision and the vision became a reality.

These STUNNING shots were captured by one of my favourite wedding photographers Shine Studios whose work is flawless.

The bodice of Michelle's gown was detailed with hundreds of crystals, and the crystal theme was carried throughout, from the tiara, to the shoes, to the bouquet binding, to the cake. Hats off to Michelle for some cohesive styling choices there.

Michelle was such a gorgeous bride. These portrait shots of her are truly treasures.

How amazing was this dress, and how much fun is this photo of the girls fastening Michelle into her stunning gown, I love it!

Michelle and James married at the beautiful Mantells in Mt Eden, one of my fav intimate wedding venues. The antique surrounds providing the perfect backdrop for these romantic shots.

Jame's looks incredibly suave in his black suit and pink rose boutonniere. Fantastic shots by Shine Studios. He is selling the suit isn't he!

One of the benefits to an overcast wedding day is the beautiful soft lighting it gives to all the photos, simply gorgeous.

Even the cake is full of glamour with the bow and crystal brooch detailing.

Congratulations to Michelle and James and thanks for letting us take a peak at the treasured memories of your special day xo

~ Emily

Soft Apricot, Cream and Ivory

2011-03-24T21:01:00.001-07:00

Here is a peak at the bouquets from Amanda and Roger's wedding last weekend. I was rapt with how the turned out. I love the combination of the soft apricot roses, freesia, lisianthus and hydrangea.

Amanda knew she wanted the roses and freesia combination and we thought this look would be lovely with her bridesmaids dresses. I cant wait to see the photos of the girls holding them.

The bridal bouquet: Cream/apricot Vendela roses, ivory lisianthus, freesia and hydrangea. Bound in ivory satin.

The bridesmaid's bouquet: Cream/apricot Vendela roses, ivory lisianthus, freesia and green hydrangea. Bound in ivory satin.

The flower girl posies: Cream/apricot Vendela roses, ivory lisianthus, and freesia. Bound in ivory satin.

The ladies wore corsages of spray roses, freesia, and lisianthus and the gents wore ivory and Vendela roses.

The over all look was soft, feminine and sophisticated, and I hope these arrangements brought beauty to Amanda and Rogers special day.

~Emily @ Blossom

Romance in the City

2011-03-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

I am fizzing with excitement to be able to present these photos to you today. I have been waiting, since this beautiful wedding took place in October last year, to see these pictures and am so thrilled for my dear friends, Amy and JP, that they are as beautiful as I'd hoped for them.
Amy and JP married at the very stylish Mantells in Mt Eden on the 4th of November 2010 and their wedding was a fabulous blend of classic romance, modern chic, and a little bit of rock 'n' roll.

These stunning photos were taken by Liz March www.lizmarchphotography.co.nz

Amy's exquisite dress was designed by Melissa Hooykaas, the lace bodice with floret detail is divine.

Amy and JP are definitely not your average couple. Amy has a fantastic sense of fun and fashion and JP is a musician in a few different bands ranging from garage rock to death metal. So their style was wonderfully eclectic and personal. Amy chose a palette of elements she loved from her dress and earrings with a hint of vintage, to the glam red shoes, to shabby chic wild flower themed invitations. I am so loving how it all pulled together in these photos. All the beautiful interesting details create a exciting synergy together making their wedding truly personal and unique in the most beautiful way.

What a absolutely beautiful bride Amy is!

How to pull all these gorgeous elements together into the bouquets in way that would accentuate them was a fun challenge.

The bridesmaids dresses (hand made by JPs Mother) were in a modern style in very dark purple/blue with lavender/mauve splotches and waist sashes. The invitations were a soft mixture of white, mauve, lavender, pink and green and this floral motif was also in the table numbers and name place cards. Then we had Amy's fabulous red satin shoes....

So the bouquets featured pale pink peonies, mauve sweet peas, mauve roses, mauve delphinium, white ranunculus, and lavender. Essential to any garden picked vintage floral look is some gorgeous foliage so the bouquets were interspersed with scented geranium foliage and lambs ear. And the finishing touch were the scarlet red spray roses to accentuate the shoes.

The photos of the guys here are so fantastic. Beautiful black and white shots. Looking very dapper indeed!

For those that don't know Mantells is a gorgeous wedding venue smack in the middle of Mt Eden. It is like a little oasis and feels very sheltered from bustle of the busy urban sprawl outside. They have a gorgeous open courtyard area for the ceremony with an old Grecian feel and then an award winning dining experience a few steps away for the reception. It is the perfect choice for intimate weddings close to the city.

The mantelpiece behind the alter was adorned with more of the wild flowers featured in the bouquets in cut crystal vases interspersed with tea lights candles.

Don't you love JP's Nikes! Also very cool was Amy's brother Ben who was a Bridesman rather than a Groomsman. It was rather funny when he casually linked arms with one of the Groomsmen to exit after the ceremony.

Congratulations JP and Amy, two beautiful people truly deserving of long happy lives together.

There are those fabulous shoes again!

This photo above is my absolute favourite! It reminds me of a romantic medieval painting I saw once with a maiden embracing her betrothed. It is just beautiful work from Liz March.

It is wonderful that Amy and JP have such a beautiful creative wedding album with a pleasing mix of traditional and edgy photography, a true reflection of them as people.

The reception tables featured clusters of cut crystal vases filled with wild flowers and interspersed with tea light candles. The candle light is so beautiful when it bounces off the cut crystal vases. Very sweet and romantic.

The delicious chocolate whiskey cake was created by Rocket Kitchen and adorned with more wild flowers.

Congratulations Mr and Mrs Watson! What a wonderful wedding day! Best wishes to you both xoxo

~Emily

Google for Wedding Planning?!

2011-02-10T16:43:00.000-08:00

I kid with my partner Frankee that he is a total Google Fanboy, always talking about their latest addition to the Google techy empire. By no means am I as in love with them as he is, however their latest project which he has just forwarded to me is FANTASTIC for all the DIY brides out there, I just had to jump on and tell you about it straight away.

It is an online wedding package for couples planning their big day and it has been designed with Google and renowned Wedding Planner Michelle Rago along with input from Style Me Pretty. It includes an easy website builder, stationary maker, spreadsheet planners and photo album sharer. And what is the best part... its FREE!!! Check it out!.... www.google.com/weddings/

You will want to be mildly computer savvy and have a Google account. If you don't have one yet, why not!? Google is where its at Baby! This is very easy to create here: www.google.com/accounts/Login and lets you use all their standard free tools ie. gmail, calender, docs etc

So here is a brief run through from my quick squiz at the whole thing....

Firstly, there is a website builder so you can whip up a very handy little site dedicated to your wedding, you can post basically anything you like pics, music, videos, information for your guests, that perhaps you didn't want to squash into your invitation.

Here is one that I whipped up earlier (I'm sure he won't mind that we already have a wedding site even though we aren't engaged!)

Secondly, and my favorite bit of the package, there is a little design program (Picnik) that lets you whip up very stylish wedding related stationary. There are templates for save the date cards, tables numbers, name cards etc, with some very cute patterns available to choose from.

Thirdly, there is an awesome package of spreadsheet templates for helping you to organise and manage all the wedding related information from guest lists, to seating charts, to budget planners, to menus! How cool is this!?!

Lastly, there is Picassa, Google's online photo album that allows you to easily share your wedding photos or planning ideas with friends and family.

So in my opinion this whole thing just adds up to a big bag of awesomeness for all the DIY brides out there who need a little help to make their day the best ever! Nice one Google!

Black and White and Chic All Over!

2011-02-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

Kate and Damien married earlier this month with a very stylish black and white theme throughout the wedding.
I love that Kate wanted something a bit different and I think her bouquet was a totally avant-garde and stunning.
We created it with with all white standard carnations, and bound the bouquet in black satin with the satin ruffle detailing fastened to the front of the bouquet.
Its very runway don't you think!?

The bridesmaids wore wrist corsages instead of carrying bouquets. We carried through the black and white with white orchids with black grass loops on black satin wrist bands. The Mothers had pin on corsages with clusters of white orchids and grass loops.

The guys had white calla lilies bound in black satin and the Groom and Groomsman's were detailed with black grass loops to make theirs more special.

This wedding works so with all the different varieties because the palette was respected. We were true to the black and white theme throughout and it all looks so good together!

I am looking forward to seeing their professional shots to see how it all looked together on the day.... (Kate *hint hint hint*)

Mediteranian Romance meets West Coast Splendor

2011-01-24T00:58:00.000-08:00

I am so rapt to be able to show you the photos from a wedding we did in December for our wonderful clients Jane and Luke.

When Jane contacted me to initially inquire into the possibility of Bells of Ireland posies for her bridesmaids I knew exactly what her vision was. Turns out we had both been eying up the very same wedding photos where they had used this concept exquisitely. I love it when this happens. We were on the exact same page regarding the ideal combination of glamour, prettiness and sophistication to be incorporated into Jane and Luke's wedding flowers.

Without further ado I present to you Jane and Luke's Wedding....

Isn't this shot just spectacular. The lighting is breathtaking and Jane is such a beautiful bride. This along with all the wonderful photos of Jane and Luke's special day were captured by Brett Lee from Unique Visions

For Jane we created this beautiful baby's breath posy. It is absolutely perfect with her gown which is modern with a play on vintage.

In this photo you can see the vintage brooch we attached to the handle of Jane's bouquet.

Here are the bridesmaids with their clusters of green bells of Ireland, bound in black satin.

Jane and Luke married as Cassels in the Waitakere ranges. This venue is gorgeous with a subtle Mediterranean feel throughout the decor.

These shots are so lovely. Jane and Luke look so happy and beautifully coordinated with their attire and with the baby's breath bouquet and buttonhole.

The cake was dressed with a cluster of the Bells of Ireland florets atop. It is so stylish with the diamante brooch detail.

These shots of Jane and Luke with the west coast backdrop are so magic. Absolutely beautiful work from their photographer Brett Lee.

A HUGE Thank you to Jane and Luke for sharing their beautiful wedding with us and for being such a pleasure to work with during the planning process for their big day.

Congratulations to you both!

~Emily from Blossom

Bang for your Buck

2011-01-20T01:17:00.000-08:00

My personal philosophy is that every bride can have stunning florals without breaking the bank. I understand the financial pressure we are all under these days and I know how hard it can be for young couples to have the wedding they've dreamed of when they're also paying the bills and saving for their futures.
I don't believe stylish flowers should cost the earth so when a client asks me what flowers are both beautiful and cost effective for their summer wedding one of the first options I suggest is hydrangea . This bloom has made a big come back in the last few years, now not considered the nanna's flower it once was, but instead a chic and stylish bloom used frequently in weddings because of its soft bridal appearance and affordability.
The colours Hydrangea comes in are varied from whites, to pinks, to blues and purples, to beautiful mottled antique mixes.
These simple yet elegant arrangements start from as little as $50.00. Aren't they fabulous!

White hydrangea and purple hydrangea wedding posies.

White hydrangea and purple hydrangea buttonholes.

All boxed up and ready to go...

...And we're back.

2011-01-11T22:10:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everyone! I trust you all had excellent holiday breaks and are now feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

We had a much needed break and are now full swing into the 2011 wedding season with 8 weddings in 2 weeks! It is so fantastically hectic and we have had some stunners (photos to come!).

For now I have the pleasure of bringing to you some stunning photos from our bride Miriam's December wedding. I was so thrilled to get these photos along with a lovely email from Miriam saying how happy she was with the flowers (it completely made my day!). Miriam was such a lovely client to deal with, she had beautiful taste and was open to ideas about how to give her the most beautiful arrangements for her special day. Funnily enough and what so often happens, she came to the consult with one concept in mind and then left having fallen in love with a completely different one... the perfect one!

Here they are, arent they beautiful!...

This amazing work is by Helen Robertson Photography www.helenrobertson.co.nz

Lacy Lisianthus

2010-12-15T21:34:00.001-08:00

Yay!! Lisianthus is back in season, how I've missed it. Its such a pretty alternative to a rose and a nice substitute for Peonies for the 9 months of the year that they aren't around.

They come in beautiful shades, whites, creams, greens, lilacs, purples, and pinks and they last beautifully.

The first cream/white ones of the season found their way into these lovely arrangements for one of our December Brides. The bouquets feature lisianthus buds and blooms, with soft dusky pink "something special" roses, and cream "vendela" roses, bound in ivory satin.

The buttonhole's feature soft dusky pink "something special" roses, with lisianthus buds and ruscus foliage, bound in ivory satin.

2010-12-11T17:42:00.000-08:00

Here is one of my colour combo favourites from this season....

Michele and Jason got married at the Wharf, the beautiful venue on Auckland harbourside this month. We created these arrangements of pink and red peonies, roses and calla lilies to compliment the beautiful cherry red dresses worn by the bridesmaids. I cant wait to see the shots of the girls with the flowers!

Here is Michele's bouquet, in which we used a several different tones from very pale pinks, to brighter pinks, to deep reds.

For the bridesmaids we subtracted the paler pink shade and went with the rich tones of mid pinks and deep reds, bound in a cherry red to match their dresses.

The ladies wore corsages of all the mixed shades and the gents wore deep red roses.

The Wharf is such a cool venue. It is very chic with its attention to detail from the ginormous chandelier on the ceiling to the layout of tables around the cylinder shaped room.

The views are what its all about though as the full glass walls give you a stunning outlook over Auckland City from the North Shore side, including the Harbour and the bridge.

The floating rose bowls worked beautifully to encapsulate the meeting of the natural landscape of water and bush and the modern city views.

Congratulations Michele and Jason!

2010-12-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

When Kelly first contacted me and I asked her about her wedding style and themes this is what she said:
"Our colour scheme is green and gold, I do really like baby's breathe so I thought maybe some small white flowers with a bit of green and gold somehow... I don't want extravagantly modern bouquets, but I am willing to think outside the square"
And this is what we came up with:
Posies of white freesia, lilacs, sweet pea, baby's breath, spray roses, lambs ear, and geranium. Bound in antique gold satin and pinned with pearls.
Are they not the sweetest!

These were the buttonholes, white freesia, with lilac florets and fern detail. Bound in antique gold satin.

These were the corsages, white freesia, sweet pea, with touches of fern.

Congratulations Kelly and Aaron!

Coffee and Cream

2010-11-23T15:15:00.001-08:00

I've been looking forward to creating the flowers for Theresa and Sam's beautiful wedding for months. Theresa brought me a beautiful palette and collection of lovely details so it was a pleasure to create something to compliment their beautiful aesthetic.

Peonies were the obvious choice for Theresa, these stunning cream ones look like lace with their ruffly petals.

The bridesmaids were wearing a gorgeous pale coffee shade so we used the exquisite rose varieties 'metalina' and 'something special' to accentuate the colour

Sam wore a cream rose to match Theresa's bouquet and the Groomsmen wore coffee roses to match the bridesmaid's flowers.

The Mothers and fathers wore simple and elegant cream roses.

Amber and Hamish's Vintage Chic Wedding

2010-11-15T02:18:00.000-08:00

I am so excited and honored to be able to show you the beautiful photos from my lovely client's Amber and Hamish's wedding last month.

Amber was such a beautiful bride and how stunning is her gown with the delicate lace detailing. The bridesmaid's dresses are very chic too and all the little elements from the dresses, to the shoes, to the flowers, to the venue were the perfect collaboration of vintage and chic.

I adore the pallette of white, black and grey/silver, this looks magic together and has been captured so exquisitely by their talented photographer Carolyn Haslett.

They were such a lovely couple to work with, I am so pleased for them that they now have these beautiful photos of their happy day to treasure.

When Amber and Hamish came for their first consultation and we discussed the shabby chic cut crystal vase idea I showed them a picture I had just been eying up in the latest wedding Magazine and was pleased to find that Amber had been eying up the same one! So we knew straight away we were on the same page with the look of everything.

Thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous photos with us Amber and Hamish. Congratulations to you both and may you have long and happy lives together!

Oh Pink Peonies....

2010-11-11T18:52:00.000-08:00

...how I adore thee!

Yes I am extremely happy that Peony season is back again. They make such classically beautiful bouquets and arrangements and fit with both modern and vintage looks.

These precious baby pink bunches were for our bride Natalie last weekend who had her heart set on baby pink peonies and we managed to get her the first ones of the season, hooray!

Here are the buttonholes, corsages and flower girl petal basket:

Pffft, Who needs to go to the gym...

2010-11-09T22:04:00.000-08:00

...When you have 34 table centerpieces to set up for a wedding!

This is what Averil and I decided mid way through the set up of this lovely wedding reception at Alexandra Park last weekend.

Also, the perilous nature of guiding a heavy, half-filled glass fish bowl vase gently in the center of a very large round reception table, through the wall of delicate wine glasses and neatly onto a thin glass mirror tile is quite exhilarating!

The effect was worth the effort however, very classy indeed! And Congratulations to the lovely couple Fili and Vincent, we trust they had an amazing day with such a big celebration.

Louise and Clint's Dreamy Rose Wedding

2010-11-06T03:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I'm putting together the bouquets for a wedding there is this moment of magic when I just know that everything is working perfectly... the colours, the shades, the textures, the shapes, the style... everything. It is such a great feeling because I know that I'm helping to make my brides day very special.

Putting together Louise and Clint's florals was just like that. The roses pre-bouquet were beautiful in themselves, but once I started placing them in their cozy spots within the arrangements I got gradually more and more excited and in love with the synergy of all the elements working together, the shades of soft lavender, cream, pale and dusky pink in the roses, together with the soft silver green lambs ear foliage were just exquisite as a combo.

The roses are:

cream - vendella

lavender - ocean song

pale pink - sweet avalanche

dusky pink - old dutch

Here are the bridesmaids bouquets, they were wearing a shade very similar to the lavender rose.

Here are the flower girls posies:

Here are the ladies corsages and gents buttonholes:

And here were all the bouquets all snuggly packaged up in tissue and ready to go... I didn't want to say goodbye... sigh

....And you thought they were old fashioned

2010-11-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

I am a strong believer that there are no ugly flowers, that every flower is beautiful if it is styled in the right way.

I feel I have demonstrated this with the Baby's Breath Bouquets (see Amber and Hamish's Wedding below) which are so glorious in all their dainty beauty.

My next project had to be the carnation which has gone under-appreciated for a long time due to its unflattering use in tacky bouquet combination's.

Carnations are actually really beautiful when you take time to appreciate them, so ruffly and lacy looking (honest!). I think they could be the winter alternative to the Peony if people started treating them with some much needed respect.

Determined as I am to bring the carnation back into fashion I created some designs using delicate baby pink carnations.

I explained to Averil that I had done this, and she was understandably underwhelmed and doubtful, having also seen the worst of carnations in her career with flowers, as we all have. BUT then I showed her the pictures I snapped of these beauties and I think I gained my first convert as she exclaimed "Wow really, are those carnations?"

So you heard it here folks, carnations are chic!

To prove my point I present to you Exhibit A: Cluster of Baby Pink Carnations, bound in ivory Satin and detailed with vintage crystal brooch.

What do you think? Are you a carnation convert too?

These are the buttonholes detailed with swarovski crystals, I think they are so amazingly beautiful with all their soft ruffly petals, like tissue paper flowers when you snip the edges jaggedly and get the beautiful lacy effect.

2010-10-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

Christine and Andy tied the knot at the beautiful Kumeu Valley Estate last weekend and I was so rapt to be able to create something a bit special for them, beautiful fresh spring posies in that just-plucked-from-the-garden vintage style that I adore.

Christine wanted to stay away from the manicured rose look that is so traditionally bridal. She was drawn to the idea of garden daisies and having a theme colour of sage green we decided on these exquisite mixtures of freesia, daisy chrysanthemums, sweet peas, Lilly of the valley, spray roses, green viburnum snowballs, and lambs ear.

I love how this bouquet looked different depending on which way you viewed it. One side choc full of daises, another full of foliage and snowballs, and another again with beautiful spray roses and sweet pea.

I always encourage my brides to incorporate something personal into their bouquet bindings, Christine chose her Grandmother's beautiful antique lace handkerchief, which we fastened with pearls. I thought this worked so perfectly with the whole look.

The Bridesmaid's and flower girls posies were smaller versions of the bridal bouquet and bound in ivory satin.

The ladies corsages were clusters of freesia and spray roses and the gent's buttonholes were simple freesia florets.

I adore these close ups of the little details, the curly sprigs of the sweet pea, and the dainty bells of the lily of the valley. The scent of of these bouquets, as you can imagine, was phenomenal, between the sweet pea, freesia, and lily of the valley it was sensational.

I LOVE my work

2010-10-26T01:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some beautiful shots Averil took of the roses from Claire and Stuart's Wedding. The roses are called 'something special' (the mocha-pink one) and metalina (the coffee one).

Also some shots of me hard at work fussing over petal placement and even colour distribution.... only the best for my brides.

Claire and Stuart's Chic Auckland Wedding 2010

2010-10-26T00:58:00.000-07:00

I love working with couples with a great sense of style and taste. Claire and Stuart were exactly that. Claire had a great sense of colour and fashion and and right from the first consultation she gave me a beautiful palette to work with of ivories, creams, champagnes, soft mocha and coffees. Gorgeous!

With a beautiful mix of traditional and modern throughout the attire, venues and smaller details the long stemmed classic ivory rose bouquet was the perfect choice for Claire. This longer stemmed look is so elegant, and the more open roses lean towards a vintage look rather than if we had used tighter blooms.

The bridesmaid's were wearing very stylish champagne and black pencil line dresses, so to accentuate Claire's look and to tie in with the dress colouring we created small versions of Claire's bouquet in ivories, champagnes, mocha, and coffees.

Then of course Stuart wore an ivory rose with pale silver-green lambs ear leaf while the grooms men wore the champagne rose with lambs ear leaf. The ladies corsages had a mixture of the ivory, and soft mocha-pink roses with touches of lambs ear.

The ceremony was held at St Mathews in the City, a beautiful historic Church in the heart of Auckland CBD. We adorned the beautiful dark wooden pews with satin bows and champagne roses.

More Florals from Lili and Cero's Wedding October 2010

2010-10-23T23:55:00.000-07:00

Here are our studio pictures of Lili and Cero's wedding blooms.

I loved the look of the soft ruffly green geranium foliage cuff on Lili's Bouquet. The pink roses, called sweet akito were so perfectly shaped. The whole bouquet smelt amazing between the sweet citrusy geranium foliage and the roses. Yummy!

The bridesmaid's bouquets included more roses, geranium and also freesia - only adding to the amazing scent. They were a pleasure to create!

Corsages to compliment the bouquets with all the above blooms plus grass loop detail.

The Flower girl Kissing Ball, with pink and white spray roses, with a pink satin handle. The little girl looked so adorable carrying this in her little white and pink dress and shiny shoes! Too cute!

The whole wedding was pink, pink and more pink! From the dresses to the flowers to all the little details. Lili was a very girly girl and so lovely consult with. She looked gorgeous on the day as you can see in the below photos from Shine Studio.

Vintage Charm...

2010-10-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

So the vintage wedding trend has been in for a long while and it seems to be getting more and more beautiful I am so enjoying the return to natural feminine details and the break away from really heavily manicured florals.

The 1920's look is particularly beautiful, seen in bouquets that look freshly plucked from the garden, dresses with less poof and more drape, and some of the most stunning hair accessories for brides and maids, that nod to the flapper headbands of the roaring 20's.

These are some of my favourites that have me drooling...

[caption id="attachment_98" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Hair Acessories by Lo Boheme - www.loboheme.com"][/caption]

Lo Boheme are the cremede la creme when it comes to hair accessories, their amazing catalogue is viewable at www.loboheme.com

[caption id="attachment_86" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Hair acessories by Twigs and Honey - www.twigsandhoney.com"][/caption]

These designs by Twig and Honey are dreamy, so romantic and feminine.

[caption id="attachment_102" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Hair Acessories by Jennifer Behr - www.jenniferbehr.com. "][/caption]

Jennifer Behr fabulous designs are worn by all the celebs and only start from a cool 200usd. She even creates custom designs for a minimum spend of 1000 usd. You can see more of these luxurious items here www.jenniferbehr.com.

[caption id="attachment_66" align="aligncenter" width="302" caption="Hair acessories by ban.do - www.shopbando.com"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_65" align="aligncenter" width="305" caption="Hair acessories by ban.do - www.shopbando.com"][/caption]

These gorgeous designs are by ban.do of www.shopbando.com

I love their about us section on the website!:

"jen and jamie, two stylists from los angeles. jen thinks she is funnier than jamie, but jamie disagrees. they both love to be the center of attention are inspired by color and enjoy laughing until soda comes out of their noses"

Wedding Photography that Outshines

2010-10-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

I see a lot of wedding photos and some far out shine others. There is something magical about the use of lighting and shadow, angles, silhouettes, blurring, and close ups that makes certain wedding photos take your breath away.

These photos of our recent wedding for Lili and Cero in Cornwall Park, Auckland are the perfect example. Shot by award winning Blair Quax of Shine Studios, these photos are dreamy.

The shots among the blossoms and the beautiful sepia tones are stunning.

I'm so pleased for Lili and Cero, they were SUCH a nice couple and deserved to have these amazing memories of their special day.

You can see more of Shine's work on their website www.shinestudios.co.nz and you can friend them on face book HERE

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Hello Beautiful Baby's Breath!

2010-10-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Emily's Blossoms.

The first ever blog for Blossom Wedding Flowers, BUT not specifically Blossom Wedding Flowers. Upon these here blog pages shall appear all things wedding, style, floral, art and fashion related to name a few areas of interest.

I hope this blog will be a source of inspiration and a way to communicate with both my clients and all those hoping to catch a peek at something beautiful for a little while.

To kick things off we have some pics from a wedding we did earlier this month for the lovely Amber and Hamish. They were a pleasure to work with as I always appreciate clients with a great sense of style and a willingness to step outside the box for their wedding day.

We created full posies of Gypsophilla (Baby's Breath), a bloom that is tragically desecrated every Mothers and Valentines day in tacky bouquets of roses and carnations but has been revamped in these simple and stylish wedding florals that are perfect for chic vintage weddings.

I can't wait to see the pro shots as they are always a million times better than my own but here are the ones taken at our studio before the wedding and at the venue set up.

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