Lauren + Michael

Photography by Andy Brophy

Lauren + Michael were married at a picturesque church in downtown Dahlonega after the ceremony they celebrated at the equally stunning winery Montaluce. Lauren wanted her bouquet to be unique.   We were able to achieve Lauren's vision by making King Protea the focal point and keeping the stems long, creating the unique look she had envisioned. 

After-Wedding Technical To-Dos

In the last blog post, we talked about a couple things to do right after the wedding, like write thank you notes and keep in touch with your bridal party to show your appreciation. But there is plenty more to do, and many of them may seem daunting. Standing in line at the Social Security office? No thank you! But they must be done. So keep in mind the following as you get settled into the life of Mr. and Mrs.:

1. Get Your Wedding Photos Printed as Soon as You Can! Once you've aw-ed and ooh-ed over your photos, go ahead and choose some you want to print. The more time that passes, the less likely you are to actually get it done. Put them in a wedding album, pick out a few to place in frames, or make one into an ornament as a present for the first Christmas you spend with your spouse! Whatever you choose to do, don't put it off. Time flies - it's easy to realize while celebrating your fifth wedding anniversary that you never really did anything with those gorgeous photos you spent all that money on!

You may even be able to finish out one of your registries and get a discount on some fun wedding frames like these Macy's picture frames below.

2. Preserve Your Dress. The general consensus is that you're safe to wait a maximum of 6 months after your wedding before getting it dry cleaned and preserved. You don't want that dirt sitting at the bottom of your dress too long or it will permanently stain it. And if you're not thinking that a little mini-you would want to wear it the future, get it dry cleaned anyway. Wedding dresses can be turned into all sorts of both fun and sentimental things. (See: Huffington Post's 10 Creative Things to Do with Your Bridal Gown Post Wedding)

Wedding Window

3. Preserve Your Bouquet. Time is of the essence. If you're trying to preserve the actual flower bouquet, you'll need to get it in to the artist within 1-4 days after the wedding.  If you're looking for someone to paint the bouquet, that is far less time sensitive. Visit one of our older blog posts to find 2 amazing options for preserving your bouquet: Turning Your Bouquet into Timeless Art.

Forever Flower Bouquets

4. Get Your Name Changed. And your SS card, license, passport, and bank or loan information. It may seem like a massive headache envisioning all the lines, phone calls, and forms you'll have to complete, but just take it one task at a time. Or, hire someone to make it a little easier. There are plenty of services out there who do these things. Find the right one for you by Googling around.

5. Get the Nitty Gritty Details All Ironed Out. Some of you may have done much of this before the wedding. If not, now is the time. Figure out what expenses each of you has each month, and write them down. Iron out what debts or loans are in each of your names, and then create a budget together for your new life. Get the money figured out in the beginning, and it'll help with all the major life events on your adventure of marriage.

Once your settled into your new life, make the effort to get these things done. Always remember to take it one step at a time, and don't get stressed over these details. The wedding is over - it's time to enjoy life with your new spouse!

Florist to Our Friends

As a wedding vendor, there's a lot of pressure to make every event as perfect as can be. It's not just an annual office party or family get-together, it's a wedding: a once-in-a-lifetime-if-you’re-so-lucky, magical day full of happiness and love and months and months worth of anticipation. And wedding vendors have to be spot on, each and every time, because there are no do-overs, no “next time”. It’s exciting! And the overwhelming joy absolutely outweighs the pressure. What an amazing thing to be a part of! And we love it even more when we get to participate in a wedding of one of our friend’s or family member’s, or their children.




Bloomin’ Bouquets recently had the pleasure of doing the flowers for a wedding of a dear family friend of our talented florist Sarah's. The bride, Katie Devos Littlejohn, was a neighbor of Sarah’s family and was childhood best friends with her daughter. Since Sarah has known Katie since she was in elementary school, Sarah was thrilled to be a part of the big day! The wedding, especially the bride, was stunning.




Out of about 50 weddings that Bloomin’ Bouquets does in a year, we usually know only a handful of the brides and their families. Every bride deserves the most beautiful, perfect wedding day - and while it’s a treat when we know the couple, it can also add a bit more pressure. You want everything “just right,” and Katie’s wedding was exactly that!

Getting Creative with Your Centerpieces

When thinking about flowers for your wedding, you probably first think about your bouquet. As you should! You're the bride and you and your flowers should look magnificent! But what about your guests? If you're serving dinner, they're going to spend a fair amount of time sitting at the tables at your reception. There are tons of creative ideas for sculpting beautiful and interesting centerpieces that you're guests will enjoy and talk about time and time again after your big day!

Here are a few fun ideas inspired by renowned event planner Colin Cowie for you to keep in mind when talking with your florist about centerpieces:

• Make your arrangements sturdy! Drinks will be flowing, abundantly in many cases, so it's inevitable that guests will bump into the tables at the reception at some point during the night. And you definitely don't want those arrangements falling over.
• Think outside the box! Table arrangements don't have to be made only of flowers (or made of any flowers if you don't want them). Think peaches for summer, green and red apples for fall, brooches, twigs, etc... the possibility are endless.
• Vary the design. Change up the style of your centerpieces from table to table! How fun to have different centerpieces linked together by one theme. Variety will also make the room feel dynamic and unique.
• Keep it consistent with the wedding. Absolutely be creative, but keep your theme in mind when determining your ideal centerpieces. Frosted pinecones don't fit for the month of July, nor peaches in your Winter Wonderland-themed wedding!
• Try working with your florist or lighting designer to highlight your centerpieces. Many florists use candles in their centerpieces to bring light to the table and highlight the beautiful designs. Lighting designers can do even more with features like overhead spotlights.

Photos: Top Left - Angel Wings, Top Right: Katey Penton, Bottom: Melissa Prosser

There are so many fun and creative centerpiece ideas to think about when deciding what you want at your wedding. Your table arrangements are the foundation for your reception space design, so think of them as the perfect opportunity to execute your post-ceremony vision!

To read more about centerpiece ideas, visit Colin Cowie's website. 

Flowers Speak Louder Than Words

            When I look at flower arrangements at big events like weddings, I am all about the aesthetics. What catches my eye? What compliments the design of the room? What makes me feel passionate? Wistful, even! For me, it’s the use of colors, shapes, and inventive designs that excite me. But have you ever thought about the flower itself? Did you know that different flowers have various meanings? Even colors can change significance!

Bloomin' Bouquets

Bloomin' Bouquets

Many of our guys can probably remember being in middle school or high school, trying to decide whether to get a girl a yellow or pink carnation – or, the most DARING of all, RED. After all, they didn’t want to send the wrong message. Is it love, or just a crush? Well, most times, we received the yellow or pink, as the red would have been far too bold of a statement, and the 8^th grade dance just wasn’t a “forever” kind of commitment.

But whatever colors of carnations or roses you’ve ever received from love ones, they have meant something very specific. The Society of American Florists has even compiled a list of flowers and colors and what they represent (see it here). 

The Ancient Chinese used to select specific flowers for big events based on their symbolic meaning (ex. The Peony symbolized wealth, high societal status, and good fortune to come).

Peony

Further along in history during the Victorian Era of the 1800s, table décor and flower arrangements became more about a fashion statement. A variety of styles of floral arrangements came about, some even incorporating tropical fruits! Flowers were still used as symbols of greater meanings. For example, the Madonna Lily was often used at weddings as a sign of fertility and chastity.

Madonna Lily

But why do we put flowers on the table? Some historians suggest we can trace floral table décor all the way back to the Ancient Romans. They used flowers to perfume both rooms and foods. It’s no wonder the arrangements ended up in places where people congregated – like the center of the dining room table!

Flower arrangements for your tables may make your reception smell wonderful too, but they also create the tone for your reception and the ambiance for your celebrants.

Bloomin' Bouquets

Plus, you get to share a little part of the day’s beauty with your guests as they dine -- After all, the day isn’t about you – I mean, what are you….the BRIDE?? Oh, wait…

Bloomin' Bouquets

So maybe you choose to incorporate Hibiscus because of its vibrant, fun color --  or maybe it’s because it means “delicate beauty”. Either way, your arrangements should represent YOU! … because sometimes flowers can speak louder than words… and at the very least, make you feel something.