Pink Peonies - via Pinterest.com

Planning & Inspiration

Flower Feature: Peony

The peony is a gorgeous flower admired for its impressive bloom, lush petals, and unique texture. Mainly found in white, peonies also grow in an array of hues from light pink and purple to a deeper red.

 

Single Pink Peony - Perfect Peonies - by Kathy Woodard - via The Garden Glove.com

Single Pink Peony – Perfect Peonies – by Kathy Woodard – via The Garden Glove.com

 

Nearly unrecognizable in the early bloom stage, the peony starts out as a tightly condensed flower bud. Once the bud is cut and placed in warm water, the petals begin to open up. It continues to expand until becoming this elaborate, beautiful flower full of color, texture, and dimension. Though it looks delicate, the peony in full bloom is prized for its sturdy foliage and low maintenance care.
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Floating Marigold - Photo by Nathan Michael - via SF Girl By Bay.com

Planning & Inspiration

Flower Feature: Marigold

The marigold flower is one of the most recognizable flowers around the world, known for its vibrant yellow and shades of gold that resemble the sun. The marigold genus includes 56 species and varies from annuals to perennials. Though marigolds may be known as common garden flowers, they are beautiful, significant and meaningful in the flower kingdom. Grown all over the world, many see them as common weeds, yet when stripped down to their core, their beauteous shades of gold, orange, white and yellow are like no other.

 

Dark Orange Marigold - Marigold Flower - via Pinterest.com

Dark Orange Marigold – Marigold Flower – via Pinterest.com

 

Marigolds often vary in display as many have a pompop-shaped head made up of large amounts of small-layered petals, mirroring the sun. Other marigolds in the kingdom offer a variety of shades from darker petals on the inside to a lighter petal outline in more red-orange and maroon tones.
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Bouquets / Anna & Matt / Pierre Hotel / Brett Matthews Photography

Planning & Inspiration

Unique and Thoughtful Bridesmaids Gift Guide

Bridesmaids. You chose this group of women to be by your side on your wedding day for many reasons. They are your best friends, the ones you trust and care about most. Some you have known since childhood, others you met later in life and bonded with immediately.

 

Bouquets / Anna & Matt / Pierre Hotel / Brett Matthews Photography

Bouquets / Anna & Matt / Pierre Hotel / Brett Matthews Photography

 

From the bachelorette party and bridal shower to the dress fittings and heart-to-heart talks in between, they have been your support system during an exciting, yet occasionally stressful time. When it comes to a bridesmaid gift, thank them with something that expresses how much you appreciate all their hard work and commitment. Finding a special gift can be difficult though, and the last thing you want to do is resort to a basic, uninspired present. For the bride in need of some ideas, we put together a guide of unique and thoughtful gifts that your bridesmaids are sure to love.
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Jacob & Brittany - Intimate Cliffs of Moher - Ireland Wedding - via Epic Love Photography

Planning & Inspiration

Destination Inspiration: Ireland

The Emerald Isle, with its fabled stretches of coastal green landscapes, offers an evocative inspiration for an utterly breathtaking wedding. Ireland conjures visions of vintage Irish lace and Waterford crystal next to the warm brown of a wooden bar. This inspiration is ideally suited to a décor that leans to the nostalgic, especially with elements such as a wedding dress or motifs that have a more retro and old world elegance.

 

Jacob & Brittany - Intimate Cliffs of Moher - Ireland Wedding - via Epic Love Photography

Jacob & Brittany – Intimate Cliffs of Moher – Ireland Wedding – via Epic Love Photography

 

Whether you wish to honor your family’s heritage or because its majestic verdant beauty inspires the romantic in you, adding touches of Ireland to your décor will transform your event into an unforgettable destination wedding. Giving attention to the defining elements of your wedding will help to thread your chosen theme throughout. Focusing on these first, keeping in mind they should all flow together, then sprinkling in the details, makes for a cohesive design aesthetic.
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Wild Flowers - Beautiful Mason Jar Centerpieces - via Beautiful-Bridal Blogspot

Planning & Inspiration

Repurposing Floral Arrangements from Your Wedding

You’ve been waiting your whole life for this moment. You’re getting married, and with great celebration comes great planning. First thoughts in the planning process are often the venue, your dream dress and food to impress the guests. Yet with all this in mind, it’s important to remember that your bridal flowers are something to put great thought and design into. They are a treasure to be seen, and a lot of time, planning and budgeting goes into your florals to bring your wedding and theme to life. However, due to the life span of these gentle blossoms and their fleeting beauty, many tend to shy away from grand floral pieces to avoid the guilt or afterthought that your flowers will only have a life span of a few hours. What happens to these radiant beauties after the reception has ended and guests are walking out after they danced the night away? Though their sole purpose is to bring beauty, romance and charm into your wedding day ceremony, pictures and reception, some couples deem it a waste of money that flowers are used only for one night. They end up scaling down the designs they had dreamed of, so as to not feel bad about having large amounts of “wasted money” sitting around.
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Spring Floristry - Rose Filled Pink Tea Pot - via Idei Dekoru

Planning & Inspiration

Garden Tea Party Bridal Shower

There are many reasons to be excited about planning a bridal shower in the spring. Warmer temps and sunshine means the season’s loveliest flowers are in full bloom. Make the most of spring’s splendor by taking the fête outdoors and hosting a garden tea party bridal shower. Delicate teacups, bountiful bouquets, vintage silverware, delicious sandwiches and desserts start a list of party-prepping details. From the décor to the food, the aim is to create a light atmosphere that is romantic and feminine. Now that you have the shower theme picked out, it’s time to get started. Here are ideas to guarantee that your bride has the loveliest afternoon bonding with her dearest friends over tea and shortbread cookies.
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