Valentine's Day

Just a quick blog to say Happy Valentine's Day to everyone for later in the week.  We won't be rushed off our feet and working through the night on rose bouquets this year (Oh how we remember those days!) as we've decided not to buy any roses this week.  Yes, a florist who doesn't deliver red roses on Valentine's Day...I've always been different!  We've decided that as we don't have a shop front anymore and don't rely on day to day deliveries for our business, we're leaving this to other florists and saving ourselves having to explain why roses are so expensive at the moment.  Sorry if anyone is upset by this but there are lots and lots of other florists that would love to help.

In the meantime, we hope you like our large button heart canvas...made just for fun and to coordinate with a champagne, metallic and black bedroom.  Enjoy!

Haven and Tom's wedding vow renewal at Cooling Castle Barn

We always love to meet our wedding couples before their big day...we don't like the impersonal approach of just emailing and we don't like to quote for wedding work before meeting our couples, but sometimes it is necessary to start this way.  We met Debbie (Tom's Mum) at a couple of wedding fairs as she was given the unenviable job of starting the wedding planning for Haven and Tom who were based in Texas at the time.  They had married in the US in a quiet ceremony and were therefore renewing their vows here in the UK as soon as they could.  We spent time initially talking to Debbie and sending her emails and photos for her to discuss and pass onto Haven and then pass her answers back.  It might sound cumbersome, but I think it worked pretty well as we then met Haven and Tom when they arrived in the UK and their wedding was complete in the snow in January of this year....a lovely rustic, personal mix of US and UK with lots of lovely spring flowers.

Haven had brought the most gorgeous tiered gown with her from Texas and was set to wear it with her cowboy boots (a Texan tradition).  She was going to look so glamorous and yet we wanted to keep things pretty rustic and hence decided on a textured hand-tied bouquet of ranunculus, muscari, hypericum, pussy willow, paperwhites, chincherinchee, spray roses, gypsophilia and snowy birch.  We wrapped the bouquet to match her dress and added the ribbon that had been used on the invitations along with a slightly vintage pearl pin. 

Haven had a single Flower Girl, and had chosen a heart shaped wire basket which we dressed with flowers, added blue biodegradable petals and ribbon.

For the boys we decided on a re ranunculus with ivory berries and pussy willow for Tom, and an ivory ranunculus with red berries and pussy willow for the rest of the boys.  Corsages were also provided for the ladies.

For the celebrant table, we provided a natural low and long arrangement using all the flowers used elsewhere and using birch and snowy birch to keep the rustic look.

For the reception tables, we looked at a range of different options but finally decided upon tall pitchers which were personalised and which included an advice tree...basically guests were given small cards in envelopes on which to write advice and pin them onto the branches.  We used a range of different branches, some with subtle sparkle to ensure the right look, but also the holding power required.  We then added flowers around the base of the branches.  We also added a couple of Mason jars that Haven had brought over with her from Texas filled with flowers to match elsewhere.  We weren't 100% sure how this would look in such a high ceilinged venue like Cooling, but it really did work and we got so many comments for how different it looked.

For the top table Haven and Tom had had personalised bunting made for the front of the table and we thus added a central arrangement that didn't trail forwards too much which may have covered the letters.

Haven and Tom had provided their own table plan cleverly made from chicken wire in a frame, and we dressed that to match the rest of the flowers. 

We also provided a birdcage post box for their wedding cards, which again we dressed with flowers to match.

The final finishing touch (unknown even to Debbie and Chris) was a lovely travelling vintage suitcase / trunk cake made by our friends Creative Cakes...it even had the Texan star and the Union Jack attached...how appropriate.

We know that planning the wedding was a little less standard but I think Haven and Tom had the perfect day at the end, and I know everyone had a great time.  Just goes to show that we all need to be flexible about how to work at times. 

Dani and Matt's gorgeous Cooling Castle Barn wedding in the snow

Dani and Matt had the most beautiful snowy day for their Cooling Castle Wedding last week.  The photos will be fabulous especially as Dani had a gorgeous pair of Weddington Boots for the time she couldn't wear her glamorous heels.  Dani and Matt wanted their wedding flowers to be soft, pretty, scented and with a vintage English feel.  Colours were pale pink and ivory and they really were a perfect match for the very pretty bride and her entourage.

Dani wore a stunning low backed strapless dress with the most exquisite lace detailing.  On her petite frame, it was going to be gorgeous.  We designed a full and soft bouquet of roses, spray roses, bouvardia, paperwhites, freesias, ranunculus and freesias.  Foliage was soft and spriggy eucalyptus parvifolia and rosemary.  We wrapped the stems in lace and finished them with a couple of vintage style pearl and diamante hatpins.

Dani's bridesmaids were wearing very elegant long blush pink dresses with a beaded sweetheart neckline and a sexy split!  They were also going to look lovely and having met more of the families at Cooling, it was going to be a very glamorous day.  We decided to provide smaller hand-tied bouquets for the bridesmaids to resemble Dani's bouquet but being more ivory in colour as a contrast to the dress.  We wrapped the stems in lace and finished them with a single hatpin to match Dani's bouquet.

For the boys, we decided on a La Belle rose buttonhole for Matt with sprigs of rosemary and eucalyptus parvifolia and then used the slightly smaller headed Vendella rose for the rest of the boys.  The pageboys had their own mini buttonholes and we also designed corsages to match outfits for the Mums, Grandma and Matt's sister.

For the ceremony, we replaced the silk pedestal display at Cooling with a large rustic heart dressed with flowers and added to candelabra in front of the dais to frame Dani and Matt taking their vows.  We then added a full, long and low arrangement to the celebrant table for the signing of the register.

For the wedding breakfast, we dressed the top table with mini candelabras at either end and a long and low arrangement in the middle.  As was said as we were setting up...."you don't do small arrangements, do you!"  Well we think the top table needs to be a focal point and as it is a long table at Cooling, it really does need something decent in size.  We also decided to add roses to Dani and Matt's place settings, and ranunculus to the others to finish the table.

For the guest tables, we used our tall elegant silver candelabra topped with a full and pretty arrangement of all the flowers used elsewhere.  We added trailing ivy and amaranthus and finished the look with battery operated candles.  With the lovely double chair sashes with lace overlay from Confetti Connections, we think it looked lovely.

We loved Dani and Matt's wedding, we loved the snow and we hope they had a perfect day.  When they get their photos back, we hope to be able to share some with you, but in the meantime enjoy!