New Blog Post For Inside Weddings; Customized Bouquet Handle Treatments!

I am amazed at how creative brides are getting with everything from their place card tables to their bouquet handles. I love that a finished bouquet includes a beautiful handle. Whatever your personality, or wedding décor, there is a treatment perfectly suited for your big day. Enjoy the pictures below and check out my new post on InsideWeddings.com here for all my ideas!

Check Out 805 Living To Get My Take On Bringing The Outdoors In This Holiday Season

Not too long ago, The Hidden Garden opened its second location at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, which has given us the wonderful opportunity to work with clients and industry professionals in Northern Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Everyone we have met has been extremely welcoming, including the go-to lifestyle magazine for everyone in the 805 area code - 805 Living. I was thrilled to be included in Debra Prinzing's article "Bringing The Garden Indoors - Decorate For The Holidays With Souvenirs From Nature," that appeared in the November 09 issue of 805 Living.

Check out the article above, or pick up a copy before it's too late. I hope you'll enjoy putting my tips to use on how to bring the outdoors in, seamlessly incorporate floral elements into your holiday décor, add autumn details to your porch and mantel and much, much, more. As always if you have a question, or want my take on an idea you have this holiday season, leave a comment and I'd love to help!

Keeping the Romance Alive - Recreating Wedding Flowers on your Anniversary

More often than not, we get several requests that warm our hearts. Karen & Doug were married 5 years ago at Skirball Cultural center and we were honored provide the "floral magic" for the elegant affair. Doug contact The Hidden Garden a couple weeks ago and said he wanted to recreate the flowers from his wedding for their 5 year anniversary (which was just this past weekend) Too cute....I know! It didn't take our team very long to pull up the details (and photos as you can see) to help recreate their magical day! It's always our pleasure to help keep the romance alive! Happy Anniversary Karen & Doug!

Congratulations to the many couples who have allowed us to be part of their special day!

Bacara Wedding with "light"

We recently had the pleasure of working with Linda Howard from Sensational Celebrations on Sarah & Daniel's wedding at Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara. The Ceremony site had the most breathtaking view of the ocean which helped in the final decision for the decor elements chosen for their wedding vows. Simple clusters of white florals, water, driftwood and beach glass were incorporated to the already magical setting. The reception was in the amazing Rotunda Room. Elements of water and sea glass were still incorporated with the added feature of "light" giving the tables a slightly different decor element than the ceremony site.
Thanks to Next Exit Photography (amazing photos!) and Keith from The Lighter Side....we created a magical dinner reception with "light"!

Hot Topic: The Cost Of Floral Design

On Halloween morning I took some time to peruse one of my favorite blogs, Weddingbee Pro, and came across a great post by Nancy Liu Chin, "Behind The Scenes: Bear, Bear, Bear," that had sparked many comments. While reading the comments I found one that posed a great question, "Why can a florist charge $250 for a bouquet when a bunch of those flowers are sold at Whole Foods for $12.99?". I politely responded to her comments with some key points; Whole food buys in bulk and florists place special orders ensuring brides get exactly what they want, which means you're paying for peace of mind. Shortly after I left this comment Nancy contacted me to offer more insight on the issue of floral design costs, value and pricing. Here is an excerpt her first post on the subject, "Ask Nancy: $12.99 For Peonies Part I."

Dear Nancy…Not to be snarky, but can you please explain why my florist charged $250 for a bouquet of peonies when I found an eight stem bunch at Whole Foods that very same week for $12.99?

Lisa

Dear Lisa,

This question can be answered in so many ways.

Perceived Value

Let’s assume that this is about “perceived value” which is defined as a consumer’s opinion of what a product (or service’s) value is. Often, this unique perception has little or nothing to do with the actual product (or service) price and is dependent on the product (or service’s) ability to satisfy the needs, expectation and requirement.

After consulting with floral designers, Audrey O’Brien of Studio Stems and Amy Marella of Hidden Garden Flowers for their input to this question, I realized that no matter what we collectively came up with to explain why the florist charged what she charged, ultimately Lisa didn’t see the value of a $250 bouquet of peonies.

Sometimes it’s hard to see value especially when many of it is “hidden” or behind the scenes. It’s difficult to see:

- the florist has other expenses like overhead, production, office expenses, and nonoperating expenses that might factor in.

- the time that the florist probably spent finding just the right flowers, processing each stem, picking flowers up in the wee hours of the morning (except yours truly here!), and nursing them so that they would open just right.

- the experience, years of practice, and knowledge that the florist and his/her staff have acquired.

- the art and creativity that goes beyond just the flowers themselves. That there is an art in selecting the right flower and designing them. There is creativity in even the simplest of arrangement. There is a talent in being able to combine different ingredients. There is creativity in designing a wedding from start to finish with taste, polish, and style.

- the stress and pressure that many florists and vendors must go through given the importance of the day. You can’t redo!

Bottom line: It’s up to us, floral designers, to find the clients who will understand and appreciate the art that we are creating. It’s up to us to educate the clients so that they can see the value and difference. READ MORE HERE.

A couple days later she posted Part II on her own fabulous blog the Brown Bag, which delves into why grocery stores are able to sell flowers for discounted prices. Essentially, grocery stores are providing you with an "ingredient," not the delicious finished "meal" and not the skilled "chef" to prepare it. Here is a piece of Part II:

A couple days ago, I started to answer the question to Lisa's question. Of course I wrote about Perceived Value and Pricing.

Today's issue centers around why local grocery stores and warehouse stores are able to carry flowers at or below wholesale. For the wonderful answer, I have consulted the wonderfully talented, Amy Marella of Hidden Garden, for insight.There are several issues going on


1) Bulk Quantities - Flushing
It is not uncommon to find Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Costco with a wide assortment of flowers. These wholesale warehouses and grocery chains buy their flowers in "bulk" and/or buy flowers that are "flushing" from the growers. I had never heard this term before Amy used is. Amy was kind enough to help define the term. "Flushing" occurs when flowers are coming in great abundance and the grower is willing to get rid of them quickly/cheaply because they have a very large quantity.

Amy states, "this is not to say that the flowers at these locations might not be perfect but they are not hand picked by the buyers". Given that - each week these outlets have differing stock. There is never a guarantee of what you might see at your local grocery store like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Safeway. These large corporation have the buying power to purchase in "bulk" therefore offering consumers much lower prices than a local floral shop who doesn't buy in the quantities that a large, national grocery store could.


2) Precision - Pre Orders 
As a floral designer who specializes in weddings, often a proposal is set months, weeks in advance. I don't have the luxury to "randomly" select flowers for my wedding clients. Amy and I both realize that we have to "pre order" our flowers. Many and we assume the florist in this question probably pre ordered the peonies way in advance. I prefer to write my orders about 2 weeks. Sometimes I have to give a month notice. Pre ordering ensures that the "exact" flower to the color and to the stem count is ordered. Floral designers all want the right amount of flowers and the best blooms though often there is no guarantee because flowers are natural and perishable products. You can't just go get a peony whenever you want.

Given that floral designers are ordering in advance, you don't get a price break. In many instance, a florist actually pays a slightly higher premium to guarantee that the flowers they need for a wedding are EXACTLY what they want. Amy's company, The Hidden Garden, does exactly thing. She says, they " might cost a little more across the board but with that comes piece of mind for the bride". Obviously, considered floral designers want to delivery what a client ordered so you can't just take a chance that the right quantity, color or flower will just "show" up at the market. That's way, banking on a Whole Foods for your wedding flowers - not a good way to go. I don't think it's fair to compare the peonies that a floral designer can get with the price of flowers at a local grocery store. Because if you can't get it consistently in the color, quantities and quality, why do it? READ MORE HERE.

I am really happy this came up and I was able to answer a question so many brides have and reveal all of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes at The Hidden Garden. I would love to hear more thoughts on this, so please leave a comment!

Please go to Nancy's site as well to read the entire post...

Flower Market Find: Hail for Kale!

Photos courtesy of Better Homes & Garden

Kale is not only a healthy vegetable full of anti-oxidants, it is also a popular element in floral design providing a great texture to any arrangement. Often called ornamental cabbage, it comes in a variety of colors like shades of greens, purples and whites. It's now in season and growers are bringing a beautiful selection to the mart. Expect to see arrangements this season that incorporate kale...it puts a twist on regular flowers!

Pumpkins After Halloween....reuse them!

For those of you less inclined to make pumpkin soup or pumpkin pie from scratch, here are some creative uses for all those left over pumpkins from Halloween. Just because one holiday is over doesn't mean you can't continue to use pumpkins for the Thanksgiving Holiday this month. Add decor to your front entry by lining your walkway with pumpkins. Utilize the cinderella pumpkins, gourds and white pumpkins to the classic orange ones to evoke an Autumn scheme. The mini pumpkins, are great place-card holders at your holiday dinners or fill a large vase with several of them for a dramatic effect. You can also use your pumpkins as floral planters, simply empty them out, fill with soil and plant your favorite fall flowers or plants. A fun family use for all those pumpkins is to collect them, fill with electric candles and great a bonfire with friends. The point is not to waste all those beautiful pumpkins, you can find many ways to incorporate them into your decor post Halloween well into Thanksgiving!

photos courtesy of Better Homes and Garden

Wedding Color Combinations

I love color when it comes to wedding flowers. It makes such a bold statement and livens up any reception room or ceremony site. It makes your guests swoon with delight when they see the flowers....bold colors are unexpected. They are candy for the eyes....it brings the drama to the table, the warmth to the ceremony and the glow to the overall ambiance. Some of the color combinations created today might be "dated" next year. It's a chance you are taking but i think it is worth it if you are looking for a big bang with your florals!

Don't get me wrong, you can never go wrong with the classic traditional white color palette. White is safe. It is a classic palette that will never go out of style (the design of the florals might but the color is timeless). And if you are confused on which to choose...you could always go white at the ceremony and spice it up with bold colors in the reception! The best of both worlds.

Candy Time!

When you think Halloween, you think CANDY. One of the hottest trends in the last few years have been the presence of candy tables at parties and weddings. The best candy displays are the tables where the candy matches the color & theme of the event. We've even done candy tables with all family favorites. The display is all about the mix of containers ~ so, make sure to use a variety of sizes and heights to accomplish the most delicious table. Provide small bags and custom labels for your guests to take the candy home. Everyone always loves the sweet treat!

{Here are some beautiful candy tables to inspire you}

Amy Atlas Events

Admar Decor

New Blog Post For Inside Weddings; Handsome Boutonnieres!

I just finished my latest post for Inside Weddings, where I show a little flower love for all the men in the bridal party. If you're going with a floral boutonniere I give you style choices and some tips on what types of flowers work best in a boutonniere. I also give some ideas on how to reflect the style of the groom in the boutonniere by incorporating non-traditional elements. There's lots to learn about boutonnieres so check it out here.

Interesting... Pumpkins & Flowers!

This time of year, they are everywhere we look, they come in all shapes and sizes and have more uses other than being a main ingredient for holiday pie...yes, you guessed it, it's Pumpkins!!!

Here at the Hidden Garden we use pumpkins of all colors and sizes both as unique floral "vases" as well as part of the actual arrangement. With the many varieties of pumpkins available your decor isn't limited to Autumn colors. As you can see in the arrangements below provided by Martha Stewart and Eddie Rose, the possibilities are endless.

The halloween basket with deep reds and purples is perfect for your halloween decor. Alternatively, a monochromatic arrangement can look exquisite anywhere in your home. A cinderella pumpkin filled with a bright pink flowers can put a smile on anyone's face this season. Don't forget, it's always great to line your Thanksgiving table and decorate your home with arrangements evoking all colors of the Fall season.

You are only limited by your imagination. This holiday think outside the box and inside a pumpkin!

Sorority Girls...love Flowers!

This past weekend The Hidden Garden was asked by a local sorority at USC to create some floral arrangements for a few of their new pledges. We had fun designing something that was beautiful yet unique for each girl. We choose to convey a youthful feel so we adorned the vases with jewels, ribbon treatments and beauitful fabrics. Each treatment allowed us to create a unique design for the vessel and then filled with florals in complimentary tones allowing each arrangement to stand out. Congratulations to all the new pledges out there!! We hope The Hidden Garden was able to bring a little sunshine to your day!

Pasadena Athenaeum Wedding

Aly & Dave were two of the most lovely bride & groom's that we've worked with. You can even see the love in their eyes in the pictures we're posting. It was our first wedding at the Athenaeum in Pasadena, and it was charming and beautiful. The outdoor courtyard created a romantic and Tuscan inspired setting. To compliment the feel of the area, we added textured greenery to the arrangements to give a warm and drippy feeling to the flowers. The use of high and low centerpieces created a mix of looks in the area that kept your eye moving all around the space. The beautiful architecture really enhanced the wedding; and, of course, the bride & groom were sparkling themselves.

Thank you Greg Bumatay for all the amazing pictures!

New Blog Post For Inside Weddings; Wedding Wreaths!

The holidays will be here before we know it and there is definitely one thing everyone love's to decorate with during this time of year - wreaths! While wreaths are a holiday classic, I actually love to use them as wedding décor all year round. They really are a blank canvas and can be used to add a decorative touch to so many parts of a wedding ceremony and reception. Read all about my ideas for wedding wreaths on Inside Weddings here and if this post got you thinking about holiday wreaths you can always order them here!

Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins

Today's favorite flower market finds today....pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins!! There are so many varieties to choose from when searching for the perfect pumpkin! Sugar Pumpkins, Cinderella Pumpkins, White Pumpkins, Ornamental Gourds, Mini Pumpkins...who knew there were so many different types! Which is best for you?

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