A wedding in Hyannisport. So windblown and wholesome!

Stephen Breyer, U.S. Supreme Court judge.
Stephen Breyer, U.S. Supreme Court judge, and wedding officiant

A person would be hard pressed to find a more picture-perfect East Coast beach wedding spot than the Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport, MA.  Apparently the location comes with the option of a Supreme Court Justice as officiant, and your own paparazzi.  In all seriousness, congratulations to Patrick and Amy Kennedy, who were wed, yes, by Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.  (Who were you expecting, Scalia)? We didn’t get the best view but, we’re going to talk about the flowers as best we can.  Note to the AP – zoom in on the bouquet when Maria’s daughters tie the knot, ok?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_296w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2011/07/16/Style/Images/Patrick_Kennedy_Wedding_09e5f.jpg?uuid=6nIm_K_ZEeCagMRrnLElXw
The most genuinely happy photo from any wedding: heading back down the aisle as Mr. & Mrs.
Caroline Kennedy on her wedding day
Caroline Kennedy's shamrock-dotted wedding gown (and gorgeous orchid bouquet)!

The bouquet:  Though from afar, looks quite beautiful – hydrangea, miniature green calla lillies, and we’re willing to bet white roses and bells-of-Ireland.  Bells of Ireland are a lovely nod to  the family’s Irish heritage, and they can be seen in the altar-pieces as well.  The Irish history nod is a classic Kennedy bride move – check out the shamrocks on Caroline Kennedy-Schlossberg‘s custom Carolina Herrera gown. But back to the bouquet – it is “composed,” or “english garden” style meaning the flowers are grouped by type rather than all mixed together. We frequently design in this style.

Moluccella laevis 35 seeds "Bells of Ireland" BULK
Bells of Ireland - beautiful and meaningful, perfect!

An amazing, unique woman. Are we surprised Betty Ford was a beautiful, confident bride? Nah.

What fun in our Betty Ford reading to turn up these happy wedding photos from 1948.  An ‘encore bride’ (who spoke openly about her divorce – not common in those days) she wore a gorgeous satin two piece suit with matching hat and shoes.  As flower folk we love the (now) vintage look of the ribbon actually smack in the middle of the bouquet. Why not? Double faced satin ribbon is so luscious – why not highlight it rather than hide it around the stems?

Enjoy the pictures, our thanks to the Ford Library for keeping them in the public domain.

Father of the Bride

Cover of "Father of the Bride (15th Anniv...
Cover via Amazon

As you may have seen, the house used in the 80s version of ‘Father of the Bride’ is for sale.  So we pose the question: does the 21st Century wedding Dad fit the Hollywood mold? Are there battalions of Steve Martins stumbling their way through the planning process, and clutching their chests at the costs? Or have fathers, and weddings, not to mention the world, changed? OK, so it’s a rhetorical question. Of course, things have changed. But that Martin Short wedding planner character* Franck, like diamonds, is forever.

These days, a father’s role in his daughter or son’s wedding is determined less by convention than by the choices of the couple.  If they’ve decided to fund the entire affair on their own, all Dad needs to do is show up on time wearing what he’s asked. Planning wise, suggestions are just that. Suggestions.

We’re always impressed, on the other hand, with Fathers who hand their sons and daughters a contribution towards a wedding, and trust that the couple will be good stewards of their money.  We’ve never met one such couple who wanted anything but to make their parents proud. As one groom put it ” We want them to see we made good choices with the resources they gave us.”

Bride/Groom: Your Dad loves you, and he’s showing that love by helping create one of the most special occasions you’ll ever plan. Let him speak, and listen closely. If he objects to the zombie shooters, go gin-and-tonic and run wild with another element -like funky favors. It’s about mutual respect. Give and take. Good skills to hone for your married life.

Some things don’t change.  There is still chest clutching, and colorful event planners still amuse people all over the country*. Ultimately, Dads love their kids, and really only care about one thing at the wedding: that it be the start of a happily married life. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. Especially to the wonderful Fathers and Grandfather of a certain 2010 Bride who know who they are.

*Franck Eggelhoffer is based on a celebrity florist/event designer currently working in West Hollywood.  If you ever meet him, you’ll know because Mr. Short is dead-on. Franck appears about 2 minutes into this clip. Also note that SVU’s favorite criminal profiler did time in the events industry. Fabolos!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKFtRedJxTw&w=425&h=349]