Floral Design

Nice day for a white wedding? Victorian Fashion Slaves vs. those who tell the Queen to Kiss It

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Whatever happened to Billy Idol’s little sister, anyway?  Well, he voiced his opinions, but in the end, whether or not she wore white was entirely up to her.  Historically, white does symbolize purity.  So that’s why the Pope wears it.  But brides? That’s all Queen Victoria’s fault.  Prior to Victoria’s wedding to Albert, one simply wore one’s best dress down the aisle.  And everybody wore their dresses again. She was the first high profile bride to wear white.  So technically, every major designer, and 99.9% of brides are following Victorian bridal fashion trends rather than 2011 bridal fashion trends. Now purity is no longer signaled by your gown, and some gals just like a little color.  Reese Witherspoon was recently married in a pink dress (although IMHO, it was a little matchy-matchy with her skin tone for my taste, and her flowers seemed to match her hair…but we’ll deal with that another day).  There are women who decide to get married in orange, or deep purple, or whatever color makes them happy. What color flowers do we recommend when brides go rogue and tell Queen Victoria that her era is SO over? There’s nothing like a colorful dress to inspire great work.  Anything goes really – the color the adventurous gal chooses opens a thousand doors.  We generally advise though, (sorry Reese, you got steered astray) that you don’t match your bouquet to your hair.

Oh and by the way? Victoria had her dress restyled so she could get some more use out of it.  Now THAT’S a trend we could all get behind – especially on Earth Day.  Reduce, Re-use, Recycle your wedding gown!

Ho-tel, Mo-tel, Esmeralda Renaissance Inn, If your flowers start actin’ up…

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OK so we’re event designers, not the Sugar Hill Gang.  But if your hotel lobby flowers do start acting up, let us know.  Here is a recent lobby arrangement from the Esmeralda Renaissance resort and spa, a great Palm Springs wedding location (or Palm Desert wedding location, or Indian Wells wedding location).  2011 wedding trends are towards the economical: and if you’ve read previous blogs about budget conscious wedding locations like Country Clubs, then you know places that come with onsite staff, catering, rentals and parking can save big chunks of your wedding budget.  And if you’re having a destination wedding, who wouldn’t want to come to a beautiful resort? And that’s where the Esmeralda Renaissance Palm Spring Resort and Spa comes into play. As you can see, we do the lobby flowers each week, and love to work there for events which we do regularly. We have some coming up!  What about yours?  Prom 2011? Destination wedding in Palm Desert? Bring it on! And remember…hip hop and you don’t stop! (oy vey. We better stop).

centerpiece wedding beautiful modern elegant
An elegant statement piece at the Renaissance Esmeralda

My Little Etiquette Shop: Prom Posies and the Problems they Pose

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It’s that time of year again, when you’ll see groups of teens looking awfully snazzy overtaking hotel ballrooms all over the country.  The occasion? You likely remember it well: Prom.  As this year’s crop of Juniors and Seniors gets ready to boogie down in their gowns and tuxes, we thought we’d tackle 2 of the etiquette questions that pop up when kids venture out into the wonderful world of social events. Have others? Send ’em in! We’ll revisit prom in a future blog post.

Succulent boutonniere suitable for wedding or prom
Boutonniere using succulent - perfect for prom or desert wedding

Q: Who orders and pays for the flowers?

A: Each date buys the others’ flowers (corsage or boutonniere as appropriate).  Mom, feel like taking over for your busy teen?  We actually recommend letting  your son or daughter handle this on their own.  It’s an important step for young people to learn how to operate in the world – making Prom arrangements with local businesses is a great start. Encourage your teen to order flowers, and to communicate with their dates to find out what they are wearing so that everything coordinates nicely.

Q:  What do I do if my date arrives and the flowers don’t match my outfit? Or are really ugly? Do I have to wear them?

A: Whatever those flowers look like, smile, say thank you, and put them on.  This is someone who you liked enough to go with to the Prom, and they are giving you a gift. Do you really want to crush them and start the evening off on a negative note?  Not good form. The exception to this rule is if you have allergies. If your corsage is going to make you sick, by all means thank your date, and explain that you’ll keep it at home to admire later due to your sensitivity to the particular bloom.

Corsages and boutonnieres have come a long way. Gone is the single rose and baby’s breath that was the mainstay of every prom and wedding in the eighties, replaced by succulents or other unexpected elements. The scratchy elastic bands have been replaced with silky ribbons and stretchy pearled bracelets.  Some girls even carry a small handheld bouquet.  Let your floral professional create a special memory for your big night.

Stay safe everyone!