Madison's Winter Bridal Show

And so it went.. this past weekend was Madison's Winter Bridal Show, produced by the Wedding Planner & Guide. Despite the Packer's Game and the spitting snow, we had a full show. Sugar shock -- the cakes.. oh my the cakes! -- and creative DJs kept the lulls lively when I wasn't wandering the aisles meeting other vendors.

Booth design was simpler, but much more accessible than last year. We took down the side rails and visitors took advantage of slipping behind us to look at the bouquets on the back wall.

{I wish fluorescent lighting was kinder -- the poor yellows look washed out
and the whites are not as pure as they should be. :( }

Our layout was anchored on the corners by either a collage of different vases and varied flowers on two cocktail tables or a pair of Grecian style craters designed as if they were planted. The delphinium in the latter pieces came in so beautifully -- it looked lovely with the Australian pine and eucalyptus.

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Had the pleasure of designing two pieces for Best Western's Inn on the Park. Really enjoyed how the lavender roses played off the pink astilbe and pale leucadendron.

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For those of you with the new addition of the Guide, we have a full page ad at the end of the flower section. And if you don't have the book (I'm told it's available everywhere -- venues, gown shops, florists, etc..), here's a screenshot.

October 27, 2007

To have a client trust my decisions implicitly is a rarity, but one that both she and her groom enjoyed. The issue was, simply, lavender. Apparently people don't think it can be a member of a fall palette. :)

Although she and her mother repeated their love of all flowers, bride's favorite are fragrant oriental lilies. It was essential to include them in her bouquet. Coupling orange bouquets with the female attendants' either lavender or black dress brought in fall's vivacity.
The church on the other hand was a spectacular display of ALL colors. The wall behind the altar at the Lutheran Church of the Living Christ is not a wall at all: it is a fusion of jewel toned glass stretching from the ground to the apex of the vaulted ceiling.


















It was an absolute pleasure to forgo a traditional floral piece at the altar and instead focus on the colors of the glass. For good measure, and to effectively paint more of the sanctuary, the altar sported a cover of petals and flowers, in the center of which stood the unity candle. Thin, modestly tall floral pieces marked the start and eventual turn of the aisle whereupon lines of petals and flowers illuminated the base of the pew chairs all the way up to the very first set of pews at the foot of the dais.

A brief ride to the west brought the party to the Hilton Garden Inn where they dined and danced to the wonderful talents of Russell Welch from Music for You DJs.

Copper toned linens covered large round tables set for ten and in their center glowed the bride's lilies in addition to orange roses, stock in purples and lavender, and bold sunflowers.
Khaki covered the head table and a wide copper sash dropped down the front for a dramatic effect. Once the bride and groom arrived, a holder was installed at the front of the table to best display her bouquet for the room.

And finally, the cake stood on a table in the middle of the dance floor -- visible to everyone during the dinner. Simply decorated and surrounded by rose petals, it seemed to glow from beneath the lilies at its top.
Never allow anyone to say that lavender cannot be a fall color. Given the right foil, it embraces the joy and brilliance of the season in a surprisingly comfortable way.

September 15, 2007

Rich autumn colors was the focus for this event, beginning at St. Luke's and finishing at the Concourse in downtown Madison.

The church has a wonderfully intimate sanctuary and the decision to avoid floral decor was a good one as the strong vertical lines of the space easily placed the focus on the bride and groom.Pale calla lilies, roses and hypericum berry made up the bridal bouquet while an assortment of roses and hypericum comprised the bride's maids' -- red was avoided for the latters' bouquets as their dresses were a luscious "apple" red and any flowers of that hue would have disappeared in the glory of the fabric.
Upon entering the reception space at the Concourse, guests were met with floral pieces of fall's beloved chrysanthemums, berries and assorted foliage.







Staggering the centerpieces in both raised and flat styles created a sense of depth to the room and enhanced the arrangements with a more regal yet very accessible air.

September 8, 2007

This was one of those rare circumstances where the bride and groom knew exactly what they wanted everything to look like. And I must admit they have exquisite tastes.
Red is the color of the event. The bride and each of the six women standing up with her carried an assortment of red roses, chocolate roses and coffee berry while all men wore a red rose. The saturation was perfectly intoxicating!

Although decor at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Stoughton was modest, such a decision did not keep the couple from requesting a formidable display at the reception, hosted by Lake Windsor Country Club.













Tall wine glass style vases towered over half the tables boasting roses, gerber daisies, carnations and a collection of beautiful foliage. Short cylinders on glass pedestals carried the flowers lower and graced the other half of the tables in the room.

The cake stood just inside the main room, beyond the entryway and the guest book table. It's ornate decoration is so delicate and precise that a simple topper did not do it justice. Instead, the petaled creation is what greeted guests before they finally entered the ballroom.

August 4, 2007

At this August event, summer had gathered its momentum and turned the prairie behind Morel's into a beautiful display of color. The event palette embraced this rainbow and in turn spoke of the bride's and groom's love of the area and its nature.
Topiaries welcomed people to the tent and started a line of flowers put together by friends and family of the couple the day before.

The aisle culminated in two pairs of shepherd hooks and hanging baskets -- it was here that vows were shared and their unity tree was watered.

Moving inside, our palette simplified into an array of Chinese lanterns, floating candles and a golden button mum at each place setting.
The cake -- and it's toppers who regretfully were too heavy for the top -- stood slightly to the side underneath flowers of the season.

June 23, 2007

Our floral choices for this last full weekend in June were all about callas.

The ceremony took place on the second floor of the Hilton Monona Terrace in a room of beautiful golds and creams. The trick of burgundy carpet and heavy velvet drapes was dealt with by simply tying back the curtains with a thick tan and champagne sash (seen in the "after" picture below) and by lining the aisle with petals spanning a creamy white, through beige and finishing with pinky lavender at the base of two glass "potted" ferns.
Three colors of callas formed the bridal bouquet -- white, plum and a wonderful bicolor. Those same plum callas and rosettes of burgundy and green galax formed the maid of honor's bouquet.All men wore white callas -- the groom had a bicolor -- in a silver brace that was pinned directly to their lapel.
After the ceremony, everyone moved upstairs to the Hilton's Capitol Club -- an intensely intimate space that is rarely outdone because of the views of the lake on one side and the capitol to the other. The cake stood tall on a table just within the entry. Decorated with icing to match the detail on the bridal gown, callas, galax, and ornamental grasses completed the picture.

May 26, 2007

Despite a large guest list, both bride and groom wanted to bring a very personal touch to the event.

The four colors of importance symbolized the four different roses -- and their sentiments -- that the groom presented to his bride on the day he proposed. The flowers -- roses encircled by a chorus of carnations -- provided a wealth of spicy scents, color and cost awareness that is not only tasteful but unrivaled.



After the ceremony at the Madison Heritage Congregational Church, everyone moved over to the Madison Senior Center for the reception where the ultimate decoration became the guests. Clear glass bowls of water and floating candles punctuated the festivities with candlelight. The cake -- a creation covered with shaved white chocolate and topped with flowers of the event -- stood watch until its cutting later that evening.
centerpiece