Are Cascade Bouquets Making a Comeback?

Heck yes, cascade bouquets are making a comeback! And I love it! Melissa's bridal bouquet below was one of the very few cascades I made for the 2016 wedding season, but I already have several booked for 2017. Some just made of greenery! Hello #pantonecoloroftheyear. I love that brides are asking for something that makes a bigger statement than the usual rounded bouquet. 

You know what else is great about a cascade bouquet? It's more flattering for your figure! Think about it. An elongated bouquet helps draw the eye up and down,  creating that long and lean illusion. And who doesn't want that on their wedding day! 

Melissa's cascade bouquet, shot by Melissa Mata Photography, was a stunner. She stuck with the marsala color scheme that was so popular in 2016 and continues to be for 2017. 

To bring in those Marsala/Burgundy colors, we chose garden roses, astible, cymbidium orchids, dahlias, hanging amaranthus, chocolate cosmos, and scabiosa all in those gorgeous shades. Then we added in ivory spray roses to accent her dress and plenty of eucalyptus foliage to add to the cascade effect. 

For Melissa's bridesmaids, we chose a more neutral bouquet with pops of marsala to accent the deep colored dresses.

So brides, don't be afraid to go with a different shape for your bridal bouquet! As a designer, I love the challenge! 

All photo by Melissa Mata Photography!

Three Sisters, One Broach

I still remember to this day meeting the lovely Becker ladies at Atlanta Bread Company in Champaign to talk about Jessa's wedding flowers. It was either late 2010 or early 2011 and I was in grad school dreaming about the idea of a wedding business. You see what happened is that Jessa and I shared a mutual friend who asked if I was doing weddings. To which I quickly responded, heck yeah I am! Soon after, Jessa became one of the first weddings I booked. Flash forward almost 6 years later and I've had the pleasure of doing all three of the super sweet Becker sister's weddings! 

One of the things I loved the most about Jessa's bouquet way back in 2011 was the broach that she added on the handle. It was also chock full of amazing fragrant garden roses which didn't hurt!

Forward to Mary's colorful bouquet from this August and I notice the same broach. Ok there's a pattern forming here...

Once I see Cassie's bouquet in October with the same broach, I have to ask! What's the story behind the broach? 

Turns out, the pin belonged to the lady's great grandmother! Cassie said it best herself, "One of the most beautiful "something old and borrowed," and even more special that all of us Becker girls have carried it in our weddings." I couldn't agree more! 

Jessa's gorgeous fall wedding shot by Shannon Anderson Photography.


Mary's colorful summer wedding shot by Stephanie Bartman Photography.


And finally, Cassie's fall wedding shot by Rachel Schirano Photography.

Thank you again ladies for letting me be a part of it all! 

Blush and Burgundy Summer Wedding- Champaign, IL Wedding Florist

This wedding from last summer is giving me all the heart eyes!!! I just got my hands on these gorgeous photos by Stephanie Bartman Photography and I couldn't wait to share them!

Elise was another of those absolutely sweet brides that was referred to my through a friend and being that we were located a distance apart at the time, we planned all the florals over the phone! The result was absolutely gorgeous and I was so glad to play a small part in her big day!

Photo by Stephanie Bartman Photography

Photo by Stephanie Bartman Photography

Photo by Stephanie Bartman Photography

Photo by Stephanie Bartman Photography

Elise's bouquet was a gorgeous mix of ivory roses, spray roses and stock, mixed with burgundy garden roses, dahlias, and amaranthus with silver dollar eucalyptus foliage. A great combination!

Photo by Stephanie Bartman Photography

Photo by Stephanie Bartman Photography

Photo by Stephanie Bartman Photography

Photo by Stephanie Bartman Photography

Photo by Stephanie Bartman Photography

Photo by Stephanie Bartman Photography

Photo by Stephanie Bartman Photography

Photo by Stephanie Bartman Photography

Bridal Bouquet Breakdown

This Friday's Bridal Bouquet Breakdown is an easy one because the bouquet is all roses! 'Freedom' roses to be exact! My all time favorite red rose variety. All paired with some bling and a bit of Pittosporum foliage to finish it off.

Many of the brides I meet with think that standard roses will be too expensive for their bouquets, but in fact, roses are actually one of the more economical choices for your flowers. And so gorgeous! Garden roses, which are all the rage right now,  are equally as gorgeous, but cost about 3 times as much as a standard roses. That's where the cost can add up!

This stunning bouquet was created for a Beauty and the Beast themed shoot, so obviously red roses were the perfect choice! Check out the rest of the shoot featured here and here. Thanks to By Mari Photography for the amazing pics!

By Mari Photography

By Mari Photography

Blush Summer Allerton Park Wedding- Central Illinois Wedding Florist

Wedding planning doesn't have to be a stressful process! Every once in awhile, I complete a wedding without ever meeting with the bride and groom in person. We plan the entire wedding florals over the phone and email and always end with a great result! This recent June wedding was one of those weddings! 

Melissa was absolutely great to work with. She requested a color scheme of dark green, ivory, blush and gold for her summer wedding at Allerton Park and what she chose came together greatly!

Her blush bouquet was made up of garden roses, hydrangeas, spray roses, spirea, succulents, and plenty of foliages. 

When I finally met Melissa on her wedding day, I realized what a beautiful and sweet bride she was and the photos that Micah McCoy Studio shared are just gorgeous! 

Check out the entire wedding on Micah McCoy Studio's blog! 

Bridal Bouquet Breakdown

This week's bouquet breakdown has lots of texture which I love! If there was one word to describe my floral style, it would definitely be texture!

The look for the shoot, featured recently on Wedding Chicks, was inspired by the venue, an industrial warehouse. Complete with motorcycles and a slug bug! 

The foliage in this bouquet consists of silvery dusty miller foliage tucked in the middle, dark green grevillia which adds some tropical feel to the bouquet, seeded eucalyptus which adds even more silvery texture, and a few japanese pieris stems with unopened buds. 

The florals were mostly neutrals with white lisianthus, hydrangea, spray roses, and stock which adds a sweet fragrance. A bit of color was added with the peach 'Juliet' garden roses which also add an incredible fragrance. Finish is off with a few white anemones with black centers and you've got a great bouquet!

Vendors featured in this shoot:

 

FLOWERS AND CAKES : POLLEN & PASTRY

COORDINATORS & STYLISTS: EVER AFTER PLANNING

PHOTOGRAPHERS: RACHAEL OSBORN PHOTOGRAPHY

FASHION: JUSTIN ALEXANDER

HEALTH & BEAUTY: CARLY PRIBICH, MAKEUP ARTIST

HEALTH & BEAUTY: HAIR BY SPAIR

FASHION: SAVY'S CHIC

FASHION: KATE SPADE

RING BOX: THE MRS. BOX

PAPER GOODS & CALLIGRAPHY: EMILY ROSE INK

VENUES & OFFICIANTS: WAREHOUSE 109

Bridal Bouquet Breakdown

On Fridays I'll feature some of our favorite bouquets! I find so frequently when I meet with a bride that they are frustrated because they don't know what the flowers are called and when they're available. And that's totally understandable! Most of the Pinterest photos that brides pin contain nothing about what the actual flowers are in the description! I want to help that!

This week's bouquet is one of my favorites. It has a ton of texture and unique materials which is what I love! This bouquet was shot in Phoenix during my own engagement shoot in the fall, so it has a bit of that desert feel, but all of these materials can be easily sourced in Illinois most of the year!

Bouquet Contents: Red Peonies (limited by season), Pink Protea, Variegated Leucadendron, Red Hanging Amaranthus, Green Antique Hydrangea, Burgundy Spray Roses, Burgundy Scabiosa, Queen Annes Lace, Silver Dollar Eucalyptus and Acacia Foliage. 

Photo by StepOnMe Photography