Andrea and Sean at the Baronette Renaissance Hotel of Novi, MI

Muted Tones? I think not :) how about super juicy corals and tangerines with pops of peach instead.

 Had a fabulous time designing for this Summery Wedding at the Baronette Renaissance Hotel in Novi.  The Andrea's bouquet featured 

• coral peony (Coral Charm from Holland)
• peach garden roses (David Austin Juliet), 
• tangerine orange ranunculus (from California)
• peach sweet peas from Holland
• apricot parrot tulips 
• yellow craspedia (a.k.a. billy balls)
• dark pink cymbidium orchids
• fuchsia phaleonopsis orchids
• umbrella fern

The Andrea had an orchid for her hair and the boutonnieres were of coral spray roses, coral sweet peas, and craspedia wrapped with black grosgrain ribbon

 All of the centerpieces were designed in vintage milk glass compotes and featured garden roses, stock, sea star fern, anemone, parrot tulips, craspedia, ranunculus, and dusty miller foliage

Look how well those coral charm peony opened for the arbor decor! This was such a favorite of mine so far this year.  I really love the juicy over dyed color pallet which reminds me of the cover of Martha Stewart Weddings from this spring.

Well I better stop messing about on the blog and get down to business it is tax time, my least favorite part of business ownership.   I'd rather eat fried worms than enter all my transactions into quickbooks. oh well I guess its that or get arrested and thrown in jail for evasion.  I should call Martha and see what it was like, maybe its not so bad. ~Sweet Pea

THE AMAZING COMPOTE: Gandy Dancer Rehearsal Dinner

This March I had the privilege of joining 30 of the most talented florists in on God's green earth for the annual Chapel Designers conference in New York!!  It was the greatest to meet and make instant friends with so many kindred spirits from around the country.   It has been such a boost to my sanity knowing that if I encounter a floral challenge, one of these amazing designers will be there for me with advice and encouragement.

This week the brilliant Isha Foss of Isha Foss Events proposed the idea that each of the Chapel Designers create a compote style floral design and share with the group.  A compote is defined as "A long stemmed dish for holding fruit"  But recently we changed that to "a long stemmed dish for holding piles and piles of beautiful flowers!!"

The compote is completely in style even Martha Stewart is on board (thanks Martha) she describes them as a footed bowl,that lift flowers up to the perfect height and creates a lush shape that fills out the table.  


The above gold (brass) compote is from Jamali Garden This design including the napkin fold was created for a rehearsal dinner at the Gandy Dancer in Ann Arbor.  It was the first time Sweet Pea has offered napkins folded around the menu with Midori Ribbon and an orchid bloom at each place-setting.


If you love great design you must check out all of the compote arrangements created this week by my Chapel Designer friends.  Here are links to each of their blog posts:  

IIsha Foss Events http://www.ishafoss.com/2012/05/floral-compotes.html

Alluring Blooms http://alluringblooms.com/ode-compote/.html

Floral Verde LLC http://floralverde.com/blog/?p=800

Flirty Fleurs http://www.flirtyfleurs.com/?p=9609

Celebration Florals  http://bit.ly/K4Dkcz

Holly Heider Chapple Flowers LTD http://thefullbouquetblog.com/?p=20905

Fleur:ology http://fleurologydesign.com/?p=397

Exquisite Designs http://www.exqdesigns.com/blog/?p=1900

Petals & Hedges http://petalsandhedges.com/blog/?p=868

Bare Root Flora http://barerootflora.com/index.php/blog/45-the-art-of-the-compote-denver-wedding-flowers

Loda Floral Design http://lodadesigns.blogspot.com/2012/05/floral-compote-design.html

True Florette Floral Design   http://trueflorette.com/succulents/the-compote

Courtenay Lambert Florals http://courtenaylambert.blogspot.com/2012/05/art-of-compote-goes-national.html

Grapevine Floral Company http://grapevineinbloom.com/?p=228

Modern Day Floral http://moderndayfloral.com/blog/?p=4036

Sebesta Design http://sebestadesign.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/the-classic-compote-arrangement/

Petals and Promises, llc http://www.facebook.com/pages/Petals-and-Promises-llc/108746239185151 

Martha Stewart Post - http://thebridesguide.marthastewartweddings.com/2012/05/crazy-for-compotes.html

Coral and Peach Peonies for Ann Arbor City Club Wedding

A Huge Thank you to Kelly of Mayesh in LA for combing the flower market until she found us just the right coral and peach peony, ranunculus, and astilbe!! The peach peony on the cake and the design top right left me breathless when I opened that box.  It was nice to dust of the teal mason jars for their first appearance of many this year.  How simple and beautiful is that ruffle cake? Does anyone know who the baker is, I would love to share a link here.

So the recipe for anyone intrested: Maidenhair fern, sweet pea, anemone (white with black center) ranunculus, scabiosa flower, scabiosa pods, astilbe and ..............PEONIES!!

Congratulations Keri it was an honor to design for your big day ~Pea

P.S. the bright naturally lit venue is the Ann Arbor City Club

Bright Spring Wedding Flowers

These bright pinks and greens make me think of Ms. Piggy and Kermit :) For Tamara and Jacques wedding last weekend.  I was especially proud to use some lacy scented geranium leaf that I have been nurturing as a plant since last October.

Designs also include garden roses, jade dendrobium orchids, spray roses, green trick dianthus, green hydrangea parrot tulips umbrella fern, sweet peas, and ranunculus.

Photographed on my pallet coffee table (thanks dad) love the reclaimed wood look that heirloom adds to my photo shoots :)

I am going to be so sad in a few weeks with parrot tulip season is over our love affair has been so sweet.  I live for spring and fall the availability mid summer is surprisingly dull and since everything bolted this year the time table is way off.  For example Sorry mid May Brides lilacs will be ancient history.

Now Seating Table Number 5

Put together a new tablescape with the ladies of Suite 110 yesterday.  Composed of my grandmothers fine china (Thanks Grandma Jean!) some amazing napkins I sourced from Treasuremart   Gold rimmed juice glasses found at an estate sale in Grosse Pointe (my new stomping grounds).  We tucked sprigs of dried lavender into the napkin with the silverware (goldware in this case)

My favorite part of the whole design is the hardest to photograph.  Hanging above are branches and from the branches drum roll...............7 of the prettiest little air plants that I picked up at English Gardens.  The succulents are from Lowes garden center sorry floral wholesalers but Lowes has them for half the price.

Full confession, after a long winter without much designing I was afraid I wouldn't remember how.  Irrational fears sometimes get the best of me.  The cool part was that it created this nervous excitement like the day before your first high school dance, i couldn't sleep that well and I was waiting by the door for my floral delivery all day like a puppy dog.  Of course my hands remembered how it went thank God!

These two designs were a demo for a May wedding that will be at the Michigan League in Ann Arbor.  The charming bride to be Carmen has such perfect taste! Milk glass compotes filled with viburnum, mini green hydrangea, white anemone, ranunculus, jade dendrobium orchids, hybrid delphinium accented with maidenhair fern and jasmine vine.   The distressed white wood pillar holders are from Pier One .

Don't give in to irrational fears that you can't do something.  I forget this more often than I remember.   Every time I go salsa dancing I think that I will be so out of practice no one will want to dance but as soon as the music starts I prove myself wrong. Speaking of which if you care to dance you should try Sangria Sky Club on a Wednesday night.

Handmade Soap Wedding Favors in fuchsia and tangerine

Just wrapping up some custom soap favors for Karina and Joe's wedding.  At first when Karina sent me her wedding color inspiration I was nervous that the bold pinks and tangerines from the Martha Stewart Weddings Winter 2012 cover would not be a great fit with the natural neutrals of the soaps.

But I set off for Hollanders  looked at drooled on and fondled every paper in the store almost left when I spied this beautiful "Velvet floral" paper near the register.

Because it is textured I learned the hard way that the label wont hold it in place it must be hot glued around the soap (Imagine working for hours wrapping 100 bars of soap then waking up to find they have unwrapped themselves overnight) Oh well :) alls well that ends well. xo ~holly

P.S. you can purchase my completely custom soap favors in my Etsy Shop HERE

Happy 1st Birthday to the Gown Shop

Last night was the fancy first birthday party for The Gown Shop Bridal Boutique of Ann Arbor.  Sweet Pea was thrilled and delighted to design the below pink arrangements in mercury glass vases to add a special touch to the always beautiful Main Street loft that is The Gown Shop

Love those parrot tulips eek!

Succulents and anemone with cymbidium orchids and umbrella ferns

Check out the awesome loft windows that look out over Main Street 

This is my office below in the same building with The Gown Shop (yay!) Thanks to my dear Dad for the new window signage designating our space.  I am office mates with Calynn Berry Photography,  Petals Planning Co. and Custom Paper Works who are all responsible for the lovely table design.

You should smell these garden roses they are amazing!

Everlasting Arrangement in Aged Stone Urn Vase

The ladies at Studio 110 have been asking me for an everlasting arrangement and I finally found the time this week.  I'm pretty tickled with the results, as silks go this one looks pretty organic.  I'm also super psyched for the aged stone urn vases which I have added to my rental inventory for wedding centerpieces EKK!! Also added........ lots and lots of milk glass vases which I will photograph someday soon. ~Pea 

Great flower photos by Calynn Berry Photography

Yesterday Calynn of Calynn Berry Photography gifted me a disk with these photos of our flowers Yay!  Nikki's Bouquet included White anemone, purple lisianthus, purple dendrobium orchids, purple ranunculus, purple ball dahlia, seeded eucalyptus and smoke bush.  Johns boutonniere was an orchid, a ranunculus and seeded eucalyptus wrapped with black grosgrain ribbon. Ta Da!

Oh Summer

Look how sunny it was for Elizabeth and Kellison's wedding, if only it was that sunny right now hrumpf

I was so surprised and delighted when Elizabeth, a former co worker from the flower shop at Plum Market, contacted me to design for her wedding.  The event was spectacular by design (thanks to Courtney McDonald of Petals Planning Co)

Love Love Love these amazing photographs by Alli Mcwhinney Photography

The wedding and reception were both at the Ann Arbor Polo Fields, just look how much natural sunlight pours in those windows!

Elizabeth looked so beautiful with perfect hair adorned with a single dendro orchid. Her bouquet included viburnum berry, white freesia, green trick dianthus, purple hydrangea, and ranunculus.

Misty Farms Herb Bouquet . Congrats Audrey and Paul!

It was such a delight to put Audrey's herb bouquet together featuring white Anemone with black centers, Mint, lavender, nigella, ranunculus, stock, and privet berries in a base of antique green hydrangea.  The mint and lavender and stock made this design smell so sweet, yum.

after wrapping the stems we created lush ribbon loops in several widths for added elegance.  If I could go back in time to my own wedding I would totally carry this!

 Hops Boutonnieres Y'all!! So super fun to make and double fun because it was a great excuse to visit my favorite pub The Corner Brewery in Ypsi the home of my heart (Ypsi not the pub)

Of course the wedding was at Misty Farms (where Justin and I were married too see our wedding blog post here!!) look how gorgeous this preview photo is from Nicole Hayley Photography 
Everything about this wedding just melts me probably because it was planned by my girl Courtney of Petals Planning Company.  Courtney has such an eye for detail and refined sense of design, love her!

For Brittany and Rick's Weller's Carriage House wedding in Saline Michigan :
A silver Grecian urn vase filled with coral, yellow, pink, and ivory flowers
and a 24" tall 8" diameter glass cylinder vase with yellow chrysanthemum pomander hanging from crystal strands and topped with a similar mix of ranunculus, garden roses, zinnia, craspedia, seeded eucalyptus and anemone.

 

I love the rustic feel of the wood walls inside the carriage house at Weller's and they were a perfect fit with the moss table runners and river rocks.  

 

I loved the playfulness of the yellow pomander and the chrysanthemums smelled amazing

Brittany's bouquet was a summery elegant coral design featuring coral zinnia and ranunculus with yellow craspedia, pink anemone and hydrangea, and ivory garden roses.  I took a separate photo of just the coral ranunculus before designing the bouquet because they were so juicy :)

The couple were married under a 10 ft. garland composed of yellow roses.  Two 36" tall black urns were filled with white hydrangea at the back of the aisle.  Just love the long walk under the fall leaves between the carriage house and the pergola.

 

Cocktail tables featured these sweet little moss cylinders filled with yellow ranunculus, and craspedia.  So honored to be part of Brittany and Rick's big day!! ~Sweet Pea

Congratulatons Trisha and Kevin!

Centerpieces from Trisha and Kevin's Travis Point Country Club wedding this weekend.  Trisha is the darling sister of Courtney McDonald of Petals Planning co. One of the fabulous event specialists that make up Ann Arbor Event Studio.  I can not wait for the professional photos of this wedding, Courtney and her team of planners made every detail of Trisha and Kevin's wedding unique and beautiful!!

The centerpieces included succulent roses (echeveria) dahlia, lisianthus, seeded eucalyptus, dendrobium orchids, trachillium, and stock in a silver grecian urn vase.

Elizabeth and Kellison's Polo Fields Wedding Flowers

 Congrats Elizabeth and Kellison, Married Saturday September 19th at Polo Fields Ann Arbor! 

It was such an honor to design for a friend and former co-worker Elizabeth.  Elizabeth and I opened the flower shop at Plum Market in Ann Arbor together in 2008 and now 3 years later we are both married to the boys we were dating at the time :) 

Bouquet included purple hydrangea, orchids, and ranunculus, green trick dianthus, white freesia and blue privet berries. 

It was so great to work with Petals Planning co. on this event, if you are not familiar with Courtney's work check it

The DIY Pallet Coffee table with 6" diameter cast iron wheels

 

Our stylish bride Elyse Carried this unique feminine bouquet at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens Saturday. After delivering Justin and I took some time out to relax in the atrium and wander the grounds.  Everything is in bloom and I'm kicking myself for not getting photos to share here but if you can make a trip out there this fall DO IT!! The outdoor gardens are free of charge including the most amazing (and biggest) children's garden that has 10 or so activities available all the time.  

Bouquet is composed of the officially in season DAHLIA! Just look at it and drool surrounded by white scabiosa, craspedia (or billy balls) scabiosa pods, yellow and pink ranunculus, the infamous dusty miller foliage and seeds from seeded eucalyptus.

And this is a sneak peek at our new living room with blue tufted sofa a $250 craigslist find and the above homemade pallet coffee table with industrial casters that could support the weight of an elephant! Under that drum roll..........Shag Carpet from Ikea Yippee!

Special thanks to Daddy for building the coffee table it will be my favorite family heirloom and the grand kids can fight over it when I'm gone (or just bury me under it). xo

Here is the caster:

Available from Amazon we used a 

Albion 16 Series 5" Diameter Cast Iron Wheel Medium Heavy Duty Zinc Plate Swivel Caster