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Winter Wonderland Weddings

While most people right now are concentrating on Christmas Reds & Greens…. its really the December Blues & Silvers that are hot this year. Or maybe I should say.. really cool?? In either case, it is a VERY popular look this winter. The blue tones range from a greenish blue Turquoise all the way to a beautiful deep Royal Blue. Silver and White is a beautiful counterpoint to that rich color, however, sometimes adding just a small pop of a contrast color can make a world of difference!

Weddings in various shades of Blue and Silver are a beautiful color combination, which we’ve seen in lots of pictures splashed all over Pinterest and various wedding sites. Adding a pop of any alternating color however, takes it to a new level. Take a peek:

Beautiful.                  Tiffany Blue with white & pale pink

                                    Ice Blue with dots of white & yellow (picture by Bellz & Whistlez blog)

eucalyptus-wedding-004                                              Royal blue and green is also a great choice! (Photo by Bella Grace Studios)

With a winter wonderland  theme for a December wedding, throw in a dot of bright red here and there. Adding gold along with silver gives everything a beautiful sparkle!

                 Deep blues and purples make for a rich looking reception! (http://www.kimlephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/kaylingran26.jpg)

Creating a sensational, eye grabbing look with color and sparkle is sure to make your Winter wedding a wonderland to be remembered for years to come.

Now go out and have yourself a sparkly winter wonderland,wholesale flower-filled day!

 

Thankfulness and Other Things…

This week’s blog is about being Thankful. We 2 girls have lots of things that we are thankful for. If I were to list them in order it might go something like this:

  • Family
  • Friends
  • Good health
  • Enough for shelter, food & safety

We have a list of those things we’re thankful for, but…. sometimes give us a few headaches along the way:

  • Children
  • A business that we own
  • Husbands (with selective hearing)
  • Mother’s who are alive and well, but sometimes want to help a little TOO much

Then there’s that list of things, we’re thankful for and yet…

  • Did I mention children?
  • Overly nervous or indecisive clients
  • Quickbooks & Excel
  • Vendors, salespeople, suppliers who just don’t get it…

And then… there’s THAT list… the one we keep in a dark, hidden place. We’re  thankful, but it’s just too scary to contemplate why:

  • We 2 girls actually still LIKE each other!
  • Our husbands actually still LIKE us!
  • We have minds that still work… well… sometimes. Okay, when the gremlins haven’t invaded and moved things that we know we put right THERE……
  • Skype. So we can call to each other pretty much every minute of every day that we’re NOT together.

Remember, it’s that time of year to be thankful for what you have… even if it doesn’t seem like something you should be. They are all part of life and usually end up being the stories that MAKE life so interesting.  Be mindful to keep those important ones in plain sight. Even when times get rough…. even when the gremlins attack.

 

No go out and have yourself a thankful, wholesale flower-filled day!

 

I Cannot Wait To Be Done…

Sometimes we poke around other people’s blogs. We confess. Sometimes We are just at a loss as to what to talk about! We two girls sometimes just end up staring at one another with the proverbial guns drawn thinking, THAT is dumb, THAT won’t do! So, in the case where, like today, we want to write and the block is there, off we go blog subject hunting. Lo and behold, we came upon this idea and thought hmmmmm… good one.

We bet ALOT of people that are planning weddings/events get to a point and think:

I CANNOT WAIT TO BE DONE WITH ALL THIS!

Planning a wedding, or any kind of event is not for the fainthearted. Planning a BIG wedding is even less so. If organization is not your strong suit, then it will be tougher still. There is so much emotion, as well as, organization that comes with planning a life event such as Weddings, Bar/Bat mitzvah, Quinceaneras and the like.

For a long time the event IS perpetually a non-stop think fest, with a constant filling up of  to-do lists, searching for ideas and wondering if you made the right decision. It is a driving force or an annoying dream that keeps badgering you about things you don’t want to think about right now. Making unreasonable demands on your brain when all you want to do is sleep. This stultifying living situation somehow becomes the norm for you, until one day….finally….you come to realize, it’s all done, you’ve gathered everything you need,  you must trust your vendors and come what may.

So, for those of you still in that planning vortex here’s a short list to keep in mind:

1. Interview each vendor, be comfortable with them, and after you’ve hired them… let go and move on to the next . Don’t keep going back changing, redoing, reworking . Trust that your first idea or two, was your best.

2. Take a break. Pick 3 top items to do first. Let’s say Venue, Caterer, Wedding Gown & Bridesmaid’s dresses. Then.. take a week or so off before you start on the next part of your list.

3. Keep a time line. With a list of what needs to be done and keep to that timeline. Don’t jump around and do #1 then #10 then #5. Make an order… and keep to it. That way you won’t forget anything along the way.

And last but not least…

4. Calm down. Be aware that not everything will go EXACTLY as planned. But, for the most part, everything will go like it should. Whatever doesn’t… will be a really funny story to talk about later on. One of those things that will become family legend.

So, really what  I’m saying to all of you who are still in the planning stages is, that it gets better. One day, you will not have to think about weddings or events anymore. You will not care about weddings anymore. You won’t even really care about your own anymore! You’ll be like “Did I really get THAT crazy? over that?? What was I thinking!?”.  The thing is when you’re knee deep in wedding blogs, magazines, and every one else’s opinions… well…You’re NOT thinking. So I say, Stop! Relax and smell some roses. Remember, this too shall pass.

Now go out and have yourself a rose smelling, calm and sweet, wholesale Flower-Filled Day!

 

 

5 Important Questions! Can You Answer Them?

We two girls meet a lot of potential clients. We network in vendor groups, we show our work at bridal shows and talk with a lot of brides. We introduce ourselves to different venues and establishments that would use our services and give out our cards in the hope that we are referred to YOU!

With all that we do, sometimes we have to ask ourselves….

WHAT HOLDS NEW CLIENTS AND BRIDES BACK FROM RESPONDING TO OUR INQUIRIES?

We’ve attended many seminars and webinars on how to be the best vendor possible. With quick email response, texting if it is preferred and calling to set up appointments. We pride ourselves on having a fast response time to inquiries and giving excellent customer service no matter whether you have booked or are still in the planning stages.

We want to be your go-to flower company for both wholesale DIY girls and full service floral weddings/events. So! if you are reading this, we would LOVE your input! Simple answers are perfect! And if you are a past client, even better! Please,  let us know what worked for you. What made you choose us?

So, go ahead, email YOUR answers back! or text them…We’d love to hear from you!

QUESTIONS:

1. Are you so inundated with wedding related email that you just get overwhelmed and don’t respond to any at all?

2. Would you be more likely to open an email if the subject line is interesting/funny/different?  Or from a vendor you remember?

3. If you have reached out to us with an inquiry and we replied with a question, would you be inclined to reply back?

4. If you inquire about our services and we respond asking for a telephone consultation or a meeting in order to get all the bridal information we need to give you a quote, would you be inclined to disregard the email?

5. Do you go to wedding shows mainly to just gather the names of vendors and check out their work and would rather them not contact you afterwards?

If you have any suggestions, please let us know! We want to hear from you! We are excited about what we do and we want to be the floral company to make your wedding flower dreams a reality!

Now go out and have yourself a fabulous, wholesale Flower Filled day!

 

5 Tips For Beautiful Wedding Flowers

We two girls at Brides N Blooms Wholesale and Designs want you to know that we care about our customers.

This is not to say that other “florists” do not, but, we become VERY invested in ours. We care enough to tell you that a particular design may not work well, or that a comparable look can be created with different flowers to save you money, but, will give you the same “feel”.

Below you will find some tips that we would like to share with you.

  • Look at the big picture:

If you chose a venue with a great view, don’t obstruct it with tall centerpieces, you’re paying for the view. On the other hand, if the location is stark, with no windows, open up the room with designs of high and low. This gives your guest’s eyes several places to look for beauty.

  • Double duty flowers:

Bouquet in Eiffel Tower vase

If you want to save money, why not reuse some of your bridal party flowers?

Your bouquet can be placed in a beautiful vase, on your table, and the bridesmaid’s bouquets can be placed on other guest tables. Have the alter flowers used on the buffet table or on columns at the entry to the reception area.

  • Don’t limit yourself to a singular color:

Lots of brides want to match the flowers to the bridesmaid’s dresses, if you do this, when you look at your photos later on, you will not really see the bouquets at all, they will be blending in with the dresses. Try and use a complimentary color along with the dress color, this will help your photos to pop.

  • Size and shape of bouquets:

We all see beautiful bouquets in magazines & Pinterest, but, when you choose your bouquet, make sure to remember your height, & your dress style. Most girls are not 6ft. tall, and wearing haute’ couture dresses. If you are an average size or shorter, and you are wearing a fitted gown, try and envision yourself carrying a bouquet that will help to show off your lovely figure AND beautiful wedding gown. You are the star of the show…the flowers should enhance your look, not hide you.

  • Table size and design:

Try and think of your flowers as jewelry for your tables. If the table is small, you will want to adorn with smaller styles. If your tables are large, you will want to have a larger design. Large doesn’t have to be tall or expensive, just simply larger than what you would place on a more intimate table

Now go on and have yourself a wholesale fresh flower designer day!

We Love A Wedding Show!

We two girls love a good wedding show! Two weeks ago, the wedding show we participated in was held at the beautiful Beso Del Sol venue in Dunedin, Florida, It was a smaller boutique style show with a great selection of vendors from all over the Tampa Bay area. For us, it is so much fun to meet new vendors, talk to potential clients and see old friends.  The smaller shows like this one have a charm all their own. We really have the opportunity to connect and talk with each person that walks by our table.

One of the highlights of this show was the wonderful fashion show for which we had the honor of  supplying bouquets for the runway models to carry. Here’s a peek at some of the beautiful designs that were shown:

BdS -147

BdS -146

BdS -133

The following week we were at a larger more established wedding show. This big show is The Tampa Bay Bridal Show which was held at the Coliseum in St. Petersburg, FL. This show has a large array of vendors and is always well attended. It’s fun to walk around and see all the different vendors, both event related and not, who are a part of this show. As apposed to the smaller shows, where there is time to chat with each attendee that stops at your booth, this show is fast and furious. It seemed like we talked to a new bride or set of parents every other minute. It’s exhilarating and fun for sure! The only drawback is there is little time to really connect with each and every person that stops by and have the time to discuss their needs at length.

This kind of show can be overwhelming for an attendee, there is so much information given that it all becomes a blur after awhile. Hopefully, we left enough of an impression for people to remember us!

Here are some of the floral designs we created and showcased at this show!

Brides N Blooms, Wholesale & Designs, Cigar Box Designs

Brides N Blooms, Wholesale & Designs, Flower Tablescape Design

Brides N Blooms, Wholesale & Designs, Ice Cream Float Design

Brides N Blooms, Wholesale & Designs,Glass  & Flowers Tall

The bottom line is, every show is different. Big or small, our goal is to meet and interact with new people, talk about Brides N Blooms, Wholesale & Designs and the floral services we offer, as well as,  increase our presence in the Tampa Bay vendor community.  Most importantly, we strive to give attendees a taste of what our design team can do with the beautiful flowers  our company can provide for your big event!

Now, go out and have yourself a wholesale flower-filled day!

Fresh Flowers and Silks

Whether you are a DIY bride or not I think it’s time to really examine the differences between having fresh flowers and silks for a wedding. Both do have attributes that would make either, a viable choice for an event. There are some common misconceptions that should be looked at when making the decision between the two.

Everyone is concerned about cost. Whether a big budget wedding or intimate event, bottom line is often based on price.  A common misconception is that silk flowers are less expensive than fresh.  The truth is that high quality silks can cost upwards of $3-5.00 a stem. An average bridal bouquet has 20-25 stems so at those prices, the cost of just that one bridal bouquet could run somewhere between $75 & $125 .  An average wedding party having 1 maid of honor and 2 bridesmaids, as well as boutonnieres could be in the $300-350 range, just for the wedding party silks. If you were to look at that in comparison to ordering flowers from Brides N Blooms wholesale division,  just as an example, you would be able to purchase 250 stems of roses for that same $300. (including delivery). That would give you enough roses to do the whole wedding party bouquets and boutonnieres, as well a enough to do at least 10 tables worth of  rose bowl flower centerpieces.

Color options can be tricky with both silks & fresh. If a bride is set on a color that must be an absolute match to something, does not necessarily grow in nature, or is hard to come by at a certain time of the year. I’ve noticed many times, when a bride is  trying to decide on a color, they tend to become short sighted and not see the bigger picture. With fresh flowers there are tricks employed to match flower colors and in understanding how the eye and mind processes it. Take, for example, a color scheme of Tiffany Blue and Silver. You do not need to have a Tiffany blue flower to accent and match in a fresh flower bouquet. Adding in a contrasting color to pop and including some flowers in a similar blue tone, makes a statement, coordinates well with your colors, and in your mind’s eye appears to match perfectly.

Take a look at these examples!

peach & teal Bouquet

This bouquet has an array of peach, pale blue & white flowers. It is accented with blue/green eucalyptus greenery. Nothing in this bouquet is Tiffany blue, but set against that color background your eye would automatically ‘see’ it as Tiffany blue.

Tiffany Inspired Bridal Shower | Photography: Nick Yutaka | Event Design  Planning: Petite Productions

 

 

These table settings have just a small amount of pink as a coordinating color and it makes the Tiffany blue color pop!

 

 

 

One other question we’ve been asked is: “Can I mix silk and fresh together in my bouquet?”. The answer is YES! You can!! We have done that for a number of our clients. We do, however, require that the silks be of high quality and that they are accent flowers, not the main focal flower.  Again, the eye will assume them to be real, if it is not overpowering the design. Can you pick out the silks in these two designs?

Purple & Cranberry Wedding

White & Pink Peony Bouquet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whichever your choice, always ask for pricing up front. Remember there’s one thing that that fresh flowers excel in… they are beautiful, and even the best silk flowers cannot duplicate the look of a live orchid or the scent of a real rose.

Now go out and have yourself a wholesale, fresh flower day!

Island Flowers

My husband and I took a cruise to a couple of the Caribbean Islands. Two of my favorite things about our visit was the endless blue green water… and the flowers! One of the islands we stopped at was St. Maarten. St. Maarten is a small island in the northern Lesser Antilles, east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The island is divided by 2 countries. The Dutch side, Sint Maarten, and the French side, Saint Martin. The north eastern side is on the Atlantic Ocean and the south western side is on the Caribbean Sea, which does effect the growth of different flowers and plants. Many of the same flowers we enjoy here in the Tampa Bay Area grow in St. Maarten, such as Lantana, Hibiscus & Oleander and they are everywhere! On a tour we learned that the island claims a National Tree which is  known as The Flame tree or the Royal Poinciana. It is originally from Madagascar and grows throughout the Caribbean.  The tree symbolizes emancipation and blooms from June to September with beautiful red, orange & yellow blossoms.

The July Tree

The island has mountains and lots of greenery. Though because of the dryness of the soil, the terrain is perfect for cactus and ferns. One of the more unusual cactus plants that grow on the island are called Ladies of the night” most probably because flowers open only after night fall and will close up at sunrise

Ladies of the night    night time flowering                                                                                                                               There were plenty of different cactus plants that lined the roads and they grew all over.

cactus & fern - st Maarten

One thing that cannot be denied about this Caribbean island, no matter the Dutch or the French side… it is a beautiful place to visit.

Great Bay

Now go out and have yourself a wholesale flower-filled, vacation kind of day!  

Party It Forward… The Movie!

As always, we are so happy that our Party It Forward Event Shows are so successful, and this one was no exception! This last one was at the beautiful Quail Hollow in Wesley Chapel, FL.  Their grounds and venue are a beautiful backdrop to anyone’s event! Our vendors and sellers were fabulous and we thank each and every one of them for participating, as well as, all our brides and future event hosts who came out to see what it’s all about.

Sit back and take a peek … maybe next time you’ll come out and see how great these shows really are!

If you missed this past show, never fear… another one is in the works and we’ll keep you posted for the date & location.

The “Party It Forward©” concept puts you together with past hosts of celebrations who had beautiful items and no longer have a use for them. The things they no longer need will become your treasure trove.

Now, go out and have yourself a flower-filled, wholesale day!

 

Brides N Blooms, wholesale fresh flowers…from the womb to the tomb, for all of life’s events

Flowers For Life’s Events

Last week there was a death in one of we 2 girls’ family. At the same time the other one of us was away enjoying a once in a lifetime trip with her family. One is so full of excited anticipation, wonderful adventure and days full of new experiences and fun. The other, so full of unwanted anticipation, nostalgia & sadness,  feelings of emptiness from loss, and the loving fullness of  bonding with family & friends. Both happening at the same time as it goes in life. Some experiencing great happiness and some living with great sorrow. Every day, somewhere, people experiencing an array of different life events.

We 2 girls have decided we would like to be a part of that! Events for the new beginnings and for the endings; As well as every one of life’s events in between. Brides N Blooms, Wholesale & Designs has supplied over the last year, wreath & casket designs for those who have lost a loved one, as well as, birthday arrangements, graduation flowers, Bar & Bat Mitzvah designs and shower gift flowers. Check out our new Life’s Events page addition on www.Bridesnbloomsdesigns.com and see what we can do for YOUR next life event!

Here is a peek at our specialty wreath designs! This design can be done in any color scheme with a picture of your loved one, or choose one  of our casket spray designs.

Specialty Wreath Design

Specialty Wreath Design

This wreath can be brought back to your home and hung on your front door as your guests come to offer their condolences.

Casket Spray - white

Casket Spray – white

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Arrangement & Graduation Flowers

Blue Bar Mitzvah Flowers

Blue Bar Mitzvah Flowers

Fun Graduation Flowers in School Colors

Fun Graduation Flowers in School Colors

Now, go have yourself an Eventful, Wholesale Flower-Filled Day!