Today we have chosen to feature the centerpieces from our Fabulous at 50 Party….. Linease was our Gal turning 50 and she was FABULOUS!!! Her Love of Shoes, purses, diamonds and flowers is what inspired these Fabulous Centerpieces from Scott at Apple Blossoms in Tampa…….

Here is the inspiration photos that we started with ……….

Inspiration photo

Inspiration photo

Here is the final products that Scott from Apple Blossom designed…. Kudos to Scott for creating such amazing centerpieces that just cried out FABULOUS!!!!

Photos are compliments of B & O Photography…….

Today we are going to feature a Unique Wedding Professional that caters to the DIY Bride……or Planner……..

Dorelle Raphael-Fishkin - BridesnBlooms.com  

Let me tell you a little about her company and how she got started…

Bridesnblooms.com was created to fill the needs of everyday people who are creatively inclined but had no resource to obtain fresh flowers without having to pay retail prices.

In 2003, two women, who had no experience with flowers, who heard the cried of others, regarding the high prices of traditional florists got together to create a solution.

After listening to you and others like you, the two women found a solution. Buy in bulk, cut out the middleman and ship gorgeous, quality flowers direct!

She is great to work with and will help guide you on the phone to make sure you have chosen the right selections and is great with offering advice if needed…. We have had several brides that have insisted on creating their own centerpieces or making their bouquet and we send them to Dorelle over at BridesnBlooms when we know there is no changing their mind…….

If you are looking for floral supplies, fresh roses, orchids, etc…..for the DIY person.. I strongly suggest, no I insist you give Dorelle a call or you can check out the website and order on-line at www.bridesnblooms.com

We want to be your wholesale floral source for life, think of us as your personal connection to all things floral.

Anybody Interested ????????

We are converting the Blog to a Monday thru Friday Blog… Each Day of the week will have a topic/theme and it is designed to have you the viewers be able to post things related to that day of the week…….

Wednesday will be fondly known as Wedding Professional Wednesday from now on…….

Wedding Professional Wednesday, its pretty self explanatory, but our goal on this day is to introduce a company that you may not have heard of, or even to just help promote their company. No, these companies have not paid us, or put a gun to our head, they are just being spotlighted for being pretty darn cool. =) These companies will range from people we haven’t worked with yet, to some we have worked with hundreds of times. Either way, this should be fun for everyone. If you decide to book them for your event, just make sure you say Special Moments sent you! =)

Our 1^st Wedding Professional of 2010 is….(drumroll please) IZA’S FLOWERS!

This florist shop is probably the most “homiest” place I have ever been to. Not only does she do amazing work, she can win anyone over with her personality! It’s a family run company, just like us, and its only about a block away from our office. Izabella will go above and beyond what she was contracted to do, she brought us a small beach wedding flower order, out to Treasure Island, on a Sunday, and still had a smile on! That’s true talent. =]

I could ramble on and on, but I will let her work speak for itself.

You can reach Iza at 727-525-8024 or www.izasflowers.com

What are your thoughts?

This product is offered by Pop Flower Shop

This was the excerpt that came across about this cool product:                           

Flower arrangements from PopFlowers are made of dirt-resistant, lightweight polypropylene and require no care other than an occasional wipe with a damp cloth. The handmade flowers come on coiled wire stems that can be changed to vary the arrangement. The flowers are 100 percent hypoallergenic and fragrance-free; the manufacturer recycles all post-production waste. The product is shipped using minimal packaging, which is itself biodegradable.

So after reading this brief clip about it: We went to the website to check it out for ourself…The first page of the website gives 10 reasons to use their flowers and after skimming thru the website we find a few great finds and ideas:

We love the fact that you can use them for napkin rings.. If they do not have the style of flower you desire, they will customize one for you. I am always concerned when using fresh flowers on the napkins and if they will wilt before the guest see them. This would alleviate my concern:

The other great idea is the kids at the bottom playing with the flowers. That would be a wonderful idea for a kids table activity at a wedding reception or party.

What is your thoughts or ideas on this product?

Bouquet jewelry has become the hot new bridal accessory for your bridal bouquets this season. This new fashion trend allows brides to personalize their bouquet in an entirely new way!

Bridal bouquet jewels vary in size, shape and price. For a touch of glamour, a few crystals placed throughout the bouquet will add the perfect sparkle.

For an elegant look, choose from varying shades of pearl. For a touch of tradition, add a crystal monogram using you and your husband’s initials.

For sentimental purposes, you add the initials of a lost loved one. This is a simple way to include their memory in your walk down the aisle.

To add a hint of fun to your bouquet, many companies offer a selection of jewels in the shape of animals, hearts, flowers, bows, and beach related items.

The jewelry is often inserted into the center of each flower using a wired post, but may also be attached to the stem and accompanying ribbon.

Bridal bouquet jewelry is not limited to only the bride’s bouquet, but may also be used to add a little something extra to bridesmaid’s flowers, boutonnieres, table centerpieces, bridal party hair styles, and even the wedding cake!

Bouquet jewelry is a relatively inexpensive way to create a unique and personalized touch to your special day. They can also be used long after your wedding in other floral arrangements and special occasion centerpieces!

Check out this website for Bridal Bouquet Jewelry- www.bouquetjewels.com

Wedding Reception Decoration

Topiary Wedding Reception Decoration

No doubt, your wedding reception centerpiece adds ambiance to your special day.  You can spent several hundred dollars for the centerpieces or save money by making them yourself.  One of the floral arrangements that can be easily made by almost anyone is the Topiary.  You can experiment with an infinite number of combination or adapt them to the seasons or theme of your wedding before choosing a final design.  Another plus to making topiary is that they can be made several months in advance and all you need is to ask someone to bring them to the reception venue.   The images above are pre-made topiaries that we have included in this post to give you inspiration in designing your own topiary or, if you’d rather buy than make them, follow these links:

Top row, 1st, 2nd and 4th topiaries: “Honolulu”, “Mini Rose” and “Romance”: Unique Topiaries
Top row, 3rd topiary: “Stargazer”: Etsy,  Second row, 1st topiary: “Rose Topiary Centerpieces”: Stump Prom Second row 2nd and 3rd  topiaries: “Rose Tree” and “Champagne”: Unique Topiaries

Container and Flowers

The first step in creating your topiary is to decide what type of look you are going for.  This will help you choose the right container for your wedding centerpiece.  For traditional topiaries, the most common container is a clay pot that is spray painted or wrapped in fabric  to match your wedding colors.  For a Victorian theme, a tea cup container could be used.  One important requirement for the container is that it is sturdy enough to support the balls or flowers without tipping over.  Once you have chosen your container, decide on the type and color of flowers for your topiary. You can choose one type of flowers and/or one color as in the “Rose Topiary Centerpieces” above.

Ball-Type Topiary

For the ball-type topiaries like most of the pictures above, you will need to buy foam balls or cones,  wooden dowels, glue or a low temperature glue gun, green moss and, of course, your chosen flowers.

• Insert a wooden dowel into the foam and then place the stick into a pot that is filled with florist clay.
• Using a low temperature glue gun you can then stick the silk flowers onto the foam until the foam is all covered with flowers or foliage
• Wrap the dowel in pretty ribbon that match your wedding colors or, for a natural look, leave the dowel in its original color and loosely wrap an Ivy garland around the dowel.
• Cover the florist clay with green moss and add smaller flowers on top of the moss for additional accent.
• Tie a ribbon around the top of your container for a finishing touch.

Real Easy Topiary for Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Brides

Here is the direction for one of the topiaries I made for a wedding reception.  For each of the topiaries, I

• Stuck the stem of a large blue silk hydrangea flower into a painted terracotta pot filled with florist clay.
• Covered the clay with moss and stuck small Queen Anne’s Lace flowers in the moss.
• Tied a pretty blue ribbon around the top of the container and I am done.

The trick is the hydrangea is already round.  With a flower head that measures 8″ in diameter and stands 27″ tall, I did not need a dowel, a styrofoam ball or glue. It is that easy!  If I can do this, you can do this to.  All you need is a little inspiration and a touch of creativity.

Matching Wedding Favors

Miniature Topiary Cardholder

Once you have chosen your topiary centerpiece, complete the ambiance by bringing  Topiary Photo Holder/Place Card Holder to your wedding reception tables.

Each of these miniature topiaries can hold an engagement photo of the bride and groom or a place card with the name of the guest and the table number to guide him or her to your elegantly decorated reception table.

Have a happy wedding reception!