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The summer heat is now upon us just in time for the height of the wedding season. Choosing your wedding flowers this time of year can be a challenging one. There are however so many beautiful options that can be designed to ensure that your bouquets, boutonnieres & centerpieces will hold up to the heat & humidity of the summer season. With the introduction of locally grown flowers as well as easy access to varietals from other countries, we can assure our clients of creating arrangements that are not only unique but will stay fresh and beautiful no matter what the summer weather brings.

Some of the summer New England classics are the best options for a wilt-proof design as are tropical blooms and foliage, greens and grasses, unique succulents and desert blooms. The following is a list of flowers that with a little care in preparation will stand up to the heat & sun of the coming months.

Here at Flou(-e)r Specialty Floral Events we take great care in preparing each bloom for your wedding and event design, and have thought through all the details of how to ensure that you will have the freshest blooms for your big day. We have invested in the best storage facilities as well as transportation means for our flowers & greens. How we present each piece for your event considers the sun, the temperature, the venue and other outside conditions.

Once your design and color schemes have been determined, we then begin our search for the flowers and greens that will work best in the environment of your event. We recommend that our clients keep an open mind especially during these summer months and trust that we understand their vision and will create pieces that will work best within their design scheme as well as for the time of year. Having so many options at our fingertips makes it easy to meet and exceed the expectations of our clients.

more summer wedding inspiration…

Boston Public Library Summer Wedding

Peonies: Current Wedding Trends

Summer Wedding Trends

A seaside wedding doesn’t always need to be that assumed casual celebration. The seashore may seem like the natural choice for a casual beach wedding but if elegant is more your style, a beach wedding can still be a stunningly beautiful option. There are so many incredibly elegant venues in New England along the shoreline as well as lovely spaces that a dazzling sprawling tent may be the sophisticated option to an unforgettable affair.

With incredible views of Boston’s historic harbor and skyline, the New England Aquarium is a wonderful & unique option for hosting your wedding reception on the water. They offer many exclusive areas within the aquarium to host your event, one of which is sure to match your wedding style.

Boston Harbor Hotel

The Boston Harbor Hotel is one of the most elegant venues along Boston’s waterfront. No matter what size or style your wedding is, the Boston Harbor Hotel, overlooking the gorgeous Boston Harbor, has a stunning option for you.

Moving north of the city you will find more incredible options for hosting a stylish beach wedding. Misselwood at Endicott College on Massachusetts North Shore offers a striking setting for both your ceremony and reception. With over 235 landscaped acres, direct access to three private beaches and just 20 miles from Boston, this is a spectacular location to host your elegant beach wedding.

Beauport Hotel Gloucester is the quintessential New England coastal location to celebrate your upcoming nuptials. With four lovely event spaces that will only host one wedding at a time, your day is as special to them as it is to you and your guests.

The Crane Estate is one of those truly unforgettable locations that transports you back in time. No matter what location on the estate you choose, the elegance and grace of the Crane Estate will absolutely make a huge impression on you and your guests with its windswept salt marsh, miles of barrier beach, and grand hilltop mansion.

Continuing to travel up the coast, we have to mention the Newagen Seaside Inn along the impressive seacoast of Maine. With over 20 secluded acres of oceanfront, an historic inn, an oceanfront restaurant and a waterfront resort all just minutes from Boothbay Harbor-this may be your dream location for your beach wedding.

Traveling south of Boston along the coast there are many other luxurious locations that must be mentioned including Provincetown and the beautiful islands of Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket.

A bit more south in Rhode Island there is the spectacular OceanCliff Resort. Set along the breathtaking Narragansett Bay, OceanCliff offers a variety of wedding and reception options. Pristine rolling lawns for your ceremony, an adjoining outdoor patio for your cocktail reception and a magnificent Grand Ballroom for your reception with panoramic views of the Atlantic.

Last on our stop is the historic Point Pleasant Inn located in Bristol Rhode Island. This incredible location, surrounded by Narragansett Bay on Bristol Harbor, is set on 25 glorious acres of grounds making this a charming location for your romantic beach wedding.

So whether your style is simple & laid-back, rustic & chic or elegant & sophisticated, a New England beach wedding is definitely the option that has the style and grace to be the place to start your new life together.

more wedding inspiration…

Spring Flowers for Weddings & Events

Summer Wedding Trends

Floral Chandeliers

Your wedding centerpiece will be one of the details of wedding planning that will receive a lot of attention. Much will go into the planning of this important element of your wedding décor. If having a seated dinner, it tends to be the largest element on the guest tables. It will be eye-catching-no matter what. It will also be the topic of conversation, whether good or bad, especially if guests are just getting to know each other. Hopefully it will add to the conversation, not hinder it. The table shape and size will be one of the main determinates of your floral centerpiece but the style of your wedding or event will be the defining factor.

Natural/Organic Centerpiece Style

Inspired by nature with an emphasis on raw elements; earth colored tones & textures and more simplistic in style. This style of centerpiece will typically be used if having an outdoor wedding or a reception site that is rustic in style.

Flowers & Colors:

Wood, stone, moss, natural flowy greens & branches will enhance this style of wedding. Colors are more subdued-greens, browns, white & ivory with any additional colors being muted in tone. All varieties of eucalyptus, greens that you would see in nature – olive greens, sword fern, flat fern, moss as well as curly willow, birch bark, birch logs, slaps of wood, branch material and pods in all shapes & sizes. Dahlias, hydrangeas, succulents, wheat, grasses, scaobsia, lavender, and peonies are flower varietals that work beautifully with this style.

Vessels:

Vessels usually have more texture, like bark or moss and some metals that have a brushed look to them. Flowers are placed in a random arrangement with an emphasis on how things flow & fall…unstructured shape with an emphasis again on texture.

Classic/Traditional Centerpiece Style

A timeless elegance and a glamorous but simple gracefulness in style. A bit more structure to the arrangement.

Flowers & Colors:

Florals consist of those beautiful old fashioned blooms that are always in style-hydrangea, roses, tulips & peonies.  Color schemes typically fall into the softer shades of pink, blush, ivory and white. But you may find brilliant reds or strong pinks as well.

Vessels:

Containers will have structure to them and tend to be glass or metal with an urn shape style. Clear glass typically is the vessel of choice but also mercury glass, footed bowls and urns along with some metallics.

Modern / Contemporary

A wedding with a venue that is either simple or artistic in nature may have you wanting to move in the direction of a modern feel for décor. An emphasis on the dramatic and chic are the essence of this style.

Flowers & Colors:

Deep rich colors or bright vivid colors are the hallmark of this look with very little greens and usually a big focus on arrangement of the blooms. Repetition of blooms or colors at varying heights makes a huge statement. Couples may choose a dramatic large scale branch or leaf for a minimalist effect with no flowers or just a single bloom.

Vessels:

Vessels that are square or rectangular in shape with sleek lines and various heights will add to the dramatic effect of this look. Black & white and clear glass & metallics are usually chosen for color and material.

more wedding flower inspiration…

Cake Florals

Attendant Florals

Floral Chandeliers

Your bridal bouquet will play a major role in the most important day of your life, your wedding. The style, design, and colorway of your bouquet is a big decision, but should not be an overwhelming one. Here are some things to keep in mind when planning for the most important floral element in your wedding.

Your bouquet should be in keeping with the overall vision of the entire day. Your wedding style, the space and the time of year should determine the direction you should go in with your florals-including your wedding bouquet.

The color & style of your wedding dress will guide the direction of the color & style of your bouquet. The true color of your dress as well as the cut & style will determine the style direction that is best to go in with your flowers. A long, flowy & romantic dress will have flowers that will be softer & cascading while a more modern dress would have a tighter, crisper silhouette. Keep in mind your dress will be the backdrop of your bouquet for all your pictures.

Know what flowers will be in season. Discussing what flowers are readily available during that time of year can open up so many more options for you and will help to stay within your budget.

Know your budget. As you have read before, being clear and upfront about your budget will allow us to help you determine the best areas to focus on to create the effect you are going for. With that being said, the bridal bouquet is the most important element floral wise as it will be in more images than any other floral design and we like to say do not hold back on your bridal bouquet get what you want as these images will sit on your mantle, nightstand, parents house and future in-laws house for many years to come.

You can add something personal & meaningful to your bouquet. Adding a special piece of jewelry, piece of fabric or small memento to your bouquet can add that special meaningful touch. But, don’t go overboard here. Your bouquet will be photographed as much as you will be, so you want it to compliment your style, not distract from it.

Inspiration-wedding magazines, blogs, Pinterest-will help in determining style options. Looking through your photographs that you provide us really does help us to understand and what inspires you. We will gain a wonderful sense of the style, color and feel of your dream wedding.

more wedding inspiration & tips…

10 Tips for meeting with your floral designer for the first time

Attendant Florals

Spring Flowers for Weddings & Events

This is the time of year that we have the wonderful pleasure of meeting with our couples for the first time to begin discussing the plans for their upcoming wedding. It is an exciting time in their lives-they are filled with high expectations, incredible vision and boundless energy. But, there is nothing more disheartening for us all than discovering that their expectation may not be able to be met due to budget constraints, unrealistic assumptions or just not being open the advice & knowledge you have about the planning process. So, we decided to create a set of tips to assist brides & grooms in being a bit more prepared for this first big meeting and set us on a course of success.

1. Don’t get your heart set on a particular bloom.

Letting your designer know what flower styles you like and why as well as the color scheme you are hoping for, allows us to give you many other options that work for the time of year of your wedding as well as your budget. There are so many options available to us that we may come up with some ideas that you may love even more than your original plan.

2. Incorporate something special into your wedding flowers.

Wrap your bouquet with a loved one’s handkerchief, include snippets from your mom’s wedding dress, or perhaps you and your fiancé have something that is special to you-find a way to reflect that in your flowers. For example, we had a couple that met on a train, so we tied a small train charm onto her bouquet to symbolize where they had met and fell in love.

3. Flower colors are never exact.

Rely on us to help you understand the undertones of different varieties; for example, red ranunculus has orange undertones that stand out when paired with cool colors. Also, remember that many of the photographs you see online or in magazines can be misleading; when the photographer is color-correcting for skin tone and lighting, it may adjust flower colors beyond what is realistic.

4. Don’t skimp on your bridal bouquet.

It is the one floral design that will be on your mantel, your bedside table, your mother’s house, your in-laws’ house and on your desk at work, in photographs for the next 50 to 60 years — you had better love this piece.

5. Be open to the creative process during this first meeting.

Your initial floral design consultation is about having fun, seeing if you connect and the creative process. The connection we have with our brides & grooms is so important-and you need to feel it too. You are entrusting your vision of one of the most important days of your lives to this person, you want to be sure that they really “get it!”.

6. Know your budget.

The most difficult and least productive consultations are the ones where no price-line is given. You wouldn’t go to buy a car without telling the salesman in advance if you are in the market for a Lexus, Volvo or a Focus, would you? We request that a price-line be provided at our very first consultation. This allows us to guide our couples in a direction where we will be successful in creating their vision while staying within their budget.

7. Pick one thing you love.

We expect that our couples will come to this first meeting with tons of pins on their Pinterest page, tear sheets from their favorite wedding magazines, and fabric swatches for bridesmaid dresses and linen for their table…but, if you can narrow it down to the one or two pieces that you really love, it gives us a really strong starting point of what you really want.

8. Don’t limit yourself to a certain style.

If you aren’t planning a traditional wedding, your flowers don’t have to be traditional. No need to limit yourself to roses and calla lilies. I personally love succulents and work with them whenever possible. I also pull in fruits & vegetables such as pomegranates, kale, apples — whatever speaks to the wedding and the bride’s vision. You also don’t have to limit your containers to clear glass vases — if it will hold water it can hold your flowers.

9. Start a list of the florals you will need.

Having a list available of the number of bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages as well as info on and/or sketches of the ceremony & reception spaces is extremely helpful to have for this first meeting.

10. Have a list of questions for us.

We are here for you…we want to help guide you through this incredible process. We are happy to share our experience, lend some advice, as well as provide you with a list of trusted vendors for your other wedding planning needs that we think may be a good fit for your event.

for more wedding inspiration & tips see…

CAKE FLORALS 

FLORAL TREND: ACCENT GREENERY

ATTENDANT FLORALS

We always look forward to the announcement of Pantone’s Color of the Year as the selected color typically finds its way into all aspects of wedding & event design, products, and new trends. We are especially excited about this year’s color, Greenery (Pantone 15-0343). The fresh and cheerful yellow-green hue reminds us of the early days of spring when pops of fresh bright color start to peek through, the days get longer and an air of hopefulness starts to build. We all seem to be a bit more invigorated. A refreshing and revitalizing shade, Greenery is symbolic of new beginnings. Nature’s greens revive, restore and renew us. A signal to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate.

Greenery is nature’s neutral. A calming color that serves as a brilliant back drop to modern life. The more submerged people are in their daily lives, the greater their innate craving to immerse themselves in the physical beauty and inherent unity of the natural world. This shift is reflected by the proliferation of all things expressive of Greenery; through urban planning, architecture, lifestyle and design choices globally. A constant on the periphery, Greenery is now being pulled to the forefront – it is an omnipresent hue around the world. A life-affirming shade, Greenery is emblematic of the pursuit of personal passions and vitality.

We already saw many shades of green (and florals!) popping up in the Spring/Summer 2017 fashion shows as well as starting to show up in home & tabletop décor.

Wedding & event design is absolutely following suit. There are so many ways to interpret this exciting color. From long lush table runners & luxurious chandeliers to lavish tablescapes & thoughtful details.

Looking forward to sharing “all things green” as wedding season gets underway here in New England.

For more Greenery inspiration:

Floral Trend: Accent Greenery

Floral Chandeliers

2017 is off to an incredible start with no slowdown in site. But, 2016 was beyond wonderful to us-we had so many incredible clients we were so lucky to be able to design for.  Here is a look back at some of the amazing events we had a privilege to be a part of and a glimpse at the work of the remarkably talented teams we get to create with.

The first part of the year opened with stunning weddings & very special couples.

The spring social season was a whirlwind of fundraising events & gorgeous galas filled with brightly colored blooms & fun special little touches.

We traveled the state from Willowdale Estate to Boston Harbor Hotel to Chatham Bars Inn.

The busy fall season hit us like a floral explosion with the extravagant wedding at Willowdale Estate where we designed morning, noon and well into the night for over a week.

Followed by truly romantic weddings and such lovely couples that brought tears to our eyes because of the connection we were so grateful to have formed with these special people. 

We finished the year with a holiday celebration that was nothing but warm & memorable and featured over 2,500 feet of green garlands….

We have been lucky enough to work with some of the best in the Boston Wedding Industry over the past year. We need to say a special thank you to those whose work we featured here.

Willowdale Estate
Fairmont Copley Plaza
Boston Harbor Hotel
Chatham Bars Inn
Museum of Fine Arts
Beauport Hotel
Boston Park Plaza
Christofle
Ocean Cliff
DPI Events
Elegant Aura
Gracious Events Management
JLH Ventures
617 Weddings
Lea St Germain Photography
Lexi Photography
Zev Fisher
Metzger Studios
Robert Castagna Photography
Allegro Photography
Susan Campbell Photography
Dani Fine Photography
Dan Aguirre Photography
Cort Event Furnishings
Peterson Party Center
Revelation Productions

In order to bear today’s cold temperatures, we decided to look back at this spectacular wedding full of lavishly colorful flowers that we designed this past summer at the elegant Willowdale Estate.

Working with Niccole & Rob was nothing but a pure delight. We were introduced to this wonderful couple by Monique Jeffrey, Willowdale Estate’s on-site event planner. Monique explained to us that this wedding was to be a small wedding, with a guest count of only (94), but nothing other than that guest count could be considered “small” after hearing some of the plans for their special day. Rob described their wedding vision as a “flower explosion.” Mind you, the wedding would already be taking place under the stunning landscaped canopy of the Bradley Palmer Estate with its amazing gardens and incredible landscaping details…but they wanted to add even more to this scenery. Niccole & Rob gave us free artistic license to design whatever we wanted as long as we kept the key words “flower explosion” and the color “berry” in the forefront of our design.

After many brainstorming sessions, we had a true sense of what the vision for this wedding would be… an “overabundance” of florals. If there was a shelf, it needed flowers. If it was a railing, it needed to be draped with a floral infused green garland. An overhead beam must be covered with colorful blooms and the guests needed the perfect floral backdrop for their keepsake photos-a photo booth decked out, top to bottom with colorful blooms.

Obviously in order to pull off a wedding design of this magnitude would require a skilled team and a very detailed timeline.  The biggest obstacle we encountered was that the venue had a wedding the night before which would not be concluding until 11:30 PM which meant our installation could not begin until after midnight! With over 4,000 hydrangeas and all the other florals needed to create this design, the team had to work straight through the night-right up until Rob & Niccole said their “I Dos” to be exact!

This wedding was a true collaboration between all vendors. We were thrilled with how it turned out…and even more excited to hear that Rob & Niccole loved everything about their lavishly colorful wedding day.

Vendor Partners

Floral Design | Flou(-e) r Specialty Floral Events
Planner/Venue | Monique Jeffrey, Willowdale Estate
Photography | Lea St. Germain Photography
Rental Furniture | CORT Event Furnishings
Rentals | Peterson Party Center
Cake | Sylvia Weinstock Cakes
Lighting | Revelation Productions
Photo Booth | Keopix
Lighted Letters | Your Love In Lights

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Wedding Venue Spotlight: Willowdale Estate

Floral Trend: Accent Greenery

We are proud to announce that our new website has been launched with a fresh new look, easier navigation and a crisp clean logo. We thought you might be wondering what prompted this rebranding of Flou(-e)r so here is a little background as to why we went through this big change.

Why was it time to invest in the design of a new look for flou(-e)r? 

After designing for our clients over the past 9 years, we noticed during the last couple of years our clients were tending to go in a more luxurious direction not only in their design & floral selections, but also in the type of venue they selected. Our previous “look” did not truly represent the work we were doing which was now much more refined and sophisticated. We decided to do undergo a complete rebranding with a design direction that we deemed as crisp, clean & modern but still quite elegant.

What were the goals in going through the rebranding process?

Our ultimate goal in rebranding was to create a better representation of our image and be a better reflection of our current client base with the ultimate goal of reaching those potential clients that have not yet had an opportunity to experience a flou(-e)r event.

What is this new direction the company is going in?

Flou(-e)r’s approach to events has changed. We have been honored to be selected to create floral designs for our client’s special event, whether it be a wedding, social celebration, corporate experience or non-profit fundraising gala, but we now offer so much more to the planning experience. We play an integral role in all stages of the planning process from event design & decor to linen, chair and tableware selections to ensure that your event is seamless from beginning to end. We work with some of the best in the industry and look to create a team that will ensure that you host a spectacular event.

What was most important to you in designing your new site?

When looking at the redesign of our website, we stepped back and thought, “What gets us charged up and excited when we look at a website? What makes us want to click through a site? What makes us want to leave a site quickly?” The answer to those questions are; a clean & concise look, easy to read and maneuver through and beautiful images that tell a story. Images that capture your imagination and have you wanting more…whether that be a bride’s smile, a flower wall, or a peacock designed out of flowers, there is a story behind each one. If we could create all of the above and also be able to showcase the fact that we have the ability to think “outside the box” in order to exceed our client’s expectations, we would then have achieved our goals of this redesign.

Though we were confident in the direction we wanted to go, we knew from the very beginning that this task of rebranding was not something we could take on ourselves without someone to help us manage the project.  After interviewing several branding companies, we knew the moment we meet with Jennifer Iovino from JMI Branding Forward we found our perfect fit. Without her and her team’s help we would have never been able to portray who we are in the light that our new brand represents. We are forever grateful Jennifer, Thank you!!

 We hope that you will find our new site to be much easier to use and the overall experience of visiting the site is much more enjoyable. We love our new redesign and hope you do to.

One of the biggest takeaways from our Botanical Couture Workshop with Françoise Weeks was the endless design inspirations for wearable floral art. This new trend has become a big element in the wedding and fashion industries and one that we are excited to be continuing here in Boston.

Everything from floral wreaths and necklaces to earrings and rings are what we had an opportunity to design under Françoise’s skillful tutelage during our time out in Portland. The textures, the colors and the uniqueness of each piece, was inspiring us to dig deep as the many intricate techniques that we were exposed to had us believing that anything is possible.

Wearable floral art has seen a big comeback of late with the floral crown being a big trend we started seeing coming on strong last year. The techniques and designs we were exposed to with Françoise have a much bolder design. Texture plays a big role and each design is a statement piece. Pairing a simple modern wedding dress style with a big bold necklace is an exciting trend as is an elegant up-do with brilliant floral earrings that creates a look that is nothing short of cutting edge.

Wearable floral art is innovative, elegant and memorable. We are thrilled to be working with clients that are looking to do something different and unique for their wedding and designers showcasing their work in a style that is exciting and modern.

To read more about our experience with Francois Weeks at the Wedding Design Workshop see our blog post: Botanical Couture: Francoise Weeks Wedding Design Workshop.

Credit: Gwendolyn Severson – Workshop Documentation

At the beginning of the year we decided that it was time we push the envelope on New England’s current floral trends and educate ourselves on what else the world has to offer. As an avid follower on social media of Françoise Weeks, a Belgium born designer who currently resides in Portland, Oregon, the decision on where to go for this experience was quite obvious. Not only is Françoise an incredible designer, but she is well ahead of the current trends in botanical couture and wearable floral art.  While her knowledge of the mechanics of design is extraordinary, the material sourcing is really the springboard for her stunningly creative designs.

We traveled to Portland to attend Françoise’s three-day “Wedding Design Workshop”.  From day one, we were captivated by her passion & exuberance for floral design. We were overjoyed by the materials offered; succulents, fresh florals, bark, twigs, pods and house plants. This created the perfect environment for each individual to expand their creative mind with the help of Françoise’s instruction to create something truly unique.

Françoise shared her love of this craft and many intricate techniques, not just to varying design concepts but also by utilizing different materials and applying them to innovative design mechanics. We knew going into this workshop, that her attention to detail as a designer was unparalleled, but what was unexpected was a kind hearted teacher that had a wonderful sense of how to explain and demonstrate complex concepts. She generously invested her time equally with all students and gave us both positive reinforcement and constructive criticism on all of our designs.

Attending this workshop has given us a new appreciation for all that nature has to offer. We look at the materials we have been working with for years in a whole new and exciting way. Françoise’s passion shines through when sharing her knowledge and immediately inspires your creative mind.

A few weeks ago we were again given the great gift of Françoise’s talent when she arrived here in Boston to assist on the production of a spectacular event design installation. We are so very grateful to you Françoise for sharing your passion, your talent and now your friendship.

For more on Françoise Weeks, click HERE.

And to learn more about upcoming classes & workshops, click HERE.

Credit: Gwendolyn Severson – Workshop Documentation