Apple Green

I love these images... I nabbed these from the blog of local photog team, LemonLime... go here if you'd like to see bigger, better, even more awesome eye candy! How gorgeous are Lori's shoes in the above image? Oh, so lovely.

Above, some really fun group and family portraits. (Click to make them larger, I don't know why they are so small here!) Below, the ceremony took place at Village Presbyterian. This is such a simple, stunningly open space. Lori's color scheme really worked both here, and at the reception (The Sawyer Room)... vivid apple green, along with punches of black and white. We used lots of really vibrant green blooms for this wedding... hypericum, spider mums, kermit poms, hydrangea, etc. It was so vibrant and fresh... this color scheme could work for any time of year!

For centerpieces, we used the Iron Swirl Branch Candelabra from Something Borrowed Fine Rentals... you can see them in the background, below!

Wedding Wire Press Release

Lenexa, KS – 02/03/2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that Erin Volante Floral has been selected to receive the WeddingWire 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for floral design!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Erin Volante Floral is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that Erin Volante Floral is among the very best floral designers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/erin-volante-floral-event-design-lenexa/c1a8b8b6eb48ae3e.html

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 reviewed wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools in the Weddings section of www.MarthaStewartWeddings.com. For additional information, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

Vibrant Teal...

What a lovely, modern color combination. Hannah wanted something to really pop against the deep, vibrant teal of her bridesmaids' gowns, and I think we accomplished this with flying colors! When clients are innovative with color, it challenges me to use less common, more interesting blooms... and I think the results are stunning!

Above, the bridesmaids bouquets were a creamy, soft mix of ivories... roses, stock, and gorgeous dahlias. For a deep, espresso brown contrast, we used fern fronds and fragrant chocolate cosmos. Hannah's bouquet was a show-stopping combo of black magic roses, wine calla lilies, burgundy dahlias, chocolate cosmos, and fern fronds.

This stunning church (Corpus Christi in Lawrence) needs little decor. We added sweet stems of hydrangea to some of the pews for a romantic touch down the aisle. Large cylinder vases of seasonal blooms flanked the altar.

I love those pops of brown in the girls' bouquets... perfect! Notice that the guys are wearing espresso brown tuxes, it certainly makes a big difference in the overall color scheme. Aqua/teal with a pop of red (like Hannah's bouquet!) is a popular design trend that has emerged in the last year... vibrant and new! Check it out here: The Perfect Palette.
All photos credited to Brighton Road Photography, thanks so much!

Vintage Inspiration in the Crossroads...

Yes, I know what you're thinking. This wedding is REALLY as cute as can be, and it just doesn't get much better than this for me! Adorable bridesmaids, really great vintage style, and one of my FAVE bridal gowns to date. Kylie and Matt's wedding took place at the Arts Incubator in KC's Crossroads District... what an amazing, inspiring location!

Although I didn't do ALL the flowers for this event (the bride's talented mother did all the reception decor!), I worked on the personal flowers and some ceremony decor. The bridal bouquet included champagne-toned sahara roses, peachy-beige hypericum berries, ivory hydrangea, fragrant gardenias, lisianthus, and touches of silvery dusty miller. It was the perfect accessory to the vintage-inspired lace of the bride's gown.

Below, the groom's boutonniere was also a lot of fun to make.... I included vintage buttons (from my mom's massive collection!), champagne spray roses, and seeded eucalyptus berries.

Above, is that not the sweetest cake? Although I didn't do the flowers for this cake, I had to include this image because it was just so completely perfect! The color, the icing pattern, the vintage buttons and brooch... and OH! the tree stump. :) The image below is the "altar" set-up for the ceremony. The bride's family built the table and provided the lanterns, candles, cross, etc... I just provided the finishing touches of lovely blooms. This was SO romantic, and fit the space completely.

The bridesmaids carried candles accented with tiny rings of flowers and berries, vs. a traditional bouquet. Really charming, and they added the perfect romantic glow to the space, along with the whimsical white lights hung all over the ceiling.

All images are courtesy of The Parsons Photography... if you don't know who they are, you probably SHOULD. Lovely, artistic work. Also, feel free to check out the Ruffled blog posts featuring Kylie and Matt's fantastic DIY wedding here and here.

Pottery Barn Inspiration

As I was browsing through my Pottery Barn catalog last week, I started thinking about inspiration and what inspired ME personally. Even if your tastes run more modern than "rustic farmhouse", I think we can always learn something from a Pottery Barn catalog... even if it's just about the styling. This can apply not only to your home, but also your WEDDING! Above, a late-summer or autumn centerpiece of rustic berries, lemons, and teddy bear sunflowers. This one has the look and feel of a winery... and what is more romantic than that for your wedding day?

The shot above is a great example of building your centerpieces around a particular style and collection, vs. an over-abundance of flowers. Think outside the box... if you're having a rustic, garden-inspired event, add stones and watering pitchers to your tablescapes for an innovative display.

This shot is a perfect example of what Pottery Barn does so well in their styling... it looks effortless. It doesn't look like a floral designer came in to arrange everything... it's just a grouping of gorgeous orange ranunculus displayed alongside french bread loaves and green pears for another pop of vibrant color.

This mantle is a lovely example of how to mix materials in any display! This one includes so many different styles... mirror finishes, dark iron/bronze, chippy white woods, clear glass, birds nests, and spring branches. The final effect is charming, whimsical, and feels "collected" without trying to be too matchy-matchy.

The above image is a fantastic example of a fall harvest table... again, without any blooms to speak of. Just lots of fall berries, all shapes of pumpkins and gourds, and candlelight!

This dinner table strikes the perfect balance between rustic materials and a more modern, simplistic floral design. These asymmetrical tulip arrangements are so lovely because (in my opinion) tulips shine best when they are grouped together and left with their own foliage.

Last but NOT least... even Pottery Barn Kids can prove inspirational. Check out the above shot... how cute is that branch display? Mini tissue pomanders are attached to the branches for a bright pop of color... this would be a gorgeous table centerpiece with a ton of impact for very little cost. The birdcages are another great example of a whimsical idea that can be incorporated into a wedding... charming and garden-inspired, with tiny paper butterflies attached!

My hope with this post was to inspire my brides to think outside the box... wedding magazines are certainly not the only source of inspiration! What sources have inspired YOU in your wedding planning? I would love to know!

Vivid Fall...

A lovely fall wedding for your enjoyment! Pam was the most gorgeous, natural, relaxed-looking bride on her wedding day! Just lovely. All photos are credited to Stacey Schmitz.

Below, the rustic-styled pew markers... these were made with tall groupings of curly willow at each candle stand... I then grouped fresh blooms at each one for bright pops of color!

Below, the reception at The Hobbs Building. A lovely chocolate cake with fresh blooms. The centerpieces were a mix of vivid "sunset" asiatic lilies, kangaroo paws, rustic foliages, berries, roses, dahlias, etc. Half of the tables were stunning tall "candeliers" on wrought-iron shepherd's hooks (the last two images are good examples of these throughout the room, they are romantic, rustic, and very tall!). We placed fresh florals at the base. The low tables featured rustic, dark stone urns.

Shades of Pinks...

This wedding was really lovely... just check out the bride's gown, below. Modern romance at Longview Mansion in Lee's Summit... this place was practically MADE for weddings like this one. Historic, romantic, beautiful outdoor ceremony, and stunning light. The coordinators there are wonderful people, and they really work to make every bride feel spectacular. Now, I'll let the flowers (and these images) speak for themselves! (These images were shot by Jamie Kidwell... I can't find his info right now, but would love to add it if any readers have it!)