Sola / Tapioca / Balsa Wood Wedding Flowers / Truckee Lake Tahoe Sacramento Wedding Flowers Florist

Sola wood (aka balsa wood or tapioca wood) and cotton boll alternative wedding bouquet with metallic and icy details, and a custom etched copper bouquet charm

I had the pleasure of working with Elizabeth for a year on wedding flowers for her March 3, 2012 Truckee winter wedding.  She came to me with the vision of sola wood flowers (also known as tapioca wood or balsa wood flowers) and cotton bolls (because they reminded her of snow), with some metallic bling to reflect her winter wedding.  I took that idea farther, including pine cones embellished with crushed glass (like snow!) and as a nod to her Sierra wedding.  I hung a faceted glass (not acrylic!) crystal ball dangle that gives the idea of an icicle. Metallic touches included silver ting ting, gold skeleton leaves, a copperish rose element, and silver cord handle wrap (over rustic burlap). I finished off the bouquet with hand-shaped couture muslin leaves that were veined with silver and that I formed with antique french tools.  To finish off the metallic accents, I hand-etched and metalsmithed a copper bouquet charm with her initial.  This charm can be removed and worn as a necklace pendant, if she likes. I also included gorgeous, beautifully preserved cream sweetheart roses, as she wanted texture in her bouquet.

For her bridesmaid, I made a bouquet with sola wood flowers and simple muslin leaves and a burlap handle that complemented Elizabeth's bouquet. The bouts complemented both bouquets.

Elizabeth had two flower girls, and I made each a halo head wreath of sola wood flowers.  I included some bling, copper wire and copper ribbon, to match the theme.

The ceremony included a chuppah of birch poles and cloth.  I designed four pole dangles of sola wood flowers that included a faceted glass crystal ball dangle on each to catch the light as the chuppah was carried, and that matched Elizabeth's bouquet.

All of this was done  in advance of the wedding; Elizabeth and her fiancee picked up everything a few weeks before the wedding on their way home from a Lake Tahoe trip.  These are all items that can be done in advance, and in fact, can be mailed anywhere in the world!

Many thanks to Jessa Wilber for the photography.

Hand metalsmithed copper bouquet charm by A Special Day Designs, Shingle Springs, California

Sola wood and cotton boll wedding bouquet, Placerville, California

Balsa wood and cotton boll wedding bouquet with winter elements for a Truckee wedding.

Tapioca wood simple petite bouquet

Balsa wood bouquet with burlap and bling

Simple and elegant sola wood bouquet

Sola wood and cotton boll boutonniere

Balsa wood bout with couture french millinery leaf

Sola wood flower girl halo head wreath

Balsa wood flower flowergirl halo head wreath

Sola wood flower chuppah pole wedding decor

Metals Still Trending in Wedding Design / Alternative Wedding

This copper bracelet works well as a wrist corsage - the gift that keeps on giving!  I cut and patinaed the base; hand forged the wrist band; and added lots of luscious fire-polished crystals in what I call "Lake Tahoe blues" - that is, several shades of blue, green, yellow, and clear, as well as copper-colored crystals.

Metals have been trending in wedding design, and they are still holding strong.  Especially important this season are the metals which have taken the place of out-of-price-range gold: brass, copper, steel, nobium, and silver and German silver (both fine metals).  They might be finished by a bright polish to show their natural beauty, or may have a natural or other patina added; they might be painted, inked, or etched, to match your wedding colors.

Here are some copper lovelies that I have metalsmithed - I have cut from copper sheet, sanded, hammered, torched, soldered, and smithed especially for weddings.  I'm also showing some examples from other artists of what you might use in your wedding.

This copper and crystal beauty is for the offbeat, individual, and alternative wedding.  It can be used as a copper boutonniere or a copper corsage.  This one has fire polished crystals to match the natural patina on my hammered copper, but you can choose any color crystal you would like.  It has a pin back for easy wearing.

I hand cut the metal for this copper boutonniere, then took careful time to shape it into this slender bloom holder, soldered it and applied a natural patina, and added a pin back.  The silver solder does show, but that just adds to its authenticness and naturalness. 

Etching is another great technique that metalsmiths use to bring out your theme or personality.  The following two photos are by different artists, but both beautifully show the etching technique. I can etch whatever you might like.

Beautiful etching, which could be the basis for a bout or corsage, via Rebecca Ward

Your initial or monogram can be etched as shown, for a bouquet charm.  Or, imagine your initials or monogram on a square or rectangular piece of metal as a bout or corsage base. Via Intheloftdesigns on etsy.

Sola Wood Flower Wedding Bouquets

Sola wood flowers, which are sometimes called balsa wood flowers or tapioca wood flowers, have been very popular for wedding bouquets for my clients.  The sola wood flowers work well in rustic, vintage, romantic and alternative bouquets.  Enjoy my sola wood bouquets as well as sola wood corsages and boutonnieres.  Want one?  I'll custom make yours, just email me!  This posting is for Elizabeth, who loves sola wood flower bouquets and wants to see some different ways sola flowers can be used.  It really depends on my customer...as you can see below, some look vintage, some look rustic, and some look like wildflowers.  Maybe you'd like yours to look icy and cold for your winter Truckee wedding?

This was the sola wood bouquet that started it all.  Danielle was very vintage glam; forest/beach meets elegant glamour.  This sola wood bouquet features lambs ears, skeleton leaves, lavender, a burlap handle, and a black french wire bow.

Another view of Danielle's sola wood bouquet - a better view of the skeleton leaves and glass pearl accents.

Another hybrid sola wood and fresh flower bouquet.  This wedding felt like rustic glamour.  Sola wood flowers with dendrobium orchids, carnations, pompon mums, and rustic berries with some crystal and moss accents.

Sola wood rustic groom's bout.  Simply charming.

This bout is NOT sola wood, but you can see how well it compliments the rustic wedding above.

Also not sola wood, but wouldn't this collage corsage look terrific with a sola wood flower instead of the pompon mum?

A wildflower sola wood bouquet.  This bouquet is a hybrid, combining sola wood flowers (yes! in your colors!) with cool water lavender roses, lisianthus, verbena, agapanthus, dahlia, and lavender mini carns, with a bright green doily handle.

Here is the matching groom bout. Purple sola wood flower with a rhinestone accent, berries, and lavender mini carns.  Just perfect for a Rome Valley Vineyard wedding!

Vintage look sola wood flower bouquet.  This is the one I displayed at Celebrate Coloma Weddings!  This bouquet is completely non-fresh and alternative.  Sola wood flowers combine with dried rosebuds, natural shells, crystal bling, and a real copper flower with faux pearl center.  Movement is added by a truly vintage tulle collar that I've vintaged up.

A closer view of the vintage look sola wood flower bouquet.  Did I mention that the brass and faux pearl flower are vintage?

Even the underside of the bouquet is beautiful with meticulously hand-applied millinery leaves, and the handle is wrapped in an upcycled silk sari material and trim!  Gorgeous!

A corsage to match the vintage look sola wood flower bouquet - a sola wood collage corsage!  What is a collage corsage?  That's what I've named my special corsages that I treat like an art canvas.  This one has old-fashioned script on the background, and features millinery leaves, faux crystal accents, and dried rosebuds.  There is a pin attached to the back for easy pinning.