A Special Day Designs DIY Sacramento Lake Tahoe Wedding Flowers: wedding

Showing posts with label wedding. Show all posts

Sunday, March 4, 2012

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

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Woodland Wedding At Nestldown Los Gatos / Placerville Lake Tahoe Wedding Flowers Florist


Woodland bouquet details - cymbidium orchid, raspberries, dahlia, spray roses, hypericum berry, and maidenhair fern

We are well into autumn now, and my season has wrapped up, which means I now have time to post lovely weddings on the blog. Ashley and Brandon were married in September, and she definitely had a woodland / bird style going on. What I loved about their wedding style was the great details, yet things were understated, elegant, and very authentic.


Blue thistle, dahlias, spray roses, raspberries, and callas were details in her woodland wedding bouquet for her ceremony at Nestldown in Los Gatos

I worked with Ashley for a year on her bouquet....it started out as peach roses and safari sunset with hypericum berries, to emerge into a wonderful woodland bouquet. Ashley gave me the freedom to create something beautiful....sometimes I can't be sure of what is at market, and I don't know until I actually order and then pick up the flowers. She even decided to have me add some peach tulle, which you can see under the dahlia above, as a nod to her many years of ballet lessons.


Woodland wedding bouquet for Nestldown ceremony.

My bouquets are very authentic....I do not try to create a perfect roundy-moundy Martha-style bouquet that has been quite in fashion for the past decade. My bouquets are like the topography of the foothills I live in....there is always something interesting around every corner. Here is Ashley's bouquet.


Woodland bridesmaid bouquet with pompon mums, naked petals, safari sunset, hypericum berries, and peach spray roses

Ashley had a small intimate wedding. She and Brandon both had just one attendant, who wore clothing of their choice to match the blue and green color theme. Above is the Best Lady's bouquet - I just love that Ashley chose to call her a more modern name....

Brandon had a cymbidium orchid and blue thistle bout.

I caught up with Ashley and Brandon at the top of the gravel road before they made their entrance. Both look quite serious in these photos...they are listening to directions from someone...they're about to get married! Brandon looks quite handsome, and the orchid perfectly matched his handsome blue shirt and patterned tie.

Ashley rocking her vintage woodland look! Quite a gorgeous bride!

As a florist, I don't always get the best photos of my wedding couples....Ashley was just so gorgeous, this photo doesn't do her justice! So we continued down the path to set up the ceremony decor, which were two of Ashley's metal candleholders of two different heights. I loved that they weren't matchy-matchy. She had me set them up at the back of the aisle. Here's a tip...if you don't need ceremony markers (I call them markers, because really, there's no "altar") at the front - and she didn't because the arbor is so fantastic - consider putting flowers behind the last row of chairs, at the aisle. All your guests will see them when they come in...


Woodland ceremony marker flowers

I love this sweet photo of Ashley's dad helping put her train out...and I don't understand how Ashley walked down those many, steep stairs in heels!

Lovely bride at lovely Nestldown!

Here's the lovely arbor and our lovely wedding couple...there's a pond with a fountain behind them, in full sunlight. Guests sat in a lovely shaded woodland clearing.


Exchanging vows at Nestldown.

On to the reception! Ashley developed her ideas for the reception with me over the year....she pretty much knew what she wanted, and I made suggestions on flowers and based on her thoughts and inspiration photos, I was able to recommend and carry out what she wanted for her tables and cake pedestal.


Rosemary and menu in napkin at each place.


Submerged wedding centerpieces of blue delphinium with floating candle; callas, and a ball candle with table number, all on a stained stump. Not only were rose petals strewn about, but also hypericum berries, to add to the woodland feel.


I just love this ball candle in a short cylinder, with a wood table number...perfect!


There were lovely vegetarian appetizers at each table, for after the cocktail hour.


Wedding cake on unique cake pedestal of glass square vases with rose petals

The wedding reception was held at the lovely Hotel Los Gatos. The hotel service and food was superb; my only complaint was that they booked the room right before her wedding, a couple of weeks before her wedding. It was quite a challenge to set everything up. When you book your wedding reception, make sure there is enough time for your florist, dj, and baker to set up (you really don't want your venue staff moving your cake...trust me!). One hour is usually NOT enough time between events. Don't forget that the venue has to clear the last event, set up for yours, and put fresh linens on before your florist and baker can set up.


I love to tuck flower heads in wherever I can!


The ceremony bouquet repurposed at the wedding reception buffet.


Details from the buffet table....


I love flower heads in votives or small containers.

A sweet bird-themed remembrance for guests to take home.

Thank you Ashley & Brandon for letting me share your special day! Best wishes on your journey through life together!

Friday, October 14, 2011

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.