Last week I had possibly the most exciting trip to QFC with baby in tow *ever* when I spotted my work on the cover of my favorite wedding magazine – Seattle Metropolitan Bride & Groom. I was asked to create a mostly white bridal bouquet for a color story in the latest issue, but I had no idea until I saw it in person that the editor had picked that shot for the cover.
Last summer I did some freelance floral work for the first time in my 9 year floral career. It was a fun change of pace from 24hr baby care and I had some weekends available because I had turned away so many events knowing I would be caring for my new baby full time. I absolutely loved it! All the flowers and none of the stress of planning and coordinating and designing the event at the same time! I also worked with some of my favorite floral designers and friends – Steve Moore (Sinclair and Moore), Melanie Benson, Nancy Teasley (The Oak and the Owl), Ashley Beyer (Tinge Floral) and McKenzie Powell – and I really enjoyed seeing their processes and comparing how we each do things a little differently.
These flowers were all created alongside Melanie Benson for a Sinclair and Moore wedding at a private estate on the Seattle waterfront with images by Katie DeLorme Photography.
And a few iPhone snaps I took on the day (which just shows why you should hire a professional)…
I am finally getting around to blogging this dreamy Pacific Northwest elopement shoot we did last fall with Kristen Marie Parker that was featured on Green Wedding Shoes earlier this year. Looking over all the images again has definitely put me in the mood for the quickly arriving Autumn weather and pumpkin spice everything…
Photography: Kristen Marie Parker | Floral and Tabletop Decor: Finch & Thistle Event Design | Location: Homestead Seattle | Calligraphy & Paper Goods: La Happy | Wedding Dress: Rue de Seine via The Dress Theory | Rentals: Francis Lane San Francisco and ABC
Photography by Stephanie Cristalli
The downside to working with flower frogs is that things tend to move around in transport. The upside is that sometimes when you remake them, you like the second version more than the original. I made this arrangement for a styled lingerie shoot yesterday and when I pulled it out of the truck late last night, it had sadly fallen victim to both the hot studio lights and Seattle’s notorious potholes. I tossed in a few leftover stems this morning while waiting for my kettle to boil and turns out that I think I like this version better than the original…
Seattle is well known for its unofficial dress code – jeans and fleece. You could pretty much wear that combination to any restaurant in the city and no one would blink an eye. I’ve even worked weddings where a guest or two will show up in jeans! Now don’t get me wrong, I love living in Seattle and I appreciate the fact that I don’t have to get too dressed up to go out, but this real flower necklace I made for a shoot earlier this spring could just about make me wish for my black tie Symphony gala days…or at least a fancy cocktail party.
Dress: Sarah Seven for The Dress Theory
all images courtesy of Stephanie Cristalli Photography
…are my favorite. If I could do my wedding over again I would forgo the (sort of) guaranteed late summer sunshine, pick an indoor venue and have this bridal bouquet…
Thanks to the lovely Stephanie Cristalli for the sneak peek from today’s shoot. More to come…
All the way back in July, Bryce Covey and I ventured out to Sequim on Washington’s Olympic Peninsular to create a styled shoot inspired by Sequim’s beautiful lavender fields. Today that shoot is featured on Once Wed and I am so honored to see some of my work alongside the illustrious stylist Joy Thigpen’s!
I wanted to keep the décor soft and simple to complement and not distract from the stunning setting of the lavender farm so I chose a color palette of sage green, white, lilac and a faded orange. To decorate the beautiful rustic cake table I created a floral runner with a garland of seeded eucalyptus and worked in purple scabiosa, garden roses, sweet peas and lavender to add some color. I added antique English vinegar bottles and vintage lavender glass from my personal collection for texture and height and draped the runner into a Provencale market basket.
I created several bridal bouquets for this shoot. Simple single arrangements of lavender and creeping oregano kept the look very simple and elegant and would be a perfect choice for bridesmaids or flower girls, whereas the bride’s bouquet was an organic mix of cream and faded orange garden roses, papery soft lilac scabiosa, sage, lavender and creeping oregano with purple nepeta (or catmint) and astilbe from my own garden. Some salmon berry leaves and seeded eucalyptus added texture.
The sweet lavender-lemon vegan cake by Kerissa Bakes was garnished simply with stems of fresh lavender on top of the rough white buttercream icing and displayed on a scalloped white cake platter from Rosanna.
Photography: Bryce Covey Photography | Floral and Event Design: Finch & Thistle Event Design | Location: Martha Lane Lavender Farm, Sequim, WA | Cake: Kerissa Bakes | Model: Erika at Seattle Models Guild | Hair and Makeup: Swink Style Bar