May 29, 2010

Location: Ceremony and Reception, Sundara, Boones Mill, Va.

Caterer: John Schopp, Center Stage Catering

Coordination: Bridget Powell, Ode to Joy

Photography: Sam Stroud

Cake: Linda Adams

Lighting: Neal Nance

Linens: Kimberly McDonald of BBJ Linens

THE BRIDAL PARTY

Bridal Bouquet:

Ashlin carried a small spherical, hand tied bouquet of primarily delicate white flowers -  White Stephanotis, white Freesia, and nestled deep within will be open white Garden roses

Five Bridesmaids:

Hand tied bouquets resembling a picture provided by the client of: purple dendrobium Orchids, purple Butterfly bush blossoms purple, blue Delphinium, blue Iris, purple Allium, blue Agapanthus

One Junior Bridesmaid:

Purple Dendrobium orchids, blue agapanthus

Groom:

For Marcus, a cluster of white Stephanotis

Four Groomsmen:

Purple dendrobium florets

One Junior Groomsmen:

Purple Dendrobium florets

THE CEREMONY

The Aisle:

A simple scattering of white rose petals

The Aisle – Chairs:

Bundles of fresh flowers purple Dendrobium orchids were affixed to the chairs

THE RECEPTION

Twenty Four Guest Tables:

ALL purple Dendrobium Orchids, tons of candlelight!

Two Food Stations:

Client provided silver champagne buckets, in which we designed ABSOLUTELY STUNNING ARRANGEMENTS in shades of blues and purples including:

*purple Butterfly Bush *purple Tulips *purple Seafoam Statice, *purple Allium, *purple Lisianthus *blue delphinium *blue agapanthus

The Cake Table:

All white cake with purple Dendrobium orchids

The Tree Streamers:

Ivory Organza ribbon streamers strung from the trees with purple Dendrobium orchid florets attached to the bottoms of the streamers

CHATTER & COMMENTS:

I need to give credit to where credit is due:

THANK YOU LORD for the following:

*My staff who rocks! They care about the events and they care about me!

*The wedding professionals that I have the great honor of working with

*GOD, for our talents and for watching over and blessing us

GODSPEED & CARPE DIEM to Ashlin, Marcus and Jane Ellen

a.

Date: May 22, 2010

Ceremony Location: Morgans Baptist Church Bedford

Reception Location: Bernards Landing, Smith Mountain Lake

EVENT DETAILS:

*Schaals Events, Caterer and Linens

*Kemper Mills Fant, Photographer

*Liz Stevens, of ‘That Wedding’ for ‘Day of Coordination’

*Tents: Aztec

*Chavari Chairs: Aztec

*Cake: Family Friend

THE BRIDAL PARTY

Bridal Bouquet:

Traditional style! Hand tied bouquet of white Hydrangea, hints of petite pink teacup roses, green berries, white spray Allium, pink Peonies and open white European garden roses. The stems were secured with printed summery ribbons of gingham and grosgrain with a large pink button for the finishing detail!

Five Bridesmaids:

Hand tied bouquets of  Emerald green Hydrangea, green berries and white spray Allium.

Groom:

Zach – Peony buds

Five Groomsmen:

Groomsmen – Emerald green Hydrangea clusters

Family Flowers:

Classic Epaulettes and boutonnieres

THE CEREMONY

Greeting the Guests:

The double doors of the church had pave’ed style wreaths with green Yoko Onos swirling on fresh moss.  Accenting striped summery ribbons, with more large button trim

The Pews:

Small orbs of fresh green Yoko Onos with mosses hung from the pew ends!

THE RECEPTION

Guest Tables:

Twenty centerpieces of 2 different styles –

Tall clear glass curvy vases with submersed flowers

AND

Garden style arrangements with graduating sizes of clear acrylic trays within each other, resulting in a tiered or layered fresh floral. These florals had fresh mosses and river rocks with the real blossoms peeping through. The bottom tray had a pool of water for fresh floating flowers.

The Sweetheart Table

A footed clear glass vase was provided for the center of this small table for the bride’s bouquet serving as the centerpiece.

The Candy Bar:

Ten clear glass vases of varying heights, sizes and widths displayed the colorful candies

Two Food Stations:

Submersed Emerald green Hydrangea will the tall vases with a lovely compact floral atop

The Cake Table:

Fresh rose petals surrounded the cake

CHATTER & COMMENTS:

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS OF RAIN SOAKED US ALL THE WAY DOWN TO OUR UNDERWEAR [probably too much information for readers – but it is SO true!] DURING THE SET UP! But…… all in all, the sun came out and this wonderful family had a great evening for their outdoor reception – thank you LORD J

I often times, probably most times, interject personal things about our clients, so that the readers of this LeBlog get a clear picture of just how treasured our cleints are and how this is such a personal journey and business.

With that said……….

I adored DONNA, the Mother-of-the-Bride, our ‘M.O.B.’ as we will refer to her from here on out.

Donna will receive our “””MOTHER OF THE YEAR AWARD””” without a doubt! I would like to share with you just how gracious and kind this lady is.

So………during the planning throughout our 8 months, we had a scheduled appointment for a meeting. The day for me started out as any other day. I had a mid morning pick up of fresh flowers [boxed] that needed to get back to the studio for processing and hydration, and then my appointment with Donna, Sarah, Zach and their delightful pastor. Well, the day went downhill for me after the flower pickup.

My trusty Land Rover breaks down and leaves me stranded – AAAAAAHHHHHH! I HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE [did I make myself very clear, LOL] HATE CAR/MECHANICAL PROBLEMS! I mean I REALLY hate car problems, for lots of reasons – does everyone out there get $ signs in their eyes when their eyes when they have mechanical problems, or is it just me? LOL! Oh well, back to my story of our M.O.B.

I immediately thought of my appointment with the family and then my second thought was the flowers I was hauling. I grab the handy dandy cell phone …….. aaaaaaahhhhhhhh……….I have NO service. So I begin a journey [walking] up the road, watching the ‘signal bars’ on my cell phone. It took a long while, quite a hike. So when I finally find a place I have cell service, the first thing I did was call Triple A. The flowers I forgot all about! And YES, I sadly admit that I forgot all about my appointment with Donna during the chaos of the situation. It wasn’t until 30 – 45 minutes after my scheduled appointment time with Donna that she calls me and said “Did you forget our appointment today?” My heart sank. It dropped like a brick. I searched for words…..No, I didn’t forget [because it was on my radar for the day] but……YES, I did forget while having my car towed. I DID FORGET IT IN THE CRAZINESS OF MOMENT – IT LEFT MY MIND – I WAS STRANDED -  I could have just crawled in the ditch along side of the road and never showed my face again. How sorry I was. How embarrassed I was. How very, VERY sorry I was. OMG – I couldn’t believe what I had done to the wonderful people.

I feel sure I will regret that for the rest of my life! I will not regret it because of anything Donna said or how she handled my major faux pah. She totally indulged me and listened compassionately! She couldn’t have been more tenderhearted or merciful. She did a huge favor in forgiving me! I know that all M.O.B.’s wouldn’t have understood or cared the way that she did.

These are the kinds of good deeds that we all need to ‘pay forward’. We should return these random acts of kindness in our LORD’s name and remember those that so kindly forgave us. I will ALWAYS remember DONNA! I thank you and appreciate you.

OH, and did I mention that Donna had flown into town just for our meeting – I know that all will agree she deserves the “””MOTHER OF THE YEAR AWARD”””!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XOXOXOXO’s to all of your family!

GODSPEED & CARPE DIEM

a.

LINDSAY & BRAD

Coordinator: SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE WEDDINGS

Photographer: CHRISTI AUSTIN

Venue: MARINERS LANDING of SMITH MOUNTIAN LAKE

Every bride is different and every wedding is different! THAT IS A GREAT THING for us in the industry of floral and décor. It keeps us on top of our game!

Lindsay is what you would classify as a destination bride. She came to Mariners Landing for her ceremony and reception. We loved having her as a client, except that our meetings and encounters were brief L But you just knew that she was a bride that you would have LOVED to have gotten to know better. She was a delightful email partner, where her personality shined through her cherry words!

Simple and elegant! Small and intimate gathering! Cheerful colors and great flowers!

*Ranunculus    *Stargazer Lilies    *Gerbera Daisies    *Viburnum    *Roses    *She incorporated her Grandmothers handkerchief and her Grandfathers wedding ring into her bouquet

Lindsay, thank you for the thank you note! All of us at CORSAIR Floral & Décor wish you happy nesting in your new life!

GODSPEED & CARPE DIEM

a.

5.8.10

EVENT DETAILS

LOCATION/S:

Ceremony: Fincastle Presbyterian Church

Reception: Kyle House

Caterer: Schaals Events

Coordinator: Kerry Keeney, Smith Mountain Lake Weddings

Photographer: Inspiration and Design, Debrah Woods

Band: Another Level

Cake: Susan Kelly

Linens: Kerry Keeney, Smith Mountain Lake Weddings

CHATTER & COMMENTS ~

I cannot tell you how many times I had driven through the quaint little township of Fincastle, Va.  Each time, that I passed the OLD church on the hill, I would say aloud to whomever was with me “I want to do a wedding there.”

Then this wonderfully kind family contacted me about a wedding in Fincastle and then I found out in addition to having the opportunity to work with great people, I find out that their ceremony location was the OLD church on the hill!

Fincastle Presbyterian, I later found out was at one time, the MOST photographed church in America! I do not know the current ranking or what church is now the most photographed church, but can’t imagine that it would change. Photographers from all over the world have been there to take images of this fabulous church.

Obviously, we didn’t have a lot of time to look around, but I did find a tombstone close by where we were working and it was dated 1705! Oh, if only these walls could talk…..the history there unimaginable….. and the walls would certainly speak of Kendall and Chris J  These walls would tell what a HANDSOME groom Chris was and what a GORGEOUS bride Kendall was!

This family had exquisite taste in flowers, colors and style! Here’s a few specifics and of course enjoy the pictures!

*Ivory linens with LODEN green runners [YUMMY! J]

*Green Viburnum        *White Hydrangea      *Variegated Bush Ivy

*Green Coffee Berries  * Blue Hydrangea       *Tulips

*Fresh Lemon Leaves   *White Lilies              *White Roses

*Smilax                       *Green Hydrangea      *Ranculous

*The blues and greens were so cool feeling and so stylish – GREAT CHOICES FROM A GREAT FAMILY!

*Kendall, again, you were a GORGEOUS bride!

Godspeed and Carpe Diem to you all – My Best Always!

a.

McFall – Vipperman
4.24.10
Smith Mountain Lake

The Vendors

*Kerry Keeney – Coordinator

*Jim Schaal Caterer

*Debrah Woods Photographer

*Lighting – Tent Drape – Neal Nance

*Cake – Special Occasion Cakes

*Linens – Kerry Keeney, Smith Mountain Lake Weddings

*Rentals – Aztec and Festive Fare

Commentary

The gardens.

Oh, the gardens!

The gardens of this private residence were beyond words. So well designed, so pristine, so well maintained, SO PERFECT AND SO WELCOMING!

It’s easy to do a fabulous wedding with such wonderful surroundings. This made our set up and breakdown very pleasant. You just want to be in the gardens!

Let’s move onto our bride – just as grand as the gardens!

Julie Beth, who acquired so many endearing pet names from us during the planning process over the last year, is a terrific person! She is academic, but wrapped with a balance of beauty, charm and personality! We loved her process of counting down the days until the big event!

The Bridal Party

The Bride ~

Julie Beth entered the Fountain Garden with a small cascading bouquet of all white and cream! This cascading bouquet was designed in a ‘faux’ crystal holder and contained high end flora, consisting of white Lilac, white Phalenopsis Orchids, and white Peonies!

The 1 Maid of Honor [Julie Beth’s mother] ~

This special accompanying lady carried a small cascade bouquet as well! This bouquet will be smaller in size than that of the bride’s and vary in content. Her bouquet will be comprised of cascading foliages and berries, with a burst of white roses as a topper and a large white open Peony.

The 4 Bridesmaids ~

The bridesmaids carried fashionable hand tied clutches of  white roses and green berries, with the silvery soft Lamb’s Ear foliage.

The Groom ~

Robert was the only gentleman of the evening to have his lapel adorned with the single white Phalenopsis orchid, a statement of pure elegance.

The 1 Best Man [Robert’s father] ~

The senior Mr. Vipperman sported a white Peony bud, foliages and berries to coordinate with the Maid of Honor’s bouquet.

The 4 Groomsmen ~

These gentlemen wore boutonnieres made of single white roses and berries to match the bridesmaids.

The Ceremony

The Fountain  ~

The fountain statuary served as the simple backdrop for the exchange of vows area. With such existing beauty there, our intention was to simply enhance the fountain without over decorating.

At the apex of the fountain, we attached bundles of mixed white flowers, primarily white Larkspur, appearing to burst straight from the top, creating a focal of fresh flowers seemingly as if they are a permanent part of the fountain. The finishing touch was strung white Dendrobium orchids attached to the bottoms of the florals and continuing to the lower tier for a gentle cascading effect. AND of course, a few floating orchids in the main pool for a natural touch!

The narrow strip of vegetation that the fountain sat within received a natural treatment of fresh flowers. Water picks with single stems of spikey purple and white Larkspur and blue Delphinium were be placed sporadically throughout the existing garden.

The Reception

Two Silver Cast Iron Urns for Tent Entrance

2 Urns flanked either side of the tent entrance, topped with our tallest silver garden trellises and were filled with foliages and hints of flowers.

The Guest Tables ~

Clusters of clear glass vases were centered on the tables, filled with Stock, Viburnum, Hydrangea and roses, surrounded by ivory votive candles.

The Bar Area, The Center of Your Tent Décor ~

Tall clear glass vases were designed for the custom bar divider wall!  The vases were filled with Orchids and water.

The Food Table ~

CONTINUTY! More tall vases with Orchids!

The John Deere Tractor ~

A petite fresh floral of the bridal themed colors were created for the grill of the tractor! Celebratory satin ribbons of coordinating colors streamed from front to back of the tractor for this joyful affair!

In Closing

It isn’t likely that the paths of this bride and groom and their respective families and my own will ever cross again. They all live away and aren’t ‘NOKERS’. It was my intention to enjoy every moment of this fabulous event, and I did, now I am in withdrawals! Miss you already, Julie Beth and Robert! Godspeed and Carpe Diem always!