Ashley Fox Designs

New Ashley Fox Designs Website

2011-05-31T12:50:00.003-05:00

You can now find Ashley Fox Designs brand new website and blog at

www.ashleyfoxdesigns.com

and

www.ashleyfoxdesigns.com/blog/ (Note: different location now)

See you there!

Abby and Dane

2011-05-24T12:53:00.014-05:00

We are seeing a lot of peony around the studio lately and I'm not complaining!

The tables have fresh grown wheat grass which I planted 6 days before the wedding and then stuck in a few burgandy, scaviosa blooms. I like the dewdrops on the grass from their last watering.

We found the paper blooms at Litin Paper in Minneapolis thanks to Paperista's tip!

My favorite from the day were the moss pomanders with peony the two flower girls carried.

I must say, delivering to Hazeltine National Golf Course was nice, it was 7 minutes from my house!

Many thanks to Clewell Photography for the beautiful images!

Julie and Trevor

2011-05-22T21:05:00.007-05:00

Lilacs were in bloom, the weather was stormy and the bride looked gorgeous.

I used anemones, orchids, tulips, peony, scented geranium, hellebores, boronia and lilac from my garden to create Julie's bouquet.

The mother of the bride created her dress and bouquet stem wrap. So beautiful.

Many thanks to Sarah McGee for this sneak peek of yesterday's wedding!

I should have guessed

2011-05-22T09:38:00.005-05:00

Did you know apricot and cream colored daffodils smell just like apricots? I asked Tom to smell these and confirm so I knew I wasn't just imagining it. I am going to plant a lot more of these bulbs this fall.

Architectural Antiques Photo Shoot

2011-05-17T13:16:00.013-05:00

I'm pretty sure the guys at Architectural Antiques thought something was wrong with me when I first walked into their shop. I had to stop, catch my breath, I could barely speak and my eyes were bugging out of my head. Yeah. Real professional, huh? Just look at this place, it is filled to the brim with inspiring pieces. Go there.

I was so happy to be a part of this amazing shoot created by Lisa Gilbertson of Simply Fabulous Events & Design and photographer Tasha Hergott of Red Bird Hills. When someone asks me to create to my hearts desire I immediately jump at the chance. Especially when it is for a dress like this one from Kate Towers. I like out of the box wedding inspiration.

Many thanks to makeup and hair artist Emily Olsen and the beautiful model Ash Steffen.

This was a treat.

Good for the flowers

2011-05-14T16:06:00.049-05:00

The optimist in me said it wouldn't rain. Rain it did.

Good for the flowers. (Harumpf) May.

Leah and Jess still had a beautiful wedding inside the tent.

Outside the tent...again, good for the flowers.

Leah made all of the cranes, pom poms and knew what she wanted for her color scheme: red, yellow and orange with touches of pink and turquoise. The infusion of color was a welcome sight on this gray day.

I used locally sourced apple branches from a friend's orchard near Chaska and dahlias in the bride's bouquet are from plants in my own garden. (Purchased from Farm and Garden around Mother's Day)

I cannot wait to go back to Minnetonka Orchards, it is a beautiful venue!

Thanks again, Leah and Jess and Hailley from L'event for a wonderful day.

Kelle and Mikal

2011-05-06T08:23:00.025-05:00

These gorgeous images are by the very talented Verna Pitts Photography.

The Rivertown Inn, in Stillwater, is simply amazing. The staff, food and accommodations are the best of the best. If you want to have a small and intimate wedding, this is the place to go.
And to Kelle and Mikal, thank you for giving me the opportunity to design for your wedding day. You and your family will always hold a special place in my heart.

Erin and Chris

2011-05-03T16:00:00.017-05:00

I am so happy to have designed for Erin and Chris. They are sweet, stylish and fun. They wanted turquoise, pink and bright green with unique elements thrown in. I love that Erin chose tiger tail orchids to have in her bouquet. The dresses were all custom made by the bride's step mom as well as the fabric squares on the dining tables.

Visit Erin's blog House of Turquoise for gorgeous images of turquoise rooms from around the world. I visit her blog when I need a vacation, without the plane fare.

Many thanks to Spencer Combs for the beautiful images.
Venue: Saint Anthony Main Event Center
Hair and Makeup: Brett Dorian Artistry Studios

such a tease

2011-04-27T13:56:00.004-05:00

Erin and Chris got married on April 15th and their photographer sent over a little preview of a maid's bouquet. Their turquoise and pink color palette was a dream to work with. See Erin's blog at www.houseofturquoise.com. It is pure eye candy.

Fab photo by Spencer Combs

Pretty Girly

2011-04-26T13:26:00.005-05:00

I am really feelin' the latest from BHLDN. I am ready for spring, pretty dresses and lace.

An Easter Ham and Eggs

2011-04-20T08:19:00.007-05:00

I love my chickens. They make beautiful eggs. I bought a coffee mug last fall from Caufield Clay. I didn't realize at the time that it matched their eggs perfectly.

The last one is a little peek of a wedding I did this spring at Rivertown Inn in Stillwater.

The kids and I are already on a sugar high thanks to Evelyn's Godfather Brian and his Easter basket deliveries.

Starburst Jelly Beans are yummy.

Theme Weddings

2011-03-25T21:50:00.029-05:00

Little Red Ridding Hood

Cinderella

Sleeping Beauty

The Swan Princess

Snow White

I don't get asked to do a lot of theme weddings. Not because I don't like them. I think it can be hard for a bride and groom to envision what is possible within a theme. Wouldn't it be nice to incorporate your hobby or what you enjoy into one of the biggest days you have together?

Easier said than done, right? Right.

You have a point. How do you bring your husband's love of fishing into the wedding. Eat fish?

Maybe not.

Idea: why not have a boutonniere created from a fishing lure? Have your floral designer loop a simple piece of lily grass on it and done. You have just made your wedding different.

It doesn't take a whole lot to let your guests know that this wedding is "So you and (insert name here)"

It's the little things, just one or two, that can make all the difference to create a memorable moment.

These days I am seeing a lot of themes around the wedding blog world and the trends seem to follow the movies. Lately it's carnival or circus = Water For Elephants.
I have also seen Alice in Wonderland and soon to come many more fairytale characters, I'm sure.

Some theme weddings on the blogs may look over the top and not exactly attainable for those of us with a set budget, a job and lives to lead as well as planning a wedding. But as I said, it doesn't take much to make a great memory.

In 2009 I collaborated with a group of vendors who were inspired by the idea of fairytale brides. Here are some examples of how a fairytale theme can be translated into a real life wedding day.

Little Red Ridding Hood
Fall wedding. Use baskets to carry the maids and flower girl floral designs, bride wears long, color of choice cape for outside photos. Serve picnic style lunch or dinner.

Cinderella
Wear sparkly flats and eat pumpkin pie cheesecake for dessert. Use modern, simple clocks or old antique clocks in your decor.

Sleeping Beauty
Ambien party favors. Just kidding! Instead, have a signature drink created and have a sign at the bar, some sort of "100 Year Sleep Tonic", you get the idea.

Swan Princess
If feathers aren't your style, use lotus blooms (aquatic flower) on tables, one single bloom in a large, low dish of water will do the trick.

Snow White
An apple at each place setting. Brings color to the table, easy and clean and pretty. This will work for many different venues and styles of weddings. Apples grow in red, yellow or green colors.

Credits
Dolce Studios Photography | Grace Bridal Boutique | Loring Pasta Bar | The Varsity Theater

Envy Salon Spa | Hair and Makeup

Richard Anderson | Stylist

Ashley Fox Designs | Flowers

MN Bride Magazine Best of Floral 2011 Nominee

2011-03-10T17:23:00.011-06:00

The votes are in and Ashley Fox Designs is nominated for a MN Bride Magazine Best of Floral 2011 award!

The awards ceremony is in July. I'll keep you posted when the time comes.
See all of the nominees here.

The photos show me at age 4 and 6 years. I always loved being in the garden and putting things together.

I found this photo recently of my parents from 1976 at my uncle's wedding. (I was 13 months old at the time.) They taught me to appreciate the arts and plants. Both are very creative and talented people with pencil or paint. My Dad had me out in the garden at a young age and Mom would buy me annuals and perennials to plant even though we didn't have much $$. I am the person I am today because of what I learned from them. Aren't they pretty?!

I miss my twenty-something year old skin...

Carry This, Grow That

2011-03-04T16:26:00.008-06:00

photo by Sarah K. Chen

I was inspired by this idea that I saw on www.ruffledblog.com recently and I wanted to share it with you. Carry the succulents in your bouquet then have your floral designer plant them into a pot the next day/week. The photo on the right shows the plants 2 months after being planted from the bouquet. I keep my succulents happy in the winter by placing them in a sunny, southwest facing window and in the summer they are happy out on the patio. Be careful to slowly introduce your succulents to the summer sun by putting them outside on the deck under a patio umbrella or other shaded area for a month or so, otherwise they risk sunburn, really!

ps-I did not create these beautiful designs seen above. I would love to do my own versions sometime!

Aline and Kyle

2011-03-03T14:11:00.014-06:00

This very sweet couple was married on November 20, 2010. While on a trip to Spain, Aline found the dress. She wanted to keep the European, old world theme throughout her floral and trusted me to create something sculptural and timeless. We ordered many large, single stem, red roses for the reception at the Nicollet Island Pavilion where Aline's friends and family placed single roses in empty wine bottles on each of the 30+ dinner tables. They added candles and voila'! Easy and beautiful DIY centers.

I used a few varieties of red roses, photinia leaves, black calla lilies and black pearl ornamental peppers in the bride's bouquet and the same red roses and leaves for the maids.

I love the way she accessorized with gloves and an antique pin (pin/used as a hair clip, lent to her from my collection).

photos by Kristie Anderson of KEA Photography

Bread and Flowers

2011-02-25T14:13:00.007-06:00

Here's what Tom and the kids were up to while I was delivering Jill and Jon's wedding flowers.
See above. Can you smell it? It tastes as good as it looks. I am lucky to be married to a wannabe baker.

I am so ready for spring. This bouquet contains green ranunculus, a blue/green hydrangea and white lilac. Finished with an ivory velvet ribbon.

The kids got a hold of the camera and somehow set the "show date" button to go on. Couldn't figure out how to get it off before leaving this morning...

I can't get enough of these green ranunculus.

BHLDN

2011-02-16T21:25:00.012-06:00

BHLDN is a new wedding fashion website by the amazing people from Anthropologie. I do not normally blog about fashion, usually just my flowers and the occasional chicken from my backyard, but this texture-rich gem of a site blew me out of the water.

Fashion, for me, is where I get the majority of my inspiration for my designs. On BHLDN's site, I think I hit the mother load.

I never knew I needed leather gardenia moto gloves! Turns out, I do!

Enjoy and happy planning.

all photos from BHLDN

MN Bride Spring 2011 Bouquets

2011-01-26T10:04:00.011-06:00

Thank you to MN Bride for asking me to create two small, white and airy bouquets for your spring 2011 issue! It is an honor to be on the fashion pages with these beautiful gowns. Thanks also to the stylists, Hollie Mae and AJ who are so sweet and wonderful to work with.

In the same issue, Lucas and Rachel's wedding is featured! They were my July 19, 2010 couple who were married at the Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church and reception at the McNamara. Thank you to Graddy Photography for the wonderful images of their beautiful day.

Rachel and Lucas, July 19, 2010

Something New

2011-01-19T07:44:00.003-06:00

http://independentwedding.com/fair-information/

Please call me for tickets to this amazing and informative fair on February 5th, 11am-2pm at the U of M Campus Club!

If you call me now, I have a limited number of free tickets available and if you mention this blog post "I want to go to the Something New Wedding Fair." I will give you two FREE tickets!
Ashley's phone #952-393-4080
If I run out of free tickets they are normally buy one for $10.00 get the second one free! Still a great deal!

Here are some reasons to come to this wedding fair rather than other fairs:
No gimics, no advertising, no swag bags or stuff you don't need. We will give you a cocktail and hores de vours and invite you to sit down and chat with one or many of the talented vendors and hear about the great topics we have chosen to help you plan your wedding. Yes, your specific wedding, not general ideas. There will be time to ask the experts your specific questions.

Hope to see you there!

Please call me directly if you have any questions or would like me to send you some tickets!

Chickens and My Garden

2011-01-13T20:41:00.014-06:00

Last summer, Katrina of Studio Laguna came over to play with her kids. We had a great time in the August (or was it July? there are lilies blooming here) sunshine. You can see Cooper and Lyra with the chickens, Ainsley was around playing somewhere too. What do my kids like? Evelyn is usually in the sandbox and when we went inside for some cool drinks Luc entertained us with his harmonica.

These photos make me feel happy, because I know this snow will not last.

fyi: The chickens are cozy and warm inside their indoor coop, laying eggs for us each day, even in winter. Way to go girls!

Thanks to Katrina for the great photos!

(Yes, I know how lucky I am to have a friend who is an amazing photographer)

One of my favorites

2011-01-11T13:47:00.006-06:00

I created this bouquet 2 years ago for a wedding fair and I would love to create it again for a real bride! Any takers...?

This striking little number contains blue sea holly, picasso calla (two toned variety), white and eggplant calla, ivory china mums and fiddle head ferns (the curly Q's).

This would be a wonderful late summer, fall or winter design.

I could see the maids each carrying their own single type of flower bouquet. One has mum, one has calla, one has sea holly, etc.

Please call me, if interested, 952-393-4080
Serious inquiries only, please.
Really, don't tease me with this one.

;)

Again, black and white flowers, think about it!

Gerbera Daisy, Panda

Candace and Richard

2011-01-01T21:36:00.010-06:00

There are so many reasons why I love this couple, it is hard to know where to begin. First, Richard proposed on March 14 or 3.14 also known as Pi to you math driven minds out there. (My very own husband wanted me to wear his tshirt which says "Got milk? Need Pi" on it for my delivery. I wish I would have remembered to do that!)

Second, the couple was also married on the ever-so-cool date of 1.1.11 at the McNamara Center on the U of M campus.

And third, Candace's dress is very special. It was created for her and I cannot wait to show you the professional images. She had a long version of the skirt for the ceremony and a short version for the reception afterward!

The design concept was centered around the McNamara's clean, warm lines and the use of slate colored river rock. The ceremony aisle was lined on either side with larger river rocks which led to two curly willow urns at the front. I couldn't resist giving the bride and groom a surprise gift of an engraved "C + R" stone, with "1.1.11" engraved on the opposite side. It was placed on the floor next to the front row during the ceremony at the end of the long line of other rocks.

So, what is my New Year's resolution? Learn to take better photos of my work, at least not blurry ones ;) Again, I cannot wait for the professional images and I will share them with you in the future. Happy New Year!

Jennifer and Jason

2010-12-21T20:40:00.020-06:00

Jennifer and Jason were married on a beautiful boat on Lake Minnetonka on a very warm October day. I created two bouquets for the bride. One was her choice of dark chocolate sunflowers, broom corn, orchids and bunny tail "plumes" from a grass variety.

The second bouquet was unplanned. I had some leftover flowers in my studio from a photo shoot earlier that week and wanted to use them up. I hate wasting beautiful flowers! I used baby's breath, pampas grass plumes, roses, mums, queen anne's lace and lysianthus. I asked Jenn to be my model and she was game for two designs! Love her.

Jenn's hair flower was made using a 1930's shoe clip for the center and deconstructed vandella rose petals and bunny tail inbetween which were then secured around the clip. It made for a lightweight and lovely adornment for her hair.

The reception tables were small since they were on a boat. Jenn, the creative person that she is, made 3 sided, vellum, photo luminary frames of her and Jason. We placed a 'Shocking' Oriental lily on each side with some curly willow laying on the table. Simple, striking and the inside of the boat smelled wonderful!

Now, let's dream of those warm fall days again, shall we...?

Images from By Rebeccas Studios

Dan and Evelyn

2010-12-19T23:02:00.012-06:00

Evelyn wanted red. Clean and simple. Red. So, with a little bit of vintage, a little bit of the holidays, infused with her family heirloom silver I used Red Paris and Black Baccara Roses, Camellia folliage and Asian Pears to complete the look.

Thank you Dan and Evelyn! You let me have fun, and I did! :)

Many Thanks to Studio Laguna for the beautiful images.

Hotel 340 in St. Paul is a cozy venue, by the way.
Nice fireplace.
You know the one in the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast?
Yeah, like that.

My First and Best Wedding Fair

2010-11-22T11:48:00.019-06:00

The Independent Wedding Association's Wedding Fair on November 14th was a big party, not your typical wedding fair! From all of the fun vendors, live music, food, cakes and sweets, visiting brides and grooms and the Varsity Theater as the venue, it felt like a huge party! I am so lucky to call this "work time". I was thrilled to chat with many brides and help them begin the process of making their weddings so "them", not what everyone says you should do or expect.

Here are some pictures to give you an idea of what to expect from the next fair, happening at the Campus Club in February...more to come on that soon.

To entertain our brides and grooms at the fair and give them some ideas for their own party we had a pretend wedding, I even got misty eyed and it was fake, I'm such a softy for weddings. I guess that's why I'm in this biz.

I had fun creating circus inspired floral designs for the fake wedding and a table scape perfect for a summer fete' including cotton candy dessert cups. Did I have fun? YES!

For the Mother of the Bride,
a little black purse with a rose and feathers,
instead of the typical corsage on dress or wrist.

Find all of the vendors who are a part of this incredible group at the
Independent Wedding Association website

Fox Family 2010 Photos by Red Bird Hills

2010-11-15T10:33:00.006-06:00

My friend Tasha, of Red Bird Hills, photographed my family this fall. I am over the moon about them. I will treasure these always. My kids crack me up and I am married to the greatest, most loving man in the world. Thank you, Tasha, for capturing these images of us at our home and nearby park in Chaska, MN.

See the full image gallery at my Facebook album
cut and paste this link to your browser
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2094961&id=1496120106&l=9d1a322cdc

Enjoy!

November 14 Independent Wedding Fair

2010-11-05T14:00:00.003-05:00

Ladies, this is where you will meet dedicated, fun vendors in a cool, relaxed atmosphere. They are ready to help you create an extraordinary wedding!
Call me with any questions you may have!
952-393-4080

Get tickets here:

http://independentwedding.com/fair-information/purchase-tickets/

A Fair to Remember

2010-10-31T21:26:00.004-05:00

I'm packing my bags and heading to The Fair!
The Independent Wedding Fair!

Many of you probably know me as a floral designer. But I also wear another hat: I'm a proud member of the Independent Wedding Association, a group of Twin Cities-area wedding vendors (photographers, bakers, florists, musicians and more) dedicated to providing great value and warm, personal service.

Sunday, Nov. 14, 12-4pm, we're putting on a very special event at
The Varsity Theater:
The Independent Wedding Fair!

In a nutshell, it's a gathering of local vendors who meet future brides and grooms in a no-pressure, highly relaxed environment. The emphasis is on having an event that's both fun and fulfilling for everyone involved; we'll have cake samples, "Ask the Experts" panels, and live music.

This year also marks the debut of the "Not So Real Wedding," a whole wedding (and cocktail hour) condensed into one hour to let you watch wedding vendors work their stuff.

You can learn more and buy tickets here -- please pass this note along to anyone you know who might be looking for an alternative to the "bridal industrial complex" -- we're hoping to share the experience far and wide!

http://independentwedding.com/fair-information/purchase-tickets/

The dedicated vendors at this fair will knock your socks off with their personalities and talents. This fair will not be overwhelming; it will be fun. You can learn to dance, eat cake and chill out on a cushy chair while talking to local vendors about flowers, invitations and fashion in the same afternoon! I can't wait to talk to brides about their engagement stories, the dress and, of course, flowers. Can you tell I'm just a bit excited?

:)

With Best Wishes,

Ashley

photo by Studio Laguna

Peach Dahlias

2010-10-20T08:16:00.003-05:00

Gathered from the garden before the frost.
They were my favorite flower this year.
Oh wait, I'm not supposed to play favorites, but can you blame me?

Kate and Tim

2010-10-16T11:54:00.010-05:00

The bride's bouquet with dark purple hydrangea, lavender roses
and sweet pea, red roses with italian ruscus.

The maid's bouquet with vibrant red and pink celosia.

Boutonniere with purple Thai pepers from my garden.

Yep, that's me delivering alter arrangements to the church. :)
You can see a peek of my son, Luc behind me. What a good little helper.

At the Arboretum reception I used containers of purple sage, silver thyme, chartruse lysimachia and purple Thai peppers in a square, metallic silver glaze container. The guests brought them home and were able to plant them in their gardens. Everything except the peppers will grow again next year! Nice! This is my favorite way to do centers for tables.

Thank you Wendy Maybury for the pretty photos!

Tricia and Joel

2010-10-11T20:47:00.022-05:00

"Soft, blue and pretty." I am pretty sure those were the exact words Tricia's mom used when we met for our first consultation and Tricia agreed. :)
I loved the maids' ocean color dresses (cool looking in the high heat of July) and Tricia is just beautiful, inside and out. Gotta love her, she is a teacher!

The bride's bouquet was created using: blue South American hydrangea, light blue tweedia, fresia, sweet pea, mini calla lily and deep blue cornflowers

The maids carried blue hydrangea, fresia and white spray roses

The family did a great job with the DIY table centers. A few blue hydrangea blooms in a neat and simple square vase. Clean, fresh and just right. (fyi: So easy to do, a great money saver!)

Thank you, Tricia and Joel and Congratulations!

Lovely photos by (fellow Chaska resident!) Jeffery Stone Photography

Sarah and Sahand

2010-10-07T20:14:00.018-05:00

The bride's dress was worn by her mother and grandmother on their wedding days.

the bride's bouquet: black dahlia, black/eggplant mini calla, pink nerines, lilies and roses

front of bride's bouquet

The bride requested I place "something blue" on her bouquet.
I found these antique earrings and placed them on the back of the bouquet,
to face Sarah as she walked down the asile.

maid of honor's bouquet

a maid's bouquet

the reception
James J. Hill Library

handsome photos by Studio 306
Thank you!

Blues and Browns

2010-09-17T20:31:00.024-05:00

Alyssa and Matt were married last Friday at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Maple Grove and they wanted brown and cobalt blue flowers with a cottage garden feel. What a beautiful day it was!

I love brown flowers. They seem to add depth to a bouquet and bring out the bright colors and textures of the other flowers around them.

Alyssa is a very petite woman so I made her bouquet small, easy to manage and chock full of beautiful little flowers: tweedia, delphinium, ranunculus, viburnum berries, chocolate cosmos and tiny, cream spray roses.

The bride's bouquet, groom's boutonniere and the 3 year old flower girl's spray rose and eucalyptus wand.

Thank you to Studio Laguna for the beautiful bouquet images!

Here's a quote from the Mother of the Bride sent to me a couple days after the wedding:

"Ashley,
Everything was wonderful! I very much liked the table decorations as they were modern, beautiful, and set the table perfectly. Alyssa's bouquet was exactly what we were looking for. It was great to work with you Ashley. We received many positive comments on the flowers. Thanks! Kathy"

On the cover of Lake Minnetonka Metro Magazine

2010-09-07T14:26:00.016-05:00

A big thank you to Lake Minnetonka Metro Magazine for putting my coral peony bouquet on the cover for their September 2010 issue. What an honor! They also showed four other bouquets inside for the magazine's annual weddings issue. This was an incredible, collaboration photo shoot. I will always be grateful to have been a part of it!

Dresses | Grace Bridal Boutique

Photography | Dolce Studios

Stylist | Richard Anderson of HGTV

Elizabeth and Scott

2010-08-25T21:01:00.018-05:00

Erika McCauley Photographers just sent over these beautiful photos of Elizabeth and Scott's wedding taken on July 17th, 2010. I love how the soft shell pinks mixed with strong vibrant pinks brought color to the ceremony and reception without it feeling like too much, over the top, pink. It was a beautiful day!

The bride's bouquet contained peony, English roses, dahlia and ranunculus

Each of the 19 guest tables had different arrangements.

The maid bouquets contained peony, English roses, tea roses and spray roses

We loved the flower girl's green dress, pink sash, and pink shoes (yep, they were pink too) with coordinating pink spray rose pomander. She carried it around like a football most of the morning. That is why I love dark spray roses--durable. :)

Warehouse Winery

2010-08-23T18:32:00.006-05:00

I had the pleasure of designing some arrangements and a sample wedding bouquet for an Open House for wedding vendors at Warehouse Winery in Minneapolis. This would be a really cool location for a rehearsal dinner, wedding reception, anniversary party or any large gathering where you want to celebrate with friends in a really eclectic and comfortable setting. Give Billy a call. He is really fun to talk to and it was so fascinating to hear about his passion and process of wine making.

Rosey Protea and red viburnum berries with sedum and grasses from my garden.

Thank you to Studio Laguna for the beautiful images.

Adina and Nate

2010-08-15T13:45:00.013-05:00

Adina and Nate were married yesterday in a church, on a beautiful summer day, followed by a reception on a boat in Hudson, WI.

This couple wanted something a little different and natural for their wedding flowers. The airy bouquets and arrangements were inspired by Adina's all over lace dress and her sweet style and personality. She was simply marvelous to work with; a real inspiration.

Purple limonium bunches tied with lace and purple ribbon welcomed guests into the church.

For the bride's bouquet I used ivory sweetheart roses, scaviosa seed pods (the round balls), purple limonium, scaviosa blooms, oregano and light purple allium from my garden. The maids bouquets had sweet smelling dark purple stock added, to stand out against the green dresses.

The mother of the bride used her own personal collection of blue mason jars for the guest tables on the boat. We used white hydrangea and purple limonium to fill the jars. Unfussy and pretty.

Thank you to Studio Laguna for the wonderful images! Beautiful!

Congratulations Adina and Nate!

Emily and Sam

2010-08-02T12:53:00.016-05:00

Emily and Sam were married on July 31st in Red Wing, MN. Emily and Sam are captivating people. They will knock your socks off with their good looks, glowing smiles and bright wit. So I was honored when they chose me to design their flowers and to top it off, I got invited to the wedding! I have been friends with Sam's sister, Elisa, since college. They had a very intimate wedding with less than 170 people on the guest list. My husband I had a great time. We were honored to be a part of this day. I loved creating these clean lined, crisp wedding flowers. The ceremony was at the Indigo Room, and reception at the St. James Hotel, both located in downtown Red Wing. The group shots were taken at Sam's parent's historic home located just a short walk from the ceremony.

The bride carried white tulips and the maids carried all white Asiatic lilies.

The flower girls carried baskets of white rose petals and fresh mint sprigs from my garden and sprinkled them down the aisle.

I grew the wheat grass in white ceramic containers for the cocktail hour. I'm loving the dew from the watering the day before.

Thank you Studio Laguna, the "photographer du jour" for Emily and Sam, for the beautiful photos. To see more images from the wedding go to their blog link:

http://stulagu.bigfolioblog.com/weblog/post/152898

Playing Favorites

2010-07-25T21:31:00.020-05:00

Here's my favorite images from a photo shoot in May inspired by my travels to France (BK: Before Kids). It is so much fun to design, simply, for the love of creating.

Girls just want to have fun--and we did.

Thank you to all who contributed!

Photography | Studio Laguna
Dress | Grace Bridal Boutique
Birdcage Veil | Flutter Boutique
Fruit Pastry | Jessica's Cakes
Graphic Design | Jesse Hughes of Creature Works Labs
Table, Linens and Chairs | Festivities
Model and Hair/Makeup | Stephanie G. (photographer's sister)
Floral | Ashley Fox Designs :)

Elegance With A Twist Of Pink

2010-07-19T13:19:00.025-05:00

"I like pink." This is what the bride told me on our first meeting and we decided on tone on tone pink designs. For her bouquet I used her favorite flowers: peony, dahlia and the petal-filled and sweetly scented garden roses. I also used ranunculus to give her bouquet even more texture. The stem handle was finished with a sheer, antique ribbon with delicate embroidery (from my own collection) and an antique pin which I purchased especially for the bride. It went with the beading on her dress.

The rest of the wedding party was color saturated with bright pink maids dresses and a flower girl with a sweet little stem green dress and pink sash.

One of my favorite memories of the night was the message to the guests written on the top of their menu cards: "Eat, Laugh, Dance"

Thank you to Studio Laguna for the extraordinary images
of my designs, seen above, I love them!

And then there was the reception. The bride and I combined both of our collections of green, pink and clear glassware to create a beautiful mix of soft, sparkling designs. Each table was different. I couldn't resist showing you many of the photos I took on Saturday. Some of the other flowers I used in these photos, besides the bride's favorites, were: sweet pea, hydrangea, tea roses, spray roses, stock and green viburnum blooms.

The pretty cake was made by Buttercream

Congratulations Elizabeth and Scott! I absolutely loved designing your wedding flowers!
Thank You!

Happy Bastille Day!

2010-07-13T22:48:00.005-05:00

The quote below has nothing to do with Bastille Day, but I just found it and wanted to share it with you all. It is how I feel about my husband, Tom. We spent Bastille Day together in Paris in 1999. Today, 2010, we will celebrate the day by eating fresh crepes with peach jam and drinking French press coffee in our kitchen in Chaska, MN. Eat your heart out, Paris.

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Louis de Bernieres

Love is a temporary madness,
it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides.
And when it subsides you have to make a decision.
You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together
that it is inconceivable that you should ever part.
Because this is what love is.
Love is not breathlessness,
it is not excitement,
it is not the promulgation of eternal passion.
That is just being “in love” which any fool can do.
Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away,
and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.
Those that truly love, have roots that grow towards each other underground,
and when all the pretty blossom have fallen from their branches,
they find that they are one tree and not two.

Tricia's "Something Blue"

2010-07-11T12:56:00.011-05:00

Tricia and Joel were married on Saturday!
Each time I finish with a bride's bouquet I say "This is my favorite bouquet I have ever done!"
This little, magical cloud of a bouquet smelled incredible. It contained white sweet pea, white fresia, light blue tweedia, light blue hydrangea, white mini calla and bright blue cornflower. I love this bouquet. I think it is my favorite one. Until next time... ;)

Thank you, Studio Laguna, for the beautiful images!

Rachel and Lucas, June 19, 2010

2010-06-21T13:34:00.014-05:00

The bride's bouquet contained hydrangea, magolica spray roses, phalenopsis orchids, vandella roses, mini calla lilies, lily grass and finally, green and white goose neck loosestrife from my garden.

submerged dendrobium orchids and floating candles

seem to "float" on the infinity-like pool at the reception

wheat grass and cymbidiums on the the cocktail tables

They love their dogs!

2010-06-19T21:20:00.013-05:00

Today Rachel and Lucas got married at the Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church and reception at the McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis. Rachel is sweet as can be and she also knew what she wanted to see at her wedding: lots of candles with a green, white, ivory, black and charcoal gray color scheme. The designs were glowing, sleek and fun. I think the color scheme worked great. Well done Rachel and Lucas and congratulations! Oh, and they had the best table number cards ever...black and white 5 x 7 photos of their two cute bulldogs. I'm pretty sure those will be a hit tonight.

head table phalenopsis tree

Fresh From The Garden

2010-06-13T07:46:00.013-05:00

This week, I took advantage of the last of the gorgeous magenta peony in my garden. (Peony are available in MN in May and June. They are also available from the wholesaler cooler in winter, but they are costly.) I mixed them with dark red Asiatic lilies, dark red shrub roses and the chocolate colored Purple Palace Coral Bells leaves and their tiny, pink/white blossoms. The result is a romantic and passionate mix of June flowers. Perfect for the bride who wants something feminine and different. I love the Coral Bells leaves. Not only does the rich chocolate color on top compliment the red and magenta flowers, but the underside of the leaves has a magenta hue all its own! I love my garden.

Underside of Coral Bells leaves

This is my son, Lucas. He is going to be 3 in August
and wanted to show me his car and be in the photo. :)

Playing Dress Up

2010-05-29T23:31:00.012-05:00

I've been married for almost 10 years now. In that time, I have traveled with my husband, bought a house, had two beautiful children and started my own floral design business. The one thing that has not changed over these past 10 years is...I love dressing up!

Today I collaborated with my friends at Studio Laguna and Grace Bridal Boutique to dress up and take some new photos for my website. It was a wonderful opportunity to create images which show my personality and love of all things floral, weddings and fashion. I really enjoyed incorporating items from my own collection such as gloves, jewelry, shoes, a parasol and gorgeous white peonies from my own garden.

For this bouquet I used peach Juliet garden roses, red spray roses, white spirea and wax flower, peach stock blooms, asters, green helebores, blue bachelor buttons and white peony from my garden then tied with a light blue sash.

Pink and Green

2010-05-22T23:58:00.024-05:00

Jaime and Jared were married yesterday at Bayview Event Center in Excelsior along Lake Minnetonka. Before delivery, I took the wedding party bouquets to a local antique store, The Vintage Cottage in Chaska, to be photographed (since it was pouring rain outside, where I usually take pictures to document the bouquets). Lucky for me the antique shop was featuring pink and white yesterday!

At the wedding:
Jaime envisioned a pink and green color scheme for the ceremony and reception, without overdoing it. She was wonderful to work with because she was firm in her style, but open to suggestions regarding details for floral. We decided upon hydrangea, roses, orchids, spider mums and limes for a bold and fresh look.

The arbor was created by my husband Tom, especially for Jaime and Jared's wedding. It is also available for future weddings. The day was really windy, so we used a total of 200 lb of Quick-Crete bags to weigh it down. The arbor didn't move an inch the entire afternoon and the hydrangea blooms stayed perfectly in place for the ceremony and into the cocktail hour.

Congratulations Jaime and Jared! I had a great time!

Backyard Bouquets

2010-05-05T21:30:00.011-05:00

I couldn't resist the lovely, once a year lure of lilacs. Their color, scent and soft textures are wonderful to use in vased or hand tied arrangements. I loved using the green mint with the dark lilac. And the scent--wow, so good. I kept my nose in these bouquets all day, later giving them to the lovely Katrina of Studio Laguna, thanking her for capturing these beauties from all angles.
A note on the robin eggs. The mama abandoned them in a nest in our yard and I collected them to show off their extraordinary color.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Lilacs, see you next year, I'll miss you!

Prom King and Queen (of Hearts)

2010-05-02T22:08:00.005-05:00

Challenge #1:
How to design a corsage and boutonniere for an Alice in Wonderland themed prom?
I used the King and Queen of Hearts, of course!

Challenge #2:
How to design this very last minute order using only fresh product found in my own garden?
I gathered lily of the valley, dark purple columbine, pink saxifragia and young birch leaves.

I heard later that afternoon the clients loved having such unique and locally grown "floral bling" for their prom night.

A Vintage Collection

2010-04-15T08:14:00.051-05:00

Vintage is in right now. So why do some people love it so much? I will tell you why I am smitten: the muted colors, rich textures, the one of a kind looks which can be soft and lovely. I wanted my designs, for a recent photo shoot and fashion show, to be exactly those things: soft, lovely and totally touchable. I had thought about splitting the two vintage inspired events into two different blogs, but the photos wanted to stay together, so I let them.

keyhole bouquet & key boutonniere

The wheat and antique apple pin bouquet
An homage to my favorite time of year

Photography | Studio Laguna

Dresses | Andrea's Vintage Bridal

On Location | Kathie's Finds and Semple Mansion

Au Naturale Boutonniere

2010-04-08T22:24:00.003-05:00

I collected this Sugar Maple twig this morning while the kids and I were on a walk, intent to show them how trees grow (from buds in winter to seeds or leaves in spring), but upon closer inspection I realized what a little treasure I had!
This is the most perfect boutonniere in my book. Nature made, clean, elegant, not fussy and readily available in many people's backyards. (this stem is 4" in length) You could cluster a few twigs of this together to make a more stand out boutonniere, if you like. Use them in corsages or bouquets of either classic style or more earthy quality. I love the simple structure of this. I could go on for awhile, but I don't want to diminish it's beauty, so just look and enjoy for yourself. Spring Is Here.

Early April brides out there, remember this one!

Vintage on the Runway

2010-03-28T20:33:00.009-05:00

I love going to Semple Mansion in Minneapolis. It doesn't matter if I am a guest attending an event or there as a vendor, I just love this venue! The rich colors, dark woodwork and incredible architecture spanning the 3 or 4 floors, are incredible. So when I was asked to create the bouquets for Andrea's Vintage Bridal fashion show taking place at Semple, I thought "Vintage inspired flowers + Semple = Lucky Me"

The dresses were incredible and in perfect condition. The food must be talked about. If Chowgirls Killer Catering is wrong, then I don't wanna be right. I love these two and their food so much I seek out events where they will be so I can eat their food. Seriously.

Studio Laguna captured all of the alluring details.
click here on their blog to see a small photo sampling of the day.
http://stulagu.bigfolioblog.com/weblog/post/144099

More pictures soon to follow!

Wedding on the Farm

2010-03-21T20:48:00.012-05:00

I was looking at my past weddings of 2009 and this is one of my Top 3. Why? Here's a list in no particular order and in brainstorm-words off the top of my head-sort of fashion: bright, rich colors, apple trees everywhere, the groom's family farm, children playing, guests at ease and a sense of joy all around. These are some of the pictures that didn't make it on the first blog of this wedding back in August 2009.

Ain't she sweet?!
Her earrings match the bouquet!

Orange Vanda orchids and Irish Bells with curly willow center

I loved the bride's rich linen color choices.

Jade Dendrobium orchids (above)

Purple Lysianthus and lime green hosta leaves

Orange Mokara orchids

Green Hydrangea from Holland

Thanks again Sarah and Jeff!

Susan and Andy married on January 9, 2010

2010-03-11T08:30:00.006-06:00

(anyone else notice this picture of Susan, above, is in the same position as my profile pic?!)
cute coincidence.

Thank you, Susan and Andy, for inviting me to be a part of your romantic wedding day!

Vintage Bridal Fashion Show

2010-03-05T14:08:00.005-06:00

If you like vintage then you do not want to miss this fun event at Semple Mansion on Saturday, March 27, 10:30am. There will be chances to win vintage jewelry, fresh flowers and when you purchase a ticket you receive 10% off of a dress at Andrea's Vintage Bridal. This will be a very cool runway show of many one of a kind vintage dresses, accessories and wedding bouquets (by yours truly).

Dresses are from Andrea's Vintage Bridal located in the Lynn Lake area of Minneapolis. You can visit her site to learn more about the show, just click on her link above.

Here's how to get a ticket:
Tickets are first come, first serve. Tickets are $20.00 each. To purchase, send a check to Andrea's Vintage (mailing address) at 4601 Excelsior Boulevard, Suite 333, St. Louis Park, MN 55416. Please include the names of all attenders as well a phone number where we can reach you. You may also purchase tickets in the store. Email at andrea@vintagebridal.biz or call Andrea at 612-716-8006 for additional information.

Hope to see you there!

Vintage Wedding Bouquets

2010-03-01T07:08:00.002-06:00

Playing dress up never gets old for me. I love playing it with my daughter and I love doing it for my job. My job! What a great job I have.

I collaborated on a photo shoot recently with Katrina from Studio Laguna capturing images, Andrea's Vintage Bridal gowns, Kathie's Finds as a backdrop and two models (along with 3 Great Danes who lived on site!)

The photos Katrina captured show my vintage inspired bouquets and other arrangements. One, a very opulent number and the other more natural with a keyhole stem handle and matching key boutonniere. I am so proud of the images that were captured!

Enjoy a sneak peak of the photo shoot at Studio Laguna's site. click on the blog.
www.stulagu.com

More photos to come soon on this blog and on my site.

Lake Minnetonka Metro Magazine Cover September 2009

2010-02-23T14:34:00.007-06:00

The September 2009 issue of Lake Minnetonka Metro Magazine featured one of my bouquets!

It was an honor to be chosen for the cover and so cool to see this glossy image come in my mailbox.

The bouquet was created for a wedding in July 2009. The cover features a maid's bouquet.
Thanks Metro for putting me on the cover!

Yes, I realize this was awhile ago, but better late than never?
Enjoy the nice article they wrote about Ashley Fox Designs at the link below

www.metromag.com/0p174a3417/local-weddings/?currentPage=1

Angie and Seth Part 2

2010-02-05T13:55:00.017-06:00

Angie is holding her "I don't care if it freezes" winter, hardy bouquet. Ask your floral designer to create one if you are having a winter wedding!

Place card table decor using natural items to hold pictures of family weddings past.

Birch log table centers with gold tip cedar and seeded eucalyptus accents.

Hand made (by Ashley Fox Designs) luminaries on birch branches glowed all evening with their hidden LED lights inside. They glowed like a real candle.

Angie and Seth, Part 1

2010-02-04T22:01:00.020-06:00

Angie and Seth were married on December 31, 2009.
In Angie's Minnesota themed bouquet: Purple lady slipper orchids, white peony, fern, seeded eucalyptus, white spray allium, river birch seed pods and red photina.

Seth's bout: Eucalyptus seed pod, gold tip cedar, white spray allium and river birch seeds

The above photo makes me smile.

Cute boots ladies!

1/8 th of the wedding party :)
bouquet of white peony, red peony, red roses, fern and seeded eucalyptus

Reception photos, just around the corner...

MN Bride Magazine Bouquet Photos

2010-02-02T21:27:00.015-06:00

I am proud to have two of my bouquets in the pages of the Spring 2010 issue of MN Bride!

My bouquets...

Here are some photos I took of the bouquets the morning of the shoot at the stylist's house.

Bright Yellow Bouquet contains: mini calla, fresia, feverfew, green trichillium, and Midas Touch roses.

Blush Pink Bouquet contains: hydrangea, hyacinth, blush vandella roses, blushing bride protea and sedum blooms from my garden. Bouquets were created in September 2009. Thank you to MN Bride for this wonderful opportunity for my (literally) growing business. :)

First Anniversary Idea

2010-01-29T23:42:00.004-06:00

Paper is the traditional first anniversary gift. A client wanted to give his wife something pretty, lasting and made with paper, following tradition. This is what I came up with. I used a sweet little trunk and filled it with hand made paper and button flowers.

I find these little suitcase/trunks all over the place from vintage stores to good will shelves.

I would love to use a sleek looking trunk/vintage makeup case or a very small, dark leather suitcase (the one seen here is only 12 inches long) for an order. I could use copies of wedding reception menus, your invitations, any paper! then create a simple and elegant little arrangement. The arrangement could be sweet and playful, like the one seen above or it could easily be made to look sleek and upscale by using a dark leather trunk with crisp, monotone papers and beautiful marble or shell produced buttons (I have those by the way ;)

I also have a vast collection of my own papers from abroad, vintage store wallpapers or even the newspaper from the day you were married! The possibilities are endless. Of course, the buttons are all from antique stores, thrift, etc., as well. Yes, I realize I have a vintage store shopping addiction.

My Support Team

2010-01-17T21:55:00.006-06:00

I would like to thank some very special people in my life who have made it possible for me to accomplish my dreams of having my own floral design business. Without these people, I would never be able to have this fantastic, creative outlet that brings me so much joy.

My Mom: Who has always supported my creativity from the beginning and who watches my two children as I design in the studio. I love my mom.

My Husband: I am the luckiest woman in the world to have you as a partner and father of our children. Your support has been immeasurable.

(no pic available) To my friend Doris, my floral assistant in spring/summer 2009: Thank you for your hard work, dedication and laughter and your green van was awesome.

To my friend Sarah (above), my floral assistant in fall/winter of 2009: Thank you for your knowledge, chocolate treats, laughter and speedy fingers. see more of her floral work at www.westvig.com

(no pic available) And to Tabithah: I don't know how you can stay up so late to take down all of the flowers after the weddings. Thank you so much for your hard work!

I love what I do and I am so thankful for all of my supportive friends and family who I could not list here individually, but you know who you are. I thank you all!

A Winter Wedding, -9 on the 9th

2010-01-09T21:01:00.017-06:00

As I sat in my van, about to make my first wedding delivery of 2010, I looked at the temperature reader near the driver's seat and it read -9 degrees outside. I took a deep breath, grabbed the flower box and made a run for the hotel doors. I did plan ahead. I packed the precious and delicate cargo of hydrangea, calla lilies and anemones in tissue and newspaper inside a cardboard box which was inside a plastic bag. A woman inside the hotel asked me "How do you keep those warm?!" My reply was (as any born and raised Minnesotan will tell you how to keep warm) "Layers."

Here is a fun idea for future winter brides: Have your floral designer create an outside bouquet. If you want to take any photos outside when it is below 32 degrees you cannot take your fresh flowers with you. They will freeze, wilt and turn brown. A bouquet especially created to withstand the winter chill would be a nice addition to outdoor photographs. Items that can be used in a winter hardy bouquet would be boxwood, any type of evergreen, blue privet berry and eucalyptus. I recently created an outdoor bouquet using some "floral leftovers" for a December 2009 wedding which had cedar, white tuber rose and unopened burgandy peony buds. Except for the cedar, the other items would certainly freeze, but we didn't mind. The bouquet would last long enough to take some photos and capture the moment.

bouquet top view

Ceremony flowers of submerged hydrangea.
There was another set on the other side.

For the centerpieces, the bride wanted purple, elegant and budget-friendly flowers. Two stems of purple vanda orchids looked soft, yet clean, very pretty. I also placed a single orchid on each guest's napkin. It adds more color and makes the guest feel really welcome at the celebration. Orchids, gotta love em'. I also gave the head table 10 stems of orchids adding more of the bride's color of choice to the day.

Minnesota Nice, Part 2

2010-01-02T22:17:00.013-06:00

I took the bride's idea for a MN outdoor theme and created woodland inspired arrangements using ferns, gold tip cedar, blue privet berry, small and large eucalyptus seed pods and red photina. These arrangements were at the base of the tall luminary trees on half of the tables. The small luminaries hanging on the trees needed to be lightweight. Birch branches are small and delicate, so my assistant and I made the luminaries ourselves (all 130 of them!) using paper mache' method. We placed LED lights inside and Voila! The result was a warm and romantic celebration at Nicollet Island Pavilion.

On the other half of the tables I used birch logs in clear cylinder vases. The birch was harvested from my in-law's woods at their farm in WI. These were a simple and easy way to create drama on the low table centers. Simple for me anyway, I just dropped the logs into the vase. My husband and his dad had to go out and cut it all down! On all of the tables I used many, many candles to create a warm glow.

Tiny moss, eucalyptus and cedar jars were placed on the birch vase tables to add even more color and texture. It's all about layering.

The place card table had a collection of apothecary jars and other clear vases with photos of weddings past within the bride and groom's families. I used moss, eucalyptus seeds and gold tip cedar to place inside the vases and "hold" the photos in place.

Thank you to Studio Laguna for the beautiful images.

Minnesota Nice, Part 1

2010-01-01T09:37:00.010-06:00

Angie and Seth were married yesterday. I have never had the pleasure of meeting Seth, but I can tell you this, he married a wonderful woman! Angie is so sweet and nice, runs marathons and loves the outdoors. She wanted her flowers and decor to reflect her love of MN outdoors. My brain thought of lady slipper orchids, birch trees and ferns. You can see all of these elements throughout her bouquet. Can you find the brown birch seed pods? :)

She also had a "pieces of the past" theme to the wedding, with wedding photos of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents on the guest tables. In honor of this idea, and as a surprise, I purchased some gold and ivory colored, antique buttons at a shop across the street from where Angie purchased her dress. I found a button with intertwined circles for Angie's bouquet! Each of the 8 girls and the bride had a different (but similar color) button on their bouquets as a keepsake. It worked well and the end product was just right. I loved this wedding. More coming soon.

Here's a sneak peek at our prep work for the table center decor...

Warmest Wishes From My Home To Yours

2009-12-19T22:25:00.003-06:00

Click here to read an interview I did recently for the talented people at Studio Laguna, a photography studio in the Twin Cities.

Bri and Andy on October 17, 2009

2009-12-17T15:38:00.018-06:00

This effortlessly beautiful bride was equally uncomplicated in her planning. From my first conversations with her during planning process she described a simple, natural, elegant and lovely experience for her wedding day. The delicate bouquet was created using heather, lavender, purple beauty berries, mums and fresia. I have blogged about this wedding before, but I loved it so much I had to show you what their photographer www.dolcestudios.com sent me!

The gorgeous mother of the bride wore Versace! Love it.

Sweet as can be; waiting for their big entrance :)
Thank you again Bri and Andy, this was one of my favorite weddings of the year, my only regret is that Mesa and Bentley, your two pups, were not able to attend the wedding due to their, exuberance, shall we say? :) All my best to you both in the future!

Minneapolis Style

2009-12-01T22:12:00.020-06:00

Put together a September wedding at Semple Mansion, a custom dress, a gorgeous bride and her maids, a dapper gent and photos from www.barclayhorner.smugmug.com and you will get pure loveliness...

The bride's bouquet includes white hydrangea, purple lady slipper orchids, white cymbidium orchids, large white mums and brown seedpod accents from a field near my house :)

Bridesmaids bouquets include white hydrangea, white mums, hypnose roses, scaviosa seed pods, eucalyptus seed pods, and the oh-so-cool purple mini artichoke.

scaviosa seed pod, eucalyptus leaf, purple leaf, folded over, from my garden (I will find out the name and tell you soon), and brown seed pods from a wildflower field.

Carmelle Hennagir, the incredible dress designer and seamstress from Grace Bridal Boutique, helps adjust a custom bracelet and broach the bride created herself from pieces she found at antique stores.

The bride with Jocelyn Davis-George, owner of Grace Bridal Boutique, and one of my favorite people in the world to work with and laugh with! I just love her!

Amazing details on the bride's dress created by Carmelle. Your work is incredible!

Kristi and Nathan, I just love you two, thank you for including me in your beautiful day!! It was so much fun designing for you!

Studio Laguna

2009-11-19T22:39:00.006-06:00

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."
I asked Katrina from Studio Laguna to come to my home and photograph my family. We all had such a great time, I am going to make it an annual event! She captured, in a photo journalistic style, our family doing what we love--making/eating popcorn and playing outside. The images she captured took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes, I simply LOVE them. See some of the many images she captured on her blog http://stulagu.bigfolioblog.com scroll down to the entry titled Sunny Fall Day.

If you are looking for a photographer for an event, wedding or just need pics of the family, Katrina is the real deal.

And, as with most guests to our home, I gave her a dozen eggs from our chickens. The giant one was a double yolk! nice.

Laura and Dustin

2009-11-18T21:36:00.001-06:00

Laura and Dustin were married in September at the Millennium Garden in Plymouth. I had a real soft spot for this couple. Laura is the niece of a dear friend and she chose Leonidas roses as part of her bouquet. (I carried them in my wedding as well :) I love the rust colored, two tone Leonidas, seen on the cake too. The bouquets looked great against the apple red maids dresses and the flower girls were sweet--always willing to pose for the camera! Thank you to Kemmetmueller Photography for these images.

Walking the Labyrinth

En Masse

2009-11-13T13:44:00.009-06:00

One of my philosophies as a floral designer is to put flowers in places where people are going to appreciate them, whether it is in the home or at a large event. Quality over quantity, especially if your budget is small. If a bride has a small budget for flowers I say "Use most of your budget on your bouquet and go light on the rest. Everyone will be looking at you [the bride] anyway." One or two of these displays at a wedding is all you need to showcase your favorite flowers, on a budget.

You can do this display yourself, if you feel comfortable. Go to Good Will, garage sales, thrift stores and collect containers in a similar style or material. In this case I chose clear glass. Each vase has its own type of flower. In this photo you can see white cushion mums, green cushion mums, tall green penny crest and oh so pretty white button mums. They look great all together and this would be a perfect display for a place card table, dessert table, etc. Make sure to put this display where your you and your guests can "ohhh" at it all night. Order the flowers in bulk from Costco, a favorite floral shop, or me :)

The great thing about mums...they last a very long time. These arrangements have been sitting in my studio for at least 4 or 5 days. You may ask "What should I put on the guest tables if I don't have flowers?" My answer to you is "Candles. As many as you can afford." They are cheaper than flowers and they give a romantic mood, more so than any flowers could. Trust me. I think I need to blog about candles next...

wine goes with everything

2009-11-09T14:37:00.015-06:00

Kristin and Jim were married in September. It just so happens the groom's last name is Norton and the couple incorporated a wine of the same name into the reception decor. Love the cool detail! Looks like wine colored flowers were on the menu as well. Black baccara roses, deep red calla lilies and dahlia. The intimate and gorgeous images are from A Truth Be Shown Photography, thanks Gina!

The bride knew what she wanted to see against the chocolate brown maids dresses--great pops of color. Fuscia ranunculus, red cockscomb celosia and green buplerum fit the request alongside black baccara roses and red dahlias. Green skimmia leaves encircle the bouquet.

With the bride and her mom leading the way, a team of friends and family created the reception centers using bulk flowers they ordered through Ashley Fox Designs. Way to go!

Congratulations, you two, it was an absolute pleasure working with you!

Whites and Greens

2009-11-07T22:28:00.012-06:00

Metro Magazine asked me to put together some moss and white flower spheres for their lounge area at this weekend's The Affair Expo at the Convention Center. If you want style ideas for your wedding or just planning a party for friends or a large business group, then you might find your inspiration at The Affair Expo. There are booths showing off cakes, interior design ideas, creative, formal table settings and more.

The moss spheres were fun to make, messy, but fun, and the final product is neat and clean, yet soft and approachable. The white button mum spheres were also fun to make and smelled great too. They will live for a few days because they are in floral oasis foam. Other flowers I used in the order: white hydrangea, dendrobium orchids, gerbera daisies and green penny crest.

I love the chandelier from Linen Effects, when topped with 9 moss spheres it has a whole new feel.

Married In A Garden

2009-11-04T10:03:00.012-06:00

Katy and Tom were married in August at Arneson Gardens in Edina and reception for 30 people at Cozy's Steak and Seafood next to the Galleria. I loved this ceremony location. Easy to get to, quiet, pretty and near many wonderful reception sites and restaurants. The bright color scheme they chose was so fun to work with. The bright colors said "We are going to have a glorious day and no one can stop us!" The weather was beautiful and so was the bride, her maid and flower girl. Her bouquet stem pin is a loaner from my personal collection of antique pins and jewelry. I loved working with Katy and Tom. They are sweet natured and easy going. Thanks to Mortenson Photography for many of the wonderful images.

Autumn is my favorite

2009-11-03T14:05:00.007-06:00

Autumn has my favorite everything: colors, temperature, plant textures and my birthday and wedding anniversary also happen to "fall" in the month of October. So I was very happy when Studio Laguna Photography asked me to deck out their front yard last weekend for Halloween/Autumn season. I loved setting out the Jardale pumpkins (white/green color), mix of grasses and berries, along with a game of gourd tick tac toe and chandelier with gourd candles to greet you at the entry. The carpet of yellow and orange sugar maple leaves were an excellent backdrop. They kept the leaves in the yard and didn't rake for the occasion. So smart. Many thanks to Studio Laguna for these images!

Luxurious Scent=Heavenly Day

2009-10-29T21:47:00.029-05:00

Kari and Joey's wedding was decked out in blues and purples. Wedding flowers are wonderful when they look great, but they are even more memorable and fabulous if you choose flowers with a scent you adore. Kari and her maids held bouquets of roses, hyacinth and stock. Other flowers that smell great: fresia, gardenia, lily of the valley, some oriental lily varieties and stephanotis. The bride and groom chose a unique theme for their wedding, Skylines... each of the guest tables were named after famous buildings from around the major US cities. The ceremony was at Central Lutheran in Minneapolis and the reception was on the 50th floor of the IDS tower. (cool thing I remember: I watched Obama's motorcade pull into the Target Center as I set up their flowers on the 50th floor, quite the view!) back to business--I wanted the flower arrangements to reflect both Kari's divine dress and the skyline theme. The placecard table had a series of 10 rectangle vases with orchids and blue LED lights to minic a skyline. Kari's amazing dress was purchased at Grace Bridal Boutique in Excelsior. I have blogged about this wedding before, but Kari sent me these great photos and I had to show you more of their beautiful day. Thank you to www.imagesbykris.com for the beautiful photos.

Vibrant in July

2009-10-25T20:35:00.014-05:00

While I was with Marie on her wedding day she had an everlasting smile. Her smile made me so happy and her flower color choices went beautifully with her personality. Marie and Tim were married in a large church and had a reception in a very large hall. The colorful bouquets and centerpieces “popped” nicely in the large spaces. Flowers in the bouquets: vanda and mokara orchids, mini calla lilies, white fresia, dahlias, fiddlehead fern and salal greens. Thank you to Jacki V. Photography for capturing these gorgeous images.

I love how the shimmery, navy blue bridesmaids dresses set off the colorful flowers. I have seen this color dress on many bridesmaids this season, and for good reason--it looks good on all skin types! Future brides, give it a try if you don't want your maids in black.

Egg Dreams

2009-10-21T12:16:00.004-05:00

On Sunday night I had a dream. The dream went like this: I went into the chicken coop and looked into the nest boxes. I found a small tower of neatly stacked up, cracked and empty egg shells. Apparently, my chickens had been laying eggs for some time, cracking them open, eating the inside and stacking the empty shells in the back corner of the box. Since I was not eating the eggs, the chickens thought they should not be going to waste.

I do not dream of chickens laying eggs on a regular basis.

I woke up the next morning (on my birthday) and thought for a moment about the dream and then let it go. I went out into the coop that morning and thought for kicks I would check the nest boxes. Low and behold, there were 2 eggs waiting for me in the boxes. Am I psychic or just REALLY in tune with my chickens? Either way, it was really shocking to me. The young chickens were scheduled to start laying in November, when they reached a mature age of 5 months old.
FYI: The eggs were delicious. Bright, deep, golden yellow yolks tasted great scrambled with bacon and cheese with a side of toast. A nice birthday breakfast. If you live in an area zoned for chickens I highly recommend having them as pets.

A Natural Beauty

2009-10-18T14:25:00.033-05:00

Brianna and Andy were married on Saturday at the Calhoun Beach Club. It was an absolute pleasure working with Bri. I cannot say enough nice words about this beautiful bride (inside and out!) and her very sweet husband. Brianna and Andy's wedding was different for many reasons. One, the very relaxed atmosphere of their family, friends and even the bride herself gave a truly harmonious feel to the afternoon and into their twilight ceremony. Two, the floral arrangements appeared to be gathered from the prairie and naturally beautiful and "so Bri" as her dad and mom said as they entered the reception hall. When the parents of the bride say those words after they look at the flowers, I feel I have done my job well.

The inspiration for the floral arrangements can best be described with these key words Bri used during our first consultation: wildflowers, branches, berries, simple, airy, soft, muted colors, not too contrived and, my favorite term, Anthropology store-esque. Then she gave me the greatest gift any bride can give her floral designer--she gave me her trust. When a client gives me their trust I am inspired and driven to do my best work for them and it never fails. The bride's dress was also inspiring to me, as usual. The delicate lace of the gown needed an equally delicate bouquet. All of the little details from the bride's exquisite jewelry and purse to her floral hairpiece really made this wedding one I will remember for a long time.

Some of the flowers I used for the 12 different table centers: beach branches, smoke bush, purple salvia, millet, purple mums, mini cymbidium orchids, astilbe, purple beauty berry (in silver vase only).
Flowers I used for the bouquets: pink heather, purple mums, purple beauty berry, purple fresia, and lavender flowers and bouquet handles wrapped with antique lace and ribbon from my grandmother's collection.

Warning: This blog entry contains many photos. I couldn't resist, enjoy!

Tucked into the brides loose updo, an adornment of heather, lavender and beauty berry.

The bride said the back of the dress was her favorite part.

The ring was a wedding gift and the purse she purchased online from etsy.com from Russia.

Posing with sister

The lovely and stylish maids. The dresses are from Anthropology.

The 12 different vases for the table centers were all purchased by the bride from antique stores and garage sales. The candles in cylinders compliments of her dad, Bruce, nice job! I love the contrast of the clean, crisp white room with the texture rich arrangements, it works beautifully.

The head table arrangements. I put my favorite vase on this table. Bri said the vase cost her $3 at a garage sale. Love it.

Warm and Lovely

2009-09-25T14:53:00.017-05:00

Kristi and Nathan are lovely people and were married today at Semple Mansion. I have had the honor of being their floral designer and seated next to them at a friend's party. I was very excited to create these very soft designs for them. These bouquets do have a secret, if you turn them around you will find a mini purple artichoke in the maids bouquet and two dark purple lady slipper orchids in the bride's bouquet! (I will show you that in another blog later.) I loved using the mini purple artichokes in the maids bouquets, which the bride, her maid and I chose out of the wholesaler cooler as a joke and then said, "Wait, these are perfect!"
Many thanks to Studio Laguna for the first 5 images shown! Katrina, you rock my floral world :)