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I love working with Jasmine Star for so many reasons. Besides her energy and spunky personality, she takes FABULOUS floral detail shots and always spoils me with the images. It’s only been a month since Naomi and Steve’s 2.28.09 wedding, and yesterday morning I received a disc with all my favorite flower images. Score!
My meeting with Nichole and Kerrie Underhill was one of the most fun consults ever. We laughed, we gushed, we brainstormed…and the vision for this energetic wedding emerged. Nichole wanted her florals to be voluptuous, dramatic and modern, with lots of sparkle. I loved how Nichole was willing to take risks with her florals and color palette.
Special thanks to Kerrie and her sweet assistants. Setting up all the intricate details for this wedding was not an easy task, and the Platinum Weddings gals were so eager to help us out along the way. You rock!
Extra special thanks to my amazing TPetal helpers (Shana, Deb, and my lovely sis) who, with superhuman strength, hoisted 70 pound arrangements onto the tables, snapped the heads off of over 1000 roses, poured enough blue water to fill a swimming pool, and came back at midnight to clean it all up. I adore you guys!
I am so excited to share Nichole and Mike’s wedding with you. When I saw Amy Squire’s blog post this morning, my jaw dropped. They captured this wedding so fabulously. Check out their blog post for the full scoop!
Meet the beautiful couple! I love how Amy Squires found so many cool backdrops at the Huntington Beach Hyatt.
Kathy and Gregg saw a funky pattern on their photographer’s shootsac and instantly fell in love with the playful green, black and white color scheme. This became the inspiration for the wedding. We wanted to use those very modern colors in a more natural, rustic way to complement their venue, The French Estate- a beautiful old house surrounded by trees in Orange, my hometown.
Here’s a little peak at their fresh and modern wedding captured by the insanely talented Gabriel Ryan. It was so great to finally meet Gabriel and Carlie- I’ve been a long time admirer of their work, and they couldn’t have been more chill, sweet, and gracious that day. Check out their blog for the full post!
Thank you to Kerrie Underhill for being so fabulous throughout the planning and execution of Kathy and Gregg’s wedding. Kerrie is so sharp! Not a detail is overlooked when Kerrie is in charge, and I love that!
The bride carried hydrangea, ranunculus, peonies, orchids, black dahlias, and more. the bridesmaids carried nosegays of chartreuse spider mums. Classic!
I have a few weddings coming up that will feature black florals, either in mass amounts or as striking accents against other colors. When I say “black” florals, I really mean dark burgundy, purple or brown. There are, to my knowledge, no truly black flowers. But here are some that give the impression of black and look so amazing and mysterious in arrangements:
My favorite, black dahlias:
Here I am putting the finishing touches on one of last weekend’s casual and funky centerpieces featuring black dahlias. I did purposefully wear a green, black and white dress to match the wedding color palette. I look WAY too intense in this pic.
After reading my friend Trista’s blog post on her gorgeous home decor inspirations, I wanted to gab about mine, too! It was a bit of a struggle figuring out my home decor style. From week to week I find myself delving into so many completely different styles. My first wedding of ‘09 was soft, romantic, and traditional, last week- black and white graphics and lime green florals. This week the style will be sultry, over the top glam, next week - cutesy grapefruit pink and mercury glass. And I can honestly say I get overly excited about each and every wedding I do! In that moment when I’m seeing it all come together, I feel like it IS my style. I really get into it, you know?
But my home is completely mine. I don’t have to worry if it suits anyone else’s style. I just want it to be absolutely, positively ME (and Joe of course 
).
After browsing through endless design blogs and mags, Joe and I decided we want our home decor to be:
Cozy. Eclectic. Welcoming. International. Detailed. Slightly worn. Antique. Exotic. Affordable. Nothing too trendy. Nothing that I’ll need to overhaul in a few years. I’m trying to buy most of my furniture and tchotchkes off of craigslist, ebay, and flea markets.
Although deep, Tuscan red is typically not my favorite color (I’m more of a pink girl) I just love how warm it makes a home feel. And for Joe a pink house was not an option. So we started with ruby red and other jewel tones against the preexisting yellow-beige walls and neutral travertine floors.
I found a few inspiration pics that seemed to call out to me right away via Desire To Inspire:
When I met Naomi and Steve for our initial consultation, Naomi literally squealed with joy at the floral vision we were brainstorming. Our goal was to bring out the natural beauty of Rancho Las Lomas, which is nestled in Silverado Canyon, a place where I spent much of my childhood hiking the trails and splashing in the creek (back then it was safe, but I might grow some extra limbs if I tried that now!) Naomi’s excitement was infectious- I couldn’t help but be excited for this gorgeous lavender, cream and sage wedding. Naomi wanted classic florals with unexpected elements of sparkle. Lots of candlelight, fluffy florals and pretty scents (lavender, hyacinth, gardenias, etc.) Also rustic, garden elements like moss, fresh herbs, wooden planters and curly willow branches. My last few weddings of 2008 were fabulously funky and modern, so it was nice to do start the year off with a soft, traditional, feminine wedding.
The dream team of vendors included Angel Swanson and Jasmine Star, who I adore working with. Those girls have so much energy and talent. Check out Jasmine’s blog for the full story on this precious couple, and the rest of the stunning imagery. Since I’m sure Angel will soon be sharing on the Love and Splendor blog about all the sweet details from the wedding, I’ll focus on the florals and how they all came together.
Doesn’t Naomi look pretty? She carried tibet roses, mini callas, ranunculus, gardenias and hyacinth. Steve wore a single calla accented with twigs and hyacinth blossoms.
I will be the florist AND matron of honor in my beautiful sister’s wedding in August. She is marrying the sweetest, most uplifting and respectable guy in the world (besides my wonderful hubby). Jenny-lyn is a girly girl just like me, and definitely wants pink (bright fuchsia and softer shades) to be the color of the day, accented by clean black and white details. Sounds fab! Even more fab is the fact that she’s letting us all pick out our own bridesmaids’ dresses. All 5 of her bms have completely different body types, styles and budgets. I’m by far the shrimpiest and perhaps the most girly of the group. I’m willing to splurge a bit on the dress, since I will most certainly wear it again.
Me and my sis. No, we’re not twins! I’m the shorter one with the lighter hair in case you are wondering.
I’m excited to say that Joe and I are finally moving into our new home tomorrow! I’ve been scouring craigslist daily for awesome *affordable* furniture that fits our eclectic, cozy, world-traveler style. This antique teak apothecary cabinet from Southeast Asia made my heart flutter, and I knew I needed to have it! At 250 bucks, I consider it a steal. Sure, it’s a little bit wobbly, the drawers get stuck, and it’s got some nicks and scratches, but it’s the most treasured piece of furniture I own. I mentioned before that I was working on a Thailand inspired arrangement in honor of my trip. Well, I decided to make my apothecary cabinet the centerpiece of the arrangement. How cool would this be at a funky wedding with pictures of the couple displayed on the shelves?
I get a ton of emails from aspiring florists and DIY brides asking where I get my flowers. I have a great local wholesaler who can get me almost anything I desire at fabulous prices, plus I’ve been working with him so long that we’re buddies now. He knows what I like, and understands that I’m a bit anal, especially when it comes to the quality of flowers for my brides.
But when I really need something exotic or want to see everything laid out before me, I head straight to the LA Flower District, a flower lover’s paradise and the biggest flower district in the US. The LA Flower District is one of the many reasons I’m so grateful to be a Socal girl.
I thought it might be fun to share my typical flower mart experience. It’s not terribly exciting, but it’s an important part of my job!
-I like to go super early on Wednesday mornings, while it’s still dark, before there is any traffic. I love that I can park in the metered spots for free. I like to be in and out while the crowds are still really thin, before the nearby fashion district action gets started. I get to snatch up the freshest flowers and have time to chit chat with the vendors before they get swamped with customers. I’m not a morning person, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
-This morning, I kiss my hubby and dogs goodbye at 3:05 am. I’ve got my thermos of English Breakfast Tea in one hand, and my flower checklist in the other hand. I’m proudly wearing my membership badge, knee high Uggs, cargo pants, and thick scarf. For California, it is so cold lately!
Read more…
Our two week adventure in Thailand was nothing short of amazing! Thailand sure knows how to bring on the spice- with their delish food, colorful clothing, beaches, and mind-boggling architecture.
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Kristin Brancaleone, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Vendor: Floral Designer
Website: The Treasured Petal
About Me: The Treasured Petal is a reflection of my love for scrumptious flowers, yummy textures, colors, ribbons, and all the other girly splurges that being a florist allows me to enjoy on a daily basis. Although I don't discriminate when it comes to flowers, my two favorites would have to be cattleya orchids and gloriosa lilies, which I carried in a ginormous bouquet on my wedding day. When I'm not crafting wedding florals and consulting with brides, I am usually at the dog park with my dogs Pesto and Basil, cooking healthy vegan dinners, watching Seinfeld with my husband Joe, at Bible study, or scouring craigslist for antique furniture to fill up my new house. I am also kind of a home-body and really love sipping tea in my pajamas while working my way down my google reader blog list!
