Weddingbee PRO

Mr. French has always been an inspiration to me. From their completely ingenious promotions that have turned into collectors items, to their new line of products. CSA Design, known for its humor and clever designs is the creator of Mr. French. CSA has some amazing images that I had to share.

Check out the money inspired jeans tag, and that martini mix packaging! WOW! Now because I am still not over the fact that Old Navy does not have wrapping paper this year (tears), I am posting Mr. French’s paper. It’s pretty amazing. From wood grain, to bride cameos, even the solid colors are to die for. Check them out here.
Read more…

It’s such a pleasure to blog along with some of my favorite wedding vendors!  I have been reading Weddingbee PRO from day one, so I was thrilled when Bee invited me to join the team and share with all of you some of my wedding creations and floral tidbits. I’m amazed that The Treasured Petal has flourished the way it has in just two short years.  Here’s our story! 

I was kind of a loner as a kid (don’t feel too bad for me!) and spent most of my free time drawing and painting.  My favorite subjects to paint were my cat Cutie, mermaids, medieval princesses, and you guessed it - flowers!  I will never forget the first art contest I won in 2nd grade: I won a 50.00 savings bond and a picture in the newspaper for a painting of two butterflies and flowers against a sunset sky.  Cheesy, I know, but I was amazed to be rewarded for doing something that I truly loved doing.  I knew I had to be an artist someday! 

By the time college rolled around, I figured I should take the more “practical” route and headed to U.C. Berkeley to study Psychology.  During my studies at Berkeley, I decided to volunteer after class at a quaint little flower shop near campus.  I needed to be surrounded by color and beauty for at least a few hours a day.  My humble tasks included sweeping up stems, stripping rose thorns, and plucking the anthers out of lilies. It wasn’t glamorous and I was no Preston Bailey at the time, but what I learned at that shop was priceless: I learned to love and care for each and every flower. I also learned how to keep them alive for as long as possible, a talent that has served me well in this business.

I enjoyed studying Psychology immensely and was just about to apply to grad school to become a Marriage and Family Therapist, but decided that I needed to embrace my artistic roots and try out a career in floral design.  I began as an apprentice at two Orange County floral studios. I also attended some awesome classes at Goldenwest College in Huntington Beach to learn all the basics.  It is easy to “fake” a corsage or bouquet, but I really wanted to learn the correct technique before finding my own style and doing it “my way.”  You can’t break the rules until you know the rules, right? 
Read more…

We’re very excited to welcome the latest PRO to join the hive, Southern California based floral designer Kristin Brancaleone of The Treasured Petal!  Kristin has only been working with weddings since 2006, but she’s quickly made a name for herself with her fresh, spirited floral designs!  She’ll be introducing herself later in the day, but for now please take a look at some of her gorgeous designs from a recent wedding she worked on with our own lovely Angel Swanson!

Read more…

It’s fun to see how the custom process, or WV Couture experience works. In this example Julia, the bride to be, sent me some photos that she found inspiring, along with the couple’s likes, hobbies, passions, and the story of how they met. When a bride comes to you with that much vision, it is very inspiring. We begun with an inspiration board I put together along with some concepts.

Julia received her undergrad degree in art history, and both the bride and the groom are Italian. The overall design we ended up with utilized a Baroque “V” for her new last name. The letter was so decorative that at times it was just an abstract design, and at times you could really see the “V”, which worked really well for a great overall look without being too matchy matchy. The entire invitation suite was hand letterpressed utilizing a deep navy, chocolate and blind impressions.
Read more…

I wanted to showcase some invitations that we have created for brides that had a definite vision. Whether it be actual imagery, or simply a style or mood, invitations are a great way to set the stage for your event.

This invitation suite was created for a bride and groom who had a passion for peacocks. They loved the idea of having some sort of peacock imagery, but definitely didn’t want it too literal. Above is the result. We used a peacock feather swirl pattern throughout; combined with classic typography, the graphics really stood center stage. The design was continued on the envelope, which has become our signature touch. We utilize the envelopes as a canvas to complement what is inside.
Read more…

There is just something about inspiration boards that I absolutely adore! They are like inspiration books, but on display, and constantly changing. We made our boards from cork tiles that just stick directly on the wall. Some things that appear on my board are: candy wrappers with exceptionally cool graphics, sweet notes from some of our retailers that I adore!, old photographs of my grandmother Norma Jean Valentine, and the menu from Mozza, the coolest pizza place in Los Angeles!

Read more…

This bride was so much fun to work with. She knew she wanted something completely different and unforgettable. We started with cloth covered folders that held her save the date and a map of Bora bora. For her invitations we then made custom boxes with their name stamped on them. Inside we created a sandscape full of fresh flowers and seashells. The invitation was a scroll, rolled up, tied with raffia and topped with a shell. These invitations were then hand delivered to each guest. They definitely made an impression and set the tone for the wedding!
Read more…

I have been a huge fan of Punam Bean’s work for some time now. Her opening statement on her blog reads “I am desperately in love with people in love and I want to photograph this phenomenon in every form.” She definitely succeeds! The authenticity and real quality of her photos combined with her amazing ability to integrate nature into her photos is inspiring.
Read more…

My husband inherited a stamp collection a while back, which he added to his existing collection. I could not believe how much inspiration was in there! I think I was more excited about it than he was. They are like tiny pieces of artwork!
Read more…

Read more…