Distrito's Mock Mitzvah

Went to Distrito's Mock Mitzvah earlier. As you can imagine the food was great! Especially enjoyed the  Smores buffet. Also, Hip Philly was there, which always makes a party fun!

SHABBY CHIC

Lately many brides have told me that they want to decorate their weddings in the “Shabby Chic” style. This is a pretty, romantic style that evokes a “lived in” feel elevated with beautiful and sometimes slightly weathered vessels and props. A hallmark of this style is to utilize not just one, but sometimes an eclectic array of vessels for your centerpieces such as garden urns or groupings of mason jars, tea tins, mercury glass vases, etc. Oftentimes, there are assorted props incorporated as well. For example, an arrangement in a garden urn could be placed on a stack of old books or perhaps would have Ivy cascading down and then wrapped around an antique statue. The color palette can be varied, but is usually a pleasant combination of White, Ivory, Dusty Rose, Mauve and Blush. In the arrangements, “Silvery” greens, like Artemisia and Seeded Eucalyptus or even Succulents are nice additions and enhance the sense of agedness.

One common misconception with this look is that it can be done inexpensively. To begin, collecting various vessels and props – your florist might have some – is time consuming and an obvious expense. Perhaps you have some pieces, maybe heirlooms, that you would like to use. I would strongly warn against it, as delicate, sentimental things can get broken or lost at an event. Consider that centerpiece vignettes with multiple arrangements and props means perhaps more flowers utilized and definitely more time spent decorating. This means higher costs. Even when there are fewer flowers in smaller vessels, there are still often multiples on each table or display. Also the flowers that define this look are more high-end flowers, and therefor more costly – Roses, Garden Roses, Peonies, Hydrangea, Ranunculus.

But aside from the expenses and efforts, “Shabby Chic” is a lovely look for a wedding. The charming romanticism and playful whimsy make for attractive and visually interesting decoration. And, of course, the usual soft color palette lends itself well for weddings. It is a creative way to acknowledge things past while looking to your bright, new future together. So I say, in with the old!

Our Bouquet is in Philadelphia Wedding!

Check out the latest issue of Philadelphia Wedding to see our pretty Lace Bouquet!

Happy New Year!

Even though I've been decorating events for many years, every now and then I'm still surprised by something new. Usually the main person I'm consulting with in deciding the decoration for a wedding is the bride. Sometimes her mother, a bridesmaid or fiancé will give some input, but mostly the bride is the driving force.

Although one of the last weddings we decorated in 2012 was organized by only the groom! The bride was in South America – where they will have a second wedding at a later time. For the stateside celebration it was left all to the groom, with a few guiding emails from the bride.

In making the affair to be to her liking he made great efforts. So, I was happy to help him with suggestions for details he hadn't considered. In the end everything worked out beautifully. I hope that this year holds even more such interesting and pleasant surprises! 

 The following is his letter to me.
 

"I want to express my sincerest gratitude and appreciation for the beautiful floral arrangements at my wedding.  They received numerous compliments from (very discerning) members of both families, and I thought the altar table was perfect.  Thank you for helping to make your first 'groom-only' client successful in his wedding planning endeavors.  (The Bride) adored the bouquet."

Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone had a lovely holiday and you are all recovering from your turkey comas!

Happy Halloween!

Here's to fright-free weddings! No beastly bridesmaid dresses, gruesomely behaved guests or villainous venues! Just, as always, beautiful flowers!

Another Bride's Review!

This was recently posted on The Knot's Wedding Channel site.

"Shelby Fraser was very easy to work with. She was able to provide beautiful floral arrangements within our budget without compromising quality or style."

Thanks, Melanie!