Going to the Chapel Part II

The wedding weekend is over and so ends all of the floriculture events for the summer. I have gotten back into writing the masters thesis (finally!) and therefore will most probably only be posting once a week (sorry friends!). For all of the faithful and occasional readers out there, I will likely be posting on Sundays so you can wake up to a new beautiful plant post on Monday mornings!

As I've already told a few friends, I stupidly never took out my own camera during the entire wedding weekend, so photos from the events will trickle in slowly as I steal photos from Nick's camera, the wedding party, and the newly weds after they return from the Maldives. I will leave you all with this first photo from Kay Wallace, the Maid of Awesomeness. You can see the wildflower bouquets from Pods & Poppies, and I will upload photos of my bouquet soon!

As always, if you have a topic you are eager to learn more about, please send your suggestions and questions my way!

Plant on and rock on,
Stephanie

Song for the Garden: Thriller - Michael Jackson (a little shout-out to the newly weds!)

Going to the Chapel...

My best friend's wedding is this weekend and I have the privilege of being one of her maids of honor - Raeanne is going to be her "maid of awesomeness" since she lives with Brianna and honestly has been a MUCH better maid of honor than I have. Being a plant geek, Brianna (the bride to be) put me in charge of finding a florist and organizing all the flowers for the big day.

Brianna is a lover of all things purple and is a free spirit - she's similar to Phoebe from Friends but isn't as spacey. Knowing she would probably not want a generic FTD/1-800 Flowers bouquet, I researched a number of local florists who could put their creativity to good use. We decided to go with Pods & Poppies, a small local organic wild flower farm owned by Susan Poppenger in Skaneateles, NY. Susan is a true steward of the earth, making sure that all of her wild flowers are organically growth and tended, and believes that the best flower is a natural one, rather than a chemical-heavy rose.

This morning Brianna and I ventured out to Pods & Poppies to meet with Susan to wander the gardens and choose the flowers for Saturday. All of us had a rough start to the morning - Brianna and I had coffee cups in hand and Susan had literally just woken up - but once we stepped into the garden behind the barn, we all perked up with the sight of the blooming hydrangea, saliva, liatris, and dozens of other wild flowers. Even though Brianna knows very little about flowers, she immediately started picking up purples and greens that matched exactly the colors she was thinking. Susan also started picking flowers that were a bit outside of Brianna's comfort zone, but when placed with her favorites Brianna started to identify with Susan's creative thinking and before we knew it a beautiful bouquet started to take form.

Susan didn't put anything formal together this morning, but Brianna left much more confident with the idea of what her bouquet will look like come the big day. I left feeling much more awake and grateful for sharing this flower-learning experience with my best friend. Brianna is sure that the bouquets will come out beautifully and she is glad all the flowers will be 100% natural and smell wonderfully without the worry of added chemicals or perfumes.

Finding the perfect wedding flower for you can be a challenge, especially with seasonality, color, and availability. However, finding a florist that matches your personality, lifestyle, and creativity can be easier than expected. Whether you're looking for a florist that has it all or one that is more specific in its products like Pods & Poppies, you are bound to find a florist that matched your interest generally in your local area or readily online. Check out www.findaflorist.com for shops in your area and TheKnot.com for great wedding ideas, including floral designs, colors, and seasonal flowers.

Pictures from Brianna & Will's Big Day to follow!

Rock on and plant on,
Stephanie

Song for the Garden: Going to the Chapel - The Dixie Cups