during cocktail hour we nibbled great fare around tables with these fabulous ombre gold candle holders (lauren's dad made these!!)  (tutorial for how to make these coming soon from my baby shower) with sweet bud vases in purples and reds

flower of the week : october 16

our flower of the week is a real beauty, purple dahlias!!

we have had dahlias before as our flower of the week, but these are just too rich with color & gorgeous not to show off!!

dahlias are native to mexico & also their national flower.

these perennials are one of 20,000 species that belong to the same family as sunflowers & daisies,

the Aster family.

dahlias begin to grow in the spring season, through the summer & into the early fall.

many people use this beautiful bloom as a garnish on cheese & fruit platters, or as a decoration on pastries & cakes, but you cannot eat it.

dahlias love the warm weather & grow in many different colors, such as yellow, red, pink, purple, white, & orange.

there is nothing more "winter in new england" than the anticipation of a snow storm... or is there?  im pretty sure this divine wedding photographed by zev fisher at willowdale estate is as winter in new england as it gets.  cozy up with hot cocoa (maybe with a hint of mint) or a gorgeous glass of red wine and indulge in this december wedding.

december 30

willowdale estate, topsfield, massachusetts

saint augustine parish, andover, massachusetts

zev fisher photography

les fleurs

our blushing bride carried white peonies with native ilex berries finished with seeded eucalyptus.  every detail for rachel's flowers were perfectly thought through.  from the boutonnieres with their accompanying bouquets of the perfect blends of reds, plums, burgundies, wine, cranberry and aubergine to the table centerpieces.  rachel and john's wedding was warm and romantic, a perfect color palette for the end of december.

guests dined amongst square and round table dressed with lush purple and red arrangements on crystal pedestal stands.  lush red peonies, amaryllis, red mokara orchids, red dutch tulips and red ranunculas were just magical paired together on rachel's beautiful stands.  

cut crystal pedestal cake stands filled with purple peruvian hydrangea, rich purple dutch tulips, royal purple sweet peas and aubergine ranunculas complimented rachel and john's reception.

the gentlemen's boutonnieres were all a bit different.
switch grass, sage, dusty miller, andromeda & lavender were gathered together for this handsome piece






lush plumes of babies breath gathered together with maiden hair fern & hosta were ethereal and clean in mason jars hung from bark twine down the aisle.

professional word of advise (aka, kerianne's thought): with vast backdrops simple aisle decor looks best.  when choosing ceremony site's with a view, remember just that... the view!  adding to much down the aisle can be overwhelming and the end result take away from the scenery.  i love the babies breath below... soo simple, but gives the aisle a little somthin' somthin'.



under the tent fresh arrangements added soft color to the tables.  filling the collection of bud vases & pitchers nicole and her mom found each table had it's own look.  we added some great stone square planters from les fleurs to add a larger arrangement to some of the guest tables bringing the whole look together.  it's important to remember when doing small vases or many types of finishes to have a few larger arrangements to "weight" the space and create a cohesive feel in the room.





the bud vases were either clear glass in a mix of sizes and shapes, lavender glass bottles or white milk glass.  white clematis, white snap dragons and white peonies looked great in the purple bottles.  "jules" peonies, apple bloom stock and pale pink astilbe were used in other vases to create the table arrangements.  sweet accents like dusty miller, lavender, mint & sage looked lovely with the blooms.