from Laura …

On recent trips to Paris and the German countryside, I found inspiration for my flower designs at every turn – in a rustic country garden that provided an idyllic backdrop for an international master class, in the fashionable Parisian neighborhoods of St. Germain and the Marais, and at the haute couture shows during Fall Fashion Week.

The new floral aesthetic focuses on creating a rustic, vintage look of casual elegance using flowers from the woods, meadows, vineyards, and gardens. There is an emphasis on incorporating contrasting elements – colors, materials, textures — into the bouquets and using organic elements (such as folded leaves, bundled twigs, etc.) in innovative ways to form couture finishing touches. While nature provides inspiration and the raison d’etre, trends in haute couture fashion and the decorative arts continue to influence the poetry and artistry of l’art du bouquet.

The overall effect of combining simple garden and woodlands flowers with stylish embellishments is fresh, elegant, and natural. Here are some new ideas, trends and color combinations – inspired by the French garden style aesthetic — that I find compelling for the upcoming season.

Jardin Rustique

photography courtesy of Open Air Photography

For a rustic, garden-style approach, the key point is to emphasize a rich mix of textures and a muted, monochromatic color scheme. Try combining woodsy elements such as twigs, moss, pods, and grasses with flowers in shades of cream, green and brown to create a sophisticated, pastoral look.

In this bouquet of roses (above,  left), pinecones and ferns, found objects and materials– branches and twigs gathered from the garden — are fashioned into bundles, and then entwined around a square-shaped Italian mason jar to complement the design.

For the lavender bouquet (above, right), fallen oak leaves are rolled into cylinders to create an organic container which is then filled with a mix of beige/lavender roses, wheat, English lavender and several types of foliage.

Jardin Nostalgique

photography courtesy of Open Air Photography

The nostalgic flower garden celebrates classic, timeless look – these bouquets feature abundant masses of old-fashioned garden flowers such as snapdragons, roses and hydrangea arranged in classic urns, retro-inspired color schemes, (e.g., peach and green, pale yellow and cornflower blue, amber gold and red), and are accented with either vintage containers or stems and vases decorated with natural elements. In the examples below, nostalgic garden flowers are paired with mixed foliage and berries to create a charming natural style that transcends fads and trends to articulate a fresh and original look.

photography courtesy of Open Air Photography

Jardin Simplicite

photography courtesy of Kevin Allen Photography

Simplicity in design has universal, enduring appeal – not only is a pared down aesthetic accessible and attainable in terms of technique, it’s more cost-effective than highly intricate and complex designs. To achieve this look in bouquets, use a single kind of flower in a monochromatic hue, and arrange the stems loosely in chic, coordinating containers. By incorporating interesting details and selecting unusual colors and materials, it’s possible to embellish basic designs with artistic elements to create simple, yet distinctive bouquets.

Jardin Couture

photography courtesy of Kevin Allen Photography

Many flower trends are derived from the runways of Paris, the fashion capital of the world. And, this July, there was a palpable sense of excitement in the air during Paris Fashion Week. In current collections, there is a focus on contrasting color and texture – bright fuchsia or purple paired with black, deep plum and chartreuse, gossamer gold and brown, and the bold use of vivacious hues and patterns that evoke baroque and byzantine influences.

photography courtesy of Open Air Photography

Already, you can see these Parisian fashion trends translated into bouquet designs – in striking displays of pink hydrangea and deep burgundy calla lilies arranged in black ceramic cylinders and presented on mirrored pedestals at the Georges V, in chic, garden-style bouquets of purple and white hydrangea wrapped with passion flower vine at Hermes, and in poetic arrangements of summer flowers in shades of amber, orange, fuchsia, and red at a chic cocktail party on the Rue de Rivoli.

photography courtesy of Open Air Photography

Bottom line: Parisian Floral Trends

What’s new this summer is to emphasize contrasting elements in design – placing rustic flowers in elegant settings, using organic materials as couture finishing touches, integrating a pared back aesthetic with more opulent displays, and juxtaposing a wild, country-garden style with sophisticated and fashion-forward trends. From vintage chic and rustic elegance to high-style haute couture, flowers in the French garden style are inspiring and reflect all of these sensibilities.

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Thank you SOOOO much, Laura for continuing to bring us the most fashionable updates in the world of floral design.  Your creations are truly exquisite and your expertise is delightful!! Laura is a French-trained floral designer based in Washington DC. For more of her incredible work, visit her website and blog. She has several more images of Summer 2009 French-inspired bouquets on her blog.

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Post tags: French Garden, Interieurs et Fleurs, Kevin Allen Photography, Laura Dowling, Open Air Photography, Parisian Trends, Washington DC
Post categories: Bouquets, Centerpieces, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Flowers

They were shooting a dinner party at the Ritz Carlton in DC given in honor of Chef Eric Ripert (Le Bernardin Cookbook: Four Star Simplicity).

On their blog, Amy said they had less than 15 minutes to “sweep through and grab all of the shots” they could.

These stunning florals are from  Greenworks by Shane.

Wow! Just stunning! For more of Amy & Srinu’s Regeti’s extraordinary work, check out their fantastic website and blog!

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Post tags: Eric Ripert, Floral Design, Greenworks by Shane, Regeti's Photography, Ritz Carlton, Still Life, Tablescapes, Washington DC
Post categories: Centerpieces, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

from Pam … “Libbet & Scott are one of my favorite couples to date! They used to hang out together as kids. They are extremely family-oriented and wanted their wedding to be a welcoming and joining together of friends and family. We were going for a romantic Sinatra feel … champagne bar featuring a few specialty bubbly drinks, fun dessert bar, many candles, warm inviting glow in the dinner area and Sinatra-style music for dancing. Love was definitely in the air!”

LOVE the dress!!

These are just some of the simply awesome shots from Little Black Book photographer, Jennifer Domenick of Love Life Images!

ATrendy Wedding & Event Company will help you weave your individual personalities and dreams with today’s fashions & styles. Pam strives to help you create the wedding of your dreams, all the while remembering that everyone has their very own sense of style, budget, and scope. One thing that you’ll read on her website that totally sums it up is this … she wants her brides to feel butterflies in their bellies … when they remember their wedding celebrations! What a great way to say it.

Thanks SO much, Pam & Jennifer for sharing Libbet and Scott’s wedding with us!

Here’s the bad news … we totally ran out of time today and couldn’t get more close-ups of Libbet’s wedding gown or the bridal party shots … the sweet images of her Dad when he first saw her, and the stunning lighting in the church … well, you’ve just got to see it to believe it! For these and so much more, head over to Jennifer’s blog!

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Post tags: ATrendy Wedding, Dessert Bar, Love Life Images, Sinatra, Washington DC
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wedding Style

Love, love, love the glow in this room! Little Black Book extraordinaire, Pam Barefoot of  ATrendy Wedding, along with the greatest photographer Jennifer Domenick at Love Life Images created and captured these gorgeous photos from Libbet & Scott’s DC wedding reception at the Meridian House!

Do you know how everyone is always trying to think of new or clever ideas for their table numbers? Well, I’m sorry … I just think the scripty-scrolly designs on these tables exude charm and pizzazz. Seriously, who wouldn’t feel welcome and loved at these tables!

There’s more to this stunning wedding celebration coming up in a bit!

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Post tags: ATrendy Wedding, Love Life Images, Meridian House, Washington DC, Wedding Table Centerpieces
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wedding Style

What a shot! When a father entrusts the hand of his beloved child to another …

Libbet and Scott were married in November at a church near American University.

We have more lots more from Libbet and Scott’s wedding celebration at the Meridian House coming up … so check back in a bit!

In the meantime, check out ATrendy Wedding & Event Company’s gallery AND Love Life Images website for more fabulous wedding eye-candy!

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Post tags: ATrendy Wedding, Love Life Images, Meridian House, Washington DC
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wedding Style

from Laura, Interieurs et Fleurs …

Bonjour!  Celebrating the arrival of spring, we wanted Style Me Pretty readers to be the first to see some of our new images of French bouquets, representing fresh ideas and color trends for 2009.  Every year in mid-February, often coinciding with “Fete de la St. Valentin,” Parisians enjoy a brief reprieve from the gray winter chill and revel in the unmistakable signs of early spring.  The most vivid indicator that spring is on the way is when Parisian fleuristes fling open their doors and haul out buckets of flowers to display on the street  — colorful tulips, anenomes, ranunculas, and mimosa from the south of France — tantalizing passersby to splurge and celebrate the season by purchasing an enchanting French bouquet.  So, with Valentine’s Day just past and a hint of spring in the air, I wanted to share new photos of Parisian inspirations and bouquets, fresh from a mid-winter collaboration with my friend and neighbor, Kate Headley.

Jardin Style (top row, left) ~ Garden-style flowers continue to be the major trend in Paris right now since there is an innate attraction to bouquets that are natural and free-flowing, especially in an urban setting. The trick to getting the French garden style look is to incorporate plenty of foliage and greens, in different shades and textures, to achieve a natural balance with the flowers. This bouquet of mixed hydrangea, viburnum, berries, and ivy in every shade of green is refined, yet rustic — inspired by the secret gardens of Paris – providing a fresh and classic backdrop for any occasion.

Bouquet Orange (top row, right) ~ The vibrant paintings of Paul Cezanne and Marc Chagall provide the inspiration for this bouquet, arranged in a vivid combination of roses, tulips, and orchids, tempered with deep green gardenia foliage. Orange is a perennial favorite color in French fashion and design, appropriately used in flowers at any time of the year.

Bouquet Fuchsia (second row) ~ At dusk, when the upper chapel at Sainte-Chapelle provides an inspired setting for a performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, the light streaming through the richly-hued stained glass windows is exquisite, taking on a soft pink and violet glow. This bouquet of violet carnations, bundled together to give more impact, combined with fuchsia orchids and viburnum berries and finished with a coordinating ribbon wrap, is designed to capture that feeling of pink and violet splendor.

Parisian-Chic Bouquet (above left) ~ This bouquet was inspired by the elegant décor at the Cercle de l’Union Interalliee, a private club located on the fashionable Rue Faubourg Saint-Honore.  In the beautiful and opulent dining room, decorated in lavish layers of exquisite French furnishings, the most striking element is the simple centerpiece:  an aqua blue opaque glass vase holding a single, deep red rose.  The color combination is so fresh and chic and adds a note of unexpected surprise to the regal setting, providing the perfect inspiration for a bouquet of red roses and ivy berries wrapped in French-braided blue ribbon.

Bouquet Végetal (above right) ~ In spring, the neighborhood Parisian farmers’ markets provide endless inspiration, showcasing the bounty of the season in artistic and colorful displays. Vegetables add earthy charm to even the most sophisticated bouquets, and are a wise and thrifty choice in the current economic climate. In this bouquet, kale cabbages are reminiscent of garden roses, and create festive and elegant wedding flowers.

Bouquet Téte a téte (above left) ~ A petite yellow bouquet of mixed jonquils and spring flowers exudes undeniable sweetness and charm.  When it’s wrapped with a frilly moss green ribbon and paired with a paper parasol, the bouquet adopts a witty and jaunty personality, setting the tone for a perfect spring wedding or garden party.  I envision bridesmaids carrying bouquets of mixed yellow jonquils, each wrapped in a different pastel-colored ribbon trim – pink, lavender, green, and cream – and a party featuring French macaroons in corresponding colors from Ladurée.  Magnifique!

Bouquet Féerique (above, right and below, left) ~ From the ancient stone monuments and cobblestone streets to the silvery light at dusk, Paris sparkles in shades of gray. Coincidentally, the color just happens to be a major trend in fashion and design right now. This bouquet, inspired by the French grisaille painting at the Musée de Carnavalet, is ethereal and fairy-like, composed of all-gray flowers and foliage, including silver brunia and eucalyptus with a touch of wintry crystal branches. Wrapped in navy blue satin (below), it has a sophisticated feel, while a pink braided ribbon (above) gives off a delicate, vintage impression.

Bouquet Violette (above, right) ~ Adorable bundles of French violets start making their appearance in the Parisian flower shops and markets this time of year and they are the inspiration for this bouquet. Here, I’ve used deep purple carnations and ivy berries along with purple and teal blue ribbon accents to create a garden-style bouquet that is at once traditional, yet modern.

Wishing you hearts and cupids, champagne and chocolate, and French fleurs and bouquets — a joyeuse fete de la Saint-Valentin.

Photography by Kate Headley.

Interieurs et Fleurs is famous for Laura’s modern yet romantic designs, from the most chic French bouquets to glorious profusions of floral displays. Laura’s website is full of so many more gorgeous examples of her work  … you simply must take a peek!  Thank-you Laura for sharing this glimpse of the fresh beauty of your designs.

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Post tags: French Inspired, Interieurs et Fleurs, Kate Headley, Paris, Washington DC, Wedding Bouquet, Wedding Color Trends
Post categories: Bouquets, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Flowers

This wedding is all style. From the GORGEOUS Melissa Sweet gown to those bridesmaids and the perfect reception decor. It’s is a jump-for-joy wedding if I ever saw one! Thank you so much to Ashley and Phil for sharing their big day with us!

And, don’t forget to head over to the Little Black Book Blog for even more eye candy…today’s feature by the unbelievably talented Karen Wise.

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Post tags: Color Palette Black White Pink, Love Life Images, Washington DC
Post categories: The Blog

Ashley and Phil were married this past September in Washington DC. And their ridiculously gorgeous wedding will definitely make you smile…

photos by the Love Life Images…a studio that we love here at SMP!

From the bride…

Our wedding was special for many reasons.  One main reason is because we chose to have it in Washington DC, which is our favorite city and where we met and got engaged.  We live in Denver, Phils family lives in Alaska and my family lives in Florida so we knew from the beginning that it would be a destination wedding.  And we ended up choosing Washington DC because it means so much to both of us.  Throughout the wedding we tried to incorporate a vintage dc feel to things. We had our reception at the National Woman’s Museum in the Arts and it was such a hit! We even had a photo booth, in which our wedding photographer set up.  Those details and many more…made our day so special.

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Post tags: Guess, Love Life Images, Melissa Sweet, Vineyard Style, Washington DC
Post categories: Real Weddings

k. rosecakes makes the most darling cakes I have ever seen. They are a bit reminiscent of April Reed’s little gems, in their delicate, somewhat sweet style, but they have a voice of their own, as well. I just might have a new favorite cake company with these perfect designs! By the way, the one with the lemons on it is my fave.

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Post tags: Cakes, Daily Candy, K. Rosecakes, Washington DC
Post categories: Wedding Cakes

Christina, the owner and designer of PaperZest, is completely in tune with what real brides are looking for…simple, chic designs that celebrate their own unique occasion. And, she’s giving away 100 CUSTOM save the dates to one lucky SMP reader. Just leave a quick comment (1-2 sentences max) as to why you love SMP and we’ll choose a random winner!

* * *

And the winner is…Rebekah!

“SMP has literally been my best girlfriend through my wedding planning process! With all of my friends living so far away, the ideas, advice, and inspiration offered on your site has been a priceless resource and 24-hour wedding planning companion.”

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Post tags: Breast Cancer Awareness, Giveaway, Herndon, PaperZest, Pink Week, Save The Dates, Virginia, Washington DC
Post categories: Contests, Wedding Invitations & Stationery

I love, love, love the photo of the little girl…the flowers are so pretty and girly. And that posy on the chair is just too gorgeous. Check out the Petal’s Edge website for even more inspiration!

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Post tags: Petal's Edge, Washington DC, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Wedding Flowers

photography by Punam Bean Photography

I have to say, this is one of the prettiest weddings I have ever seen…with or without a budget. I love the sweet, understated details of the day and the intimate feeling of having just close friends and family as guests. You really get a sense of just how special this couple is.

And, I was totally floored by the incredible journal that Nole wrote both during the planning phase and after the big day. You can see her planning documented right here on her Knot Bio…it includes inspiration boards, fun DIY projects and other really interesting tidbits. Her post wedding re-cap can be read right here and is filled with vendor reviews and ideas that are so helpful to any bride planning her wedding. Thank you so much, Nole, for sharing this with us!

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Post tags: Nole and Andrew, Punam Bean Photography, Washington DC
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Budget Beautiful, Real Weddings

More details from Nole…

In order to stay in our budget, we kept our guest list to only our closest family and friends (around 50 people) and prioritized some wedding elements (such as food and photography) over others (such as floral arrangements). We also tried to do as many DIY projects as we could.

We made most of the big decisions pretty early on, including our color palette, flower choices (but not a florist, which came much later), caterer, bakery, and photographer. For the flowers, I knew that I wanted a bouquet of lilacs and sweet peas, ever since I’d seen a similar bouquet in Martha Stewart Weddings a couple of years ago. For the reception, I wanted a mix of spring flowers — peonies, ranunculus, anemonies, etc. — in shades of purple and white.

For our caterer, my husband and I are both big foodies, so having great food at our wedding was a big priority. We also knew that we wanted a global-inspired tapas meal service for the reception, and worked with our caterer to develop a menu that included Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Latin dishes with enough choices to satisfy all of our guests. For the cake, we used three 9″ cakes from a famous DC bakery called CakeLove, which makes just the most amazing cakes and cupcakes. Our families are big coffee and tea drinkers, so we also bought heart-shaped sugar cubes and sugar swizzle sticks from Sur La Table to use as sweeteners when the coffee and tea was served with dessert.

For photography, it was important to us that we have a photojournalist-style photographer that would document the entire day, particularly as we had some important family members (my grandmother) who were not able to travel for our wedding. We found our photographer, the amazing Punam Bean, via Weddingbee, and instantly fell in love with her work and documentary-style approach to wedding photography.

Throughout the planning, we looked for ways to save that wouldn’t affect the overall look and feel of the day…we saved a lot by having a friend play the music for the ceremony and using our iPod to provide the music during the reception, both which probably saved us thousands of dollars. We only served wine (which we purchased directly) rather than having an open bar at the reception. And we find a lot of our decorations on ebay, including the mason jars used to hold the floral arrangements and moroccan lanterns which lined the entrance path to the venue.

We ultimately spent around $13,000 on the wedding, so we didn’t do too bad – particularly since we live in one of the most expensive cities in the country!

We have MANY more pictures to come, so stay tuned!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Nole and Andrew, Punam Bean Photography, Washington DC
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Budget Beautiful, Real Weddings

One of our readers, Nole, emailed me back in January with questions about her upcoming wedding. It turns out that Nole’s wedding went off without a hitch and she has generously offered to share some pictures and details with us!

photography by Punam Bean Photography

Details from Nole…

My husband and I met in grad school while working on our M.A. degrees in international affairs (me) and security policy (him). Given our mutual background in international affairs, as well as my love of all things vintage and my husband’s love of history (he was a history major in undergrad), we knew that we wanted a wedding that was inspired by both vintage and global elements. I’ve always wanted a Spring wedding just because of the flower choices in the spring, and we both knew that we wanted to have an outdoor wedding if at all possible. We also wanted a really informal and intimate wedding — essentially a fun dinner party with all of our family and friends. We chose our venue, Woodlawn Manor, because it had the perfect historic feel (it was part of the underground railroad in the 1800s) as well as beautiful outdoor lawns for outdoor ceremony and reception.

And thus, we set out with the goal of pulling off our perfect wedding with an initial budget of $10,000….

We have so much more from Nole coming, so stay tuned!

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Post tags: Nole and Andrew, Punam Bean Photography, Spring Wedding, Washington DC, Woodlawn Manor
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Budget Beautiful, Real Weddings