Long Time, No See!

Hello, kids. I know, I know. I've been gone for so long, you don't even remember me. I don't even remember me! For those of you who do, you know it's been a long road for me. My fiance and I have been engaged for over a year, and now?

Now we're less than a hundred days from our wedding.

It's been... a journey, to say the least. I have to say that, for me, wedding planning has not just been about planning a wedding; I've learned a lot. I've learned a lot about myself, about us, about what's important, and how there are so many little things I never thought I would have to worry about!

I started out as Miss JeffMemorial. Originally we were going to have a nice fall wedding on the grounds of the Jefferson Memorial. Then things changed... and changed again. And then they changed again. (Have I mentioned that flexibility is a vital trait to possess when planning a wedding?)

But here we are! We are 96 days away from the big day! I guess it would be safe to say that Miss Old Town would be a better name for me. We're having a local wedding in Alexandria, Virgnia in Old Town. At first I was a bit sad about how my name is no longer an accurate reflection of our wedding, but then I realized it is indicative of how things can change.

So over the next week, I'm going to catch you guys up. It's been a lot of ups and downs, but now everything is coming together. I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm a bride. I finally feel like a bride. I don't think I felt like that before now. I want to share that with you guys.

With that, I'll share something I did over the weekend. First of all, our wedding colors are navy blue, green, ivory, and gold accents. (More on that tomorrow!) After a lovely lunch at the Chart House on the Waterfront at Old Town with a fabulous friend (there is something about going to lunch with one of your favorite girlfriends and, in this case, their awesome friend), we trekked over to The Enchanted Florist on South Fairfax Street. I wanted to pick out my bouquet!

I knew I wanted something different, but in classic colors. I went with an ivory and green palette. I was a bit nervous. I wanted to stay away from things that some consider to be bridal staples: orchids, peonies, garden roses, etc. I wanted succulents. I wanted striking. I wanted something that was a bit out of the ordinary.

The gals at Enchanted Florist not only knew what I wanted, but they were excited. They ooh'd. They ahh'd. That made me really happy. We chatted for a few minutes, and it wasn't long before they were pulling pieces they had on hand to create a loose mock-up of what I wanted...



Green tea roses. Artichokes. Green berries. Cream and green hydrangea. There will be more, too. Potentially the use of kale. I love it. The artichoke will not be dead center in the middle of the bouquet. I took this shot at an angle so that everything could be displayed in the mock-up. The base of the bouquet will be wrapped in a muted antique gold ribbon...

...which will go great with my dress. Which isn't ivory. Or white. Or champagne. Or anything remotely close to any of those colors. But that's a post for later.

Either way, I'm excited. The look is different, but it works. Are there any ways you plan on making your look different? How about your flowers?

It's great to be back, ladies. I'm so excited to be here writing again.

A Pocket Full of Poseys...

(Source) Or rather, a bouquet full of roses is what I'm talking about! Our lovely florists, Atelier Floral Design, put up some photos on their Facebook fanpage from a wedding they did at Glen Echo Park over the summer and I started squealing! It made me SO excited about my wedding. The pictures totally inspired me to share with you guys what I am hoping to see in March.

(Courtesy of Steve O'Toole Photography)

When planning this wedding, the ONE thing (out of many...tee hee) that I HAD to have was real flowers. Not trying to knock anyone that uses silk or other fake flowers, but it's just not my thing. Soon after discovering wedding blogs, I stumbled across Saipua and was floored by Sara's ability to make flowers look wild and put together at the same time. Her blog, along with a huge list of others, have fed my total obsession with all things floral.

Below are a few ideas for my bouquet. We are using garden roses, anemones and berries in hues of peach, ivory, green and white. I want the look of peonies, but cannot afford them. Rachel and Jennifer will use large peach garden roses to give the look of peonies, but without the cost (SCORE!).

(Source)(Source)

For the bride's attendants, I have asked for purple bouquets. The flowers will be similar to those within my bouquet, but using a mix of lavender and deep purple hues.
(Source) For the centerpieces, there will be a mixture of tall arrangements resembling the second photo above with mini tea light holders hanging from the branches. We will also have clusters of ball jars with green, peach and lavender arrangements. Our third centerpiece will be books with a flower arrangement on top or surrounding them.

(Courtesy of a lovely bride whose image I saved and did not write down the location of this picture for, please comment of this is your image and I will properly credit you)(Source)

Rachel and Jennifer will also hang paper lanterns for us inside of the bumper car pavilion. A sprig of lavender at each place setting will add a little extra piece of loveliness to the overall table decor.

These two are truly awesome. I emailed them WWWAAAYYY before one even thinks about hiring a florist (in actuality, when Mr. Glen Echo and I met with them, another florist actually turned down my request to meet with her because she said it was too early for me to think about flowers...too bad for her, oops I booked someone else). They were so nice in answering all of my premptive/budget planning questions. When we met in January (yes, they were booked in January, over a year before my wedding) they did not question or hesitate considering my wedding was so far away. In general, they are such nice people, considerate of time (and budget) and did a fantastic job at one of my best friend's wedding this summer. I cannot wait until March when I get to see everything in person! Just 4 months and 2 weeks away!

Local flowers

I stumbled upon a great local flower vendor last week at the Clarendon Farmer's Market (Wednesday evenings).

Wollam Gardens - Specialty Cut Flowers. Located in Jeffersonton, VA (kinda near Warrenton), they deliver to DC area farmer's markets and florists and they do special events too.

I had pretty much given up on the idea of getting locally grown flowers since our wedding is in early spring, and none of the flower vendors at farmers markets I've encountered so far start selling until May. So when I approached this vendor I didn't have much hope - but the woman I spoke to said for the first time this year they plan to grow through the winter! I'm still not sure what all will be available, but it sounds promising.

They sent me a packet of their services - they range from totally DIY, where you just put in your order and go pick it up, to full service, where they help you design your arrangements and they deliver and set up for you. The pricing seemed reasonable for the services, but I haven't seen their pricing for the flowers themselves.

I'm thinking since my mom works for a local florist, she will help me decide what to order and how much, and help set it all up correctly on the day. Anyone else know of other local flower farms that offer early spring flowers?

Devil in the Details

I have 70-something days until my wedding and last week was about as close to a meltdown as I could possibly get. Having set up the venue for the ceremony and reception almost a year ago, bought a dress, picked a menu, and picked out bridal party attire I figured all I had left were the little things.

Turns out its the little things that nearly drove me off a cliff last week....

1. The first fiasco was that my future mother-in-law called and let me know that the never ending search for the cake continues. This wouldn't have been a problem until she told me that the "back up" baker we had the next town over called and canceled on us since we didn't commit yet. Couldn't blame her though--we were shopping for someone better. But that wasn't a big deal---worse case scenario we get cupcakes.

2. The millionth florist that I have called is still quoting me in the $2000's. I don't know if I want to spend that money on flowers that will be tossed out . I need to either get over the fact that flowers, if I want them, cost a lot of money, or I can just minimize the flowers. I don't know where my heart falls yet.

3. I had a terrible experience with a printer for my invitations. I had been communicating with a printer for almost a month now. The student designing my invites was away studying at Oxford so I had to hold off on getting them done sooner. She came back, the invitation designs looked fantastic, and I was happy. So I contact the printer, he tells me to come by and bring him the files and we would get started, not problem. Plus, he was only charging me less than $150 to print out a total of 400 pcs of paper.

So I show up on the day of my appointment, thumbdrive in hard, files perfectly set with a 1/8 " bleed. I get there and this place is---well, less than professional looking. Then I wait for 45 minutes because he was meeting with a customer who walked in (he even saw me, waved, and resumed meeting with someone as my appointment time ticked by). Once he was done and could finally meet with me, I give him the thumbdrive and he says, "I can't pull your files, my computer doesn't have a USB drive." Not only that, but his computer couldn't support the .pdf files of the invitations. I was ok with that because I could easily convert the files and email them to him in a more compatible format--but what really got to me was that after waiting almost an hour past my appointment time, he looked at me and said, "I can't meet with you today. I just realized I am running late. Can you come back next week?"

No. I couldn't. Invites have to go out soon. I was devastated. I had driven out (way out) to see this vendor just to be told that they were too busy to meet with me on the day that I was scheduled to meet with them. I spent the rest of the day frantically looking for a new printer who would print my invitations and inserts for less than the $350+ I was getting quoted around the area.

Good news is that I did find someone and my invitations are ready to be picked up tomorrow. I will certainly post pics once they are all assembled. They look wonderful and they make the whole wedding really feel like it's coming together.

So lessons learned:

- Don't be so last minute: I should have known that the wedding was going to creep up. I should have anticipated more snags in the planning process. I know that I am a huge procrastinator and planning my wedding was not going to change that.

- Be positive: As awful as my experience was with the printer, I should not have had as big a meltdown as I did. Overreacting definitely did nothing for me and in the end it worked out...it always does, doesn't it?

Now that all of that is solved and taken care of, I do have great news, which is my dress is done and ready. I went to Angie who did a phenomenal job with making me pockets, fixing the neckline, and doing the bustle and hem. She was worth the drive! After a year I still love my dress!

So this week I am checking off invitations and dress of my to do list. Now I just have to wait for those RSVPs to start rolling in so I can start working on escort cards, programs, and the menu. It's all the tiny details now that are starting to pile up. I am pretty sure I have to rework my "to do" list.

Have you hit any snags in planning? What are the little wedding details that you're working on now or what have you decided to just toss out completely?

This and That

I would like to compete with Miss Gallery Place for the Laziest Marathon Runner evAR. I'm training for my second Marine Corps Marathon (first one was in 2006, I was wicked slow, so I'm trying to just beat that time), which is coming up this October and I am So Behind on my training goals. wooops. I've started biking to work to try to beef up my overall fitness, but I only do it once or twice a week, and I still struggle just to get up early and run 3 miles before work.. it's gonna be a long summer! Worse, the marathon happens in October and then I don't get married till March - and I am notoriously lazy during the winter. So I'm just hoping I don't blow up and not fit into my dress.. Maybe blogging here will help me stay motivated!

also I want gunz. not like super-buff because haha that's just not me. But I wouldn't

mind regal-buff, like, say, Michelle Obama (photo: AP via WAtoday).

So right now I'm more focused on sticking to my training regime than worrying too much about the wedding. We're kind of in a limbo state where things seem far enough away that I'm not stressed out about booking my next vendors. My goal is to have all the vendors booked by the end of August. I'll keep you posted on how that goes..

For now I just wanted to share something from Meg over on A Practical Wedding (if you're not reading that blog, start now!!) - if you're doing your own flowers, you might want to take her advice and check out Blooms by the Box, and read their blog if you want to learn some great tips about arranging flowers/building bouquets. I will definitely be watching some of their videos once I get to the point where I want to practice centerpieces and bouquets.

Centerpieces: Flames vs. Flowers

One of the things that I have encountered as being more difficult than it should be is trying to figure out centerpieces. My current battles are:

DIY vs. Buy, which then leads to candles or flowers?

Here's the deal. I can easily put together a swarm of candle on a table and call it a day. But is that the "look" I want? Or I can throw a bunch of blooms in a vase and voila! Instant centerpiece. Or do I want a flower candle mix? I know it seems like it shouldn't make a difference either way, but I plan on spending the majority of my wedding day at my reception and I really want those tables to look warm and inviting.

So as the wedding day looms over the horizon, my future mother in law has lovingly sent me emails asking what my plans are for the centerpieces. I am torn. I am usually really good at making decisions: I picked out the save the dates without feeling torn, picked the invite wording immediately, and picked the bridesmaid dresses in an instant. So here are my current choices/inspirations:

(image courtesy of www.weddingbee.com)

or

(image courtesy of ftdflowers.com)

How did you pick out your centerpieces?

Dream flowers

We nailed down our florist. It was quite simple really. I found her via craigslist because really, it's such a great resource for vendors (especially affordable ones).

She runs her shop out of her home to cut overhead costs. She's located up in Maryland so her and I met in Bethesda a couple Fridays ago (and I dragged my fiance. Just for giggles. He got made fun of by coworkers) and discussed the options.

Ladies, I'm having my dream flowers. All of our flowers for less than $1,000 (my goal).

Tulips. My September wedding will have tulips.


Five pink and five white tulips will be our centerpieces in a small round vase. Exactly what I wanted. My bouquet will be a combination of mums, hydrangeas, tulips and daisies. The girls will have spider mums and spray mums.

I am...beyond thrilled not just because I'm getting my favorite flower, but also because I won't have to do it myself which I was nervous about given my lack of DIY-craftiness. Not to mention, it's another thing checked off the list which is a relief given that our wedding is in 3 and a half months. It's all going by so quickly! The dates are planned for my bridal shower as well as my bachelorette...EEK!

Thinking about flowers

I found a great florist. Thank you to Craigslist, I was looking for a DJ, and stumbled upon affordable flowers and since well, I'm still looking for a florist to do the bouquets at the very least, I found one who may be able to do it all. Like. All of it - centerpieces, the works. For less than $1,000.

I didn't even know that was possible!

So I had to send her some of my inspiration - in her initial estimate she included orchids which, while a very pretty flower...isn't really my style. I'm going for preppy and simple. Orchids kind of scream to me - asian fusion, no offense if that's your style but it's not really mine.

What am I looking for?

via With this ring



All images via With This Ring (that centerpiece directly above was DIY - incredible!!)

I'm still undecided about the centerpieces - it could save us a lot of money, and I'm definitely not ruling out the prospect of DIY. I don't want roses. I don't want expensive flowers - I adore mums, daisies, belles of Ireland, and hydrangeas. Hopefully I'll be able to meet with her this week to get everything finalized - one more thing off the list! Four months from next week!

What are you doing for flowers? DIY or florist?

Finding the Perfect Flowers

I'm not a flower person. I would much rather a Valentines gift include jewelry or a good book - not flowers and chocolates.

I do love me some tulips - in the Spring time. But unfortunately, I'm not getting married in the Spring.

This weekend, I stopped into Florist Possibility #1. It's a little florist in the Eastern Market area of Capitol Hill. They do Nancy Pelosi's flowers ($$) and they did the State Funeral for President Ford ($$$) so I'm thinking? They MIGHT be a little out of my price range.

But as I told my mother last night? I don't know what I want. How can I meet with florists if I don't even know what I flippin' want? I do know that I don't want: roses, carnations, or a white bouquet (for me). I'm thinking Fuschia Dahlias, or Gerbera Daisies, maybe Spider Mums. I want small centerpieces - I loathe the type that are like taller than me, and you can't see across the table because they're so huge. I don't want that.

Things I do like?

[theknot.com]

This would be perfect for my bouquet - I'd add in white daisies as well for the BM bouquets. (I do NOT want an all white bouquet for me, I think it's too cliché. That's just my opinion though - no offense to anyone who has had/is having an all-white bouquet - they are still just as pretty, it's just not my thing)

[Theknot.com]

I really like these green spider mums. I really like the look of one flower in a couple of colors (white, pink, green are the colors I would want my flowers in).

Finally, because I'm all flowered out - another one I like....

[Theknot.com]

I really like the idea of something like this - different flowers at different tables in different colors. I'd do like green mums, white mums, pink mums, all with of course - navy ribbon around the vase, because well, yeah.

Yesterday, the woman I met with (who was not the actual wedding florist consultant lady) suggested "autumny flowers." Except, I don't consider September 12 autumny. I consider it late summer. The only reason I didn't make it in summer? August is atrocious in DC humidity wise and I think weddings on holiday weekends are tacky (again, no offense to those of you doing your wedding on a holiday weekend).

So I'm at a stand still because I don't know what I want. I feel like what I like is kind of all over the place. How do I put what I think I want - my vision if you will - into...flowers that are not a. obnoxiously expensive, b. roses, c. simply elegant?

What are you doing with flowers? Are you hiring a florist or DIY-ing? *


*(FYI - I'm considering DIYing for centerpieces and only using the florist for the corsages/bouquets/boutonierres/alter flowers...it's just a matter of figuring out what type of flowers I want...)

Potpourri of Planning!

Three things.

First, I'll start with the most exciting! We booked our hotel for the honeymoon in New York City! We'll be staying four days and three nights at the Park 79 hotel in the Upper West Side; next door to Central Park and the Natural History Museum!





We already have reservations for the Comedy Cellar, are looking into tickets for "Tony n Tina's Wedding" and have put in a request for Daily Show tickets. Then there will be the other fun things... a carriage ride through Central Park, going to the top of the Empire State Building, amazing dinners around Manhattan. I. Cannot. Wait.

Secondly, I've finally decided against a veil. But I want to do something with my hair! My hair is a bit above shoulder length, plus I usually have side swept bangs. (Right now they're a little grown out. I so need a haircut.) I've been looking at cute headbands to wear. Here are some of the ones I've found:

[CLICK PICTURES TO BE TAKEN TO THEIR PAGES ON ETSY]







Third, I've been doing some thinking about the decor for our reception... For reference, here's the main room we will be using. It will not be set up as shown. There will be floor space for dancing, moving about, etc.


It's the top floor of the Fish Market on King Street, in Old Town. (We'll have the other room, as well.)

We're going to have white linens on the tables, of course. And, irony of all ironies, I showed off hanging poms in my last post as examples of decor:

[CLICK PICTURE FOR ETSY SELLING PAGE]



Oh, the irony is that I mentioned that they would not work for a wedding like mine... well, until I decided I wanted them. So we're going to be getting a bunch of them in all red or red and brown to hang from the ceiling.

I also found some inspiration for our wedding centerpieces, which are going to be very simple. The design is based off of this:



This shot is from the wedding of Amber, who has brilliant taste in design and color.

See the cute daisies in the mason jar? Patrick and I decided that we wanted to do something similar. As our colors are red, brown, and white, we're going to do RED Gerbera daisies instead of the pink pictured. In addition, we're going to cluster two or three jars and flowers for each centerpiece.

But we're not just going to do jars. We're going to start collecting jars and unique bottles to cluster at each table, to give it a punch of color.

Hope you're all enjoying your President's Day!

Wedding Party and Honeymoon and...

I wish two share three things; two accomplishments and then some neat little finds I wanted to share.

1) Wedding planning has taught me one thing: you have no idea what it entails until you're actually planning your own wedding. Things that seem fun? Well, they're still fun, but a heck of a lot more complicated than previously thought.



Perfect example of this: selecting your bridal party. My poor bridal party has had a series of ups and downs. A member was lost after a pretty sad and hurtful falling out. I've never really gotten my act together on who I wanted to do what. After so much drama, I kind of threw my hands up in the air and nominated my mother as Matron of Honor. Then, a couple of months later, she brought up a valid point.

"Dear Miss JeffMemorial, I know you love me. You have to, as I'm your mother. But you don't want me as your Matron of Honor. You're lucky enough to have no sisters that you HAVE to ask, so enjoy being able to choose a non-family member."

And she was right. In fact I already knew who I wanted to ask, and had thought about it for months. I just never did. Mama JeffMemorial and I chatted a bit more. She knew who I had wanted to ask for months (of course), but had hoped I would come around and do it myself. When she realized I wasn't going to she realized she needed to "give me a shove in the right direction".

But she understood. How do you demote your own mother? Thankfully I have a kick-butt mom who just wants me to be happy. Hasn't even given an opinion on the wedding unless asked for it. I love her for that.

So last night I asked my best friend, who has seen me through everything, good and bad to be my Maid of Honor, and she said yes. She also happens to be Miss Gallery Place, heh. It was really nice. I'm so glad my mom talked to me about it.

The only thing is instead of the nice lunch I had planned, this all went down at a Dunkin Donuts at Eastern Market over chocolate milk, diet green tea, and a salad. Whoops. At least I brought flowers...?

2) After some debate, Mr. JeffMemorial and I are NOT going to Colonial Williamsburg for our honeymoon. Instead we're going to NEW YORK CITY!



I'm so excited! We loved the idea of Williamsburg. I went there so much growing up... and I think that was the problem for me. I wanted to go somewhere that we were sharing together and experiencing together. Now I have been to NYC a few times (whereas Mr. JeffM has not), but with family and only a couple of times. I've never really DONE New York. And I've never been there romantically either. I think it's going to be perfect.

We're going to do all the cheesy stuff. A Broadway show... a carriage ride through Central Park... Carnegie Deli, etc. It's going to be perfect!

We'll be booking our hotel tonight at a place in Gramercy Park called Park 79.

3) Now next are a few finds. Once again, not for my wedding... or maybe? I don't know. Randomly I started looking at flower "alternatives", even though I'm going to have fresh flowers for the bouquets. And I came across some lovely pieces.



Oh, Etsy... once again, how you taunt me.

Beautiful origami flowers. Above is one designed as a garland. Perfect to string about for those garden weddings, perhaps? http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_1&listing;_id=20062764



Ring pillow. I love how even though the flower is large, it looks so delicate and beautiful. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=cat1_gallery_18&listing;_id=18893164


Hanging pom kit. Would never work with our more rustic colonial style, but they look so fresh and the colors really pop. Would look great in a bright wedding with a modern flair. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_4&listing;_id=20914064



Classic Bloom Necklace. I love the pairing of the feminine pearls with the flower that has an almost industrial look to it. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_17&listing;_id=20926439

And that's all I have for today...

For You Spring Brides

One of my favorite things about wedding planning is looking for unique and fun decorations. As a Fall Bride, however, it's always a bit sad to see all the wonderful fresh colors typically used in Spring. (Then again, were I a Spring Bride, I'm sure I'd have Fall Bride-envy, as well. Sigh, are we never happy?)

Recently I've come across some very neat and unique centerpiece items, things that I think could be USED in centerpieces in Spring.

One of my absolute favorites that I've seen on Etsy from various sellers are self-sustaining moss terrariums. Sounds interesting, but not quite wedding friendly. Take a look, though...



Neat candle sticks that could be used in conjunction with the fresh flowers. A nice little touch of grass green. Not only that, but they don't require a lot of care, which is ideal since a lot of brides' lives can be so hectic in the days leading up to The Big Day. From what I've seen, basically you water once every 2 to 3 weeks and leave it in a place with indirect sunlight. The end!

I could just see it at a garden themed wedding, perhaps an outdoor evening wedding reception.



Paired with some red daisies, etc. It could be really beautiful.



There are some even with little mushrooms!

I just thought they were so adorable, and could seriously be a wonderful way to bring a bit of natural lushness to spring and garden themed weddings.





I know, you hear MOSS and it doesn't exactly scream wedding floral, but the colors are vivid and lush. Plus it's a nice unique touch! Definitely something for people to gab about at the table.

Sellers:

Made by Mavis - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5836556
Tiny Gardens, Charlotte Cramer Designs - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5371110
(terrariums with and without figurines added)

There are many many others, but those were the two that I came across. Man, almost makes me want to get married in the spring, hehe.

FLOWERS!

I just had my first meeting with a florist and it was fabulous. I met with Shawn and David Cossette of Beehive Events from outside Charlottesville. Luckily, they were in town for another meeting and were able to meet with me at Barnes & Noble in Georgetown. They were a very lovely couple (originally from San Fran) and I really enjoyed meeting with them and brainstorming about possible flower (and non-flower combinations). I LOVE that they're thinking less traditional - we like flowers, but we also discussed mangoes and papayas (very Filipino), figs and grape leaves and rosemary (very Mediterranean). We discussed China berries, Dahlias, and lots of other fun elements. I was so nervous before the meeting just because I knew I had a lot of ideas bouncing around in my head and definitely needed to be reigned in. Plus I wanted her to like me! Signor Keswick asked, "Why are you so flustered?" I wasn't flustered! I was just excited and wanted to make a good impression. Here are some of the beauties we discussed:

Bursa Black Fig

Photo Credit

The China Berry
Photo Credit

Fuschia Dahlias
Photo Credit

Here's a great website I found when searching for flower images: Lani Elizabeth Fine Design in Flowers and Events

So, I lurve Beehive Events, but will I love the budget they propose? We shall see. How did you prioritize what you were going to do to decorate your venue? Are you doing anything different or personal?

Almost There!

Yes, it's exciting and wonderful: We're almost a year away from our wedding date. How's that for anti-climactic? Two weeks and one year from this very day, we're tying the knot! Which means it's time for me to get back in gear and get back to planning this thing already.

The task I'd like to accomplish over the next two weeks is finding our florist. I thought it would be smart to visit a florist right around the actual time of our wedding, the end of October, and see what's actually in bloom. My understanding is that hydrangeas are in season in the mid-Atlantic through November and that's what I'd love love love to have!

Imagine this in blue and white! Peonies can be pricey but they are so full, I think 1-2 peonies with a few more hydrangea and you'd get the same look for a lower cost.

I'm planning to give Fields of Flowers in Purcellville a call. They are a flower farm, but they also do beautiful wedding flowers. I've also heard and read positive things about Petals Edge. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

I'd love to find someone who will be able to recommend great in season flowers in blues and whites to complement the browns and blues I'll be using in the wedding. While I did consider doing my own flowers at one point, I think I'm more comfortable going with a florist and finding someone who can let me be a bit hands on--by providing my own containers, etc. Any tips?

This is from the Preppy Wedding's "Preppiest Wedding" Contest. I love the simple look of the hydrangeas in the pretty bucket. While I'm not up for actually "arranging" flowers right before the wedding, if the florist can provide me with stems of hydrangea I can easily put them in buckets and have them on tables and all around our venue. Low cost flower+low key arrangement=happy bride (with some jingle in her pocket).

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I've been working on budget estimates with a couple of local florists and discovered that I've had to think a little bit more specifically on exactly the look I want to achieve with flowers. Before, I was thinking, "lots of pretty flowers!" but now I need to think about the kind of arrangements I want.

Centerpieces are the big budget-buster. A big, high-end centerpiece will cost you a lot of money (in big cities, sometimes almost $300!), and if you have a lot of tables and want to put multiple centerpieces on a table, that's going to add up really quickly.

Fortunately for my budget, I am not a big fan of high floral centerpieces. I just find them overwhelming.

(photo credit: Flowers with Feeling)

Besides, a centerpiece like that would totally overwhelm the reception space.

I do really like low, clustered centerpieces like this:

(photo credit Loop)

The thing is, you'd probably need a number of arrangements like this on a long table for it to have much impact.

(photo credit: Style Me Pretty)

I think that look is gorgeous, and achievable, I think, through relatively inexpensive flowers.

Then, of course, Mr. C-Ville had to pipe up. "I don't like hydrangea," he opined (and of course, the florist we were considering gave me all kinds of cool ideas to do with hydrangea), "and I think we should have lots of little flowers in vases all along the table." I guess he means something like this:

(photo credit; Pat's Floral Designs)

But these are spring flowers and we are getting married in the fall, so we'll have to figure out how to achieve this look with fall flowers. I'm hoping that maybe we can combine the two looks.

Peonies, Posies, and Pansies, Oh my!

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. . . or so the saying goes. So, what looks like a ranunculus but is not?

I have begun researching florists and have been told (well, my mother was since she was sweet enough to call some florists as well) that my beloved peonies and ranunculus are in season in the spring time. Say it isn't so! Wouldn't these be darling to go along with our "vintage" theme?

Image Courtesy of The Knot

So, I set off to the California Cut Flower Commission's website. More specifically, to their super extensive Seasonal Availability guide. Of course, this is mainly for California flowers, but their database of information is a handy tool for any bride no matter her geographic location. Their awesome website lets you search by flower or by month!

Did you let availability influence your wedding flowers? Or did you fly in those beautiful blooms from South America because you couldn't have anything else? Where did you do your research when choosing your flowers?

Miss Capitol Hill Wedding Recap - Some Details

I promise I'm going to finish recapping my wedding even if it kills me. My only excuse is that life really does go on after you get married and you slowly emerge from the wedding fog. So to make up for my absence I'll post some shots of the one thing most of you care about...Details!

As always, all photos below the work of Linda Wallace

^This is what our large main table on the verandah of the Clifton Inn looked like before the flowers. I like this pic cause you can see the beautiful chairs that come included with the rental price of the Inn.

^ Escort Card Table

^As I mentioned earlier, all the paper was done by Etsy seller andbear

^Each guest had a name card and menu (both courtesy of andbear) as well as a little favor waiting for them at their seat.

^These are our adorable and affordable favor boxes that I blogged about so long ago. Inside each we had a chocolate wrapped in foil that matched our kelly green theme. The great part is the leftover boxes can be used to decorate our first Christmas tree together.

^Menus by andbear

^I LOOOVED our reception flowers from Blue Ridge Floral. Crisp, clean, elegant...exactly what I wanted.

^These calla's were repurposed from our ceremony

^This was the flower girl's pomander that she quickly discarded

^A nice shot of our guests enjoying themselves at dinner

^A quiet moment while the rest of us were on the dance floor outside

Vendors So Far:

Video- Monachetti

Photography - Linda Wallace

Hair/Makeup- Daphne Latham

Dress Designer - Vwidon

Dress Salon - Promise for the Savvy Bride

Shoes - Vera Wang new from Ebay

Bracelet- Carolee

Veil- Occansey Design

Purse - Belk

Hair Flower - Ella's Alley

Flowers - Blue Ridge Floral

Suits- Men's Wearhouse

Ties - Wild Ties

Socks - The Gap

Bridesmaid Dresses - Maggy London from Nordstrom

Flower Girl Dress- Rare Editions from Dillards

Sportscar - Sports Car Rental

Reception/Accommodations - The Clifton Inn

Getaway Streamerthrows - Aerotechnic

Paper - Andbear