Soiree Floral

Floral Design

Bold Colors, Fun Linens

We had the pleasure of working on a fantastically fun party last week. We had complete creative freedom to do what our little hearts desired, and we did! Working with a great team of vendors, our ideas were based around the linen selection. A mix of turquoise blue and a deep orange that had an embroidered squiggle and circle pattern on it. Placesetters worked overtime to get the fabric we needed, and we just couldn’t live without it.

To keep things from being too distracting we color blocked the lower centerpieces and designed them in a pave fashion to have the most impact. Mixing fruits with textural blooms gave a festive look that wasn’t fussy.




Since this was party work, we also broke a lot of flower rules (hey, sometimes you have to color outside the lines). Some of the flowers were without water, and some of the ‘containers’ we fashioned couldn’t hold water. Guests got a kick out of seeing something different. For the tall centerpieces, we mixed colors, glued orchids on to calla stems, and looped colorful branch materials through some of the designs. One of the singers in the band even wore part of a design on his head (plucked it right out of the vase. Dave from Nantucket Tents snapped a photo, so when I get it, we’ll post it). A fun time and a great event to be a part of.

Happy weekend everyone!
Dawn

Destination Weddings & Honeymoon – Nantucket Wedding

We were thrilled to hear from Destination Weddings & Honeymoon Magazine that they are featuring one of our beautiful couples in their August 2010 issue out on news stands now. Be sure to pick up your copy and read some of the fun details that Meghan and Darryl provided. Congratulations you two – so fun to revisit all the memories, and thank you for letting us be a part of your special day.
Cheers,
Dawn

vendors included:
Location: Galley Beach
Rentals and placesettings: Placesetters
Photography: Brea McDonald Photography
Stationary: Marty Kelly Papers
Cupcakes: Jodi’s Cakes
Event coordination: Nantucket Island Events
Hair: Darya Salon

Vintage Touches

It seems old things are ‘new’ again. With all the consultations we’ve had recently, one thing continues to be a constant topic of conversation – tying in the old with the new. I think it’s great when a Mother-of-the-Bride calls me and says she wants to surprise her daughter with a piece of lace from her veil wrapped around the bouquet handle. I recently had a MOB ask for us to add camellia to a bride’s bouquet as the mom had that when she got married.

We recently did a wedding where the groom’s family was from France. We wanted to pay tribute to that in a subtle way, so we decided to tuck a sprig of lavender in each napkin and added fresh lavender plants to the steps at the church. Simple touches like this make for memorable photos (and yes, we give a list of details or thoughtful elements we have been working on with our couples to the photographers. They are always thankful for the heads up, and I love getting the call that the client noticed it in the photos. Nothing makes me happier!).

Making things look ‘old’ is and will continue to be a trend as we work on tabletop design. Mercury glass has that vintage feel and they have updated it with more modern shapes. It’s a great combination and still looks timeless. Mismatched containers running down the center of Mediterranean style tables looks incredible. Using vintage looking plates or chargers with a pattern in them creates an old world look too. Even delicate votives or glassware with an ecclectic print on it can pull the look of a ‘vintage’ table together.

photo by Brea McDonald

Give some thought to your something old/something you – you’ll be surprised at all of the possibilities!

On another note – being a girl from Colorado I’m happy to announce that our friend Sarah Uhran from A Private Concierge has opened a branch in Aspen. For all you beach lovers who winter in the ski town, be sure to call her up. She has some amazing services that will make your trip that much more enjoyable.
Cheers!
Dawn

It’s Been a While….


We’ve been MIA for a few weeks – and with good reason, it’s busy! We have had some lovely weddings in some very different color combinations (nothing makes me happier than getting to work with different products every week). Here’s a little 411 on what we’ve been up to:

We have had some gorgeous brides and some fun details to put together. At the beginning of June we had Ashleigh and Scott at The Galley Beach. They fell in love with Audra and Tripp’s wedding that we did with Unique Nantucket and Claudia Kronenberg photography a while back (you all know the wedding, it’s been published in print and on blogs several times). A gorgeous combination of crisp white and navy. You can’t go wrong there. Zofia Photography and Maureen Sullivan of Nantucket Island Events were also on board for this fun group.

We did a crazy fun wedding with Cary Hazlegrove Photography at Sankaty Golf Club with tie-dye linens, crystals, manzanita branches, tons of gigantic peonies (they took our breathe away) and one gorgeous bride. No detail was left unturned at this one.

A sweet, quintessential Nantucket Wedding with Unique Nantucket, Claudia Kronenberg Photography and The Galley beach in green, white, and blue. Shells for escort cards and of course the sparkler send off. I happened to be having dinner on the beach that night and heard the fantastic band – it sounded like quite the party. To top it off, I got an email from the MOB last night telling me we made her daughter’s day the best day of her life, and they are STILL enjoying the flowers almost two weeks later (see, there is a reason we break our backs to bleach the buckets and condition the flowers).

Erica was married at Sankaty Beach Club and I have to say, she is a girl after my own heart. Shades of blush pink, ligh pink, cream and ivory. Peonies and cafe au lait dahlias everywhere – swoon!

Michael and Maia got hitched at the White Elephant with help from Samantha, A Private Concierge, Jodi’s Cakes, and Zofia Photography. Their two most adorable dogs came out for a photo op.

Saturday was Ashley and Harrison’s wedding at the Great Harbor Yacht Club – with a southern sophistication of navy, white and apple green. Navy and white stripes pulled the stationary and flowers together. It was a gorgeous day and we had fun playing with Meg Simone of Meg Simone Videography and Unique Nantucket. Libby with Claudia Kronenberg Photography shared a bridal portrait of Ashley and we all took a deep breath – she is stunning!

Sunday, we got to do it all over again at the Great Harbor Yacht Club, this time with Aisling of Acktivities, Placesetters, Brea McDonald Photography and Meg Simone. Amanda and her mom spent a great deal of time with me working on the colors and look of the day (amazing by the way – fuschia, hot pink, lavender, and chartreuse). Amanda lives in France so we used lavender as our ode to all things French. Wait until you see her table numbers – Amanda worked hard to get those and they made the tables. I hired Meg Simone to show the transformation at the club from all white/green/navy to a bright, bold garden inspired color pallete. If you are looking for someone to capture those special moments, the laughter during your toasts, your first dance, etc – Meg is your girl!

I love that we get the opportunity to work with such varying looks, decor and that our clients trust us to guide them to the finished product. I can’t wait to see what all the talented photographers have in store for us! Be sure to check back soon as we update our portfolio pages.
Cheers!
Dawn

The Winners of Inspire, Collaborate, Achieve


Last month, I teamed up with Brea McDonald Photography to teach a workshop on getting your work published in magazines and on blogs. We issued a challenge to the attendees and gave them a ‘grab bag’ full of some rather unique items. The challenge was that everything in the bag had to be used and they could add any additional props, and design elements as they saw fit. The one no-no was absolutely no alterations to the stationary work graciously donated by Griffin-vites. So without further ado, meet three talented ladies who did such a great job, that even I had to review the photos over and over to make sure they used everything (and I picked out a lot of what went in their bags!). They got clever and disguised a few of the items – and they left me thoroughly impressed.

Kate Preftakes Photography and Autumn Poulin and Julie Rancourt of flour! teamed up for a day of fun (and wind) for their planned shoot.

These ladies graciously shared how their ideas came to fruition:
The Story
After brainstorming and spending an afternoon with our toes in the sand at Drakes Island Beach in Wells, Maine, Julie and I managed to turn some of the more “unique” objects into seaside treasures. With a little help from mother nature we were inspired by a nice collection of majestic blue mussel shells that filled our pockets along the way and we were off and running.

Next were the linens, flowers, tables, chairs, cupcakes and everything that might make the perfect shot. We gathered it all together and piled into the flour! studio early one morning.

Sharing laughs and lattes the scene began to come together…Kate arrived after a tough 2 hour drive in pouring rain ready to work her magic. Due to the wind and rain we decided to take some shots in the studio to be sure to capture all of the elements required for the challenge.

After some successful shots at the studio we packed it all up and headed to Wells Harbor where there is an amazing gazebo that would allow us to capture some great natural light from being outdoors but keep the rain at bay. Did I mention it was pouring ALL day?

We definitely underestimated the coastal breeze though and quickly had to move from the gazebo to a more sheltered location of the harbor. With just enough protection from the wind to allow us to set up but still keep us on our toes we managed to style the table and let Kate take over again. Moving quickly she captured many amazing images of the challenge items, design details and cupcakes…don’t they look good enough to eat!? Kate has prior experience as a commercial food photographer and it definitely comes across in these amazing photos! And yes, we did eat some…just to make packing up everything easier…sure.

flour!
Floral Design, Cupcakes & Styling ~ Autumn Poulin & Julie Rancourt
www.flourevents.com
p 207.251.0828

Kate Preftakes Photography
Photography ~ Kate Preftakes
www.preftakesphoto.com
603.899.5259

and a special thank you to My Kate Parker Wedding for featuring our winners on their site, and to Meagan Gilpatrick of Maine Seasons Events for sharing her insight with our guests.

Island Weddings

The latest edition of Island Weddings is out, and we have had fun taking a trip down memory lane. Be sure to pick up your copy and find three of our couples in this issue.

Zofia Photography captured a quintessential Nantucket wedding up at the Summer House. If your color scheme is blue and white, this wedding is for you! Planning by Nantucket Island Events, and cake by Jodi’s Cakes.

If you want something romantic and feminine, be sure to check out the wedding we did at a private home with Claudia Kronenberg Photography and planning by Acktivities. The beautiful cake was by Jodi’s Cakes.

For those of you having a more intimate wedding, be sure to see what we created when we teamed up with Dolce Parties and Kristina Ransom Photography at the White Elephant.

There is a lot of inspiration in these pages – don’t miss it!

Peonies are Here!


Wedding season has kicked off in high gear and that means plenty of bouquets, boutonniere’s, church flowers and centerpieces on the big day. What flower is the most often requested? The peony of course! They are a prized possession by most brides and they come in an amazing array of colors. White is obviously the most requested color, but those for those brides who are not faint at heart, the coral or deep fuschia colors can add quite a statement to your color palette.

Early American settlers brought peony plants across the ocean and planted them on American soil to remind them of the homes they had left behind. Revered since ancient times, the peony has numerous legends attached to it. It gets its name from a Greek myth in which Paeon, physician to the gods, angered his teacher Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing. When Asclepius threatened to kill Paeon out of jealousy, Zeus saved him by changing him into the lovely flower we know today as the peony. In another legend, Paeon is a mortal who is spared death by being transformed into a beautiful flower.

Available from spring through early summer, these blooms are sure to add a sense of sophistication and romance to your wedding day.

Soiree Floral Happenings

It’s been a busy couple of weeks, and I’ve fallen behind on writing. I’ve been bouncing from here to there so much that I sometimes don’t know where I’m laying down to sleep.

First up was a photoshoot on Nantucket for Wellwed Magazine’s upcoming Fall issue. We had a fun color palette to work with and enjoyed spending time with Placesetters, Marty Kelly Papers, Jodi’s Cakes, and Zofia Photography.

Visited family over Mother’s Day and took my niece to her first Mother-Daughter Tea party (the Aunties got in on the action). So much fun to watch the kids spend a lovely afternoon with their moms.

Taught a workshop in Maine with the talented Brea of Brea McDonald Photography. Teaching the ins and outs of magazine and blog submissions. Met some lovely vendors, had great discussions on the future of magazines and their place in the electronic world of blogging, and issued a challenge. I can’t wait to see the results.

Bookings have started for the 2011 season and we are in full swing with weddings. We look forward to seeing our clients in the coming weeks – and if this weather is any indication, we are in for a fabulous season. Let the explosion of peonies begin!
Cheers,
Dawn

Pets and Your Wedding Day

More often than not, our couples have a special place in their heart for their ‘furry friends’ (aka kids to a lot of them). Their pets are as much a part of their family as anyone else. Depending on where we are working, there are different guidelines on how these four-legged friends can be involved in the big day.

Over the years, we have had many different requests – floral collars, floral necklaces, flowers for a little red wagon their pups can sit in. We have had some fun with these requests. Often times, churches and/or hotels won’t allow pets on the premises. When that’s the case, our couples rely on their planners to have the pets on hand for a photo op after the ceremony and on their way to the reception.

A few times over the past few years, we’ve had couples who were having destination weddings and bringing their furry companions just wasn’t an option. We’ve had brides contact us to recreate their beloved pet out of flowers. Talk about FUN. It’s a lot of work to get them to look just right, but we love a challenge. Seeing the couple’s face when the ‘dog’ is revealed is well worth the cuts and scrapes from moulding just the right features out of wire, foam, and blooms.

To get more creative ways to incorporate your animals, check out this recent article in the Nantucket Independent.

Here are some of our favorites from past seasons.
Cheers,
Dawn


photo by Claudia Kronenberg Photography


photo by Claudia Kronenberg

Celebrating Earth Day

In today’s world, we are all trying to find ways to ‘be green.’ We make it a point to do our part to leave less of a footprint while we are busy running around doing our jobs. Buying local blooms, recycling all of our cardboard, re purposing wood pieces in to frames, tables, and cubes. Composting our organic materials, printing out documents only when necessary, and watering the plants outside our studio with our cooler buckets. Every little bit helps. What things do you do in your business and personal life to leave this world a little better at the end of the day?


photo by Claudia Kronenberg Photography

Be Creative, Bend the Rules

I have been lucky enough to participate in many photo shoots over the years – both for magazines and with vendors who collaborated together to bring a concept to life. It really is a great way to meet people you haven’t had the opportunity to work with before, to try an idea that you know a client will never let you do (although I firmly believe if you can show them, they can be open to it), try a wild color scheme that you have had in your head forever…you get the idea. I’ve sat with vendors, chatted on the phone, answered questions about how did we do that, why did you try this, did it work (not all ideas work, that is why this creative process is GREAT!).

Inspire. Collaborate. Achieve is a workshop that has been a work in progress for the last five years. We are bringing this to life in May, in Maine and plan to have a LOT of fun. Check out the website to get more details, and don’t hesitate to email or call for more scoop.

I hope to see you there!
Cheers,
Dawn

p.s. – nothing makes my heart sing more than hearing a new friend talk about how participating in something like this has been such a positive experience. Thanks Meg Simone, you are a true inspiration!

“I can speak from experience that Brea and Dawn are so open, genuine, sincere, nice and overall AMAZINGLY INSPIRATIONAL. I have learned a ton from them and have to credit recent press to their help and education.

If you have ever wanted to know more about “Inspiration” like shoots – this is a super cool, local workshop!” – Meg Simone

Hello Sunshine!

With the start of spring, FINALLY a little sunshine here on the east coast, and a holiday weekend coming up – we thought we’d share some spring inspirations as some of you color eggs and eat chocolate bunnies.
Enjoy,
Dawn




photos by Zofia Photography

Soiree Floral Company Pledge

Today I’m writing about something I care about very much. It is a huge thorn in my side. I hate when I’m driving along (especially on I-95) and I see people talking and/or texting while driving. Call me crazy but how one thinks they can drive and text at the same time is beyond me. I get we are all busy, I know we always feel like we don’t have enough hours in the day. But what are you going to do when you create a fender bender, cause an accident, or even worse – you hurt somebody? Today, I took the pledge – the Oprah No Phone Zone pledge. And I will be asking my worker bees to the do the same. Jump on board and and create your own no phone zone pledge. This is one band wagon that is worth jumping on. No excuses – just do it! Follow this link to Oprah, it takes 5 seconds of your time.

On another note, we are working on a new aspect of our business, called Studio Soiree. This will be a collection of tailored packages geared toward brides who don’t need the fuss of a tailored proposal, meetings on the little details, and still want that designer flair. I look forward to introducing this and rolling out the Studio Soiree designs in the coming weeks.

Stylish Bouquets


We thought we would have some fun with green colored bouquets today in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. We’ve noticed over the last few years that brides are getting bolder when it comes to the blooms they carry down the aisle. Yes, we still do the amazing all white/ivory bouquets and they look romantic as the bride floats down the aisle. Some brides, however, are choosing to show their personality by adding color and texture to what we consider to be one of her most important accessories on the big day.


Which bouquet shows your personal style? Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone.
Cheers,
Dawn

Details, Details, Details


Some brides we work with have a clear vision of their style, and how they want that to translate over to their wedding day. We had the pleasure of working with Marc and Christine for their October nuptials at the beautiful Sankaty Club in Nantucket, MA last fall. Christine was one of those bride’s who knew what she liked, had a great list of descriptive words and images, and completely trusted her vendors to carry out her vision.

For this wedding, everything grew organically from the escort table. Christine loved nature, wanted some of those eclectic elements of mixing old and new and we knew we wanted to showcase that from start to finish. From the bark tendrils and fiddleheads in the boutonnieres, to the bird’s nest escort cards, and the feather collars on the bouquets, this wedding had details galore from start to finish. We were lucky enough to have this wedding win best overall wedding design and it is being featured in this month’s issue of Florist Review. Pick up a copy today to read more behind the scenes and some of my favorite tips and tricks.


A big thank you to Christine and Marc for allowing us to be a part of their big day.
Huggs,
Dawn

all photos by Zofia Photography
head shot in ‘meet the winner’ by Brea McDonald Photography.

Other Vendors involved in this wedding
wedding planner – Unique Nantucket
rentals – Placesetters, Inc
venue – Sankaty Club

Taking Design from Inspiration to Wedding Day


I am often asked how do we come up with a look that celebrates who the couple is on their wedding day? The answer is never clear cut – sometimes it happens within the first few minutes of my very first interactions with client. Other times, it takes getting to know the couple – letting their ‘couple’s taste’ evolve during the process, and going back to the drawing board a few times. That was the case with our lovely Carter and Jen. Wellwed magazine asked us to share our insights as they showcased our process from the Inspiration board to the wedding day. There are some great tips in this article for clients and vendors setting out to showcase their personal style on the big day.
Enjoy!


Special thanks to Wellwed Magazine for featuring us in the Spring/Summer 2010 issue out on newstands now!

all photographs courtesy of Brea McDonald Photography

A New Color Scheme for Turquoise


At this time of year, many couples are newly engaged and jumping right in to the details of the big day. Whenever I meet with a client, one of the first questions I ask is ‘Do you have the bridesmaid’s dresses picked out?” – believe it or not, this really helps drive the final color scheme and sets the tone for the formality of your event.

Pantone has picked their color of the year as Turquoise. I was a bit taken aback by this. I feel like we have seen a lot of turquoise already in the past two years. From table linens to dresses, it has definitely been present. It’s safe to say it is not going anywhere anytime soon. In recent years, I’ve seen it paired with lots of bright, cheery yellows and white to smooth it all out. This year, brides are being a little more daring and I think this next color combination has a lot of potential for a wedding any time of year. Think tomato red, turquoise, and apple green! As long as you keep the colors in the same saturation you can’t go wrong (don’t mix a pastel with a bright color for this – it won’t look good!.

Think turquoise for your vases, table linens,napkins, or even napkin rings.

The red and green can certainly come from Mother Nature – anemones, roses, natural greens, mosses, granny smith apples – the possibilities are endless. I’m a huge fan of using color. Color evokes emotion and when your guests walk in to the reception, you are sure to make mouth’s drop.

photo by Claudia Kronenberg Photography

Floral Eye Candy for Valentine’s Day


It’s no secret I’m a lover of all things PINK. In honor of Cupid, we put together some of our all time favorite pink designs. Here’s hoping you get whatever it is you are wishing for this Valentine’s Day!


Cheers,
Dawn

Nantucket Wedding Featured on Boston Hearts Wedding Blog


We are thrilled that one of our June weddings from last year is being featured today on the blog Boston Hearts Weddings. Leila and Steve were married at First Congregational Church followed by a tented reception at a family home.

Leila is a girl after my own heart – she loves the color pink! Her pastel colors were perfect for a hot summer day. There were lots of peonies, garden roses, dahlias and hydrangea at this wedding. A very romantic, soft look. Thanks to the other vendors involved in the fun: Event Planning by Acktivities, photography by Claudia Kronenberg, catering by A Taste of Nantucket, tent by Sperry Tents, cake by Jodi’s Cakes, and rentals by Placesetters.

Congratulations Leila and Steve – so fun to relive the day with you again.
Cheers,
Dawn


When Talent Soars….


I feel like a proud mamma hen today! I had the opportunity to work with someone who has god-given talents when it comes to design. It’s just a natural thing for her. She was like a sponge soaking up any and every bit of information she could and always doing an AH-Mazing job. My friend Eugenia (we call her Cookie) just sent me an email that she has started doing weddings in Argentina. I am so happy, proud and excited for her! Any bride would be very lucky to have her working on their special day.

If you are planning a destination wedding in Argentina, be sure to look her up! You won’t be disappointed!
Besos Cookie,
Dawn

Trends for 2010


We are in full swing here booking weddings, writing proposals, talking to clients and it got me thinking about trends in 2010. I’ve been writing posts about my recent trip to New Orleans and some of the cool things I saw, people I met from the industry and what they are seeing for trends. Some of them are similar to mine, and some are not.

One thing I know for certain – everyone has their bridesmaids wearing navy dresses. EVERYONE! Last year most of our bride’s said they were looking for a navy dress and just couldn’t find a true navy, didn’t like the materials, or the dresses were just ugly So kudos to the dress designers out there – there are obviously some pretty amazing silhouettes out there for bride’s to choose from.

Dinner style vibe for your reception tables. We are seeing a lot of the Mediterranean style seating (long tables) with requests for a lot of mismatched vessels on the table with smaller arrangements clustered down the center with an abundance of candlelight. A lot like what our couple’s would do if they were hosting a party at home.

Vintage is back and in full swing – using your parents silver, crystal, and mercury glass as containers for your flowers. We’ve had numerous requests for our glass/crystal chandeliers for additional ambiance.

The color red! I can’t believe it either – and this was a huge topic down in New Orleans. How to incorporate red without it looking like Valentine’s Day. We have a few color schemes for clients we are working on and red is part of the mix – blue/red/blush and another one with spring green/red/navy. I can’t wait to get started on those proposals. Here are some photos I took down in New Orleans of a tablescape using the color red.

Soiree Floral Featured in Grace Ormonde


We’re back today with more eye candy from the ‘bible’ of the wedding world – Grace Ormonde Wedding Magazine. For this issue, the staff at Grace Ormonde picked the Fine Arts Museum in Boston for one of their tabletop shoots.

I had no idea what part of the museum we would be shooting our tabletop in (or what rooms would be available to us). Normally, when we do these types of things, I like to go over the top with lots and lots of beautiful romantic blooms. This shoot was a bit different in that I knew no matter where we were, the art in the museum needed to be center stage. So I designed a bold, almost masculine table where we did minimal blooms and brought some pattern and color in with the linen and table setting.

When we entered the museum and started walking around, we went in to the ‘Asia Room’ and I immediately fell in love with ‘Mr Buddah’ and I really wanted that spot. Several other designers wanted in that room also, so we worked out a plan so we didn’t interfere with anyone else’s shots. A hard thing to do when there is only so much room in what appears to be a gigantic space.

There were so many layers to our table – four different chargers and plates (don’t you love that green striped plate!), a lucite napkin ring with an orchid on top, and some funky small sea urchin vases that added more dimension and masculinity to the center of the table. You can’t go wrong with white phalaenopsis orchids and the delicate yellow oncidium orchids (I always think they look like little butterflies hovering over a table). A unique approach that shows sometimes less really is more.

Event Designers vs Event Planners


We are back from the Big Easy and full of inspiration. It was great to catch up with some friends I haven’t seen in a while and make some new ones. Getting together with colleagues and talking about the state of the industry gave me great insight and definitely made me realize we are all in the same boat no matter what part of the country we work in. There are so many things to cover and I will be doing several posts on tips/tricks/trends etc.

Today though, I wanted to talk about a topic that was at the center of a lot of my design seminars: Event Designers vs Event Planners. Wow were there a lot of opinions on this! Event Design has become a trendy thing to say. But what does it emcompass? To me, it means pulling the overall look and feel of the big day together from the stationary to the ceremony to the tablescapes, lighting and overall ambiance of your event. I am proud to say that we have been Floral & Event Design from the conception of Soiree Floral – BEFORE it was trendy.

The debate during the conference was that so many wedding planners now say they do event design. I personally think that happened because One, it is trendy to say (I know, already covered that) and Two – people are trying to find a way to earn other money in this economy. That doesn’t mean that your wedding planner is now a designer (and a good one at that). That would be like me saying we now offer services to book hotel rooms and we can offer travel packages to your guests. I would never dream of taking on such an important task.

My two cents at the conference was that there are people (like Preston Bailey, Michelle Rago)who started out doing flowers, and their businesses grew organically to include event design AND event planning. I’ve sat in on many a seminar with Preston, and he’ll tell you he did that because it was easier to control things. I’ve had those same feelings myself, as did many of my peers in New Orleans. Why do we as designers need to be bothered with the ‘hiccups’ of dealing with a planner (don’t get mad planners, keep reading)? There was a father/son design team who hosted a seminar and they talked about how they only do event design and have zero desire to do the planning aspect of an event (too many headaches as they so eloquently put it). My point is that planners are absolutely 100% necessary, helpful and needed during an event. There is a line that starts to be crossed, however, when one starts to say they now do ‘event design.’

The solution and final thoughts from everyone in the room was to simply ask to look at the planners portfolio. You can’t fake creativity – sure, it can be copied. That only goes so far in a design meeting though. A planner brings a whole set of their own unique elements to the table like budgeting, vendor selection, travel tips, keeping your event on a timeline, etc….invaluable information that is worth every penny you spend for that insight. Leave the design aspect to the designers – the people who can envision the overall event, who have the skills and ability to pull an amazing concept together for your client. In the end, everyone will look like rockstars!

La Bella Bride Features Soiree Floral


It still feels like the holidays. All of the new bridal magazines are hitting the news stands and our beautiful brides are being featured! Be sure to grab La Bella Bride Magazine. Full of great inspiration and ideas, you can’t turn the pages quick enough to see what is next.

Liz, one of our August brides, was married in Rhode Island at a family home with her reception at the incredible Dunes Club. Photos from her special day are sprinkled in the pages of La Bella.

All photos by Brea McDonald Photography




Soiree Floral – Real Wedding in The Knot Boston


Jennifer and Erik were married in Nantucket this past June at the First Congregational Church. Their reception took place at the White Elephant. The amazingly talented Claudia Kronenberg was there to capture the day as it unfolded along with all of the unique details we incorporated. Be sure to read their ‘real wedding’ in The Knot Boston out on stands now.




Style Me Pretty – Take II

Ok, so yesterday we were finally able to spill the beans and show off photos from our photo shoot last month up in Maine. For those of you professionals that read this, you understand how hard it is to sit on top of photos that showcase some seriously fabulous work (esp. when you put a team together that hasn’t met). For those brides who read this looking for inspiration – we have lots of it!

SMP showcased a lot of eye candy yesterday – and there is so much more. We each have our own favorites – and these little gems just have to be shared. So, right off the bat, I’m sharing two of my absolute ‘I heart’ photos from the day (well, there are probably closer to 40 that I love, but I have to edit it down too).

So a little behind the scenes – I had never seen this barn before, and had no idea what to expect. I had thought it would be run down, a little dingy, lots of cobwebs. I was SO WRONG! It was gorgeous, it was stunning, and it made all of us giddy when we walked in. I immediately surveyed the place and started to walk toward the back with Brea (the uber talented photog) and we saw these chairs. How cool are these chairs!? You don’t get to work with these kinds of things unless you think to bring them. To actually have them there, IN the barn just waiting for us? We both knew immediately this was the spot for the bouquet shots. Now, the truth is, there is a ton of work that goes in to getting the perfect shot. In fact, you can see how we tweaked this and went from ribbon streamers to just feathers so we could showcase it all AND get that chair pattern in there. It took a bit of positioning, but we knew the shot was there – we just couldn’t find it immediately. And we weren’t stopping until we got that little chill down your spine because you are so excited and know it is going to jump-off-the-page kind of feeling.

Truth be told – I actually spray-painted the white hydrangeas. Yep, I did! A soft, antique gold. You should have heard the gasp when I told Brea and Meg (the videographer – wait until you see her video!) – it still makes me chuckle now. Hey, it was a day of creativity, and how many brides would honestly be ok with that. But, it did give them a little antiqued, vintage millnery feel.

THE CAKE TABLE
Ah, the cake table. This actually all came to fruition on site. I walked in to the barn, was getting introduced to everyone – getting the lay of the land. Then I eyed them. Beautiful, fabulous fabrics in different textures and colors and patterns. They were amazing. So amazing, that I suggested we use ALL of them. I think the girls thought I was a little crazy at first. But I had this vision, and I knew if we could just see it come together it would work. The cake was beautiful. Simple, elegant, and incorporated the color pallete we were working with. So did the linens, but in a very different way. I love how the blue toile on the bottom carries the blue up to the top with the little handpainted (and handcrafted) bird’s eggs that Meagan made and topped off the cake with. The bold orange linen had lots of texture, and Sarah helped me get the draping right (this is definitely a two person job. You can’t see everything when you are right on top of the linens). The gold pleated fabric softens the look and gives it a glamorous finish. Note – this is not the cheapest thing to do. However, there is most often only one cake table, and what a statement piece this makes inside your reception venue. It’s stunning!!

Don’t forget to check out the video of our ‘behind the scenes’ here

Style Me Pretty – Inspiration to Reality Challenge

I’m a proud peacock right now. Finally – we can share some images from the fun ‘Inspiration to Reality Design Challenge’ that Abby over at Style Me Pretty started. We did a shoot last month at a gorgeous, rustic barn in Maine. It was a chilly day (you’ll see when the video gets posted) and a really fabulous time with some seriously talented wedding vendors I am happy to now call friends. To Charity (my secret weapon) – you helped make our part of this shoot happen. Thanks for working with me so very last minute – you rock!

So, to refresh everyone’s memory – here is the board that was created by an SMP reader.

Here are a few of the images that our team created that day.

Aren’t these blue chairs amazing? They really pop against the cream & gold linens on the table. They were a little distressed, and that made them even better. All of that warm toned wood in the barn gives such texture to everything it surrounds. I was suprised when I arrived at the barn to see the chandeliers – and I love how they warmed up the space. Along with the string lights, there was a really soft, warm amber glow.


Sara from Griffin-vites wowed us with her stationary suite. Who would have thought you could make a rooster look so chic? And to have chicken wire lined envelopes – that touch totally took them over the edge. Meg of Maine Seasons Events spent hours going through her flea market finds to get just the right props to help out with the styling of the shoot. Meg of Meg Simone Videography was climbing on tables (with her gear) to get overhead shots, and Brea was sitting on the top rungs of an old ladder (she contemplated hoisting herself up on the beams in the roof of the barn!) to capture every tiny last detail. There is so much more to come. I can’t wait to share it all with you.

The fabulous vendors who worked to pull this shoot off include
Brea of Brea McDonald Photography
Sarah of Griffin-vites
Meagan of Maine Seasons Events
Meg of Meg Simone Videography

Spreading Holiday Cheer


I am one proud Auntie today. Turns out my nephew Shea who has been courageously battling Neuroblastoma has been one of Santa’s little helpers in the holiday card department. During one of Shea’s chemo treatments, volunteers came by to ask if he would design a holiday card. His festive creation has been chosen as the Holiday 2009 card for the Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation!!

Cards can be purchased at the link below. Proceeds from the sale of these cards support the programs of Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation whose mission is to enhance the quality of life for pediatric patients and their families and support the mission of the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children.
www.RMchildren.org www.RockyMountainHospitalForChildren.com

Help spread some holiday cheer and do something good at the same time! Happy Holidays.

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Contact Soiree Floral

Office: 28 Centre Street
(by appointment only)
Mail: Post Office Box 3350
Nantucket MA 02584
Phone: 508.228.6684
Email: hello@soireefloral.com