Archive for the ‘Flowers’ Category
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
A few weekends ago I was part of the Greater York Chamber of Commerce’s annual Wedding Expo. A lovely event for brides getting married in Southern Maine. I am always amazed at how many people flock to this area to tie the knot! It was alot of fun and a great excuse to play with flowers in the middle of winter!
I am LOVING the mussel shells with the hydrangeas, succulents and anemones! Perfect seaside colors with a contemporary twist! A few other lovely seaside blues and whites but a bit softer and romantic. The red amaryllis and red roses weren’t coming together until I added the yellow kangaroo paws and billy balls – HOT! I saw the pink protea and had to have it…fantastic combinations with the deep purple and pink mini callas, fluffy pink roses, jasmine vine, fiddle heads and dark burgundy ti leaf wraps. The classic white parrot tulips with ferns and hyacinth are given a vintage feel by arranging in a silver pitcher I’ve had for ages and the wonderful green and white bouquet that complements it is so fresh and sweet. And finally the butter yellow arrangement was inspired by a perfect little pear!
Extra special thanks to Geneve Hoffman for the great photos!!
Tags: Geneve Hoffman, York Maine weddings
Posted in Flowers, Past events | 2 Comments »
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Christmas is my favorite holiday! I plan menus, look forward to gatherings of friends and family and deck the halls. I am so pleased with the decorations from this year! Some gold and green, a little glitter, some gorgeous plants and alot of candles….
Some of my favorites…my glitter deer family and little birds hidden throughout the house, the gorgeous succulents, creamy poinsettias and rosemary topiaries, glowing, gold votives, our beautiful tree cut on a sunny winter morning just down the road, modern paper garlands and gorgeous candle lanterns made from fabulous paper from the fantastic Portsmouth shop Gus & Ruby , handmade wrapping paper by Wyatt, simple yet special gold ornaments scattered everywhere, lovely little green and spiky gourds, making my favorite treat – Whoopee Pies (with some crushed candy cane for good measure!), “The Nutcracker Suite”, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “James Brown Christmas Collection” playing all day everyday, the ivory burlap runner on my dining table, a warm fireplace, a pre christmas trip to the farmers market to stock up, my kitchen overflowing with homemade sweets and savories….but I truly get the most joy from having all my family around my dinner table for a feast after watching Wyatt and his three cousins eagerly and excitedly open presents… and my heart is full after seeing the huge smile on my husbands face on Christmas morning as he put on his skates to teach our son Wyatt how to skate for the first time on our pond. I think I’ll hold on to that moment and carry it with me into 2010…
Tags: Gus & Ruby
Posted in Decorations, Flowers, Inspiration, Just for fun. | No Comments »
Monday, November 9th, 2009
The summer has come and gone but Kerri and Patrick’s Boothbay Harbor wedding will always be the perfect summer day to look back on. After a dreary start to the summer the sun shone on Kerri and Pat and their guests for their gorgeous coastal Maine wedding celebration at the Spruce Point Inn. Even if it stormed, this day would have been flawless…Kerri is a natural beauty and sooo sweet and charming and has such wonderful taste and Patrick is one of the most easy going, sweetest grooms I have met! Pink and green prevailed and Kerri, her lovely mother Patti and I worked together to create an elegant, contemporary, chic and special day with all the trimmings…unique finds from Etsy, the button detail from Kerri’s grandmother’s wedding dress wrapped around her bouquet, the perfect hot pink shoes under a stunning gown, flip flops for tired feet, customized guest book with fantastic engagement portraits (Beth you rock!), pomegranate martinis with a twist, special family photos, fun napkin wraps, limes, limes and more limes, fresh wheat grass, elegant linens and sparklers for a festive end of the night send off. This was beyond a beautiful day and I am so proud and honored to have been a part of Kerri and Patrick’s wedding! Very special thanks to Beth Fitzgerald of Blush Imagery for the stunning photos!
                          
Day-of coordination, flowers and design by Beautiful Days.
Tags: Blush Imagery, Boothbay Harbor, pink & green, Spruce Point Inn
Posted in Decorations, Flowers, Past weddings | 1 Comment »
Friday, June 19th, 2009
Sarah and Randy’s flowers were so lovely that I had to post another round of photos! I also received some very generous and kind notes from Sarah and her mom that I thought I’d share those as well.
From Sarah – “The flowers were breathtaking. The bearded Iris was to die for…They are so gorgeous… I can’t tell you how many people commented on everything! You are extremely talented and gracious and I felt like you understood Randy, Olive and I from the very beginning. Thank you for working with us, thank you for your input, perspective and honesty. Thank you … for growing and using flowers … from your own garden. Everything looked like it was made with love – and in my opinion, that always makes things look better .”
From Sarah’s mom, Judy -” I have to tell you what an amazing job you did with (Sarah & Randy’s) flowers! I have never seen anything like your arrangements before. I was blown away with Sarah and Rebecca’s bouquets (bearded iris!!!) and then when we arrived at The Reading Room and I went to the dining room, I just stood there and said WOW. It was so spectacular. Everyone commented on how beautiful the arrangements looked. Thank you for making a very special day so gorgeous! ”
 Lovely Sarah and her maid of honor and sister Rebecca. Photo by Shem Roose  Groom and best man boutonnieres. Photo by Shem Roose.  Making sure Lilo's flowers fit just right! Photo by Nick LaVecchia.  Rebecca couldn't ask for a better escort! Lilo took her job very seriously! Photo by Nick LaVecchia.  Close up of Sarah's bouquet. Hellebore, saracena lily, mimi callas, roses and hydrangea. Photo by Nick LaVecchia.  Sarah's bouquet. Photo by Nick LaVecchia.  Nothing better than candle light! Photo by Nick LaVecchia. A very special thanks to the very talented photographers Nick LaVecchia and Shem Roose for sharing their photos!
Posted in Flowers, Notes from clients, Past weddings | No Comments »
Friday, June 12th, 2009
I am in need of a new head shot for my web site so I turned to my good friend and fantastic photographer Geneve Hoffman. Instead of the standard studio head shot we decided to create some “scenes” that hopefully express who I am and what Beautiful Days is all about. I packed up the car with flowers, cherries, champagne, tulle, paper lanterns and a picnic and my husband Daytes and our son Wyatt followed with one of our old cruiser bikes. Our first stop was Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier in Kittery Point. This is my favorite spot for fries and a lobster. The photos turned out bright, fun, a little whimsical, and very special…what more does someone need for a great celebration than a gorgeous setting , champagne (in a can!), lobster (rolls), cherries and blueberry pie (with extra whip cream please!). After Chauncey (and eating all the fries!) we headed down the road to Seapoint Beach….low tide, sun setting through the sea grass, the beach almost to ourselves….perfect! Our shoot definitely came together more organically on the beach and I was just so happy to have a picnic with my family and dear friend on a beautiful late spring evening.
I haven’t picked a shot yet so I welcome your vote!
 Arranging flowers on site at Chauncey Creek. Sunflowers, proteas, oncidium orchids, calla lilies and wired orange cherries.  A festive paper lantern on a bamboo stake.  A little funky, a little modern....love the cherries!  Dinner!  With sunglasses?  Or without?  LOVE the colors and textures!  Hitting the beach - this is honestly not staged! This is how I am on site for every party - arms full and ready to put it all together!  My boys!  Geneve wanted to play around so I indulged her! The skirt is actually my prom dress which I just can't part with.  Our little family - just missing the dog.  It doesn't get any better than this!
Tags: Geneve Hoffman
Posted in Flowers, Just for fun. | 1 Comment »
Sunday, June 7th, 2009
This weekend I created beautiful wedding arrangements in a range of purples for Sarah and Randy. I adored Sarah as soon as met her! She is a warm, open and lovely person and she and Randy are a perfect pair.It was truly a pleasure to be a part of their wedding. The day was gorgeous and the York Harbor Reading Room was the perfect setting. Sarah wanted the flowers to be simple, elegant and unique and the results were very wonderful. I used allium, hydrangea, stock, tulips, flowering kale and blackberry and opal basil accents. There were a few surprises in the bride’s bouquet and on the head table – one being an absolutely stunning large deep purple bearded iris. I saw it last week at the greenhouses and had to have it!!! I’ll post the professional photos asap but wanted to share my shots right away. Enjoy!
 Roses and blackberries. I hear the flower girl ate all the blackberries thru the night - love it!  Allium, flowering kale and opal basil accents that I've been growing since May.  Tulips with flowering kale leaf accents.  Stock, allium and opal basil.  Hydrangea and flower kale accents.  The head table.  The head table. The gorgeous iris with some hellebore and fresh oriental poppy pods picked from my garden.  The head table.  The brides bouquet. Hydrangea, roses, hellebore, mini callas, flowering kale, very special saracena lilly and the stunning bearded iris.  The maid of honor's bouquet. Flowering kale, stock and hellebore.
Tags: York Harbor Reading Room
Posted in Flowers, Past weddings | 1 Comment »
Saturday, May 30th, 2009
I am in full spring gardening mode and love checking out all the local greenhouses and the farmer’s market for unique flowers and inspiration. A few weeks ago I found gorgeous opal basil at a farm that will be perfect for next weeks wedding flowers. The flower color range is dark to light purples and the basil will add a gorgeous, velvety ,deep purple accent.
 Opal Basil This morning I struck out to the local farmer’s market to look for purple kale and other unique flowers and edibles for this same wedding. I didn’t find the kale I wanted but did sit and share a scone with my son Wyatt and listed to a great bluegrass band called Rock Spring The first song they played was Pachelbel’s Canon in D, one of the traditional processional songs for wedding ceremonies. You wouldn’t expect to hear this from a bluegrass band but it sounded so cool and fun and different…the key word being different! I do love the traditional strings for ceremonies but having a bluegrass band put a spin on those traditional songs is what makes a wedding stand out from all the rest.
So don’t be afraid to hire that steel drum player you heard at a local club, book the blue grass band for your ceremony or to ask your florist to create a design using unexpected elements…seek out inspiration in unexpected places, create your own traditions and infuse your celebration with pieces that make you smile. All your guests will smile along with you!
Posted in Flowers, Inspiration, advice | No Comments »
Monday, May 11th, 2009
I love creating beautiful and unique flower arrangements for my clients…the variety of blooms, grasses, vines and berries continue to amaze and inspire me. I thought I’d share some of my favorite creations with you. A few funky, some cool and contemporary, lush and romantic and one or two right out of the garden. Enjoy!
 Very funky and sculptural tent pole flowers. Most of the flowers were picked from the events site's private gardens! Photo by Tonee Harbert  Simple, cool and contemporary cocktail table flowers using horsetail and roses.  Gorgeous dahlias grown especially for this September wedding from Endless Summer Flower Farm in Camden.  White perfection with orchids, calla lilies and peonies.  Lush pink peonies perfect for a June bride. Photo by Brian Wedge.  Groupings of pink, green and white flowers highlighted by tall arrangements of peonies and orchids. Love the lime accents! Photo by David Murray.  Gorgeous dahlias and funky coleus grown specifically for the cocktail tables. Photo by Tonee Harbert.  Love the orange and blue combination! Photo by Geneve Hoffman.
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- The curly fiddlehead accents are fantastic! Photo by Geneve Hoffman.
 Lush, romantic centerpieces. Photo by Emilie Sommer.
Posted in Flowers, Past weddings | 2 Comments »
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