bloom floral design

Emily and Aaron - Legacy Fountain & Greystone / Piedmont Park

2012-01-17T12:21:00.000-05:00

Emily and Aaron have a great story. They planned to marry at Piedmont Park's Magnolia Hall with a reception at Greystone on September 24th. Not long after the papers were signed...Music Midtown was booked and threw a kink in the whole plan. Because of the concert traffic, noise, etc., the ceremony could not be held as planned.

Fortunately, the gorgeous Legacy Fountain at the park had just been completed and it's location was far enough away that the noise from the concert wouldn't be that bad. The concert promoter was held responsible for the all the extra charges involved with moving the ceremony (i.e. chair rentals, speakers, extra floral decor, etc.) including providing shuttles for all the wedding guests as parking would be non-existent.

The upside to all of it was that during the reception at Greystone, wedding guests could sit on the patio and hear Coldplay live!

Now, another kink arose just a week before the wedding. Emily twisted her ankle and was placed in one of those big, black boots! Hence the reason for the sparkly Tom's. Despite the challenges, Emily and Aaron had a fantastic wedding day.

Emily's bouquet was a collection of gorgeous purple hydrangeas, lavender spray roses, lavender and purple carnations, actual lavender stems and dark purple schwartzwalder callas. Now, I know what you are thinking...carnations? And I somewhat agree - but the purple fancy variety looks SO gorgeous mixed in with other flowers to give the full spectrum of purple shades Emily wanted.

Lavender stock was used in the girls' bouquets which added a lovely fragrance.

I love this shot of the girls with their bouquets on the grass. It was a perfect day in the park.

Emily's mom was the sweetest. Through all the twists and turns this wedding took, she rolled with it and made the best of it. She looks stunning in her gold gown.

The steps down to the grass of the Legacy Fountain...what an entrance!

Aaron was a happy groom and if you look behind the Judge, you can see the dancing waters of the Legacy Fountain. I believe that Emily and Aaron's wedding was the first ever at the fountain!

Can you say HUGE wedding party??

Flower balls for the aisle decor.

And large urns for the "altar" area of mixed shades of purple and blue hydrangea, ruscus, lavender roses, delphinium, stock and larkspur.

Centerpieces were low square vases filled with shades of blue and purple hydrangea, lavender roses, stock, carnations and wrapped inside with a green ti leaf to hide the stems.

An obvious groom's cake...

The boys made sure Aaron was up for the evening!!

And here's the mother of the bride - getting down on the dance floor!

The toss bouquet was caught by Josie. Emily's neighbor and....

bloom's next bride!!! How cool is that...(Josie's colorful Trolley Barn wedding will be featured soon)

Emily's wedding photos courtesy of The Long Farewell.

Debbie & Jason - The Gardens at Great Oaks

2012-01-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

Here's a dreamy sneak peek set of images from Debbie and Jason's wedding at The Gardens at Greak Oaks. The beautiful manor house of an old sorghum, corn and wheat plantation in Roswell, this venue is the perfect backdrop for an intimate and nostalgic wedding.

Debbie provided most of the vessels for her centerpiece collections. Borrowed from family and friends along with some lovely antique shop discoveries, the vintage vases held bright and textural flowers. Red garden roses, orange ranunculus, dahlias, berries, sea thistle, celosia, and scabiosa combined for a bright and bold color palette.

Stay tuned for more of these beautiful images courtesy of Hollie Lytle Photography.

A Very Creative Mother of the Bride

2011-12-06T12:17:00.000-05:00

This is Elizabeth. She and Paul were married this past September at the Decatur United Methodist Chapel with a reception at The Houston Mill House.

Elizabeth is a very lucky bride in that she and her mom worked together to create some very beautiful details for her wedding day.

Suzanne, mother-of-the-bride, made the lovely vintage card collector featured here.

She also brought an old chair to the church in order to get some pretty shots of the bouquet. Elizabeth's bouquet was a collection of pinks, purples and whites - hydrangea, lisianthus, lavender roses, hypericum berries, stock and freesia.

Suzanne also created this sweet vintage inspired guestbook as well as the "mr" and "mrs" signs for the back of the bride and groom's chairs.

She also put together the wedding programs and handmade every single one of the escort cards!

The escort cards were then hung on a vintage garden gate. These escort cards would have been sufficient as wedding favors, however Elizabeth is known for her delicious white chocolate dipped pretzels. Each guest received their very own pretty little package of them. Elizabeth dipped over 900 pretzels!

The photos featured here are courtesy of Suzanne (and a family friend). You can follow her creative endeavors here.

It's a pleasure to work with individuals who really care about the details.

Katie & Scott at The Solarium in Oakhurst

2011-11-29T11:57:00.000-05:00

The Solarium in Oakhurst is an excellent venue for a ceremony and/or reception. Or a rehearsal dinner, for that matter! I've been promoting this venue ever since it opened. It is in my neighborhood and I have attended many different types of functions there.

This sweet little wedding was held in May and the bride was excited to use garden flowers in vintage tins and mason jars that she had collected.

Bouquets consisted of daisies, roses, scabiosa, hydrangea, mint, astilbe, nerines, button mums and spray roses in a bright colorful mix.

Additional flowers such as sea thistle, tweedia, and cornflower along with ruscus and tree fern completed the summer, gardeny feel for the tables.

On of my favorite containers to use for gardeny, vintage, rustic weddings are old oil lamps. The bases make very cool table centerpieces.

The groom at this wedding has his own landscape company so we actually bartered a portion of the wedding flower cost. It's old fashioned, but they got wedding flowers and I've gotten some badly needed yard work done!

All photos courtesy of the bride's friend, Jessica Cobb.

Summer brunch wedding at JCT Kitchen

2011-10-26T12:53:00.000-04:00

Laina & Josh were married at JCT Kitchen - what a great place to have a wedding! If you are a foodie, as is Laina, you will appreciate the delicious cuisine of chef Ford Fry. The restaurant is beautifully yet simply decorated, the light is fantastic, they have a courtyard perfect for ceremonies as well as ample and easy parking.

Laina's bouquet was an all white mix of freesia, peony and ranunculus.

This was also a brunch wedding which I think are wonderful. You can have really yummy breakfast type food along with more traditional fare.

The girl's bouquets were a collection of yellow and orange freesia, ranunculus, billy balls (craspedia) and white peony.

The groomsmen had simple orange spray rose and dahlia bud boutonnieres...

while the groom had white freesia and orange ranunculus. I do like the scruffy look on grooms :).

Courtyard tables held sweet and simple arrangements (I love thise shadow shot). Mason jars were used inside and filled with a bright and cheerful collection of dahlias, freesia, ranunculus, hypericum berries, billy balls and lemon leaf.

Kraft paper table runners and mini chalkboard table numbers perfectly matched the charm of the restaurant.

Guests tied their wishes for the newly married couple on manzanita branches simply dressed with lemon leaf and ranunculus.

This looks like a magazine cover, doesn't it??

There are so many great spots for photos at Atlanta's Westside Urban Market location.

Cornhole is becoming a very popular activity at wedding receptions!

Bright green pants and a bowtie - yes!! And so Southern...

The restaurant can even provide your cake!

Anyone who knows me knows I have a serious iced tea addiction. I might have this photo framed.

Laina hand made ribbon swirlers (not sure if that is what you call them!) for her guests to wave as they departed into the beautiful afternoon. It makes for a sweet going-away photo.

And anyone who knows me knows I love peaches. You better believe I took a couple for myself!! What a great summer favor for guests and complements perfectly the whole "foodie" theme.

And here's a cute idea for your wedding gift thank you cards.

These terrific photos are courtesy of Anne Almasy. Book her if you can - she's awesome!

Another one, dear to my heart...Allison & Ryan

2011-10-04T16:52:00.002-04:00

It seems like just yesterday that my niece, Allison, was playing with her Breyer's horse collection and her bunny Elmo. But actually, a couple months before yesterday (March) she was a beautiful bride marrying her 6'6" groom at St. Brigid Catholic Church in Alpharetta.

My heart and soul went into these flowers as this was my gift to the newlyweds. Allison's bouquet of white and emerald green hydrangea, viburnum, parrot tulips and grape hyacinth was wrapped with lace from my sister's wedding veil and topped with her sorority pin.

It was a chilly and misty day in March. Perfect weather for photographer Laura Stone of ArtStar Photography.

Sweet flower girl, Sophia, looked like a little doll with her princess flower wand and tulle dress.

Allison had 7 bridesmaids (friends and sorority sisters) and 2 junior bridesmaids (cousins). The junior bridesmaid on the far left is my daughter, Anna, age 9! She was so thrilled to be a part of the wedding and loved having her hair and makeup done. Allison's gifts to her bridesmaids were mongrammed shawls and pearl jewelry.

Bridesmaids bouquets were all green flowers - hydrangea, kermit poms, viburnum, and super green roses.

Corsages and boutonnieres ready for pinning.

Ryan's boutonniere of parrot tulips, ladies mantle, white and grape hyacinth blooms.

Altar and aisle flowers.

My brother-in-law, Allison's father, is a member of the Knights of Columbus at the church. The Knights in all their regalia lined up from the church lobby to the altar.

The reception was held at the Country Club of Roswell.

A giant lantern centerpiece for the foyer.

The photobooth props were set up just outside the ballroom so the bridesmaids grabbed some to help jazz up the wedding party introductions!

The vase pictured here was used in Allison's paternal grandmother's wedding. She had passed away about six months before the wedding.

Allison first described her color scheme as apple green, navy and white (a combination she discovered and loved from the artwork and packaging of Blue Moon beer!) Incorporating green apples into the decor made perfect sense. This centerpiece was featured in the Fall/Winter 2011 issue of Bride's Atlanta!

There were three different centepiece designs for the 22 reception tables. Tall vases, footed vases and cylinder vases filled with cut limes.

Green apples were also used as votive holders.

Over 200 apples were used at the reception. After the wedding, my sister and I spent a day making pies, cobbler and applesauce for our families!

Vintage champagne glasses for the highboys.

The Baker's Man cake featured tiny replicas of Allison and Ryan's dogs - Reagan and Cappy.

Here's my sweet sister, Carol, wiping away a tear...

Here's to Allison and Ryan. I wish you Happily Ever After!

I was pleased and honored to be a part of your day!

Ashli and Mr. Price

2011-08-30T15:46:00.001-04:00

This wedding, held last year on the infamous 10-10-10, is very dear to me. The beautiful bride above was my daughter's third grade teacher! Ms. McMahon, (Ashli), would always refer to her fiance, Adam, as Mr. Price when she would discuss her wedding plans with her third grade students. So naturally, I refer to him the same way!

Ashli announced during the school year that it would be her last as a teacher. She had decided to follow her growing passion of cooking/catering and start her own business. As she is a foodie, I tried to incorporate some familiar elements into her wedding bouquet. Sage and mint, along with hypericum berries, orange ranunculus and white asiatic lilies comprised Ashli's simple and romantic bouquet.

Her color palette was vibrant and earthy.

The ceremony took place in the gazebo at The Avondale Community Club

All sides of the gazebo were hung with mason jars filled with floating orange gerber daisies.

My daughter helped set up the wedding and she stayed for a sneak peek at some of the other teachers/administrators who were bridesmaids!

I love that the dresses were in three shades - scarlet, burnt orange, and mocha.

Different sized mason jars were used for the table arrangements. Filled with orange ranunculus, white lilies. gerber daisies and all different kinds of herbs - sage, mint, rosemary, thyme, dill, etc. I also added a few ornamental peppers to round out the garden/foodie feel.

Catering was by Sawickis, a local Decatur purveyor of artisanal and local products.

The Avondale Club has a beautiful lake view.

Lilies in hanging mason jars decorated the front porch.

And here's the most delightful part of the event! Ashli LOVES bacon...so what better place for bacon? On the wedding cake! Bacon bows...a true foodie knows that bacon goes great with chocolate icing!

The happy couple - Mr. AND Mrs. Price!

All photos courtesy of Anna Kate photography.

And by the way, Ashli's catering/personal chef business has taken off! Check her out at http://www.plantoplate.com/.

Colby & Justin at The Little Chapel / The Carlos Museum

2011-08-23T13:07:00.000-04:00

The bit of breezy coolness and low humidity this morning has got me thinking and hoping for fall! I've been meeting with brides recently to talk about dates for next spring/summer, but my actual favorite time for weddings is fall.

Here's one of my fall favorites. Colby and Justin were married at The Little Chapel at Emory with a reception at The Carlos Museum.

Colby's bouquet was a ivory collection of mums, garden roses, hypericum berries, ranunculus and variegated pittosporum foliage.

It was wrapped with a bit of lace from her mother's wedding gown. Her mom was a doll and handled most of the communication regarding the flowers.

Adorable flower girl photo on the steps of the big Glenn Memorial church.

Justin's boutonniere was a cluster of variegated pitt, white ranunculus, scabiosa pod, ivory hypericum berries and a rose hip wrapped with paprika ribbon. Note the snazzy tie!

Now here is where it's gets spicy! Colby's bridesmaids wore navy dresses with paprika shawls so their bouquets were truly vibrant! Peach and red garden roses, circus standard roses, orange dahlias, peach and red hypericum berries, rosehips and orange and red spray roses created a strong dose of color.

The sweet flower girl posy (a mixture of ivories, reds and oranges) was the link between Colby's soft ivory and the girls' vibrant colorful bouquets.

Colby is from South Carolina which means sweetgrass. Her mom provided a huge bagful, so we incoporated it in the aisle markers in the chapel.

The reception at The Carlos Museum was so elegant and beautiful. I love the sculptured architectural pieces adorning the walls and guests are allowed to wander the museum during the event.

A collection of tall and low designs centered the 60"rounds. Tall vases were filled with bittersweet vine and crabapples were everywhere!

Justin works for a spice company so naturally the wedding favors were a custom blend of spices created especially for them - "A Season of Love".

Sparklers sizzled at the end of the evening as Colby and Justin headed off to married life!

Ring shots can be so clever! All photos courtesy of Shawna Herring photography.

Here's a note from Colby's mom:

"Dear Cathy,

Thank you so much for everything!! It has been a joy to work with you and I'm so glad your creative artistry added color and beauty to all our wedding memories. With best wishes always, Angela"

Family Farm Wedding - Morgan & Shane

2011-08-19T17:23:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorites, I must say. When I met with Morgan and her mom, there was no question that we were going to work together. We were on the same page from the very beginning and both Morgan and her mom were so sweet and laid back.

When they told me that the location for the wedding was the family's farm in Conyers, I was intrigued. And I was not disappointed when I arrived for a site visit. Here's a shot of Morgan in the entry foyer of her mom's house. You can imagine that the rest of the house was just as interesting and eclectic.

Bright, colorful, whimsical and natural were the words Morgan chose to describe her flowers. Above are the mothers' corsages of orange spray rose, pink nerine, lime green button mums, purple asters with an accent of explosion grass (really, it's called that). Twine finished it nicely.

The pasture that separated Morgan's parents' house from her grandparents' house was the ceremony site.
And to complete the "family compound" feel - Morgan and Shane were moving into the renovated barn after the wedding!

I had been dying to use the big round balloons again since I had used them at The Not Wedding and when Morgan mentioned she liked balloons - it was meant to be. You must be careful though...those balloons require an extreme amount of helium so they are not a budget item.

The bride and her sister - the maid of honor. Morgan carried a bouquet of peony, orange spray rose, green button mums, billy balls, pink nerines, fiddlehead fern, and purple aster.

Morgan and her sweet dad. You can see the barn in the background which served as the "get ready" area and where Morgan and Shane would move after the wedding.

Bridesmaid dresses were a vibrant purple with flirty little organza flowers over one-shoulder

The reception tables were covered in burlap toppers and the stacks of wood were handcut by Morgan's dad. We added moss, spanish moss, votives, river rock, butterfly accents and a large allium bloom floating in a bubble bowl.

The favors were big white gumballs that matched the big white balloons!

Signs were handpainted by dad.

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And the sweet little cake topper finished it perfectly!

Photos courtesy of Jamie Howell photography.

Great Couple + Fun Wedding - Andrea and Tyler

2011-08-03T15:23:00.001-04:00

The Good Ol' Trolley Barn. Great, casual place to have a wedding/reception. Andrea chose this location because she wanted a laid back, have fun atmosphere.

I was pleased with this location and even more pleased with the arrival of this little fellow when I was setting up the wedding! Nothing spells good luck like a ladybug landing on your bouquet!

The aisle was very simply dressed with green wraps on the end chairs. A very budget-friendly yet neat and clever idea. These chairs were then repurposed for the reserved tables.

Andrea and her mother searched flea markets for these cute vintage hankies.

Andreas's dress is one of my all time favorites. So simple, elegant, comfortable and a tiny bit sexy!

She requested a little photo frame charm of her doggie to be attached to her bouquet!

The blue hydrangeas and small sunflowers complemented the linen green dresses of the bridesmaids.

The groom's boutonniere of daisy, cornflower and tiny scabiosa buds wrapped with wire.

And yes, there was a bagpiper.

Guests were directed to their tables via hang tags identified with different European castles.

The soy candles, the napkin rings and the table identifier frames were all made by Andrea or her mom!

A clever and simple, yet thoughtful detail.

Some tables had floating cornflower, sunflower and daisies.

Others had submerged sunflowers and hydrangea. The water presence helped give a bit of a "cooling" atmosphere to the warm summer evening.

Andrea and her cute grandparents!

Catering by Badda Bing and photography by Lori Suzanne.

Cator Woolford with Amy + Dan

2011-07-05T17:13:00.000-04:00

Gorgeous is all I can say about Amy! And her groom was adorable.

Pre-wedding photos were taken on the Emory University campus.

Her lush green and white bouquet was a lovely mix of super green roses, cymbidium orchids, sweet peas, mint, and kermit poms.

A sweet boutonniere of white kalanchoe and scented geranium leaf.

I love the mothers' traditional wedding garb. They were like little dolls!

Mint was used in their signature drink as well as the homemade lip balm wedding favors.

Amy wanted a collection of vintage vases on each table to hold a serene and lightly fragrant mix of white and green flowers - peonies, stock, sweet peas, queen anne's lace, super green roses, kermit mums, mint, scented geranium, and lisianthus.

She purchased the clever luminaries/table numbers from etsy.

Homemade photo booth fun!

A quick change into a short, funky dress made dancing the night away very easy!

Photos courtesy of Altmix Photography.

Yay! bloom featured on 100 Layer Cake!

2011-06-27T15:20:00.004-04:00

This post is copied directly from a top wedding blog -
100 Layer Cake

June 20/Atlanta wedding: Shanna + Richard

Welcome back from what we hope was a lovely Father’s Day weekend! We’re delighted to start the week off with Shanna + Richard’s stellar vintage-library themed wedding shot by David and Kendrick of Our Labor of Love. It has all the makings of a sweet love story, with a laid-back reception reminiscent of a Sunday afternoon lawn party.

Cute guest book idea alert! The combination of a Fuji Instax Camera and library card bookplates were an instant hit and served as the perfect guest book. The four drawer card catalog that was used to store all the guest book supplies was found at an antique store, and although the purchase of the camera didn’t come cheap, Shanna points out that it’s such a fun camera to use and will easily get a ton of use well after the wedding!

Vintage books. They look great as accent pieces to your centerpieces, but if you’re not careful the cost can add up quickly. While it’s a good idea to check out your local vintage and antique shops for one-of-a-kind books, we’re siding with Shanna on this one – she hit the jackpot by going to a few local Goodwill stores (finding books for $1 or $2 each)!

Thinking of an outdoor, picnic-style reception where guests can relax in between cutting a rug? Quilts or blankets matching your wedding colors are a must! We cannot believe Shanna’s mother made the quilts above. She made three quilts, each with a personalized embroidered message on the back – one she kept for herself, one she gave to Shanna and Richard, and the other for Richard’s mother to keep.

Since their venue didn’t allow anything to be thrown that could potentially litter the grounds, they turned to Ecofetti - which turns out is the same thing used for “snow” on movie sets. It dissolves in water so it’s easily washed away with a hose. This is a great alternative (and eco-friendly for eco-conscious brides) to birdseed, sparklers, rose petals, etc. And, if it gets stuck in your hair, it dissolves when you shower.

We adore every bit of this wedding! Thank you Shanna + Richard for letting us share your super sweet day!

Photography: David & Kendrick of Our Labor of Love / Wedding Planner: Ally Haggerty of Unforgettable Soirees / Florist: Cathy Brim of Bloom Floral Design / Caterers: Bon Appetit / Music: Vladimir Vladovich of Take5 Strings / Rentals: Peachtree Tents and Events / Venue: Oglethorpe University (Philip Weltner Library) / Invitations & Programs: Little Lamb Designs / Cake: Highland Bakery / Dress: David’s Bridal / Suit: Tommy Hilfiger / Bride’s Shoes: Zappos

Karen - Bridal portrait session

2011-06-23T11:33:00.000-04:00

Karen was my first bride to do a pre-wedding day bridal portrait session. A couple weeks before the big day, I provided a gorgeous bouquet of white peonies which was identical to the one she would use on her wedding day.

She spent an afternoon at The Old Decatur Courthouse with her photographer Joseph Aczel . She is relaxed (and gorgeous!), the courtroom is empty and she was able to wear her dress more than one time. The photos are stunning. I think it's a good investment.

Meredith + Drew

2011-06-21T18:01:00.000-04:00

Hey! I'm getting the blogging bug again!

The first is Meredith and Drew. They were married at The Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Atlanta with a reception at The Hotel Palomar.

Meredith preferred an all white bouquet of hydrangeas and cymbidium orchids with a touch of delicate green ladies mantle. For her girls, wearing slate grey dresses, we added a burst of color with bright blue hydrangeas and yellow calla lilies (and a touch of green ladies mantle).

There were three different designs for the reception centerpieces. Meredith is an architect and wanted the centerpieces to be very structured. We started with a large, low design of massed blue and purple hydrangeas.

The next design featured the mass of blue and purple hydrangeas along with a rise of white calla lilies in a criss-cross pattern. Their stems were wrapped with platinum ribbon and secured with a pearl pin.

The third design featured a tall column of large white calla lilies also wrapped with silver and a pin. The guest tables were labeled with the names of different flowers.

Instead of purchasing cut hydrangea stems for this wedding, I purchased

actual plants which had about 4 or 5 blooms each and cut them myself. This can reduce your flower cost significantly if they are available. The best news is that my sister took the leftover plants and added them to her yard. They are blooming to this day!

Photos courtesy of mac + cheese photography.

New Guest Book idea

2011-04-20T14:34:00.000-04:00

I always get excited when a new idea for weddings comes along. Check this out...

The GuestBox. Totally excellent idea.

Wedding Soiree Book Launch party

2011-03-01T10:54:00.000-05:00

bloom was very happy to help Gail and Hester of Wedding Soiree this weekend! They hosted a launch party for their latest book “Atlanta Weddings for the Modern, Stylish, Chic Bride”.

If you are in the market for a wedding coordinator - these ladies are pros!

Here’s a few shots of the small centerpieces we provided.

Viburnum, deep red sweetheart roses, raspberry chrystanthemums and flowering cherry branches in pewter footed bowls fit perfectly with the lovely kiwi green and guava pink color scheme.

Photos courtesy of Alecia Lauren photography.

Tayiba + Javier at The Solarium in Oakhurst

2011-02-09T20:32:00.000-05:00

A lovely bride was Tayiba!

She was looking for something "fresh, green and a little unusual" for her wedding flowers. Her collection was comprised of delicate maidenhair fern, hypericum berries, green cymbidum orchids, super green roses, eucalyptus seeds, fiddlehead fern, kalanchoe, kermit poms, lily grass, dendrobium orchids, chocolate cosmos and all kinds of succulents for a beautiful, windy day in May.

Her girls wore all different styles of the 'little black dress'. And the wind made Tayiba's veil take on a life of it's own!

I love this shot of the veil!

Javier's boutonniere had a few strands of "explosion grass" to add a touch of whimsy.

For the buffet, a large glass cylinder vase was filled with small river rock and fiddlehead fern shoots at the bottom. The topper was similar to the bridal bouquet with a few lily grass swirlies!

Centerpieces were like little wild terrariums.

Classic groom's cake.

The flowers couldn't have matched the ribbon on the cake any better.

The firehouse across the street always provides a fun backdrop.

The ceremony and reception were held at The Solarium in Oakhurst. One of my favorite venues (and not because I live in the neighborhood ;)

These images are all courtesy of the wildly talented Laura Stone of Artstar Photography.

Kelley + Trevor at the Trolley Barn

2011-02-02T12:32:00.002-05:00

Here is one of my favorite brides from last season! Kelley is an amazingly creative chick and really added some super beautiful details to her day. She was also a pleasure to work with and her mom is a hoot! They were so much fun.

Her bouquet was chock full of white stock, hydrangeas, white anemones, green hypericum berries, scented geranium, and mint. It was totally gorgeous! Anemones are always a bit tricky to work with but they behaved nicely for Kelley's day.

Kelley, an art teacher at The Children's School, made the adorable clay birds that held the signs at the drink and bar table. She also hand wrote the signs and chose the miniature plants and containers for the decor.

Guest favors were lottery tickets placed on a ticket holder designed and made by Kelley!

Attached was a shiny penny for extra luck.

bloom created a fabulous floral display around a vintage birdcage on the buffet table but unfortunately there were no photos of it!

Brides - make sure you discuss clearly with your photographer the types of photos and detail shots you would like from your day.

Here's a thank you note from Kelley:
All I can say is that your work is amazing! I was in complete awe when I looked around and saw all the wonderful flower details covering The Trolley Barn. When planning our wedding, I felt that the flowers were a very important part of the event. It was breathtaking to see our vision come to life. Thank you so much for helping to make our wedding day one of the best days of my life. Many Thanks, Kelley

All photos courtesy of sean randall.

P.S. I am all for photographers branding their images, but not when they do it smack across the center of the photo.

Virginia + Robin at The Pace House in Vinings

2011-01-31T17:12:00.001-05:00

Virginia and Robin's wedding was a milk glass extravaganza! It was fun searching flea markets for all the different sized vessels. Virginia chose a clean, fresh white and green color palette that perfectly complimented the classic southern ambiance of The Pace House.

White lilac, standard mums, stock, kalanchoe, hydrangea, and button mums combined with green buttons, super green roses, bells of ireland and bundles of fresh mint comprised her floral selection.

Cutest cake topper - from Etsy, of course.

Southern gents wore seersucker blue.

Photography by Addison Hill.

Decatur Courthouse wedding

2011-01-26T13:51:00.000-05:00

In my previous post I included photos of Ashley + Drew's e-session with photography by Adam Nash.

Make sure to look at those but first, check out these images of their fun wedding day in Decatur at The Old Courthouse on the Square. I live and work in Decatur so I'm kinda partial...

Love Ashley's short "going away" dress!

Ashley + Drew, e-session

2011-01-24T14:27:00.000-05:00

I normally do not post e-sessions on my blog because they generally don't feature flowers. And this one definitely doesn't, but I like the photographer's work so much that here goes. He is Adam Nash photography.

I also like the couple, Ashley and Drew, whose wedding I will blog about next! They are such a fun couple and Adam captured that very nicely in both the e-sesh and the wedding day...

See, aren't they good?

Carrie + Dan

2011-01-18T13:59:00.000-05:00

Carrie and Dan were married at The Little Chapel on Emory campus with a reception at The Michael C. Carlos Museum. It was a spectacular April spring day.

If you are planning an April wedding it is not too late to call us!

Sweetly classic and elegant.

Carrie's bouquet was comprised of white and pink peonies, lavender lilac, blush roses, seeded eucalyptus, wax flower, ranunculus, lavender scabiosa and peach stock.

For the reception, we went a little bolder in color with the same flower combinations in gilded footed bowls.

We included lavender, tulips, hanging amaranthus and scented geranium to add texture and fullness.

Masterpiece Catering is an excellent choice should you be in the market for a caterer. And Jim Warren, at the Carlos Museum, is one of the best event space managers around.

The cake was this lovely flowery confection. One of my favorites!

Photography by Jeff Roffman Photography.

Snowpocalypse 2011

2011-01-17T16:44:00.000-05:00

Well, Snowpocalypse 2011 was quite a treat!

The snow fell, the hills were sledded and tons of hot chocolate was made. (My husband has the Williams-Sonoma hot chocolate maker in which you combine milk and shaved chocolate (or chocolate morsels) and it heats, melts and swirls it all to frothy perfection.)

Movies were watched, games were played, fires were burned and it was amazing that we were unable to go anywhere for about 4 days because of icy roads. I headed over to the flower market on that 4th day and almost made it there fine. As I was heading down the hill to turn into the parking lot, I began to slide. There was already a flower shop delivery van that had slid and was stuck at an angle against another car. That one spot on the hill was crazy icy.

Fortunately I was able to get traction down the hill and made it to a dry spot. However, because the highways were shut down with ice, the market had very little fresh flowers.

I am so glad I did not have a wedding this past weekend!

It is now a rainy Martin Luther King Day. Everything should be "business as usual" tomorrow...

Happy 2011!

2011-01-07T16:24:00.003-05:00

Hello 2011 brides!

I know you all are out there diligently searching sites for your perfect wedding vendors. January is filling up with consultations already! And it looks again like the biggest months this year will be May and October with 11/11/11 also a very popular date.

bloom is busy updating the website with photographs of all the fabulous brides and weddings we were a part of in 2010. We worked with some top notch photographers and are excited to share these images.

In fact, the image above was taken by Laura Stone of ArtStar Photography. It's of me, Cathy, the owner of bloom floral design, posing for my personal holiday card.

Please know that I did not "graffiti" a public space in the making of the card! My husband recently moved his business into a new warehouse and the kids and I had a great time "decorating" the new space.

I'll post some more shots from our fun holiday card photo shoot soon. In the meantime, know that I look forward to hearing from you and hope to work with you in 2011!

Holly

2010-12-09T09:31:00.005-05:00

Holly was married in November at the chapel at St. Philips on Peachtree with a reception at The Piedmont Driving Club.

We used a vintage compote for the bridal table at the reception.

This was a second marriage for her and she was class all the way. A simple and elegant combination of sahara roses, white hydrangea and seeded eucalyptus was the perfect color palette for her.

(Last 4 photos compliments of Becky Stein)

You know what they say....sometimes 'less is more'. Well done, Holly. All the best.

Emory University Board of Trustees event

2010-11-11T14:19:00.007-05:00

Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health was the location for the Board of Trustees event last night. This brand new building is absolutely gorgeous with an 8th floor event space that has a stunning view of the sunset and the Atlanta skyline.

A combination of antique green hydrangeas, french tulips, sugarbear hypericum, sunset lilies and magnolia leaves were nestled beneath tall and short votive candleabra for the grand buffet.

Photos courtesy of Michael Kloss, Executive Director, Office of University Events.

Where did the time go?

2010-11-07T22:48:00.005-05:00

(Colby and Justin. Photo courtesy of Shawna Herring Photo.)

Whirlwind is all I can say at this point.

Just a few seconds ago it was August 27th...now it is Nov. 7th. WTH happened?

Here's the nutshell:

Family reunion in Tennessee

Kaylee at King Plow

Whitney at Cator Woolford

Elizabeth at Wahoo!

Ioana at the Peachtree Club

Jimmy Carter dinner at Emory

Great American Beer Fest in Denver

Alesha at Rhodes Hall

Lisa at Emory Conference Center

Paideia Event

Emory AIDS research dinner

Bobby Cox retired

Jessica in Avondale

Pam at Episcopal Church of the Epiphany

Ashli 10/10/10 at Avondale

Braves in the Wild Card playoffs

Cynthia at the Carlos Museum

and Colby at the Carlos Museum

Hawaii for 9 days

Hannah at The Old Abbey Restaurant, now St. Paul's

Emory events left and right

Bar mitzvah at the 755 Club at Turner Field

So, yes I've found it difficult to blog. Did I mention I have a family too? Two kids...

But, when I think about it - blogging is what I can do in the "off" season - those cold months of January and February when no one is getting married or having any parties/events. And I can sit by the fire and do it.

There's a season for everything....

Cathy & David from The Not Wedding

2010-08-27T08:58:00.006-04:00

So, here we are with some more images of our couple, Cathy & David, from The Not Wedding. That's not their real names, I can't remember what they were but that's not important. The important thing is they looked great and really represented bloom well.

The fabulous pink dress was provided by Heidi Elnora (who actually wore it for her own wedding - one of four she had that day!). The floofy, feathery hairpiece was provided by Chaos Couture.

Here's Cathy & David in our actual space, where artist extraordinaire, Lindsay Mahaffey O'Dell painted these seriously cool "Love Sweet Love" banners. Lindsay also creates wonderful and whimsical jewelry, hairpieces, and exquisite wedding decor.

Wow! Check out the huge bird cage we rented from Paris on Ponce to use as a giant centerpiece for the head table. We filled it with hanging paper birds and millions of taper candles in vintage candleholders. The heat streams from the candle flames made the birds "fly" around in the cage. It was cool.

We also borrowed a sort-of vintage motorcycle because everything should have an edge, no?

Now, here's where it gets interesting. The bridal 'bouquet' was a single flower made from hundreds of wired hypericum berries with a pearl accent center. These precious flowers accented all the floral decor throughout the space. Nothing says vintage more than handmade, right?

All photos courtesy of Hollie at Lytlephoto.

Following Up on Stuff...

2010-08-24T14:45:00.007-04:00

It has been a crazy busy year thus far, but I finally have the chance to follow up on all the great things that have happened!

Back in February (yes! I'm going back to February!) we participated in "the Not Wedding" which was held at The Foundry at Puritan Mill. The Not Wedding is what I like to think of as the coolest bridal show in town. Brides-to-be and their guests were treated to a 'mock' wedding ceremony and reception. Four real couples performed a rockin' choreographed entrance with the 'brides' wearing the latest gowns from Heidi Elnora (of Project Runway fame). A hip-hop dj 'married' the couples and then invited guests to experience four fabulously inpired and enchanting wedding receptions. There was food, drink, music, a photobooth and even "favors" (awesome swag bags). The entire event was hosted by Atlanta Occasions Magazine.

bloom was the designer/host of the 'vintage chic' environment along with Talk of the Town Catering, Mirabel Press, and Tasty Pastry. Within each lusciously lighted and draped 20' x 20' space, guests were able to see the handiwork of many talented wedding vendors - caterers, stationers, cake bakers and floral and event designers. The entire event was photographed by Lytlephoto.

Before the event got underway, Holly photographed the couples at various spots near The Foundry. Here are some of my favorites.

My "couple" is the one with the 'bride' in the short gown. And yes, it was pink! More photos of our couple, let's call them Cathy & David, in the next post. Close-ups and stuff like that...

Photography

2010-08-09T17:10:00.005-04:00

One of my most favorite things in the world is receiving an email from one of my past brides with the link to their wedding photos. I love looking through the images and picking out favorites to use for my blog and my website galleries.

I even think I am becoming a tiny bit of a photography nut - I really enjoy taking detail shots of flowers and plants and using those as well in my blog posts.

So, I'm excited about a little photography workshop/seminar being hosted by Laura Stone of ArtStar Photography this week. She's sharing her fabulous talent with a few of us wedding industry folks so that we may understand how to better photograph our own work.

If you haven't heard of Laura - please check her out. She's one of the best in the business - in my opinion - and I've worked with plenty of wedding photographers. There are those that can make a pretty run-of-the-mill wedding look fantastic and there are those that miss all the details, leaving a fantastic wedding look run-of-the-mill.

Bottom line, one the most important elements of a wedding is the photography. Besides your man - that's what tangibly remains from the big day. Make sure you choose a great photographer.

I'll keep you posted on what I learn.

(Above photo taken with iPhone 3G).

Holy Moly - it's been a while...

2010-07-27T15:28:00.006-04:00

Yes - the month of July was a bit of a whirlwind with lots of travel. Here's a few shots I took of a visit to Cooperstown, NY. The weather up there was unbelievable - mid 80's, breezy, and in the mid 60's at night. Coming home to Atlanta has been a wake-up call. It's too dang hot here!

My son played in a 12-under baseball tournament at Cooperstown Dreams Park. 104 teams from across the country came to compete and it was the experience of a lifetime for him. They played well, had their butts kicked and kicked some butt themselves. And of course we visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum!

My boy on the mound in Cooperstown.

Action shot.

"Catfish", his nickname, at bat.

Most amazing, however, was the place we stayed. A converted barn on a property which once belonged to the owner of the New England Patriots. This little gem made the trip worthwhile. We parents didn't mind being holed up here...

And we discovered that chickens and roosters are pretty cool.

Atlanta Wedding Professionals luncheon at The Fabulous Fox Theatre

2010-06-22T15:08:00.001-04:00

Last week bloom had the pleasure of providing the table centerpieces for the Atlanta Wedding Professionals Networking Luncheon hosted by Atlanta Bride & Groom Planner/ Occasions Magazine in the Grand Salon at The Fox Theatre. I wanted to do something a little unique so I used poppies, allium, rattail statice, giant sea thistle, explosion grass and New Zealand umbrella fern. These photos are courtesy of the fantastically talented Ben Vigil.

Expect to see this shot in some of bloom's future marketing!

Table linens were provided by Cover-Ups.
And catering was provided by A Divine Event.

Poppies are complete show-stoppers with really a one-show only aesthetic. The true diva of the flower world.

Sneak Peek: Meredith & Drew at The Hotel Palomar

2010-05-25T08:56:00.000-04:00

I only have a few, but here's a sneak look at some of the reception pieces from Meredith & Drew at The Hotel Palomar. They were married at the Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception downtown.

There were three different sizes of centerpieces. Full and lush mass arrangements of hydrangeas in shades of blues and purples. Each table was named after a flower.

The second size was a criss-cross design of mini and standard callas rising up from the lush hydrangeas.

And the third design was a column of callas. Meredith is an architect and was very clear that she wanted clean lines in her designs.

The boutique hotel is near the Georgia Tech campus and allows pets. In the lobby is a large fish tank with brightly colored fish. And yes, I saw a beautiful brown australian shepherd sitting perfectly still and staring at that fish tank, licking his chops.

Virginia + Robin, bouquets and bouts and more!

2010-05-14T17:04:00.000-04:00

Love the fresh mint in the bridal bouquet.

Little milk glass urn filled with mint. This precious thing was placed on the sweetheart table which was hidden inside the house so Virginia and Robin could steal a few moments together during the celebration.

I love compotes!

The sign in 'book' was a poster of a tree with bare branches. Guests added their green thumbprint to the branches and signed their names. Another etsy creation.

I really could go on for days with this wedding, but I'll stop. I took about 100 photos! Most of the above photos courtesy of the professional - Addison Hill Photography.

Virginia + Robin, details...

2010-05-14T16:50:00.001-04:00

Giant mason jar buffet arrangement. Virginia was quite excited about this ebay find.

Gorgeous hydrangeas, lilacs, stock, bells of ireland, and mint. It was hard letting this one go - I wanted to keep it for me!

The ceremony took place under a tent and in front of the glass doors to the reception area. Two of these fabulously lush wreaths hung on the doors.

And check out the sweet, sweet etsy cake topper.

Virginia + Robin. Happily ever after.

Virignia + Robin = Milk Glass Extravaganza

2010-05-14T16:08:00.001-04:00

Yahoo! I finally have a chance to blog!

I surprisingly do not have any events/weddings this weekend so I don't know what to do with myself! Actually that's not true - there is a 'to do' list a mile long, and one item is to finally put up on the blog what has been keeping bloom floral design so busy!

Virginia and Robin, both Auburn graduates and hailing from Birmingham, were married at the Pace House in Vinings on May 1st. It was your classic southern wedding - hydrangeas, mason jars, seersucker suits, a rockin' band (somehow connected to Bob Dylan - The Last Waltz was their name, I think?) and the first humid Saturday of the year.

I had a fantastic time collecting milk glass vases to use for the reception centerpieces. Here's a few shots of the collections.

Love the shoe and the vase on the left!

The white and green color palette was perfect for the Vinings humidity. Virginia was very laid back about her flowers and consequently everything came together beautifully. White hydrangeas, snowball mums, bouvardia, vendela' roses, tulips, stock, white lilac, kalanchoe, 'super green' roses, bells of ireland, kermit poms, hypericum berries and glorious amounts of mint.

It was absolute heaven incorporating the mint (and appropriately - it was Derby Day!).

Next post - bouquets/boutonnieres and more details - such as their cool sign-in poster and the sweet etsy cake topper.

First photo above courtesy of Addison Hill Photography.

Angela & George at Cator Woolford

2010-04-29T09:39:00.000-04:00

First things first, though - tonite is the last night of the April Jazz Nights in Oakhurst of which bloom is a proud sponsor. A comfy green lawn tucked amongst a vibrant neighborhood village, a nice glass of wine and open-air jazz. I'd say that's a perfect plan for this evening! Be there or be square!

I, of course, will be square as I have a charity gala along with a good ol' seersucker suit wedding this weekend. Have a glass for me, will ya?

Now - Angela and George had picked Cator Woolford Gardens for their wedding last weekend. Unfortunately we had a bit of a monsoon but no worries - the ceremony was moved under the tent and the reception remained up the hill at The Atrium. Here's a few pix of the pretties for Angela's day -

Girls bouquets (8!) were mexican sun ranunculus, billy balls (aka craspedia) and brunia.

Wrapped with a lovely "cancun blue" ribbon!

Flower girl pomander. Yellow button mums work so well!

Tiny flower pomander for the two-year old along with Angela's bouquet. Hers included snow white ranunculus.

Sweet mother corsages. A tiny 'star of bethlehem' tucked in.

Rose petals lined the aisle with a few full open roses nestled in. I like the way it looks - a little surprise along the way....

Cake topper. Cake was designed by Michelle's Elegant Cakes.

The Atrium has a fantastic wall mosaic that you can see behind the cake.

Despite the rain, Angela and George were married. And that was the whole point, right?

Carrie + Dan at Emory's Little Chapel and The Carlos Museum

2010-04-23T08:54:00.000-04:00

It was truly a pleasure working with Carrie! She and Dan married at Emory's Little Chapel with a reception at The Michael C. Carlos Museum (on the Emory campus). Her request was for soft blush tones and a very romantic and textural look for her bridal party flowers.

Her bouquet was a mix of white and pink peonies, seeded eucalyptus, stock, viburnum, ranunculus, peach roses, lilac, scabiosa, spirea, and lavender.

Corsages for the mothers and grandmothers - Carrie had accents of gold throughout her wedding day so I used a gold-edged ivory ribbon for the pin-ons. (photo taken with iphone - apologies!).

Her gorgeous rosette cake was done by The Flour Shoppe.

Obviously the groom was a graduate of Georgia Tech!

Placecards were printed on gold metallic with architectual design detail.

This was the sign in poster - very vintage and sweet - it may have been an etsy, not sure.

Tablecenters were similar to the bridal party except in bolder hues. Linens were a soft peach and each table was named for a destination which Carrie and Dan had traveled together. Tablecenter flowers were hanging amaranthus, scented geranium, ranunculus, peonies, wax flower, lilac, peach roses, lavender tulips, hydrangea, scabiosa, lavender, viburnum and stock. Their scent was divine!

Again, another iphone photo - sorry! I was tweeting from the set-up!

Inside the peony - that would be an awesome shot to have blown up really large for a wall piece!
(If I do say so myself.)

Lavender scabiosa and peach rose.

Gorgeous day + Easy bride + Lush flowers = Perfect wedding!

Thanks again Carrie - you were a gem!

Now it's on to Ashley, Jackie and Angela this weekend. Ashley at the Decatur Courthouse tonite!

Banner Day for bloom floral design!

2010-04-16T00:51:00.000-04:00

I need a glass of Veuve!!!

bloom has made it onto one of the top wedding blogs in the country! Being a part of The Not Wedding this past February was truly an unforgettable experience and you can read all about it here on Style Me Pretty:

www.stylemepretty.com/2010/04/15/the-notwedding-bridal-event-2010/

Vintage chic, baby.

Cheers!

Apple Blossoms

2010-04-13T10:05:00.000-04:00

Whoa! I didn't realize how long it has been since my last post! I think Spring Break last week had something to do with that.

It has been a very polleny past few days but seeing all the blooms bursting forth makes it all worthwhile (and thankfully I'm not allergic!). Here's a few of the 5,000 photos I took of some blossomingly abundant apple trees while in N. Georgia for the break.

I wish these were in my backyard. So serene when the petals fall floatily to the ground.

Get to Work!

2010-03-30T10:16:00.000-04:00

I am finding it a bit difficult to stay focused since the weather is heading toward fantastic this week! I really want to go outside and lay in the grass instead of working on the laptop. I wish I could see my laptop screen while working outside in the sun...someone needs to figure that out.

So here's Stormy, my long-absent assistant, yelling at me to follow up on the leads generated by my online advertising sites.

She is such a slave driver.

Laura + Brian at the Emory Conference Center

2010-03-24T16:01:00.000-04:00

I'm working on wedding party flowers for Damion and Graciela's ceremony this Friday night at the Emory Conference Center garden terrace.

So, naturally I thought back to my last wedding at the ECC. Courtesy of W. Scott Chester - take a look...

Laura was the sweetest thing ever.

After Brian. :)

Burgundy dahlias, antique green hydrangeas, rosemary and hypericum berries.

Flower girl carried a moss purse filled with gerbers, dahlias, rosemary and berries.

Doesn't this kid look like the mean kid in "A Christmas Story"? What a great face!

Simple boutonniere.

Stunning architectural shot.

All the best to Laura and Brian! And here's to Damion and Graciela! (they're going tropical!)

A couple more cute ideas!

2010-03-22T16:13:00.000-04:00

One of my May brides, Virginia, just sent me a link to these absolutely adorable etsy creations she will be using at her wedding. I so love etsy!

Sweet guest book idea:

This is a fun twist on a sign-in/guest book. Everyone leaves a thumbprint and name or message amongst the branches and afterward you have a sweet keepsake family tree! Just don't forget the wipes so the ink stays on the paper and not on your guests' fingers!

Cutest Cake Topper

Similar to the nakedpeggies I posted about awhile back - but these come with handmade clothes!

I can't wait to see what Virginia's will look like!

Here's the links:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39891638

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33877978

A couple cute ideas...

2010-03-17T22:42:00.000-04:00

I discovered these fantastic pop-up placemats while I was browsing at Star Provisions recently. They are die-cut and packaged flat so that all you have to do is pop them up when you set the table. Better yet - create your own pop-up mats to compliment your personal wedding theme, i.e. birds, butterflies, circus animals, skulls, you name it!

Or even create a larger paper table overlay and have several pop-up designs surround your table centerpiece. If you will be using white linens, adding a colorful paper background can really jazz things up!

Another cool idea of late, if you haven't seen it already, is a brooch bouquet. You can find all kinds of these vintage treasures at the local flea market/antique store and putting one of these together can be a snap. Or, call me and I can do it for you!

And to make things even more unique, have your bridesmaids wear brooches on their dresses in lieu of flowers. They can walk down the aisle on the arm of their groomsman or as is becoming popular - they can dance down the aisle! When they aren't holding flowers they can really get down!

Just trying to keep my brides "up to speed"!

If you are planning a fall wedding - call me soon because things are booking up!

Next wedding...

2010-03-09T14:10:00.000-05:00

I'm doing flowers for this lovely couple! I'm not really, just kidding, but I do think it would be fun!

Next up is Candice and Dwayne at the Park Tavern. Marshmallow pink and mint green.

Christine and Phil

2010-03-08T14:24:00.000-05:00

This lovely couple was married back on Halloween and I am just now getting images! It was a sweet buddhist/christian ceremony at The Solarium in Oakhurst. Here they are in front of the new Oakhurst firehouse which is located across the street from The Solarium.
(photo courtesy of D. Alan Friedman.)

There are some great halloween-"y" photos, but I'll save those 'til we get closer to that holiday. God knows it's March already so you know fall is just around the corner!

;)

REAL sneak peek at The Not Wedding photos - from the professional

2010-03-04T09:25:00.000-05:00

Yay! Here's a sneak peak from the professional photographer - Hollie Lytle. Awesomeness.
Lovin' my balloons, marshmallows and the motorcycle!

Not Wedding sneak peak

2010-03-03T14:14:00.000-05:00

Well! I survived last week and have lived to tell about it! The Not Wedding was an incredible event with lots of great vendors showcasing their talents. There were four environments created by four different floral designers. Each floral designer was paired with a caterer, a stationery company and a pastry/cake baker. My partners were Talk of the Town catering, Mirabel Press and Tasty Pastry.

Our environment was Vintage Chic. Here's the first of many photos taken by yours truly. The better, professional shots will come soon.

Linens were platinum crinkle taffeta. A silver beaded charger and glass plate, paired with my mom's american fostoria dessert cup and plate, along with fostoria coffee cup/saucer completed the place setting. Glassware included vintage saucer style champagne glasses, fostoria water glasses and an Ed Hardy glass to add a bit of rock n' roll! (You'll understand this element as you see more of the environment!)

Favors doubled as place cards in the form of vintage, wall-mounted bottleopeners hung with tulle from vintage-brand soda bottles. (The bottleopeners just happen to be my husband's business - www.bottleopener.com). Perfect for groomsmen gifts, wedding favors, welcome basket items, etc.

Here's a beautiful vintage flower vase inherited from my grandmother--in-law. Filled with sweet baby pink ranunculus.

Authentic vintage candy jar filled with marshmallows with a handmade hypericum berry flower accent. This handmade flower was a design element used repeatedly throughout the environment. This one has a pink marshmallow center!

The sign-in table. Guests enter and sign in on the vintage typewriter (that actually works!). Hopefully the guests will be creative and clever making the guestbook a wonderful keepsake.

This is a terrible shot of the wonderful banners that my former client/artist - Lindsay Mahaffey Odell painted for the space. Love Sweet Love. That was an underlying theme of the space as well. My bride and groom (Betsy and David) were so adorable and they had awesome blue eyes.

That's it for today! Stay tuned for more!

the NOT WEDDING - this Sunday!

2010-02-22T11:22:00.000-05:00

Whoa, this is going to be a busy week! I'm working on some great vintage chic designs for this weekend! Starting point: giant 5' tall birdcage centerpiece! Please come and check it out. You can save $10 on tickets if you enter the code ILOVEAO when you checkout online. It's so worth it - lots of great ideas, great vendors, drinks and fun! It's a funky twist on a bridal show. (bloom wouldn't do one of those boring booth ones)

:)

Click here

Again! on the Southern Weddings blog!

2010-02-20T13:32:00.000-05:00

Erica and Chet's fun wedding was recently featured on the Southern Weddings blog. Check it out here for part one. And here for part two.

Back to Reality

2010-02-17T22:50:00.000-05:00

So - I'm back from Costa Rica and had the best time with the family! Here's a shot I took of the Arenal Volcano from our balcony. The sun is rising from behind it and we actually heard it rumble a few times!

The weather was crystal clear the first day and the rest of the trip the top was usually shrouded in clouds. We lucked out because we heard some people visit and never even see the volcano at all because of the clouds.

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things...booked 5 new consultations for the first week of March. It's going to be a busy year!

If anyone wants tropical flowers for their wedding this year - I'm ready! I was definitely inspired while in Costa Rica. Ginger, heliconia, bird of paradise, anthurium, orchids and even poinsettia growing all over the place! Some of those photos to come soon!

Costa Rica

2010-02-10T17:05:00.001-05:00

bloom is taking some much needed family time and heading down to Costa Rica for a few days! And with this weather - highs in the 40's and lows in the 20's - the warm sun will be heavenly.

We'll be exploring volcanos, hiking the rainforest, fishing and relaxing!!

It will be just what the mind and body need to get re-energized. And the flowers are supposed to be spectacular, too.

Stay warm and I'll be back in a few days!

Not Wedding Highlight reel

2010-02-08T12:12:00.000-05:00

If you are interested to know more on what the Not Wedding is all about - take a look at this clip from a previous show. bloom will be at this year's show creating a 'vintage chic' vignette. It should be pretty cool.
My partners in the vignette are Talk of the Town caterers, Tasty Pastry and Mirabel Press. Come see us!

The "Not Wedding" Highlight Reel from Remedy Films on Vimeo.

Real Georgia Wedding: Karen + Glenn - Southern Weddings - Southern Weddings Magazine

2010-02-04T17:44:00.000-05:00

Yes! bloom was part of Karen + Glenn's day at the W Hotel and it's featured today on Southern Weddings Magazine blog.

And yes, I did hang all of those candle globes, one by one...

Click here:

Real Georgia Wedding: Karen + Glenn - Southern Weddings - Southern Weddings Magazine

The Not Wedding

2010-02-02T10:27:00.001-05:00

bloom is super excited to be a part of this very cool wedding show at the end of the month. I was first inspired by the pastel mini marshmallows and now have a complete inspiration board to share with you. For all the details about the show - which is hosted by Atlanta Occasions Magazine - go to www.TheNotWeddingAtlanta.com.

Tulips

2010-01-31T13:50:00.001-05:00

bloom is working on Sunday! A client is having a dinner party this evening and wanted something to complement a sage green, yellow, and red color palette.

Gorgeous Van Dyke tulips from Holland tucked amongst camellia, acuba and english ivy foliage.

Sweet little beaded dragonfly vase adornment.

I know I've posted this before, but tulips keep growing even after they are cut so these stems will lengthen and curve and become more 'wildly' natural as the days go on. I personally think this is awesome, if you don't like that look the individual stems can be pulled out, trimmed and replaced to keep the arrangement neat and tidy.

She's getting ready to burst forth and show her stuff!

King Plow - Erica and Chet

2010-01-26T17:21:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Our Labor of Love for these fabulous photos of Erica and Chet's wedding at King Plow. Erica is a talented graphic designer and truly put her soul into all the little details. She also designed her beautiful, flowy gown.

Her colors were pale yellow and a pastel teal. My favorite part, besides the flowers (!), are the paper doves she designed and hung from the ceiling over the vow site. Simple + beautiful.

The ever popular all-ranunculus bouquet.

Carving and drilling are also part of Erica's talents. The wedding was just before Halloween.

They had a giant video screen backdrop for the dance floor. Cool idea.

The classic wedding "mop" shot - ;).

Glad to be a part of this one. All the best to Erica and Chet!

Sweet Inspiration

2010-01-25T13:45:00.001-05:00

Yes, indeed, inspiration can come from the most unexpected of things....

Dreary, rainy Saturday

2010-01-23T18:51:00.000-05:00

All day on the laptop, sitting by the fire - blogworld, facebookworld, twitterworld, weddingworld....been all over the place. But not really. Just here by the fire.

Just me and Stormy McCann.

"Bride's Choice Award" from WeddingWire

2010-01-22T17:13:00.000-05:00

Here's a sweet little email I received recently:

Dear Cathy,
Congratulations! We are excited to announce that bloom floral design has been chosen to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2010. This award recognizes the top 5 percent of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service and professionalism.

The Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through extensive surveys and reviews, which means your past clients have spoken on our behalf and selected you to receive this honor.

And, honored, I am!

The Not Wedding - February 28th!

2010-01-20T11:15:00.000-05:00

The Not Wedding is the coolest bridal show in town and bloom is excited to a be a part of it this year! There are lots of excellent vendors in the "cast" and this will be the show where you will get inspired for all things wedding-y!

Join the Party!

Sunday, February 28th 4-7pm

The Foundry at Puritan Mill

916 Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard

Atlanta, Georgia 30318

The show is set up to be like a mock wedding with four couples "getting married".

Surprises are in store so be sure to go to the site and purchase your tickets soon!

The Not Wedding Atlanta

January Madness

2010-01-15T13:14:00.001-05:00

Wow!
I thought that January would be a time to slow down, catch up and make some changes/additions to my website and blog....but NO!

I've been busy meeting with some fantastic 2010 brides and putting together proposals for some great designs this year. If you are getting married in May - call me soon because that month books up first!

I've got a bunch of end of '09 designwork to post and I'm hoping to get that accomplished by the end of the month.

Meantime, here's a few snaps of one of my favorite couples from 2009 - The Blackwelders! (Don't they just look like fun?!)

Atlanta Occasions Magazine Winter/Spring 2010 issue

2010-01-05T10:09:00.000-05:00

Yay! What a great way for bloom to start off 2010 - in print!
Check out the latest issue of Atlanta Occasions featuring Lindsey and Ben's September wedding at the Trolley Barn. Her bouquet is one of my all-time favorites.
Here's to 2010!

Karen and Glenn at the W Hotel

2009-12-21T00:53:00.001-05:00

No words needed except to say photography by Adam with W. Scott Chester.

Pink garden roses, white vendela roses, white bouvardia, ranunculus.

Stay tuned for more.

Rochelle - Anemones and Pea Hen Feathers

2009-12-13T19:49:00.000-05:00

My bride this past weekend was the lovely Rochelle. She envisioned a black and white theme with a touch of christmas for her big day. She had wanted white anemones with the black center for her bridal bouquet. I told her that anemones are a difficult flower to plan for - and that proved to be very true.
First - the flowers usually come from the west coast. However, because it's been so wet this past season, the white anemones were behind schedule and wouldn't be available until late December, early January. So, my wholesaler ordered them from Holland. The shipment arrived in the US early in the week, however it was confiscated by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture because they found a bug. I had to reorder a completely new shipment and they arrived Friday morning. I was happy to see they did have black centers (there's no guarantee on that). However, they were tight as a drum. They really needed about 3 or 4 days to open up. Unfortunatley, I did not have that much time since the wedding was Saturday. So, I was able to include a few in Rochelle's bouquet that had opened, but not as many as she wanted. I've had difficulty with anemones in the past and this little episode pretty much seals the deal that I will not work with that flower ever again.

Now Rochelle also wanted guinea feathers (or pea hen feathers) used throughout her floral decor and she ordered them herself off of ebay. She was quite surprised when they arrived as sort of a "pelt". I was the lucky one who would 'pluck' the feathers from the skin. I will tell you that it was not a pleasant experience to touch the crackly, yet oily skin. The accompanying smell was not enjoyable either! Ah, the glories of floral design!

Feathers with skin.

Feathery side.

Groom's boutonniere - white ranunculus, pea hen feathers, tiny pinecone.

Ushers.

Grandmother's corsage.

Groomsman.

Grandfather.

Groom's closeup.

Bridal bouquet - white hydrangea, fiddlehead fern, privet berries, white ranunculus.

Bouquets were wrapped with black and white satin ribbon.

You can see one tiny anemone here. When they first arrive, the anemone is closed up tight and is actually a slightly green color. As it opens, it lightens up and becomes more white.

Mother's posies.

Rochelle was married at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer with a reception at The Solarium. Reception flowers were lots of snowball white hydrangeas with iced branches and pussy willow atop a tall ornament-filled cylinder. Low centerpieces held white hydrangeas and white amaryllis with ornament and berry accents. Fresh noble fir wreaths were hung in the windows with fabulous black and white velvet bows that Rochelle tied herself.

A truly elegant and classy affair. Once again, I can't wait to see the professional shots! More wonderful details to come...

Wendy at Villa Christina

2009-12-10T23:32:00.001-05:00

I'm reaching back to August here for some shots from Wendy's wedding at Villa Christina. I posted some photos that I took myself earlier, but here are some professional shots from photographer Ernie Russell.

I loved Wendy's headpiece and the dark sash on her gown.

Since it was August, fans were an appropriate favor!

Rings nestled amongst hydrangea and freesia.

Hamming it up...

Those hydrangeas were the biggest blooms I've ever seen! So gorgeous and hardy!

The heart shaped petals down the aisle.

Wendy and her sisters.

The bridal bouquet.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-07T15:41:00.000-05:00

Square boxwood wreath with siberian lilies.

Ivy topiary and white rose "ornaments" and fresh kocharia "garland".

White roses, begonia leaves, eucalyptus pods and cedar.

Gypsophilia and white snowball mums.

Hello! It's been crazy busy here at bloom! We've been working on designs for the Decatur Tour of Homes (see earlier post) and did a lovely wedding for Cassin and KJ at Druid Hills Baptist Church and Callanwolde.

Posted above are some pics of the Tour pieces.

This coming weekend is also jam packed with a rehearsal dinner, a 60th birthday party and a wedding at The Solarium.

Gotta run - lots to do!

Decatur Tour of Homes

2009-12-02T09:16:00.000-05:00

bloom is once again a sponsor of The 2009 27th Annual Decatur Holiday Candlelight Tour of Homes. I've seen all the houses on the tour already and they are truly amazing! I am working on some fabulous designs to complement these homes - you really should check it out.

Especially interesting is the home of Mary and Chuck Bosserman. "The home features solar panels, geothermal heat pumps and many other 'green' features that helped the structure earn a Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating from the U.S. Green Building Council."

So if you are into that kind of thing AND you want to see some gorgeous flower designs - now's your chance! All proceeds benefit the Decatur Youth Fund and the Decatur Preservation Alliance.

The Tour is this Friday and Saturday evenings from 5:30 - 9:30pm. I've got some extra tickets so give me a call (404.664.6138) if you read this in time!

Erica and Chet - more!

2009-12-01T09:04:00.000-05:00

Well, I certainly took a little break over the Thanksgiving holiday! A break from blogging, but not from working! bloom has been busy and getting ready for an exciting December. This week especially is crazy - eight designs for the Decatur Tour of Homes and a wedding at Callanwolde.

In the meantime, here are some more excellent photos of Erica and Chet's simple and sweet nuptials at King Plow. Erica's bouquet was all white ranunculus wrapped with a beautiful pale teal ribbon. I love how she hung the paper doves over the ceremony site.

All photos courtesy of Our Labor of Love - who are awesome.

Smilebooth - Erica and Chet

2009-11-17T23:30:00.001-05:00

I'm a big fan of the smilebooth!

Here are some shots from Erica and Chet's wedding at the King Plow Arts Center at the end of October. Erica was such a sweet, sweet bride. Photography by Our Labor of Love and hopefully real wedding photos coming soon!

Lindsay and Ben - more!

2009-11-16T22:54:00.000-05:00

Reception held at the Trolley Barn.

A creative guest.

Lindsay handmade all the wedding favors.

Photo booth - ha ha.

Her gown was a stunning Vera Wang.

Rosemary: Friendship, fidelity and remembrance. Their signature drink. Rosemary was also utilized in the all the bouquets and centerpieces.

Wrought iron lanterns for the patio tables.

Vases were wrapped in burlap and moss ribbon. Bells of ireland, rosemary, kangaroo paw, astilbe, nerines, snapdragons, dahlias, and poppies for centerpieces.

Whimiscal candle trees were wrapped in tree fern, sprinkled with blooms and nestled in a bed of sheet moss and more candelight.

Patio centerpieces were sword fern, montbretia, snapdragons, sweet pea, kangaroo paw, ranunculus and bells of ireland.

Carolina jessamine vine - wrapped lanterns.

Lindsay made the floating candle vases for some of the outside patio tables.

And this is my favorite photo of the day - Lindsay's mom surprised her with a butterfly release when she and Ben arrived at the reception. Here's a real live detail enjoying herself on the rim of the signature drink. You can see the blurred image of Lindsay and Ben in the background.

What a cool photo. (All photography courtesy of Christine Gallager.)