A collaboration between GLR and Sophie B Photography - a sydney based photographer with BIG things to come - culminated in the production of some wonderful photos used for promotional and advertising purposes. Julia created a myriad bouquets of chocolate cymbidiums, sunshine yellow ranunculus, turquoise blue forget-me-nots and pastel roses especially for the project.

Shot at St Andrews Cathedral in Sydney’s CBD, the photos captured the essence of floral design and the beautiful way flowers can add that magical touch of colour and artistry to your wedding day.

 

This weekend we had the pleasure of creating a bridal bouquet that incorporates both colour, texture and romance. The bride wanted relaxed but elegant, and definitely wanted a touch of blue. Perfect timing really, as the Hydrangea are in season, and simply divine. Hydrangea is one of those happy flowers that changes with the length of the season. At the start the flowers are shaped like little stars, with electric green centres and dark outer edges. The middle of the season brings the larger, flatter and more deeply coloured petals. At the end of the season, we get ‘antique hydrangea’ which basically has a ‘splotchy’ look - but in a good way! Coupled with the large variety of colours available now, you have a diverse and highly adaptable flower that can enhance the look of any wedding, whatever the theme or colour scheme!

 

 

 

 

 

 

In order to achieve a more relaxed feel, the handle was bound with hessian and pearl pins - perfect for a beach wedding, or country feel. ’After Dark’ foliage was added to create an extra element of texture and colour to tie in with the ceremony location - dark timber floorboards and soft hanging votive vases with flowers to match.

Remembrance day is a day to pause and reflect on the sacrifice of our fallen diggers, their families and loved ones. It’s also a time to be thankful for the men and women serving today to ensure our freedom and way of life here in Australia can be preserved and embraced by future generations.

The Flanders poppy is the traditional flower used for remembrance, along with rosemary. In Turkey, at ANZAC Cove, rosemary grows in hedges around each battle site and graveyard, along with blue irises and lavender. The poppies grew in profusion in Flanders, France in the disturbed earth of the battlefields and cemeteries where war casualties were buried. It has since become a symbol of remembrance.

In Flanders Fields - John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

This year I was asked to provide a wreath for a service to be held in western Sydney, and was happy to oblige! Although I could not find Flanders poppies, I was able to find the next best thing - bright red gerberas with black centres. Coupled with ‘After Dark’, “Kangaroo Paw’ and ‘Geraldton Wax’ (all Australian natives), the wreath evolved into a beautiful ‘Australian’ representation of the the remembrance day tradition. I hope you like the photos, and I hope you like the wreath. Most of all, I hope you too will remember our fallen comrades- sons, fathers, uncles, brothers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers and great-great grandfathers (!!) on the 11th November, 2011 - and every year to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love weddings that incorporate colour and texture. My dream consultation is with a bride who likes to consider more than just one element (usually colour…or lack thereof…) - by this I mean, texture, size, shape or smell! Romantic brides might want roses (lots of roses) in either one colour or many. Modern brides might like calla lilies or cymbidium orchids in one or two complimentary colours. Retro brides might choose gardenias, roses, sweet pea or carnations, and usually in bold colours or purely black and white. The bohemian bride will probably go with whatever you can ‘gather’ together!! (I do enjoy the bohemian theme…)

Whichever flower/s you choose to incorporate into your bouquet, be sure to consider the shape, it’s scent and also it’s longevity out of water. Think about what your theme is and whether your favourite flower really does suit the overall look. Most importantly, choose flowers that are in season!! Your florist can advise you on what is available. If they are not sure, you can always have a ‘back up flower’ should the market turn on its head!!

 

I’ve always loved cottage roses, arbor roses…any rose that opens up in a random eruption of petals and shows their delicate yellow centre. I’m even more in love with imperfection, spatters of colour that have generated from years of cross pollination and genetic mal-tendancies! So of course it would make sense that two of my favourite flowers come together; not only a the right time of year-with much anticipation and squeals of delight from florists everywhere, but with the sort of picturesque union that even William Morris could not hope to replicate in his famous fabrics and wallpaper designs. The softly falling, compact petals of a newly opened peony are the perfect accompaniment for the exquisite David Austen rose - whose reputation over the years has become that of legend. Not only are these queenly flowers a delicious sight to behold, but they hold the good ol’ fashioned rose scent. The scent that takes you back to days of old, or grandmas backyard…sigh…

When I was asked to do a wedding for a friend, her only stipulation was ‘romantic, soft and feminine’…well, enough said. Go no further I hear you say. If you are getting married in October/November in Australia, and the bride says ‘feminine’, you know exactly what you’re going to use! Couple the blooms with soft silver foliage and you have a bouquet to die for. Without a question of doubt in my mind I gathered these flowers together in different shades of white, cream, pink, antique (Julia’s rose…my favourite…what a coincidence!!) and apricot. The only foliage to consider with such a combination is either mini-gem magnolia, or dusty miller. I went with dusty miller.

 

 

 

I love the texture the Dusty provides too, a sort of halo of soft coral…oh so soft. All that’s left to do is bind the stems in ivory satin ribbon and perhaps add an antique heirloom to the handle that only the bride will look down and see, and you have a bouquet that encompasses your every wish for your big day. Soft, romantic, feminine, enduring, alluring and sentimental.

 

It’s always a question your florist will ask: What is your colour scheme for the day?

Not every bride will have an immediate answer, because not every bride actually considers this vital element until all the other details have been arranged: reception venue, ceremony venue, number of maids etc…

It’s important to have a good idea of colour scheme before you visit your florist, so that you can work together to come up with some compatible floral decor. Wedding theme will often have a direct impact on this choice as well. If you are going for a country look, you might choose soft yellow, mint green and beige. Or a romantic victorian inspired wedding might choose midnight blue, rouge red and ivory cream. A retro wedding might choose red, yellow, white and black!

Something I always tell the bride at the outset is to come up with 5 key colours that will be an integral part of your wedding day. Choose 2 dominant colours, and then 3 softer tones to compliment. For examples of mood boards, you can visit sites such as

http://www.snippetandink.com/

 

http://www.stylemepretty.com/

These sites offer not only great colour scheme inpsiration, but also fantastic photos of real weddings. It is very helpful in creating your mood board to see how others have succeeded - you can see the theme running right through these weddings and you will see just how well all the elements come together when carefully planned. Great planning leads to excellent photos of your day!!

Lilac Love

Nothing spells elegance like the soft mauve and purple hues of a romantic lilac and rose bouquet. Couple it with satin ribbon and pearls, and you have something truly special! The variegated lilac at this time of year lends a subtle, sweet fragrance to the bunch. Blue moon roses enhance this with their typical old worlde rose scent, the same scent you remember from those bygone days of home grown roses in your mums (or grandmothers) front garden bed, or the local park down the road (for me it was New Farm Park in Newstead, Brisbane). Berzillia adds a touch of texture, and magnolia leaves finish the look with bronze highlights and dark green, glossy leaves.

Colours like this are not often common at any particular time of year, certainly not with the same softness the lilac lends to the overall look. Rule #1: If you see lilac, or you are getting married when lilac is around…snap it up quick, and enjoy it’s fragrance and delightful abundance for up to a week!

Flying interstate for a wedding is not a new experience for me! I’ve done it three times before, and have another one in Melbourne early next year. I love flowers, so going that extra mile (or few kilometres…) is no big thing, especially when it involves selecting the flowers early that morning, packing them and flying them with me to the final destination.

My babies are in water within 3 hours of purchase, and rarely suffer the long haul due to careful packing and MANY ‘Fragile’ stickers plastered all over the boxes. I suppose I could order them in the state I have the wedding in, but then there’s no personal ‘inspection’ of the flowers, and I miss that initial buzz when a flower I wasn’t planning on buying (due to projected seasonal availability) is suddenly beckoning me across the warehouse floor…point in case: L.O.V. or Lily Of the Valley. The wedding in Maroochydore asked for white and delicate wrist corsages ~ I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to envelope the senses with sweet, intoxicating L.O.V.

The bridal bouquet was natural stemmed, wired and very elegant. Cymbidium orchids, Akito roses, Amazing roses, freesias, sweet pea and dusty miller foliage were combined and bound with white satin ribbon. The bridesmaids complimented the bride with maroon ranunculus, sweet pea, roses and cymbidium orchids.