Friday, May 30, 2008

Brown, White & Green Perfection

As mentioned in one of my previous blogs, Gillian and Tim chose the most perfect, simple & stunning wedding color combination of chocolate brown, white, and green elements. With the help of Lisa Vorce, from Oh How Charming!, the wedding was complete perfection! Incorporating wheat grass, dogwood branches, and wood containers created the perfect combination. Check out the pictures below from Cheri Pearl.

We must give credit to Style Me Pretty for their amazing & creative blog, where we found these images... along with many other fantastic & stylish inspirations! Thank you, Abby!




Ultra Hip Pacific Design Center Wedding


Hot new pictures, fresh in!

The Hidden Garden team was so grateful to have been able to plan the wedding of Melissa & David at The Pacific Design Center, at the Wolfgang Puck restaurant. Being that this was our first time at this venue, we were super excited to see the finished product. Melissa and David chose an monochromatic fuchsia /magenta palette, with accents of platinum silver. Since the Pacific Design Center is so modern and edgy, we complimented all the decor to that feeling. The bride loved the magenta phaleonopsis orchids, as you'll see in her beautiful bouquet. By grouping all the flowers together by type, we were able to create that more modern vibe.

Thank you to Vernon for the awesome pictures!


Friday, May 16, 2008

Online Ordering is Here!

The Hidden Garden has recently added online ordering to our website! This is something I've been wanting to do for a while now and it was a lot easier than I thought.

Now you can order flowers for any occasion, any time with our online order form. We service the Los Angeles area and we also ship nationally, if you have any questions just let us know. So whether you are surprising a co-worker for her birthday, or sending flowers from Tokyo, The Hidden Garden will send a gorgeous arrangment that will make you look great!

Remember, the best advice I can give is to set a budget, let us know the occasion and we will design a unique arrangement. Visit our website, or follow this link to the order form.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Real Wedding Pictures

I recently told you about a truly glamorous wedding the Hidden Garden designed at The Lagham Hotel in Pasadena (April 30 - "Spring is the Thing." )

From their gorgeous wedding color palette to their location - this event was breathtaking! Here are some beautiful pictures from Kristin & Dane's wedding.

Photos compliments of Mike Larson Photography.




Friday, May 9, 2008

Baby Shower Trends

I was recently asked to guest blog for my new friends at A Savvy Baby Blog. They asked me to contribute my ideas about the new trends in Baby Showers. Having just designed a gorgeous shower for Jessica Alba, I was happy to do it!

BABY SHOWER TRENDS:

(my post for Savvy Planner)

More and more people are turning to florists for event planning and baby showers are certainly no exception. In fact, in the past five years baby showers have become one of the most popular events for the Hidden Garden, behind weddings and Hollywood events. Perhaps it’s because more women are choosing to marry and have children a little older these days. Being a bit older and more established means we can be more extravagant with budget and décor. The trends are smaller guest lists, modern and funky venues and nicer details.

I have always believed that the floral design sets the tone for your décor, which is something that surprises many clients. Once a color palette is chosen, I incorporate floral to carry the theme throughout the entire event. Baby showers are no longer an afternoon at someone’s home. Today’s showers are at beautiful venues such as hotel gardens, restaurant banquet rooms, museums and tea houses. They are actual ‘events.’

Overall décor is top priority so we design full table top presentations complete with centerpieces, napkin accents and place cards. Favors have become more sophisticated too. Some centerpieces are comprised of many pieces which can be given to the guests at the table to take home.

Entertainment has replaced games. Palm readers, masseuses, and henna tattoo artists are very popular at the new, non-traditional shower. And when it comes to gifts, there is no need to guess. These moms-to-be have taken the time register and it is customary to stick to the registry. With the new showers feeling more like a girls’ night out, it’s no wonder we are now seeing more and more repeat showers. Don’t be surprised to receive a beautifully crafted invitation for baby number two and three!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Mother's Day Flowers

Every mom loves a beautiful bouquet of flowers. What could be a better gift for her on Mother's day! Some of the best flowers are in season and available for this special day. We still have a wonderful selection of lilac, viburnum and dogwood. These are some of springtime's precious blooms, which are usually only available through the month of April. So celebrate your mom with a gorgeous spring arrangement created from these spectacular bouquets.

Some tips to help make your mom's flowers stay fresh & beautiful - longer:
1. When you buy the bouquet make sure that it is taken directly to your mom - don't leave it in the car and make a few stops along the way! Pick up the flowers last, then head to mom's house.
2. If you are having her flowers delivered, make sure she will be home to receive them so they don't have to be left outside.
3. Remind your mom to add fresh water to the bouquet each day. This will help reduce the amount of bacteria that accumulates in the water.
4. If possible, tell your mom that if she CAN trim the stems of her bouquet each day then it will help give the flowers a "fresh drink" of water. Sometimes this is not possible based on the actual design of the flowers so adding the fresh water is really the only solution.
5. Order from a reputable flower shop. This will ensure that the flowers are "fresh from the grower" and haven't been transported through many hands before actually getting to it's final destination. Most arrangements should last 4-5 days. If you are unsure about where to order, ask friends and coworkers for suggestions. Everyone has a favorite florist and they will be happy to tell you about them.

There are also some beautiful garden flowers right now, compliments of Mother Nature, so if you are feeling particularly crafty, read my post about how to arrange garden roses.