Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Elegant Dinner Reception
















We just recently received some fabulous photos from our friends at RrivreWorks (http://www.rrivreworks.com/). If you are ever looking for fantastic and unique furniture rentals or props - check his stuff out!


This wedding reception was at a private estate in Brentwood, CA. Rrivre's crew transformed the backyard into a magical ballroom which we then adorned with gorgeous florals. Basically, The Hidden Garden was the icing on the already beautiful cake! Enjoy the photos!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Hotel Del Coronado Wedding






















As promised, we received some fabulous photos from Stephanie Houge (http://www.hoguephoto.com/) from Priya & Stephan's wedding that was on June 28, 2008.
(coordinator - Julie Pryor http://www.pryorevents.com/)

Thursday, July 24, 2008

BBQ Floral Arrangements

It's that time of year....the weekend bbq's where your friends and family come over for a casual afternoon. Just because it's "casual" doesn't mean you shouldn't set the stage for a well thought out event! After all, who better to impress than you closest friends and family. You might have the basic elements for your BBQ affair (food, drinks, music) but don't forget the decor!

The flowers used at a backyard BBQ function don't need to be elaborate but rather much more on the casual side. Consider using one of your water pitchers or galvanized metal pales and fill the vessel with an array of sunflowers. This is an inexpensive option that is will be sure to make your guests feel happy when they walk in. Another great flowers choice this time of year is an array of tulips. Again, this is a simple option and readily available to pick up at any flower shop, grocery store or even farmer's market.

Even though you might be having a casual get together, don't forget the little details that pull it all together - like the flowers!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Seven Degrees Art Gallery Wedding

This past weekend The Hidden Garden designed a colorful wedding for Elizabeth & Paul at Seven Degrees Art Gallery in Laguna Beach. If you haven't been there yet for an event, it's a great space. The upstairs patio is a perfect ceremony and after lounge location and the downstairs venue is an eclectic mix of art pieces within a very modern environment (gray walls, flooring, chairs etc). A really cool dinner reception space.



Julie Pryor from Pryor Events originally brought Elizabeth and Paul to The Hidden Garden to help plan the event decor. What i loved the most about working with Elizabeth....she LOVED color!! The ceremony area was filled with blues, purples, lavenders and celadon greens. The ceremonial structure was adorned with strands of orchids with cylinders of submerged orchids at the base. We embellished the aisle with a deep lavender rose petal designed in a criss cross fashion.



The Reception room was transformed into a colorful hue of reds, hot pinks and oranges. Each of the centerpieces had 5 different vases of flowers each mono chromatically with accents of Moroccan tea glasses for the candle light vessels.

We can't wait to share the photos with you when they become available.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Add Some Pizazz!


Next time you order flowers for a friend of loved one, ask your florist about having the container "fabric wrapped".

Wrapping an ordinary, glass, square vase in a specialty fabric will add some pizazz and a unique element to an already beautiful arrangement.

Many of our orders here at The Hidden Garden go out to our clients with beautifully wrapped fabrics, textures, and ribbons.
I am always advising people to pay a little extra for a special container because then the person who receives it will have a beautiful keepsake and will most likely continue to fill it with flowers or use it in their decor. These pretty fabric wrapped containers add a beautiful accent to the flowers and they rarely end up under the kitchen sink.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Hidden Garden Featured at CelebrityEverything.com

Thanks to Lisa Chase at CelebrityEverything.com for a great piece on flowers with yours truly! Lisa did an absolutely beautiful job of putting together an article about how to create your own floral decor like a pro. Read it here.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Candle Treatments Dress up a Tablescape

Every dinner table can be embellished with flowers but the added accent of a candle element can create an ambiance like no other. If you only have access to basic clear glass votives then it's better than nothing. You can take those clear glass votives and add an accent element to the glass to help tie your "theme" together. For example, maybe you tie a strip of "colorful" ribbon around the base, add a strip of bear grass, wrap the glass with galax or lemon leaves. These all help dress up your basic votive glass.

If you have the ability (financial & time) you can take your candle accents to another level by purchasing colored glass, embellished glass (such as a Moroccan tea glass), colored pillar candles etc.

Sometimes the outdoor elements don't allow for an actual "flame." If that is the case then you might opt for an "electric" candle. Finding a realistic electric candle is not easy. If you are going to purchase them be sure to buy one of great quality so you can simply replace the batteries when needed. They will be worth the investment in the long run - I promise!!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Check out my Outdoor Wedding Tips on Better TV

We filmed this in Central Park on a gorgeous day and right when we wrapped, an actual bride and groom came by:


Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Hotel Del Coronado Wedding

On Saturday, June 28th the Hidden Garden designed a wedding at Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. This was actually the first time I have ever worked at the property. It’s a very busy location with tourists but a great vibe.

Priya & Steve invited 250 guests to their wedding. The festivities began with a church ceremony filled with all white flowers and accents of burgundy (in the rose petals, rose cones and bridesmaid’s dresses). The church itself had a “beachy vibe” to it so it was our job to dress it up a bit. We placed floral arrangements at the altar, clusters with flowing chiffon down the aisle, Red rose petals lining the sides of the aisle, rose cones for petal tossing, floral garlands & clusters dressed the outside church railings as guests entered and beautiful floral oval wreaths adorned the church doors.

At the reception, the colors started to become more vibrant. The cocktail hour was adorned in sunset toned linens (by Tabella) and florals. We incorporated the use of orange dahlias, eremerus, roses, hydrangea and amaranthus.

Once we hit the ballroom the colors graduated to all rich deep reds & burgundys incorporating the use of black magic roses, Charlene roses and Forever Young roses. All the containers were in a rich gold tone. Crystals hung from each of the centerpieces to provide a glimmer effect when the light hit them. The room was warmed up by custom built pepper berry trees and hedges lining the front of the stage in gold boxes.

Stephanie Hogue was the photographer and Julie Pryor was the wedding coordinator. As soon as we received the photos we will be sure to share them with you!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

A Romantic Tuscan Wedding at the Beverly Hills Hotel

On June 21st The Hidden Garden had the pleasure of creating a magnificent wedding for Danielle & Jonathan at The Beverly Hills Hotel. We were fortunate enough to design this magnificent wedding with Diane & Alyson from Levine Fox Events. They are wedding coordinators in Los Angeles that never let a detail slip by! Just perfection.

The wedding was in the Crystal Ballroom with approximately 250 guests in attendance. Danielle & Jonathan were going for a Tuscan vibe with a very romantic design provided through our floral creations. We created arrangements throughout the cocktails, ceremony & reception area with white roses, white hydrangea, green roses (one of my favorites), lotus pods, orchids, amaranthus, eucalyptus berries, curly willow, magnolia, grapes, artichokes and kiwis (so cute when you slice them open - the green just pops!).

Unique elements throughout the wedding included: Coffee Bean Place Card table, Wine Arbor for Cocktails, Candle Tree in the cocktail foyer, Multiple tuscan urns in the ceremony, Aged Boxes filled with rose bushes....the details were endless.

I can't wait to show you all photos - I will post them once we receive them from John Solano Photography.
Stay tune!