Wedding Infused with Color

This past weekend we had the most gorgeous wedding at a private residence in Santa Monica. The array of colors were breathtaking. Thanks to Julie Pryor from Pryor Events we were able to put our creative concepts to work for this job! Our bride, Kelly, wanted to infuse her husbands Indian heritage with her Western Culture. I can't wait to show your the professional photos when they come in. For now....a taste of color from the gorgeous affair!

Featured Real Wedding at 7 Degrees

The beautiful blog, California Wedding Wave, featured Elizabeth & Paul's 'Tres Vogue' Wedding at 

Seven Degrees in Laguna, coordinated by Pryor Events.  

The bride was very excited to be featured and so are we...  Take a look at the feature!

(Photography by Isabel Lawrence)

Napkin Treatment Options

Sometimes it's the little details at the reception tables that pull it all together....ala the Napkin Treatment!  It's such a simple touch but can really make a very bold statement.  Whether you choose a flat fold with a small green button mum or an elaborate menu, flower head and ribbon knot....it's the first detailed glimpse your guests have when they sit down to dine.  It's the finishing touch! What will you choose for your reception table? 

Jazz up a Glass Vase - Better.tv

Here's a video clip of a Better.TV appearance I did last fall with tips to jazz up an old glass vase (I know you have a few under your sink!)

Fall Flower Vase - Better.tv

Shared via AddThis

Wedding at a Private Home in Malibu

Beautiful, natural, simple, and crisp are all words to describe this wedding.  The wedding took place at a private home in Malibu with coordination by Jowy Productions.  Photography compliments of David Michael Photography.

Tune In: BetterTV Today!

I will be on BetterTV Tuesday, September 22nd with host, Audra Lowe, whom I love. This week I show viewers how you can include all the beautiful flowers you love in your wedding, even when they are out of season. Tune into BetterTV tomorrow to discover floral imposters for some of the most popular, yet seasonal, wedding flowers such as Peonies, Lilac, Colorful Hydrangea and Garden Roses.

Better, a nationally syndicated lifestyle TV show, aims to make your life "better" by focusing on trends, beauty breakthroughs, finances, fitness, sex, decorating and all hot topics that affect your family and relationships. Visit their website to check local listings for BetterTV.

New Post On Inside Weddings: The Aisle Is Your Runway - What We Can Learn From Fashion

As you may or may not know, I was in New York this week on business. And while my business was everything flowers, many people were there for Fashion Week. You could not help being inspired by the hustle and bustle, the chic women that seemed to be everywhere you turned and the fall weather that hasn't quite made its way out west yet. One thing that I have learned, is that fashion always influences wedding decor. There is one color that I saw everywhere this week and I know I'll be seeing a lot more of it. Find out which color that is in my new blog post on Inside Weddings.

NY FLower Favorites

This week i can't post about my favorite flower market finds in LA BUT i can tell you about some of my favorite New York flower finds while i've been in the Big Apple! It's always fun seeing things from a different perspective. A few of my favorite finds on this trip:

High High Line Park! Oh my goodness it was gorgeous! Essentially old railroad tracks elevated above the city streets that were turned into a breathtaking wildflower type park. It was really a beautiful site. I blogged about Pee Gee Hydrangea at the la market last week....well guess what....it was growing wild at HighLine Park.

New York Flower Shops. I didn't run into a bunch of them in Midtown while i was there but the few i did see were very "chic" and "modern" Great spaces and beautiful designs. I wish i could have stopped to see one of my favorites Belle Fleur but our schedule was a little tight

Deli Corner Flower shops were all over the place! I love the display of flowers from corner to corner. They have flowers arranged in buckets so you could just swing by on your way home and grab a bundle for your kitchen table...quick and easy! This is definitely a very "european" way of doing things and nothing you would ever see in Los Angeles!

More to come on our tv Segment we did with Better TV. Blog to come on Friday!

Beverly Hills Hotel Garden Romance

This past weekend The Hidden Garden had a gorgeous wedding at the fabulous Beverly Hills Hotel. Amy & Roy

wanted a garden wedding with lots of texture and natural elements like magnolia, curly willow, succulents, seeded eucalyptus pods and of course FLOWERS (roses, hydrangea, cymbidiums.)

The Cake was created by Nancy Kay Confections (gorgeous!). We used a clear glass table top and elevated it above the flowers so it leaves the impression that the cake is "floating" above the flower heads. Stunning!

The Ceremony site was in the Polo Garden nestle amongst the trees. We had an amazing floral arch at the entrance to the aisle and floral abundant chuppa for the ceremony. An array of white rose petals scattered along the path between the two was the brides walk.

The Guest book Sign in table was an antiqued table covered with ivy & vines with cute pull out drawers filled with the kippahs, flowers and programs. It created a very natural setting for the elements that would normally be placed on a traditional 6 foot table.

It was such a pleasure working with such a great team for the wedding. Thanks so much

to International Event

Company, John Solano Photography (these aren't his photos, they're mine) ....but as soon as they are sent to us we will post!) and The Lighter Side for giving us "light"...it always makes our flowers look even better!

Calgon Take Me Away...to the Four Seasons Westlake!

Happy Friday! Boy could I use a massage today which reminds me...if you haven't checked out the Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village yet (where our new Hidden Garden shop is located) you are missing out! They have an amazing spa there that is so much more than your ordinary spa!

Be sure to become fan on their Facebook page & follow them on Twitter @FSWestlake because they announce specials there that you will not want to miss!

New Blog Post For Inside Weddings!

For all of you who can't get enough of The Secret Life of Flowers, I have good news for you. I just blogged another post today for Inside Weddings! It's titled "Flower Children" and I give tons of floral suggestions for all of the mini-members of the wedding party. And trust me, we've come a long way from flower girls scattering petals down the aisle. You can read it here and check out the adorable pictures. What are some of your favorite ideas for flower girls and ring bearers?

Fabulous Flower Market Finds

What a surprise today at the flower market....Ranunculus is back!! Greg (my favorite local grower from Endow) just started bringing them in. We should be seeing them all the way through April!!! I am so excited. They are such a sweet little flower, fabulous for wedding bouquets and accent pieces.
Local Hydrangea is still in full swing in amazing color palettes of hot pink, blues, purples and soft antiqued tones of lavender, light blue & blush.
Hellebore.....this is something super special!!! It comes in shades of white/green and lavender/mauve. Todays selection was a DOUBLE white/green bloom. So fluffy and amazing! We are actually using it tomorrow for our photo shoot with InStyle Weddings. It's a great floral to tuck into a bridal bouquet.

Making of a Chuppah

I've blogged about the "making of a chuppa" in the past....but I couldn't resist sharing how this perfectly-pink, chuppa came together for a ceremony held this past weekend at Shutters on the Beach.

Shutters on the Beach is the epitome of a beachy-chic, Southern Califonia wedding location, but also one of the more time challenging set-ups for wedding ceremonies. So a "professional" is definitely a must!

Our first challenge of the day was actually getting the chuppa structure onto the deck because, of course, the structure itself didn't make it through the elevators, or stairwells. We did our homework and knew this prior to the day of the wedding - so we were prepared with a sure-fire plan.

We began by hoisting the chuppa from the top of the truck and using a rope pulley to get it onto the deck! It worked....and we were off and running. Challenge number 2....we had only 1.5 hours to set up the entire ceremony! Thanks to my superb team - all elements were pre-measured and ready to install as soon as the structure was "up". As you can see, it all came together beautifully....just what the bride wanted!

Blogger Love: Think Splendid

Don't get me wrong, when I first started blogging I had my doubts. In fact my first post was titled, "Who Am I? Why Am I Here Blogging?".

Flashforward two years and I couldn't imagine a blogless world! It has helped my business tremendously and now I've jumped in head first...I am also loving facebook and twitter. So, if you find yourself asking, "Who Am I? Why Am I Here Blogging?", I seriously recommend checking out Liene's blog, Think Splendid. Her posts will wipe all of your skepticism away and give you plenty of tips and tricks that will have you blogging, facebooking, YouTubing and tweeting in no time...and doing it in a very productive way!

Liene also hosts workshops...I recently attended her Blogging Bootcamp in Los Angeles and I learned about so many more tools and networked with some amazing people in the wedding industry. You can also find dates for that on, where else, her blog!

Wedding in Catalina

Yes, we did a wedding in Catalina! It was our first time putting together an event in Catalina, and it turned out amazing! Figuring out all the logistics of getting the fresh flowers to the island was a bit tricky, but now we are geared to do an event in Catalina. With the help and vision of coordinator, Mary Litzinger of VP Events, the wedding went on without any hitches. The family of the bride & groom were awestruck at the beauty of the wedding, and the guests were in for a true treat. They danced the night away in the historical Casino Ballroom! We can't wait to see the professional images from Couture Foto! See the transformation...

BEFORE the set up began


The Transformation with Flowers & Lighting by RoLiDes

Fabulous Flower Market Finds

The Los Angeles Flower market was abundant with gorgeous florals today. It is truly the best part of my job. Everything i see at the market evokes inspiration to me.

This morning was no exception! The dahlias are in full swing! One of my favorite growers, Endow (Greg) has the most incredible selection of Dahlias. The deep lavender ones were eye catching today. If you have an event over the next month, be certain to incorporate them into your visual design. You won't be disappointed. Another favorite today was the Pee Gee Hydrangea. I am a HUGE fan of hydrangea. I don't think a day goes by at The Hidden Garden without hydrangea in the cooler. Pee Gee Hydrangea is a unique variety as it is more cone shaped in design (rather and a ball) and each bloom is individually visible. This variety came straight from one of our Oregon Growers (Z Calla). Another great find from Z Calla right now are the mini colored calla lily. The rich vibrant fire Calla was in full swing....i just love the see of callas in the photo above! The Snowberries (in pink) were also so beautiful today. They are a great texture element for bouquets and boutonnieres

Enjoy the visual feast...we'll chat again next week about the great flowers at the Los Angeles Market. Hopefully my "finds" will inspire you with your designs!

Shower Flowers!

Ever thought about the power of shower flowers? I know it's a bit of a tongue twister, but don't let that throw you off. I just posted a new blog on the Inside Weddings website where I give beautiful and easy ideas for wedding shower floral décor that will reflect your personal style and the style of your upcoming nuptials. Check it out here and let me know what you think!