Modern & Elegant {Skirball Wedding}

Alisa & Joel's Wedding
Skirball Cultural Center
Photo credit: Miki & Sonja

All the girl's with their bouquet

All crisp whites for the bridesmaid &
The bride with striking deep red/eggplant

The gorgeous & stunning ceremony at Skirball

The glowing chuppah with sheer clean line fabric,
with hanging strands of white dendrobium orchids

The aisle lined with illuminated candles and submerged orchids,
with an eggplant runner to add contrast

Manzanita tree with attached cymbidium orchids,
with the place cards displayed atop flower filled boxes.

A multiple piece centerpiece in varying sizes of black containers,
filled with monochromatic eggplant flowers, including: dahlias, cala lilies, orchids, etc.

Twas the Night Before Valentine's Day

Twas the night before Valentines Day and all through the store, the flowers were ready to be delivered to your door. The roses were blooming the tulips were bright, everything was ready and perfectly right. Many hours were spent preparing for this day...for that perfect arrangement sent to be sent your way. The cooler is filled with a sight to behold, but there is still some yet to be sold. So, give us a call if you need to still place an order, you can even stop in and lean on our shoulder!

Valentine's Day Flowers

It's Valentine's Day "week"! Don't forget to send your flowers from The Hidden Garden

Don't get thrown in the doghouse....
http://www.bestviral.com/video/19188/beware_of_the_doghouse_hilarious

Continuous Centerpiece

Often times when you imagine a tall and dramatic centerpiece, the base of the arrangement is left behind. It's important that the table looks beautiful when the guests are seated for dinner. Many times, there will be a tall and beautiful arrangement on the table, with a bare table at the bottom. Incorporating a mix of smaller pieces with glowing candles and blooms of flowers on the table at the base of the centerpiece will keep a continuous and flowing centerpiece. You'll be certain your guests will be "ooh-ing" and "ahhing" all night.

What should you order for Valentine's Day?

It's time to order your sweetheart Valentine's Day flowers and we are here to help. It might seem a little daunting for you to decide which arrangement is just right? What's the perfect combination of color, what size do you want, how would you like it designed.

Is your loved one the English Garden type, a little more traditional or a bit more modern? The Hidden Garden is here to help.

The English Garden: Opt for a more compact design of flowers. This type of design will most likely tend to last a little longer. The flowers are designed more tightly together so they tend to hold up a little longer. I have friends tell me all the time "i still have my arrangement!" As i cringe....i know it is dried up on their kitchen table but it's still in tacked! You can go any direction with color choices. One of my favorite combinations is red and hot pink. It's punchy and vibrant. Another great choice is all light pink and white. This is very soft and sweet.

The Traditionalist: This is the person that believes the Dozen Rose arrangement is the way to go. This was not always my favorite choice so The Hidden Garden decided to enhance the design with some additional floral elements to help keep the look a little more up to date. Besides just the traditional dozen roses we have included accents of sweetheart roses, hydrangea and blossom branches. These additions help dress up the arrangement and give it a very grand statement. This arrangement doesn't tend to last as long as the English Garden design (above) but it is gorgeous!

The Modern Flair: This year we decided to create a romantic arrangement for those that tend to gravitate towards a modern look. This is another arrangement that will last a little longer than the average. Although the roses might only last 5-7 days (as long as you keep them watered) the rest of the arrangement might last 2 weeks plus!

So give us a call, we are here to help! If you are short on time you can even order online!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. The holiday that we (as florists) spend weeks preparing for. We always "hope" that our orders arrive in advance so we can make an accurate sales forecast allowing us some insight on exactly how many flowers to purchase. Unfortunately, this never seems to be the case. I always joke that it's a "man's holiday" which seems to ben equivalent to "procrastination" with flower ordering (hahaha) They still remember to order, it'sjust usually on the day before or on Valentine's Day itself. My marketing instincts kick in and I think, "What if we call the guys with a gentle reminder to order early or send an email blast allowing easy online ordering?" It's worked on a few but we haven't tapped into the majority!

At this point, we have surrendered to the fact that we will do our best to "project" the amount of incoming orders and surrender to the fact that this is a holiday that thrives on the last minute orders by our sweethearts. Either way, no matter how the orders arrive to our shop, a week before or the day of, we always appreciate all of the clients who remember to give us a call. We are here to make your look like superstar to your sweetheart! Thank you for the orders whether they arrive the week before or the day of, we truly appreciate it!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Grand Del Mar

In partnership with Wildflower Linens & Chameleon Chairs, The Grand Del Mar hosted a beautiful evening with a six course tasting menu.

The property was amazing and the chef prepared an unbelievable menu. The guest list consisted of some of the finest wedding planners, floral designers, event producers, and hotel executives from San Diego to Santa Barbara. It was a perfect evening and The Hidden Garden was thrilled to be included.

Special Event Show in San Diego

This last week, Trisha had the opportunity to attend the Special Event Show in San Diego. They hold a luncheon to discuss topics regarding special events and weddings.

This year's keynote speaker was from The Knot. I attached pictures of a few of the centerpieces that were on display from some of the local San Diego florists. The theme of the luncheon decor was black & white.


The convention floor itself had rows and rows of a variety of vendors offering interesting and beautiful companies from the world of weddings and events.

A Floral Superbowl

We just wrapped up the NFL Super Bowl 2009 Tailgate party!! What an amazing experience (once again). This is the second year in a row that we have been honored to be the florist for the biggest Super Bowl Party around – The NFL VIP Tailgate Party (produced by Party Planners West). We spent the entire week in Tampa prepping the flowers that adorn the tables and buffets for this event. We had the pleasure of working with a few of the local flower shops in the Tampa Bay area (Sweats Florists & Events by Amore and Jana). They were amazing assistance to us during the design and set up.

I don’t think words can describe the magnitude of the party but I’ll try! There were 3 massive tents and an enormous lagoon space that we were responsible for decorating. Within those areas, we created 500 plus centerpieces, 10 oversized buffets, an array of cocktail tables and a variety of miscellaneous areas that just needed a little dressing up.

Our flowers were flown in by Mayesh Wholesale from Costa Rica, Hawaii and Miami. A mix of various tropical leaves, ginger, helliconia (hanging and upright), green orchids, white dendrobiums and yellow James Story orchids helped dress the space.

Overall, an amazing experience for The Hidden Garden and looking forward to Miami in 2010!

The Brides Cafe - A Joy to Visit

I recently discovered a great blog filled with masterful floral creations and stunning wedding ideas - The Brides Cafe.

Janie, who runs it, is awesome and I am really excited to get to know her better, share ideas and collaborate in the future. You must pop into The Brides Cafe!

Putting the "Pretty" in the Super Bowl in Tampa

I just arrived in Tampa, Florida for Super Bowl XLIII. The Hidden Garden was fortunate enough to be hired on to "spruce up" the big NFL Tailgate Party! Not that it isn't already a spectacular event!

This is actually our second year designing the floral decor for this massive event (see last year's post.) We start our 5 day prep for the big game tomorrow. Our flowers arrive from Miami tomorrow and the "process" begins. We'll keep you posted as the days progress. Wish us luck!

{Very Special} Bridal Bouquet & Groom's Boutonniere

Of course, one of the most important floral needs for a bride is her bridal bouquet. The bouquet is one of the most detailed and personal items in the wedding. Some brides choose to tie in nostalgic and traditional items to their bouquet, such as fabric from their dress, fabric from their mom or grandmother's wedding dresses, lockets, hankies, broches, etc. We've had a bride attach delicate lockets with pictures of their beloved grandmothers on their bouquet or a beautiful broche that belonged to a family member that is no longer with them. Many brides will take left over material or lace from their dress to embellish the stems, which makes a very complimentary treatment. Along with the bouquet, it's important that the bride and groom compliment each other, which looks best in pictures. We always suggest the groom's boutonniere to have a flower from the bride's bouquet to make certain they make a smashing couple throughout the entire day. Separately, we encourage the bridesmaids bouquets and groomsmen boutonnieres to also compliment each other...

All Eyes On Inauguration - Did You Check Out What Michelle Obama Was Wearing

Yesterday was inauguration day and watching the people and hearing the speeches really set the tone for the next four years and, ironically, the way Michelle Obama and her daughters embraced color, really reflected the color trends for 09’ that I blogged about last Friday.

Throughout the years I have learned that designer fashion always influences bridal and floral trends. Michelle Obama’s inauguration day dress was a beautiful lemongrass color and she accessorized it with green gloves and pumps. The two girls, Melia and Sasha, also donned beautiful colors; one wearing vibrant blue and the other pink and orange. Like I said last week, I see more and more brides embracing nontraditional colors like Michelle’s yellow and chartreuse, or Sasha’s pink and mango.

For the inaugural balls the First Lady chose a soft, feminine, ivory chiffon gown. This look hit on another bridal trend I talked about last week, that brides love ivory, as well as, blush pink and cream tones. And to enhance the elegance of this classic look, incorporate candlelight, crystal pieces, and antique silver and gold. It came easily for Michelle O with that gorgeous smile!

So in 09’, take a tip from the Obama girls and embrace color, elegance, and simplicity!

Terranea - A Great New Wedding Destination

There's a fantastic new wedding location opening up in June 2009, Terranea in Rancho Palos Verdes. If you have been looking for a great destination location, this is the place. It's only 1 hour (possibly less depending on traffic) from LA but you will likely feel like you are in Hawaii overlooking the Ocean (without the added plane ticket expense!) The wedding ceremony sites are all ocean front, unobstructed ocean views! Just breathtaking. So if you are looking for a new "destination"... check it out. You will not be disappointed!

Wedding Flower Trends 2009

As a floral expert I get asked all the time about the next season's trends in wedding floral, so here they are.

Brides are embracing lots of beautiful color options, they're not afraid to bring in hot pinks, yellows, chartreuse, and mango. Jewel tones are always a favorite with rich magenta, amethyst, deep red, and vibrant green. Also, many brides are favoring monochromatic colors for their wedding and sticking to one color for the whole décor, which definitely gives it a more modern feel.

Going with tall centerpieces throughout is another trend we are seeing. Not just keeping them one height in tall arrangements but "varying" heights of tall arrangements which really makes guests' eyes dance around the room!

I want to note that many brides still go for the very romantic elegance of ivory, blush pink, and cream tones…to make it their own, we incorporating candle light, crystal pieces, and antique silver and gold. Very elegant!

The words "simple and elegant" are always used by brides. Even though I think they are referring to a more "clean and tailored" look.

For the latest trends in wedding invitations, check out this post at my favorite blog, StyleMePretty.