Rainy Days & Weddings - Why you Should Always Have a Plan B!

The past 2 weekends we had weddings that were going to happen "with or without" the rain! Living in Southern California our brides don't always consider the weather when determining the locale of their ceremony site. We just hope that it will be beautiful and sunny on the big day. The majority of the time our brides choose an outdoor setting for their ceremony, however, I always tell brides that it's important to have a "plan b" when you pick an outdoor ceremony during the rainy months. If those decisions aren't made in advance it can add undue stress on a day that should be as stress-free as possible.

Last weekend we had a wedding at a hotel in Pasadena. It was a beautiful setting for an outdoor ceremony but not such a great location for an indoor ceremony. We briefly discussed the possibility of rain with our bride but she was hopeful that there wouldn't be rain and asked us to proceed as planned. The day started off quite gloomy and as we started to set up the outdoor ceremony it started to rain. Our worst nightmare! Our bride really hadn't intended to move the ceremony inside and really hadn't thought of the "rain plan" prior to the wedding so we had to make some quick decisions for the "new" ceremony decor.

It's highly recommended to have a "plan b" in case of weather issues when planning your wedding. Work closely with your coordinator or florist in the week leading up to you wedding to ensure that you have a back up plan in place......just in case. You never know what mother nature has in store for you.

If you are currently planning a wedding outdoors and are not sure what to consider in your "plan B" scenario, feel free to email me.

Chandeliers & Lighting Fixtures Add Pizazz

Adding interesting, elegant, modern or unique lighting fixtures can change the feel of your wedding or event. Local lighting companies or event rental companies offer rental options that will match your every desire.

Imagine a beautiful crystal chandelier hanging from your wedding gazebo or chuppah to create an elegant & timeless focal point.

Or, visualize a cool and modern lighting fixture suspended in the middle of your cocktail hour or wedding reception.

Fresh Color Combinations

This weekend we designed a beautiful wedding at The Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. The backdrop of the hotel garden is already meticulous so it is always a pleasure for us to work there. A bride doesn't have to add much to the amazing garden! Except color!!! This weekend - mission accomplished.

Valerie (our bride) chose the "freshest" pallet. Cool citrus tones. Tangerine, Salmon, Mango, Celadon Green and Butter Yellow. The accent to all the arrangements were gorgeous white cherry blossoms!

Overall it was an amazing color palette and received lots of compliments during the set up.

Spring Flowers

So it's time for the Spring Flowers to start showing up at your favorite flower shops (or garden!)

March is the beginning of an amazing flower season. It's my absolute favorite time of the year. We are starting to see the beginning of some beautiful product roll into the the Los Angeles Flower Market. Now is the time to step out of the box on your flower choices and choose seasonal flowers to grace your tables and events.
Local Growers (Carpenteria area especially) have gorgeous Garden Callas, Ranunculus, Anemones, Sweet Peas and Sunflowers. Blossom Branches in white and pink are starting to pop up everywhere. Daffodils and Hyacinth are in full bloom. Take advantage of the beginning of the spring blooms! Brighten up your home with a bouquet today!

Wait till April hits - Lilac, Viburnum, Dogwood - oh my! My FAVORITE flower month!

Wedding Colors Set the Mood

Today we had a wedding at the amazing Hotel Bel Air. I find the location to be so breathtaking. It is truly one of the gems in Los Angeles. One of the concepts that I loved most about our wedding decor was the choice of color which helped set the mood for the evening. Our bride wanted to create 2 different feelings for her guests. She loved the traditional, pure white of a wedding but wanted to also have a sexy vibe as well. It's a little bit challenging to have that "pure" white wedding look combined with a "sexy" lounge feel all wrapped into one event.

The day started off with a very traditional ceremony at St. Timothy's church. All white flowers, candelabras lining the aisle, chiffon swagging from cluster to clusters. The same theme continued when the guests arrive to Hotel Bel Air. The ballroom was completely draped by Revelry Decor in all white/ivory Chiffon. The draping created a blank canvas for us to work with. I love starting with a blank canvas. From there you can do anything! Our flowers were also in white. We used white peonies, white roses, white orchids. Everything was very clean and elegant. As the guests dined and danced they were then introduce to the "sexy" part of the evening. The lounge opened up for the guests to enjoy!

The side room was completely draped and carpeted in a sultry sexy red!! So dramatic. The cake was surrounded by red chiffon and sitting atop a bed of red rose petals and red votive candles. The lighting, flowers and fabrics were also designed with deep rich red. This created an unexpected atmosphere for the guests to enjoy.

I think it's fantastic and unexpected to create a different atmosphere throughout the evening for your guests. Sometimes through the planning process you have a couple ideas for your wedding decor. If you find the right vendors to work with they might just be able to help you blend your "wish list" together and help you create the event you were dreaming about!

Spring Flowers

I am currently up in Napa Valley taking a much needed rest after a busy few weeks (Superbowl, New York, Valentine's Day and a weekend with 3 weddings). I have traveled up to Napa many times in the past but usually during Harvest Season when the vines are full of leaves and grapes. It's absolutely beautiful and smells delicious at that time of year.

I wasn't really expecting as much "beauty" this time around due to the time of year it is. To my surprise I was so incorrect! There are the most beautiful spring flowers popping up everywhere in Napa Valley right now.

The grounds of our hotel are covered with spring bulbs such as tulips, paperwhites, daffodils and hyacinth. The scent is amazing! The colors are breathtaking! There are blossoming trees throughout the Napa Valley in pink and white hues.

All of the vines are bare and cut back right now but between each of the rows are an abundant display of yellow mustard plants. It is almost more beautiful in the winter than during late fall. It's a feast for the eyes!

Dressing up the stage at your Wedding Reception

Recently, Weddings Houston magazine ran a feature titled Flowers, Flowers Everywhere!

The article featured several florists, including the Hidden Garden. All of the included florists gave unique tips to readers for their weddings. I gave suggestions on how to dress up a stage at the reception!

"Los Angeles-based Hidden Garden Flowers’ Amy Child Marella, whose floral work has been featured at celebrity weddings and in countless bridal, design and fashion magazines, doesn’t mince words: “In many ballrooms, there is not a preexisting stage, so they put in a popup stage. The front is ugly.” Since the layout of many dining spaces is such that the stage is the first thing guests focus on upon entry, brides want to make sure they present a pretty sight. “We like to do hedging in front of the stage,” Marella says. “Or we might do boxes filled with pavés or iceberg rose bushes.” When budget has allowed, the designer has added oversize pepperberry trees, built from pepperberry limbs nailed to 10-foot-high stock bases.

Of course, with floral stage decor like that, you don’t want to leave the dance floor hanging. Or, rather, you want to hang something sensational over it. Marella says a “beautiful floral chandelier” is one option. She also has fashioned hanging floral lampshades out of fresh hydrangeas, or out of silk flowers, which are great for letting light shine through the petals." (Weddings Houston magazine)

To read the rest of this article, please visit The Weddings Houston website!

The Hidden Garden Annual Party

The Hidden Garden & David Michael Photography hosted our 3rd Annual party to celebrate the new year with all our favorite wedding & event vendors. The fun-filled night was held on the rooftop of The Hidden Garden. The guests sipped martinis, enjoyed homemade tacos, lounged on chic furniture, enjoyed delicious sweets, and gathered to start 2008!

BETTER TV Apprearance - Valentine's Day Flowers

Be sure to tune into Better TV tomorrow, February 13 (check local listings) to catch me on the show discussing Valentine's Day trends and celebrity style with host Audra Lowe. I'll show you what's hot this season and what colors fit your style.

Better TV is seen in several cities across the country and is also availalbe on-demand online. Please tune in or watch online and let me know what you think!

If you haven't already ordered your Valentine's Day flowers, you still have time and maybe you'll get some good ideas from the show!

Better TV airs in these cities - please check your local listings for time and channel info: Phoenix, Portland, Hartford, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Nashville, Greenville, Las Vegas, Saginaw, Fort Myers, Green Bay, Chatanooga, and Springfield.

I hope you like the show because they've invited me back for a Spring Flowers segment! I'll let you know when that happens!

Here is the archive:

My Visit to the New York Flower Market

This week I had an amazing opportunity to visit the New York Flower Market. I had never been to any other flower market other than Los Angeles (which is one of the largest in the world). It is amazing to me the "low inventory" that is available to the New York Florists! In Los Angeles our market encompasses two full city blocks - massive warehouses with at least 75-100 vendors to buy from. In New York, it was located amongst other existing business (that aren't necessarily floral related) and each Wholesale Florist had about 2,500 square feet to work out of. There were approximately 10 vendors total (that I saw.) I just couldn't believe how "spoiled" we are in Los Angeles! The New York vendors still provided a beautiful selection of flowers but just not in the abundant amounts that we have in Los Angeles. I attached a few photos for you guys to get a glimpse of the New York market.

The other interesting difference were the hours that the market keeps. New York vendors start at 3 am and are open till 2 in the afternoon. Basically, a florist could actually sleep in!! In Los Angeles, the vendors arrive at 10 PM - market OPENS at 2 AM and most vendors are closed up by 8:30 AM (some linger around but not too many).

I would love the New York hours...but i'll keep the L.A. selection!

Hidden Garden Opened Eight Year's Ago on St. Valentine's Day 2000

Eight Years ago on February 14th The Hidden Garden opened its doors. Had I only realized that Valentine's Day was the busiest day of the year for florists I probably would have rethought that one!

On February 14, 2000 my girlfriend, mom & dad all helped me start The Hidden Garden. All my friends that I knew (and all their friends that they called!) ordered flowers from me. I was so unprepared! In retrospect it was funny but that day seemed like a total disaster. It started off so fun and cute. My girlfriend and I sat on our "stools" at the design table and took our time making these beautiful little arrangements on February 13th. The phone just kept ringing....it seemed like it wasn't going to stop. It was all my friends, being supportive, ordering their loved ones flowers. How lucky was I! To have these great clients/friends. By the end of Feb 13th I was exhausted. We went home thinking we should get some rest. Actually, we should have made a pot of coffee to keep us going!

The morning of the 14th we were back at it. Ready to get all the orders out the door. Who knew that with LA traffic and only 1 driver it would be impossible to get all the orders delivered! By 2 pm I was in tears. I didn't think we would get it all done. I even pulled my husband from his job to come pick up orders and deliver them to his office for me! He was driver number 2! By 8 PM all the orders were delivered. A little late but at least they all arrived to their destination on February 14th!

As the year pass I learn more and more. The biggest lesson was that of February 14, 2000. It's always fun to look back and reminence how far we've come. But only for a minute because Valentine's day is only seven days away!

Superbowl Tailgate Party

We had the most amazing job opportunity when we were asked to prepare all the floral designs for the NFL's Superbowl Tailgate Party, the VIP event of this year's big game. It was unlike any job we have ever done! We are used to large events but this was much larger than any normal job! The designs had to be oversized, eyecatching from yards away, unique yet consistent so that the guests would remember which tent they were actually in! The total event was over one million square feet. You can only imagine the vast amount of space we were covering.

I took an amazing crew of our L.A. designers with us to Glendale, Arizona. We had a blast creating unique and custom designs that were eye catching for the party goers, yet representative of the region.

We really tried to work with items that would seem ideginous to the Arizona area. Florals such as cactus, succulents, hypercium berries, agave plants, accacia knifeblade and silver tree. We also incorporated florals that might not be a part of the traditional Arizona landscape but fit into the decor of their respective areas at Superbowl Tailgate. Some items included amazing Orchid displays in the Spa Domes, Red Dyed Magnolia Leaves and Burgundy cymbidiums in the Native American Tent and White Dendrobium Orchids and Silver Rocks in the Team Tent.

The game was thrilling between the New England Patriots and New York Giants, and you could feel the excitement. We were so exhausted by the time the game started and just hoped we could contribute to a memorable party experience. We are finally home after a long week of work but definitely looking forward to the opportunity to do it all again next year in Tampa!!

Valentine's Day Celebrity Style: Pink is the New Red

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Lisa Chase, founder and editor of CelebrityEverthing.com, about the hottest Valentine's Day trends this year, which I was more than happy to share!.

I told Lisa that the biggest trend is PINK, PINK, PINK! Say goodbye to traditional red roses and say hello to bright, vibrant, plentiful arrangements of pink! I know a lot of men out there will be scared to steer away from red roses so it's up to you to educate your man. Send him the link to Celebrity Everthing, leave him a post it note, or just have him call The Hidden Garden - we'll set him straight.

Going green is another topic on everybody's minds these days and believe it or not, you can be earth-friendly with your Valentine - rent or reuse the vase or container, ask for locally grown flowers, or send a plant (like an orchid) - it will last a lot longer and can be replanted!

Be sure to check out Celebrity Everything for all my Valentine's Day flower trends and find out why Jessica Alba will be thrilled this year!

Wedding Color Combinations

When I posted about a recent wedding that had a gorgeous, yet uncoventional, color theme it got tremendous response and still is one of my most visited posts. The red and blue wedding colors were so vibrant and amazing - yet who would have guessed that combo would be so dramatic? To be honest, I did.

You and your fiancee may come up with some wild and crazy color pallettes and my advice to you is to try them all out! Ask your wedding coordinator or wedding florist to show you samples of how your favorite colors will look together. You just never know how terrific (or horrific) they can be until you try. It's our job to bring your dreams (and unique color combinations) to life, so challenge us, we love it.

In the current issue of Bride & Bloom Magazine, the striking Red & Blue Wedding we created here at The Hidden Garden is featured and we could not be more pleased. As a designer, it's still such a thrill to see my work get such attention. I hope you'll check it out.

And if you have questions about your wedding color combinations, please email me and I'll be happy to share some suggestions.

Superbowl and Flowers???

The Superbowl is only a week and a half away. Guess what, the Hidden Garden is a part of it? Go figure - football and flowers???

Our company was hired to provide all of the floral decor for the Superbowl NFL Tailgate Party. If you've never heard of it, Tailgate, is the "it" party on Superbowl Sunday. You can't buy a ticket - you have to be invited. We are responsible for the floral decor in 5 of the tents that will be at the NFL Tailgate extravaganza.

What type of flowers would you design for a football party? I'm sure you are wondering. Since the party is in Arizona the decor should remain consistent with florals that would be growing in that region of the world. We will be incorporating fresh florals such as succulents, kangaroo paw, acacia knifeblade, flax leaves, etc. We are also staying very environmentally friendly by using plants in a lot of the decor space. Some of the plants include cactus gardens, paddle succulents, agave plants, etc.

The design for the job has been so interesting and a wonderful challenge. Since the outdoor plants that are grown in Arizona are very sparce and not "that florally" (i.e. - roses, hydrangea, tulips - like we usually design with at The Hidden Garden) we have really had to change the way we design for this event. It's just a different type of floral!