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Paper Flowers: A Unique Bride’s Bouquet

Filed Under: Bridal Boutique, Brilliant Blooms, Inspiring Ideas

Vibrant Flowers had the great and rewarding experience of creating an entire bridal bouquet out of hand-crafted paper flowers. See how we rose to the challenge.

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In March 2014, we received an email from a bride who was interested in having us provide the flowers for her wedding in October. Pretty standard, so far. But as we talked more, an interesting dilemma was revealed. She was allergic to flowers. Yes, that’s right, allergic to flowers! Not just one type of flower, we’re talking ALL flowers.
Our Solution? A handmade paper flower bouquet. Vibrant Flowers is not just a florist, we are a team of artists and decor specialists!
We certainly couldn’t have our bride sneezing, tearing up and ruining her makeup before she even got to the altar.

paperrose

One rose could have upwards of 100 petals!

whiteyellowflower

Each flower is completely unique.

greensivory

1 paper petal is made of 3 layers.

ivory

Each petal was hand-cut and shaped.

greenflowers

We bleached and dyed the tissue to get the colors and variations in  transparency.

stamens

We even made our own stamens.

hydrangea

Hydrangea!
Making a bridal bouquet is always special. Being able to spend months working on this bouquet was truly rewarding. It was a very thoughtful and sweet process that translated into a unique keepsake for our bride.
paperbouquet

Know Your Style: A Bride’s Guide to Personalizing Bouquets

Filed Under: Brilliant Blooms

During our floral consultations we ask brides a lot of questions. For starters,
What are your wedding colors?
What are your favorite flowers?
What shape bouquet appeals to you?
What about the ribbon color and treatment of the bouquet?

We ask details, down to the tiniest pearl pinhead decoration. Choosing a bridal bouquet style while also considering your flower’s seasonal availability can be overwhelming for a bride that has to make many detailed decisions.
Vibrant Flowers is here to help! Through these questions we find out what your wedding day vision is, help you personalize your look and provide you with creative support.

If you are not sure what style of flowers you want for your bridal bouquet, here are some suggestions to help make the process more enjoyable and less stressful.

STYLE CHOICES
biedermeier   Biedermeier – Composed of different layers, the placement of each bloom is strategically designed to create concentric circles, emphasizing pattern and repetition. This style became popular in Europe in the 1800s.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Biedermeier bouquets to see some examples!
 
cascade copy   Cascade – Elegant, sculptural bouquets with long trailing flowers and greens.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Cascade and Trailing bouquets to see some examples!
round   Round – More manicured bouquet with minimal greens, Simple, clean and classic.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Round bouquets to see some examples!
crescent   Crescent – Sculptural bouquet focusing more on line, form and symmetry (or asymmetry) to create a a two sided cascade of flowers.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Crescent bouquets to see some examples!
 
garden copy   Garden or Hand-tied – Organic bouquet of mixed flowers, diverse textures and more and foliage/greens to give a very natural “picked from the garden” feel.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Garden bouquets to see some examples!
 
arm   Pageant – Dramatic long-stemmed bouquet that the bride carries on her arm. Generally composed of focal and line flowers.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Pageant bouquets to see some examples!
 
pomander copy   Pomander – Complete round sphere of blooms often carried by a handle of ribbons or pearls.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Pomander bouquets to see some examples!
 
composite copy   Composite – Uniquely made, these bouquets are formed from individual petals to make one large flower. This technique originated during the war, when Camellia flowers were very expensive. So instead, people took the petals of the less expensive Gladiolas and made them into what looked like a more expensive flower.
Visit our Pinterest board on Composite bouquets to see some examples!
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Why let a pro handle your event rentals?

Filed Under: Bridal Boutique, Factual FAQs, Setting the Stage

How much are your time and sanity worth? The lucky few who have plenty of both may find that managing event rentals for your wedding, private party, or business event justify the potential, yet minor, cost savings. If your time is money and peace of mind is invaluable, Vibrant Table recommends letting a professional handle this essential but time-consuming aspect of your event – whether that be your wedding coordinator, event planner, or caterer. You WILL thank us!

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Lower Work Load

What goes into planning and producing an event? There’s likely any combination of food, bar, lighting, linens, chairs, tables, pipe and drape, specialty lounge furniture, tableware, additional catering equipment, floral, other decor, entertainment, photography and videography. Manage your own vendors – equipment rentals or otherwise — and you’re responsible for…

  • researching what you’ll need from each vendor and how much of each item
  • comparing costs across vendors
  • communicating the inevitable multiple revisions to your order
  • confirming and reconfirming orders
  • keeping track of deadlines
  • coordinating load-in and load-out with the venue for each vendor
  • checking that everyone has delivered what’s expected
  • ensuring that everything gets returned to its proper home

One Contact

When your planner or catering rep manages your rentals, you call one person. We’re then responsible for reconfiguring your order and communicating changes to applicable parties. Aaahh… a sigh of relief.

KNOWLEDGE

As a beginning planner, you may not know what questions to ask. On the other hand, your coordinator knows what information vendors need to perform before the conversation begins – streamlining communication for all parties.

EXPERIENCE

Going with the pros means you reap the benefit of years of experience, failures as well as successes. We’ve already maneuvered the industry landscape so you don’t have to.

Sourcing

Going for a specific look? A professional planner knows the inventory and specialties offered by local and possibly even national vendors. We’re on top of new trends and products, and can help you navigate the endless possibilities.

Vendor Vetting

The pros know which vendors they can rely on to be professional and follow through. We know who always shows up on time, delivers quality materials, and offers fair pricing.

Connections

Your professional coordinator has access in a way that you, as a private individual, do not. We can call for last minute changes on a weekend. We can request free samples and sometimes vendors might even throw in a few extras for good will.

Save Time

You may not mind the endless communication that’s going to be involved in the months and weeks leading up to your event. But what about the days before and day of? Do you have time to inspect 100 linens and count 300 plates, forks, etc.?  Do you really want to be looking for the last 10 forks when everyone else has gone home?

Cost Savings

Yes, your coordinator will charge a service fee for managing rentals and vendors. Most will package it into their contract with you. However, they also can save you money. They can negotiate deals with vendors. Should you manage your rentals, you will probably make beginner mistakes. Perhaps you underestimated glassware for the bar or overlooked something as simple as extension cords. These mistakes can cost you in the long run as vendors scramble last minute to fill in the gaps.

Seamless Event Experience

Is your guests’ event experience important? Errors compromise service. Even the pros occasionally make mistakes, but they know how to respond to each emergency and can even call in favors. They’re working behind the scenes to find a solution, so your guests probably won’t even notice that something is awry. As a beginner, the likelihood of making a mistake that impacts your guests’ experience significantly increases

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What do you think?

We rest our case. What do you think? Is it worth it to hire a professional to manage your event rentals? Have you chosen to manage your rentals in the past? Tell us about your experience. We love to hear from  you!

Photo Credits

We are indebted to the photographers who allow us show their work. The Victorian table top was shot at an Oregon Bride inspiration shoot and can be found in their Fall 2010 issue. The white and salmon room was contributed by Evrim Icoz Photography.

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Decor & Flowers to Complement Your Venue

Filed Under: Factual FAQs, Inspiring Ideas, Setting the Stage

We have a bride-to-be that doesn’t love her venue. Whereas she dreamed of a traditional romantic ballroom, her fiancée leaned toward industrial modern. He won (and more power to her for practicing compromise which sure comes in handy in any relationship!), so the bride has asked Vibrant Table to help her transform the event space into something closer to her vision. It’s her big day, and she deserves to have her dream wedding.
Before we even begin the rest of her decor, we’re draping the entire perimeter of the nearly 7,000 square foot ballroom to hide the raw brick walls. Then comes the rest, which includes ribbons, flower arrangements, and lighting. Don’t get us wrong, we pride ourselves on transformative event designs and LOVE these challenges, but weddings and events are expensive. If you have room in the budget, then great, but we find most hosts carefully monitor those dollars and cents.

work with the venue’s canvas

Assuming that the vast majority of our clients will find a venue that works for all parties involved, one of the best ways to optimize your budget is to choose floral and decor that enhances the provided canvas. Although tension between seemingly juxtaposed elements can become a dynamic part of your event decor, it generally takes more resources to make this tension work successfully. Complementing the venue, on the other hand, provides a cohesive backdrop with minimal effort.

Vibrant Table and Vibrant Flowers have prepared a few best practices to help you choose floral and decor that works with your selected venue, no matter the type of event.

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Botanicals

Botanicals are an essential feature of any event. Organic elements add life to a space and help ground it. While weddings will generally include more florals, even corporate and non-profit clients will benefit from having some organic elements at their events.

ROMANTIC BALLROOM
Full arrangements of garden blooms work very well in the traditional ballroom and anything goes – white peonies and roses, cascading tropical orchids, or bright local blooms. Table centerpieces can be tall or low (but don’t block your guests’ view) and the containers be a wide range of styles and materials, i.e. gold candelabras, clustered glass pillars, or a single geometric vase. Corporate clients benefit from focusing their floral budgets on large arrangements to decorate important stations, such as the buffet or bar, and then choose simple table centerpieces with only a few flower types or even single floating blooms. Wedding clients can save by incorporating the same flowers used in the bridal bouquets to take advantage of bulk savings.

INDUSTRIAL MODERN
Is your venue modern-chic with exposed raw surfaces? Choose a floral container made of industrial materials. Think  wrought iron candelabras, brushed silver, or cement plinths. Sculptural botanicals like succulents, branches, or clustered single blooms complement the minimalist backdrop. In bridal bouquets, incorporate textural elements that surprise, like billy balls or pin cushion prodia. Consider using metallic ribbon to add a touch of raw element.

GARDENS & VINEYARDS
Floral arrangements can get lost in outdoor event spaces, so if you’re going to have them, it’s generally best to have few, but go big, and be selective about placement. If you need to section a special area, for example, consider potted trees or topiaries. For weddings, focus your efforts on the ceremony area. Flank the altar with two impressive arrangements (large blooms fill better), decorate the arch with hanging pomanders, and highlight the aisle with small arrangements and petals. An outdoor space can handle any theme from tropical paradise to country kitchen, but try to work with the landscape provided. If pink hydrangeas and peonies abound at your venue, then yellow sunflowers and gingham might not be the best choice.

Lighting

Lighting adds drama to your venue and focuses the eye. First, take advantage of natural light. Placing event areas where they will be sunlit reduces the need for additional lighting. Brides and grooms, if your photographer is familiar with the venue, consult them about best locations for the head table. Second, highlight the functional elements of your event  such as bars, food stations, entertainment, and dance floor. At outdoor venues, marking pathways to the restroom and parking lot is an important safety precaution at evening events. You can turn lighting on and off throughout the event to draw guests to where you want them – like moths to a candle! If there’s room in the budget, uplight walls, pillars, or interesting architectural elements to create height. Pale backgrounds can take any colored gel lighting and completely transform the feel of the room. For darker walls, color can get lost, making the white light the go-to option. If you’ve invested in beautiful floral, pinspotting arrangements on tables creates a jaw-dropping effect.

SELECTIVE DRAPING

Drapery turns positive spaces into negative. We’re not draping every single wall here, we’re carefully using drape to direct focus and optimize space. For weddings, drape is a classic way to frame the ceremony space. It also hides eyesores, such as an unattractive wall behind the head table or service areas at venues that don’t have extra space for your caterers. At corporate and nonprofit events, it can create VIP spaces, mark entryways, or close off-limit areas.

Your Turn

What are creative ways you’ve incorporated a venue’s qualities into your event decor or theme? Are you an event or wedding planner; what tricks do you have for bringing out a venue’s best attributes? Tell us in the comments below!

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Shout Outs

As always, we are indebted to the photographers that share there work with us. They make us look good! These artists contributed to this blog:

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Real Portland Weddings: Angela & Trevor

Filed Under: Bridal Boutique, Inspiring Ideas, Setting the Stage, Soiree Spotlights, Spectacular Spaces

EMBRACING COLOR

Raspberry, white, and black could easily conjure the spirits of Saved by the Bell and early Prince (Don’t believe me? Check out this SBTB promo shot of Tiffani Amber Thiessen.),  but Angela and Trevor incorporated this risky color combo in a way that harnesses its energy yet reinterprets it in a sophisticated, contemporary way. They kept things airy with lots of white, only adding black to those areas needing a little extra drama. The bright, cerise-pink accents explode out of the ephemeral backdrop. Kudos to Angela and Trevor for their sense of adventure – and for doing it so well!

Personal Touches

From warm wishes pinned inside her dress to a locket of her departed father tied to the bridal bouquet, Angela and Trevor’s nuptials were infused with generous portions of love. And with heart-shaped stamps on the soles of Angela’s hot-pink pumps, love was sure to follow Angela no matter where she went. Knowing that it’s important for her attendants to be comfortable, Angela allowed her bridesmaids to choose their favorite little black dress. The handsome couple even provided a child’s table with games and coloring books to help keep antsy pint-sized guests entertained throughout the evening. I especially love the cake topper with an umbrella-carrying groom.

May the rain never find this beautiful couple. Angela and Trevor, thank you for allowing Vibrant Table Catering & Events to share your special day!

Shout Outs

An especially huge thank you to Bryan Rupp Photography for sharing their beautiful work with us. Other talented vendors at Angela and Trevor’s Portland wedding include: