One of the cool things about Greystone Fields is just how versatile the room is.  We've done a number of weddings there, and each time the room seems to adapt itself to the decor.  In one of our recent weddings, our bride wanted some very earthy, organic elements at her place settings and for decorations.  Our bride put a lot of effort into room decorations

The bride carried a hand tied bouquet of orange flame mini calla lilies (approx. price $120-$135).  Orange flame is very similar to mango, and is great for summer or autumn weddings.  The red edges and bright orange flowers pop against the light green stems, and the characteristic shape of each flower gives the bouquet a unique look.  Bridesmaids carried simple arm bouquets of several white calla lilies ($20-$30 each).

Centerpieces were composed of multiple elements, placed on a moss mat and accented with a green votive candle.  One of the floral elements was a cylinder vase filled with Bells of Ireland and dried twigs, with lily grass swirled inside the vase.  A second element was an orb of Kermit pomps perched on top of a shorter cylinder vase, with an aspidistra leaf wrapped inside.  The third element was a low bowl of orange roses and Kermit pomps, inserted into moss.

For the final element of the centerpiece, our bride made table number holders from twigs with dried leaves, and named each table for a type of plant.

The head table was adorned with three large bowls of orange roses, Kermit pomps and votive candles inserted into moss, sitting on a bed of moss and eucalyptis.  Vases of Bells of Ireland identical to those in the centerpieces were placed at each end of the head table.

Guests were greeted by a large orb of white carnations with placecards radiating outward, all resting on a bed of moss.  The driver was so thrilled to be transporting the carnation orb!

We've been a part of a number of other weddings at Greystone Fields, and we'll be posting more from those in the future.

The vast majority of bridal and bridesmaid bouquets we make these days are hand tied bouquets.  We make real hand-tied bouquets, not flowers in a holder dressed up to look hand tied, so when we wrap the stems, we're adding decoration and personalization, we're not hiding something.  We've shown you hundreds of pictures of the fronts and tops of our bouquets, now we're going to show you a few of the bottoms.

On a simple wrap, we sometimes add an adornment, such as a brooch, a charm, or an heirloom rosary which has been in the family for generations.  Below is an example of an initial brooch from a recent wedding.  This is more common on bouquets made from roses or mixed flowers having a very round top, where the adornment can be worked into and supported by the flowers.  This brooch was attached to a mixed bouquet of hydrangea and roses.

The rosary and memorial photographs below are from the bridal bouquets of two sisters, married four months apart last year.  We were honored to be part of both of their weddings.

Sometimes the simple wrap ends with just a soft bow and flowing tails, for a very soft look when the bridesmaids come down the aisle.

One of the most classic wraps we have is a simple ribbon wrap, finished its entire length with pearl headed pins.  This is a very clean look, and is beautiful on bouquets where you see a lot of the wrap, such as this bouquet of mini calla lilies.

One favorite is our tuxedo twist, where the ends of the ribbon are formed into a little bow-tie, and finished with a cluster of pearl headed pins.  Again, this is most common where the bow tie is part of the finishing for a more rounded bouquet.  This bouquet was all roses and stephanotis.

For an elegant look, many brides choose a ballet braid.  A simple acetate wrap, finished with pearls, is overlain with a chiffon ribbon wrap braided like a ballet dancer ties her shoes.  The chiffon overlay matches or complements the colors of the bouquet.

We've even done some "twists" on the braid, using a thin ribbon, or finishing with a soft bow and trailing streamers.

Not every wrap is ribbon, either.  We've used natural elements such as raffia, pieces of the dresses, or pieces from the mother's wedding dress.  If you're interested in some very personal touches to your bridal and bridesmaid bouquets, please ask us for ideas (or bring some of your own) when you meet with us.  The stem wraps are easy to overlook when planning, but can be so personal on your wedding day that they are unforgettable.

Our manager Polly's neice was married recently, and as you can imagine, they chose beautiful flowers for their wedding and reception.  Polly designed and created the arrangements herself, but she said we could post them here as an example of her work.

Greeting the guests on the guest card table was a gardeny style arrangement of pink peonies, pink roses, pink spray roses and lavender waxflower.

The bride's bouquet was a lush hand tied arrangement of pink peonies, pink roses, pink and hot pink spray roses, lavender lilacs and blue salvia.

The head table arrangement was an absolute garden of pink peonies, pink and hot pink roses, pink snapdragons, white stock, pink carnations and lavender waxflower.

Guest tables were adorned with elevated centerpieces made with pink peonies, pink roses, pink spray roses and lavender waxflower (the bases are now available to rent for your wedding centerpieces).

Not to be left out, the bar was decorated with arrangements of pink peonies, pink roses, pink carnations and lavender waxflower in the same rustic container used for the centerpiece bases.

Araujo Photography has a preview video on their blog, where you can see more of the flowers and the beautiful Club at Nevillewood (gorgeous photography!).  Although the father of the bride is one of the inventors of the Frank Former, Hot Dog Man was not on the menu this night.

Our bouquet this time is a lush hand-tied bouquet of pink peonies, pink roses and pink spray roses.  This combination produced a soft, Victorian look, classic and timeless.  Approximate price, $145-$160.  Bouquet photo courtesy of Creative Imagez Photography Studio.

The stems were wrapped with a simple ribbon, and for a personal touch, a brooch of the bride's initial was attached to the ribbon.

The bridesmaids carried hand tied bouquets made of white hydrangea, pink roses, pink spray roses and lavender waxflower (approximate price $65-$75).

As with the bridal bouquet, each bridesmaid's bouquet was adorned with a brooch of her initial.

Centerpieces were made from the same flowers as the bridesmaids' bouquets, in rectangular glass vases surrounded by pink rose petals.  The reception was held at Westwood Golf Club.  Westwood was private, but is now a public course and the banquet facilities are now available to everyone.  Vickie sets a beautiful table, as you can see below.  Centerpiece photo courtesy of Creative Imagez.

This is also the wedding where we first met Hoffer's Video Productions, who as it turns out, live practically right across the street from our shop.  Funny how we had to go to Munhall to meet neighbors in our small town!

One of the most important aspects of your wedding is your color scheme.  The flowers, dresses and tuxedos all reflect a carefully chosen palette.  Many of today's brides are choosing hot fashion colors for their weddings (check out a recent lime green and black centerpiece), so why not choose some hot colors for your invitations?  Birchcraft has added seven new ink colors as choices on invitations.  They are:

Cherry	Hot Pink	Lime Green	Raspberry
Sandstone	Sapphire	Tangerine

While you're at it, check out the three new lettering styles, also new at Birchcraft.  These are perfect if you want a sleeker, more youthful look to your invitations:

As always, Birchcraft invitations are 30% off every day, including their new pockets invitations and slide invitations.  For full selection, visit http://www.yourinvitationplace.com/Default.aspx?WebName=bloomeryweddings.

Our bouquet this time is a lush hand-tied bouquet of pink peonies, pink roses and pink spray roses.  This combination produced a soft, Victorian look, classic and timeless.  Approximate price, $145-$160.  Bouquet photo courtesy of Creative Imagez Photography Studio.

The stems were wrapped with a simple ribbon, and for a personal touch, a brooch of the bride's initial was attached to the ribbon.

Birchcraft's Handcrafted Invitations are now available from Bloomery Weddings!  You can find them at http://www.yourinvitationplace.com/Catalog.aspx?Theme=Handcrafted&WebName=bloomeryweddings.  As usual, we offer these wedding invitations with a 30% discount everyday!  You'll receive the discount whether you order online, or in person.  If you want to see your wedding invitation before you buy, Birchcraft offers a free online proof on their website.

The Handcrafted line is a limited edition collection featuring elegantly handcrafted invitations and layered invitations.  Handcrafted invitations will appeal to brides who are looking for originality, style and elegance.  Shown below is one of the elegant invitations from the Handcrafted Invitations collection.

Today we delivered perhaps our most unique bridal bouquet to date.  Yup, that's it below--a potted gerbera daisy.  Considering the ceremony and reception were held at The Atrium, a former nursery and greenhouse, it fit perfectly.  In the background, you can see the gazebo and chairs set up for the outdoor ceremony.

Adding a personal touch to their reception, the couple labeled each table with the name of a favorite author.  Shown below is the Robert Frost table.  Apparently coffee was not served because there was no T.S. Elliot table.  Finishing each table was a funky mound of lime green fuji mums in a black wok bowl (approximate price, $35-$45 each).

Lots of couples plant a tree when they are married, to mark the passing of the years and the growing strength of their relationship.  We do need to point out that gerbera daisies are annual plants, and the couple shouldn't read too much into it when the plant doesn't sprout again next year.

Our featured flowers this time feature a combination of colors--light blue hydrangea, green pomps, light pink roses, green roses and Escimo cream roses.  The bridal bouquet was hand tied (approx. price $125-$140).  Click on the photo for a larger view.

Each centerpiece was made with light blue hydrangea, pink spray roses, green Kermit pomps, light green roses and pink waxflower, in a solver footed bowl. The flowers are actually arranged in a removable dish so your guests can take the flowers home, and we rent the bowls. Approximate price $95 to $115, including rental of the bowls. Click on the photo for a larger view.

The groom's boutonniere featured an escimo rose, green Kermit pomps and a beargrass loop in a silver filigree boutonniere holder. Approximate price, $30 to $35, including boutonniere holder.