Our featured bouquet this week is a sunset-inspired hand tied mix of four Mango mini calla lilies, 10 pale yellow roses, and 10 Latin Beauty (similar to Cherry Brandy) roses, with coral hypericum berries.  The stems were wrapped with an ivory satin ribbon and finished with pearl the length of the wrap.  Approximate price, $165-$180.

On a related note, this wedding was held at the Succop Conservancy, which is one of the few places you'll every go that's beautiful in any day in any weather condition.  The weather wasn't perfect, but the setting was.  We've been there dozens of times, in all kinds of weather, and it's simply gorgeous every time.  A perfect location for outdoor weddings, with indoor facilities available, too.

Pantone has released their color report for fall 2007.  In summary:

Complex and exotic describe the intriguingly unusual and inviting color palette for fall ’07. The traditional neutral shades expected for autumn have been replaced this season with rich, nuanced hues, offering more opportunity for creativity with interesting and unexpected color combinations.

The colors shown in the report are great for us, because so many flowers available during the fall match or complement the colors they have listed.  By adding in some accents with ribbons and bouquet jewels, we can bring a full palatte to your bouquet, creating a very memorable part of your big day.

Check out their full report at http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20367&ca=4.

Our featured bouquet this time is perfect for a July wedding!  Our green and white bouquet of assorted garden flowers featured white hydrangea, white stock, white lisianthus, white freesia, Kermit pomps, green hypericum berries and Queen Anne's Lace.  Approximate price $110-$130.

2008 brides, mark your calendars--the Butler Days Inn 2007 Fall Bridal Extravaganza will be Sep. 16, 2007.  As always, we'll be there with some incredible fresh bouquets, the latest accessories, and trendy invitations.

More information will be posted at http://www.daysinnbutler.com/Weddings/BridalShow/tabid/66/Default.aspx soon.

If you're not ready to trash the dress, consider donating your gown to charity.  Donated dresses are sold at discounts, and all proceeds go to charity.  This is win-win-win all over--you've found a positive way to clean some space in your closet, someone else gets a dream dress they can afford, and a charity gets some financial support.

If you're interested, here are two causes to check out:

Brides Against Breast Cancer

Sheltering Arms' Bridal Garden

Photography project trash the dress is looking for photos of brides, in their gowns, in some not-so-weddingy locations.  Locations have included farms, beaches and car washes, with some dramatic and interesting results.  Some of the coolest ones feature a submerged bride and bridesmaid.  Definately worth a look.

This is a very interesting art project, and some very talented photographers have contributed.  Local photographer Kim Reed is part of the project, and there is a long list of photographers located all over--be sure to check out the website at http://trashthedress.com/ if you're interested in trashing your dress.

Reading through some of the comments, this preoject has generated some controversy.  Some people consider this a waste of hard earned money, especially when the dresses could be donated to a charity.

According to the Bridal Association of America, in 2006:

• the typical bride spent $1,505 on a dress
• brides spent an additional $274 for a veil and another $333 on various accessories
• brides also spent $1,970 on flowers

The BAA estimates the average 2007 wedding will cost $27,710.

It was only a matter of time, we suppose.  Target, home of discount chic, has begun selling wedding gowns and tuxedos through their website (at this time, not available in their stores).  One of the problems we see is that you can't actually try a gown on, so you have no sense of the fit, or the color, or how the gown actually looks when you buy it.  The collection is designed by Isaac Mizrahi, and the gowns look to be basic but not unfashionable (the basic design is no doubt what helps keep the prices low).  No word on whether you can register for your gown in Club Wedd.

Industry reviews are mixed.  Some see this as a great move, allowing a budget conscious bride to look great on her wedding day.  Others think this may be a flop, since even the most budget conscious bride cares how she looks on her wedding day.  The Chicago Tribune has a good article at http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-070603target-story,0,5017603.story?coll=chi-bizfront-hed.

One of the advantages to a local salon is that you can try on a number of gowns to see what fits you best.  Often, you can buy a gown right there, and your gown can be altered by an experienced seamstress if necessary.

You can view their gowns at http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html?node=16033001; there are also links to their tuxedos and accessories.  If you've had experience or thoughts one way or the other, let us know.

We received a lovely hand-stamped card last week from a recent mother-of-the-bride, with a wonderful note inside:

Dear Polly,

I just want to thank you for all you did to help make [bride]'s wedding so special.  The flowers were just beautiful.

The "girls" loved their bouquets.  They were the perfect size and the shade of pink was stunning with their black dresses.

The pedestal arrangements, the corsages, the boutonnieres, the mother's clutches...all were just gorgeous!

Thank you so much for all your help and for sharing your expertise.  The day was about as close to perfect as it could be and the flowers were an important part o fthet!

God bless,

B.F.

Congratulations to B.F. and your daughter (and new son-in-law), and we wish them the best in their new lives.

Our featured bouquet this week is a timeless hand-tied arrangement of light pink peonies, Esperance roses, Sweet Escimo roses, and light pink spray roses.  The stems were wrapped with ivory ribbon and a pearl finish.  Approximate price would be $135-$155.

The outdoor wedding reception and party season is here, and that means afternoons looking for something cool.  We recently found the coolest of all somethings--an ice cream sundae bar!  Featuring homemade ice cream and hand made waffle cone bowls (colored to match your wedding or event), Kaliedo Kone Creamery serves up delicious and cool treats to your guests.  We recently had a chance to sample some of their ice cream, and it was very good.  If the ice cream and waffle cone bowls aren't enough, your guests can add one or all of a dozen toppings to their sundae.  Yum!

Shown below is Kaliedo Kone's toppings bar, featuring chopped peanuts, sprinkles, hot fudge, butterscotch, cherries and more!  Click the photo for a larger view.  Their services also include an ice cream cart and uniformed staff member to scoop the ice cream.

You can contact Kaliedo Kone Creamery at 724-368-3119, or kaliedokone@earthlink.net.