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.

Last year, we covered WeddingMapper.com, a free service where you can create online wedding maps for your guests.

If printed maps are more your style, idoweddingmaps.com might be more what you're looking for.  idoweddingmaps.com offers four styles of maps, which you create online by filling out some information about you and your event.  You can choose to have a PDF e-mailed to you, or have your maps printed and sent to you to include in the invitation.

We recently attended a wedding where the map was created on idoweddingmaps.com, and it was very clear and attractive, and printed on good quality paper.

The elegant Chloe B wedding invitation ensembles are now available online from Bloomery Weddings!  Chloe B invitations are a beautiful line produced exclusively for Crane & Co, known for their fine papers and stationery.  Chloe B ensembles are designed to be distinctive and to impress your guests when they open your invitation.

We offer a 20% discount for the Chloe B invitations every day--the lowest price allowed by Chloe B (regular invitations are 30% off every day).  Samples are available by request from Carlson Craft--just find the one you want and request a sample through the website.

If you were invited to Cindy and Paul Myer's Wedding University, you saw a few of our flower arrangements there.  Our featured bouquet this time is a centerpiece of 24 dusty pink roses ("Faith" variety), with bent beargrass accents in a contemporary wok bowl.  Approximate price as shown, $90-$125, but a smaller wok bowl is available and this can be made in a smaller size.  Wok bowls are a relatively new container, and are gaining popularity.  They provide a very contemporary, zen look to your centerpieces, and are very easy for your guests to take home.

Photo credit: Paul Meyer Photography

A recently married couple (not one of ours) was the butt of a lot of jokes on the morning radio shows yesterday:

According to a criminal complaint, the Wielechowskis had just checked into the Holiday Inn-McKnight Road in Ross and were ready to enter their room on the seventh floor when they began arguing.

Dr. Wielechowski "then used a karate-style kick with his leg to kick Christa, knocking her to the floor," the complaint reads.

Upon hearing her screams, two guests of the hotel who had been attending another wedding reception ran to Mrs. Wielechowski's aid. But when they attempted to restrain Dr. Wielechowski, he began fighting the would-be rescuers only to have Mrs. Wielechowski "turn against [them] and also begin to assault them," according to the complaint.

(full story at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08119/877164-52.stm)

And also in newspaper articles

Marriage consultants and relationship therapists will speculate about the Wielechowskis' marriage. Is reconciliation possible, or do they bite the bullet and put boxing promoter Don King on retainer?

(article at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08120/877372-153.stm)

But seriously, domestic violence is no laughing matter, and we hope that if you're in a relationship, you seek out help to end the cycle.  Too many people convince themselves their partner will change once they're married, or after the child arrives, but usually things only grow worse and worse.  There are people who will help and protect you if you're in a violent situation.  It will take an incredible amount of bravery to get out of the relationship, but in the long run, it's the best thing you can do.

We're not sure if this couple was overcome by the stress of the day, or if this is more of the same in their relationship (and apparently they have been under a considerable amount lately, see http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08120/877410-85.stm), but we wish them all the best.