Our first bridal show of 2009 is the Bridal Events show at the Four Points Sheraton Pittsburgh North.  We’ll be there with samples and ideas for your perfect wedding.  This is the only wedding show we’re planning to attend in the Cranberry Township area, so we hope to see you there!

Full details at http://www.bridalevents.com/NewBridalEvents/Details/details.htm.

We’re thrilled to announce that the Butler Country Club has selected The Bloomery as their florist for their wedding and event packages.  Some of our favorite weddings have been at the BCC, and most of the images in their gallery are work we’ve done.  They were a Featured Location in July 2006, and where we did the Hydrangea, Stock and Peach Rose Centerpieces we features in 2007.

You can see the Butler Country Club at the Wedding Clickers show tomorrow at the Pittsburgh Marriott North.  We’re delivering a couple of the package arrangements for them in the morning, so you get an idea of some of the choices.  Let’s just say this—the BCC wanted their flower options to be very generous to provide a great value to brides.

Pantone reports (from Fashion Week) that hues of blue and lavender extend the trend from fall 2008, and yellow and rose colors are becoming popular for evoking optimism.  From their report:

As is often true, colors evolve from season to season, and spring ’09 is no exception.  Palace Blue, a favorite among designers this season, takes a steadfast, classic, spring navy-like tone and makes it sparkle.  Paired with just about any color in the report, it offers many intriguing spring combinations.  Taking purple in a lighter direction, Lavender presents a softer, more summery hue, extending the mystical aspects of purple available last fall.

As yellow continues to make its mark on the world of fashion, tangy Super Lemon brings a fun, optimistic outlook to the palette.  Its luminosity is determined to evoke a smile and attract the roving consumer’s eyes.  Taking a cue from its lemony neighbor, friendly and approachable Salmon Rose also conveys an optimistic outlook.  The subtlest of oranges, Salmon Rose is flattering to most complexions and is beautiful with a summer glow.  Think sensual and seductive Fuchsia Red for clothing, as well as lipstick and nail polish selections, this spring.  With its blue undertones, this cool red is a real show-stopper, adding a sense of elegance to the palette.

Stabilizing neutrals provide practicality in a changing economic landscape.  Not your average beige, Rose Dust breaks away from the typical neutrals associated with spring by adding dimension with subtle rose undertones.  And with its bluish-green undertones, cool Slate Gray is a nuanced neutral that can be paired with any of the other nine colors in the report.

Three greens, each with their own distinct personality, round out the color palette for spring ‘09, perpetuating the idea of freshness and renewal.  Vibrant Green, the quintessential spring hue, brings a true verdancy to the palette in a time of revitalization.  Dark Citron, a citrus-inspired green, is calmer and more serious than most, offering an element of sophistication to the mix.  Reflective Lucite Green, a clean, clear subtle hue, adds a slight shimmer.

Full story, including swatches and commentary from top designers, at http://www.pantone.com/pages/Pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20619&ca=4

Good news for those in the market for wedding invitations--Carlson Craft now offers a proof option!  After you select your verse and personalization, you check the box at the bottom of the page and select the ensemble items you need proofs for.  Your order is saved, and within two business days you'll receive a PDF via e-mail showing your lettering and personalization.  You review the proofs, then make changes or finalize your order.  Your order will not be printed until you finalize it, so don't forget to do so.

Carlson Craft prints some of the hottest wedding invitations, including Pockets invitations, the made from recycled paper Naturally Ever After collection, and the ever popular Disney wedding invitations.  And, The Bloomery offers a 30% discount on wedding invitations every day!

In addition to wedding invitations, Carlson Craft also prints holiday cards (featuring Chloe B holiday cards) and business stationery, all of which we also offer at 30% off every day! (note: we can offer Chloe B at 20% off only)

For generations, small tissue papers were staples of wedding invitations.  Recently, Carlson Craft has discontinued tissues with most of their invitations printed with ink.  Here's Carlson Craft's message to their dealers:

At Carlson Craft, we believe it is our responsibility to make a positive impact on the communities in which we live, work and serve.  Therefore, our commitment to th environment is reflected in our industry leadership.

To extend out commitment to the environment, as of November 3, 2008, tissues will no longer be included with Carlson Craft wedding invitations, with the exception of engraved invitations.

Based on Carlson Craft's research, we have found that most customers no longer use tissues with their wedding invitations.  In the past, tissues were used as a buffer to prevent wet ink from smearing.  Today's ink does not smear, therefore tissues are no longer necessary.

Most brides choose ink printed invitations, which are lower cost and more colorful.  These invitations will not include tissues.  Some brides, however, still choose to have their invitations "engraved", which uses a different type of ink applied in a different way, leaving a raised surface and giving a more classic, elegant look.  These invitations will still include tissues, and you should still use the tissues to protect the printing of an engraved invitation.

Some of our favorite weddings we've been a part of have been held at the Butler Country Club.  We blogged  Butler Country Club as one of our Featured Locations in 2006 (http://www.bloomeryweddings.com/blog/FeaturedLocationButlerCountryClub.aspx), and two of the three weddings in their photo gallery were ours (one of which we also featured as our Hydrangea, Stock And Peach Rose Centerpieces).

The Club recently updated its wedding information page, including menu and bar selections.  This is a great opportunity to have your wedding in an elegant hall with top notch chefs and bartenders at your service (trust us, the food is fantastic).

Also, we'd like to congratulate the Club on its 100th anniversary this year!

Our friends at Paul Meyer Photography need two models for a bridal photography workshop:

Here are the details:

• Date:  Tuesday, September 30th
• Time:  11am - 6pm
• What:  Shoot with Beckstead workshop (check out link for a video clip of how it will go and what kind of photos come out of it all)
• Who:  David Beckstead (one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world, Paul, Cyndy, and about 10 other photographers all taking your photo!)
• Where:  Harmony & Zelienople area (just north of Pittsburgh)
• Attire:  Wedding dress, hair and makeup.  You can wear your own dress and veil or borrow one from our collection (I’ll need your size)
• Benefits:  You will receive a collection of high fashion digital images from a dozen different photographers.  What a way to get one more use out of your wedding dress!

Disclaimer:  We’ll be working outside so your dress will get street dirt on it.  But this session will not involve water like our Splash the Dress sessions.

If you are interested, please send Paul your name and phone number along with a recent photo - PaulMeyer@PaulMeyerPhotography.com or give us a call at 724-467-2391.

Full story at http://beautifulalbums.com/blog/?p=205

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.