The new Carlson Craft Pockets Invitations book has arrived!  Pockets Invitations are a trendy new style, and feature layouts, colors and styles for a more modern wedding or event.  And, The Bloomery offers a 30% discount on Pockets Invitations every day!  Just order through our site at http://bloomery.cceasy.com/.

Also available for Pockets Invitations is V.I.P. Printing--Carlson Craft will print the addresses of your guests on the outer envelopes, and RVSP return for the inner envelopes.  Printing is done in the color and typeface that your invitations are, providing a neat and uniform look to your ensemble.  When you order your invitations through our site (http://bloomery.cceasy.com/), indicate you want V.I.P. Printing.  Then, you fill out an Excel template (download at http://www.addressingonline.com/vip/) and e-mail it to Carlson Craft.  Your invitations will arrive addressed!

Come see us at the Days Inn Butler 2009 Winter Bridal Show, Feb 22, 2009 from 12pm to 4pm.

More info at http://www.daysinnbutler.com/contact_us.

For the full selection of Birchcraft invitations, napkins, etc. at a 20-30% discount every day, check out our invitation site at http://www.yourinvitationplace.com/bloomeryweddings.

New Eggplant and Kiwi ink colors

Hues of purple and green are very trendy now (see our 2009 Wedding Color Trends report), and Birchcraft is keeping with the latest styles by adding inks to coordinate with the rest of your wedding.

Six Eco-Friendly Soy-Based Inks

These inks are made from soybeans, as opposed to traditional petroleum-based inks, so if you’re having a green wedding, consider the ink choice on your invitations.  The six colors are:

Eight Combination Lettering Styles

increase the options for couples who want to highlight their names in today's latest styles.

Three new Liner Colors

Crimson, Eggplant and Kiwi - to match the latest ink styles.

Wedgewood Foil

Few things say elegance like Wedgewood, and Wedgewood foil is now available as an ink choice on many invitations, napkins, etc.

The historic Mountain View Inn & Conference Center on Route 30 in Westmoreland County will close at the end of the week.

An employee said today a press release was being prepared outlining the decision, and he referred further questions to owner Vance Booher, who was not immediately available for comment. The reservations center for the 89-room inn, opened in 1924, was accepting no requests for rooms beyond Saturday night.

Brides and events planners who had reserved future dates at Mountain View began scrambling in recent days to rearrange their affairs.

"The phone has been ringing off the hook booking business," said Steve Mitchell, general manager of the Four Points by Sheraton in Greensburg. "We're receiving phone calls from brides and other clients that were tentatively booked there, or booked there, and that were informed they're closing."

The hotel midway between Latrobe and Greensburg has been in the Booher family since 1940. It has handled 100 weddings a year in the past.

Reposted from http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09021/943515-100.stm.  Updates as we find more.

At the Bridal Events bridal show the other day, we were asked by several brides about black magic roses against a wine colored dress for their bridesmaids.  Other florists had suggested doing this, but we say think twice.  What looks great to the human eye can look completely different to the camera’s digital sensor.

To start with, a Black Magic rose is really just a deep burgundy.  The color cannot be guaranteed—it’s a flower.  Sometimes you get a really deep, luscious burgundy, and sometimes you get closer to maroon or crimson.  No one has any control over the exact color, that’s just how the plants grow.  In this case, you’ll have a clash between the redder shades of the flower and the bluer shades in the dresses.

Secondly, Black Magic don’t photograph well.  I’ll ask Paul Meyer to add some technical details on his blog (he was the photographer next to us at the show, and I talked to him about this idea a little).  Because of the blues and intense reds, Black Magic can saturate the sensor in a digital camera, and getting them to look good requires some color shifting in Photoshop.  Without some time intensive layering techniques, this is going to change the colors of everything in the photo, too.

Besides the saturation, the velvety petals on Black Magic absorb a lot of light.  In lower light conditions (like a romantic reception, or some artistic photography on location), they tend to completely disappear, especially when placed against a dark background.  They’ll show up against a bride’s white dress, but not against the bridesmaids’ wine dresses.  If you add in other colors (the suggested color was hot pink to pop off the deep reds), you’ll end up with dots of hot pink and holes where the Black Magic should be.

We don’t want to give you the idea to not use Black Magic roses—we love them, and they’re beautiful.  We just suggest you don’t use them in bridesmaids bouquets if they’re wearing wine (or similarly) colored dresses.  Also, if you are using Black Magic roses at all, talk to your photographer for any suggestions they have for planned photos, so they don’t end up with a lot of unusable shots.

We’re pleased to announce the arrival of Red Leaf Papers Wedding Invitations.  Red Leaf Papers invitations are known for one-of-a-kind designs, described as “exhilarating” and “refreshing”.  As with other invitations, you receive a 30% discount on Red Leaf Papers invitations.

Also available wit the 30% discount are special occasion invitations and holiday and party invitations from Red Leaf Papers.

Please note that there is no book for the Red Leaf Papers invitations and stationery.  This means all orders have to be placed online.

At today’s Bridal Events Bridal Show, we were asked a number of times, “I want to have peonies in my wedding, but they’re out of season.  Can you suggest any alternatives?”  Peonies are interesting because despite modern cultivation and transportation practices, they are still very seasonal. 

There is nothing that looks like a peony, but you can get close.  Certain varieties of garden roses can be a very close substitute for a peony.  You can contrast the flowers below with our pink peony and rose bouquet or our pink peony, Esperance and Sweet Escimo rose bouquet.  All photos are courtesy of our friends at Transflora, a wholesaler to retail florists only.  Contact your local florist for pricing information (if you’re in the Pittsburgh/Butler/New Castle PA area, we’d love to talk to you).

Many peonies have a soft floral fragrance.  Yves Piaget and Pink Piaget both have a beautiful rosy fragrance (Yves Piaget may be the most beautifully scented flower we’ve ever found).

Yves Piaget

Pink Piaget

Antique Romantica

Carla Romantica

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