Nature's Texture

Christy's flavor for organic movement in the flowers, earthy colors, and stylized beauty was a story told best by her flowing bouquet of hellebores, orchids, fiddleheads, lisianthus, dahlias, and berzilia...

Contrasting simplicity of the Bridesmaids suited their royal purple dresses- papyrus flairs out around baby succulents, hydrangea, orchids, and lisianthus.

Outdoor decorations were simple clusters of kiwi branches, equisetum, lisianthus, and berzilia along the railing above their ceremony.

Table centerpieces of glass vases wrapped with variegated leaves surrounded by flows of polished river rock...

Hydrangea, dahlias, thistle, cymbidiums, coneflower, creamy coffee berries, strawflower, sew shades of blue, indigo, green, white, and pops of orange into the lovely Loggia Room at the Prado Balboa Park.A favorite flower for the couple and their family- Birds of Paradise- true to San Diego as their destination wedding location, adorned the cake with pizazz :)

Christy & Philip were one of the most enthusiastic couples I have ever been blessed to meet, so designing their wedding was an absolute work of artistic gratitude :) I wish them many, many years of happiness.. xo

Thank you to Aaron at AS Photography, I heart AS Photo!!

Summer's Sweet Simplicity

Oh yellow white and green, how do I love thee, so fresh and so cleanclean, and yet soft like a field of dandelions... well, Jamie & George knew how to do it right- from ultra fun bridesmaid dresses and mexican fiesta beer on the patio, to Lady Dottie and the Diamonds for a live band reception.. their ecologically conscious wedding was a hoot. Thank you for the amazing photos Susan Yee for En Pointe Photography.

Sweet satisfaction- white lilac and ranunculus with chamomile, locally grown and perfectly in season.

Feel that fearless color surge!

Standing by the sea, surrounded by blooming dogwood branches and wildflowers in mossy cones...

Detail perspective of snaps and wax flower...

Oh happy day.

Centerpieces of yellow, gold, white and grey-

Varying combos of dusty miller and ranunculus, hydrangea, and feverfew chamomile.

& how about this as a "green" (and green) wedding favor- reusable cloth bags!

Where would we be without cupcakes?

don't answer that- Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. to the rescue.

A little bit a' soul and Sol to make memories that last forever..

Our happy couple..

Oh wait.. you meant this happy couple ;) Congratulations J & G!!

Melanie and Anthony are such naturally nice people, it's beautiful to see them together..

No lack for yellow here :) Yellow orchids, freesia, calla lilies, dahlias, and fern for a wild and organic look.

I love the fresh combo of shiny stem green with goldy yellow and a clean matte khaki.

I'm sure there'll be more to see soon... thanks Melissa for the great pics!

20 years in Merry Making

The San Diego Association of Bridal Consultants celebrated last Tuesday - 20 years of amazing networking. Bringing wedding consultants and vendors together, bringing a new level of professionalism to the industry, and fortifying our roles as colleagues who work best when we work together- the ABC in San Diego has played a very important role as our city's wedding market developed and continues to boom.
Rae Florae was honored to provide floral centerpieces for the event!

For the Love of Cake provided a classic 3-tier that we adorned with precious johnny jump-ups, poppy, and african daisy blossoms.

Honoring the 9 past & current presidents of the San Diego ABC, we created corsages of orchid blooms that they could choose to wear with either a magnet at the shoulder, or as a bracelet on their wrist.. and, yes, those are slap bracelets :)

Our centerpieces were a fresh combination of baby green hydrangea, coral colored coxcomb, and locally grown varieties of white firework agapanthus, lisianthus, vibrant orange and peach alstroemeria, in a ring of white carnations and satin ribbon for unexpected kick.

The light flooded the room of the La Jolla Bridge Club, and the view of the water was an appropriate backdrop as we talked about how much San Diego offers for weddings.

Thanks to Jen @ Pink Star Design for the perfect programs and Sabrina @ La Dolce Idea for coordinating a wonderful event!

Yellow Yellow Everywhere!

One weekend at a time, folks.
We've been having so much fun around here that I am already backlogged on photo posting! Starting at the beginning of spring let's take a gander at Jamie & George's spring nature fest.

I swear I felt like breaking into "the hills are alive..." like Julie Andrews as I was taking these pics of such fresh yellow and white ranunculus on the bluffs of La Jolla, surrounded by shady Torrey Pine Trees....

Sweet flower girl basket of white rose petals with kermit mums on the handle.

Cocktails in terracotta- cool dusty miller for that smooth gray-green, yellow ranuncs, white roses and statice.

Hanging baskets along the aisle full of locally grown goodness- ranuncs (because they're in season and beauteous!), wax flower & eucalyptus- giant dogwood branches along the shepherd hooks made the effect complete!

More ranuncs, chamomile -aka feverfew- blossoms, hydrangea, and dusty miller for the tables.

And sweets for my sweets! yummy cupcakes from Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. adorned with feverfew blossoms, kermit mums, and fatty yellow ranunculus; dogwood branches meandering through the goodies.

Celebrate Earth and Oxygen! (& get a free book :))

You knew I had to post for Earth Day and Arbor Day! Two wonderful reasons to put on your thinking cap, gardening bonnet, close your eyes and give thanks for the awesome splendor of our world.
In honor of April 22nd-Earth Day and today, April 24-Arbor Day, I want to do several things..

1) To REDUCE/REUSE/RECYCLE I would like to open my library of floral design books to the public. I have so many wonderful books on flowers and floral design and I will gladly give...

***10 people a book of their choice from my library!***

There's Vera Wang Weddings, books by designers Jane Packer and Paula Pryke from England, the list goes on...
2) To ENCOURAGE MORE NATIVE PLANT APPRECIATION for Southern California's wealth of beautiful flowers and trees, I want to provide links for 3 of the best places you can go for information, pictures, and purchasing of the right kind of native plants for you. There are SO Many beautiful, flowering native plants for this region that there is just no need to plant another pansy or petunia!
Check out your options & look at the pretty pictures-

Tree of Life Nursery, San Juan Capistrano
www.californianativeplants.com
Recon Native Plant Nursery, Otay Mesa
www.reconnativeplants.com
Las Pilitas Nursery, Escondido
www.laspilitas.com

Now go breathe deep and hug a tree!

Sweet Peas at the Prado

What a lovely setting for our monthly Weddings of Distinction meeting! Thank you to everyone at the Prado, notably Andrea Pena, for coordinating a delicious lunch in the Loggia Room. Amy Wright of Theorie (one of our newest members:)) was on hand to snap the shots- Thank you for making the beautiful colors of our flowers really shine!

Purple sweet peas and fun papaya-peachy-buttery ranunculus in a glass vases set upon a palm leaf and surrounded by river pepples in a mahogany wood tray.

Oh yeah, how pretty is the Loggia Room! Those colors just popped in the soft setting of gold and sea green! And the wall of windows overlooking the courtyard... so nice.

Now we've got the addition of fresh lavender and leucadendron all wrapped in horsetail (equisetum) and an orange satin ribbon. BEST PART.... IT'S ALL LOCALLY GROWN RIGHT HERE IN SAN DIEGO!! Check out the potential for fun and beauty!!

Yours truly on the left, with the awesome Kristie Emmons from Continental Catering and the always fabuloso Elaine Ardizzone from Sweet Cheeks (a familiar name around here :))

Go Green Goodness

You asked and you shall receive!! All the Rae Florae flower detail shots from the Premier Green Event at the New Children's Museum (thinkplaycreate.org).

Our tablescape centerpiece of locally salvaged birch bark, moss branches, and wildweed- colorfully accented by pink ranunculus blooms from Carlsbad, Ca.

Peachy pin-cushion proteas from Valley Center, Ca adorned with a spring-time appropriate hummingbird :)

Table settings of locally nurtured, mini-pink kalanchoe plants in ceramic bowls on bamboo plates. Each personally hand drawn label highlights a way we incorporated green goodness to our table- local flowers, recycled paper, low water use, salvaged goods, natural fibers, etc.

Can't leave out the sweet chairs! Single proteas and pink alstroemeria from Bonsall, Ca tied with lime green mesh and sheer white ribbon for a little raw edge :)
Thanks to Concepts Party Rentals for the chivari chairs, avocado satin linen, and bubblegum pink napkins!

DJ Jerry Beck got decked out! Surrounding his sleek sound system under the crazy cool wooden latice sculpture/structure with locally nurtured plants- papyrus reeds, horsetail equisetum, camellia, bromeliads, and maidenhair fern- all from Leucadia, Ca or right here in Ocean Beach, Ca.

More pin-cushions and flutterbirds for your fancy- this time in electric yellow with pink tips, set upon a natural raffia placemat for the belly bars in a glow of green uplights.
Gotta Go Green!