The Flower Blog

I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,

A church filled with family and friends.

I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,

He said one that would make me his wife.

~Author Unknown

Beautiful quote about weddings; it's a shame the author is unknown! What kind of wedding do you wish for? We all want something magical, memorable, breathtaking and completely unique! It goes without saying, EVERY wedding is unique. There is none alike. Certainly you could use the same location, theme, and colors as someone else but it will still be yours.

How does one go about having the wedding of their dreams? Get on Pinterest? Polyvore? Bride? Most ideas can be found online instead of just a short decade ago being predominantly in magazines.  When I hear about weddings I often wonder how different mine would have been now, a short twelve years later! 

Before we go any further I want to mention image to the right with the gorgeous carriage and couple looking lovingly at each other isn't us; I'd never do sleeveless. The carriage is one of the best looking Cinderella ones I've seen but not so much the Snyder style. "Then why is it in this blog? I thought this was a fairy tale." says the reader. Hold your horses, I'm getting there! Grab your coffee and let's get started!

Once upon a time, around 2001, the internet was still very young and Pinterest was non-existent, perhaps a twinkle in someone's eye or an electric pulse in their brain. After receiving a coffee pot and bag of coffee beans for Christmas I received an envelope with a ring inside and my love on bended knee asking in front of my family to be his wife. Ick! Too sweet, let's fast forward to 2002! 

I bought a wedding planner book in hopes of filling the pages with my wishes and dreams about our wedding. Samples of napkins, invitation paper, a multitude of business cards, ribbons, swatches; everything a proper wedding planner book should contain. Twelve years later finds this book with many empty pages, a few scribbles, and carefully written first page which states who is getting married to whom, when it will be, and that's about it.! I am not sad about this discovery; it was a reminder of what I "thought" I needed to do as opposed to what I did based on my personality.

It's amazing how wrapped up we get into things we think we should do. Example: being the daughter of a florist. I should have all the flowers memorized, categorized, know what blooms when, and exactly what is going to be in my wedding bouquet! The truth is I had NO idea what I was doing and the thought of having my floral arrangements down to the last minute detail was terrifying! Fortunately, Gillespie Florists had my back and up front and center was the floral fairy godmother, Mary Alice.

I'm sure her eyes rolled back into her head during our consultation as my description was something along the lines of "I don't like Martha Stewart clumps and my bridesmaid dresses are wine and ivory..or peach..I think". Pulling teeth would certainly be easier than putting together bouquets for this indecisive gal however Mary Alice forged ahead and came up with a plan after playing 20+ questions.

My mother was also available to give more accurate descriptions such as style of dress, color swatches and the fact I didn't consider arrangements outside of the bridal party like tablepieces, swags, flower girls, etc...oh stop gasping, I told you I was the odd daughter. My dad not only ran the flower shop, but also built a staircase and a concrete sidewalk path leading down the tree covered ravine at the Gillespie Ranch (my parents home) where the wedding took place.

Looking back I realize just how much of a dream come true this wedding was. My fiancé and I worked on guest lists, coordinating tents, photographers, food, gifts, etc. I designed invitations, programs, creating and embroidering our monogram on napkins, getting dresses and fittings and anything related to flowers, the "Gillespie Florists" family handled.  It was a beautiful collaboration of families, both work and home, to make our special day the most unique and meaningful experience. I am thankful for my floral fairy godmother who interpreted my vision and created a theme which complemented the style and nature of the bride and groom to-be. We're also very thankful for the creative vision from my parents and the transformation of the ravine which has hosted countless family gatherings and two weddings. What else makes a wedding a fairy tale besides enchanting transformations, fairy godmothers, beautiful bouquets, and fancy dresses?

Perfect weather and timing.

Whether you have your wedding details down to the last dotted "i" or need some help in solidifying your theme or direction with flowers the fine and caring staff of Gillespie Florists is here to help make your special day a dream come true.

Browse a few of our favorite designs in our wedding collection and click below to schedule a consultation!

Want to know more about my floral fairy godmother? We have a special interview right here!

Summer time is the most popular time for weddings for those couples that want to have their special day outside! That also means that summer time is the most popular time for anniversaries! Coming up with the perfect anniversary gift for that special someone can be very time consuming and hard for some people. For those that are approaching their one year wedding anniversary this summer, or any other wedding anniversary, here are some gift ideas besides the amazing flowers we love to provide to our customers.

1. A walk along the canal in downtown Indianapolis is always something cost effective but fun for couples to do together. The canal also has pedal boats that you and your partner can rent and travel up and down the beautiful canal and experience the sites of downtown Indianapolis.

2. The zoo! Now some people may think the zoo is just for kids but who doesn’t like animals? And who wouldn’t enjoy the perks of slowly strolling around the zoo, checking out any exhibit that you would like, without having to chase your little people around or missing out on your favorite animals because the kids have had enough and are ready to go?

3. Maybe you and your partner are more into historical buildings. The West Baden Springs hotel in French Lick offers 70 minute walking tours of the hotel and grounds that take place four times a day every day of the year except Christmas day. Spend a lovely evening at one of the four restaurants located on the grounds of the hotel and have a night to relax in one of the many rooms of the this historical hotel.

4. Indiana Repertory Theater hosts many theatrical performances and concerts throughout the year if your special someone is into that. It might not be Broadway but if you are unable to travel far this would be a great way to catch one of the many Broadway shows that comes through Indianapolis!

5. Rolling hills and streams of the outdoors more your thing? Check out Turkey Run State Park and enjoy a long peaceful stroll through the wilderness with that special someone!

6. Maybe you and your partner have the chance to travel out of state, a trip to a remote beach or a cruise is always a way to spend special time with that special someone.

7. Only have a sitter for the kiddos for a few hours? Take the evening and check out a new restaurant that you and your partner have never been to and then enjoy a movie.

8. Maybe you and your partner don’t have the chance to escape for some one on one time and as much as she loves flowers, she would rather have something that she can keep for many years to come. Come check out the wide variety of silk flower arrangements we have in the shop!

9. Over the years you have given that special someone several beautiful pieces of jewelry and she has no good place to keep them when they are not being worn. We can help you out with that too! We have a large variety of wooden musical jewelry boxes to pick from.

10. Flowers are always a great way to go but maybe she already has several vases from flowers you have sent her before. Take some time and come into the shop and have one of our customer service staff help you personally select a beautiful bouquet of handpicked flowers to take home to that special one in your life!

As you and your special someone approach that anniversary time, take some time to check out the local attractions in our wonderful state and check out the amazing selection of flowers and gifts we have in our shop!

With Wedding Season of 2014 well underway, I have seen a gradual shift of trends from Wedding Season 2013 at Gillespie Florists. Color schemes that feature tints, tones and shades of the primary wedding color, limited use of foliage and a return of a popular accent flower have all made Wedding Season 2014 something to “blog” about!

I had mentioned in a blog post last year that I was noticing a trend towards “nude” colors. I meet with many brides well in advance of their wedding which prompted me to take notice of this up and coming color trend. So far, the nude color trend is the most prominent color scheme of this year’s wedding season. So what are nude tones? Nude tones are very subtle colors and when combined, they seamlessly blend together. Examples of nude colors are pale peach, pale pink, cream, tan and taupe. Next weekend, every single wedding I have (which is more than I can count on one hand) features this color scheme. In recent memory, I cannot recall a single weekend where every color scheme was the same.

Fashion is not my forte, but while interacting with brides, I have picked up on a few trends that are quite “fashionable” this year! Many brides are choosing “mismatched” dresses (both in style and color) for their bridal parties. For example, a bride may choose a smoky lavender color as the primary color theme for their wedding party. The bridesmaids can then choose a style and color of dress in a complimentary hue of the primary color, such as eggplant, iris, lavender or even a patterned fabric which incorporates several of the colors.

Groomsmen are expressing their diversity with various colors of ties, vests and even dumping the traditional black tux for a stunning charcoal or silver tux or suit. Flowers can be designed to unify the bridal party by designing similar personal flowers (i.e. small clusters of babies breath for all the groomsmen boutonnieres and clutch bouquets of babies breath for the bridesmaids). Or, to reflect the diversified theme, each attendant receives their own style and color combination of flowers.

Shabby Chic and Vintage style décor for weddings is still a popular theme carried over from last season. However, I have noticed a slight change in the flower varieties that are featured in this season’s weddings. Babies breath has made a huge comeback in the last year; to the point that babies breath, which is generally readily available, has been in short supply in the last couple of months! A couple of weeks ago, I contacted my local vendors to beef up my babies breath inventory because we were running low. Every single vendor was sold out of all varieties of babies breath. I’ve been the primary flower buyer for almost 10 years and this has not happened before!

In wedding designs, I have featured babies breath in bouquets for brides and bridesmaids, boutonnieres, corsages, ceremony arrangements, centerpieces and even a wreath designed of babies breath! 

Finally, I am seeing the growth of a trend against including foliage in wedding flowers, especially personal flowers. From my interaction with brides, the perception is that the foliage adds another (unwanted) color to the arrangements. I can understand this point of view and have successfully designed dozens of weddings without any foliage. However, with traditional design, I feel that foliage adds subtle depth and texture to an arrangement, as well as hide the mechanics of the design. A small amount of foliage nestled within an arrangement or collared on the outside of a clutch bouquet hides unsightly wires, floral tape, stems, glue and oasis that should remain unseen. No matter what style the bride prefers, a trained and talented floral designer can adapt to the specific needs of each wedding.

As Wedding Season 2014 continues, I am sure that I will be introduced to up and coming trends that will shape the next wedding season. For now, I am enjoying the current trends, learning and growing with each wedding that I am so honored to be a part of!

Ready to start planning your wedding? Click below to  contact our Wedding Specialist! 

Over the past year and a half I have seen some of the most amazing wedding flowers created here in the shop!  I had a very small and non formal wedding so flowers were not a major concern for me, but looking back on things I wish I would have done more with flowers.  

I think that yellow is an amazing accent color to any summer wedding.  Our designers can do some amazing arrangements with beautiful yellow flowers!

Our bridal bouquet called Bailey would be perfect for any bride to be that wants that splash of yellow as she walks down the aisle.  This amazing bouquet is made from beautiful yellow roses, stunning white lilies and white freesia that will provide a wonderful aroma as you walk down the aisle.  

Bailey - GFW127

Maybe you are not a fan of lilies or freesia but you love daisies, we can do that too!  The bridal bouquet called Sunbeam is beautiful.  This bouquet is a simple yet beautiful mix of yellow and white daisies and yellow roses.  Sunbeam is an elegant and cost effective way to make a full bridal bouquet for your special day!  

Sunbeam - GFW44

Have a more wildflower style bridal bouquet in mind for your special day?  Check out this one called Lemon Ice, featuring white roses, yellow freesia, white calcynia heather, pale yellow stock, purple limonium, tree fern and variegated pittosporum.  This bouquet is a hand-tied arm style design.

 

Lemon Ice - GFW45

 

Of course you cannot forget the centerpiece for the main table!  Brooke is a beautifully designed centerpiece featuring yellow calla lilies and yellow Asiatic lilies, as well as snapdragons, delphinium and belles of Ireland.  

 

Brooke - GFW96  

 

Maybe you want a centerpiece but not as large, we still have the perfect one for your special day.  Aubree is a wonderful centerpiece designed with yellow snapdragons, yellow daisies, a large yellow lily and blue delphinium.  

Aubree - GFW94

 

Tossing around the idea of adding fresh flowers to your wedding cake?  We can do that too! Breanna is a mix of yellow daisies, yellow alstromeria lilies and blue delphinium.  If you are not wanting to have the added pop of color from the blue delphinium, do not hesitate to ask if there is something else that could be used in its place!

 

Breanna - GFW93

 

 

Alexa is a  simple yet stunning way to add just a little something to remember to your seating arrangement for your indoor or outdoor wedding. Already have a sash on the rows of chairs in that beautiful sunny yellow?  Let us add exotic stems of white orchids to the end of the rows closest to your aisle.

 

Alexa - GFW95

 

So you have finally made the big decisions on the perfect bouquet, matching bridesmaid’s bouquets, centerpiece for your main table and decorations for the ends of your seating rows. Suddenly you realize you have not selected anything to recognize the other special men and women in the lives of you and your future husband.  The parents and grandparents!  Check out the beautiful Claire and strapping Elias. These matching corsages and boutonnieres are the perfect way to recognize those special people in your lives!

 

Claire - GFW89

 

 

Elias - GFW90

 

 

As you can see we have many options for you to check out that will help you get that splash of sunshine in your flowers for that special day!  With all of this talk about yellow, maybe yellow is not for you! But if you like some of these bouquets or arrangements, make sure you ask our wedding consultant what your options might be to change up the yellow to your own special splash of color!

Click below to contact our Wedding Specialist!

Click below to shop our entire wedding selection!

 

This week marks the two year anniversary of my continuing education adventure with my youngest sister, Della. Two years ago, on June 18, 2012, Della and I nervously entered the South Florida School of Design to take an intensive, 3 week advanced design course. It’s funny, but no matter what age I am (I’m nearly 40 years old), I still feel jittery on my first day of school!!

The adage “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” played through my mind as I walked through the door that morning. I grew up in the floral business, I had learned the art of floral design from some of the best instructors in the Midwest, I have traveled the country to attend Master Classes with world renowned instructors—so why travel all the way to South Florida for an intensive, three week course? For the sunny beaches, of course!!Just kidding—although, that was a nice perk of attending design school in a coastal town in South Florida! Actually, continuing education is an important aspect of any industry. If you remain stationary, you will never go anywhere.

It was amazing to me what I was able to learn and re-learn during my time as a student there. Walter, the instructor, has had an amazing journey in the floral business. I not only learned design techniques from him but I also gleaned information about the industry and daily operations that I was able to take home and put to work.

Perhaps most important, I reconnected with my youngest sister during our adventure. We have worked together in our family business all of our lives, but sometimes we take the little things (like each other) for granted. We laughed so hard we cried, we took hikes in state parks on the weekends, we studied together for our exams… It was truly a precious time for me.

As blog posts go, this one doesn’t have a lot to offer as far as insight or revelation in the floral industry. However, I hope that you remember to “grow yourself” a little bit every day and take time to appreciate the relationships you have with your friends and family!

Father’s Day is quickly approaching!  Third Sunday in June is the big day for dad. Want to send something to that special dad, grandfather or positive male role model in your life? Believe it or not there are some guys out there that do like flowers.  If not, don’t worry we have other options for you to check out!  

Catcher 
[09F06]

Avid coffee drinker? Baseball fan? Needing alittle color on his desk?
Catcher is a perfect combination Dad will love! Bright red carnations mixed with white daisies artfully designed in a keepsake baseball mug. 

Birdie
13F03

Ok, so dad is not a baseball fan but enjoys a wonderful trip to the golf course once a week to play a round of golf with his buddies.  If you send dad the “Birdie” (Item #13F03), a brightly colored mix of yellow daisies and blue delphinium, he will have a cool golf key chain to show off to all of the guys at the golf course.  

Classic Blue Truck
09F11

Dad or Grandpa is a huge fan of the old style cars?  We carry keepsake containers of classic vehicles such for Jeep, Mustang and this ceramic 1948 Ford pick-up truck. Filled with yellow daisies, red carnations and purple statice; a perfect gift for that car lover in your life.  

Emerald Garden
GF3022

We cannot forget the man out there that would be perfectly content with a small terrarium containing a mixture of several small green plants (Item #GF3022).  These terrariums would be just the perfect size to sit on dad’s desk at work.  

Tailgate Party
10C08

Maybe dad does not have a green thumb for plants or flowers, we still have the perfect gift for dad!  “Tailgate Party” (Item #10C08) is a wicker basket filled with a variety of tasty snacks for dad to munch on over the course of his special day.  

As you can see we have a large variety of wonderful arrangements that you can send to Dad on his special day!  We also have keepsake containers from football and basketball, to fishing, horses and motorcycles.  It’s not to late to get your order in for delivery or pick up on dad’s special day this Father's Day!

Check out our entire selection by clicking below!

The season of hats has arrived and we have been busy at Gillespie Florists designing some of the best!  Whether you're off to the Kentucky Derby, Indy 500, or a backyard garden party, hats are always a welcome change from the ordinary.  It's lovely to see the old fashioned traditions mixed with contemporary flair while designing the flowers that will adorn the many different styles of the season.

It doesn’t have to be expensive either. Make your hat DIY style! Go and purchase a simple hat that suits your individual taste at your local Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, ect.  Next at Hobby Lobby or Michaels; pick custom colors of silk blooms to compliment the colors of your outfit. The number of blooms is up to you. Do like lots of flowers and colors or something more simple? You may already have both of these items in your home tucked away in a closet or storage bin! Last use hot glue or fabric glue to glue on the blooms of your flowers. You don’t have to stop there! Think about adding feathers, ribbons, charms or anything you like!

Don’t have time for DIY? Bring your hat into one of our talented designers and tell them about the outfit you are wanting to match your hat to or better yet bring your outfit in for them to see! After asking you a few questions, our designers will be able to select silks and create the perfect Derby hat by matching your personalized color palette perfectly.

Spring has sprung right into summer! April showers were more like frigid gray days void of chirping birds and early blooms but now, NOW summer is shoving the latecoming spring out of the way and stepping forth in all of its brilliant glory!

What else is strutting like a glamorous peacock preening its feathers and ready to hit the mainstage of the summer season? Weddings. It is now peak wedding season. Since weddings are lining up to walk the runway of summer it's a great time to share some of the new bridal swag you can find at Gillespie Florists! We have refreshing wedding bouquets, table pieces, boutonnieres and more online to help you get started on your own nuptials when you're ready! So shake out your best attire, click print on that registration list or grab your favorite shopping destination fancy scanner and let's get started!

JORDAN

This bridal bouquet is deceptively simple yet packs a hefty punch of fresh rosy pink tulips complemented by soft tree fern and fun white and ivory wax flower. 

Tulips are excellent choices for weddings. Once designated as accent flowers to the main bouquets they are more often taking front and center as the main attraction. Symbolizing fame and pure love, the meanings change with the color of the tulips. Red is a declaration of true love. Yellow is cheerful thoughts. Cream colored tulips mean "I will love you forever." White tulips symbolize heaven, newness and purity and pink tulips mean affection and caring.

JUSTINE

Justine is an exquisite blend of of nude fashion color and vintage design. Roses, Hydrangea, Spray Roses, Hypericum Berries and Seeded Eucalyptus make up this classic bouquet. The rose is a staple for arrangements used in weddings, special occasions and everyday "I Love You" as they are a pure symbol of elegance and grace. Hypericum Berries and Seeded Eucalyptus give a modern twist to this timeless look.

ZOEY

It's time to get bold and beautiful with this stunning bouquet of Calla lilies, Gerbera daisies, roses, Asiatic Lilies and Bear Grass! I find this lively bouquet appealing for the bright colors and flower variety. The color palette makes a striking statement however if you want to soften up the look it's no problem; the flowers are available in plenty of colors!

ADDISON

Continuing on with vivid colors we have this lively bridesmaid bouquet! Viking Pomps, Carnations, Limonium, and Tree Fern make a fresh and relaxing style. Burgandy, dark pink and lavender spiked with gold add flair to this fun bouquet.

RILEY

We didn't only update our bridal bouquets! This centerpiece de résistance is made up of soft pink roses, seeded eucalyptus, sprightly wax flower, stock and dark burgandy calla lilies. The style is modern, elegant, and needs to be on my dinner table for my family to admire as we dine at Chez Snyder. 

CORA

Are you ready to walk down the aisle? A collection of Coras will beckon your friends and family to their seats with Bells of Ireland, Sunflower, Cosmo and Viking Poms. Warm gold and red make this bridal pew bouquet perfect for the autumn. 

We have covered just a few of the many styles we have available to make your wedding day complete. Hop online or stop by our shop to see more of our collection to get more ideas.

Perhaps you have too many ideas and not sure where to start? Our wedding specialist can help with questions, ideas, flowers in season, etc.  

Click below to contact us and start your floral planning with our new styles today.

A few years ago, we at Gillespie Florists thought it would be fun to have a Prom King & Queen Contest and have been having it every year since! Prom customers only needed to post their picture on our Facebook Fan Page or use #GFPROM2014 on Instagram or twitter wearing our flowers! We then asked our Facebook fans to "Like" their favorite picture or make a positive comment about it to determine the winner. We had several people enter but there can be only one winner!

And the winner is...

As we come to a close on the 2014 prom season here at Gillespie Florists, my second prom season with the shop, I have lost track of how many times I have been asked what my favorite corsages are. The shop has several very creative floral designers that create our amazing corsages so it makes it very hard to pick just one favorite. I have spent a lot of time dealing with our prom items this year and I finally have it narrowed down to my top five favorite corsages for this season.

Pink Curls

This corsage is great for someone looking for something different. Black glitter leaves, pink beads, pink wired swirl sprays, black and silver wire, topped with aspidistra leaf ribbon and hot pink sweetheart roses make this a very uniquely designed corsage. To make it even better we could put this on any one of our keepsake bracelets!

 

 

 

Dreaming Blue

This mixture of creams and blues makes for a very elegant but fun corsage. The beautiful cream and blue lace ribbon on top of black leaves and beads, topped with cream colored sweetheart roses and then accented with blue delphinium and blue faux rhinestone daisies is perfect for a classy but fun look.

 

 

 

 

 

Fire Island 

Decided to go with a brighter colored dress and now you are worried about matching orange flowers to the color of your dress? Don’t you worry, we have you covered. This corsage is unique with the use of the orange flex wrap covered wires which gives a new texture and look on top of black leaves. Add a few stunning orange sweetheart roses and there you have it, a perfect match for your bright orange dress!

 

 

Purple Pixie

Another new style for the 2014 Prom season! These lavender sweetheart roses are so pretty nestled in the purple flash ribbon with a splash of white wax flower filler. Add some purple faux rhinestone daisies and the versatile aspidistra leaf ribbon and you have the perfect mixture to accent that beautiful purple dress for your prom night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glimmer

Want your corsage to be noticed by all on the dance floor as you dance the night away? Glimmer would be the way to go! This knock out corsage comes on a custom designed Glassia florescence wristlet that is battery powered and ready to go with its very own ultraviolet lights. White sweetheart roses, bright pink and brilliant white sheer ribbons, silver beads and silver dot tulle sprayed with the Glassia florescence formula are designed onto the custom wristlet. Flip the switch, hit the dance floor and amaze everyone with your out of this world corsage! Afraid that the glow won’t last all night, don’t you worry because we send you home with your very own, compact spray bottle of the Glassia florescence formula that will fit perfectly into your purse or date’s pocket! Give your corsage a quick spray and glow your night away!

If you like the style of one of our corsages but the colors won’t match your dress, don’t you worry we have you covered, all you have to do is ask about our color options!

Want to fancy up any corsage you see on our website??? Check out of huge selection of keepsake bracelets that will leave you with something special to remember your night!