The Flower Blog

The most wonderful time of the year means we have an abundance of winter and holiday themed bouquets for sending "Season's Greetings!" Lights shine brighter, our hearts are lighter and everything has a nice joyful sheen to it (except for fallen snow after a day of traffic...but let's not dwell on it right now!).  Here to get you in the mood for the holidays I am sharing the bouquets and centerpieces fit for any table, office and/or living space.
Tis the season!

Winter Cardinal (18X02)
We are starting out the gate with something brand new from our designers. Maybe it's a favorite because I went to Ball State (Go CARDS!), maybe the colors OR MAYBE this says Indiana winter to me. There is so much to love about Winter Cardinal! Light blue carnations, delphinium, pine cones, fresh fragrant pine and a little cardinal nestled in a beautiful winter theme container. This arrangement brings back fond winter memories complete with bright red cardinals flitting to and fro.

Tinsel Twist (16X05)
Now let's go for something a little more energetic and fun! Do you love candy cane colors? Baskets? Carnations and daisie in holiday colors in a basket? Then Tinsel Twist is for you! Lively red and white color flowers with refreshing greens topped with a boisterous ribbon all wrapped up in a basket. This bouquet says "Joy to the world and have the happiest of holidays!". I get psyched up just looking at it.

Plum Enchantment (16X01)
Now that we are excited, let's take it down a notch with the peaceful warm glow of a golden glass hurricane surrounded by florals in colors of a sugar plum dreamland. Fragrant and fresh winter pine, pinecones, moon series carnations in shades of purple, purple statice, blue millimeter balls, a votive candle and a touch of silver glitter! 

Williamsburg Lantern (18X05)
A new pick which is becoming more popular are lanterns! They are everywhere but leave it to the fantastic designers at Gillespie Florists to put the perfect artfully arranged spin on this new classic. Adorned with glittering red leaves, apple and pinecone, natural pinecone, red and black plaid ribbon, ornament and LED light candle which will warm up any living space! I am sold on this keepsake and can't wait to see the warm candlelight softly illuminating my living room.

Poinsettias
What kind of list would this be without one of our most traditional winter decor staples? Nothing says "Happy Holidays" like poinsettias! Red, white, pink and now available in shimmer blue, come by our store and pick on up, call us or order online! We have 6", 7", 8", 10" and even poinsettia topiaries in stock.  Want to send poinsettias to a loved one with pets? Check out this informative article about pets and poinsettias!

We are excited for Christmas and are here to help you have the best holiday season yet. Call us at 317.273.1100 or visit our website to find the absolute best way to send your Season's Greetings to friends, family and colleagues. Happy Holidays! 

Click here to visit our Christmas Collection

Click here to visit our Blue Mountain Christmas Collection

Click here to vist our Winter Collection

P.S. Naughty, Nice or Still Deciding...Remember Santa's always watching!

We started this contest in 2011 as a fun way for us to see the end result with our prom flowers. We enjoy making them so much and love seeing students pick up their flowers but hardly ever get to see these students all dolled up wearing said prom flowers!

I didn't even know if anyone would bother with entering the contest! Every year as I print the fliers for this I wonder if we'll get any contestants this year. But, year after year lots of students enter with tons of support from friends and family! Therefore I want to thank our contestants from this year and from years past for your support in Gillespie Florists by choosing us for your flower provider and for giving us the opportunity to see the end result of our work with your participation in our Prom King and Queen contest!  

We had some serious competition this year! It was exciting to see all the positive comments and "likes" from friends and family of contestants. Prom goers only needed to post their picture on our Facebook Place Page or they could use #GFPROM2018 on Instagram or twitter wearing our flowers! We then asked our social media followers to "Like" their favorite picture or make a positive comment about it to determine the winner. 

We tally all likes and comments from the original post from the contestant as well as the picture we post in the King & Queen album. We had several prom goers enter but there can be only one winner! 

And The Winner Is...

Deprece & Lyncoln(@Lyncoln.euphoria via Instagram) won with a total of 279 likes/comments! 
Deprece & Lyncoln each get a $25.00 gift card to Gillespie Florists and will be crowned with a tiara and flowers!

Deprece was wearing a three white mini carnation corsage with gold leaves, red ribbon and gold bead loops!
Lyncoln was waring a two white mini carnation boutonniere with gold leaves and a red french loop!

As a thank you, our Runner-ups will receive a $10.00 gift card each and each girl will receive a Sunshine bouquet! Just stop in the store, let us know you are a runner up!

Our Runner Ups are:

Ghayda Ashley & Brady- 230 likes/comments

Post a snapshot of you and another person wearing flowers from Gillespie Florists on our Facebook Page, Twitter or Instagram and get the chance to be crowned the Gillespie Florists Prom King & Queen!

 Here's how it Works:

 ·          Take a snapshot of you and your date wearing Gillespie's Flowers.

·          Post it on our Wall or use #GFPROM2018 - make sure it’s a public post!

·          Tag your self in the photo as well as anyone else in the picture.

·          We'll put it in our "Prom King & Queen Contest Album 2017".

·          Ask your friends/family to "Like" your photo or post positive comments on your photo once it has
           been added to the album.

·          One week after the end of Prom Season, we will tally up the "Likes" and Comments and whoever has 
           the most WINS!

What do you get if you win?

The Queen will be crowned with a tiara and flowers and both King and Queen will be awarded a $25.00 Gift Card to Gillespie Florists!

And don't forget, Bragging Rights!

Contest ends May 20th, 2017. Winners will be announced on Facebook May 23rd!

Post to our Social Media Pages!

Gillespie Florists Facebook Page

Twitter:    @gillespiefloris

Instagram:    gillespieflorists

We keep tabs on the latest and greatest ideas with prom flowers and we've noticed a consistent trend...ANYTHING goes! For real, there aren't set-in-stone guidelines for the ultimate prom corsage and/or boutonniere. Know why? Just like every wedding dress, every prom ensemble is different. Prom flowers reflect your personal style through complementing the outfit. Now that we've come to terms with the rules of prom flower styling (there aren't any) here are some things to consider when choosing your prom flowers.
 

1. Clothing: What are You Wearing?

Dress? Suit and Tie? Oversized T-Shirt and Leggings? The style of the outfit will help you decide whether you're getting a wrist corsage (most popular), hand held (senior prom), special placement (wraparound, ring, shoe, hair, etc) or boutonniere. If you're buying prom flowers for your date and unsure of the best option, a wrist corsage is the most popular for dresses. Another option is bring your date with you to the florist. Pick out flowers and color options together can be fun. Just think of it as a mini-date for the big day! Not ready to come in just yet? Visit our prom collection online to get ideas before visiting our store to find the perfect prom flower match for your style!

2. Colors: Choose Your Colors.

Outfit style. Check. Onto matching colors of the outfit to the corsage and boutonniere! We have an awesome prom accessory setup for matching outfit colors. Our staff can guide you through all the ribbons, rhinestone and bead accents, bracelets, etc for your color combination. Is it absolutely necessary to match the color of the outfit? As mentioned in the beginning, anything goes. Match the dress, find complimentary colors or go neutral! Neutral colors such as pale peach, cream and beige look great with everything and often lend to a softer, vintage vibe. Regardless of the color direction you're going, it is highly suggested to bring in the outfit for best matching purposes. If it's not possible to bring in the prom ensemble that's ok! Take a picture of the outfit in good lighting and bring it in. We can take it from there!

3. Cost: Know your budget.

What do prom flowers cost? Corsage pricing begins at $18.95 and our boutonnieres start at $5.95. There are a wide variety of flowers and colors to choose from. Keep costs down with selecting flowers such as carnations, daisies, alstroemeria or do a combination of those flowers with sweetheart roses! More expensive corsages will use sweetheart roses, orchids, upgrades on standard wristlets, boutonniere holders and specialty corsages. Visit our prom collection online for more ideas on pricing, flowers and upgrades you can make to your corsages including making them glow! Thanks to Galassia Fluorescence method, we can take our signature corsages and turn it into glowing crown of glory for your prom ensemble. Learn more about Galassia Fluorescence! 

It's amazing what you can do with a variety of flowers! Tight budget or skies the limit, we can make the perfect prom corsage for prom night on any budget! 

4. Call: Call, Come In and Order from Us!

We've covered the outfit, colors and cost. All that is left to do is call, come in and order from Gillespie Florists! Our extensive online prom collection can help inspire you with flowers, style, ideas etc. Any questions? Don't hesitate to call or visit us and speak with our experienced staff on how to get the ball rolling on flowers for prom night! We have everything you need in prom flowers to complete your final look and make prom a fantastic night to remember.

Della and Robyn walk us through the Prom Kit Prep in this Video!

The most wonderful time of the year cannot be squeezed into just one month when you're talking about fall. September, October, November all play a role during the changing colors, cooling weather and special days to commemorate the upcoming holidays. Gillespie Florists has the best bouquets and centerpieces for anniversaries, birthdays, congratulations, Thanksgiving, special events, and many more for this exciting time of year!

Cornucopia of Goodies [17T05]
$44.95

Starting off with SNACKS! Because what is better than a cornucopia of sweets and treats you can enjoy anytime and then refill with fruits, more snacks, and/or gourds and small pumpkins! It's a perfect way to greet the fall season with comfort food and colors!

Forage [16T11]
$31.95

A darling bouquet of fall colored daisies, red carnations, yellow solidago, dried wheat stalks in a ginger jar. It is a sweet way to say "I Love You" "Thinking of You" "Happy Birthday" or "Just Because" with these bright color blooms.

Moonlit Nights [14T05]
$129.95

Nothing like going big or going home with this striking vased arrangement! Moonlit Nights is artfully designed for a special occasion such as an anniversary, company event or simply to say "I love you" in a very grand way! Large golden sunflowers, bright green fuji mums, birch branches, liatris, peach carnations, green midollino sticks, gunni eucalyptus, limonium and hydrangea in a gorgeous vase!

Sparkling Cider [16T01]
$44.95

Fall season is a magical time of year. Why not throw bit of glitter in to celebrate the excitement. Sparkling Cider does the job nicely with a shimmering keepsake hurricane, a tea light, burgundy carnations, fall color daisies, purple statice, hypericum berries and tinted baker’s fern! A small centerpiece to add holiday flair to a cozy family dinner, office party, Thanksgiving or just because! 

Spicy Nutmeg [16T03]
$75.95

Speaking of table pieces, we have plenty in our Thanksgiving collection to consider. There could be an article dedicated to our top ten Thanksgiving centerpieces, however today we will focus on one grand arrangement. Glorious in color, Spicy Nutmeg has much to offer with two taper candles, orange asiatic lilies, fall daisies, purple statice, hypericum berry, wheat, pheasant feathers, glycerin fall oak leaves, leucadendron, red carnations and safflower. This centerpiece will be a feast for the eyes while delicious food of your Thanksgiving celebration is being set around the table. 

Heart Warmer [17T02]
$68.95

Are we salivating yet? I am. Thinking of eating all the delicious food and then afterward sitting on the sofa listening to the crackling sounds of a fire. Our Heart Warmer bouquet also has the soothing, cozy feeling of a fireside with the colors of warm golden daisies, burgundy carnations, novelty mini-carnations, yellow solidago, glycerin fall oak leaves, small pine cones, fall silk accents, fall plaid ribbon, and a keepsake hurricane etched with leaves. Don't worry about tealights for this hurricane because there are battery-operated LED lights to keep the glow going. 

All this talk of food, cozy chilly nights gives me all sorts of warm fuzzies and excited for the upcoming holidays! Special occasion, birthday, anniversary, Thanksgiving dinner, family gathering, company event, etc; Gillespie Florists carries a variety of bouquets to fit any occasion during the fall season. Check out our website to find the perfect bouquet for your next event. Want to find something seasonally appropropriate for any budget and occasion? Visit our Monthly Specials page for the best choices updated monthly!

DIY Wedding Flowers are popular for a myriad of reasons, lower cost, sense of accomplishment and bragging rights to name a few. We add a crucial component to the top of the list for DIY Brides at Gillespie Florists with our simple process from start to finish! Wedding Specialist Sarah Gillespie explains the steps to making the wedding DIYers big day the best it can be.

Initial Consult
Initial consult includes our wedding specialist free consultation meeting with the bride (and groom) to learn what their ideas are and determine whether the order with be a partial or full DIY. Partial DIY is most common (this is where the florist designs the more difficult aspect of the weddings such as the bridal bouquet, corsages, bounnieres, large arrangements, etc.) After this meeting, the florist will provide an estimate based on the discussion.

DIY Test
Bride (and groom) and florist meet to test out the designs to see how they translate from theory to practice. We'll try different options during the test to narrow down the final design(s). If necessary there will be a DIY Test II - to teach the designs to other "helpers" who were not part of the planning process. Typically these tests are four to six weeks before the wedding and everyone who plans to help at the Final DIY the week of the wedding should attend.

DIY Final
This occurs a day or two before the actual wedding. This is the final DIY appointment where actual arrangements are made. Once the DIY is complete, arrangements are packaged for pick-up/delivery and stored in our 500 sq ft cooler until the day of the wedding.

The process for DIY Wedding flowers with Gillespie Florists is streamlined with our brides in mind to help their wedding days as worry free as possible when it comes to flowers. Want to learn more about the DIY Weddings at Gillespie Florists? Give us a call at 317-273-1100 for more questions, browse our wedding collection for inspiration and schedule a free wedding consultation by clicking below!

"Is June a popular month for weddings?"

YES! June is a prime wedding time for Gillespie Florists as the first weekend of June brought about our second round of an eight wedding weekend! What else could we do but showcase some of the gorgeous bouquets which left our building and made June 2-3, 2017, marvelous wedding days.

These bouquets and boutonnieres are boasting the beauty of seasonal favorites such as gerbera daisies, hydrangea as well as a favorite choice for every season, the classic rose. We have lovely accent florals creating fantastic texture and kicking up the color palettes a notch such as in the bouquet featuring colors pastel peach and blue.

One of our brides selected delicate pastel blue delphinium which brought out the pop of peach gerberas and sweetheart roses for a sweet marriage of complementary colors. The design was tied together (pun intended) with twine and a dash of babies breath. Another favorite for the weekend was the complex and eyecatching texture created through burgandy astilbe, stars of Bethlehem with dark centers, lavender waxflower, navy blue hypericum berries and italian ruskus. The fabulous movement was balanced out with the soft petals of blush sahara roses for a truly divine bridal bouquet pictured in the lower left of the collage. The mothers' wrist corsages reflected the splendor of the bridal bouquet with Star Blush spray roses, cream waxflower and burgandy sheer ribbon which coordinated perfectly with astilbe. The beauty of bridal bouquets come in all forms! Let's not forget the bold match of rich reds and bright whites along with the simple and sophisticated combination of light green hydrangea and Tiffany roses. Tiffany roses are one of our bridal rose favorites for their pale peach petals which make them perfect for a variety of styles and themes.

June is filled with joy for many reasons; from the comfortable warm weather to celebrations of love and marriage. We are proud to be take part in the season with the creation of gorgeous wedding florals to match any style and theme to make the newlywed couples' day a success and one to remember for years to come.

Looking for bouquet inspiration for your special day? View our extended wedding collection here!

Click below to schedule a free consultation with our wedding specialist!

We started this contest in 2011 as a fun way to us to see the end result with our Prom flowers. We enjoy making them so much and love seeing students pick up their flowers but hardly ever get to see these guys and gals all dolled up wearing said flowers! I didn't even know if anyone would bother with entering the contest! Honestly, every years as I print the fliers for this, I wonder if we'll get any contestants this year. But year after year, students surprise me with lots of entries and tons of support from friends and family! So, I want to thank our contestants from this year and from years past, for your support in Gillespie Florists by choosing us for your flower provider and for pleasantly surprising me each passing year with your participation!  

We had some serious competition this year! With more entrants than ever, it was exhilarating to see all the positive comments and "likes" from friends and family of contestants! 

Prom goers only needed to post their picture on our Facebook Place Page or they could use #GFPROM2017 on Instagram or twitter wearing our flowers! We then asked our social media followers to "Like" their favorite picture or make a positive comment about it to determine the winner. 

We tally all likes and comments from the original post from the contestant as well as the picture we post in the King & Queen album. 

We had several prom goers enter but there can be only one winner! 

And the Winner is...

Olivia Carnagua‎ & Aaron Raymond won with a total of 227 likes/comments! 

Olivia and Aaron each get a $25.00 gift card to Gillespie Florists and Olivia will be crowned with a tiara and flowers!

Olivia was wearing a three sweetheart rose wrist corsage in burgundy wine and black! Aaron was wearing a two sweetheart rose boutonniere! 

As a Thank you, Our Runners ups will receive a $10.00 gift card each and each girl will receive a Sunshine bouquet! Just stop in the store, let us know you are a runner up!

Our Runner Ups are:

Ashley Mata & Her date - 73 likes/comments

"Mother is a verb. It’s something you do. Not just who you are."
Cheryl Lacey Donovan

Mother is definitely more than a title. It's an extremely active verb; so active I'm wondering why the calorie counting apps don't have "mom mode" as one of the cardio/strength training options. I'm certain I burned at least a hundred and twenty calories when putting the kids to bed last night...just enough to enjoy a glass of cabernet with some peace and quiet.

Enough beating around the bush, we all know why moms are a hot topic. Mother's Day is almost here and some of us are still figuring out how to say "Mom, I get it now, I love you and here's something to express my appreciation for what you've done for me. I'll try to remember to celebrate you every day but most likely I'll forget sometimes. Hopefully this will cover some of those days."  Fortunately, Gillespie Florists has quite a few top notch items with which to express some love and appreciation on Mother's Day or any day! Without further ado, here are our best sellers for day of the moms.

1. This Bouquet is absolutely Tea-licious!

2. The Sweet Scent of Candles

5. Herb Gardens in Awesome Keepsake Containers!

Notice a trend in our Best Seller lineup? The Highland Herb Garden is continuing the trend of our Mother's Day favorites being comprised of gifts which keep giving long after the special day has passed! These gifts are close to the hearts of those who enjoy  plants and having fresh herbs for their cuisine creations. Basil, thyme, sage and rosemary are among the top herbs we use in our little garden gifts. A decorative bow, butterfly and sweet button mums add flair and top off the look of our stylish rustic gardens.
*Click here to see the fresh cut florals version, English Garden* 

 

 

6. Delicious Chocolates

What gift list isn't complete without chocolate? I may be working on making healthier choices but I will never reject a delicious box of chocolates. Gillespie Florists carries a variety of sizes and items from South Bend Chocolate Company therefore you send your herb garden and a few sweets too! It's a win-win! 

 

 

Congratulations, you've made it through our top notch Mother's Day gift lineup. Best part of this list is you have great gift ideas for Mother's Day for the next few years or occasions Mom needs a gift or alittle something to brighten her day! Like the quote at the top, Mother is a verb therefore there's never a bad time to say "I Love You", "Thank you",  "I appreciate You", etc..

Doesn't have to be a grand affair each time. Take care of the dishes/laundry/dinner for the day for her because even little things can speak volumes. But also, so do flowers, herb gardens, windchimes...everything on this list. Moms (as in me) like these things too. So buy something on the list for them (me).

 

 

Shop our entire Mother's Day Collection by clicking below!

Post a snapshot of you and another person wearing flowers from Gillespie Florists on our Facebook Page, Twitter or Instagram and get the chance to be crowned the Gillespie Florists Prom King & Queen!

 Here's how it Works:

 ·          Take a snapshot of you and your date wearing Gillespie's Flowers.

·          Post it on our Wall or use #GFPROM2017 - make sure it’s a public post!

·          Tag your self in the photo as well as anyone else in the picture.

·          We'll put it in our "Prom King & Queen Contest Album 2017".

·          Ask your friends/family to "Like" your photo or post positive comments on your photo once it has
           been added to the album.

·          One week after the end of Prom Season, we will tally up the "Likes" and Comments and whoever has 
           the most WINS!

What do you get if you win?

The Queen will be crowned with a tiara and flowers and both King and Queen will be awarded a $25.00 Gift Card to Gillespie Florists!

And don't forget, Bragging Rights!

Contest ends May 17th, 2017. Winners will be announced on Facebook May 21st!

Post to our Social Media Pages!

Gillespie Florists Facebook Page

Twitter:    @gillespiefloris

Instagram:    gillespieflorists