The Flower Blog

"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!

 
"Came the spring with all its splendor. All its birds and all its blossoms. All its flowers and leaves and grasses."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A new year begins and hints of prime wedding season are in the air! Gillespie Florists handles weddings all year long but springtime heralds in favorite bridal flowers such as peonies, tulips, hydrangea, calla lilies, gerbera daisies, ranunculus, and roses. These flowers range from romantic combination of textural soft pastels to chic streamlined shapes and bold colors. All styles and color themes come to life at our store under the guidance of our experienced wedding specialist and floral designer staff! What can Gillespie Florists do for your special day? Schedule a free wedding consultation here to begin your wedding florals journey with us! Below is a snapshot sampling of a few 2016 spring weddings featuring bridal party bouquets; boutonnieres and a lovely headpiece!  

A beautiful selection of spring wedding pieces made perfect to help our newlyweds have the most wonderful and memorable day ever! Each wedding floral theme has been planned out to the finest detail including tips for keeping your florals fresh once they've been delivered! We love the color combinations and variety our couples' have dreamed up! Baby blue mums, hydrangea and ribbon with white monte casino, shimmering silver leaves and offwhite roses; Cream colored roses with soft pink peonies; striking bouquets of poppies, waxflower and roses; classic cream hydrangea and bridal pink roses; festive pops of color through orange gerberas, sherbert roses and purple stock; bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres of assorted succulents, waxflower wrapped in twine; timeless tulips of lavender and white with ethereal heather as filler; pink roses and sweetheart roses with waxflower in a stunning headpiece.

Gorgeous, bold, romantic, festive and chic; these are a few samples of what the fabulous staff at Gillespie Florists can do for your wedding day whether it be in winter, spring, summer or fall! Click here to schedule a free wedding consultation with our awesome wedding specialist and check out more of our wedding/event collection at gillespieflorists.com!

-Franklin P. Jones 

There is something very special about creating gorgeous bouquets and arrangements for one of the most unforgettable moments in a couple's life. We take snapshots of our wedding florals before they are whisked away to the event; it isn't often we see the final picture. Ever wonder what happens to the flowers after they leave the shop? One of our delightful wedding couples sent us pictures from their big day to share with you.

 Let's start off with the bridal party, shall we?

Such lovely ladies and beautiful bouquets! The color and theme took shape around the Bohemian style of the clutch bridal bouquet. Soft, flowing, with a fantastic variety of texture through the burgandy hanging amaranthus, seeded and gunni eucalyptus, misty limonium, and white open cut roses. Sumatra lilies and dark red spray roses added depth to the design while the cream ribbon wrap tied the look together.
The bridesmaids shared a similar style of clutch bouquet with white button mums, misty limonium and gunni eucalyptus, hand-tied with a deep red ribbon wrap for added pop of burgandy color. 

Here comes a closeup of the bridal bouquet and the happy groom!

Mr. Kyle Conner is styling with a deep red spray rose bloom, white button mum bloom and purple cushion mum bloom with touches of white waxflower, misty limonium and seeded eucalyptus in his trendy boutounniere. The groomsmen wore similar boutouniere sans a purple cushion mum bloom. Let's see a photo of all these handsome men together! Looking sharp!

Speaking of members of the wedding party, we've got a couple of reception photos from the reception featuring the cake!

The cake topper was centered around a beautiful silver letter "C" embedded with rhinestones! The designers artfully designed loose flowers including white button mums, red alstroemeria, amaranthus, eucalyptus and more around this special piece. The final effect is elegant with a flair of whimsical fun which is an excellent combination for a Bohemian theme.  You may be wondering why I haven't mentioned the table centerpiece to the right (your right) of the image above. This arrangement shares a special quality with the centerpiece in the photo below. Do you know what it is? I'll tell you, but first, let's appreciate the precious moment happening, the lighting of the Unity candle. 

What an incredible moment in the ceremony... 
Okay, still waiting for me to divulge the interesting commonality between the two centerpieces. Actually between the altar centerpiece and the cocktail, guest table, and small centerpieces at the reception.  Besides using limonium, red alstroemeria, seeded eucalyptus, red hanging amaranthus, and hydrangea, these centerpieces were all DIY (Design-It-Yourself)! 

How does DIY work at our shop? The client, like Jaicie, provides the containers and purchases the flowers at a discounted rate from Gillespie Florists. Then we provide the design space and help, when needed, as the flowers are assembled by client and friends!  It is a great way to save a bit of money and spend time with friends/family while adding an extra special personal touch to your big day.

Thank you once again Kyle and Jaicie Conner, for having us share in your wedding day! Congratulations!
Special thanks to Kristeen Marie Photography for providing the superb photos of the wedding and reception!

Finding inspiration in this article for your wedding day? Check out our online wedding collection here!

Schedule a free wedding consultation with our wedding specialist!

Peak wedding season is well underway and we are a few short weeks from the temperature going from delightfully mild to hot and steamy. Don't let the heat keep you from planning the wedding of your dreams. Here are some tips to keep the flowers (and yourself!) cool and collected for a successful summer wedding! 

1. Select Flowers with Staying Power

What flowers hold up under high temperatures? One option is checking what's in season locally. Purchasing local blooms will not only help your budget but also better the chances of flowers holding up all day.

If local floral isn't fitting the bill we always have our hardy classics such as roses, garden roses, sunflowers, lisianthus and daisies. Another great option is going tropical with Bird of Paradise, calla lilies, tiger lilies, ginger and many varieties of orchids. Tropical flowers tend to have a glossy, waxy texture which ensures staying power for summer weddings. 

2. Bloom Maintenance Required

We are an organized people who feel assured when everything is in sight for our big day the night before. But the best thing you can do for your flowers is have them delivered the day of the wedding and have them refridgerated until just prior to the ceremony, pictures, or both (depending on the schedule for the day).

Have you ever noticed water droplets on up close photos of floral designs, especially wedding ones? It is so important to keep flowers hydrated and cool during the summer heat. If you aren't holding your bouquet, have someone place it in the shade or in a vase with alittle water in it. Centerpieces and arrangements can be lightly misted every couple of hours to help keep them fresh till after the guest depart from your amazing reception.

3. Go Bold with a Colorful Palette

"Go bold or go home!" as I always say...not true, not all the time. It's your wedding day therefore if the wedding palette of your dreams is basic black; nothing but neon; or purely pastel, then go for it! Based on research and industry opinion we have found bold colors are a popular selection for the summer. What bold is appropriate for your wedding theme? Use rich red, lux purple, and deep wine for a more formal event. Outdoors and semi-formal will be a festive occasion with flavorul colors such as mango, hot fuschia, violet, magenta and green. Lastly, let's get casual with bright and golden sunflowers and call it day. Sunflowers are so vibrant, you woudn't require many to create brilliant color.

4. Choosing the Right Centerpiece

There are so many options for centerpieces! Formal receptions call for tall vases overflowing with hydrangea, roses, etc while semi-formal and casual often use mason jars, wooden box planters, and found containers in their decor. Another fabulous option especially for bold colors is modern shaped clear containers utilizing wires or even fruit to give more pop to the table!

We've discussed flowers with staying power, bright colors, and also touched upon maintaining your blooms. At this point I'm going to mention hydrangea. It is one of the most popular flowers for weddings and also has a high risk wilting factor. Does that stop our brides from using it? Absolutely not! They are gorgeous and we encourage using these soft, lovely petals. Just keep them hydrated and misted every once in awhile and they will do just fine, and that is why I used this particular centerpiece as an example. Something to consider when planning reception flowers is venue location and table placement.

5. Call Us!

There are many things to consider when planning your wedding. Location, reception, food, guests; the list is endless and we haven't even begun to address questions such as "What's in season? What's local? Which flowers keep best in a certain temperature? What colors are available for these blooms?" all these questions and more can be answered with the help of your trusty, local florist...like us! So don't forget to call and enlist help in making the wedding of your dreams come true whether it be on the chilliest day, hottest night, or somewhere in that perfect 68-72° range in between.

Planning a wedding?
Contact us for a free wedding consultation & browse our wedding collection online below!

With great pleasure and utmost esteem do we present to you a most royal, regal, and romantic wedding flower trends: Majestic. 

Why so royally inclined? Only the richest of colors are utilized in this trend comprised of luxurious gold, deep purple, sophisticated lavender, and luscious dark pink. The main attraction of color is purple; which is often associated with nobility, royalty, power, and luxury. It also represents meanings of wealth, extravagance, creativity, grandeur, devotion, mystery, and magic. All of these descriptions and more can attest to the color, design, and mood of the Majestic Wedding Floral trend.

Flowers which are commonly highlighted in this richly saturated color trend are Dendrobium orchids, cymbidium orchids, vanda orchids, purple mini carnations, lisianthus, and orange spray roses. However such as all trends, there are many other flowers available to emulate the look and mood such as garden roses, callas, statice, ranunculus, and ever noble garden roses. While various shades of purple and pink are prime hues in Majestic; accent with gold butter tones and a glimmer of coral strategically placed to add extra grandeur to this royal theme. 

Speaking of gold, let us not forget the application of lustrous metallic gold to add to the extravagance. Imagine a gilded tower overflowing with hydangeas, peonies, and phaleonopsis. Petite found objects brushed to romantic golden shimmer; some of them containing a single calla lily or small composition of spray roses and carnations. Such lavish table pieces call for a sit-down meal with multiple courses; more time for your guests to sit, relax, enjoy fine foods, company, and of course, the elegant decor for their visual appreciation. Unsure the budget will allow for a multiple course thorough-fare? Opt for a cocktail reception with fancy finger foods instead! The best advantage to your wedding plans is the ability to take inspiration from favorite themes and transform them into a unique one of your own design!

These four wedding trends serve as inspiration to make your wedding a dream come true: Romantically rustic Modern Garden, exquisite Lapis Luxury, boldly brilliant Kaleidoscope, and extravagant Majestic. Which one speaks the most to you; or is there a combination of characteristics from each which make your heart skip a beat? Perhaps all the options are beginning to boggle your mind? The fine and friendly staff of Gillespie Florists is here to help you create the perfect floral theme for your wedding. Contact us for a complimentary consultation with our Wedding Specialist and browse our extensive wedding collection online to get started today!

And the award for the most vibrantly colored wedding trend of them all this year goes to: Kaliedoscope!

The name does a good job at tipping you off to what the trend is all about: delicious eye-candy you can almost taste presented in bold and sophisticated modern fashion. Certainly we do adore smooth and rich luxury; there's a place for earthy, rustic texture; however we cannot deny the extreme excitement which ignites with a pop of radical color! 

 Enjoy a taste of Mother Nature's rainbow with the wedding color trend: Kaleidoscope. Contemporary design is created through the use of simple shapes and dynamic colors such as coral red, bright orange, neon yellow/green, bright turquoise, hot pinks, black, white and emerald green! So many gorgeous colors; how is it possible we have these natural hues available? We do in flowers such as billy ball, fuji mums, joyful gerberas, playful green trick and those ever popular ranunculus which keep appearing in our trends this year. Adding more color and stepping outside the comfort zone of florals we add fruits such as illuminating limes, scintillating oranges, lemons, and other vibrant produce to continue the modern trend. The use of sleek wires, neon sand, and other simple lined items round out the look and tie all our colorful elements with topiaries and geometric shapes of clear glass cubes, cylinders, and bold contrast graphic print containers. 

What time is the right time for this outstanding color statement? The deep chill of winter will gain heat and summer thirst will be quenched with the hot juicy pop of these spectacular colors. Whether your wedding occurs during day or night, this brilliant color delight will set the mood for a festive celebration of your love. 

Modern Garden, Lapis Luxury, Kaleidoscope, Majestic; what 2015 wedding trend speaks to you? We have lovely examples of each and more on our website! Check out our extensive collection online and find even more at our shop when you contact our wedding specialist for a free consultation!

Elegant, classy, sophisticated, urbane: these adjectives and many more found under the thesaurus when your fingers dance delicately over the keys to spell out the word "refined" and hit "enter". What else do these elite words of finery describe in terms of 2015's trends for wedding colors and themes? Rich and Luxurious. However, it doesn't have to be rich in expenditure: keep it simple with crisp clean lines, bold contrast in colors, and simplified table settings and centerpieces. Pure and pristine white with bold statement accent of blues inspired by waters of the world will reflect the classy and formal elements.

The flowers used for this sophisticated theme are nothing more than supreme in their stature and refinement as white calla lilies, roses, tulips, and peonies combined with the blue flowers of either hydrangea or delphinium are utilized. Centerpiece container colors range from white and blue to a mixture of both. Another option which will retain a classic look is to apply the elegance found in the lines and simplicity of calla lilies and tulips. Combine a few stems of either with a tall clear glass vase and you will have a bold statement softened with simple lines and color. 

The Lapis Luxury theme is the black-tie affair modernized with an evening ceremony and receptions featuring either sit-down table service dining; however, a more budget friendly approach of cocktails and appetizers would also fit the fancy bill.

Regardless of the time of day, budget, venue, etc. the refined wedding trend featuring classic colors of white and blue, using the graceful and sophisticated blooms of callas, roses, hydrangea, and more, will make a luxurious and memorable statement on for your grand wedding affair.

Need bridal bouquet ideas and inspiration? Visit our online collection here!

Click below to schedule a complimentary wedding consultation with us!