When Liz visited our booth at the elegant Bridal Show on 2017 she decided on the spot exactly what she wanted!  It was a pleasure to work with her, mom and aunt planning all the details for the decor. Not only were they easy going but absolutely charming and vibrant ladies, but one of the nicest team we have met.
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One of the best parties vendors have seen, an fantastic team to work with.
Check at the list of all the talented vendors on the blog!

https://www.elegantwedding.ca/elegant-chic-wedding-at-le-windsor/ 

Last summer we had the opportunity to be part of a very talented team of wedding professionals here in Montreal. It was a great opportunity to be creative but also to create new links with amazing  vendors

Check how our work got featured at the Elegant Wedding Blog

Concept, Stationery, Bridal Tank Top, Styling & Planning: Lily & Roses Exquisite Events | Flowers: Fleur & Sense | Rentals: Casa D’Eramo | Photography: Madi Photography | Venue: Café de l’horloge | Makeup & Hair: Gabbie McGuire Beauty | Sweets & Cake: Little Leah’s Kitchen | Dress, Shoes, Accessories & Suit: Le Chateau | Videography: Leonid Alexander | Nails: Gabrielle Nails | Models: Anaiss Mouna and Constantine

When I received the email from Tina Barkley from Fleurs Des Villes I thought it was too good to be true. 

I was getting an invited to be part of the florists that were challenged to make a dress with fresh flowers that needed to last 5 days, and only 5 spots were left.
Fleurs Des Villes was paying for the flowers & travelling costs.. wow.

I called, talked to Tina and jumped right in!

Uh wait, what? I was committing to something crazy that I never did before, and my planning started. Was I able to do that? What do I needed? How many flowers? WHAT flowers should I use? How about the structure? 

Usually I don't overthink when its time to design. I looked at past designs to make sure I was not going to repeat anything, Asked Tina about some ideas that were taken and that was pretty much it.  I also Asked Alain and he kind of read my mind with how many colours to use, and wisely advice to spend an important portion of the the time planning the structure and focusing on details. 
I wanted something elegant, impressive, flashy and similar to my style...
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Venetian Carnival Theme it was.

A project like this can't be done by yourself. I asked my designer sister about ideas, and my good friend Dean which loves carpentry (and has all the tools, obviously) and after some sketches and his input he came up with this.
​Work all day and structure was ready. 
Materials: Wood & Screws, Insulation Board, Floral Foam

I didn't have the mannequin, so could only start building with non perishables. I did some tests for the torso and the wig, and of course asked my hairdresser Tammy how she could make it better. She has a lots experience in wigs and turned my "Marge Simpson" massive head into something more LouisXIV style. Literally 10min.
Materials: Preserved Spanish Moss, Hair Spray, floral wire, Chicken wire (for structure)

I had to roughly calculate how many flowers to use measuring the area per panel and the area of the dress I needed to cover.  Assuming half opened blooms, I calculated the area that one bloom would cover, and then combine them to get the effect I wanted.
​Total stems used: 1300 aprox.
PS - For more details on calculations, send me an email and I'll share the technical stuff ​

I had to do as much as I could before arriving to Québec City on Wednesday.
Saturday - Pickup Flowers at Wholesaler
Sunday - Hydration 24hrs
Monday - Build panels & dress edge, pack any tool I could remotely use.

We needed some muscle to lift those panel on the stand, and we had to take turns or the tables beneath wouldn't hold us. It took us 5.5 hrs to finalize the assembly and we finished before deadline.

This year it was an incredible experience again to be part of the best wedding shows in Montreal. Last Sunday Nov 5th, we were part of the Elegant Wedding  Bridal Showcase at Le Winsdor Ballrooms in the heart of Montreal.

A great venue, beautiful and luxurious stands from all the vendors and genuine brides and people in the wedding industry made this day a very special one.

Yes, we met a lot of couples and brides, we had a glanced of trends that inspire them but most of all we found real people sharing very personal moments of their lives with us! Usually there is a personal story behind a specific choice of flowers, a small detail that brings our clients to a special moment in their lives or a meaningful memory of a loved one, a special connection that brings us closer to people.

This year we tried to show that you can use the same flowers in very different styles. In a very small sample we showed people how floral design can create an ambiance and connect in different ways to human beings.

​Same flowers, different arrangements, different feelings.

We couldn't have done this without the talented team of Baccino Events and their fast and impeccable service designing, building and installing the white stand for all the flowers. 
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The photos of our booth are just ones of the best we have seen, thanks to the talent of Valerie from Studio Baron Photo. Apart from being a charming lady and having a very sparkling personality, she has that special gift to capture the ambiance and the little details of the moment. 

Finally, a big Thank you to Catherine Roscoe:  talented artist, entrepreneur, manager and mother of four who helped us with all the details of the setup and great conversations with the brides that visited us that day. 

Looking forward to the 2018 show!

Building the floral arrangements and the Bridal Bouquet was a complete joy. 
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I like working with fresh flowers, creating something that starts with an idea, get transformed with inspiration and a sketch, an excel spreadsheet & a feeling of what needs to be done. Being a floral designer is an original mix between that  industrial engineer and a creative artistic mind focused on clean lines and balanced designs. 

I want to specially thank you to Kat from Deka Events for inviting me, Chris& Francis from Baccino Events and Jessica Hemmerich and the Bravo Party Team. A huge effort that was a professional, original & upscaled experience for this industry!

As simple as that...
Next time you think of keeping your flowers longer, think about preserved roses. 
​You won't be disappointed!

With the hot days this week it feels like summer already…what a change in seasons, moods and colours! This month has been hectic and fun, lots of planning and inspiration boards for very different people. The more I meet with people, the creativity spirals into an endless source of ideas that at the end make people smile.

Here is some advice I always give clients when planning an event:

1. Have a dream!Dream with what you want, what you like, with what you’ve always wanted!
Also, decide on what you do not like.
You are the one who decides on color, design, sizes and most of all, how flowers will make you feel. Florist will help, but go with your gut and that idea that feels right.
 2. Spend in the items that are important to youIs it the Brides Bouquet or maybe the centerpieces? Put your money where you feel comfortable. If you want to giveaway the centrepieces to your guests, plan for a game where everybody can have fun and win a prize and take them home. If giving flowers to grandparents, parents, uncles and best friends will make you happy, then focus on that.

 3. Reuse what you are getting.
I always tell couples to use the bride’s bouquet and bridesmaids bouquets as part of the reception décor. Use the for the sweetheart table, near the cake of at the dessert table. Otherwise, where are you going to leave the flowers while you are dancing and greeting everyone?
Also, church decors can be brought by a helper to the reception hall and be placed somewhere where you need extra decoration. 
 
4. Get real expectations
Pinterest can be an amazing place to find ideas, but be warned most of the photos have been (over)photoshopped and they don’t show necessarily how flowers really look in person.  It feels like window shopping, but remember, it’s social media.

Not everyone can imagine how things are going to look, so don’t be shy to book an extra meeting and get a sample of your idea. You may be surprised how things can turn, and you’ll be sure of what you are getting the day of the event after seeing it!
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 5. Decide on budget for flowersIt’s important to know how much you want to spend on your flowers. Dreaming about a room full of orchids like the great Gatsby movie is fun, but most of the times the reality is that couples are paying themselves the whole party and budget is not  endless. Spend smart, and get it done right!

 A good florist will take that dream and make it work within your budget!
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Many times I have been asked: "Are you a florist?" Yes... well, not really...
I don't feel like a florist, not a traditional one.

​The art of creating a floral arrangement comes with inspiration from many places: a painting, fashion, furniture, a special request from someone and of course, a specific colour or flower that is the key to start building something.

Floral Design is more an art.
Yes, there are rules to follow but mainly is based on the artistic expression that will  stir some emotions and give that breath of fresh air to your soul. A broad field where you will find modern, traditional, minimalistic, exuberant, wild, monochromatic, dark or bright.. at the end everything is valid and it will be the right fit when you actually feel the design is perfect. 

When I found there was a Floral Design Day, I thought that IS THE DAY!

Why not celebrate with you?

We are going to give away one of our creations (Value $75 CAD) to celebrate with you.
You only will need to follow these steps.

1. Leave a comment on this post, by entering your email address AND telling us _
"How do you feel when you receive flowers?"

For many people, they love flowers, but they don't know the names or its hard to remember their names.
Carnations and Roses are popular, but how about: Molucella, Scabiosa, Delphinium, Anigozanthus, Fuji Mums, Limonium Sinensis or Ranunculus?

I thought about writing and sending our subscribers a monthly summary teaching them about names and new varieties. Unfortunately it that takes too long to build and I know I can be very boring with technicalities. 

After I decided to leave that idea on my to do list, I found a very fun App that would do the work for me. 
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This App called "Like that_ Garden" gets you the right name of the flower you want.
I tried it with a mixed bouquet, and also identified at least 4 of the 6 flowers I used in it.

I used a photo of one of my mixed bouquets that I made last summer with 6 different flowers.

In this example, found 2 flowers of 6. Maybe because of the way I took the photo.... and still, I wasn't expecting any match... As a beginners guide, you can have lots of fun, and even save the photos with a location. 

​So, go and have fun with it!

If you want to try  here are  the links for Android and iPhone.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.likethatapps.garden
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/likethat-garden-flower-identification/id957861141?mt=8