Sweet Blossoms

08/30/2024

POV: When the photo looks like art...Nothing like flowers in a window.

Should we make this one into a note card??
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08/28/2024

As I was looking back through old images, looking for inspiration, I came back to this wedding, and felt like I needed to share the yumminess of this bouquet! The swoop of those vines, the mix of summer flowers.... perfect combo!

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08/26/2024

Blush boutonnieres with copper touches
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08/16/2024

Detail shots can also include personal flowers, such as the Groom's boutonniere, a special tray, and even the veil. The sky is the limit when documenting the beautiful details of your day. If you'd like to include flowers in these photos, consider adding Styling Blooms to your contract!

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08/14/2024

Here is a lush and beautiful example of what can be created with a beautiful collection of Styling Blooms and a talented photographer. Details don't have to be just invitation suites, they can also include jewelry.

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08/12/2024

One item that my clients often add to their contracts in our final revisions is 'Styling Blooms'. What does that mean?

Styling Blooms do not mean "extras." Why? Let me explain. Do florists ever end up with "extras" or "leftovers"? The short answer is yes. However, their quality is extremely poor. This is because every florist expects that a few stems will be broken or blemished and not be of the quality we want for our event. We make our flower orders in anticipation of this, and the broken/blemished stems are purchased AT THE COST OF THE FLORIST, and not charged to the client. They are viewed as the cost of doing business.

Most wedding photographers take detail shots, and sometimes, they will request flowers for these 'flat-lays.' Be assured, "extras" are also not of the quality you'd want for these kinds of photographs, in which the most special details of your wedding are being photographed up close, hopefully with a few stems of beautiful blooms.

It is most certainly worth it, if you want flowers in your details shots, to purchase Styling Blooms from your florist, the same way you would for Cake Flowers or any other personal flowers. As a Sweet Blossoms purchase, Styling Blooms are usually 5-10 chosen blooms, including focal blooms, accent flowers and foliage that are in pristine condition and ready for their close-ups.

This week's grid posts will be detail shots that include Styling Blooms.

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07/26/2024

I love a boutonniere with dried elements and these have one of my favorites, dried sea oats. What elements do you love for floral jewelry?

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07/24/2024

Instead of a traditional flower girl bouquet or basket, what about a crown or headband?

(have I mentioned that I LOVE flowering all y'all's little people??)

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07/22/2024

Bouquets are fun, but what about floral jewelry for the women in your bridal party?

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06/29/2024

Wrapping up PRIDE month with this lovely couple who got married on Valentine's week this year. Their pocket squares had mimosa and orchid blooms in them and they smelled SO sweet! They were the highlight of my creations!

I remain hopeful that one day we won't need statements like the one I'm about to put here. Until that day comes, I hope that my posts and my website and my treatment of my clients show that at Sweet Blossoms, ALL couples are welcome! No matter who you love, everyone deserves beautiful flowers on their special day. Love is Love.

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06/27/2024

Sunset love

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06/25/2024

Pre-wedding first look anticipation. I love this image, and these two were so full of all smiles!! Can you remember the first moment you saw your soon-to-be spouse on your wedding day? What was your first thought?
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05/12/2024

Pearlized candles are my new, more sustainable candle option for pillar candles. They look better, are better for the earth, and are easier for my team to clean. WIN-WIN! They're perfect for tables, mantles, and ceremony decor!

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05/10/2024

Pure elegance

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05/08/2024

Are you team head table or team sweetheart table?

Here, we used the bridesmaid's bouquets in an elegant etched glass vase, combined with budvases, taper candles and elevated arrangements to create a multi-layered tablescape for the couple and their closest friends and family.

03/30/2024

Nothing says elegance more than an arrangement of white flowers, paired with candlesticks 😍

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03/28/2024

I used every type of white and ivory rose to create this classic bundle of blooms for Jenni. We've got garden roses, sweetheart roses, spray roses and standard roses.

One of my favorite parts of this wedding was handing this bouquet to Jenni. She was worried about the rain, and I knew that handing her this bouquet would melt some of that stress away and I was right. We shed a few tears, hugged, and I left her to get ready, and went on to the venue for setup! Sometimes a flower delivery is just what you need!

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03/26/2024

I know a rain plan isn't what my clients are envisioning for their big day...... But if this isn't the most GORGEOUS rain plan ceremony space, I don't know what is!

Hurricane Ophelia came tearing through the DC area just in time for this gorgeous wedding but that did not stop a massive team of amazing vendors from executing a beautiful rain plan, starting with moving this whole ceremony inside off the portico (see the second slide for the full room!)

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03/16/2024

Last part in a three part series of blog posts in which I'm talking about floral foam and sustainability.

In this post, I'm directly addressing the Know Foam marketing campaign, being put forward by Oasis. It is FULL of misinformation and partial truths.

This post has links to my previous posts that go into greater detail, graphics for you to read and use yourself, and links to studies directly contradicting the information the Know Foam campaign is spreading.

I encourage you, whether you're a florist or a consumer, to do your own research. Just because someone says something on the internet doesn't mean it's true. And just because someone says true words on the internet doesn't mean it's the whole truth.

It's okay to change your world view when you are presented with new facts.
https://sweetblossomsllc.com/oasis-floral-foam-know-foam/

03/15/2024

Welcome to Part 2 of a three part series of blog posts on floral foam and sustainability.
I came to 'Low Waste' by trying to sift through all of the buzz words that are flying around.
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Degradable
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Biodegradable
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Compostable
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Reusable
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Recyclable
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In this blog post, I define all of these words and tell you the steps my company takes to be a low waste company. This post is full of resources and studies to help you make the best and most impactful choices for your company, your home, and your purchases. Little changes are important changes too and no big changes ever happen overnight! And remember, these words don't have to just apply to floristry, they can apply to the whole world and some of them may mean something different than what you thought!⁠

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this three part series.
https://sweetblossomsllc.com/how-low-waste-became-my-mantra/

03/14/2024

Today I am launching Part 1 of a three part series of blog posts regarding foam. The launch of the new marketing campaign from Oasis ( ) has really shocked me with the misinformation they are spreading.
Floral Foam.....
*is made of plastic, no matter how much they say it breaks down or biodegrades. This makes microplastics.
*The water that foam is soaked in, and the water that seeps out of the foam when it's thrown away gets into the ground water, which gets into our streams and oceans, and then into our food chain.
*Even if the amount of carcinogenic ingredients in it has been reduced to an amount "acceptable" to the National Institute of Health, it still contains them. Further, it is still made of plastic, which means the dust should not be inhaled, or be allowed to irritate your eyes or cuts.

As a consumer, you have a choice about whether the designs you buy from a florist contain this product. Ask that your designs and arrangements be designed in fresh water or foam alternatives. And please know that any designs you get from Sweet Blossoms are completely .

As a florist, you have a choice about whether you create designs in this product. This change doesn't have to happen all at once! Small steps are a completely acceptable form of forward movement!

Do you KNOW FOAM? Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 on foam and sustainability.
https://sweetblossomsllc.com/why-sweet-blossoms-does-not-use-floral-foam/

03/12/2024

02/10/2024

Swoon, this color combo, in these sweet little silver bud vases are the perfect pairing with our pearlized wax pillar candles and silver votives to make an elegant runner for any farm table or head table!

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American Grown Flowers: @1973,

02/08/2024

Continuing our bud vase discussion. Bud vases are a great way to create a runner down the center of a farm table. Swipe to see how they can be combined with lanterns to bring a pop of color to a rusting lantern cluster. Are you swooning over these local anemones, too??

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American Grown Flowers: @1973,

02/06/2024

There's no question that bud vases are here to stay and at Sweet Blossoms, we have so many in our rental inventory!

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American Grown Flowers: @1973,

02/02/2024

I absolutely ADORE the light and airy look of the jasmine vine on this mantle. Sometimes a big heavy floral installation is just not what you need! Sometimes a touch of fresh greenery is just the thing!

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American Grown Flowers: @1973,

01/31/2024

Boutonnieres are miniature renditions of the bridal bouquet, resembling tiny works of art.

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American Grown Flowers: @1973,

01/29/2024

Lots of clients are choosing to decorate the mantles in their venues with photographs of loved ones. I love these sweet little pincup arrangements to add a pop of color to the LED candles and photographs. They're the perfect, fresh take on a bud vase!

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American Grown Flowers: @1973,

01/27/2024

Sometimes the best aisle markers are the simplest. We love this simple gathering of delphinium that decorated this outdoor aisle!

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American Grown Flowers: @1973,

01/25/2024

When I look at this picture, I see a beautiful arch decoration. I also see a story of improvisation. You see, before this pic was taken, a huge storm came up, tons of wind, I think we even got some hail before the day was done!

I had to make a call that I wasn't willing to put my arch up because I was worried about the poles falling and hurting someone! The bride was set on an outdoor ceremony and wanted to wait for a break in the weather, even if that meant a delay in the ceremony time. So we improvised and decided to hang the fabric from the trees to create the arch, and we reallocated the florals to create corner pieces and I think the end result was actually BETTER than our original plan! I actually use this picture for inspiration for other brides at this venue now! Sometimes a weather mishap can have an even better outcome!