Belles and Thistles Floral Design

12/02/2023

This time of year always makes us a little nostalgic for our time together at . That’s where we met back in college and put in many a batsh*t crazy holiday working together in the floral trenches. Up until the shop closed down a couple years ago we still went back to Champaign and pitched in for Valentine’s Day whenever we could. It’s strange to not have that rush this year and honestly we kinda miss it. ”VD” was always chaotic and really, really hard work and suuuuuper long hours. You’d have to prepare your home life, meals, laundry, errands, ahead of time so you could function with zero extra stress or effort for days on end. You’d start prepping the shop weeks ahead of time too. The list of things it takes for a shop to execute a holiday like Valentine’s Day is truly bonkers. But after it’s all done you have this shared experience with the team that brings you closer together in a weird way. Shows you that you can put your head down and do hard things. Everyone brings in snacks and takes care of each other, there’s laughing and usually some tears too. It was both hell and magic at the same time? It’s hard to explain. But in any case we miss you Campus Florist, and our hearts are with our fellow florists who are putting in the work for the day of love. Don’t forget to drink some more water, you’re all rockstars and you got this!!

07/02/2023

Love a non-traditional color for a suit jacket, love a showy boutonnière! Wearable flowers didn’t have to be complicated or clunky to make a statement. This simple is a great contrast to the dark burgundy coat, its lightweight and it coordinated with the bouquet perfectly. Such a sharp look!
📸: McConville Studio
📍: Doubletree Hotel Chicago/Alsip

23/01/2023

It’s Sunday night and we’re resting up for the new week. Sort of dreaming about a slice of this cake right now if we’re honest. And the quote cake topper is absolute perfection, right?! We love that show. Anyone see Leslie & April on last night? Was super cute.
And for those who love this look- the flowers are , and 😉
📸: AJ Abelman Photography
🍰,📍: Revolution Brewing

13/09/2022

02/05/2022

01/12/2021

50 Shades of Gray and Sage

Venue:
Photographer: Zach Caddy: Photographer
Florist: Belles and Thistles Floral Design
Planner: + Gather Events

12/11/2021

😍

Another beautiful edition thanks to our gorgeous bride Hayley and Belles and Thistles Floral Design! How stunning is this shot?!

Venue: View Loft Chicago
Catering: Catering and Events
P hotographer: Zach Caddy: Photographer
Florist: Belles and Thistles Floral Design
Planner: + Gather Events
DJ: Green Line Talent (Zach B)
Hair and Makeup: Tamed Blow Dry & Beauty Bar - Wicker Park

05/08/2021

Last Saturday we took a drive to Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, WI. We had the pleasure of designing personal florals for Allie. Her palette was a soft and romantic mix with white and dusty rose florals and sage accents. And while those roses are beyond pretty the football mums are our fave part of the bouquets!

03/08/2021

Happy first anniversary to Michelle and her hubby Matt! On 08.01.20 we had the pleasure of designing the bridal party floral for this cute couple.
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The palette for their small event was shades of pink and lavenders with soft textures. We used some favorites like roses, ranunculus, lisianthus and astilbe for the bouquets. And for the gents we got to make pocket square boutonnières in a few styles. We’re still loving that look and hoping more of our clients choose that option for the future!

29/07/2021

Usually when we leave our event installs we’re pretty happy with how everything came together. And sometimes we‘re more like “Hell Yea, Us. We Rocked That Shiz!” And the latter of the two is how we felt last Friday.
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Laura and her Groom Tony celebrated their big day at Loft on Lake, and wanted a natural, earthy, rustic, boho vibe with mustard yellow, neutrals and touches of deep burgundy floral with lots of eucalyptus and dried grasses.
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The venue’s arch served as the focal point of the room. Swipe for a bit of our process, we worked together layering materials to create the finished look. During cocktail hour / room flip we literally grabbed that whole arch and walked it across the space to utilize it behind the head table for the reception. We also repurposed the both the bridesmaids bouquets and aisle marker mason jars/wood slices as centerpieces. We always love it when the decor serves a double purpose!
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The warm colors of this event make us so, so happy. And the texture of the dried grasses and craspedia was a lot of fun to play with. The wood farm tables and wooden decor items along with the brick of the loft space really complemented the couples’ style perfectly.
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Unrelated, we were hiding out in the venue during the ceremony, waiting for the room flip, so we eavesdropped on their ceremony. And it was so sweet it brought us to tears. Feeing really grateful for those special little moments. 🖤

27/07/2021

Happy (slightly belated) anniversary to Ashley & her hubby Joe! We made these bouquets for their paired down ceremony on 07.25 of last year. Hope they have had a great first year of wedded bliss, and many more to come!

25/07/2021

Here’s the wedding where we used those gorgeous Blueberry Roses! Sarah & her groom Jeff’s color palette was shades of mauve, with white and sage accents. We used a lot of roses, hydrangea, stock and eucalyptus for their florals. And sprinkled in some peony, a favorite, for the bride! The cake was supposed to be super pretty so we just added some soft foliage to that table, and elsewhere in their space. Gold terrariums were added here and there with some personal touches as well. And you know we repurposed those ceremony florals for the reception, altar arrangements on the accent tables and aisle markers lining the head table with the bridal party bouquets added. (Sometimes things happen too fast to get pics of it all!) These fans even had a custom jersey guestbook. Was a sweet day!

23/07/2021

We had another 2 for 1 Saturday in 2 different states last week. First we’ll take a look at Katlynn & Matt. We actually made their official wedding flowers last July for the intimate ceremony. And this time we got to make the floral for the bigger celebration. Plus we got to be back at one of our favorite venues, in Kenosha!
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This space has a classic country club feel with a beautiful pergola and cozy fireplace, which is the perfect place to display photos, decor, personal items and of course floral accents. We used soft blush and white floral with eucalyptus for their event and the couple provided terrariums for the tables for a touch of gold.

21/07/2021

Our third and final wedding from the other week took us on a bit of a road trip to the Wisconsin Dells. Brittany was another of our clients forced to relocate their event due to pandemic/venue closures. And the venue they ended up with was nothing short of awe inspiring. is a glorious barn with woodworking and craftsmanship that will take your breath away. No cell phone pics we shot could :ever: do it justice.
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The couple used burgundy and silver to decorate their day. And while all the centerpieces were all the same style, we made an wide assortment of bouquets, corsages and boutonnières for the bridal party. Each piece was unique which was pretty fun.
Also, side note, the Dells has really good fudge!

18/07/2021

Was so nice to get back to The Stella Hotel & Ballroom for our 2nd wedding last weekend. It’s a beautiful space that looks great with all kinds of color palettes and decor. Kate and groom Steven opted for soft Blush and White florals and utilized the venue’s cylinder vases (with floating candles) on the tables and added some cute touches throughout the space. Was a lovely day for this sweet couple.

18/07/2021

Would really love a hunk of this cake with an iced coffee right now! This beautiful confection was from Kate’s wedding ( #2 from last weekend) and was provided by O&H Danish Bakery. (They make the most amazing Kringle too, we both love them so much.) Took a few before during and after shots of Emily working her magic on this cake. What a difference the fresh floral makes, right?!

16/07/2021

Let’s take a closer look at one of those three weddings from last week, shall we?
First up was Alexandra and her groom Matthew, at . It was our first time there and we loved the space so much! Really can’t wait to get back there, the staff were rockstars! (And the ladies bathroom was to die for, trust us)
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The couple had a clean and simple palette of white floral including roses, hydrangea and stock with eucalyptus touches. We decorated the couples arch and lanterns and brought our rental cylinder vases with single stems of hydrangea for the dining tables and throughout the space. This event was so soft and pretty and a great way to start our whirlwind weekend.

09/07/2021

We love it when a ring bearer takes his duty seriously! This guy looks like he is working for the Secret Service. Better not test him, he means business!
Photo Credit:
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