A bride...and her flowers

Last month, I received these beautiful pics from my friend, Shayne Lietdke of Tropical Blooms & Bouquets. One of my favorite shots from any wedding is the beautiful bride with her bouquet:


...so when I saw this photo below with the bride surrounded by the gorgeous bridesmaids' bouquets, I was thrilled!

Shayne is a Waimanalo-based florist that has such a unique and creative take on floral design. She painted the stand pictured on the right, added the pretty drop crystal and used it along the aisle and on either side of the altar to create a whimsical decor for the ceremony. I love non-traditional touches like this!

Mahalo to Sherah Thorpe (the blushing bride) and floral designer, Shayne Lietdke, for sharing these gorgeous shots! Contact Shayne at 256-1130 on O'ahu.

Photos by Mike Danzeisen of Ali'i Photography

Sugar rush

I have the biggest sweet tooth of almost anyone I know. So does my husband. In fact, one of our earliest conversations was about candy. I don't remember why the subject came up, but it was definitely a bonding moment.

So, when Sandra Williams of Finishing Touch asked if I'd be interested in designing a table name card for a Candyland-themed photo shoot for Hawaii Bride & Groom Magazine, I had visions of sugarplums dancing in my head. The final product is pictured above surrounded by the gorgeous peony and gerbera daisy arrangements by Flowergirls.

Design inspiration

Shame on me. I've been wanting to write about this for over a year now. I have a (sometimes) bad habit of needing to wait for just the right moment to do something. But over 365 days' worth of moments have passed so I'm putting my neurotic tendency aside for the good of this blog.

See the beautiful piece of art to to the left? It's cool. Very cool. And here's why:

1) It's collapsible.
2) It turns your ordinary glass jars into works of art.
3) It's just so pretty!

I found this vase cover by Artecnica when I popped into Zinc Details in San Francisco last year. It was love at first sight. The delicate metal design is an intricate weave of flowers and vines and sweet little birds. I circled this piece three times before I snatched it up and headed to the cash register.

If I had to plan another wedding, I'd use this vase cover as my design inspiration.

Tulips...good for the soul

Roses = I like
Peonies = I really like
Tulips = I love

My husband bought me potted tulips yesterday and they're proving to be delightfully distracting as I try to plow through all the work that needs to be completed this month. I'm convinced that my brain is firing an extra boost of endorphins every time I look at them. I'm not very good at remembering to take a few minutes each day for meditation and reflection. Today is different, though.

I remember visiting a girlfriend up in Seattle years ago for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. We drove up north through the farmlands, came around a bend in the road, and then... a blanket of color as far as the eye could see. It was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen.

So now I can look across my desk at my gorgeous tulips, past my mountain of paperwork, and just breathe.

Better late than never

I was planning to post a St. Patty's Day message on St. Patty's Day. Obviously, that didn't happen but I couldn't let these pretty photos go unseen. The florals shown above were created by renowned designer, Yvonne Floral Design. Check out Yvonne's gorgeous web site to view a sampling of her artistry. To quote Project Runway's Christian Siriano, her work is FIERCE!

No fuss, no muss pups

Years ago, a friend emailed me photos of these adorable chrysanthemum puppies and it was love at first sight. I was ready to put cute new collars around their necks and take them out for a walk. I was determined to find out where I could find one of these little guys, but a Google search turned up dismal results.

For some reason, I was thinking about these little flower monsters again late last night and set out on a mission to find them. THEY DO NEED HOMES, PEOPLE!

Imagine my surprise when I found a local florist who has a "Pet Lovers" section on her web site! Emi's Flowers and Gifts (another Emi - yay!) offers oh-so-cute carnation puppies, rabbits and fine-feathered friends. And, I spotted the perfect floral arrangement to celebrate your best friend's engagement (see below).

New blooms

Just like clockwork, with the holidays a thing of the past, the panic is setting in...not for me, but for all the couples getting hitched in 2008. I've been talking to clients everyday who are scrambling to get back on track with the booking of their vendors, compiling of their guest lists, and scheduling of their menu tastings.

So, if one of your important to-do's is hiring a florist to transform your wedding with beautiful arrangements, I'd like to throw another name in the ring for consideration. Tropical Blooms & Bouquets, owned and operated by a dynamic mother-daughter team, offers florals ranging from traditional Hawaiian stylings to modern and contemporary creations. Gladiolas, mini mums and gerbera daisies are given a stylish twist in these sample arrangements:


And I love, love, love these handmade silk dupioni boxes that I predict could become one of the company's signature items. What a stunning way to add a punch of color to your centerpieces!


For more information, contact Shayne Liedtke at suhanaliedtke@aol.com. And tell her that you read about her here!

Flower power

I love the details. I live for the details. So does giving up control over the floral design of our wedding mean I'm crazy...or a genius?

I think a lot of engaged couples (brides especially) experience wedding burnout at some point in the months leading up to the big day. I can feel myself teetering over the edge right now, and I'm desperately trying to fight it off...sans chocolate cake, cookies, Häagen-Dazs ice cream, etc. Anyway, I've decided to give our florist (Nicole Lomas of Peony Floral Design) complete artistic freedom and let her have some fun with our wedding!

We first met Nikki through The Wedding Cafe (yes, the cafe was a great wedding resource for me, too!) and instantly loved her style. But she was not only creative with her floral arrangements, she was helpful and gracious as she guided us through the ins and outs of wedding decor. It's wonderful to work with vendors who obviously love what they're doing and want to make your special day as memorable and joyous as possible!

I know we're in good hands with Nikki and having a little "element of surprise" with our flowers will make my life a whole lot easier.