Real Wedding: Amy & Kevin

I remember meeting Amy and her sister for the first time at Starbucks, sipping lattes and getting excited about the ideas she was sharing with me & the look she wanted to create.  Amy and Kevin are such a vibrant couple... their wedding suited them perfectly! Such an honor to be a part of their special day!  

I asked Amy a few questions about their wedding & her experience working with Paisley Petals.  Enjoy! (all photos courtesy of FS Photography)

Bride and Groom: Kevin & Amy Ullrich

Wedding Date: 5/7/11

Vendors: 

Venue & Catering - Court in the Square

Photophrapher - FS Photography, Portland

DJ - Marvin Stewart, Lakeside Entertainment

Officiant - Annemarie Juhlian

Cake: Celebrity Cake Studio

Describe the look & feel you were hoping to create for your wedding: We wanted a bright and fun spring wedding, but we still wanted it to have a romantic look and feel.  It's amazing how flowers can transform a table and a room - Paula did an amazing job of bringing in the bright, beautiful colors I wanted while maintaining a soft and romantic look. 

Favorite Wedding Detail(s): I have a couple, but one of my favorites has to be the personalized favors my father-in-law made.  He made a personalized name keychain for each guest; these doubled as placecards and favors.  I loved the fact that we were able to give a personalized favor without spending any money (aside from the cost of making tags wich was minimal).  We made sure to include a note on the tag letting everyone know they were made by Kevin's father. 

 

And... I have to mention the flowers!  When I first walked into my hotel room and saw the bouquets, I made my sister call Paula to tell her that they were more beautiful than I could have imagined.  They had that perfect balance between bold/colorful and romantic.  The bridemaid bouquets popped perfectly with their black dresses and my bouquet couldn't have been more perfect if I picked it out of a magazine. 

Favorite moment(s) of your wedding day:  Oh there are so many - it was so much fun!  First favorite moment: When I arrived in our room to get dressed prior to photos, I got to see my ring for the first time.  Kevin had originally proposed wiith a solataire and we picked out the setting later.  He was insistant that once that diamond was in the new setting I wouldn't get to see it until our wedding day because he wanted me to have something new - I was not thrilled about this at the time, but it was such a wonderful feeling to see my new ring on my finger for the first time on our wedding day.  Second favorite moment: I couldn't believe how beautiful the ceremony space looked when I walked in for the first time prior to the wedding.  The ceremony flower arrangments Paula made were so bright and beautiful, the many many rose petals we used for the aisle added so much to the look and feel, and the bright pink candles we lined the fountain with were perfect.  It was so amazing to see all the little decisions you make come together to create a beautiful day.  I could keep going with so many more favorite moments, but those are my top two.  

 

Your best advice for engaged couples?:TRUST IN PAULA!!   I was probably one of the most indecisive brides Paula has ever worked with; centerpiece and ceremony flowers were by far two of the toughest decisions for me. So, my advice - don't let this stress you out!  You hire a professional florist for a reason and Paula will deliver.  This can obviously be applied across the board - try not to stress about the little decisions, it get's overwhelming.  And that month before the wedding when things are so chaotic and you are wondering why you decided to do this "big wedding" thing - trust that it will all be worth it and it will all come together on the day of!

What are you up to now?: We are just plain enjoying married life post wedding planning!  We love coming home from work every night and being able to just watch TV or a movie when we want - and Kevin loves that I am not always on the laptop :)  We also just got our wedding album a couple weeks ago; it's so fun to relive the wedding through photos and albums. 

Care to share your thoughts on working with Paisley Petals?:  I think you know how I feel based on my comments above, but I highly recommend Paula.  She is easy to work with, professional, responsive (yes, responsive - this is not something you will get with all your wedding vendors!) and just plain good at what she does. 

Wedding Preview Event

On October 2nd, Paisley Petals had the honor of participating in Seattle's first Wedding Preview Event.  This was something completely different from most wedding shows you've heard of.  First, vendors were run through a selection process and put onto 3 complete teams.  So, each team had a coordinator, florist, photographer, caterer, DJ, etc. etc. Our task was to come up with a wedding vignette based on our interpretation of the event theme, "Dream in Color."  

Our coordinator, Megan from A Kurant Event, threw out the idea of a "Day of the Wed" inspiration for our team.  We decided on a vintage, latin-insipiried look with some Dia de los Muertos elements thrown in.  The result was quite stunning, if I do say so myself!  With the help of Beckie from Vintage Ambiance, and my awesome old aqua doors, we were able to pull together a lot of vintage pieces as the backdrop for our crazy bursts of latin-inspired color!  We were not shy about color... red, orange and hot pink were our main colors with accents of yellow, lime green and aqua. 

For the tables, we decided to do an eclectic mix of container shapes, styles, and heights on each table to keep with the vintage vibe, rather than just one large centerpiece.  The result was a happy, colorful mix that also allowed us to show off some really cool vintage glass bottles and silver vessels.

                                 

                                     

May Wyatt from Wyatt ink provided our super-cute escort cards and menu.  One of my favorite elements was the way she displayed the escort cards on my old doors.  Love that!  See those candle holders hanging from the doors?  Those are old glass insulators from the 1930's.  So cool! Again, thanks to Beckie at Vintage Ambiance.

Our "Bride" for the evening was Jackie from the morning show on 106.1 FM.  Hair for Jackie and her "bridesmaids" by Kristal Locke of Lockes on Location, Makeup by Kaarin Boyd of Kaarin Boyd Designs.  Don't the girls look pretty?  Jewelry by Courney of Courtney Rian Designs.  Bridal Gown and Bridesmaid's Dresses by From the Gown Up, Menswear by Wall Street Custom Clothiers.

The Bride's Bouquet was a colorful mix of zinnias, dahlias, craspedia, celosia, bupluerum, roses and queen anne's lace.

A few other details that rounded out our team: Cake by Burning Cupcakes, Catering by Kaspar's Catering, Linens by Creative Coverings, Music by Puget Sound DJ.

One more fun little detail: The Bride & Groom's pedicab getaway by A Greener Cab. So fun!

And last but certainly not least (because you all know how much I LOVE her!) all photographs on this blog are courtesy of the lovely and talented Latasha Haynes of Latasha Haynes Photography.

Oh, and I almost forgot- another special shout-out to Megan and her assistant, Kate from A Kurant Event, and my awesome husband Eric... the 4 of us worked our bootys off ALL day getting this set up!

Such an amazing night!  Thanks again to our entire team- you guys are all so talented!   It was such a pleasure to work with each of you!

Real Wedding: Kristin & Donald

Such a sweet couple! We had the absolute pleasure of designing wedding flowers for Kristin & Donald on July 2nd. I asked Kristin a few questions about her wedding, and her experience working with Paisley Petals. Enjoy! (all photos courtesy of Streamside Photography, click on photos to make them bigger!)

  Bride and Groom: Kristin and Donald Sims

Wedding Date: July 2, 2011

Vendors: Venue: Sanders Mansion in Auburn WA
Photographer: Streamside Photography in Puyallup WA
Caterer: Occasions catering in Olympia WA
DJ: Emcee Entertainment in Renton WA
Cake: Celebrity Cake Studio in Tacoma WA

What was your favorite moment(s) of our wedding day: We don't really have a favorite moment. They were all favorite moments for us.
 Donald seeing Kristin walk down the aisle
 Putting on my wedding dress
 Getting my hair done with all the girls
 Walking down the aisle and seeing Donald
 putting our rings on
 First kiss
 taking our picture in our photo booth
 smashing cake in our faces
 first dance
 seeing so many family and friends we had not seen in a while
 getting married
 leaving down an aisle of sparklers and taking a ride in a rolls royce
 seeing all of our hard work of planning and designing finally come to life and have it be so beautiful

Your best advice for engaged couples? Be organized, patient and try not to procrastinate. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Your wedding day may not go as planned but in the end you will be married to the love of your life.


What are you up to now? Now that the honeymoon is over we are both back to work and trying to get back to some normalcy. We are also reminiscing about and looking at pictures of our wedding day and wishing we could do it again (without all the planning and the cost! :))


Your thoughts on working with Paisley Petals? Paula was one of the nicest and most professional people you could work with. She would always return my emails within a day if not hours even when she was busy. She takes the time to get to know you to see your true vision for your day. She was able to create beautiful arrangements for our wedding. She took our ideas and turned them into a masterpiece that we truly loved. We would highly recommend Paisley Petals for your wedding.

Featured Flower: Dahlias

I often get asked what my favorite flower is. For some reason, people don't seem to understand that it's like asking someone to pick their favorite child! :) But, I do have to say that the "seasonal" flowers have a special place in my heart. Things like peonies, sweet peas, and hyacinth that we really only see at certain times of the year. They remind me of specific memories associated with each season. Fall happens to be my favorite season, and therefore dahlias are right up there on my list of seasonal favorites. Dahlias range in size from tiny button varieties which max out at about 2 inches in diameter, to giant dinner plate dahlias which can reach 10 inches in diameter or more. The range of color is even more impressive! dahlias are available in every color but blue & green, with some really lovely bi-color varieties as well. They also come in a number of different bloom stylies including anemone, water lily, ball and pom pom. The variety is just incredible. It makes it difficult to pick a few favorites to post photos of, but I'll give it a shot: "Awe shucks":

"Boogie nites":

"Fuzzy wuzzy":

"Peaches and dreams"

"Uptown Girl":

If you have dahlias in your garden and enjoy bringing them inside to arrange & enjoy, check out this video of care tips from Leanne at the Flower Design Institute. Following her tips should make your cut dahlias last for at least 5 days! Have a flower you'd like to see featured on the Paisley Petals blog? Leave a comment & let me know!

We're Famous!

I'm sure you all know by now that Paisley Petals is participating in the Wedding Preview Event. But did you see our spotlight on the WPE blog? They did a really fun feature on us, so if you haven't read it, click on over! Find it here! Know someone who might be interested in attending the WPE? I happen to have 2 pair of tickets to give away! Like us on facebook and keep an eye on our page for the giveaways!

Wedding Preview Event

Exciting news! Paisley Petals has been chosen as one of 3 florists to participate in the Wedding Preview Event! We could not be more excited for this opportunity! If you or someone you know is getting married, you seriously need to check out this event. I have a few free tickets to give away too, so make sure to "Like" Paisley Petals on Facebook & keep your eye out for ticket giveaways!

You can read more about the Wedding Preview Event at their website.

Hope to see some of you there!!

Glowing Reviews!

Paisley Petals has been receiving some fantastic reviews online, and we wanted to make sure you knew! Check them out here and here!

We love our fabulous clients! Thanks so much for your kind words!

Featured Vendor: Latasha Haynes Photography

Welcome to the first edition of the latest feature on the Paisley Petals Blog: Featured Vendors! There are a lot of AMAZING wedding vendors out there. There are also a few who are... well... not so amazing. I thought it would be fun to feature a few of my personal favorites here to help some of my brides who are still searching for their perfect vendor.

Today, I would like to introduce you to Latasha Haynes Photography. They are fairly new to the wedding photography scene, but their passion for their work is unmatched. I always tell my brides that it is important to like your photographer- not only their work, but also like them on a personal level. They are going to be up in your business ALL DAY LONG, so it's important that you enjoy having them around! If you're still looking for a photographer, do yourself a favor and consider LHP!

I did an email interview with Latasha last week... here is what she had to say:

1. How would you describe LHP?
We are a fusion team, east meets west, boy meets girl. He supports (HER) and she loves Him. In (AN) effort to maximize their God (God-given) gifts, he took to reading, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", "Richest Man in Babylon", "The Richest Man Who Ever Lived"... Robert Kiyosaki told (HIM) to "mind their business" (SO) he started trading stocks, she started shooting, people that is, with a camera. As she grew, he grew and (...TOGETHER THEY MAKE UP THE TEAM THAT IS) Latasha Haynes Photography! We specialize in sassy, bold, edgy and urban lifestyle portraiture. We love candid moments, love moments, life moments and we love being (THERE) to witness (THEM).

2. Why do you LOVE what you do?
We get to create memories, a legacy and a heirloom: something that is going to tell a story for years to to come. While doing this-we meet the best families/seniors/couples and children, who become our friends, where relationships are created and its amazing. We have the best clients and I am thankful because many of them become great friends and a huge part of our lives moving forward.

3. What is your #1 piece of advice for engaged couples?
Get to know your photographer, both their work, what people say about them and decide if you you can be friends with that person because for 6-12 hours of the most important day of your life, they are going to be standing beside you like a best man or maid of honor--you need to know that you can count of them and that they want the best for you. You're trusting their eyes to tell the story of a day where their work is all you will have to remember it.

4. Who is your ideal wedding client?
My ideal wedding client is high energy, excited and loves fashion and has a editorial eye. They are adventurous and open to trying new things and LOVE to have fun.

Thanks so much to LHP for being our very first Featured Vendor! Don't forget to hop over to the website & blog where you can see lots more of their amazing work! Here is a small sampling for you to enjoy:

Featured Flower: Tulips

This post is lovingly dedicated to my BFF Julianne! :)

As we anticipate the arrival of spring, it seems appropriate to feature the quintessential spring flower: the tulip. Available in just about every color and many fun varieties, you can always find a tulip to fit your mood, decor, or event. Feeling romantic? Try a Peony Tulip. Mysterious? The black parrot tulip is for you. Kinda Crazy? A fringed tulip might be more your speed. Want to bring in some of the freshness of spring? Nothing better than a green parrot tulip. Keep in mind that tulips are phototropic...even after they have been cut, they will continue to grow toward the light. Sometimes they will grow an inch or more in the vase! Just as well, though- it will remind you to re-cut their stems & change the water!

A few photos of some of my favorite varieties:

Green Parrot Tulips

Peony Tulips (yes, that's a tulip!)

Fringed Tulips

Black Parrot Tulips

Real Wedding: Lindsey and Andy

I'm excited to launch our new "Real Weddings" feature on the blog today! I'm hoping that this will be a fun read and provide some insight for couples who are currently engaged. Enjoy!

Lindsey and Andy are such a sweet couple, and their love for each other was so evident on their wedding day! It was a privilage to be a part of it! Lindsey was my perfect bride- a great balance between knowing the look she wanted and trusting me to do my job. I knew I wanted to feature her first because she's so thoughtful and genuine, and I knew her answers would reflect those aspects of her personality.

Special thanks to Theresa at Aubin Ahrens Photography for getting these beautiful photos to me so quickly!

Lindsey Niuman and Andy Tolman
August 7, 2010


Photo by Aubin Ahrens Photography



Photo by Aubin Ahrens Photography


Photo by Aubin Ahrens Photography


Vendors:

• Venue: Alderbrook Resort and Spa
• Caterer: Alderbrook Resort and Spa – Kristin Wiseman
• Makeup: Andrea Aiken – Alderbrook Resort and Spa
• Wedding Coordinator: Studio G Occasions - Karen Guyt
• Photographer: Aubin Ahrens Photography - Theresa and Ned Aubin Ahrens
• DJ: Generation X Productions: Jered Delpalacio and Ollie
• Cake: Kathy Reese
• Videographer: Capstone Media Productions – Veronica Brown
• Invitations/Programs: Costco
 

Favorite moment(s) of your wedding day:  I know this sounds scripted, but it really isn’t…the one moment that I got really emotional on our wedding day was when I saw the absolutely gorgeous bouquet that Paula had made for me.  I was so happy that I cried and that was really the only time the whole day that I got teary.  Aside from that moment, Andy and I agree that our favorite moments were when we saw each other for the first time and when we were pronounced husband and wife at the end of our ceremony.  We also really loved getting to spend time with all of our family and friends throughout the day.  Seeing all of our hard work and planning come together when we walked into our reception venue (the tables all set, place cards at each spot, candles lit, floral centerpieces in place, the cake, and all of our friends and family sitting around the room) was also pretty awesome.


Photo by Aubin Ahrens Photography


Photo by Aubin Ahrens Photography

Advice for engaged couples:  Hire Paula and Paisley Petals as your florist!!  Seriously, she did an amazing job!  We would definitely recommend doing your research and meeting your vendors before you hire them.  We either met or got personal recommendations for each of our vendors and we couldn’t be happier that we chose the vendors we did.  We were very pleased with all the services we received.  One very important piece of advice that we can offer is to allot at least an hour of extra time to get ready before your photos and ceremony.  Unfortunately, our hair stylists were 45 minutes late and didn’t finish getting everyone’s hair done until an hour and a half past the time we were supposed to have been done.  This was very upsetting, because our photo sessions before the ceremony were cut 1.5 hours short which resulted in a rushed and stressful photo shoot.  Our photographers did an awesome job within the crunched time frame they had to work with, but we missed out on getting photos with different combinations of family members and the bridal party.  It would have been so much more fun and relaxing not to have to rush through things.


Photo by Aubin Ahrens Photography

What you're up to now:  We are still living in Madison, Wisconsin and are looking forward to moving back home to Washington once I graduate with my master’s degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin in May of 2012.  I am currently attending school full time and am looking for a part-time job since the group home for teenagers that I worked for closed due to county budget cuts at the end of December.  Although I miss my job and the income, it is really nice to have so much more time to focus on school.  Andy is currently working for a clothing company down town and is hoping to attend graduate school to obtain a master’s degree in public administration.  Andy still loves to play hockey and golf and is looking forward to warmer weather so he can get back out on the golf course.  We enjoy being parents to our two cats and look forward to starting a family once we move back to Washington.


Thoughts on working with Paisley Petals:  It was an absolute pleasure working with Paula and Paisley Petals.  From our very first meeting, I could tell that Paula was a true professional who was as knowledgeable as she was friendly.  Paula is a very talented, caring, and sensible florist who will be honest with you about what she can do for you within your budget.  When we first met, I described the color palette and “look” that I wanted as well as the different types of flowers I liked.  Paula listened to my ideas, asked great questions, and did a wonderful job of explaining what she could create for me.  I was thrilled with what she came up with and felt so comfortable knowing that she really understood what I wanted.  I was planning our wedding from Wisconsin and Paula did a fabulous job of communicating with me through e-mail, sending me pictures, and making plans to meet in person when I knew what dates I would be in Washington to finalize wedding plans.  Paula was always very responsive to any questions or comments I had which was incredibly reassuring, especially since we were planning everything from across the country.  When I wanted to make some changes to our original design, Paula was very accommodating and fair.  She told me what the additional cost would be for her to add the flowers that I wanted and was happy to make the changes upon my approval.  On the day of our wedding, Paula was incredibly punctual and hand delivered my bouquet to me and my bridesmaids.  She labeled each bouquet, corsage and boutonniere with the recipient’s name which was such a nice personal touch.  She made sure our centerpieces, flowers for the cake, and flower bundles on the aisle chairs for the ceremony were perfectly arranged and set up.  Hiring Paisley Petals was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding and was definitely money well spent.  The value and quality was remarkable.  Everything looked amazing and we couldn’t be happier that we chose Paisley Petals as our florist.


Photo by Aubin Ahrens Photography


Photo by Aubin Ahrens Photography