October Wedding in Loose Park

When I blog about one of my weddings, I always make notes first about special things I want to include. Every wedding I do is special to me, and there are always little details that stand out. This wedding was no exception!

Jessica and Tyson were married on October 23, 2021 in one of my favorite places, Loose Park in Kansas City, Missouri. In fact I considered this whole area my neighborhood at one time. I worked just blocks away as a chemist for MRI Global. I played in Loose Park on weekends with my husband because it was free entertainment and we had no money! The reception at the Grand Street Cafe was next door to my favorite chocolate malt place, Winsteads. So many memories!

(All photographs are by A.Lane Photography)

But that’s only one of the special things about this wedding. For instance, I have known the groom’s family for a very long time. Like way back. And I know the bride’s sister because I did her wedding as well! These are the things that bring a wedding story together for me. It really inspires me to create a floral vision when I have so many little stories and memories to piece together about a couple.

Flower girl with crown

Hand-tied cascade bridal bouquet

Groom's Boutonniere

Bridesmaids' bouquets with hydrangea and eucalyptus

The bride wanted a big flowy bouquet, all white with lots of greenery. I used white roses and ranunculus, snapdragons, stock and hydrangea, with several types of eucalyptus including seeded. There was a pretty severe flower shortage in 2021, especially with white flowers, but with enough perseverance I was able to get most of what I wanted to use.

The sweetest thing Jessica told me during our consultation was that she wanted her bridesmaids’ bouquets to feel special and look bigger, not small and unimportant. I don’t usually hear that from brides, and I think you can tell by this picture that the outcome was stunning!

Another picture of Jessica’s bouquet so you can see the hand-tied cascade. Also her dress was so beautiful!

Sisters!

The Kansas City Skyline and all the wedding PARTY vibes

So romantic! The couple wanted their wedding to be simple, elegant and classic and I think this picture sums it all up nicely. Jessica and Tyson, thank you so much for asking me to be your wedding florist, and best wishes for many happy married years.

Special Event Classes with Clover and Honey →

March 30, 2019- another snow day in Eskridge Kansas after a very long winter. But a little snow did not cancel the fun we had that day at Clover and Honey!

In December I hosted a Christmas wreath class for 8 people. I love teaching about flowers and floral techniques and we had a blast designing wreaths with evergreens and wire frames. I always hope my class participants have as much fun attending as I do teaching!

Not long after the class, one of my attendees contacted me about doing a spring class for her mother’s 50th birthday. Braydi had so much fun learning to make a wreath, she wanted to share the experience with her mother and friends. I had never made a spring wreath but I’m always up for a challenge and for learning new things so I started researching what we could use that would last or dry well, since evergreens would not be available. We used salal, Oregonia, craspedia, olive, statice, caspia, eucalyptus, eryngium, and kermit mums.

In the pictures below, you will see how much fun we had! We had nine wreath-makers and everyone’s wreath turned out great!

I would love to host you and your friends for a flower party! Arrangements, wreaths, flower crowns, container gardens, whatever else you can think of! If you have a birthday, bachelorette party, or any special event and want to host a party at Clover and Honey please contact me for date availability!

What happened in Waco.... →

I just got back from the Team Flower conference in Waco Texas. I signed up in November for what I thought would be a warm spring vacation where I could learn more about wedding floral design. I was wrong twice! Waco had record-breaking cold temperatures last week with lows in the 20s, and I learned much more than floral design!

Ceremony Back Drop

This was a three-day conference and I arrived late. My plan was to drive the eight hours on Sunday, but Kansas had to have one last winter blizzard so I left Monday instead. The first session I attended that afternoon was Large Scale Installations by @bowsandarrows. I watched them install this entire ceremony back drop in 30 minutes!

Poppies and Ranunculus

I also attended sessions on Creativity, Flower Farming, Client Communication, Embracing Change, Hiring and Managing a Team, and Art and Creativity. There were 250 retail florists, studio florists and flower farmers in attendance. 

The last day of the conference we walked in to this amazing flower bar. Buckets and buckets of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen all in one place! This session was about a non-profit organization called Full Bloom @thefull_bloom. They come in after your wedding or event and repurpose all the leftover flowers into vase arrangements for hospitals and care facilities. We made over 300 arrangements to be delivered in Waco and it felt so good to be a part of something like this.

Poppies and Ranunculus

Anemone

Arrangements ready to be delivered

The final event was a design competition by 17 participants who volunteered to share their talents. The shapes, textures, use of colors and design principles were inspiring to say the least.

So what did I learn besides floral design? I learned that I do things differently than a typical retail florist shop and so do the other 249 people who attended the conference. I learned that I am part of a movement among florists to be more intentional about our love of flowers and more attentive to our customers. I like being different and following my heart when it comes to designing. I love following all the old-school design principles and mechanics, but I can do that with tons of energy and creativity in a sustainable way. I love what I do and now I embrace being different!

My Values:

I will always make your wedding flowers customized to you. I will double-check every detail, your likes and dislikes, things that are important to you, to make sure what I deliver is perfect.

I will stay true to my style- natural, garden, organic, original. 

I will recycle, re-use, and reduce waste when possible, and use all resources wisely.

I will use local flowers when possible, and always include something from my garden in your bouquet- a blessing from me to you.

I won’t do any weddings that aren’t a fit for me personally.

I love teaching about flowers- design classes, plant names, color choices, blogs.

I will obsess about flower choices for your beautiful wedding.

And of course I shopped all things Magnolia while I was in Waco!

5 things to think about before your floral consultation

Sometimes wedding consultations become so routine for the professional that we forget this is probably the very first time you have planned a wedding! Everything is new to you and completely unknown, from flower costs to delivery details. The best way to get the most out of your wedding floral consultation is to gather a little information ahead of time. So let’s talk about five things you should know before you meet your florist!

March wedding with tulips, hellebore, scabiosa and roses in blush, cream and burgundy. Photo by K+H Rogg Photo

1.) The estimated size of your wedding. Your florist wants to know approximately how many guests will attend and how many will be in your bridal party.  These numbers give an idea of how many tables will be at the reception and how many personal flowers (bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, etc.) will be needed.

2.) Your colors and the overall feel of your wedding. These things help us to start picturing what you are dreaming about for your beautiful wedding. Pinterest pictures of color palettes and favorite flowers/bouquets are also helpful. Is your theme Romantic or Modern? Vintage or Glamorous? Choosing flowers will be much easier with these details in mind.

3.) Who will be receiving flowers for your wedding? Of course there is the bride’s bouquet but what else? Flower crowns or bouquets for bridesmaids? Boutonnieres for groom and groomsmen? Think about who else you would like to honor with corsages or boutonnieres- moms, dads, grandparents, ushers, hostesses, attendants, flower girl, ring bearer? 

Connor and Hannah Kraus at Woodlawn Farms, Tecumseh KS. Garden bouquet of David Austin roses, stock, dahlia, scabiosa, and celosia designed by Jennifer Bennett. Photo by Hallie Sigwing Photography.

4.) Ceremony and Reception Flowers. There are two parts to most weddings- the ceremony and the reception- and flowers are used to decorate both. Aisle flowers or altar arrangements at the church? An arrangement with the guest book? Flower Arch for the backdrop? And centerpieces for the reception tables, buffet, bathroom, chairs? Flowers for the cake? You don’t need to know all these things before your consultation, but think about the options and bring pictures of both venues if possible.

Winter wedding reception with mixed greenery and candle light, Anderson Building, Emporia, KS. Photo by Holli B Photography

5.) What is your budget? No idea? Because you have never planned a wedding? That’s okay but it is helpful if you have done a little homework before we meet. Your flowers will generally be about 10-15% of your overall budget. My best advice is not to cut costs on your bouquet because it will be in every photo of you, and will probably be the photo sitting on your nightstand in 50 years, reminding you of your beautiful day.

Now you’re ready! Please contact me if you would like to meet to talk about flowers for your beautiful wedding. I can’t wait to see what you are dreaming!

Picking Wedding Colors

Do you know the 2018 Pantone color of the year? Ultra-violet! But what does this mean to you or your wedding? And what is Pantone Color anyway?

Lyon/Pachar Wedding, photo by jennsportraitphotography.com

Pantone Color is a color-matching system used primarily in the printing industry, as well as in the manufacture of paint, fabric and plastics. Each year the company holds secret meetings with representatives from around the world to choose a color of the year that reflects what's going on in the world. This year's color, Ultra Violet, wasn't chosen because it's regal, though it resembles a majestic shade. It was chosen to evoke a counterculture flair, a grab for originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking, according to Pantone Vice President Laurie Pressman.

So what does this have to do with your wedding? Everything and nothing. It will be high-lighted in all the newest blogs and magazines for brides, and everywhere you shop. But the color you choose for your wedding should be something you truly love. Choose a color that makes you happy, has a special meaning to both of you, or the color of your favorite flower. You will never regret making decisions with your heart instead of following the crowd on Pinterest or Pantone.

So what are your wedding colors? I would love to know what you decide!