Following Your Heart

For me following my heart in floral work means following nature. As I’ve grown as a wedding florist, I have become very attuned to making bouquets that resemble flowers in their natural world. Muted colors or bright colors, but always colors that you would see naturally. And my bouquet styles always lean toward the organic, unstructured, whimsical way flowers would grow in my garden.

Beautiful Photos by Hannah Jo Photography

Another way I follow my heart is when I connect with a bride because of her wedding style. Sarah came to me as a referral (my favorite way to get new clients) and her wedding colors were mauve, dusty rose and cream for an October wedding. I was already dreaming of what flowers I would choose before we were even done talking!

Sarah and Eric

The flowers I used were quicksand roses, amnesia roses, cottage yarrow, blushing bride protea, burgundy astrantia and terra cotta carnations, with caspia and mixed eucalyptus. The wedding was held at Twisted Pine Farms in Hutchinson, Kansas.

I love that Sarah chose to use her floral arch inside behind the cake table after the ceremony. It was too pretty to leave outside!

What a sweet photo! Sarah’s mom and dad were both so kind to me as I was setting up this wedding and we discovered we knew several people in common, including my good friend Lynnette!

Thank you all so much for letting me be a part of this beautiful day, and please keep sending me your referrals!

Sarah’s Bouquet unfiltered

Summer Weddings for Two Sisters

What a busy summer for the Dannels family! Catie and Calli both got married, one in July and one in August. I was lucky enough to be the florist for both and enjoyed seeing their different visions come to life.

Catie and her bridesmaids- Photos by Steele House Photography

Calli and her bridesmaids- Photos by Grassroots Studio

Can you see the difference in styles? Catie wanted lilies and roses in white and burgundy with blue accents, and a beautiful cascading bouquet. Calli’s colors were rust and orange with dried elements and her bouquet had a free-flowing, organic feel.

Some of the flowers I used in Catie’s bouquet were white lily, burgundy spray rose, alstromeria, Polar Star rose, astrantia and blue thistle. Calli’s bouquet had Coffee Break rose, Sahara spray rose, white scabiosa, chocolate cosmos, pampas and bunnytail grass.

And finally, I love the tiny details a photographer captures. These are the moments of your wedding you want to remember.

Heart of the Summer Wedding in Emporia, Kansas

This bouquet was everything! Blair asked me to make her bouquet unique, and to include pheasant feathers and some dried elements. Challenge accepted! I love being asked to be artistic and to be trusted to make your dream bouquet.

Beautiful photos by www.briannahuynhphotography

This is the wedding of Blair and Doyle Conley on July 1, 2023 at the Messiah Lutheran Church with the reception at the Anderson Building in Emporia, Kansas. It was a beautiful day! Blair’s bouquet was a mix of blush roses, peach and white ranunculus, white scabiosa, and pale pink stock, accented with mixed eucalyptus greenery, feathers and dried grasses. The focal point was a white king protea.

Bridesmaids' Bouquets blush and cream

Bride's Bouquet with King Protea

Bridesmaids

Another great design element in this wedding was the groom’s pocket square boutonniere. I really love making these and this one is definitely a statement piece.

And finally this picture. Isn’t this what wedding parties are all about?

Congratulations to Blair and Doyle!

Style Round Up- Bouquets 2022

Color came back to wedding bouquets this year! It brought so much joy into my little studio. Don’t get me wrong- I love a beautiful neutral/blush palette but I find myself ordering the same flowers over and over. With this year’s color combos, my floral cooler was a brand new kaleidoscope every week. Here are just a few of my favorite bouquets from 2022 in no particular order (with flowers identified for you).

This all pink bouquet has ranunculus, roses, spray roses, astilbe and baby’s breath.

Shades of pink from blush to vibrant.

This was my last rescheduled wedding from 2020 and the bride originally thought she wanted all white. By the time we got to 2022, she decided to add in rust and peach. And she loved how the colors tuned out!

Peach ranunculus, freesia, rust mums, hypericum berries, Coffee Break roses and waxflower.

There are so few natural blue flowers, but the ones we do have are beautiful! Hydrangea, delphinium, thistle, and baby blue eucalyptus.

With just enough cream and white to make the true blue pop- snapdragons, callas, and spray roses.

This bouquet feels like Fall in the Flint Hills- burnt orange spray roses, Toffee and Quicksand roses, Agonis grass, pampas grass, leucodendron, and astrantia.

This bouquet is the perfect example of mixing fall colors with lots of texture.

All the colors of Spring! A true rainbow with Coral Charm peonies, larkspur, delphinium, craspedia, butterfly ranunculus, lavender spray roses, feverfew, Kahala roses, sword fern and yellow stock.

It wouldn’t be a Kansas summer without a sunflower bouquet. This one has burgundy dahlias, mums and roses, viking mums, solidago, and Italian ruscus sprayed gold.

I love using local flowers when I can and sunflowers are easily available here in late summer.

This combination of blush and cream flowers- mostly roses- is pure and classic for any wedding. Tried and true!

Blush pink roses, cream roses, white ranunculus, larkspur, mums and stock, with astrantia and waxflower for fillers.

Lavender, sky blue and peach. I loved these colors together. This bouquet has lavender roses, light blue delphinium, peach spray roses, pink waxflower, feverfew, and white phlox.

This bouquet was so elegant in an old world sort of way. So much texture, so many things to see.

A dried King Protea was the focal point, with plum ranunculus and dahlia, lavender lisianthus and butterfly ranunculus, brunia, anemone and mixed dried grasses.

What a fun year it’s been for weddings! Click here if you would like to see more bouquet options. I love designing natural-looking bouquets so if that’s your style please contact me soon!

Part Two: Josie and John’s Magical Wedding Day

I’m so happy to share these professional photos of Josie and John’s wedding day on May 14, 2022 at Clover Cliff Ranch. All photos are by Lifeleak Visuals and they are beautiful!

I loved this combination of flowers. Coral Charm peonies, butterfly ranunculus, larkspur, delphinium, roses, feverfew and white daisies. It was like a fairytale meadow. All the colors of the rainbow.

And this smile!

My favorite part of the professional photos is seeing the wedding come to life with family and guests and all the happy faces. My couples spend so much time dreaming of how all their plans will come together, and I truly love being a part of the process, and seeing the final results.

This last photo is my favorite. This is how I pictured the reception flowers in my mind. This is what I thought Josie was imagining as well. This photo is when I know I did a good job and can put away my anxiety that happens when planning every wedding! Thanks for following along with me on this blog and please know how much I appreciate any referral you want to send my way.

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.

When should you book a wedding florist?

I am finally finished with weddings for 2021! I had a happy, busy fall wedding season and towards the end I had a sneaky feeling that I may be closing in on a career milestone of 100 weddings for Clover and Honey. When I finally sat down to add things up over the last nine years, I realized I had already done it. Somewhere in 2021, someone’s wedding was my 100th! To be honest, I was just too lazy to figure out exactly which wedding it was, so here are my favorite bouquets from this year and I’ll just celebrate all of them as my milestone. Thank you to everyone who trusted me with their dreams, and for all my future couples, just know that I have a lot of wisdom and experience to share with you from the weddings that came before yours. 

Is there a best time to book your wedding florist?  There isn’t a specific timeline though I suggest 6-12 months. With the reschedules from 2020, things were kind of crazy this year, and even in to 2022, so it’s best to ask early.

Do you need to have all the details figured out before you contact me? No! It’s helpful to know your color preferences, the overall style or vibe you’re going for, in addition to the number in your wedding party and a rough estimate of the number of guests invited. 

Do you need to have an exact floral budget? It’s helpful to have a general idea of your overall wedding budget as well as the main goals or focus of your wedding.  Just know that your wedding day team makes your dream come true! Make sure you bring professional people on board who you trust to execute your vision with care and excellence. 

It’s easy to get started:

• First fill out the wedding questionnaire here and share some details about your wedding with me. I will get back to you asap.

• Then we will set up a phone consultation. (Ideally we hit it off and decide we’re a good match.)

• Next, I put together a preliminary proposal for you to make sure we’re on the same page in terms of style and budget before signing a contract.

• Finally, if you decide you’d like to move forward, a signed contract and deposit will secure your date and you can officially cross “find florist” off of your to-do list!

Absolutely amazing! Jennifer was an absolute delight to work with. She helped put my wedding floral dreams to life. Our wedding was postponed due to COVID and she was so flexible and understanding which we so much appreciated. She also traveled to our venue and set everything up in the most gorgeous way. Our wedding day was so perfect and it wouldn’t have been possible without Clover and Honey flowers. Thank you so much Jennifer, you are an angel and I l loved working with you!

~Makenzie, review from WeddingWire

Our Process…

I bring your vision to life so that your flowers are not only beautiful, but perfect for you! I want to take your floral designs to the next level.

• I listen and interpret your style so I can pull together the best parts of your ideas to create a cohesive look.

• I hand-select your flowers, inspecting for quality so they are the freshest available.

• I advise you on details that fall outside the realm of flowers to ensure design consistency.

• You’ll find it easy to reach me when you have questions or need advice.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Decorating with Wreaths Year Round

Check out the recent Redfin article we were featured in:

Stunning Wreath Decorating Ideas to Adorn Your Home All Season Long

When it comes to festive decor, wreaths are undoubtedly one of the most popular and classic options to bring holiday cheer to your home. And with so many different options, from classic florals to show-stopping festive ornaments, decorating with wreaths doesn’t have to be limited to just the holidays - with a few simple swaps, you can seamlessly transition your wreaths to suit the season.

Redfin reached out to us and other experts from Victoria, BC, to Tampa, FL, for our best wreath decorating ideas to adorn your home. Whether your style is whimsical and playful or rustic and organic, take a look at these wreath design ideas to find one (or a couple) that’ll speak to your home’s aesthetic. 

Stunning Wreath Decorating Ideas to Adorn Your Home All Season Long

 If you are interested in learning to make fresh or dried wreaths for any season with a group of friends, let me know! I love teaching you new tricks about floral things!

Married in Madison- Jenna and Robbie

Jenna and Robbie were married in Madison, Kansas on August 21, 2021. It was a beautiful sunny summer day in this small town and I’m so excited to share their wedding flowers with you.

These kind words from Jenna are why I love my job- “I want to say thank you so much for agreeing to be our florist, we truly could not have picked anyone better. The flowers were absolutely perfect and exactly what I was hoping for!”

All photos by Jennie Marie Photography

The couples’ colors were dusty blue, slate, and navy with sage and blush. Jenna’s bouquet was hand-tied, with white anemone and blush garden roses, blue thistle, other blush and ivory flowers with mixed greenery including seeded eucalyptus.

There is just something special about a church wedding for me. The beautiful architecture and windows, flowers on the altar, friends and family in the pews are all wonderful symbols of the love surrounding this couple.

This is Jenna with her bouquet outside of the First Christian Church in Madison, Kansas.

The reception was held at the Sauder Center in Madison. Every detail was thoughtfully considered–from the mismatched antique china, to the display of both mothers’ wedding gowns, to the rustic wood and burlap accents–the theme was unique and romantic throughout every detail.

By far my favorite thing about this wedding was the story of the car. Jenna’s grandfather drove away with her grandmother after their wedding in this very same car many years before. The family spent time cleaning it up and getting it to run for Jenna’s wedding. Jenna told me even if someone had to tow the car with a tractor, she would definitely be seen pulling away from her wedding with Robbie in this car. As far as I know the departure went off without a tractor!

What a joy it was to work with both Jenna and her mother Diane on this beautiful wedding. My clients are the best and some of the kindest people you ever want to work with, including this family. Congratulations to Jenna and Robbie and best wishes for a happy, healthy marriage!

The Everything Shortage

I just read an article called “America is Running Out of Everything” by Derek Thompson. He called it the Everything Shortage and I know we are all experiencing some version of this in our own lives.

My recent examples:

• Black beans- Walmart online would only let me purchase two cans and I needed three!

• McDonald’s- I just wanted a medium coffee with three creams at 9am at the drive through and there were 20 cars in front of me not moving. So I got out of line and went to Wendy’s.

• Wendy’s- Only three cars, and they had coffee! But no medium or small cups so I had to get a large. ( Which was fine with me BTW).

• White flowers for weddings- so few options, lots of substitutions and higher prices.

Which brings me to the point of this blog. I just want to sincerely say thank you to all the couples I work with for allowing me the creative license to choose the specific flowers for your wedding. For trusting me to make the best possible choice given all my current options. The Everything Shortage has hit the wedding world too with shortages of not only flowers, but vases, corsage glue, and other basic design supplies. But the floral industry as a whole is trying VERY hard to make sure you have the wedding of your dreams. The wholesalers are scrambling to source your flowers, local growers are stepping up to offer more options and florists are sharing supplies with each other. 

I’m sharing this with you just to let your know you are appreciated for your patience and understanding. When I place your order, I’m usually very picky about specific varieties/names of every flower I order, but this year I’ve learned to be patient and understanding as well. And so far everything has turned out beyond expectations, even if I didn’t quite get my first choice on everything. So hang in there if you are also feeling the effects of these shortages right now. Everything will be perfectly beautiful on your wedding day!

Jenny Marie Photography

Hannah Kraus Photography

How It's Made- Wedding Flowers Edition

I wonder if you’ve wondered what goes on in my floral studio the week before a wedding? I thought I would share some photos that explain my job as a wedding florist and give you some insight into what happens behind the scenes. Never a dull moment!

It starts out pretty calm. My studio is relatively clean and organized. The trash is empty and the flower buckets are all clean. I love this feeling. This is Monday. 

On Tuesday I pre-fill all the buckets with water and flower food so I am ready for flower delivery on Wednesday. I also check all my supplies- tape, wire, floral glue, ribbon, vases. I will not have time to run to town and purchase these things anytime later this week!

Wednesday is the big day! My wholesaler delivers all the flowers I spent so much time choosing for your wedding, and puts them in my cooler. The next step for me is to make sure I got everything I ordered, in the right colors and quantities. Seems like that should not be a problem, but I work with Mother Nature. Sometimes flowers are smaller than I expected due to extreme weather where they were grown. Sometimes the wholesaler will substitute for something else that may be way too pink when I needed blush. Sometimes the flowers looked fine in their protective wrap but are in bad condition when I open them up. Luckily I work with some great growers and wholesalers that help me get everything I need even if they have to come back on Thursday!

Designing with flowers

Red roses

Eucalyptus greenery

Thursday and Friday are my work days. I need to prioritize from your order what can be made two days before the wedding and what will need to be made the day before. In general, bouquets are made Thursday because I want them to have the very best flowers from each bunch, and because they are stored in vases with water so they will last longer. Boutonnieres and corsages need to be made on Friday because they do not have a water source. 

As you can see by these photos, it’s at this point my whole studio looks like a flower explosion. I’m not neat or careful about where the stems and leaves end up. I have little piles of greenery and flowers everywhere, and I’m constantly moving buckets of flowers in and out of the cooler. Controlled chaos.

When I have the bride’s bouquet done, I “try it on”.  If you look you can see my arm in this photo. I stand in front of the mirror with it and look at it the way a photographer would, looking for holes or things that just don’t sit right.  

When the corsages and boutonnieres are done, they all get bagged and labeled. I have learned over the years to triple check everything I do. I get the names of everyone receiving flowers from the bride, make the labels, and check the list against the actual order, just to make sure nothing gets overlooked. 

And then it’s wedding day! For an average wedding, it takes about 45 minutes to load my vehicle. The bouquets are in vases loaded in special crates. Everything else is packed strategically so nothing gets crushed. (It should be noted here that strategically packing a car is not my forte’ but I’m getting better!) In the summer, I have the AC on full blast. In the winter, I have to make sure everything is covered in plastic. And then I drive like my grandma the whole way to the wedding! I am always so happy and relieved to empty my vehicle and get positive feedback on my work. The anxiety that has built up over the last week is all gone when the bride tells me how much she loves her bouquet.

Here are the top five things that motivate me during wedding week:

1.) Country Music on Alexa while I work. (Weirdly this is the only time in my life that I listen to country music).

2.) LaCroix

3.) Dot’s Pretzels

4.) Friends that help me on big weddings. (It’s lonely working alone).

5.) The music I’ve been listening to as I deliver the flowers: Jason Mraz, Classic Rock, and Hamilton the musical!

I really love wedding flowers! Please refer me to all your friends- wedding weekends are filling up for 2022!

Makenzie and Jordan at the Historic Post Office

May 1, 2021

Makenzie Harder and Jordan Turner were married on a beautiful spring day in May, exactly 364 days after they originally planned to be married. The venue changed, the guest list changed, the floral order changed slightly, and I’m sure there were many other things I don’t even know about. Like other couples who needed to change their wedding date in 2020, these two had to make adjustments. But through it all, from my perspective, they did it with much grace and compassion for the situation and the vendors they were working with. 

For me this wedding held many firsts. It was my first re-schedule from 2020. It was my first time doing a wedding at the beautiful Historic Post Office in Ottawa, Kansas. And it was the first time I have had to lean on friends and family to help me put a big wedding together, while I was with my husband in the hospital as he was having heart surgery. I couldn’t have done it without help! I didn’t want this couple to know my situation because I knew that could add stress to their perfect day. So from processing all the flowers for me, to designing centerpieces, to delivering and setting up with me, Alice, Gay and Maryann are the reason I was able to keep my anxiety at bay and deliver what I promised to Makenzie. Everything turned out perfectly, including my husband’s heart surgery, and I am so thankful for people I can rely on when things are crazy.

Makenzie’s dream was blush, navy, dusty blue, gray, elegant, formal, peonies and Gerber daisies. We met over coffee way back in 2019 and talked about her favorite flowers and the overall feeling of her wedding. She was one of those brides who trusted me from the beginning and that makes my job so easy.  She was truly a joy to work with. And as another first for me, she was the first bride in 10 years to email me the day after her wedding to tell me how much she loved her flowers!

It’s all in the details when it comes to designing wedding flowers. The centerpieces were sitting on a slice of wood from a family farm. The dusty blue ribbons on the brides bouquet holding her grandmother’s rings. The simplicity of the cake flowers. And the ceremony arch built and stained by her father. (Professional photos by Adam Pane)

I can’t say enough about this beautiful venue. The lighting in the dining room was beautiful and the private courtyard with the big old tree was perfect for the ceremony. From the florist’s perspective delivering two carloads of heavy floral things, the back entry with just a few steps made everything so easy. And the staff was the best, great communication and helpful on wedding day.

I always take a picture of the bride’s bouquet on the same limestone rock near my flower garden, and I use no filters. It helps me to remember the true color of things for future weddings.

And here they are! Makenzie and Jordan, happily married in 2021! I’m sure they would agree it was worth the wait. Thank you for letting me be a part of your magical day!

Sisters in St. Louis

My sister’s sister-in-law got married in St. Louis on September 5, 2020 and I got to be the wedding florist! I was happy and honored to be a part of Mary Beth and James’ big day, but I was equally thrilled and excited to work , play and hang out with my sister Melissa who I hadn’t seen in months thanks to the pandemic.

When I said yes to this wedding, I knew I would have to find a place to purchase flowers and design in St. Louis since it is six hours from my studio. A huge thank you to the Baisch and Skinner home office for renting Melissa and me space to work, and allowing me to order and pick up all my flowers from them. They are my wholesaler at home as well, with a branch in Topeka. Always the very best customer service!

The wedding was held at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church and the reception was at The Cedars Event Center. It was a joy to work with Mary Beth on all the details. After a year that created many challenges for everyone, especially the Abkemeier family, it was so nice to be able to help with this event that brought joy to such a nice family.

Mary Beth’s colors were shades of plum and lavender with pale yellow accents. We used lavender roses, plum callas, lisianthus, scabiosa, and ranunculus, along with yellow stock. Beautiful for a late summer/early fall wedding!

I just had to include this picture to prove we were in St. Louis! It was such a fun weekend spending time with my sister. Even though she’s not a florist, she has worked in the business and has the same love of flowers I do. It was hectic not working in my own studio and not knowing my way around the area, but Melissa and I even managed to find time for some takeout food and a glass of wine. Congratulations to Mary Beth and James and thank you so much for choosing me to be your florist!

Photos by Sarah Klump with White-Klump Photography

Sarah and Branson at the Hartford Methodist Church

The wedding of Sarah Moyer and Branson Kocher was at the Hartford Methodist Church in Hartford Kansas on October 10, 2020. What a beautiful small town church! Old woodwork, stained glass windows and lots of wedding memories over the years I’m sure.

Thomas Felts Photography

And look at that dress! So classic, and the little details were stunning. Sarah made such a beautiful bride. Her flower request for her bouquet was burgundy dahlias and anything that went with them.

There were FOUR flower girls wearing flower crowns and dropping rose petals. Plumosus crowns with baby’s breath and pixie carnations in burgundy.

Sarah’s bouquet- a close up. There are Quicksand roses, blush anemone, astrantia, burgundy hypericum berries, spray roses and burgundy dahlias,

Sarah and Branson

I have so many connections with Sarah and her family. Her mother is a close friend of mine, we are all PEO sisters, and our families were a part of the same 4H club. I’ve said it before, but it is always a joy to work with a bride that I know. I pride myself on making the day extra special with my attention to detail, and that is so much easier when I have that personal connection.

Click here if you are interested in working with me!

Ashton and Dustin at Cider Gallery in Lawrence, Kansas

The notes from my first consult with Ashton about her wedding flowers still make me smile. Dusty blush, bronze, berries, grasses, vermilion, rust, textural. She was definitely speaking to my heart as a florist with all the artistic elements she pictured for her wedding. It was a joy to work with her and her ideas! (all photos by Clay and Maggie Swanson, @clay_and_maggie)

The wedding was August 22, 2020 and the colors Ashton and Dustin chose for their wedding were rust/vermilion, navy and mixed greenery. I used magnolia leaves, olive branch, agonis, ruscus and eucalyptus to get the color and texture we were looking for.

Here are some of the detail pieces: The hexagon backdrop (made by her dad) with mixed flowers, agonis, kangaroo paw and lots of Italian Ruscus, a lantern with rust mums and viburnum berries, and the cake with Toffee roses and eucalyptus.

This is one of my favorite pictures! Something about ring bearers and flower girls! Her sweet flower crown was made with Brown Sugar spray roses on a plumosus crown.

Just another picture of the bouquet and the bridesmaids so we can gush over the color of those dresses!

When I get the opportunity to do wedding flowers for a family I know it somehow makes my job easier. My connection to Ashton was many things- church, 4H, family friends, and her grandmother and I are Master Gardeners together in Lyon County. I feel like I have some helpful insight, and even more important, I like picturing what they will think when they see the flowers for the first time. I am thinking of all those connections when I’m designing.

Ashton’s bouquet was a mix of all the things I’ve already mentioned and a few blessings from my garden like millet, ninebark and Russian sage. It was a lovely day at a lovely venue with a lovely couple. I wish them many happy days and happy memories in their new life together!

Spring, is that you?

I admit I’ve been hibernating/hermitting for the last few weeks. Everything is strange and weird and different and I like things to stay the same. Not my best quality. All my 2020 customers are dealing with hard decisions every day and I don’t feel like I have any good advice or insight to share. Our whole floral industry is on hold- from the growers, to the shippers, to the wholesalers. No one knows the answers to any of the hard questions. So I just kept quiet. But then I decided to get some fresh air/fresh perspective and pull some weeds. And guess what? Spring came in the middle of a global pandemic! Some things do stay the same and I couldn’t be more grateful! So here are some pictures of better things to come, especially in my little flower garden world. These are all things I have used in your bouquets and will again for all my future brides. Happy Spring!

This one is new from late last summer and I can’t wait to use it. Stairway to Heaven- Jacob’s Ladder.

Sweet little fine foliage plant that turns silver gray as it grows into a mound- Silver Mound Artemisia.

I know it’s hard to tell but this shrub’s leaves will turn dark burgundy as they grow. The perfect bouquet accent for fall weddings.

This is a peony! I am so excited to watch this grow and bloom. One of my favorites!

Purple Hyacinth- I don’t get to use this flower very often as it blooms in early spring when I don’t have many weddings. But it blooms with many flowers on a stalk and smells heavenly.

And of course Tomato plants! I don’t have a huge garden anymore but I always plant at least a few tomatoes in my flower beds.

I know that to others these might just be pictures of dirt and leaves, but I see more. Gardening is a hopeful hobby. In my mind, I can always see the great things to come. So I walk through my spring flowers every day looking forward to what summer will bring. I am hopeful for summer and fall weddings and I will be ready to help you plan your wedding flowers, or make changes and updates when you need to. Hopeful, faithful, positive and optimistic. These are the words I use most when things are hard and they definitely apply to gardening and pandemics!

Rustic Boho Fall Wedding at Mill Creek Lodge in Alma, Kansas

The weather was absolutely perfect for an outdoor fall wedding. The setting was too. The wedding of Abby and Dayton Allen was held on October 19, 2019 at a beautifully restored barn/lodge venue on Mill Creek in Alma, Kansas. Abby’s idea for a rustic boho wedding was pulled together with vintage carpets, macrame, bolo ties, and fall colors including burgundy, blush, forest green, and burnt orange with lots of copper accents.

Big copper mums, peach carnations, hanging amaranthus, pepperberry, orange waxflower and agonis were used to adorn a pumpkin for the entry.

The groom’s boutonniere was a single brown cymbidium orchid with waxflower and copper wire.

This might be my favorite part of the decor. Dayton built a rustic tepee frame for the ceremony backdrop and we added the florals. Pampas grass, rust, peach, and burnt orange flowers with lots of mixed greenery including agonis, ruscus, and silver dollar eucalyptus.

Why do the girls look way more serious than the boys? Good question that only the photographer may know the answer to! Aren’t these photos beautiful? All by the amazing Hannah Kraus Photography. And another favorite detail of Abby’s inspiration is the hoops for the bridesmaids with mixed greenery, fall flowers and succulents.

This beautiful bouquet checked all my boxes- garden style, lots of texture, vibrant color palette and interesting florals. I loved the way it turned out and think it captured Abby’s dream of a rustic boho wedding.

One more thing that made this wedding so very special- Dayton and Abby are family- and it was a joy and an honor to be the florist for their beautiful fall wedding. I wish them all the very best in their new life together.

If you are newly engaged and want to talk about pretty flowers with me for your 2020 wedding (or 2021!) just hit the Check My Date button at the top of this page! I have some AMAZING couples booked for the new year but I’m looking for some more! Are you one of those couples? I would love to get to know you and talk about your wedding. And if I was your florist and you are seeing this give me shout out if you loved your wedding flowers. Thank you so much!

Irish wedding in Emporia, Kansas

October 19, 2019

The wedding of Kait Duran and Dan Minihan happened on a beautiful fall day in October. I met with Kait for coffee on a cold day in February to discuss wedding flowers and her beautiful wedding. She had an idea of colors and knew that she did not want any roses! The reception at the Clint Bowyer Building in Emporia would be decorated to celebrate the families’ Irish heritage with shamrock plants on every table, grown especially for the wedding. 

The ceremony was held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Emporia, KS and the only decoration Kait wanted was simple bundles of mixed eucalyptus hand-tied with plum satin ribbon.  We tied these to the end of each pew down the church aisle.

The details in this wedding made it magical. We used Bells of Ireland in the bouquets and the groom’s boutonniere. 

Bride’s bouquet with dahlias, queen anne’s lace, astrantia and bells of Ireland

There was a gold cross charm tied to the bride’s bouquet that was a family heirloom from Ireland and over 100 years old. This cross has been tied to every bride’s bouquet in the family over the years. And using no roses was a challenge I accepted happily- it was fun to think outside the wedding box- using flowers like dahlias, chocolate Queen Anne’s Lace, astrantia, and button mums.

“Originally I didn’t want flowers for my wedding but was convinced I needed them. After searching around and asking friends I found Clover and Honey. Not only was Jennifer friendly and professional but she really knows her stuff! The day of my wedding when she delivered my flowers I almost cried with how beautiful they were! I was blown away that I could go from not wanting flowers at all to not wanting to put them down! Thank you, Jennifer for showing me the beauty of flowers!” Kait Minihan

Kait’s reaction to her bouquet is why I love what I do.  I am thrilled that my passion for flowers comes through in my work. And I am humbled to know I can make my brides’ wedding dreams come true!

All photos by Swander Photography

Katie and Adam at Magnolia Venue and Urban Garden, August 17, 2019 →

This story starts in the year 2001 for Katie and me. She was my daughter’s best friend in 5th grade and that was the year they talked their parents into letting them join a traveling summer softball league. So many long weekends and so much fun. And here we are in 2019 with Maryann standing up with Katie in her wedding to Adam. Good friends last a lifetime.

Photos by Brittyn Elizabeth Photography

The wedding colors were classic with dusty blue dresses, charcoal suits, creamy white flowers, and mixed greenery including several types of eucalyptus as well as magnolia leaves.

Katie’s bouquet included white Mondial roses, white garden roses, brunia, waxflower, stock and lisianthus.

It was a perfectly perfect day with lots of sunshine and lots of laughs. I was honored to be a part of this wedding and wish Katie and Adam all the love and happiness they deserve!

Photo by Brittyn Elizabeth Photography