Larkin and Martha's Wedding

Larkin Bennett and Martha Johnston were married on August 15, 2020. It was sunny. It was warm. It was beautiful! To be fair, I’m biased because Larkin is my son, but it really was a wonderful day.

My sweet new daughter in law Martha was the perfect bride when it came to designing wedding flowers. She told me she loves purple and was fine with whatever flowers I chose to use. What could be more fun for a florist?

Martha’s bouquet was a mix of all shades of purple, and had lots of texture. Ocean Song roses, plum ranunculus, anemone, larkspur, stock, veronica and scabiosa.

This wedding was such a family affair- top to bottom! The photographer for the amazing photos was Hannah Kraus Photography and her husband, Connor, my stepson and daughter in law. My grand daughters were the flower girls, Nora and Eleanor. And Larkin and Martha’s day was complete when they got to take photos with their chocolate labs, Rebel and Hazel.

Our Family- these kind of pictures always make me so happy and thankful.

Larkin and Martha's families

Larkin's Family

One of the best parts of their wedding ceremony was the tree planting. Sort of a unity ceremony that blended their two families together. Larkin is from Kansas, Martha is from Minnesota, and they have made their home, and bought a farm, in Iowa. For the ceremony they each added dirt from their home state to an oak tree that they later planted on their Iowa farm. How cool is that?

Each one of my weddings is special to me. I wouldn’t be in the business of wedding flowers if I didn’t care about each and every wedding I do. But of course this one is extra special. Larkin is my last child to be married, so there is also a sigh of relief!

I saved the best picture for last. The look of pure joy on Larkin and Martha’s faces is exactly how it should be on your wedding day!

For the love of houseplants!

In this crazy out-of-our-control year, let’s talk about something that adds joy to our lives just by existing. Houseplants! Okay maybe it’s just me, but there is something about growing things that keeps me grounded (pun intended) and reminds me that some parts of life aren’t cancelled. Like spring, summer, fall and winter. For three seasons, I love my big cut flower garden, but in winter it’s my houseplants that make me happy. I am a firm believer that armed with good information anyone can keep a houseplant alive and thriving. So here is everything you need to know!

First things first! What plant to buy? It all depends on your available light. Decide what room the plant will live in, and check the light. Big south window? Office with no window? North or east window with low light? Make sure you research which plants work best in that space. This little Peperomia sits on my office desk and only gets light when I turn the light on. It’s doing okay but a Sansevieria would be a better choice for no natural light.

Another consideration is size. In order, these are Bird of Paradise, Ponytail Palm, Kimberly Queen fern, and Norfolk Pine. They are all BIG, which is fine in the summer when they spend their days on my covered porch. But before first frost I’m scrambling to rearrange my house and find a helper to help me lug them inside. Still love them! If you are looking for a plant that can totally be ignored, it’s the Norfolk Pine. That one is probably 10-12 years old, has only grown about 6 inches and requires very little water. I know this because I constantly forget to water it and it always looks fine!

This is one of several Phalaenopsis orchids that I have. They also spend their summers outside, no special attention at all, watered with the garden hose. The key to re-blooming is never cutting off the bloom stem- it will produce new buds. This is my favorite flowering houseplant.

See where the grasshopper ate those leaves? This is how you know my plants are on the porch right now. See those bring green fruits? This is my lemon tree! I have absolutely no advice for you on how to successfully grow lemons or limes. I have had both trees for about 10 years and they only bloom and bear fruit when they feel like it. It’s been three years since I’ve had a single lemon.

This little guy is Pilea or Coin Plant, or Pancake Plant. It’s the newest addition to my collection and so far has been easy to grow. If you are just getting started, start small. The real keys to success for any potted plant is to grow them in a pot with a hole for drainage (a must), fertilize in the summer/don’t fertilize in winter, repot in late winter/early spring and then let them spend their summers in the fresh air, somewhere protected from direct sun. They can not tolerate frost (because houseplants are all considered tropical) so don’t put them out until danger of last frost is over and bring them in before freezing weather in the fall. In Kansas, the average dates for first and last frost are October 15 and April 15.

Even though I am an Extension Master Gardener in Kansas, most of my houseplant knowledge came from trial and error, and I have had to tell myself many times that it’s okay to throw away a plant that’s on it’s last leg even though they all feel like children to me.

Here’s a link from K-State Extension that has all the best information on growing your own houseplants, but the key is to just dive in!

Basic Care of Houseplants

November Wedding in Bonner Springs, Kansas

This was the weekend before Thanksgiving and the weather was beautiful for Jenn and Dalton’s wedding. The wedding was held at The Farms at Woodend Springs in Bonner Springs, Kansas. With a huge porch and big beautiful windows, it is a lovely venue for any event.

The guys wore navy, the girls wore sage green, and the bride wanted touches of apricot in her bouquet. I can’t tell you how excited I was to see this color combination come to life and it was so pretty. If you have ever read any of my blogs, you know I love greenery. But a November wedding is extra-special because I can add winter greens like cedar, pine and balsam fir to my regular mix of seeded, baby blue and willow eucalyptus.

Jenn used a lot of natural elements like wood accents throughout the venue, from the arch for the ceremony to the farm table for the head table to the wood slice under the cake.

The bride’s bouquet included white dahlias, white roses, stock, feverfew and veronica along with peach spray roses, apricot hypericum berry, and orange waxflower. And lots of mixed greenery!

Jenn’s flower crown with spray roses and berries made the perfect finishing touch for a beautiful bride. There’s just something about wearing a crown…

This is just the perfect picture of happiness. I don’t get to spend much time getting to know my brides and grooms but I FEEL like I know them by the time I deliver a wedding. Jenn’s fall schedule was very busy so she was thankful that planning wedding flowers could mostly be done by email. My goal is always to make the process easy, deliver exactly what the couple wanted, with amazing service and attention to detail. It makes me happy to see them so happy!

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

My Wedding- August 10, 2019- Eskridge, KS

This is my wedding- my story. On August 10, 2019, I married a man I love very much and it was a wonderful day filled with all the people I love most. Many of you know that my last ten years have been a journey I didn’t plan. But that’s life and we all have stories. The smiles in these pictures represent everything good about unexpected journeys, and being able to accept, adjust and move forward. And a special thank you to our daughter-in-law, Hannah Kraus, for capturing everything perfect about this day in photos. @hannahkrausphotography

I know I’m a florist and you would think flowers would be an important part of my day but….. I was just too lazy and honestly more interested in the food and wedding cake! I did make myself a bouquet of my favorite flower-Stock, in three colors. And I decorated our historic park bandstand with Smilax which was super fun to work with!

Martha, Larkin, Nora, Hannah, Connor, Warren, Jennifer, Maryann, Ellie, Zeb, Erica, and Ryan

Two of my favorite quotes and ones that I think about often. ““What lies behind us, and what lies before us are but tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson. and “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.”- Robert Browning.

The food was amazing. Amy and Lucas Moody. @forkluvsspoon

It was a really hot day in August and we had fun anyway! With all of our friends, amazing food, and yes, yard games including volleyball, we celebrated everything great about finding the person you love.

Wedding Flowers at The Brownstone, Topeka, Kansas →

June began with a beautiful summer Sunday wedding at The Brownstone in Topeka, Kansas. The bride and groom had a long distance relationship- from Mississippi to South Africa! and chose Topeka as the destination since it was close to her hometown. There was so much joy in the air as we set up, so many family members and friends excited to see Rachel and Reece get married.

Ceremony Arch with all white flowers and mixed greenery

The pictures above from Megan Hein Photography capture the simple elegance of this wedding. White, ivory and cream roses with blue thistle, waxflower and large mums. Also mixed eucalyptus with silver dollar, baby blue and gunni.

Brides’ Bouquet

Dusty Blues and Greens

The picture above is one I took before the ceremony. Flowers featured are roses, stock, thistle, caspia, willow eucalyptus, gunni eucalyptus, and waxflower.

You don’t have to obsess over every detail to have a beautiful wedding!…with a few inspiration photos, an understanding of the overall wedding style and some freedom to create, I’m happy to run with an idea and bring it to life!

How do you want your wedding day to feel? Start with the feeling and build your plans from there.

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!

Corsages and Boutonnieres- Do we need them?

Do we need corsages and boutonnieres for anyone in our wedding party? Remind me again what they are? And why is boutonniere so hard to spell?

What are boutonnieres and corsages?

A corsage is a small bundle of flowers that is pinned to the lapel of a woman's clothing or tied around her wrist. Taken from the French word for buttonhole, the boutonniere is a small, single flower or the grouping of two or three flowers worn on the lapel of the groom or the other men in the ceremony.

Who wears them?

Traditionally everyone in your wedding party wears or carries flowers, but you are free to make your choices on this one. In most weddings I’ve done, groom and groomsmen wear boutonnieres that match what the bride and bridesmaids are carrying. Beyond that, there are lots of options. Most couples either don’t know the full count yet of what they will need or haven’t even thought about this question.

Here are some things to think about. Corsages and boutonnieres are a way to honor important people in your life. If your families and friends don’t really know each other, and they see someone at the reception wearing a corsage or boutonniere, then they know immediately that person is someone special to you.

Personal flowers, like corsages and boutonnieres, are a way to identify the people guiding the service, i.e. ushers. At large weddings, it’s nice to know who to ask for information. Other personal flowers could be flower crowns for flower girls or tiny boutonnieres for the ring bearers.

So groom, groomsmen, ushers. Who else? Most importantly- moms! They do so much work to help plan your wedding and their only reward is a beautiful corsage! Also grandmothers, fathers, grandfathers, readers, musicians, candle lighters, hostesses, personal attendants, officiants……. you get the idea. Anyone you want to honor and recognize.

With so many important people, where do you draw the line? Totally your choice. There is no right or wrong. While I enjoy making corsages and boutonnieres, they are a lot of work. Kind of like tiny little flower arrangements that take a lot of abuse through the day, and need to be sturdy enough to last. I love the creativity of them and definitely try to put some character into each one, thinking specifically about who I am making it for.

Please let me know if I can help you plan your beautiful wedding flowers. My favorite part of the process is meeting you and discussing all the little details!

How to spell boutonniere- one t, two n’s, one r, lots of vowels.

Jenn’s Portrait Photography

Kristen Golden Photography

Thankful!

I am so thankful for all the brides I worked with in 2018. I learned so much from each and every one of you! I will admit there was a time early in my floral career where I was afraid of you as a collective group. I had heard so many negative stories about the crazy ones, the picky ones, the mean ones. But I quickly figured out that you are not all the same, and you are really just nice people trying to plan a stressful event. I love being able to help you by making your wedding flower decisions easy, and I strive to offer over-the-top customer service. So thank you to all of you awesome people for making my job easy and fun!

Here are some fun behind-the-scene photos of my weddings this year:

This is how I plan your flowers. Hot tea, cookies, and inspiration. I spend hours (literally) choosing your flowers, writing quotes, ordering, changing and emailing.

This my studio. Clean and ready for a Wednesday when flowers arrive. Before the chaos.

Buckets of flowers! Ranunculus and Proteas. Orchids, roses and callas. Dahlias! This is what Thursdays look like. All the flowers have been processed, cleaned and put into buckets and into my cooler overnight.

And the work begins! Buckets of beautiful flowers everywhere, and messes! Lots of scraps, tools, leaves and stems.

Finally the finished product. I “try on” every bouquet and stand in front of a mirror to make sure every flower is where I want it to be.

I usually make corsages and boutonnieres last because they do not have a water source and I want them to last through your whole day. They are like tiny bouquets and require some patience!

Delivery day! Truthfully it is a huge relief to finally deliver and set up all your beautiful flowers, and it’s exciting for me to see it all come together.

Leftovers are my reward for a long week. I enjoy taking what’s left and making something fun for my kitchen counter.

So that’s what happens after we meet! I have had a wonderful year and can’t wait to meet so many more wonderful people in 2019. I count you all as my new friends and I am very thankful to have been a part of your wedding.

Where the magic begins.... →

Have you ever considered the idea that wedding flowers are a crop? They are grown in huge fields all over the world just for your bouquet. Holland, Ecuador, California, Japan, Alaska, Colombia and Kansas. Even in my backyard! As I have mentioned here before I love the idea of adding something I’ve grown to every bouquet, just a little blessing from me to you for a happy life. 

This year adding my own flowers has become a big challenge. I moved last fall from my house with very established cut flower gardens and a beautiful variety of shrubs for unique greenery. My new house sadly has no flowers! (I know right?) So this spring on days when it was warm enough, I started planting all the things I love and miss. Hopefully at this time next year my yard will be filled with blooms. 

Here are a few of my favorites things and a couple of surprises:

Eucalyptus- favorite wedding varieties are seeded, silver dollar or Gunni

Citronella- Not only does it smell like lemons, I love the cut-leaf foliage

Scabiosa or pincushion flower- it comes in so many great sizes and colors

Astilbe- there are two tiny little buds showing. This is a fluffy filler that comes in white, pale pink and red

Zebra Mallow- just another sweet little purple flower

Dusty Miller- who doesn't love pale gray fuzzy foliage?

Heuchera- a foliage plant in many beautiful colors with dark veins

A skink- not what I wanted to see but I've been told they eat bugs. So I guess we'll be friends.

Tree Frog- my other friend

Nora's first day as a freelance gardener/florist. Not a bad start- she only ate one leaf!

So wish me luck, sunny skies and weekly rain! I can't wait to have blooming flowers at my fingertips when it's time to work on your beautiful wedding.

7 Beautiful Wedding Backdrops →

If your wedding ceremony is in a church, the backdrop is already beautiful. Most churches are decorated with subtle colors, ornate crosses, altar tables, candles, etc. And sometimes churches do not allow you to add much to the altar area as far as backdrops and flowers. If this is true of your wedding just be happy that you can spend more money on flowers at your reception!

If your wedding is somewhere other than a church, you may need to provide a beautiful backdrop- something behind the two of you that will frame every picture. Here are 7 ideas that work both indoors and outside. 

Cali and Daniel Page, Photo by Jenna Edds Photography

Two vase arrangements of dahlias, eucalyptus and amaranthus on a narrow table with candles made the perfect simple backdrop in front of a rustic brick wall and windows. The view from these windows at the Lyon County History Center in Emporia, KS was definitely part of the backdrop for this wedding ceremony. 

Jenna and Justin Hill wedding, Mary Cramer Photography

Jenna and Justin Hill wedding, Mary Cramer Photography

This wedding had a backdrop both outside and inside at the Bowyer Building in Emporia, KS. The wooden planks with two open doors we decorated with Baby's Breath wreaths. And inside, the wooden ladder arbor with the hanging chandelier we draped with a garland made with asparagus fern and salal and a mixture of coral flowers and baby's breath.

Alex and Alex Medenciy wedding, Claire Ryser photographer

This is the perfect backdrop for your sweetheart table. The greenery garland with mixed berry flowers framing a lighted M, along with a gorgeous centerpiece of anemone, protea, blackberries, artichoke and carnations was perfect for the couple's Farmer's Market theme.

Melea and Kale Stone wedding, KHRogg Photography

This is a traditional backdrop that many churches will allow you to use and decorate. The candleabra is decorated with mixed greenery, white tulips, stock and roses.

Elizabeth and Kyle Terstriep wedding, Tracy Routh Photography

This formal wedding at Mildale Farm in Edgerton, KS was mostly Baby's Breath and pink roses. We used greenery garland covered in Baby's Breath for the wrought iron arch backdrop and it was the perfect frame for this happy couple!

Alex and Alex Medenciy wedding

This was such a fun challenge! This was the bride's vision of a floral curtain for the wedding ceremony in her family's barn. I used foraged branches from a maple tree, ruscus, and asparagus fern, then made strings of flowers using carnations, stock, and roses. The result was stunning. 

As you can see, you are only limited by your imagination when it comes to the perfect backdrop for your wedding. The options are endless! I would love to hear your ideas. It is my goal as your florist to bring your visions to life!

I am a Flower Nerd (and you can be one too!) →

I really do love flowers. I grew up vegetable gardening with my dad and flower gardening with my mom. I got my college degree in biology. I volunteer as an Extension Master Gardener in my community. I pride myself on knowing the names of everything I grow and use in my bouquets. I know how each plant grows and where they grow best. I might even know the Latin name. I am a Flower Nerd and I am proud of that!

But not everyone is like me. When it is time to think about wedding flowers do you know the names of flowers you love? Or just know how you want your bouquet to look? Today I want to help you be a Flower Nerd so when you have that consultation with your wedding florist you will both be on the same page. Win, Win!

The flowers you most likely see on Pinterest are what a florist might refer to as premium flowers. They are most beautiful in their own season (i.e. peonies in May), sometimes difficult to acquire, and always more beautiful than everyday flowers. Yes they are slightly more expensive than what you would spend on yourself normally, but this is your wedding. Your goal is to only do this thing once, so feel free to splurge just this one time. 

Ranunculus  This is a beautiful flower with many layered petals and it comes in several colors- pinks, orange, yellow, purple, variegated and more. Ranunculus are at their best from January to May. They are available most of the year except the hottest months of the summer (end of July, August & September) when some varieties become difficult to obtain.

Anemone  This is the flower that looks a little like a poppy and has a contrasting center. The most popular color is crisp white with a black center, but other colors include bright red, pink, magenta, purple, and blue. Anemones are typically in season from October through May.  

Garden Rose  These beautiful flowers look nothing like the standard rose you normally see. Their ruffled layers make them a perfect substitute for peonies and they have a lovely rose scent. David Austin in England is a famous breeder of these roses which have the character and fragrance of old garden roses and the colors that brides love today. Peach, pinks, blush, coral, pale yellow, cream, reds and white- so many options and all incredibly beautiful. And they are available almost any time of the year!

Other flowers I love to include in bridal bouquets are things that add texture. You know from my photos that my bouquets are never boring. There are flowers like scabiosa, astilbe, thistle, stock, dahlias and celosia that add depth, color and character. If you look closely at the bouquets in these photos you will see herbs and berries like fennel, elderberry and blackberry, all from my garden. I always add something that I have grown to your bouquet as an added blessing from me to you. 

There is so much joy in flowers, and for me part of the joy is getting to know each flower personally. I hope I have encouraged you to learn a little more about what you want in your bouquet, or maybe even to start your own flower garden, so you can be a Flower Nerd like me!

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!