Wedding Flowers with Divine Design by Mandy

Finding gorgeous flower inspiration is pure joy but actually getting down to business and choosing, designing and coordinating your blooms is a whole other hurdle to jump. How are you supposed to know the difference between a peony Or foxglove? How to maximize your blooms depending on the season—and on a tight budget? That’s where your florist comes in and saves the day and your budget. Not to mention countless hours of second guessing your decisions. Trust your florist, and their expertise.

Many brides will bring photos from magazines and Pinterest to the consultation which is fantastic. However, it’s nearly impossible to re-create an image exactly, so my advice is focus less on replicating a photo and instead be open and comfortable with the fact that all your inspiration is meant to be used as a springboard for a new interpretation and design.

One of the biggest flower mistakes couples make is not being open-minded to color palettes and flower choices. Many times they have a set color palette [and florals] in mind, but don’t know about other cool, rare blooms that happen to be in season at the time of their wedding. The best couple is one who can be loose and flexible with their floral choices, then your florist can find the most beautiful blooms possible to create the perfect bouquet for their wedding day. Your planner will know just the right details to share with your vendors to ensure the overall design concept is complete.

We have asked one of our local florist, Mandy Miller, of Divine Designs by Mandy for some insight. Mandy has been a florist in Oklahoma for over 17 years and brings lots of experience in all things wedding décor to the table.

What ideas can the florist offer to make your wedding flowers unique? “As a floral designer, who specializes in weddings, every piece I design is custom and created for each client’s unique needs. I encourage my clients to think of their wedding flowers as accessories to complement the overall style of the wedding. I try to encourage that my clients make the most of their budget by allowing me to determine the flowers included in the floral collection, based on their color scheme, individual style, and season.”

What is your signature wedding bouquet style? “My design aesthetic is Romantic. I prefer wedding bouquets to be full of gorgeous blooms in shades that either complement the wedding gown or offer a wow factor by using high impact color.”
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Thank you Mandy for that wonderful advice, and for sharing a few photos of our gorgeous bouquests. Want to schedule an appointment to discuss your wedding day flowers? You can check out her website at Divine Design by Mandy.

 

What does a Day-of planner entail?

What does day-of planning entail? Does everything happen on the big day?
Not quite. While this is commonly referred to as “day-of,” a better description is “coordination for the day of the wedding.” It starts with a comprehensive consultation with the bride at least three to four weeks prior to the wedding. From there we assemble a detailed timeline for the wedding day and work to ensure that everything comes together just as the bride envisioned it. As well, some wedding venues have a requirement that a couple hire a planner or at minimum, a coordinator for the day of the wedding.

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What do day-of planning services generally cost?
Day-of coordination can range from $800 to $2,600 depending on the region, the planner’s experience and the specifics of the wedding. Are the ceremony and reception in one place or two? Are there extra details like dessert-bar setups, midnight snacks or food trucks? Will the celebration last until 2 a.m.? These aspects can all affect the cost drastically.
What are the key benefits?
The biggest and most often heard is : having the peace of mind that all the details will come together as you envisioned. The amount of resources budgeted toward a wedding can be substantial, and with just 5 to 10 percent of the cost going to coordination for the day, couples can ensure that countless hours of planning time will be made easier and that they get the most for their money. Think about it: In addition to being the center of attention, you two
are also the hosts of the celebration, unlike the days when parents took charge of wedding day festivities. If a last-minute snafu crops up, having a coordinator on board allows you to be charming, gracious hosts, rather than frazzled, last-minute problem solvers. You’ll be able to truly enjoy every moment of the day.
All in a day’s work for Tulsa Weddings & Design…

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On the big day, Our team often handles the unexpected:
Party crashers are ordering drinks at the bar and need to be asked to leave.
Groomsman is missing his tux shirt, so we implore the rental company to do an emergency delivery.
Bandleader arrives two hours late: We work with the lead singer to get the party going.
We direct traffic in the middle of the street so the photographer can capture the perfect shot.
Mother of the bride disappears just as the couple is ready to cut the wedding cake — we find her and bring her back.
The lights in the ballroom are too bright; we work with the lighting engineer to create a warm ambience.

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Here’s a Day-of planning at a glance from our seasoned team.
Formulation of wedding-day timeline and distribution to all vendors.
Coordination of all wedding professionals selected by bride and groom.
Conducting the wedding rehearsal the day before.
Coordinating all activities, including:
Assisting the bride and wedding party with dressing, photo schedules.
Guiding the bridal party through processional and recessional.
Checking details both big (final head count for caterer, number of place settings) and small (placement of favors, menus and napkin folds).
Checking floor plans, lighting levels, cake placement.
Cueing all wedding professionals.
Collection of gifts and personal items, inventory and safe removal. The coordinator is usually the last person to leave after the event has been executed and packed up for the evening.

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Designate a “tweeter of honor.”

Designate a “tweeter of honor.” What’s your thoughts on this Brides??

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For all our extreme tweetaholics…Enjoy your day and stay off your phone while still keeping everyone updated.

Your wedding day will fly by, and if you’re on your phone the whole time, you’ll miss out on what’s important. Focus on the guests who have come to celebrate with you, instead of everyone in your social media circles. You can always designate a “tweeter of honor”—it could be another bridesmaid who isn’t your maid of honor (she’ll have plenty of responsibilities already) or you can even hire someone to keep your social networks updated throughout the day so you won’t have to. Another option is to schedule tweets beforehand, so they’re ready to go without the hassle.

 

Wedding Budget 101

AF800EA2-232D-4287-8498-F51AD27307C5While there are some wedding etiquette “rules” that may feel outdated (for example, seating guests on opposite sides at the ceremony, depending on their relationship with the couple), there are some tried-and-true wedding etiquette standards that are still around for very good reasons.  The good thing is you have the freedom to pick and choose which traditions are important to you both.
Who pays for the wedding?
Yes, there are the traditional “who pays for what” items but couples nowadays rarely follow these wedding etiquette rules exactly. In fact, half of our couples pay for the majority of their wedding themselves. Parents or other loved ones can contribute in a variety of ways, from paying for the entire wedding to just paying for specific wedding-related products or services to paying for events like the rehearsal dinner to not contributing at all. But here’s the tricky part, remember that anyone who pays for the wedding does get a say in whatever it is they’re paying for. So if your parents are paying for your venue rental fee, you need to make sure they’re happy with the wedding location you choose.

How do I ask my parents/family to contribute to my wedding?
Very politely. Sometimes parents will willingly express their desire to assist with the wedding budget, but you may need to make the first move. Prepare your parents in advance for the conversation (not a topic for Thanksgiving dinner, for example). When asking your parents about this potentially sensitive subject, first ask them if (not how much) they would be able to contribute. If they say say yes, be prepared to discuss how much they would be comfortably be able to spend, or what areas of the wedding they’d like to pay for. It’s a good idea to have some knowledge of what certain wedding-related services cost, so that you can give your parents’ an idea at the initial conversation. Whatever the outcome of the conversation is, be as appreciative and grateful as possible. Once you have a budget established, meet with a wedding planner and determine how to invest your budget so you add value to your wedding and not just dollars.

 

Choosing a wedding cake

It is one of the sweetest battles you will have to endure when planning the wedding reception. Even when you decide the type of cake you want, you have the selection of flavors and filling to figure out.  From traditonal chocolate and vanilla to light and fruity flavors like strawberry and lemon (my personal fav). The many choices can be overwhelming because there are so many amazing wedding cake ideas out there.

12028720_10206287727486032_5076319698780018651_o(All Things Cake at Skiatook Springs Event Center) All Things Cake  The Springs Event Venue

In fact, one of the most exciting aspects of the day may be the wedding cake. The size, the craftsmanship, and the deliciousness are all things that guests look forward to.Many individuals love going to weddings and seeing the large wedding cake just waiting to be eaten. And to fall in line with tradition of the bride and groom cutting the cake and feeding each other the first bite. (but thats a topic for another blog) Lastly, the cake should represent the theme or vibe of your wedding day. Cheers! cake


Things to consider when ordering your cake….

  1. Number of guests to feed?
  2. Are you serving a heavy lunch or dinner before the cake?
  3. Are you serving alcohol during the reception?
  4. How long is your reception?
  5. Your budget?

Once you answer these questions you are well on your way to schedule a tasing at your favorite bakery.