Village Vines Blog : Behind the Scenes

The BIG REVEAL at Village Vines this Christmas

2011-10-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to invite you and ALL YOUR FRIENDS to join us for an incredible evening as we kick off our Christmas season and showcase the new trends for this holiday!

EVERYONE IS WELCOME FOR OUR BIG REVEAL!

We will be spending an entire weekend preparing for your arrival - as we decorate our entire store and create a beautiful showcase that will be REVEALED on November 1st at 5pm. This will be a night filled with fun, refreshments and live demos! It will be fun for all!

Features Include:

The 1st look and choice of all our new product.
An entire Christmas showroom above our store!
Ribbon demos with an additional 5% discount on all ribbon rolls!
An introduction to our new jewlery &
Jennard cheese sampling, displays and refreshments!

Rain or Shine - Our Weddings are always gorgeous!

2011-09-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Although the weather was quite rainy (it was POURING) on Friday September 23 - we still had a successful set up at the Bellamere Winery that day - the colours were beautiful and everything went perfectly.

All of our weddings were an extreme success - and as the weather cleared up on Saturday - to bring us a beautiful sunny and even potentially hot day- we 3 other great weddings to set up and delivery! They were all so unique and beautiful! Check out the pictures we managed to snap below!

Christmas is Coming!!!

2011-09-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

I know, I know.. my mentioning of Christmas this early can make some tense up - but here at Village Vines we are getting real excited!! We have started planning our Christmas "Reveal" for this year - and we are very eager to get our flyers out and break the news about what we have up our sleeves for Christmas!

Our Christmas product has been coming in for months now and every box that we unpack brings new wonder and awe. We have really neat and gorgeous decor this year and we can't wait to decorate and show it off to all of you!!

Stay tuned for our pretty Christmas event flyers that will be out around town and in the mail soon! Its going to be an absolute blast - make sure you check it out.

Another Beautiful Backyard Wedding in Exeter!!

2011-09-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

Ashley & Mitch got married this past weekend at their parents home in Exeter! The tent turned out to be stunning and looked fabulous for the wedding on Saturday afternoon. Ashley chose beautiful pinks, oranges and greens as her colours, we LOVED her bright cake and had a fun time creating her centers with gerbs and spiders along with her beautiful bouquets!!

We're Falling Hard for our new Fall product!

2011-09-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

No pun intended ;) - we are literally loving all of our new product for fall this year at VV!

I don't know about you - but although fall can be a sad time of the year (with the warning of snow) its also so exciting! With all of the bright oranges, browns, greens and reds - our store is starting to look quite homey and beautiful with an array of fall colour. We have some great new products for your porch (beautiful potted mums) or home that will make you feel warm as the cold weather comes in.

Check out the cute pumpkins, great succulents, orange silk flowers, and smelly candles that I was able to snap pictures of below! Feel free to stop in and take a look at our new product - one of us lovely ladies would love to help you browse and hopefully find something to add to your fall decor at home!

An Absolutely Stunning Garden Wedding!!

2011-09-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

We were a BUSY crew this past weekend - with six weddings on the go - in all different locations!! We captured some great shots of our work for the 09/10/11 weddings and we are excited to show you them!

We had the pleasure of being a part of Shauna's wedding! Shauna had a great garden theme with beautiful colours and a gorgeous tent that we got to fill with decor at her wedding. Check out the beautiful decor that we created and set up for her below!!

Mariam and got married on Friday at the Hessenland Country Inn! Mariam chose a simple but elegant gerbera look that went perfectly with the rest of her decor!

Melissa & Mike got married in Arva - right near our Arva location - check out Melissa & her bridesmaids beautiful bouquets bellow!

Kelly & Matt got married in London at The West Haven Country Club. Kelly chose some great purples for her bouquets and arrangements - which turned out beautifully - check them out below.

Nicole & Dave got married at the FireRock Golf Course in London, Ontario. Nicole chose to use apples in her arrangements - which we thought was really neat. Nicole also went with a purple colour theme - check out her arrangements below.

Shalee & Derek went with a pink theme - the bouquet for the girls turned out beautifully.

Our Gorgeous Bellamere Winery Wedding

2011-09-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was filled with three different colour palettes! Blue, Purple and Pink! Each wedding was unique and gorgeous. With one wedding in London at the lovely Bellamere Winery, one close to home in Zurich and the other at Hessenland Inn - we were delighted to see all go very smoothly and turn out perfectly!

Robyn & Greg got married at the Bellamere Winery on Saturday. Robyn chose eggplant and bright purples for her colours and the flowers came in so beautiful - we were very impressed with the purple hydrangea - it was stunning! Check out some of the great pieces that Natalie and our crew were able to make up for Robyn & Greg below!

Amy & Nico got married near Zurich! Amy chose funky white and black feathers as an addition to her fun pink and white bouquets. Check out the great bouquets that we designed for Amy & Nico below!

Jennifer & Nigel got married at Hessenland Inn! Jennifer chose a nice soft blue to mix in with her flowers which looked great. We were able to create a beautiful well table arrangement, cube centers and great bouquets for Jennifer & Nigel that are shown below!

Our Magazine Worthy Wedding at Oakwood Inn

2011-08-31T06:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was another busy one for us here at Village Vines! Our largest wedding was on Saturday at the Oakwood Inn. Nicole & Jon decided on colours of pink, gold and white and it looked absolutely fabulous! Every decor detail came together perfectly and transformed the Oakwood Hall into a beautiful oasis.

We had the honour of working with and designing arrangements for grand gold candelabra centerpiece's that lit up each table, great lanterns that outlined the ceremony aisle's and long full pieces for the head-table (just to name a few)! Village Vines was also able to provide Nicole with a beautiful cake - it was stunning! Natalie was able to get some great shots of our work on Nicole & Jon's wedding while on site - Check those out below!

On Saturday we also had the wedding of a lovely couple - Kristina & Brad at the beautiful Hessenland Country Inn. Kristina and Brad went with a blue and yellow theme - we find this contrast always turns out beautifully and makes the flowers stand out beautifully!

All of us ladies at Village Vines just ogled over Kristina's bouquet - it was so unique and stunning! I was also a huge fan of the beautiful yellow bouquets that her bridesmaids carried! Check out some of Kristina & Brads arrangements below!

On Sunday we also had a wedding to design for! Ashley & Kevin got married at the Windermere Manor in London! Ashley chose to use light pink hydrangea's in her arrangements which made them look soft and elegant. Check out some of the great snaps I got of Ashley & Kevin's order below!

August 20th - Another Successful Saturday!

2011-08-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

On the Saturday of last weekend we had two beautiful weddings as well, two of our brides, Katie and Jennifer got married!! It was nice to see a difference between colours in these two brides and we had a great time creating their bouquets and pieces. While Katie went with bright and beautiful gerber daisies, Jennifer chose a stunning pallet of white with callas and orchids mixed in!

Check out some of the great shots that the Village Vines ladies got while I was away below!

Behind the scenes at a Golden Wedding!

2011-08-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

This past Friday I had the priviledge of standing up in a beautiful wedding for Tiffany & Evan. Tiffany and I have been friends for years - and her day at Hessenland Country Inn turned out just perfectly! - with gorgeous weather and fun had all around.

Although I was unable to go around and snap pictures, my brother and sister in-law captured some great shots of Tiffany with her bouquet, as well as some of the stunning decor by none other then us at Village Vines! The Village Vines crew was more then happy to create these sparkling centers with beautiful gold curly willow and orchids mixed in. The well table also displayed a beautiful arrangement created by Natalie. And I should also mention the bouquets - they were beautiful and went perfectly with Tiffany's "golden" theme.

Congrats Tiff and Evan - wishing you all the best in your years ahead!!

From Sunflowers to Gerbera's - Another bright weekend full of weddings!

2011-08-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

We had another colourful and bright weekend on August 12 & 13th - with four weddings on the go!
This seemed to be a popular weekend for weddings - as even two of our ladies were attending weddings as guest themselves on Saturday!

Below are some snap shots of Emily & David's flowers. The couple got married locally and had a great country feel - choosing simplistic sunflowers for each centerpiece and a beautiful sunflower and gerb combo for the bride's bouquet and ceremony pieces!

Carrie & Ken asked us to design their bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages. They were a wonderful array of colours and turned out just beautifully! I was very excited about the use of Celosia in these - as I haven't seen it in use yet this summer - it was beautiful! Check them out below!

Michaela and Jeremy got married on the friday - and their day was just beautiful. Michaela chose to use red celosia as well, with lilies, spider mums and green orchids! You can look at her beautiful bouquets and centerpieces - along with a great piece that Natalie made up for the well table at Hessenland - below!

Amanda & Ryan had great artificial bouquets created by Natalie! The orange of these bouquets just popped and look great against the girls blue dresses! Because they were artificial - each girl now has a great keepsake and Amanda was able to pick them up a bit before the wedding day! (We find this is becoming a great option for many brides!)

August 6th - What a weekend!!!

2011-08-11T05:14:00.000-07:00

Summer is flying by as we finish up our first weekend in August already- the 6th was another busy Saturday with 3 wedding set-ups and even some bouquet pick ups!

Us Village Vines ladies were working hard from dusk till dawn on these beautiful designs - including one early morning - starting at 6 am for Holly, Natalie and I (yawn). It was all worth it to see the lovely results below!

Sara & Adam got married in London. We had the honour of creating the bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, an alter arrangement and a cake topper for Sara & Adam - congrats guys!!

Meghan & Michael got married in London as well - their decor was our largest project this past weekend. Melissa chose a beautiful green and white theme - so we used Hydrangea's, Spider Mums, Bells of Ireland and more in her arrangements and bouquets. You can find her beautiful bouquets, and then stunning arrangements below -

Katherine & David’s wedding was a bit closer to home with their venue located in Grand Bend! Penny was happy to help out this lovely couple with beautiful steel berries (you'll have to ask her how she got these to look just this beautiful) We loved how the blue popped in these arrangements below!

Andrea & Scott get married in Toronto!

2011-08-05T06:15:00.000-07:00

Natalie and Holly were excited to take the trip down to Toronto this past weekend to set up for a beautiful wedding down by Lake Ontario!

The weather was beautiful and the trip went well - Andrea chose beautiful cream roses and achieved a classy antique look with stunning pussy & curly willow sticking out of each vase. She also chose to use some white feathers to dress up her bouquets, bouts and centers. Below you'll also notice the cute "bird nests" that each table numbers sat in - these went perfectly with her theme and were a great addition to each table. We absolutely loved these pieces - and they were all so unique!

We would like to say congrats to Andrea & Scott - their venue and decor were gorgeous - check it out below!!

Holly & Scott and Suzanne & Nathan get married!

2011-07-28T05:39:00.000-07:00

We had two other lovely weddings this past weekend! Holly and Suzanne were great brides to work with and their days turned out just beautifully! Holly's theme was quite unique with a "Christmas in July" feel - it was fun to design some flowers that were different in colour and sparkled!! Suzanne chose to use a beautiful purple combination in cascading bouquets.

Because the weather was so warm the week leading up - Penny (with her 45 years of experience) found a way to create a cascading bouquet that could also soak up water!! We aren't kidding when we say Penny is an expert in the business! You can spot her and Joanne holding Suzanne's stunning bouquet below..

Thanks ladies for letting us be a part of your special days - we wish you many great years ahead!

If you haven't been reading our blog ... now is the time to start!!

2011-07-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

We had our LARGEST wedding project of the summer this past Saturday – and it went really well!! Some are even commenting that this wedding belongs in a magazine - and we agree.. but for now, here is a bit of an inside look at our work for Carrie & Cole.

Carrie & Cole‘s wedding day turned out just beautifully. Our team (and the couples dedicated family) spent weeks preparing for the big day – and boy did it pay off – the décor was stunning, and a huge hit!

The celebration started off with a lovely ceremony, located in a conservation area, with white chairs and beautiful full-grown trees for the backdrop. Of course we added some of our flowers to the equation by using sap pails, chair swags and the beautiful bouquets shown below!

After the ceremony, guests were invited for cocktails and live music. This site had beautiful tents set up with fresh linens and flowers on each table. Village Vines created all of the fresh arrangements you see below. Can I just say …what a charming setting!!

Lastly, all guests arrived at the reception where they were first greeted by our beautiful display of fresh and artificial floral displays. Natalie and Holly did a great job creating this to make each guests jaw drop as they walk in to find their seat. You can spot the cat grass used for the seating assignment, and some really neat “vintage” accents that make the display look stunning.

The dinner was absolutely marvelous. The hall was transformed into a complete new setting with décor covering every angle. Each table had its own design with a different arrangement, candles and flowers scattered all around it. The head table pergola was like none we had never seen before – built specifically for the wedding - it was magnificent in size and stunning. We covered the entire pergola with hanging lanterns and ivy - making it the highlight of the room. See for yourself the detail of each table and display below!

Its heating up!!

2011-07-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

We are feelin' the heat over here at Village Vines - as I'm sure you are. This week is a HOT one - and we have some great weddings coming up! But, lets not get ahead of ourselves.. we had 2 great couples get married this past weekend on the 15th and 16th - Annie & Gordon and Jackie & Matt.

Annie & Gordon chose beautiful gerberas, roses and calla lilies in beautiful shades of pink. Their centerpieces were cube vases with a black leaf accent and pink gerberas. Everything turned out beautifully - as you can see in the pictures below!

Jackie & Matt chose pink hydrangea's, pink roses, and mini green hydrangea's, spider mums & gerbera's. Their table centers were also in cube vases with a green leaf accent, gerbera's and mums. Check them all out below!

July 9th - Beautiful Weddings with Beautiful Weather!

2011-07-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

We were busy yet again this past weekend with 4 wonderful weddings - but I have to say - we are the queens of being busy - its what we do!

Natalie, Gale, Tammy & Brydena were the names of the brides we had the priveledge of working with when preparing the flowers for July 9th. With one wedding in London, one in Grand Bend, and the other in Exeter - we were definitely running around on Saturday. The weather couldn't have been more gorgeous for these ladies - and we hope that they all had a wonderful day!

Below you'll find some sunny pictures (photographed by me of course) to check out!

We are looking forward to the two weddings we have this weekend - on Friday (tomorrow) and Saturday! Stay tuned to hear how these two go next week.

Wedding Flower Mistakes - to avoid

2011-07-08T06:09:00.001-07:00

Flower Mistake 1: Not seeing the big picture

"Couples tend to see the centerpieces and the table setting but do not visualize the whole reception room with their guests in it. For example, couples pay for a room with a wonderful view of the ocean or scenic surrounding and want tall, large centerpieces that will obstruct this view."
-- Faith Cass, Cass the Florist, Inc.

Flower Mistake 2: Not trusting your florist

"Communicate your vision, likes, dislikes, and expectations but have a little flexibility and be comfortable with substitution. We want to make your wedding absolutely breathtaking. So relax, put trust in your vendors and remember why you hired that amazing talent!"
-- Alana Guglielmo, Mixed Greens Event Design

Flower Mistake 3: Not reusing ceremony arrangements

"Aisle flowers can become centerpieces and altar pieces can be moved to the buffet table. The ceremony usually only lasts about half an hour -- it's a shame to see so many flowers only being used for that amount of time when they could easily be incorporated into the reception decor!"
-- Paula Pritchard, Paisley Petals

Flower Mistake 4: Booking your florist last

"Couples should begin the process of booking vendors by speaking to one vendor from each category before booking anyone. This way they can get an idea of what things cost and perhaps they could budget better."
-- Douglas Koch, Douglas Koch Designs ltd

Flower Mistake 5: Refusing to compromise

"The biggest mistake is for a bride to have her heart set on specific flowers and not be flexible. A florist can do a much better job if the bride asks for an overall look, feel, and color scheme and let the florist create it."
-- Jana Stall, Events in Bloom

Flower Mistake 6: Ruling out pricey blooms

"Don't be scared of the expensive flowers. Flowers like cattleya orchids and peonies are more expensive, but they also cover more space and have a greater impact. One cattleya orchid can have a greater impact than a bouquet of roses."
-- Erin Drake, Enlighten Events International

Flower Mistake 7: Not communicating with your florist

"Knowing what you like is just as important as knowing what you don't like. Bring lots of pictures -- it is the best way to help convey what you do and do not want your floral designs to look like."
-- Danielle Childress, McKannix Floral Studio

Flower Mistake 8: Using only one color

"A lot of brides try to match the flowers to the bridesmaid dresses. A bridesmaid in a lavender gown with lavender flowers will make for very disappointing pictures. Flowers are a great place to choose an accent color -- for example, a lime green against a lavender gown will bring out the best in both colors and make for fabulous photos."
-- Linda Maggert, One of a Kind Events

Flower Mistake 9: Choosing strongly scented flowers

"Choosing highly aromatic flowers for centerpieces may sound like an amazingly romantic idea, but it will drive your guests insane if they are prone to allergies. For highly aromatic arrangements -- stick to your bridal bouquet and the altar arrangements."
-- Katie Martin, Elegance & Simplicity

Flower Mistake 10: Not taking care of your blooms

"Everyone loves hydrangeas, especially in bouquets. However, hydrangeas need to stay hydrated, and the average lifespan out of water in temperate conditions is about three hours. They might not even make it through your ceremony if you're out all day taking pictures." -- Esther Galantowicz, Scarlet Petal

Flower Mistake 11: Forgetting to budget for flowers

"Most brides find that flowers are an important part of their day but forget to include them in the planning from the start. When I have a budget and a theme, I am really able to advise them better right from the beginning."
-- Georgianne Vinicombe, Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Co

Flower Mistake 12: Taking on too much DIY

"Brides [who try to DIY their flowers] will purchase dozens of glass vases for centerpieces, only to become overwhelmed. We receive many frantic calls, asking to take over the stress of these DIY projects, which oftentimes becomes more expensive than hiring a professional from the start."
-- Natalie E. Willett, Zuzu's Petals

Flower Mistake 13: Ordering your flowers too late

"Flowers come from South America, Holland, and all over the world, so it is very hard to contact farms across the world and have flowers arrive within one or two weeks. Leave at least a six-week window ahead of your wedding week to be able to line everything up. Your flowers will be cheaper if you can give us the time that we need to order."
-- Brenda Sterk, J's Fresh Flower Market

Flower Mistake 14: Choosing an oversized bouquet

"Brides often think: ‘The larger the better!' What they don't realize is that the larger the bouquet, the more it covers and fights with the overall design of their dress. Further, do you really want to carry something that is huge and heavy? Think about the size and comfort when it comes to your bouquet."
-- Shawn A. Rabideau, Shawn Rabideau Events

Flower Mistake 15: Overlooking the reception table linens

"What's underneath a centerpiece is as important as the arrangement itself. Linens don't just complement the look of your centerpieces; they complete them. From runners to underlays and overlays, the right ‘undergarments' can make flowers flourish on a table."
-- Candice Ryan, La Petite Fleur

-- Justine Lorelle Blanchard

Happy Birthday Canada!

2011-07-07T06:17:00.000-07:00

We hope you had a great long weekend!

Each of us ladies came back from our mini holiday with some sun on our faces (some of us a little more then others.. (cough - Natalie) It was a beautiful weekend - which I am sure you can all agree with. We had two couples get married this past weekend - Melanie & Jeff and Claire & Dan - check out their beautiful flowers below..

We had five weddings on June 25th!

2011-06-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

We had a busy Saturday this past weekend - with five weddings on the go!

Each wedding was unique in colour and design - which was fun for us. Each time Natalie made up a new bridal bouquet we would each stop what we were doing to ogle over it. They were all so uniquely stunning. Beautiful work VV ladies - and thanks to all our brides - we had a blast creating your stuff - check out Lindsey, Cindy, Leah, Katie & Martina's Flowers below!

45 years of blood, sweat & tears for Penny Watson.

2011-06-23T05:03:00.000-07:00

This past Monday we celebrated Penny's 45 years in the business of flowers!! We had a blast together (as usual) and ate till we could eat no more at the Mandarin.

Penny has been many things over the years - a teacher to many, always a great florist and a good friend (just to mention a few). She is cherished here at Village Vines and we were so excited to get to celebrate with her - CONGRATS PENNY!

Village Vines June 18th Weddings!

2011-06-23T04:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some great pictures of weddings we designed and set up this past weekend!
Each wedding was unique in colour and venue - and we wish all of our newly weds all the best!!

June 11th Weddings!

2011-06-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

We had 3 more successful weddings this past weekend.. Two near the lake and one in London! The first set of pictures below are of Ashley & Josh's wedding flowers - which were gorgeous! This lovely couple got married at Hessenland Country Inn - a place that in itself is so beautiful - so when we set up our flowers and added them to the mix - the couch house just lit up!!

Below is the wedding of Kendra & Brian! This lovely couple got married close to

Grand Bend along the coast on a family members property! Kendra chose beautiful purple hydrangea's, lisianthus, and roses for her flowers!

Michelle & Ryan had an "Alice in Wonderland" theme wedding. Unfortunately most of the prep and set up had to be done on scene at Michelle's parents property and I was unable to go and snap some cool shots. I did get a couple of Michelle's gorgeous bouquet however - here it is below!

Four Weddings and a Funeral

2011-06-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well... not actually - i just wanted to use that film title for fun!!

We did however have 4 weddings this past weekend - all of which turned out absolutely beautiful - of course. As you read last week about our Peony battles .. we would like to report that we did preserver - and all four weddings had beautiful and full peonies that were TO DIE FOR (it also does help that peonies are my personal favourite!)

This weekend was also a first for our newest family member - Ashley Denomme!! I have included an adorable picture of her below grooming some bouquets. We'd like to welcome Ashley warmly via our blog - she fits into our team like a gem!

Natalie's friend Shauna was also kind enough to come out on Saturday and give us a hand! It was great meeting her - and I wanted to give her a shout out as I hear she reads the blog - its always good to hear I am not just talking to myself on here - thanks for reading Shauna!!

Below are the bouquets of Andrea, Justine, Sarah & Jennifer - take a peak - their beautiful! We also did gorgeous tall centerpieces (in pilsner vases) for each of these ladies but unfortunately I was too busy to snap shots of everything - next time!

Leah & Harris are Getting Married Today!

2011-05-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

Natalie had fun designing these flowers yesterday - a very simple but elegant order from Leah & Harris. These pieces turned out so lovely that all of us girls wanted to take one home for ourselves! (Don't worry we refrained - and all pieces were ready for Leah when she came in this morning to pick them up..)

You will start to see the beautiful peony flower appear in our June wedding designs (these little suckers have given us a bit of a run for our money this year). Peonies have a hard time in a rainy spring, and I'm sure we can all agree that this spring has been a bit TOO RAINY, making it hard for us to get our peonies to open up and look as beautiful as these ones do for Leah. Wish us luck in the month ahead with our peony battles.

Other flowers to note in this bouquet are the beautiful green hydrangea's and faith roses that make Leah's bouquet elegant and soft! We hope that Leah & Harris have an amazing day with many great memories ahead!

Shaina Gets Married!!

2011-05-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

We loved being a part of Shaina's big day by providing her with some beautiful decor pieces! Shaina picked beautiful eggplant Callas for her bouquets along with vibrant purple & white Spider Mums, purple & white roses and some beautiful dark purple callas to use in her other decor. Shaina's special day was this past weekend on Saturday, May 14, 2011.

Stacey & David Get Married!

2011-05-11T05:21:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had the privilege of designing for Stacey & David's wedding. The theme was full of orange and pink. The couple got married at Hessenland - and we really enjoyed all of the beautiful tulips Stacey asked for! Here are a couple of snaps that I took with my iphone (you can tell we are getting busy when the photographer forgets her own camera!)

Hessenland re-cap

2011-05-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

We had a GREAT weekend (as always) at Hessenland. What a great turnout! We got the chance to meet a lot of new couples - which was great! Our invites and cakes were a big hit - and many brides loved our Champagne & bright purple colour bouquets.

This is always a fun place to chat with our friends that work with us at Hessenland too! So thanks to Hessenland for having us in your coach room - can't wait to work with you this summer! Here are some quick snaps that I took during the fair.

Medical Hall of Fame Dinner

2011-05-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

After our Wedding Studio Grand Opening we had the pleasure of designing for a grand dinner at the London Convention Centre - The Medical Hall of Fame dinner! This was a lot of fun and we really enjoyed working with the staff at the LCC - they were helpful, organized and friendly (always a nice touch at a venue we have to set up at!). The dinner was large with almost 60 tables - meaning 60 centre pieces for us (now you see why we've been so MIA lately ;)

Here are some pictures I managed to snap after a day of putting these pieces together!

If you haven't heard from us in a while...

2011-05-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

Here's why! The past 3 weeks have been go go go around Village Vines. We started off with our Grand Opening on April 23 - this was a GREAT day with a great turnout and very positive feedback. Our brides (and their grooms) are loving this visual aid!!! Here are some pictures of the Studio at Grand Opening!

We would like to say thank you to all of the vendors and our friends that helped make our grand opening a success!! We are very excited about the opportunities that our studio will open up with future and current brides!!

Congrats Jenn & Sam

2011-04-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend (04.16.11) one of our wonderful couples got married in Exeter and had their celebration at Oakwood Inn! We create beautiful bouquets, boutonniere's, and a wonderful cake for Jenn & Sam! Here are some great previews of their big day!

Wedding Studio - In Detail!

2011-04-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

In one week, we will be celebrating the Grand Opening of our Village Vines Wedding Studio.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have watched each piece being designed and strategically placed around the studio to create a beautiful visual showroom.

Our studio offers a way for us to help each bride & groom visualize their flowers and decor before the day of their wedding. Being able to walk through our studio to find exact examples of the bouquet, centerpiece, ceremony arrangement, linen, or even the cake that you are envisioning will be a treat! From bouquet types, ceremony decor, centerpieces, invites, table linen and even a candy table - our studio offers everything a bride & groom could need to decorate on their big day!

On the first floor we've created an area filled with beautiful cakes displayed on a glass moss platform, an interactive invitation table, a beautiful assortment of bouquets, and many other decor options that fill the room and make it pop with colour! Natalie also has a beautiful room on this floor where she will meet with our new & current brides and show them around the studio - along with everything that village vines can offer them.

The second floor of our studio has become a reception hall. With each table in a separate colour scheme, we are able to help our brides see their colours, or style in at least one of our many tables. Each table displays beautiful linen covering to match a centerpiece, along with an invite, menu, place-card, and many table decor accessories. A bouquet, corsage and boutonniere are shown to match as well. The second floor has a great display of guest table and ceremony options as well - with both sites set up on this floor - it is also a great visual piece.

We hope that you are excited to come in and check out the studio! Make sure to stop in on April 23 - Next Saturday! We would love to see you!

To let us know you will be coming - join our facebook event at http://ow.ly/4B0XM

Check back for a GRAND OPENING follow up post!

15 days till opening.. we've MOVED IN upstairs!

2011-04-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

We are getting pretty pumped about this Wedding Studio as the opening is in half a month!! (Holy crap! We better get a move on) This past week we MOVED IN. We are all feeling a little sore after carrying table after table - chair after chair up 3 flights of stairs!!! ... We now call ourselves the Village Vines moving crew ;)

Everything is coming together and starting to take form - its going to be just lovely. Its so fun to watch the studio slowly piece together to become a beautiful and resourceful showroom!! Can't wait to share it with you all!! For now ... wish our muscles fast healing!

Administrative Professionals Week (April 25-29)

2011-04-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Administrative Professionals Day is on April 27 it celebrates the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, and other office professionals and their growing and diverse contributions to the workplace. It is customary to take administrative professionals out to lunch on this day, or to give flowers to show appreciation!

We decided to make it easy to show appreciation this year by creating a simple sample form - it makes it easy to pick out an arrangement that suits them!! Check out the great options below!

Our Website

2011-04-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

After many trials and tribulations - you'll be happy to hear that our website is BACK UP and running smoothly! Make sure to check out our new Wedding Studio section and galleries there. Also don't forget that if you are looking for great pictures of our work - to check out our fb group and here (our blog!)

Come see us at Hessenland!

2011-03-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

In a couple of weekends we will be taking part in Hessenland's 10th Annual Wedding and Event Fair (Cause we aren't crazy busy as it is... right?)

All jokes aside.... with a beautiful property and expert staff - Hessenland continues to be a popular spot for brides to host their big days - and we LOVE working with them.

This years fair will take place on Saturday April 30th and Sunday May 1st from 12 pm to 4 pm and everyone is welcome to attend! This weekend offers everyone an opportunity to tour Hessenland Inn along with the Grounds, Reception Halls- The Garden Room and The Coach House, Ceremony Locations, and Expansive Gardens.

Village Vines will be presenting our floral inspirations in the lovely Coach House - this will be a great display of what we can offer at Hessenland to our brides & grooms. We will have a fabulous display of cakes that we now offer as well!

I've put together a quick display of what Village Vines is capable of when paired with the beautiful grounds of Hessenland Inn. (feast your eyes!)

(Above credits: LMP Photo Cinema - Photography, Darlene O'Rouke - Photography, Sandra Regier- Photography, Darlene McCowan (JAKAL) - Photography)

Other vendors will of course be featured at the Event (there are too many great ones to mention them all -click here to see them) The event will including photographers, make-up artists, wedding apparel, liquor providers, and more!!!

This is going to be a fun event for us to be a part of and we're really looking forward to it! Make sure to come on out to Hessenland and check out all of the great vendors and deals (and of course our amazing coach house make-over)

ONE (busy) month till...

2011-03-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Besides the awesome fact that today is my Birthday (Sharlet here)..... this day is also very special to us at Village Vines as it begins our ONE MONTH countdown to the Grand Opening of our beautiful (and highly anticipated) Wedding Studio! (YAY!)

We are so excited to be creating a place for current, future, and past brides (and of course all of their families & friends) to browse through and see the many options and colours available from Village Vines. We will feature a stunning selection of cakes, invitations, flowers, linens and more!!

An entire floor of the studio will be dedicated to displaying all of our linens and floral designs, in a beautiful reception & ceremony setting. Sounds wonderful doesn't it (I thought so too!)

We are excitedly preparing for a great opening on April 23! So, try to stop in next month. The Grand Opening is from 9- 5 with some light refreshments.. and of course, following the Grand Opening, the studio will be open regular store hours.

Top Wedding Flower Tips!

2011-03-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

The knot recently wrote a GREAT article outlining 11 tips for brides when working with their florists. Its a educational article with advice from famous florists.

1. Be open-minded about flower types
"There is nothing more disheartening for the bride and myself than when she comes in with her heart set on yellow peonies for an August wedding, only to find out that yellow peonies are just not naturally available in August. There are a ton of flowers available year-round, like roses, hydrangeas, carnations, alstroemeria, callas and orchids, just to name a few. Knowing just this one piece of information can make your flower plan go much more smoothly."
-- Shelly Chaffee, Crystal Springs Florist, Benton Harbor, Mich.

2. . . . And color
"Flower colors are never exact. Rely on your florist to help you understand the undertones of different varieties; for example, red ranunculus have orange undertones that stand out when paired with cool colors. Also remember that many of the photographs you see online or in magazines can be misleading; when the photographer is color-correcting for skin tone and lighting, it may adjust flower colors beyond what is realistic."
-- Brittany Bailey Frost, Blossom Basket Florist, Champaign, Ill.

3. Personalize your wedding flowers
"Incorporate something special into your wedding flowers. Wrap your bouquet with a loved one's handkerchief or include snippets from your mom's wedding dress. Or if you and your fiance have something that is special to you, find a way to reflect that in your flowers. We had a couple that met on a train, so we tied a small train charm onto her bouquet to symbolize where they met and fell in love."
-- Dawn Clark, A Garden Party LLC, Elmer, N.J.

4. Make your wedding bouquet a priority
"Never skimp on your bridal bouquet. It is the one floral design that will be on your mantel, your bedside table, at your mother's house, your in-laws' house and on your desk at work in photos for the next 50 to 60 years -- you had better like it!"
-- Katie Martin, Elegance and Simplicity, Washington, D.C.

5. Stick to a single hue
"If you are on a limited budget, go monochromatic for a bigger impact. A monochromatic color scheme looks more organized and really gives your ceremony and reception a pop of color that is sure to wow even in the smallest amounts."
-- Amanda Apple, Anthomanic Florist, Stafford, Va.

6. Find a florist you really love
"Your initial florist meeting is about having fun, seeing if you connect and figuring out your dream flower idea. You should feel that your florist is as excited as you are to help you arrive at your vision of what you would like for your day."
-- Jacob Moss, Jacob Moss Designs, Hamden, Conn.

7. If you want to preserve, have a plan
"Some flowers preserve better than others. You should ask your florist for recommendations about which flowers press well and best hold their live color. Then, when the reception ends, your flowers should be kept in water (and ideally a fridge) until they can be dropped off for preservation."
-- Mary Beth Lopresti, All Seasons Floral Preservation, Sterline and Charlottesville, Calif.

8. Know your budget
"The most difficult and least productive meetings are the ones where no budget is given. You wouldn't go to buy a car without telling the salesman in advance if you are in the market for a Lexus, Volvo or a Focus. We request in our very first phone conversation that a budget be provided at the meeting."
-- Russ Griffin, Griffin's Floral Designs, Columbus, OH

9. Find your inspiration
"Pick one thing you love -- whether it's grandma's antique brooch or a swatch of fabric -- to give you and your florist a starting point."
-- Georgia, Boise at Its Best Flowers, Boise, ID

10. Break tradition
"If you aren't planning a traditional wedding, then your flowers certainly don't have to be traditional either. And there's no need to limit yourself to roses and calla lilies. I personally love succulents and work with them whenever possible. I also pull in fruit and vegetables like pomegranates, kale, apples -- whatever speaks to the wedding and a bride's vision. You also don't have to limit your containers to clear glass vases -- if it will hold water it can hold your flowers."
-- Amanda Johnson, Butterfly Petals, Phoenix, Ariz.

11. Simplify your bridesmaid bouquets
"If you are on a tight budget, remember, it's your day -- not your bridesmaids'. Make your bouquet perfect. Theirs can be smaller and simpler -- and therefore less expensive. And if you're on a tight budget, don't ask 20 girls to be in your wedding. Twenty times anything is a lot!"
-- Scott Jones, American Floral Signature Weddings, Irmo, S.C.

This article was found at the knot!
© 2011 The Knot Inc. All rights reserved.

Holly & Brad Get Hitched!! (March 12, 2011)

2011-03-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

The weather cleared up Saturday morning, and all of us Village Vines ladies were excited for Holly's big day! The ceremony at the Clinton CRC Church started at 4pm, the church was beautiful and Holly looked amazing. I need to say no more, I'll let my pictures do the talking, take a look!

The stage before the ceremony...below.

This is the pretty program Holly made up herself! Below is a picture of our crew at the ceremony!

These are some great shot that I got of our flowers on the stage & in the girls hands!

The wedding party spiced things up by driving John Deere's to the reception... can't get more Country then this folks!

THE RECEPTION! (the flowers, hall, candles, everything was beautiful!) Holly & Brad had their reception at the White Carnation in Holmesville.

Below is a picture of Holly when our "crew" came up to get our group picture!

OUR VILLAGE VINES FAMILY PICTURE!! (find out who's who - here)

We want to thank Holly for having us share her special day with her and her family!! And we will say it again, CONGRATS HOLLY & BRAD!

Winter Wonderland Wedding?

2011-03-11T12:04:00.000-08:00

In the early morning hours an unexpected SUPER STORM swept into Huron County. What do we have to say about this? BOO.

Us ladies at Village Vines are NOT IMPRESSED. Although the storm brings with it pretty snow covered trees (for possible photo opts)... it also makes it very hard for Holly to get her flowers from Exeter to Clinton. What a nuisance this Ontario weather is. However with some trouble... the flowers DID eventually make it to Clinton - and Holly's special day will proceed!

Lets all wish Holly some clearer (or at least less snow covered) skies tomorrow, for her & Brad's big day!! It will still be MARVELOUS Holly!! Next post - HOLLY & BRAD's WEDDING.

Here is a sneak preview of the snow outside our shop & Holly's flowers.

Spring Fever! (& Holly's Flowers ARRIVE!)

2011-03-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of commotion at Village Vines lately! With the announcement of our new WEDDING STUDIO moving in upstairs, Holly's Wedding quickly approaching (THIS SATURDAY!) and a bunch of great spring items coming in this week!

Take a look at some of the great product we've received this week below. Although yesterday was a cold and rainy whirlwind, today looks like it could get up to 5 degrees!! That's pretty good for Ontario. Our team here at Village Vines is starting to feel spring fever, and we're sure you are too!

Yesterday we were all very excited to see Holly's big smile when all of her flowers arrived for her wedding THIS SATURDAY!! Holly has chosen an all white look with snap dragons, hydrangeas, spray roses, spider mums, orchids, alstroemerias and more. We are very excited to help her put it altogether and celebrate with her on Saturday. Here are some lovely shots of Holly's flowers as she and Joanne start to prepare them for tomorrow (Today!)

EXCITING NEWS!!

2011-03-04T14:34:00.000-08:00

Village Vines is sad to hear the announcement of Sandra Regier moving her studio to a new location (check out Sandra's announcement here) It has been so great to have Sandra in our building and she will be greatly missed.

On that note, Village Vines has a fun announcement to make itself!! We would like to announce our plans to create a NEW WEDDING STUDIO!!

The Village Vines Wedding Studio will showcase the MANY services that Village Vines has to offer brides, in a visual showroom located above our current Exeter store. We are very excited about our new studio that will be opening up already NEXT MONTH! We want to encourage brides to visualize what they want and need for their big day.

Stay tuned for more details & make sure to visit our GRAND OPENING on APRIL 23, 2011.
Let us know if you are excited about our news, and any questions you have!! Leave us a comment!

Its Coming!!!

2011-03-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

Wedding Season at Village Vines is fast approaching. We're all starting to get excited as new brides walk in our stores each day with ideas of fresh colour and zeal! We strive to make each and EVERY brides day all that it can be.

Because our calendar is filling up fast, we encourage any newly engaged ladies to give us a shout PRONTO ...

NEW FOR 2011...Village Vines is aiming to be your ‘One-Stop Shop’ for everything wedding! We want to make things easier for our brides, and to do so, we’re now offering the following new services:

Please don't hesitate to book an appointment with us at Village Vines!! We would love to here from you!

A great destination option!

2011-02-23T16:49:00.000-08:00

Artificial flowers can be a great alternative for any bride traveling for their big day.

As its usually impossible to see what kind of flowers you get when having a destination wedding... if you are "iffy" or unsure about the flowers that might meet you when you get to that warm spot (can I come?) - you don't have to be!!! Here at Village Vines we've had some great artificial floral design happening this week ... Various brides traveling overseas this summer are using this option.. check out some of the great options for artificial flowers below.

Valentines Day has passed..

2011-02-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

After seeing more men in one day then almost all year, we are now watching the dust settle after a busy Valentines day.

Check out our new blog look! We hope you like it. The plan is to keep you all updated throughout spring and summer (and wedding season) on "behind the scenes at Village Vines"!

Make sure to check back for weekly updates on the happenings of Village Vines!

The Trials & Tribulations of Delivering Flowers!

2010-03-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

So! Firstly - Our new website has had great response!! LOTS of compliments! And what a relief to finally have things up and running. Thanks for checking that out!

What's new right now at the flowershop?? Well nothing too earth-shattering...however we've been quite steady with the usual everyday sort of stuff...and every waking spare minute I've had in my schedule has been filled with weddings, weddings, and more weddings - consultations, quotes and everything else in between - so we're definitely keeping busy!

This week we had the pleasure of doing all of the flowers for the South Huron Hospital Gala Dinner at the Exeter Rec. Centre.

Now - as lots of people in life have discovered before now, different jobs in this world usually have a lot more to them than just what meets the eye. Can I assure you - that working in the floral business is a perfect example of that.

Delivery has to be one of the most trying tasks we take upon ourselves please take note of the evidence in the photo! LOL!

We had to deliver 30 centrepieces for the gala, and lesson learned - we should of measured the centrepieces before we finished them! After attempting to put them in every vehicle we had - we had to resort to using the truck. No big deal right!? WRONG!!

If you're from the town of the Exeter, you'll know that right now Andrew Street is under heavy-duty construction, you'll also know that it is the only street that could take us from our store to the Rec Centre without using the Main Street. Needless to say - I rode in the back of the truck to secure the vases (glass of course!) while we created a makeshift parade downtown today!

Of course - I saw LOTS of people I knew walking down the street - as I waved to the children and the crowds, while Joanne drove 20km an hour through the empty parking spots on the side of the street. I'm hoping to make the front page of the paper next week, we'll just chalk it up to good advertising I suppose!

Regardless - everything arrived in 1 piece, and everything looked beautiful as you can see from the photos -

Secretaries Day/Week is coming up in the next month, and we've just finished our flyer of specials we're offering this year - If you're interested give us a call, we can send you one to place an order with!

We've also started a new promotion outside of our front door - selling flowers by the bunch. They're 'cash and carry' just bunches of flowers without greens or being arranged, but range in price from $10-$20 for a bunch (5 - 10 stems) and have tulips, daisies, gerbras and spider mums. So far it's gone over REALLY well!! Stop in and have a peek!

See you next time - hopefully not on Main Street!

2010

2010-02-18T09:13:00.000-08:00

The New Year is upon us! And being that March is quickly on it's way, I suppose I'm a little late in saying this!

However - I've decided that keeping this blog up-to-date is going to be my New Year's resolution, which is starting today!

We just completed another Valentine's Day - which is one of the busiest days in the Flowershop throughout the entire year. This year was a little off, seeing as it was a Sunday. Rather than having one day of extreme chaos it was spread out from Thursday - Sunday. Regardless, we were busy and it was successful and that's what counts!

Most men go for the roses - RED. More and more however and going for the bright coloured mixed bouquets - which are always a good choice as well. I truly think that as long as the woman receiving the flowers gets something - things will be fine!

We're getting ready to gear up for another busy wedding season. Our first official wedding of the season is taking place April 3rd. I really am going to blog about our season, and post pictures etc of what's going on here.

I have a brand new website launching any day now, and there is a direct link to our blog from the site - so I have no choice but to keep it up now!

Our daily 'in shop' discussions these days are focused on the Olympic games - Go Canada Go!!

Of course we focus on the flowers of the games - and love the green bouquets that have been made for the medal winners.

In our Canadian Florist magazine - we saw that the ladies contracted to make the bouquets have to make 1800 of them! Good luck ladies!

Once Valentine's Day is over in the flowershop, things are pretty calm. We've got our store re-done for spring, and taking things day by day. We have a large gala dinner going on in March, but other than that, no real big crazy functions or events.

I visited the CGTA gift show in Toronto a few weeks ago, and ordered all of our merchandise for Christmas 2010. It is definitely an overwhelming experience, and no matter how many times I do it, it gets no easier. Wondering what colours people will like, how many of each item to get, which price point will sell - etc etc. Let's hope for the best!! A lot of champagne colours, bronzes, pewters, browns - really beautiful colour combinations! and we did well with those colours last year. People will think I'm nuts talking about Christmas this soon after we just finished one. Working in a retail store - the year flies by, and it's one of our biggest seasons, it just never seems to end, if you're not ordering, you're receiving shipments and pricing, organizing, making Christmas arrangements, planning a store layout, or actually selling it! ( the most rewarding part!)

I dont' have many exciting pictures to post, but I'll put one up of a vase arrangement we made last weekend - but more exciting things are yet to come!

Off to the Races

2009-05-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

And so it starts.......

Wedding season.......

This weekend officially marks one month of straight booked wedding season weekends - already.
But the good news is....so far so good! actually I still have people booking for this year - which is great. However - I'm starting to think I'm a glutten for punishment, I'm getting pretty full and am thinking I should start saying 'no' but I meet these brides and they're so excited for their weddings - and I just want to be a part of it!!! So anyone anywhere knows where to find me - Thursday through Saturdays - either chained to a workbench....or in a church or reception hall somewhere in Southern Ontario.

The past few months I have been doing my best to launch my new website - which is gorgeous, amazing, stylish, beautiful etc etc..... trying to bridge the gap between internet provider and website designer however is a different story - and I'm finding it difficult to get both worked out appropriately - but keep your eyes peeled, because once I get at it - it will be great!!

My latest challenge is revolving around a piece of fruit.....Preston Bailey - if you don't know who this man is, look it up.
He's one of the most amazing floral designers ever - he's the guy all the rich people and movie stars hire to do their functions and weddings.....I have 2 of his books -'Fantasy Weddings' and 'Inspirations' To be quite honest with you - it's like a floral designers porn!! LOL The absolutele most beautiful arrangements and colours you will ever see, and drool over.
One of his signature styles is to create sculptures of flowers - animals, fruit etc....
Now I am trying to figure out the mechanics of creating an enormous, 4 feet tall pineapple, made completely out of fresh flowers - sunflowers and palm leaves - it's a challenge.
The hard part if figuring out what to create beneath the flowers to shape the appropriate base - however working with small blocks of oasis...it becomes complicated!
I'll keep you posted - trust me, one of these times, you'll see the picture on the Facebook group - and be in awe!!
On a personal note - I've become seriously addicted to the twilight books, and am now working my way through the 3rd one....it's great - however I'm nervous about starting the fourth - as I heard it's the best, but don't want the saga to be over - it's like eating the most delicious dessert in the world - slowly and enjoying it, it's way more fun to inhale it! LOL
It's inspired me to think I should write a book - if I could get the plot and find time to write it...but apparantly my body requires sleep - so this becomes a problem

I've been working with my boyfriend on the yard outside our house - it's a slow process, and physically labour, using out entire wait to heave shrubs and growth out of the ground - but it's coming, our 'tamed' flowerbeds right now with nothing in them are an improvement.
My green thumb seems to be specialized more in flowers without roots - but I'm improving -

Keep checking Village Vines Facebook - for pics weekly - they just keep coming.

Destinations!!

2009-03-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

Hey!

So - I wish more people would do this....all the girls that work for me were so excited when I was done. I had a bride request artificial bouquets for her to take south for her wedding the end of the month - and they're beautiful!!

She was telling me that when you book your package a bouquet is included, however you can't specify what you'd like or pick any colours or anything....which sucks - because what if it's terrible???

This isn't the first wedding we've done this for, but what an excellent idea - everybody packs their bouquet in their suitcase, fluff em up before you use them, and they're ready to go, and a wonderful keepsake for afterwards!

I've included some pics of them in the blog - tell your friends!

A new Year!

2009-02-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hello....to anybody who still checks and reads this!!LOL

I cannot believe that I haven't posted to this since October...I should definitely be ashamed of myself, because I love reading other people blogs and checking up on new happenings!!

So - my goodness where to start!!

2009 is off to a wild and chaotic start. I am full-blown wedding mania here these days, and are spending 95% of my time meeting with brides, pricing quotes, emailing orders and making appointments with people. I am proud to say I have currently booked between 50-60 weddings ALREADY for 2009 season. Not including the 6 we had between January and February (which is a lot for the off months)

We worked through and completed yet another Valentine's Day. Mind you this year being a Saturday, it was a little slower than last year, which is normal for a weekend, so we slightly downscaled our order, and still sold out and had a very successful Valentine's week/weekend!

Mind you - I also decided to take on 2 weddings that day, so if we were slower for Valentine's we still had just as much to do!

I'm glad February is winding up...as much as time flies, I'm looking forward to a change of seasons! A bit of spring would be a welcome change.

So...very exciting news!!

For anyone who knows - we're members of theweddingring.ca for the London region. Recently they conducted a survey of brides in the London area asking them who their favourite wedding vendors were and why. I t was advertised on the radio and through the web as well as ads!!

I was ecstatic to discover Village Vines was voted #4 of the top ten!!! We were the only florist to make the list - and #4 at that!! I'm so excited!

We'll be participating in the Ironwood Bridal Show again this year - check out the Facebook group by searching "To Have and to Hold Bridal Show" or go to http://www.bridaleleganceexeter.com/ for more info. It was a huge success last year - so we're definitely looking forward to it again. I have also been voted to be the MC for the evening - who is going to have a fair amount of speaking to do....so look out!!

A New Season

2008-10-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

I can officially say - that I have survived another wedding season - successfully. I can also say - that I don't think there's any quicker way to make half a year go by!!! This past weekend, I did three weddings - all of which turned out stunning, and is also the last weekend in our solid weekly bookings that began May 17. Now.....I have weddings booked for November, December January and February....but not the steady pace that has been taking place - so I feel a little less overwhelmed. So begins the Christmas season!!! Our entire staff worked their BUTTS off this past weekend, as we hauled hundreds of boxes up from the basement and filled the store with every sparkling gem jewel and bead you've ever imagined!!! It looks amazing!! I've shifted my focus from weddings to the holidays....for now anyways!

Let's see.....wow - what's new here????

Well - our first ever Christmas design show is taking place next week. I've never done anything exactly like this - so we'll give it a shot. We're going to Ironwood Golf Club to present a design show, and all of the attendees will come here to the store afterwards, for discounted shopping, wine, food, door prizes....etc.etc. We've sold out of ALL of our tickets, and are expecting 135 people who have already purchased theirs and are commited to coming. WOW.

The WedLuxe magazine will be coming out shortly, I think they told me December?? Can't wait to see it!!~! We did some feature bouquets for it, that we had to DRIVE to Toronto for the photo shoot - but it'll be so worth it when they are published!

The bridal show the end of September was a huge success. We've booked several weddings from it, and will soon be thinking about the next one.

My calendar for November is quickly filling up with decorating dates -which is great!
I'm looking forward to trick or treating on Friday with my SKUNK!! Hopefully the weather turns out for the evening!

We've also switched the whole store over to a computerized order system. It actually makes life so much easier, gives us WAY more informations and keeps track of things much better than before. However like anything, it's taking a little time for everyone to get used to it...but it'll come!

We're participating in the Exeter Christmas Home Tour, as well as holding an open house at our Arva store on the 15th of November. This time of year is always SO busy!!
If you're bored stop by - it looks amazing, and although the front of the store looks great, the backroom and downstairs is a completely different story!

2008-09-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

Wow....I cannot believe it has been over a month since I have added anything to this!

In the last month....hmmm. let's see - we've done a ton of weddings - which, you can see all the pics on Facebook.

Last weekend we had 8, and delivered/setup all - and everything was perfect, what a relief!

This weekend we have one wedding - which is a nice break from the craziness.

Next weekend - we're participating in the Bridal Show at Western Fair - which is going to be awesome - for anyone who's going, my booth is going to be GORGEOUS!!! It's a lot of work though - and I've got a lot of bouquets and arrangements to make in the meantime.

As well, we have a wedding next weekend in London at the Best Western Lamplighter - which is going to be all beautiful fall colours - I'm looking forward to it.

Not only is all this going on - but WedLuxe magazine is having a photo shoot on Friday, and we were asked to create 2 feature bouquets to be in their next issue as part of an editorial or something....this is awesome - however.... we have to deliver the bouquets to a photo studio in downtown Toronto between 9-10am.....we'll see how that goes!

Anyways, before you know it we'll be switching the store to Christmas - and I can't wait.

I get all pumped up and keen about the change of seasons, and when I walk through the basement here and see numerous boxes of merchandise packed to the rafters....I just want to get it out and show people.

We're having a Christmas design show on November 3, which is something new that I'm trying out. It will be hosted at Ironwood Golf Club - and we'll be showcasing design tricks, different Christmas decorating ideas, and the lastest colours and styles in Christmas. After, we'll be coming back to the store for cocktails, refreshments, and discounted shopping!!!

We're currently selling a limited number of tickets for the evening, call if you're interested.

Personally, I'm happy because I love fall, from now until Christmas is the absolute best time of the year, I love the colours at work and outside - there's nothing better.

I'm possibly moving in next couple weeks, which I'm not looking forward to, packing and unpacking things, then deciding which cupboard or drawer to put it all in, it's exhausting.

I think moving has to be one of the most unpleasant things to do - but it happens right??

We have been booking weddings for next year like crazy!!! I can't believe how many weekends I already have booked for the summer, and even into the fall! It's great though - because that's the funnest part of a flower shop in the summer.

Well - check things out in the store - and Christmas will be out the last weekend of October.

As for me, what I think is a couple weeks, turns into over a month - so I will do my best to try and update this crazy blog a little more often than I have been, becuase of course with fall/Christmas season upon us I have WAY more spare time!! LOL!!!

2008-08-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hello!!

Yes I am still alive!! Everyone's been wondering where I dissapeared too, no pictures, no blog.......

Well.....besides being the usual - unbelievably busy - I was able to get myself "oh so very sick" and was no word of a lie - in bed recovering for 5 days straight.....actually the last 2 weeks I've been only here to do my wedding work and that's it!

BUT - I am now better than ever! and back at it full tilt.

I've posted up pictures to the Facebook group - of weddings the last weekend in July. The blue/green/ivory went to Stratford for Susan, the pink/browns/burgundy went to Janelle - in a backyard wedding here in Exeter, and the purple/green/ivory went to the Riding Club in Sarnia for Laura's wedding - all on July 26. It was a big weekend - and everything went perfectly!

In the meantime I made some AMAZING enormous dried/artificial arranged outdoor pots for a gorgeous home near Bayfield - I do have great pictures of them which are worth seeing....but they're 'on' my camera, not on my storage card, and currently my cable has been 'misplaced' somewhere, as soon as it shows up - they'll be up for show.

We also did 3 weddings Aug 2, Angela at Hessenland, Katie in London, and Kate at Oakwood in Grand Bend. Due to me being under the weather - I made an exit as soon as they were finished, and neglected to take photos to show you.

Last weekend we did Nicole's wedding in London - which was all purple orchids - which were gorgeous....again, forgot to take pictures.

BUT - this weekend, I am with camera.....and we have Tiffany on Friday night at Hessenland, Renee on Friday at Benmiller Inn, Terri on Saturday at Hessenland, Julie on Saturday at Oakwood, and Emily on Saturday in London.

Every wedding this weekend is completely different, we've got yellows and whites, pink roses, tropical and exotics, blue orchids and white roses, and artificial pink calla lilies.

I PROMISE to take photos - and they'll be WELL worth the wait!

You MUST make sure you get the next copy of the Wedding Ring's Bridal News...not sure when it's coming out - should be anytime - I was asked by the girls in charge if I could create 3 different bridal bouquets to be featured in the magazine in a floral trends feature they were doing for their next issue. I really created some neat bouquets, with lady's slipper orchids, de-petalled sunflowers, golden leaves......anyways - you get the idea - I can't wait to see the photos - I'm sure they turned out Incredible!!

Other than that....the weddings are still keeping us incredibly busy...and lately I've been spending a lot of time meeting with brides for next year!

Personally myself......Other than the odd pool date with my Isabelle - there's nothing too out of the ordinary. I've been spending my time recovering from the crazy virus I found somewhere, and have been trying my best to take it easy.

I can't believe summer is almost to a close....but in the same sense...our Christmas stock has been flowing in here like crazy, and it does get me excited for the upcoming fall/Christmas season here - it's always the most beautiful in the store.

Mark your calendar to check out the pictures next week from this upcoming Aug 16 weekend - there'll be a lot to see, and be absolutely magnificent.

2008-07-21T13:59:00.001-07:00

Well......I said I'd try for weekly...right?? LOL

Let's see......where has the last 2 weeks gone. We've been going crazy around here that's for sure. Last weekend we did Meghan's wedding at Hessenland - if you check the Facebook group - all of the pictures are posted.......there's too many to put them all on here. It was absolutely stunning - reminds me of why I love my job. They just let me loose, and everything turned out incredibly. We've been doing weddings - lots of weddings. I'm working on 3 this weekend.

1 is in Stratford - Susan's having bright blue and green hydrangeas with ivory gerbras - it's going to be gorgeous.

2 is in Exeter here, and Janelle's having antique pink/burg/ touch of mauve bouquets to go with her chocolate brown - it's going to be amazing.

3 is in Sarnia - at the Sarnia riding club. I have to be there to set-up at 9 am on saturday.

I'm slightly nervous - I have a very small period of time to do all the decorating (mantle, 6 chandeliers, table centres etc) and I'm not really all that sure where I'm going - definitely going to be a mapquest job.

I posted a few Facebook pictures of some random bouquets......I'm pretty excited about them. They're being taken to Kitchener today to be professionally photographed for 'floral trends' article coming in the next Wedding Ring Bridal News magazine. I can't wait to see them!!!

Right now I'm working on some enormous outdoor decor pots for a lady's home near Bayfield - they're spectacular. I'm pretty sure I'll be delivering them in the next couple days......how I'm going to get them there is another issue.......

I've also got 2 ladies homes I'm working on in London right now - doing some decor and floral pieces for them.

This weekend is sidewalk sales in Exeter - we'll have all of our odds/ends and stuff I'm bored with out on the street for half price. Check it out!

The girls are pricing more new Christmas merchandise right now.....you'll hate me for saying I can't wait until I can put it out!

You've probably guessed I don't have a lot of spare time right now by the sounds of it - which is ok.........I love my work!!

On a personal level.......well - I guess you can read it above. Working is about all I've been doing lately (other than sleeping and eating) I think I have a slow week coming up in a few......and I plan on getting out of town and disappearing for a couple days!!

2008-07-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

So - last weekend - Melissa's flowers turned out STUNNING!!! they were absolutely perfect with her lipstick dresses........

and the absolute BEST part of my job is afterwards.....I received an email from the bride and groom thanking me like crazy for the flowers that everything commented on and loved!! That's what makes me come to work everyday - it's an amazing feeling.

This weekend we have Leslie's wedding going on Friday night at Windermere Manor, and Nancy's at Oakwood on Saturday - they're both somewhat similar actually - green and chocolate brown, - but Leslie's thrown in a touch of pink.

They're both getting really unique stunning centrepieces and bouquets with big fat roses and luscious (gotta love that word) hydrangeas.......I love my job way too much!

wait for the pictures they'll be great.

I've booked a couple more weddings in the last week - people who are still getting married this summer - just relaxed planners - I think that's so neat.

We've been really busy lately - we received an entire skid of fall merchandise - that we've got out in the store - it's beautiful stuff - really nice wreaths, garlands - cool ornamental pumpkins - I'm sorry i know you don't want to hear about fall coming.

Anyways - on an exciting note - I have been invited to be a 'Glitterati' member of WedLuxe magazine of Toronto and Eastern Canada. If you don't have the magazine get the magazine - at shoppers or variety stores - it's awesome.

I'm so excited we'll be featured in the next 2 issues.........I can't believe it - it's by invite only, I'm pretty flattered to be taking part in it!!

Personally - I'm afraid I gave birth to a frog. I took my baby girl to the pool this weekend at her grandparents house......she's addicted to water. This tiny little 15 month old girl LEAPS off the side of the pool into the water - absolutely no fear...it's all I can do to pull her out of the pool!

It just might be the cutest thing you've ever seen!!

Lastly - I'm quite tired today......my dad's 60th birthday is today, and I was up in the middle of the night decorating their lawn with spray paint and pink flamingos....it was good for a laugh!!

Have a great week!

2008-06-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

Well - Happy Canada Day!!

We're open today....but I know some places aren't - apparantly the merchants in Exeter are closing tomorrow - so we follow suit.

Last weekend went phenomenally!! The Bellamere wedding with the wine turned out amazing!! The staff there while we were setting up were just in 'awe' of the funky centrepieces and things we did.....they'd never seen anything like that before!

Everything else went great....the pictures are coming - we had some camera issues this weekend, so I've got a few, but my staff have pictures on all of their cameras as well. Give us some time - they're coming!

So this upcoming weekend is Melissa's wedding at Bellamere Winery in London. She let me do whatever I wanted ( I LOVE it!!) So we're putting orange, coral and lime green and pink with her lipstick red dresses. It's going to be stunning - I can't wait to do her bouquets.

We've been so crazy busy lately...we can all take a breather here - now that grads, proms, etc. have wrapped up for the spring.

What's new?? Well - I've decided to change the front of the store, I want to take the steps out of the front....I'm sick of it. If you see me out front prying at them with a cro-bar, don't be shocked.

I'm doing paperwork today, it keeps piling up on my desk.

We also received 7 SKIDS of Christmas stuff this past week - I ordered 45 - 7.5' and 15 - 9' Christmas trees in. I've never done this before - but people ask here ALL the time if we can get them a tree, just because they're so good looking compared to the cheaper ones at the big-box stores. So....I ordered a huge amount of them, so I got a REALLY good deal - I'll let you know when we get them unpacked. We're going to start selling them right away, and we're talking GOOD deal. They're prelit trees - regularly $850 - We're going to be selling them for like $399 - they are the nicest, highest quality trees available - I scouted the entire gift show for them.

Anyways.... back to work - see you next week - Have a great Canada Day tomorrow!!

2008-06-23T12:29:00.001-07:00

Well....another week down....so where is June?? I can't believe this is the last week of the month! It drives me crazy how fast time flies!
I've included pictures of Kelly's bouquets from last weekend - and I actually saw some photos of them on Facebook with the girls and the dresses...they looked awesome! For any of you who are brides....PLEASE send me photos of the bouquets and the bridesmaids and yourself afterwards that your photographer takes. A photographer is something I am not. The professional pictures always look so much better than the ones I take.

This week is going to be absolute insanity. I always try to make myself scarce on Mondays, because if I don't, I'd be here 7 days a week.
Tomorrow I've got appointments all day, I've got artificial custom work that's calling my name, and I have Wednesday to prep for the 3 big weddings we're doing this weekend....which will occupy all of my time on Thursday & Friday.

The weddings this weekend are going to be great!!
Andrea's is at Bellamere Winery in London.....she was very open to letting me use my endless creativity. We're going with a really rustic/natural wine theme to compliment the whole place. The centrepieces are going to be interesting 'collages' of wine bottles, moss, bark, river rocks, dried pods, and orchids.....we're going to have big tubs of moss and wine bottles with tall James Storey orchids coming out the top of the bottles....with magnolia leaves, rusty calla lilies, mokara orchids in red and gold....OMG - it's going to be gorgeous
Lindsay's wedding is at Hessenland, her dresses are the most unique shade of hmmm I could call it maybe an antique powdered turquoisey blue? not sure what to call it, but it's gorgeous, I've never seen it before. Her flowers are all beautiful creme garden flowers. SO classy....it's going to be so elegant and rich looking - completely different than the one listed above. Her centrepieces and linens coordinate beautifully...I can't wait to see it all together.
Patti's wedding is a backyard tent wedding in the country outside of Arva....she and her girls are carrying gerbra and rose bouquets......simple and fun!!
Needless to say, they all require setup saturday morning, I'll be running the roads like crazy!

As a plus....we're short staffed this week with people taking holidays...so if you're looking for me, whether it be 8am or 2am......you'll find me here!! LOL
Personally.....I'm glad the sun's shining, things are too dull when it rains. I'm happy when I'm busy - so no complaints. Graduation corsages and flowers have been flying lately.
I looked at my calendar.....and I've discovered that every weekend from now until the 1st of October, I have showers, bbq's, weddings, holidays, gift shows....etc.....every weekend.
No wonder time goes so quickly......
For you Christmas lovers.....my first shipment of like 30 boxes came in last week....it's priced and in the basement, I have no further intentions of even peeking into the boxes for at least a month or so. It will soon come overflowing in my backdoor....and I'll have no choice.
Merry Christmas!!

The start

2008-06-17T05:43:00.001-07:00

Well.......I'm blogging. A couple of years ago I don't think I even knew what a blog was.

Apparantly so I hear from people......my job is quite interesting, so I've decided to give everyone an inside scoop into what I'm doing, the new things going on here at the store, and the update of the latest jobs we've done in this BUSY wedding season I've got going on this summer.

This is the first post....and I'm hoping to keep this up weekly - through the summer anyways, people always want to see the wedding flowers we're doing. If you know me.....then haha - we'll see if I can keep this up!

Anyways!! Last weekend - 4 weddings!! busy day. We had 2 in London, 1 in Exeter, and 1 in Lucan. They were all gorgeous - mostly people who let me do whatever I wanted - which ALWAYS turns out to be great! This weekend is Kelly Thiel's wedding in Zurich - it's going to be beautiful!! Purples and whites, peonies freesia etc......gorgeous!

I have a file in my office, where each weekend when I get the weddings done, I staple each file together and put in my "weddings completed 2008" file. It feels good...when I've been working on all of these (on paper anyways) for so long, to be able to actually do the work and then have it completed - successfully. Lately though - we're booking as many new as I've been putting in my "done" file!

Each week, I'm getting as many new last-minute bookings for this summer as I finish!

It's great though - I love doing wedding flowers for girls.....it's their big day - everything's gotta be perfect!

Personally....on my end - there's not a whole lot new with me. My Isabelle will be 15 months on July 1...and just started walking last week. LOOK OUT! she's all over and into everything. She's a goer...but considering I was doing 80-90 hours a week before she was born - what can I expect right?

For a laugh.......Exeter is participating in "Communities in Bloom" this year, so I want to make sure that (since I own the flowershop in town) that our building looks really nice. I also live upstairs now, so out and around the store is like my backyard anyways. I went to Sunrise Greenhouse (they have the greatest stuff) and bought some beautiful hanging baskets, and plants to do our window boxes...etc - and it's fabulous. Up above the store in the front, there's 2 window boxes on the windows of Peter and Vicki's apartment. I found the greatest pre-made planters of annuals to fit right in the boxes....and I thought "Oh yeah!! this is great - I know they don't have screens in the windows...they'll pop right in!" Yes - there are no screens....but there are METAL BARS across the window!! I don't know what's wrong with my head - how could I forget the enormous ironwork of metal across the windows that only a hand can fit through. So - long story short - there's lovely window boxes here on the back porch - if you know someone with a boom truck, that would be great.
Above are the pics from last weekends weddings.....see you next week!