Beautiful Expressions Blog

I've said it before, but I LOVE fall weddings and flowers!! Jeff and Erica were great to work with and I wish them a wonderful life together. They wanted their wedding flowers in browns. golds, oranges, and wine. They were really open to any flowers that would give them a fall feel. We did mokara orchids, calla lilies, roses, button poms, dahlias, and oncidium orchids. We added liquid amber to the base of the bouquets for a real autumn feel. I loved the flowers in the corsages and boutonnieres as well. They wanted something non-traditional so we did bittersweet and liquid amber wrapped in copper wire for the boutonnieres, and miniature dahlias, orchids, buttons, and billy balls for the corsages. 

Erica loved pumpkins, and they were wanting to re-use flowers. I suggested they get pumpkins and hollow them out to place the bridesmaids bouquets inside for centepieces. I can't wait to see how they turned out! 

Bride's Bouquet

Groom's Boutonniere

Bridesmaid Bouquets

We were honored to provide the flowers for a 50th Anniversary party today in Colorado Springs at The Broadmoor Hotel. What an amazing testament to all married couples! Congratulations on 50 wonderful years! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your special day!

I woke up this morning to beautiful Colorado snow. This is the second time it's snowed here this year, but this is the first time it has stuck. Snow this early in the season is a nightmare for a florist because we have to wrap all the flowers if it is below 35 degrees so they don't freeze. The Falcon/Peyton area is extra difficult because of the wind! Hopefully it will warm up a bit so I can enjoy the fall colors just a little more. My red maple tree was really pretty with the snow on it this morning. Keep warm today!

While on vacation in Washington D.C. I found this really adorable store called the Paper Source. Unfortunately, they do not have stores in Colorado, but they have an amazing online selection. These are unique invitations and guestbooks for your fabulous Colorado Springs Wedding. Check them out Paper Source Invitations.

 A favorite, if I were having a fall wedding!

Today I had the priviledge of meeting with one of Colorado Springs' fabulous wedding coordinators Kim Feffer. It was great to learn about how she started and what she offers her clients. I feel we have very similar philosophies on how our clients should be treated, and we both want the wedding to be an expression of the bride and their personality. 

Wedding coordinators can be helpful on many levels and Kim has so much to offer her brides.

Referrals, Advice and Consulting
Rehearsal and Day of Wedding Coordination
Full Service Wedding Planning
Personal Wedding Concierge

I look forward to working with Kim in the future. If you would like to check out her portfolio, go to her website www.jittersevents.com!

 This was just an amazing wedding bouquet of fall flowers that I love and wanted to share! Enjoy

Recently my daughter was in a wedding in Colorado Springs, and her dress came from Something New Boutique. We had to have it altered and they were fabulous to work with. They offer a large selection of bridal gowns, bridesmaids dresses, mother's dresses, flower girl dresses,  prom and special event gowns, and they have amazing accessories! My daughter's tiara was so pretty!!  Mindi and her staff truly care about you as a client, and they have exceptional products! I would recommend any bride in Colorado Springs to visit Something New Boutique www.somethingnewboutique.com for your "Something New"

I LOVED this dress, it's by Maggie Sottero, one of the designers Something New Boutique carries. I also LOVED the flowers in their soft shades of green and lavender.

Fall is my favorite time of year and Fall Wedding Flowers are no exception. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE texture and when I get the chance to utilize all that fall has to offer I do!

Some of my fav textures...Seed Pods, Fruit-Pomegranates, oranges, etc., Hypericum Berry, Safari Sunset, and my favorite...Bittersweet Vine! 

I also love the rich colors. Whether it be traditional oranges, reds, and yellows, or more contemporary fuschia, orange, red...I love them all! My most favorite flower this time of year is the orchid. There are so many to choose from and each gives a distinct design to wedding flowers-oncidium, james story, mokara, and cymbidiums!

Colorado Springs is an amazing place for a fall wedding. The mountains are more majestic, the air more crisp, the sun more intense, and the colors more vibrant! All of this equals More Fabulous Flowers!!

Peggy wanted something unique and elegant, so we combined calla lilies, mokara orchids, and cymbidium orchids in the rich orange and brown tones she wanted. We added green cymbidium orchids to make the other colors pop! I absolutely loved these bouquets. Peggy and her mom wanted something to keep from the wedding so we designed 2 silk arrangements for the alter that they were able to keep for their homes. Thanks Peggy for letting us be a part of your wedding! Many Blessings.

Peggy used an awesome local photographer, John, of Majesty Photo. He does an awesome job and is so easy to work with! www.majestyphoto.com

For a long time I have been irritated with wire-services because they are a dis-service to the customer and the local florist.

A few reasons you should use a local florist instead of a wire-service:
        
        Value-there is no middle man charge. You will receive an arrangement for the money in which you paid.
        
        Quality/Creativity-the florist can tell you what they have in their cooler. What is the most beautiful and fresh, and make you a one-of-a-kind arrangement.
       
        Expertise-the local florist is a trained professional. They have vast knowledge in their product...it's not just someone taking an order. This is their passion. They want to WOW your special person!
       
        Guarantee-You don't have to jump through hoops when there is a concern-you call them directly and they handle it immediately.

Some may argue that wire-services are more convenient, which in some cases they are. As for my shop, I have a shopping cart available 24 hours a day on my website.

The best value for your money is alwyas going to be calling a local florist in the area you are sending flowers to. It is always best to ask where the florist is located when calling because there are imposters. Wesley Berry Florist is an example. They advertise themselves as a local florist in many cities, take the order, and then send that order to a REAL local florist.  I believe this practice is unethical and deceiving. When I asked FTD and Teleflora about it, because their logos were on this florist's site, they said there was nothing they could do. Of course NOT- they get money from every order as well! Leaving the Customer and the Florist short-changed!

Thank you for supporting your local florist and Beautiful Expressions!