From wedding day to everyday, flowers make a tremendous impact not only on the look and feel of a room, but also on peoples' moods, attitudes and impressions. Check out this floral advice from a trifecta of lifestyle gurus, and bounce into bloom!
The Flower Factor is made up of a team of three of the country's leading lifestyle experts (also known as The Fleurtations); designer Kelli Ellis, relationship expert Christine Arylo and party expert, chef and author Jeanne Benedict. Their advice will take you well beyond wedding day for a life full of love, laughter, and flowers!
Love Blooms with relationship expert Christine Arylo
Chances are, when you were dating your spouse-to-be, you received flowers, because when you receive flowers, the doors of your heart swing open. When you give flowers, doors swing open in response. Expressing love and kindness through flowers helps a relationship grow over time. And research proves, as I always believed, that flower givers are thought of as caring and loving people who appreciate beauty.
What follows is my advice for building loving relationships, sending love spontaneously and instantly improving the mood of a loved one. Also there to help is your florist, who’s like that friend-in-the-know who has the best advice and the hottest tips, who you can always rely on to help you add that special touch.
Don’t go for the traditional or the trend. Choose what is meaningful to you.
There is a lot of pressure on brides to pick the ‘right’ everything. That ‘right’ everything can only come from one place… inside you. Get ideas from outside, but make choices on what’s inside. Work with your florist to pick flowers that mean something to you both, and the flower will last as long as the memory and the photos!
Don’t just give flowers to the “expected” people. Use flowers to open the hearts of all your special guests.
Flowers open hearts, and what a gift to give to the people who have chosen to spend this special day with you. Give the sentiment back. If it’s a destination wedding, place flowers in each of the guest’s rooms as a surprise. If it’s a one-night affair, pick a pretty but inexpensive flower and place it on every woman’s place setting.
Don’t think that just because he’s a guy he doesn't care about the flowers. Pick a flower that fits him.
Don’t make the decision on what flower he is going to wear. While he may not be super knowledgeable in the flower arena, don’t assume he doesn't care (biggest mistake brides make, is to take control of everything.) Even if the says he doesn't care about the flower he wears, he does, it’s on his body! Give him a few options and let him choose… even if he chooses the one you like the least.
Don’t assume your guy is a mind reader. If you want to receive flowers, even after your big day, tell him so (and explain why.)
A great marriage takes care, not hard work. And it never involves mind reading. If you are a woman who really enjoys receiving flowers, tell your man! Tell him what kind, and why they mean so much to you. Mind reading is a dangerous sport. Don’t do it! Ask for what you need, and usually you will get it.
Don’t wait for someone to give you flowers to feel the love.
Do make flowers a daily part of your self-love practice, even after you are married.
It’s a fact that the amount of love you have in your life starts with the amount of love you have for yourself. Self-love isn’t something you have, it’s a practice you either keep in your life or don’t… and flowers are a fabulous, inexpensive and super effective way to keep the self-love going. You don’t have to wait for your husband or finance’ to give flowers to you, you can buy them yourself.
Beyond Wedding Flowers with Kelli Ellis
Like your wardrobe, iPod playlist and even your refrigerator door, your home is a reflection of who you are, which is particularly important to consider now that you will be sharing your style with your soul mate. As a designer (and a bride-to-be this July), I believe your living space should reflect both of your senses of style and personalities. Flowers are an easy and versatile way to decorate your home together, plus a Harvard study showed that having flowers in the home decreases anxiety and provides bursts of energy that last well into the day. Since you’re surely having flowers at your wedding, keep the floral décor going as you set up your home together.
Have a special, personal touch at your wedding table. Ask your florist to fill a favorite or sentimental vase with flowers for your big day.
Remember your wedding every day by keeping an arrangement or bud vase of your bouquet flowers in your foyer or on your kitchen table in your new home.
As you set up home together, experiment with flowers. Create a “wow factor” with flowers that are bold to add drama to a room, or add flowers that match a color to add depth to a room.
Pick one “go-to” room in your house as a place to relax and unwind together. Choose fragrant flowers for this room to immediately “take you away from it all” and focus on each other.
Care and Feeding: Just like a relationship, flowers need care and feeding. Start by getting the freshest flowers from your florist. Keep the container filled with water and the flower food that was provided, and follow the instructions on the packet. Replace the water when it gets cloudy, and if possible, re-cut the stems one or two inches with a sharp knife. Immediately put the flowers back into the water. Keep your flowers in a cool spot away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
Petals for your Parties with Jeanne Benedict
Gorgeous florals are the ultimate compliment to your guests, letting them know you care enough them to surround them in beauty and scintillate their senses. We cherish celebratory times together – weddings and beyond – and flowers help create the memories we remember forever. Plus, a Rutgers University study says it best: Flowers create instant happiness, exactly the mood you want for a wedding party.
Whether you’re presenting flowers at your wedding or hosting friends in your new home, here are inspirations for creating events you’ll remember forever.
Here's a fun idea for an engagement party or bridal shower. Embellish place cards with a flower that represents each guest's personality at their place setting. You can find out about the meanings of certain flowers on AboutFlowers. Write a little note card that explains what the flower means, such as the elegance of a rose symbolizing the elegance of a specific person. Your guests will love the personal touch.
The current trends in bridal bouquets is absolutely fabulous! Garland bouquets are back with long flowing green botanicals and a hint of a metallic floral spray to give them shimmer. Fragrance is popular in today's bouquets such as Geranium leaves or roses. Whimsical accents on bouquets are big as well such as metallic threads with blossoms dangling from them to give the bouquet movement as the bride walks down the aisle. You local florist is a treasure trove of knowledge and will be able to help you pick the perfect bouquet for your perfect day!
Each bridesmaid is unique, so why not celebrate her individuality with specific flowers in her bouquet? If one of your colors is yellow, your fun-loving bridesmaid can carry a bouquet of yellow Gerbera Daisies, a traditional bridesmaid can carry yellow roses, and your exotic bridesmaid can carry yellow Cymbidium Orchids!
Once in your new home, when opening your doors for the first time or meeting new neighbors, flowers truly make homes and hearts feel warm. Find a florist in your new neighborhood with National Florist Directory and create a relationship that will grow over time.
Photo credit: Nathaniel Edmunds Photography
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