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Jewel-toned Florals for a Sultry Summer Evening at Montague Retreat Center
When I arrived at Montague Retreat Center to drop off the flowers for Julia and Doug’s August wedding I was worried about rain. The forecast called for the kind of brief, but intense thunderstorms that happen a lot in New England in the hottest and most humid part of summer, and while I can set up an arch installation inside as well as out – there was no arch inside the venue. A couple of texts and phone calls later and the call was made: we’re doing it outside. Photos of Julia and Doug’s wedding: Kissick Weddings. Location: Montague Retreat Center, Montague, Massachusetts. Planner: Events by Pamela Joy.
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A Summer Meadow’s Worth of Flowers in a Day
My home and farm is a little less than 4 miles from Valley View, so it’s a real treat when I’m asked to flower a wedding there. I’ll travel, and I enjoy it, but staying close to home, incorporating my own flowers as well as those from other local growers and including thoughtfully chosen sourced flowers, and popping right up the road on wedding day – perfection. For Charlotte and Ross’s midsummer wedding all of that happened. A perfect, slightly-warm-but-not-too-warm summer day, a floral color palette that was basically “all the colors,” and lots of fun, special floral touches throughout the ceremony and reception made this one of the…
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Each married their favorite person: an early summer wedding at the Boylston Rooms!
Jules and Rachel are adorable. Their instagram feeds (because yes, I’m a follower!) read like mini love letters to each other. So of course their wedding was equally as adorable and personal! I quite literally squealed when I saw the photo album West on Jade sent over – every single picture of them is ridiculously cute, just like they are. Location: Boylston Rooms, Easthampton, MA. June. All photographs by Juliet Cannici of West on Jade Photography.
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Spring Blooms in the Berkshires: a glorious wedding at Race Brook Lodge
Apparently the only way to get from where I live, Northampton, to Sheffield, is “the back way.” The roads were curvy, bendy, and forked, but the day was gorgeous! New England spring was on full display: the perfect backdrop for Jessica and Chris’s family and friend-filled wedding on the grounds of Race Brook Lodge. A side note for all of the couples reading my blog posts and considering me for flowering your wedding: every single event I’ve done this year that’s been outside has had PERFECT weather. Including one where there was a hail warning – the hail skipped right over us. I’m good luck, obviously. Anyway, back to Jessica…
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No floral foam for me! An environmental and sustainable guarantee.
I started in this business as a home gardener. For years before I owned Passalongs Farm or made a single wedding bouquet, I tended large perennial gardens, tried to grow veggies, and worked at a farmers’ market, where I fell in love with farmers and farm culture. Personally, I’ve always recycled, cooked from scratch as much as possible, and tried to reduce waste. I’m thrifty, environmentally conscious – oh, and happen to be partnered up with a husband whose business is energy efficiency in all forms. We are not as green as some, but greener than most. When I started creating floral designs beyond simple bouquets I was astonished at…
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Flower Arranging workshop with Gardeners on the Green!
When Jill, the event coordinator for Gardeners on the Green in Longmeadow contacted me to see if I’d do a workshop for her group, I was really excited! March in Massachusetts is fairly dreary: still cold, despite the calendar saying it’s spring, and we have plenty of snow and ice. Usually there’s not a flower to be seen! Luckily there were plenty of flowers at the wholesaler and I chose a Rosie Posie vase for the gardeners to work with, since this shape vase is really great for a low, wide arrangement but can also be used for a rounder, taller arrangement as well. First I told them a little…
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Who knew? 2018 in review!
Last night I was at a New Year’s Eve party with friends I hadn’t seen in person for a couple of years. We moved to Massachusetts in 2015, and so while most my North Carolina friends and I stay in touch via social media, many of them I usually only see once a year, if that. Here’s the cool thing, y’all: every single one of them told me how beautiful my flowers were, how much pleasure they got out of seeing the bouquets, and many of them also said: WHO KNEW? Who knew you could do that? Who knew you had that business in you? I didn’t. I hadn’t. But…
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Fall themed wedding at The Ranch Golf Club in Southwick
The Ranch Golf Club in Southwick has a sweet wedding venue, The Pavilion, which is a beautifully restored and modernized barn. There’s a separate house where the bridal party can get ready, a private ceremony area with a rustic arch, and the barn itself, which is roomy and bright and went very well with my flowers, which I grew and sourced locally, except for the eucalyptus. When I got there, the bride, Cailin, getting her hair done, her bridemaids and mom buzzing around, and she seemed so relaxed! I can’t help but think that bodes well for a wedding and marriage! Location: The Pavilion, The Ranch Golf Club, Southwick, MA.…
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Traditional meets Artsy Chic = Gorgeous pastels at the Curtis House in Ashfield
Meghan wanted all blushes, whites and creams…but she’s also an art designer, has one or two tattoos, and her hair makes me think of a unicorn (not to mention their wedding hashtag was #megbreaksben – courtesy of her fun and personal instagram feed!), so I knew that while a traditional color scheme was in order to go with her beyond-gorgeous lace dress, I could add a creative touch here and there to add a little extra style to these romantic flowers, starting with the bride’s bouquet. Location: Gloriosa & Co. at The Curtis House, Ashfield, October. Photography: most by Tim Mackay Design (unless otherwise noted.)
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Inspiration: a mustard wedding dress! Summer wedding flowers at Quonquont Farm
“I want it to be a surprise. My dress is going to be mustard.” Glorious words to a florist! I love a white or cream or ivory wedding gown, of course – they’re classic, gorgeous, traditional – but mustard! Mustard is different. It’s a hue a color-loving flower farmer can get inspired by! Location: Quonquont Farm, Whately, Massachusetts, Late July. Photography: Kim Lindler, Time Bandit Photography. Jesse and Dave had me do the personal flowers for their wedding, including bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, a hairpiece and a floral necklace, as well as a garland for their chuppah, and friends and family created most of the reception centerpieces using buckets of flowers…
