Organic Centerpiece Sample

A portfolio for a wedding and event florist is somewhat difficult to maintain I think, unless you are duly trained as a photographer. You see, when you are at the event setting up, that is your priority and typically you end up perfecting it and/or tweaking it until the last moment, clean up and finito, adios, after all, you are more than likely pooped and proud of a job well done. Then as you walk out the door and get in your van to drive away you think, "Oh, I forgot to take my camera in.", but typically do not think twice about it as the pictures would be dark, blurry and would not do the arrangement justice at all. That is why years ago, even before I started my business, I decided to rely on the professionals. I began to befriend the photographer at each event and ask (okay, in some cases, somewhat beg) them for images after the fact, of course giving them credit in return. It works out well for the most part, aside from the fact that this is not at all what their client hired them to do; therefore I typically get some great bouquet shots, but minimal centerpiece and ceremony shots of florals. It should be known that I am not complaining, at all! Really, I can not blame them. They are zipping around during the wedding capturing many wonderful moments and in all honestly, I would hate it if they did miss those moments while shooting a centerpiece for me. It is the same reason why I do not take the picture, it is just not what the client hired you to do at that moment and the moments are time lined to perfection for weddings and events.
So, this very long winded explanation is why not many of my centerpieces are captured. I found myself recently chatting with a bride who wants a more organic and natural design for her centerpieces. This is one of the concepts that we are discussing, sort of. You see, the actual piece that we are discussing incorporates driftwood and oyster shells, not quite the rotten birch and moss from my back yard. However, I wanted to do up this sample to give her an overall idea of the design as once again, designs that I have done exactly like this in the past, have gone uncaptured. Hope it helps.
And, yes it should be known that it is a goal of the year to capture more of the designs that I create this next season. I recently purchased a new camera. (Thank you for your advice, dear Sharyn Peavey.) Now it is just a matter of reading the Bible that it came with and figuring out all of the buttons and gadgets. Wish me luck!

MadGirl Fashion Show

One aspect of owning my own business that I truly love is being able to pursue my passions through my business, one of which is the world of artistic design. Of course, doing wedding flowers definitely allows me to be creative and artistic on a regular basis; however not many brides would want something Dr. Seuss inspired or a huge floral installation at their reception (not many, though I have to say, I have heard and fulfilled my fair share of odd requests through the years). Yesterday, I was able to work my Dr. Seuss floral magic for Meredith Alex http://madgirlworld.com/ , a local Portland fashion designer, for her Mad bash and the Marion Grace CD launch at the Port City Music Bar in Portland. Pin cushion protea, fantail pussywillow, grevillia, fiddleheads, eremurus, yellow kangaroo paw, and many more uncommon flowers completed the funky floral designs for the VIP section. To finish off the arrangements I created metal flowers with a live craspedia ball center to finish off the look. They proved to be funky, different, and just the right touch for this fashion show. Portland Press Herald, Maine Magazine and many other publicists were in attendance so hopefully over the next few months you will see some great images from this festive event.

Past wedding images

Of course I think that flowers are one of the most important aspect of a wedding. Aside from the bride and the groom, the location, flowers in my mind come next in terms of the priorities for the wedding day (probably if I did not think so, I should not be in this profession I would think..). However, close runner up in my mind is the photographer. I do not think that a decade ago that I would have felt so strongly about this statement. The way that a photographer shoots, not only the bride and groom, but the intimate details of the day make a world of difference when you are looking back at your wedding or event.

photo courtesy of Snapshots by Clare
The way that they capture specific details of the wedding bouquet, or the moments of emotion, the angle in which they take the images and the coloring is all truly and art that only a talented artist can create and produce successfully.

photo courtesy of Audra Welton photography
Unfortunately, I am not a photographer as well as florist. I would love to be both as then I could actually wonderfully capture each and every bouquet and floral design that I create. Instead I always ask the photographers to kindly shoot some images here and there for me and then reconnect with them after each wedding to collect the few images of my work. I am very fortunate to have worked along side of some amazing photographers in Maine and hope to work with even more to come.

photo courtesy of Angela Coloumbe photography

Foxhill Photo Shoot

This past January I was kindly asked to be apart of a photoshoot for a new exclusive wedding property soon to open here in Maine, Foxhill Estate in Camden. Corbin Gurkin was the talented photographer on site for the weekend and Maine Season's Events Meagan Gilpatrick the event planner. On a frigid winter day in January we transformed this huge estate into an intimate wedding setting.

I enjoyed every minute of creative inspiration, working with the flowers, and creating the minute details that make this shoot really work for the time of year and setting. Mercury glass, aged silver vases, crab apples, burgundy peonies, French tulips, anemones, lady slipper orchids, tuberrose etc. were some of the elements that I used within the floral design. Finishing touches of moss encased votives seemed to tie everything into the Maine setting.

Flowers for all occasions

I recently was honored to have been asked to have been apart of a memorial service in Bath. I do not take on funeral work for a variety of reasons that really requires a whole other blog entry which would not be exciting or interesting in the slightest. However, a memorial service, I consider so very different.
Maybe it is because of how I picture my own, which my husband says that I am crazy, but with vibrantly attired people dancing to great dance tunes such as Usher and Beyonnce, maybe even a little Diddy. (A side note: I realize that this statement makes me sound a heck of a lot younger than what I am; however consider it a genetic disposition as my father has a certain affinity for R and B as well, though at a first glance one would never guess.) More importantly, a memorial service seems to be a wonderful way to celebrate someones life, which with my business, I want to be there to celebrate life with others hidden amongst my flowers which hopefully bring joy and passion of design to their events.
With this said, after hearing about this incredible man from his family as well as researching his life as well on my own, I was pleased to take on this job and to be apart of this families day. With hundreds of people in attendance at a closed down Maine Maritime Museum, my design partner, who I can not say enough about, Alexandra Hollauer-Piltch, and I created lush organic floral arrangements per the clients request that were designed to encompass this man's style and life. We brought in elements of Maine which he loved, sticks, white hydrangeas, and ferns as well as a variety of greenhouse, French, double, and fringed white and cream tulips. The design was very fitting and I was very pleased that the family felt so passionately that there could be no other design that would have suited him better.
I could not help but wonder as the day progressed, "How will I be remembered?..." which I guess is a question that everyone asks from time to time. Once again, when the time comes for me, everyone put on your dancing shoes, and please, no black.

Favorite Flowers

I try not to claim any flowers to be my favorite. Seems like right about the time that I would do so that surely I would think of another that was a close runner up, if not my favorite, of that moment. However, I was recently at the flower market and saw some of the most beautiful peonies and I have to say... if there was to be a favorite of mine, peonies would be it. I not only love each and every variety of peony and the unique shape that unfolds from each bloom, but their colors are just amazingly vivid and truly stunning. Corals, fuchsias, yellows, etc.. really they all are magnificent. So, as we all look forward to the buds of Spring coming about in the near future (yes, I know it is still not in our eminent future, but I like to sike myself out about this time of year thinking we are close to seeing grass!!) I am raising my glass of wine tonight to the peonies in all of their glory. They are my favorite.

...and never to be forgotten or far behind, flowering quince, flowering cherry blossom branches, flowering honeysuckle vines, David Austin roses, etc. etc...

Honor from Wedding Wire

I am honored to have been selected by WeddingWire as one of their premier florists. Thank you to WeddingWire and all of the brides who have nominated my company. Below is the press release that I received.

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that Emily Carter Floral Designs has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Wedding Flowers!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Emily Carter Floral Designs is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that Emily Carter Floral Designs is among the very best florist within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.