A nice thank you note....

I got this very thoughtful note from one of my brides recently. It's great when they take the time to show how much they appreciate your effort! Thank you Rebecca!


Dear Jana:
I want thank you for making my wedding the day of my dreams. I gave you a very limited budget and vague ideas of what I wanted and you created floral masterpieces! I would recommend you to any bride. You are creative, professional and a joy to work with.

I interviewed many florists and you were leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else. You have an amazing vision and creative eye as well as the patience and understanding to work with frazzled brides.

You understand that not every bride can afford to spend a lot on flowers, but you can still give her the wedding floral decor of her dreams. I still can't believe how beautiful my flowers and centerpieces were!

Please feel free to use me as a reference or anything else. I am a huge fan of yours, but I imagine all of your brides are happy with their flowers!

You are wonderful and talented and I can't thank you enough for how beautiful you made my wedding day!

Rebecca Epley Cunningham

Bonifay wedding

Here are a few shots and a video from a wedding November 8th. The photos and video are provided by Limelight Photography
Thanks guys!

Create your own storyboard

When it comes to planning and being prepared for the big day, I see all different types of brides. Some have nothing on paper and have no ideas of what look or feel they are trying to achieve. Others have large stuffed binders full of tons of ideas. Most brides though have a hard time pulling all of this information together and focusing on a main theme. I have helped many brides chose their wedding colors during our floral consultation! Storyboards to the rescue!
A storyboard is helpful for even the most organized bride. Cut out or print photos of every element of your wedding so you can see it all together. Then things will become obvious if they don't "fit". Here are some samples of some storyboards that I came across. Storyboards can be done on a regular poster board or right on your computer. When your wedding is over, replace some of the ideas with real photos and make thank you postcards. Get organized with a storyboard and you will have a well composed look! Have fun!

Focal points within your reception area

Many brides out there are unable to spend a great deal on centerpieces or decor for each table. A good alternative for this is to create a couple of focal points within the room. You really need something that will get your guests attention and wow them when they enter the room. Place two smaller tables that no one will be seated at among the other guest tables within the room. Place large lit displays on these two tables with uplighting and lots of drama. That will be sure to catch their attention and only have the expense of two large displays instead of lots of expensive decor for every table. Always remember don't just go through the motions......create memories.

The perfect location for a fall wedding

Jessica Taylor and her fiance married at Cross Creek Ranch in Dover on October 31st. What a perfect location for a fall wedding. Bonnie from Cross Creek did a great job as usual embrassing the holiday and wedding in one big event! It was gorgeous! The photos below are compliments of Don Eggert Photography I will be receiving more soon that I will be putting on my website so watch for those!!!

Jessica Potter's Wedding

Congratulations to Jessica and Wayne!

Jessica and Wayne were married at Hunter's Green Golf and Country Club in Tampa on November 22nd. Fuschia, Ivory and Black made for a striking color scheme. Aren't her shoes cute!! I can't wait to see the professional photos from Captured Art Photography

Care Crew

Recently I had the pleasure of making some floral arrangements for a booth at the Pet Adoption Expo. The Hillsborough County Animal Services CARE CREW displayed a quite elegant exhibit at the state fairgrounds last weekend. Buccanneer Mike Alstott and Olympic Silver Medalist Zach Railey were there to sign autographs and help support the cause. The Care Crew was founded by a local celebrity among animals in Hillsborough County. Bob Reina recently gave his heart and his financial backing to some very special animals right here in our area. Want to see what he's done? Bob Reina gives back.

Seabulk Towing 50th Anniversary Party

I am very happy to say that Events in Bloom got to be a part of the Seabulk Towing 50th anniversary party. Victor Davis and Cheryl Brown were easy and fun to work with and pulled together a very memorable event. Many great vendors were involved to pull off this "fabulous" evening.
The event was held at the Tampa Marriott Waterside(Scott Peavey) The lighting, special effects and palms were provided by Paul Thomasson at Extravaganza Productions. The cake was prepared by Wrights Bakery and of course Events in Bloom did all of the florals for the table decor and the decorating of the cake. Everyone involved did a fabulous job. I also want to say congratulations to Seabulk Towing for 50 years of success!

Tablescapes are IN!

What are you seeing a lot of in the high end wedding magazines? Large family style tables with tablescapes. I wish everyone would try something like this! It adds a nice warm feel to the room and lots of color.
Here are a few samples of tablescapes I have found from the very elegant to the very simple.

Congratulations Gena!

Gena brought in fall with a bang. She was married at the Palm Harbor White Chapel and had her reception next door at Harbor Hall. What a charming place to get married! Congratulations Gena!

Congratulations Zaydee!

Zaydee was one of my beautiful brides that got married this summer in Ybor City.  Thanks to Zaydee and Lauren Pauline Photography, I am able to share some of their special moments!

Brides Florida Magazine

Recently I had the opportunity to work with several wonderful people to help create an ad for Hunter's Green Golf and Country Club in New Tampa. The ad will be in BRIDES FLORIDA magazine and on the stands sometime in the next week or two. Thank you Aymee from Brides Magazine and Gretchen at Hunter's Green for the Opportunity. Also a big thanks to Rebecca from Limelight Photography for the wonderful photos! Your always there when needed! Check it out!

A Thank you card idea

Recently I helped one of my brides create a thank you card for all of her guests using a collage of photos from her wedding. I did this for her in photoshop and I think it is really cute! This is a 5x8 card and we ordered the cards through http://www.overnightprints.com/ One more time for everyone to see my flowers too!

Escort Card Displays

Samples taken from my portfolio and theknot.com

Not sure what to do about your escort cards? There are lots of options out there. There is no excuse for just having those white tented cards on that white table cloth.

This is your opportunity to use that creativity and let your personality show.

Escort card tables or areas are usually placed either within the cocktail reception area or somewhere just outside of the reception door. This area is like the front door of your reception. This is a place that you need to give a good first impression for what is about to be unveiled. Great wedding are all about the total experience.

As one of my brides mother's stated, "I don't want anyone to walk away and say--what were they thinking?!" LOL Don't let that happen to you.

Above are some photos of ideas for that area. Enjoy!

A New Venue in St. Pete, FL

I couple of months ago Carrie from Carrie Wildes photography and I had the pleasure of visiting the newly opened and remodeled Nova535 facility in St. Petersburg. Everyone needs to stop by and see this unique facility. Hardwood floors, brick walls, large art pieces, a bar, dance floor, a balcony with the latest sound system and much more. This is a great place to have an event if your tired of the standard hotel scene. It would be great for wedding receptions, business meetings, etc. They also hold some comedy nights and other events there throughout the month.

To top off this experience their food was INCREDIBLE!!! This is a must see in my book!

Wedding and floral decor

WELCOME TO MY FIRST BLOG! Hope you enjoy!

Wedding and floral decor as a whole can be a frightening experience for brides. When you choose a venue for your wedding they will usually present you with a "package". This probably means white linens, that mirrored square on the table and the hurricane lamp with a candle. Does this mean that is what you have to use? ABSOLUTELY NOT The more you make changes the more unique your wedding will be. Just remember that they offer that same package to all of their brides. Do you want your wedding at 6pm to look just like the one from 1pm? NO not if you want anyone to remember your wedding.

Wedding decor is not all about the centerpiece (I know you can't believe I'm saying that as a florist) It's about linking a lot of different elements together to create an experience. Now flowers can be a big part of that, but I would not be honest if I didn't say its not the only important thing.

Before making essential choices for your wedding and reception, dig deep within yourself on what you want the overall look and feel to be that your guests to walk away with. Make your wedding your own!

Your wedding and reception is your one opportunity to transport all of your guests into "Your World" Bring them to your vision of romance or splender. Only you can decide what is most important to you and make it your own creation. Keep your guests attention and they will stay until the end. Give them the same wedding as last week and they will dash out after the dinner. Think....create.....personalize