centerpieces

Favored Friday Vendor Spotlight: Davinci Florist

divinciDaVinci Florist specialize in creating floral and event designs for weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvah’s, corporate events, and any other event that requires unique and beautiful décor. For more than a decade, they have been one of the premiere floral and event design companies in the Washington D.C area.  Their services aren't just limited to flowers, they also provide lighting and furniture rental. Our favored team has worked with the company on a number of events. Check out some pictures below! Helen wedding 6  divinci room divinci table2010-01-02-19.47.13 AMAZING-CENTERPIECE-WASHINGTON-DC 262114_452473284799379_861225217_n  

Source: Davinciflorist.com

Tip Tuesday: 20 TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS

centerpiece

There are (literally!) thousands of types of flowers, and infinite combinations of colors and arrangements that you can create with them. So how do you narrow it down to the perfect blooms for your wedding? Start with these basic, must-know tips.

First, Know Your Budget

Have a good idea of what you're ready to spend on flowers before getting your heart set on specific blooms or arrangements. The cost of wedding flowers ranges widely (typically between $2,000 and $6,000) depending on the types of flowers you choose, how delicate those flowers are and, of course, how many arrangements you'll need and how elaborate they'll be. So set your budget, then look for inspiration -- not vice versa.

Then, Spend Wisely

Focus your flower budget on the areas of your wedding that will be in the spotlight. Your bouquet, a signature element at the ceremony (like the huppah or pedestal arrangements) and reception centerpieces should top your list of priorities. Use leftover cash on the extras like decor for the cake table, guest book table and cocktail hour.

Visit a Flower Shop...

There's more to wedding flowers than roses and peonies, so don't miss out on the blooms you didn't even know existed. (Some lesser-known types not to miss: craspedia, proteas, scabiosa and gloriosa lilies.) Find out what's out there in person by taking a walk through the biggest nursery or flower depot near you. Ideally, you'll go exactly one year before your wedding date so you'll see what colors and flowers are in season and will be readily available to you.

...Then Home Depot (Seriously!)

For color inspiration, visit the paint aisle of the local hardware store. Pick up a few swatches that you love and bring them to your meeting with your florist to get each of your creative juices flowing. Other good sources of color: Visit a fabric store, which can drum up ideas for both color and texture, or simply take a look around your apartment to see what colors you loved enough to choose for your home.

Prioritize, Then Plan

Think about how important flowers are to you in the grand scheme of your wedding. If the answer is "very!" then consider planning elements of the day around your dream flowers. For example, if you know you want lots of peonies, pick a date in late spring (when they're in season) and a classic venue to complement them.

Complement What You Love

Speaking of prioritizing, your wedding flowers should enhance whatever element of the day you want to emphasize most. Are you big on food? Plan to have centerpieces that fit in with the dishes on the table, like low, long centerpieces in wooden containers. Want your wedding party to be the stars of the show? Spend extra effort planning individualized bouquets and boutonnieres for them.

Look to Your Dress

As one of the first major purchases you're bound to make, your dress can inspire the style of your entire wedding and your flowers -- especially your bouquet. Choose a floral design that will photograph well with your gown. If you buy a sleek, sheath dress, a simple bouquet of calla lilies and similar arrangements will accent it well, while a loose, just-picked bunch of wildflowers looks great with a romantic, lacy gown. Also something to take into consideration: your height! If you're petite, ask for a smaller bouquet that won't overwhelm your frame.

Complement Your Venue

Once you book your reception site, choose flowers that will look like they belong there (wild, rustic flowers might look odd in a formal ballroom, while glam arrangements decked out with crystals might not fit with a garden venue). Take into consideration the height of the ceilings (high rafters call for taller centerpieces, which might look cramped in a space with low ceilings). If your florist isn't familiar with the venue, plan a site visit so you both know what you're working with.

Think in Seasons

Don't make decisions about flowers or colors before knowing what blooms are available for your wedding date. Spring and summer have the biggest selection of flower types and colors, while you'll be more restricted in fall and winter. Peonies, cherry blossoms, ranunculus, lilacs and anemones are popular blooms that have limited peak seasons. Some top flowers that are available year-round: roses, calla lilies, hydrangeas and cymbidium orchids.

Pick a Personality

Still stumped about your flower style? Rummage through your closet. Who's your favorite fashion designer? If it's Kate Spade, maybe your flowers will be monochromatic, but bold and bright. If your drawers are filled with J. Crew, a preppy, streamlined look might be for you. Consider putting together an inspiration board of a few things you love -- a photo of your favorite dress, a vintage postcard and a swatch of fabric, for example -- to show your florist your style.

Don't Expect Exact Colors

You might be able to find table linens in that perfect shade of pink, but flowers are a different story. Color-matching with a natural living thing like a flower can be frustrating, if not impossible -- flower colors vary vastly, even if they came from the same plant! Instead, think in terms of color families (think: light greens or pale pinks) rather than precise shades picked out of a Pantone book (like cerulean blue or lavender).

Go Classic for Your Ceremony...

Your ceremony flowers -- the bouquets, boutonnieres and those at the actual site of your vows -- will probably be the most photographed flowers of the day. Keep your ceremony arrangements on the clean and classic side so your pictures will stand the test of time.

...But Creative for Your Reception

For the party, there's much more room for creativity (that's right -- your ceremony and reception flowers don't have to match). If you're itching to experiment with funky colors or unusual arrangements, the reception centerpieces and other decor are the place to do it.

Mind Mother Nature

For an outdoor wedding, your flowers will probably be delivered and installed several hours before the event starts, meaning they might be sitting in the sun. Not all flowers can withstand heat or wind, so work with your florist to choose flowers that'll stay fresh for your venue. The same goes for boutonnieres and fresh flowers for your hair.

Envision Your Tables

When planning your centerpieces, visualize what else will be on the dinner tables. Don't let candles and favors upstage your tall, glam centerpieces. On the other hand, a minimalist arrangement might look too spare if there aren't other accents nearby.

Don't Forget About Your Guests

Don't let your flowers get in the way (literally) of your guests' having a good time. Be sure that centerpieces aren't so large that they'll block conversation across the table. If you opt for tall arrangements, display them in thin vases or clear glass containers so guests can see each other.

Think About Flower Alternatives

Nonbotanical decor can be gorgeous, especially for your reception. For a vintage wedding, a pile of old, meaningful books can make a great centerpiece (not to mention conversation piece) or arrangements of colorful veggies might be just the thing for a barn setting.

Personalize It

Making your wedding flowers extra meaningful can be as simple as adding your grandmother's brooch to your bouquet or carrying the same flowers down the aisle that your mom did -- or it can be as complex as using a photo of your family's home garden to inspire your entire floral vision.

Trust Your Florist

We've heard it over and over: The happiest brides are the ones who picked a florist they loved, then let them do their thing. Most likely, your expert has experience from hundreds of weddings and knows those little secrets about everything from choosing your flowers to last-minute adjustments. So trust her instincts as well as your own.

Show Them Off

After your flowers are set, make sure to show them in their best possible light. Plan for lighting that will enhance their beauty, like pink pin spots to highlight fuchsia centerpieces or amber room lighting to complement romantic all-white flowers. And choose simple, not-too-busy linens that will enhance your flowers, not detract attention from them.

Source:http://weddings.weddingchannel.com/wedding-planning-ideas/wedding-flowers/slideshows/tips-for-choosing-your-wedding-flowers.aspx

DIY Cupcake Flower Bouquet

How-to-Make-a-Cupcake-Bouquet1 Looking for a new way to display your cupcakes at your next event? Try a cupcake bouquet! It's so easy and will make a cute and tasty centerpiece

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Supplies Needed:

  • Cupcake Mix
  • Piping bag with 1M tip or Buy Frosting in Can with a piping tip already attached
  • Frosting
  • Flower Pot
  • Styrofoam Ball that fits inside of the flower pot
  • Toothpicks
  •  Tape
  • Green Tissue Paper

Instructions:

  1. Bake Cupcakes and Frost.
  2. Place the cupcakes in the refrigerator, so that the frosting will get firm.
  3. Place Styrofoam ball into flower pot. Place two toothpicks in each area where you want a cupcake. Make sure to place the toothpicks at a 45 degree angle on the sides to ensure that the cupcakes don't fall off after awhile
  4. Slide a cupcake onto each pair of toothpicks, adjusting toothpicks as needed to place cupcakes close together. Cover as much of the Styrofoam as you can
  5. Cut green tissue paper into small strips. Fold strips into accordions. Pinch the bottom of the accordion fold
  6. Place a piece of clear tape at the pinched part of the tissue paper and stick it to the exposed Styrofoam in between the cupcakes. Make more tissue paper “leaves” until you cover all the uncovered areas. And you are Done!!

For full instructions and pictures, check out http://www.52kitchenadventures.com/2012/04/29/how-to-make-a-cupcake-bouquet/

RECAP: Howard Theatre's 2nd Annual Gala and Benefit Concert

Howard Theatre 2nd Annual Gala and Benefit Concert-2

On Friday, April 19th I had the pleasure of attending Howard Theatre's 2nd Annual Gala and Benefit Concert. It was the “Who’s Who of the D.C. Music and Political Industry” and a great event with amazing performances by nationally recognized artists.

Howard Theatre 2nd Annual Gala and Benefit Concert-18Inside the Howard Theatre guests were greeted by glamour and classic chic! The event decor was beautifully put together with blue uplighting, luxurious soft green table clothes, purple accented flower centerpieces, programs, and menus.

Howard Theatre 2nd Annual Gala and Benefit Concert-11

The menu was delicious and prepared by Food Network Star Season 8 Finalist, Chef Malcolm Mitchell, who lives in Washington, D.C. and added a healthy twist to his soulful recipes, which was a great compliment to the evening’s theme.

Howard Theatre 2nd Annual Gala and Benefit Concert-70

The evening was not only designed to raise funds for the Howard Theatre Restoration but celebrations of remarkable entertainers who have helped redefine the music industry. This year’s gala concert was filled with heartfelt tributes to honorees Chaka Khan, Dionne Warwick, and Valerie Simpson, who all had a personal connection with the historic establishment.

In addition, an impressive group of chart-topping recording artists including Marsha Ambrosius, Yolanda Adams, BeBe Winans, Lela James, Jaguar Wright, Kenny Lattimore and Sheila E. were just a few of the artist that lent their beautiful voices and talents for the performance tributes to the evening’s honorees.

Watching the many performances was definitely the highlight of the night! But just being in the presence of so many great and influential individuals was incredible! Check out more pictures taken by Insana Collins here.

5 Easter DIY Party Ideas

Easter Brunch Chair Ties

 Easter Chair Decor

Step 1 Cut short pieces of flowers from bushes.

Step 2 Gather several flowers to create small bouquet

Step 3 Tie flowers together with piece of ribbon.

Step 4 Layer colored ribbon and burlap ribbon together and tie around chair backs.

Step 5 Slip flower bundle into tie.

Bell Jar with Nest Centerpiece

Bell Jar with Nest Centerpiece

Step 1 Cut moss the size of the charger plate.

Step 2 Glue in place.

Step 3 Glue some reindeer moss into nest, add eggs.

Step 4 Glue nest in center of plate, add twigs and sprig of floral.

Step 5 Add bell jar

Easter Brunch Place Cards

Easter Brunch Place Cards

Step 1 Whitewash pots with white paint (fill brush with paint and wipe almost dry on paper towel) and dry.

Step 2 Fill each pot with dry foam, then cover with reindeer moss.

Step 3 Put branch into pot.

Step 4 Use flower heads from small floral bush and hot glue to branch as shown.

Step 5 Add name written or printed on paper and wrap around branch for name placement.

Step 6 Glue few small flower heads into reindeer moss in pot.

Easter Table Centerpiece

Easter Table Centerpiece

Step 1 Use white acrylic paint to paint dots, swirls, rickrack lines on pots. Let dry.

Step 2 Cut stem from bunny pick and insert into each pot, as shown.

Easter Godiva Chocolate Egg Favors

Godiva Eggs

 

Step 1 Only GODIVA could make Easter eggs as delectable as this. Shop Online or Create an Assortment at a Boutique.

Step 2 My favorite are the Truffle Crème Egg Assortment which includes: chocolate ganache and marshmallow mousse in a milk chocolate shell, milk chocolate ganache and dark chocolate mousse in a dark chocolate shell, raspberry ganache and dark chocolate mousse in a dark chocolate shell, and caramel ganache and hazelnut mousse in a milk chocolate shell.

Step 3 For best results, place on tray or plate, as shown and enjoy quickly.

Hope you enjoy these easy #DIY tips to plan a festive Easter Brunch to celebrate the holiday with family gatherings, spring parties & delicious gifts to share!

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