Your Mom is Not A Florist: unless of course she is!

Your Mom Is Not A Florist…

I originally wrote this post for the famed blog of Sasha Souza last year...we will be posting blogs from this series all week as we explain the ins and outs of "your friends, your mom and your wedding". I hope you get a bit of insight into why hiring professionals can only help your wedding experience...not hinder it. 

Image Courtesy of Scott Hayne Photography

Coming from the East Coast I am always curious if planners and wedding vendors across the nation have the same trials and tribulations while dealing with clients and the wedding planning process as I do...and through the magic of Social Networking I am able to talk to vendors all over the U.S. that answer this query easily..YES! We all deal with similar situations and of course we come across some issues that are region specific but for the most part, we all have the same ups and downs. With that said…I’ll give you a little background into the series I call “Your Mom Is Not A…” Most recently, we posted your “Mom is not a Wedding Planner” on our own business blog but after speaking with Sasha I thought a great topic no matter where you lived would be “Your Mom is not a Florist.” Unless of course, she is.

We find that many clients hire a Wedding Planner for three main reasons. One, they don’t know where to begin…they don’t know how to make those little girl dreams come to fruition and they need the help of a wedding professional. Two, because they feel as though they can handle the wedding planning process but need our help orchestrating the biggest production of their lives thus far. OR Three, because while they love their parents, they would like a mediator to help make sure their dream day is what the bride and groom wants not Mom and dad…well, Mostly Mom. Knowing those three main reasons the sad but true issue is that we are hired very often for the latter of the three reasons.

I bring up these three trends for one reason…why, if we are hired to keep peace amongst mother/daughter would you “hire your mom” to make one of the most important items on your wedding day… Your Bridal Bouquet? Why would you hire her to make your floral centerpieces? I could ask a million questions, but instead, I’d like to give a little insight. First, imagine your mom on your wedding day or the days leading up to the big day? She will be stressed enough about the million and one duties and emotions that are overwhelming her with having only one job…being your Mother or the MOB. That stress alone is likely to drive a woman insane, then you’d ask her to create your bouquet, your bridal party bouquets, boutonnières, altar pieces, centerpieces (would you like for me to go on?). In a time when money is an everyday topic and mentioning the economy is almost as bad as a four letter word many brides are trying to figure out how they can save money on their wedding expenses and many usually turn to the fun world of “DIY projects.” And while the thought of turning your wedding into a DIY affair might be glorious… realism should fit somewhere into the equation. So let’s go over a few pros and cons:

Pro:

You could save money by not paying labor charges.

Con:

Your stressed out mom  will waste money by buying more flowers than she needs (does your mom really know exactly how many stems she needs for 4 bouquets, a bridal bouquet, 5 boutonnières  and 10 centerpieces?).

Pro:

You will save money by not paying a florist to deliver your floral items.

Con:

You will waste money buy paying more per stem for flower (florists get great discounts through their floral wholesaler)

Con:

You will waste money buy paying more for ribbon for your bouquets (again florists get great discounts on floral accents {including ribbon} through their floral wholesaler)

Con:

Your mom will waste her energy from the hours and hours of work that she will have to do alone when a professional florist could easily spread out the duties of your wedding to their entire staff.

Con:

The beautiful perfectly symmetrical spherical masterpiece that you had always envisioned is an oblong somewhat cascading far cry from your dream bouquet was supposed to be…

Con:

Your flowers could very possibly be ruined when your mom sticks them in your refrigerator to keep cold. While your florist might keep their flowers in a walk-in cooler this is held at certain temperatures…the temperature of your own refrigerator will most likely burn your flowers (or at least the ones that will fit)…Do you think you’ll have room for dozens upon dozens of stems of roses for bouquets, stephanotis or orchids for your boutonnières and 4000 loose calla lilies for your centerpieces…Just move the eggs, that might help.

 Let’s be realistic…Does the thought of you overwhelming your mother on the most important day of your life really sound so dreamlike now? 

Your Mom Is Not A Wedding Planner: Part 1

I first posted this article last September after much consideration and thought into the topic at hand...and since then the "Your Mom Is Not A...." series has been some of our most read blog posts.  (1 was even featured on the national blog of Sasha Souza)! All week we will be reposting the series and even adding a few new topics. If there is a topic you'd like for us to write about, just let us know! 

 

I have been debating whether or not to write this blog post for quite some time... a year or more honestly... and each time I go to write it I debate whether or not people will understand the importance, the thought behind it and this simple fact: I am not writing this article so that you automatically come and ask me about my services (while yes I would love that...this was not my thought process)...but so that you hire a licensed, insured planner, at least on your day (if not as a full service option). OK, so now that I am done with the disclaimer I will continue...

I hear "NO" alot in my profession. Point Blank, "NO." Which is fine, except for one thing. I think every woman deserves the day she has always dreamt of...this might be the romantic, daydreaming 5 year old in me...but nonetheless the way I feel. I have heard many friends, sorority sisters, former co-workers and even present clients say that they would just have their friend coordinate their wedding day (or their mom, or their sister, or their cousin...you get the point). So, I thought I'd explain one simple thing when it comes to event planning: You can absolutely plan your wedding by yourself, with the help of loved ones and recommendations from random friends, but when it comes to your wedding day you want all that hard work to play out as you have planned. You want your well choreographed performance to be just as well directed...and while your friends have been there throughout the planning process they are only ready to direct a performance where nothing goes wrong, where "Plan A" is all that you need...but what happens when you get to Act 2 (or the reception) and the power is off at the reception venue, your wedding cake is molded and your caterer doesn't bring enough staff to serve 50 people let alone 250 people (all things that have happend this past wedding season)... then your poor misguided "mistress of ceremonies" is to take the blame, for everything that has gone wrong...only because she was stuck in a position where she was ill-prepared. She was ready to go with Plan A, but unfortunately, she needed plans A, B, C & D. 

While we are on the subject of misconceptions and overwhelming your friends, let's talk about your caterer or "on site wedding coordinator"....Please don't be fooled when your beautiful venue tells you that they offer a full service or "on site coordinator", "YES, this is too good to be true!". This person is great for things like making sure your food is served warm or possibly setting your already created centerpeices on the table, but they will not help you with the above "situations" that might occur. Now I know you are thinking that these are extreme sitatuions, but these were all situations at weddings where the bride decided at the last minute (within 3 weeks of the wedding) to book a "month of coordination" package...and each of them stated how truly glad they were that there was someone other than a loved one to handle these nearly disasterous situations.

Marialexandria: Her Own Work

Earlier in the week we spoke to famed bridal designer Marialexandra about Hot Trends for the 2010 bridal season...now it's time to show you what she is known for...One of a kind dresses that are as unique and individual as she is...What do you think? Enjoy!

Photos taken by Zaire Aranguren from AZA Studio

Photo taken by Patty Nash

Bridal Industry Pro: Ashley Kimberl

All week I have introduced you to a bit of insight into the amazing world of bridal gowns through the eyes of Marialexandra. Today, I thought it would be a great turn of events if I introduced you to a well known Hampton Roads bridal professional, Ashley Kimberl. You can read her bio below, but she has been in the Hampton Roads Bridal Scene for a decade now and is a great wealth of knowledge. 

I asked her to give a few pointers of what brides need to know when shopping for their dream dress, what styles she sees jumping off the racks and a bit of knowledge on trends for 2010.

"Its all about making a statement!  Most of the 2010 trends that we are seeing brides interested in are over the top styles with the "WOW" factor.  One-shoulder gowns, Ruffle detailing throughout skirt, Floral Accents. Detachable Skirts and/or Trains, All over Lace and Simple Chiffon Destination styles are the most popular trends for this year." says Ashley. 

Here are a few of her key pointers for New Brides:

1.  Make sure you schedule and appointment when you are ready to start trying on gowns to ensure quality service.

2.  Searching for your wedding gown can be a very overwhelming experience.  To help you have the least amount of stress while finding the perfect gown, it is recommended that you shop with only 1-2 people for the first time out.  Too many opinions can cause most brides to get confused about what they are really looking for in their gown and forget that all that matters is what THEY LOVE! 

3.  Having a Price Point in mind before you start your search can help. 

4.  Most bridal shops special order wedding gowns which takes anywhere from 4-6 months to receive.  It is good to give yourself plenty of time before your wedding date to find your gown.  The average bride purchases her gown 1 year before her wedding.

For ten years, Ashley Kimberl has been working at All the Rage in Virginia Beach, where she began her career as a special occasion and prom specialist.  Ashley’s creativity and love for fashion helped her quickly learn the ins and outs of the special occasion industry and within two years became assistant buyer for the company. 

As All the Rage grew into one of Hampton Roads leading bridal and special occasion stores, Ashley became more involved in the bridal department working closely with many brides assisting them in finding the wedding gown of their dreams.

Today she serves as the Bridal Manager, where she strives to ensure that all brides experience the best quality and service a salon can offer.  Ashley finds her job extremely rewarding, as she loves helping a bride select what could be the most important dress she’ll ever wear.

Marialexandra: A designers thought on the bridal world.

As I said previously, I have wanted to introduce Marialexandra to you for quite some time...She is an amazing designer with great taste. She can recognize style anywhere and is not too shy to tell us what designers inspire her. I asked Marialexandra to let us in on what she sees as hot trends for 2010, I had noticed flowers everywhere, on trains, on headpieces, on bags, etc...but I was pleasantly surprised when she turned me on to another hot trend, RUFFLES! Here is what she had to say:

"Like any other part of the fashion industry, every designer has their own view, and their own vision for each collection, but there are always trends that show up here and there in almost everyone's collections. Ruffles have been dominating for about a year now, and they are still going strong. Ruffles in skirts, sleeves, trains, everywhere. Ruffles are part of the bigger trend we've been seeing coming back, romanticism. It's not about the huge puffy skirt and its not about the corset dress, its about the flowing gown that may hug a woman's natural curves and flow with her down the aisle. Soft, light, flowing fabrics dominate, with a lot of texture. Tulle details, cover ups in tulle and organza. Oscar de la Renta's gowns are full of texture, details, mostly all on beautifully flowing fabrics. Texture is huge, its not about a simple print, its texture, its the detailing, the exquisite detailing on the gowns that give them a special touch for that special day. Flowers, there are designers who are incorporating flowers as their detailing, as their texture, flowers embroidered on the gowns, in the veils, as part of the bustier or the skirt, its the feminine touch a flower can represent without being girly or childish. Carolina Herrera has a stunning long column dress that is pleated from top to bottom shaped like leaves, so feminine, so simple, yet so intricate. That's what it's about, making a gown extremely special, different, without going overboard, making a bride feel and look like no other day in her life. 

oscar de la renta 2010 collection: number 6 & 9

Strapless is still dominating the market, it has been for years, but we are starting to see cover ups, boleros, and even sleeves on gowns, bringing back a bit of the old romantic feel from the 50's. Another trend that is coming back better than ever is lace, lace is romantic and can be very glamorous with out overwhelming. Its feminine and can be made into a form fitting column dress as well as a beautifully flowing gown." 

Carolina Herrera: Henri Matisse Gown 

Check back tomorrow as I introduce you to a few of Marialexandra's amazing gowns! 

A Few days of introductions: First, Marialexandra

We took a few days off from the blog to travel to an amazing bridal shower in LA (don't worry we will share all of the juicy details soon) but we are now back in full swing! I have been wanting to introduce you all to an amazing designer from Miami, Marialexandra. I was introduced to Marialexandra through social networking and I became an instant fan. Today we will share a bit about her...tomorrow we will share her insights into the 2010 bridal season, both on her own designs and some of her favorites from a few other amazing designers.

Meet Marialexandra:

Born in Caracas, Venezuela Marialexandra's love for fashion and haute couture began at an early age. Growing up in a world of classic style, Marialexandra quickly developed a taste for beautiful clothing. Learning about fabrics, couture, and the fashion greats from her mother, she began designing at the age of twelve and by the age of fourteen had designed and created her first bridal gown. At the age of eighteen she was offered acceptance and a merit-based scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design. Upon graduating in 1997 with a BFA in Fashion Design she moved to Venezuela, where she quickly became a favorite among the women of Caracas society. Her designs soon began appearing regularly in society columns and magazines. After a few short years Marialexandra moved to Miami, Florida where in 2004 she set up her atelier with husband and business partner Christian Lisogorsky.

Her first full collection, Spring 2006, was presented under the tents of Miami Fashion Week 2005. Soon after, as an invitee of Harper’s Bazaar, she presented her collection at their re-launch event. Her next collection, Fall 2006, earned her the “Perrier Bubbling Under Best Emerging Designer” award when it was unveiled on the runways of Funkshion: Fashion Week Miami Beach. A few months later beauty bible Vanidades awarded her in the Arts for the Tributo a la Mujer Hispana. Increased press attention soon followed with articles in popular magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Ocean Drive, and Cosmopolitan, which selected her as the designer for their “Wedding of the Year” event. Her clothing has even been featured
in InStyle‘s the “Look of the Day”, worn by Ivanka Trump, as well as People’s Look of the Day, with Gabriella Spanic wearing Marialexandra. In 2008 SCAD added Marialexandra to their Wall of Fame and in 2009 recognized her achievements with the Distinguished Alumna Award.

Grateful for her success, Marialexandra continues to make charity a top priority, regularly participating in events to raise money for organizations such as Make-A-Wish Foundation, Humane Society of Greater Miami, American Nicaraguan Foundation, and La Ventanas de los Cielo Foundation. After many years Marialexandra continues to be inspired and driven by that woman that is both classic and modern, a strong and independent woman who knows who she is and what she wants. Through elegant design, attention to detail, and the highest standards of quality she continues to dress that woman.

www.marialexandra.com