Yesterday, I was tickled pink when I saw that Brenda Walton featured my work (with HER work!) on her lovely blog. I used Brenda's die-cut stickers from her Flora & Fauna collection on the recycled glass vases for a recent wedding. Thank you, Brenda!!!
style me pretty {l+d}
Laura and David's stunning wedding at Highland Springs Ranch was featured this morning on Style Me Pretty! I can't rave enough about this couple who traveled from New York City to have their wedding in Southern California. I will share all about the wedding and lots of lovely details soon! In the meantime, enjoy Desi Baytan's images on the SMP post- aren't they just perfection???
sneak peek!
{l+d}'s wedding | bridal bouquet
sneak peek!
{l+d}'s wedding | head wreath for alison
latest obsession :: passion vine
Passion vine. Where has it been my whole life??? I've used it before, but not in a great while. I happened across it at the flower market when I was picking up my floral order for a recent wedding, and made a snap decision to incorporate it into that wedding's design. Now I'm obsessed. I literally cannot get enough.
If you've been following my design work for any length of time, you've probably figured out that I am drawn to the unpredictability of flowers. I'm a spontaneous person by nature, so part of the excitement I derive from using a perishable good as my artistic medium is just that-- it's ephemeral quality. The life-span of a cut flower or plant is fleeting, so, in effect, my job is creating temporary art installations! Of course I know how best to treat and condition each and every botanical element that I work with- any good designer is going to know everything they can about the technical aspects of their chosen medium. But the fun part of the design process is the fact that no two cut flowers are ever exactly the same. That each stem has a personality and mind of it's own. A different bend, a different quirk, whatever it is... flowers are individuals.
And passion vine? Well, passion vine is über quirky. It bends and curves and droops and straightens...it has rumply leaves and corkscrew tendrils that are simply fascinating. The movement of this vine is beautiful and inspiring. It is delicate and ethereal but also dark and passionate. When the buds open....ah....magic. They are bold, sexy, elegant, intricate... and utterly mesmerizing. But enough of my descriptions... see for yourself!
Passion vine, you complete me. Or at least, you complete my arrangements. I adore you.
Images | Florals | Styling by Lauryl Lane.style me pretty {j+p}
Yesterday, Jaclyn and Paul's magical wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty! Check out the gorgeous feature with stunning images from onelove photography, and I'll be sure to share more in the very near future!
sneak peek!
{j+p}'s wedding | tres romantique, no?
woodland nymph
Good morning! Today I'm working away in the studio on a wedding, but I thought I'd share some photos of a prototype tablescape that I created for one of my brides earlier this spring. This bride was working with me long-distance from her home in Michigan, but her mother came to meet with me and we sent photos to the bride while we discussed the prototype with her on the phone. I rarely do prototypes for my clients. I hate being tied down to something, which is essentially what happens when a sample is created and agreed upon. As an artist, I prefer having the artistic freedom of creating the design AS I'm designing it-- i.e., during the actual build of the wedding.
But in this case, the prototype was a very good thing. The bride had booked me quite far in advance, and so the vision for her wedding had evolved over time. This prototype viewing was important for figuring out if we were on the same page after all of the changes and tweaks to the overall vision. The bride's mother kept telling the bride that she felt that "woodland nymphs" might come scampering out of the tablescape at any time. While I loved that description, it wasn't the feel we were going for. In the end, this tablescape changed dramatically. Eventually, I'll show you pictures of the final tablescapes at the wedding. But for now, enjoy some "woodland nymph." ;-)
grey likes!
Today, Katie & Ben's pretty pretty wedding was featured on Grey Likes Weddings! Check out the feature, and I'll try to share more images from the wedding later this week!
LaurylLane-Corsages
for mummy
Image sources| Gardenia corsage | Green nosegay | Spray Rose purse corsage | Black & white corsage | Orchid corsage
Have you ordered flowers for your mother yet?
Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 8th, and to celebrate Mother's Day, you should send something special to the woman who gave you life. There are very few mothers who don't love receiving flowers. Flowers are a luxury, something that many of our mothers probably don't buy for themselves regularly. Having a beautiful arrangement delivered to her doorstep will surely put a smile on your mother's face and make her feel loved and appreciated. Here are some tips for ordering flowers for your mummy:
1) Find a good flower shop! The best way to do this is to scope out the flower shops near your mother's home the next time you visit her. Flowers from a chain like Conroy's or a counter at a grocery market just won't do; you want a lovely, curated, locally-owned shop, and if you can find a shop that's a little high-end and carries a nice variety of interesting and unusual flowers, all the better. You can also look online, but beware of "stock" websites, generic sites made by Telaflora or FTD (floral wire services). Look for personal sites that have pictures of ACTUAL arrangements made by the shop's staff, not generic stock images that tell you nothing about that shop's particular design aesthetic. When you find a designer you love, ask for that designer every time you call! Be loyal! Follow that designer. I've followed my favorite designer in my mother's hometown (who also trained me in design!) for many years and to four different shops, but I still always call her because I trust her work!
2) Order early. It's not too late to order today (I did!), but if you order earlier in the week it will be easier for you to be specific about what you want, rather than having to take whatever the flower shop has left.
3) Be specific. The more you know information you give, the more likely you are to get something really perfect. Don't be TOO specific, you do need to leave the details to the designer: but you should absolutely give a color palette and choose a primary flower. Do you know what your mum's favorite flower is? Ask for it! Always give a second choice, too.
4) Know how much to spend. Don't be surprised if your mom gets a teeny tiny arrangement if you said you only wanted to spend $50. Flowers aren't cheap. Vases aren't cheap. And you're paying for the time of a great designer who is creating an incredible work of art! Don't forget that there is tax and a delivery charge on top of your order charge. Prices range dramatically across the United States (primarily due to freight/shipping costs), but I think it's safe to say that you should expect to spend between $75 and $150 for a moderately-sized vase arrangement (prior to tax/delivery). If you want something big and impressive, think in the $200-$300 range. I've made thousand-dollar arrangements here in Los Angeles, so the sky is the limit. If you're on a budget, why not send a fresh blooming plant like an Azalea ($40-$75) or a corsage ($30-$45)? I'm actually sending a corsage to my mummy this year. She recently had a birthday, so I had flowers delivered to her not too long ago, and thought I'd send her a corsage instead this Mother's Day. Corsages sometimes get a bad rap for being "dated," but I think they are classic, and the only thing that makes them "dated" is if they are made by a poor designer and sport a lot of baby's breath. A big, dramatic shoulder corsage? Timeless and always gorgeous! If your mother is going to church and out to luncheon on Sunday, this could be a good choice for her, too. Maybe your mother would prefer a wrist corsage? Or a little nosegay to hold? Or a floral nosegay to attach to her purse? Or some flowers for her hair? Feel free to get creative.
5) Don't forget the card! Having worked at flower shops for many years, I constantly had to ask people for a card message, and you wouldn't believe how many people had forgotten about that and then hemmed and hawed for several minutes, trying to come up with something. Keep it short and sweet, but think about what you're going to say before you place the call to the floral designer.
Hope these tips help you ... Happy Mother's Day to all the Mummies out there!
rose crown
I was flipping through photos on my computer yesterday, and came across these precious shots of my baby niece. She's a rollicking two year old these days, but when she was five months old she came to visit me in L.A., and I took her to a graveyard to photograph her (of course). I made her a crown of pink spray roses, which she wore with one of MY ancient baby dresses. My Mum saves stuff like that.
Totally angelic, right?
Images | Florals | Styling by Lauryl Lane.sneak peek!
{l&c}'s wedding | bridal bouquet