Is this not the most beautiful wedding EVER???
Well, in keeping with ending on a high note, I would like to post this as my very last wedding.  Yes that’s right, no more weddings, no more flowers, no more all nighters and a summer in the red.  Knowing me, it probably won’t be forever, but I thought it best to focus on my painting, my family and my other adventures I have brewing.  This blog will now become more of an artistic net for all things creative that pass through my life.

Soft whimsy and elegance mixed with tradition and warmth – the flower inspiration for this wedding.  The interior space and the Sofre Aghd were kept white and fresh with hints of green and the exterior was rich with colour and fruit filled arrangements.  When we returned that evening to remove the flowers the glow from the patio lanterns against the fruit arrangements caught my breath.  It was so peaceful that despite knowing that we would need to be there most of the night, we had to take a moment to sit and take it all in.  Or maybe that was just my very swollen 7 month pregnant ankles speaking…

I hope you have enjoyed this floral adventure as much as I have.
I have many more inspirations to come, as life seems to be filled with them.
Until next time xxx
Laura

That’s all I can say – I just received these pictures and am completely blown away!  The photography by Tara McMullen is stunning!  I couldn’t choose, so I’ve posted lots!  You can see more at The Wedding Co. who featured this wedding on their blog yesterday.

The floral direction I had from this beautiful couple was one of simplicity, all white with a touch of green.  I never tire of the classic, as it always looks great, as you can see in these pictures.  For the bride’s hair piece I used magnolia blossoms, which have the most incredible smell that lasts and lasts all day.  The groom received a peony bud boutonniere with variegated greens and some bear grass.  The bride’s bouquet was a simple grouping of all white peonies at their peak, so soft and romantic.  I created simple boutonnieres using salal leaves and green hypernicum berries for the groomsmen.  The bridesmaids had similar bouquets with peonies, but I also introduced some greens into theirs as well as some Astilbe ‘Bridal Veil’ (one of my favourites) in the maid of honour’s bouquet.  Despite the incredible heat that day in June, the peony floral trees I made for the ceremony held up, framing the couple perfectly during their nuptials on the outside patio at King Valley Golf Club.  The centrepieces turned out beautifully with garden roses, peonies, mini green hydrangea and green hypernicum berries.  The subtle use of green tied in with the green origami cranes that the bride’s mother made for each of the guests!  Also, the amazingly perfect wedding cake and the groom’s cake was made by my very own talented mother, Jane Wood of Sweet Jane Desserts, although she’d say that my dad did most of the work.

A beautiful day, marking the start of a life together for these two, Kimiko & Kyle – an amazing couple!
Enjoy,
LJF

What some might not know about this day, was that we did two setups!  The venue was debating moving the ceremony inside due to the weather and at one point made that decision.  I’m glad we moved things outside in the end, but here are a few images from the inside setup, which I think look very striking silhouetted against the window.

Last weekend I had a double wedding extravaganza!  It was a challenge to say the least, but with the help of a few great friends and family members we somehow managed to pull it off.  The second wedding of the two was at Graydon Hall Manor, my favorite venue, of course, since I was married there a year ago!
The rain didn’t stop this magical day.  The couple had the good fortune of having the custom tent up on the patio which sheltered them during the thundershowers throughout their dinner.
I previously posted about these living centrepieces, where I’ve used potted orchids, curly willow and reindeer moss to create a simple and  striking arrangement.  For the head table I chose to incorporate the same elements in a different way, placing curly willow branches with white orchids attached to them down the table.  At night this floral installation glowed with the interspersed tea light candles – very romantic!

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of designing the flowers for the wedding of a very lovely couple.  Their only request was that the space be transformed into a romantic candlelit dream.  I think we captured that using tons of floating candles, tea-lights and fuchsia flowers.  I chose to use orchids, chrysanthemums, anemones, freesia, calla lilies and green hypernicum berries for the bouquets.  On the floral trees I used fuchsia orchids and chrysanthemums.

Enjoy and have a great long weekend!
✮ LJF ✮

On August 8th my dear friends Mary and Chris had the most beautiful backyard wedding. It was the perfect day in Arnprior, a quaint town just outside of Ottawa. Mary danced down the aisle to Chris’s side and didn’t stop dancing until the wee hours of the morning, literally!

Mary and I met in art school and have been close friends ever since. When she asked me to create her floral vision I was so excited! It is always a privilege working with a like creative mind.

Mary’s wedding bouquet consisted of white orchids, pink wax flowers, lisianthus and variegated greens. The stems were wrapped in a piece of lace remaining from her actual wedding dress. The boutonnieres and corsages were a whimsical combination of white orchids, bear grass and salal leaves.

Mary and Chris’s beautiful photography is by the talented Kathy Youssef at Fleischer Photography in Ottawa.

Enjoy!
♥ LJW

Our wedding has been featured on the wedding bells blog!  Thank-you again Rebecca for your amazing photography and wedding bells for your post!  Click here to check it out.

LJW

So what better way to start a blog about wedding flowers then with my own wedding…

On July 31st of this year, not only was I a bride, but I was also a florist, loading up my delivery truck and driving it to our AMAZING venue, Graydon Hall Manor.   I had spent the day / night before making all my creations in my studio.  It was lots of fun and there was so much help, but I didn’t end up finishing until at least 2 am…

My floral vision, and really my vision for the day was vintage inspired, using mostly yellow flowers, lace and vintage glassware.   I love a good find!  So I hunted high and low hitting every second hand store in Toronto at least three times over in order to put together a uniquely perfect collection of vintage glass shapes.  It took me months of hunting, but I achieved the look I was after!

I then composed groupings of 4 to 5 vases for each centre piece.  Each grouping was unique, but I tied it all together using a simple colour palette of yellow cut flowers and a few container arrangements.  The flowers I used most of were yellow spider chrysanthemums, latina roses, craspedia, cymbidium orchids and my ultimate favorite, yellow oncidium spray orchids.  So beautiful that I bought my supplier right out!!!

In the end the day was everything I could have asked for and much more.  I really have to thank my AMAZING parents and especially my mother, Jane, who made most of the desserts and even my perfect wedding cake which was so yummy and gorgeous!  Her talent when it comes to baking always amazes me!  I also have to thank my incredibly organized and calm wedding planner, Cynthia Martyn.  She kept me sane throughout it all!  And lastly, but by far the least, my incredibly gifted photographer, Rebecca Wood.  She was such a joy to work with and as you can see in the posted images, she truly has a remarkable talent!

Now that I have come down from my wedding high, I have decided to do what I’ve been talking about for at least a year now…  start my own floral business!!!  I have several years experience working in the floral industry and have provided my services to some of my closest of friends, designing the flowers for their weddings.  That coupled with my work in the arts as a consultant and as a painter, it only makes sense to go in this direction.

I will be posting a new floral project at least once a week, so be sure to keep checking in to see what’s new!

I hope to bring you much floral inspiration!
Laura Jane Wood