about that arch

I'm working with several couples on arch/chuppah designs for wedding season this year (this makes me so happy!).  I love getting to do a feature floral piece for the ceremony, and I just feel it gives the couple a chance to add the feel that they want to their space.  The ceremony floral can really warm up a space to give just the right touch of softness to a very clean lines space.  It can help define and make more cozy a larger space, bringing the emphasis right to where the couple will be standing.  And it can add color and lush foliages adding a natural touch to an indoor space.  There is so much that we can do with an arch design to make a space feel unique and fresh.  

I have a wood arch available for rent, and wanted to share a little more about it and some photos of it at Mark and Sarah's Michigan League Ballroom wedding here.

 

What I love about this arch - it's gorgeous - beautifully finished dark brown wood, with simple clean lines.  It's a little taller than most arches - this one is about 7 feet tall, and most are more like 6 feet tall - accommodates a taller couple nicely!  This one is really sturdy and a great size to accommodate a range of floral design - from a small foliage accent to a large, gorgeous floral design piece.

 

The sturdiness part is really important in order to plan a design like the one in Mark and Sarah's photos's here.  When we create a design like this, it's really quite heavy.  We start by soaking caged floral foam forms that will provide the anchoring for the design and a water source.  It's a lot of water - it's heavy, before we even add the flowers and foliages!  So although I have designed on lots of different arches and chuppahs, it's always comforting and easier for me to work with an arch that I am familiar with.  Some venues, like Misty Farm, have wonderful sturdy arches onsite and I know we can easily design on them.  Other times, the arch onsite is not strong enough to support the design that we have planned so we have to scale the design back when we arrive to ensure safety for all involved.  That's part of why I wanted to have my own arch available for rent, so that we can plan with certainty about the design for the arch.

 

I hope you love this arch as much as we do, and we can look forward to creating something special for your ceremony space!

 

winter ceremony arch flower design

 

ceremony under floral arch at michigan league

 

winter wedding ceremony

 

 

 

Detroit Flower Week

Such a joy to get to attend Detroit Flower Week and see floral design heroes in action!  It was inspiring to see Ariella Chezar and Emily Thompson, and a real highlight was designing in a still life workshop with Lewis Miller.  His design was _incredible_  and I think we all learned so much from his style and approach and love for the materials that really came through in his workshop. I created this piece below - it was such fun to create with such amazing materials while feeling completely inspired with floral design masters!

 

lewis miller workshop still life design

 

President's house flowers

It is such a privilege to create flowers for the UM President's House.  Living in Ann Arbor, my husband and I always explain to friends and family how this place seems so special because it has the ease of a small town but a disproportionate amount of neat things going on - art, culture, sport - amazing people from around the world thinking and doing amazing things - it's really quite special.  And I love getting to feel like I'm a part of those special things going on in Ann Arbor when I get to bring flowers for events at the President's House.  Here are just a few recent favorites!  

This bouquet of parrot tulips and orchids was for the dinner guest of honor.

bouquet for guest of honor

This dinner centerpiece featured burgundy, gold, yellow and deep purple.

centerpiece for university of michigan presidents house

 

WeddingWire Couple's choice award

 

 

It is truly humbling to hear that Red Poppy has been named a WeddingWire Couple's Choice Award Winner for 2015.  WeddingWire gives this distinction to the top 5% of wedding professionals based on client reviews, which is why this means so much.  Thank you to the wonderful couples who have entrusted me with the flowers on their wedding day, and thank you for taking the time to review Red Poppy - it really means so much to us that you loved your flowers!

 

Thank you!

Autumn BLOOM Floral design class

We had a great time on a VERY chilly November night making handtied bouquets in our last BLOOM class.  This spiral technique takes some concentration and some practice, and everyone did a great job - beautiful spirals by the end of the evening, and some lovely orchids, roses, berries, and seasonal foliages to make for a lovely piece to brighten the evening.  Wonderful job everyone, hope to see you again soon!  

Thank you Stevie B. Photography for these beautiful images!

 

Bloom floral design class ann arbor michigan Bloom floral design class ann arbor michigan Bloom floral design class ann arbor michigan Bloom floral design class ann arbor michigan Bloom floral design class ann arbor michigan

 

Spring wedding reception at UMMA

Everything about these wedding photos makes me smile.  A truly lovely couple, stunning images by Nicole Haley Photography, peonies at the peak of their season, and a day spent in some of my favorite places in Ann Arbor - the peony garden and the University of Michigan Muesum of Art.  Did I mention these images are stunning?  Wow!  I feel so lucky to have been a part of this couple's beautiful, joyful day! white peony wedding flowers

 

The wedding flowers featured classes white peony bouquets for the ladies and white ranunculus boutonnieres for the gents.  These stunning peonies were sourced locally from Bridgewater Gardens.

 

white peony bride bouquet

It was a beautiful day for photos at the law school quad and outside UMMA...

white peony wedding flowers

 

 

white peony wedding flowers

 

For the reception, each rectangular table had two arrangements of white hydrangea in rectangular matte grey vases creating an elegant, sophisticated look. white hydrangea centerpiece for wedding at UMMA

 

white hydrangea centerpieces for wedding at UMMA

 

And a sweet arrangement for the sweetheart table...

sweetheart table arrangement of white hydrangeas and ivory peonies

 

 

 

 

Cobblestone Farm Wedding in soft blue, green and ivory

It was such a pleasure doing the flowers for this California couple's autumn wedding at Cobblestone Farm in Ann Arbor.  What a beautiful group!  The bride's bouquet featured soft white hydrangea and garden roses, light blue delphinium, dark blue eryngium, green hypericum berries and succulents.  For the bridesmaids, we added a little extra color with fuchsia snapdragons and purple veronica. This couple celebrated their ceremony in Grosse Pointe, had an amazing photo session in Downtown Detroit with Argyle Photography, and then the reception in Ann Arbor - it was a great way to get out and enjoy a gorgeous November day in southeast Michigan!  

blue and white autumn wedding flowers Ivory and blue wedding bouquet