Spreading floral love.

3 Wedding Themes to Try (Right Now)

2012-02-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

First, take a glance at all these goodies and inspiration we found around the web :)

Credits: (from top left, clockwise) Krista Mason Photography via The Wedding Chicks; Martha Stewart Weddings; Nick Adams Photography via Forevermore Events; Rothwell Photography via OneWed; Veil via Wedding By Color; The Styling Company; Quail pair from Red Light Studio; Dress by Monique Luhillier, Michael Norwood Photography via Belle the Magazine via Weddings Unveiled

1. Hollywood Glam

What is it? We love this return to the classics, and nothing will get you started better than a peek at this inspirational shoot from The Wedding Chicks. No, seriously, check it out: Hollywood Glamour Wedding

How to get it? Feathers, deep shades of red, unique headpieces, fancy lamps, dramatic makeup, luxurious linens, soft lounge pillows, vintage getaway cars, metallic accents (candlesticks, little statutes, brooches).

Photo by Frenzel Photography

2. Ombre
What is it? The word "ombre" is French for "shaded." We love this trend because it can be used for any color scheme and is visually stunning. Don't believe us? Check out this great blog by Inspired by This here.

How to get it? It's all about fading from light to dark....so anything can become Ombre! Some great details to feature are: napkins, floral centerpieces, invitations, cake, cupcakes, tablecloths, your bridesmaid dresses, and maybe even a candy buffet!

Photo by Becky Hill, Flowers by La Partie Events, Designed by Canvas and Canopy

3. Art Deco

What is it? Classic, geometric, modern, and yet glamor galore! Why not transport your guests back into the 1920s and 30s by going with an art deco inspired wedding? Here's a great featured on Ruffled Blog that will have you dying to get started...Art Deco Texas Wedding

How to get it? Geometric prints, modern vases, block print stationery, monochromatic flower arrangements contrasted by bold linens. Think about staying sharp and clean, yet throwing in some soft romantic touches.

Photo: Martha Stewart Weddings

Are there any new trends that are YOUR favorite? We'd love to blog about them...just let us know!

Recipe for a Memorable Wedding (Inspired by a Real Couple)

2012-01-16T09:26:00.000-08:00

Going through the pictures from this wedding made me feel all happy and fuzzy inside. A warm color palette (peaches, coral, and pinks), vintage style, and a touch of that neighborhood charm you can only find in San Juan Capistrano--this wedding had it all!

Therefore, I thought I'd take this opportunity to share the 10 MUST-HAVES for a memorable wedding (and how this couple nailed EVERY. SINGLE. ONE). We are happy to have worked with you Deanna and Nic! Congratulations to this amazing couple!

#1 Talented Photographers- I just wanted to take this moment to thank Zoom Theory Photography for not only sharing these photos, but for capturing each special moment and all the dreamy details! I encourage you to check out their blog here. Also, we were so excited to see this wedding featured on Sparkle and Hay (really awesome, rustic inspiration). You can check out that feature here.

#2 Beautiful Couple

#3 Dreamy Venue- Welcome to the Franciscan Gardens

#4 Stunning Blooms & Decor

#5 Good Company

#6 Fun!!! (Goes along with Good Company)

#7 Mouth-Watering Food

#8 True Love

#9 WOW moments

#10 The Perfect Getaway

There was so much love, fun, and goodness that went into this wedding and I think it showed. What do you think? Were we spreading some floral love? ;)

We're Seeing Red, But in a Good Way!

2011-12-27T09:07:00.000-08:00

This post is definitely going to make you see red...but in a good way! Hundreds of red roses and dahlias came together to create a luscious wedding ( with some help from Floral Occasions of course), and the green lawns of the Marbella Country Club made the red florals even brighter, and more beautiful.

This wedding was even more fun to create because the aisle arrangements doubled as the reception centerpieces. Check out the amazing and elegant transformation below!

Thanks to the talented Jen from Photojenic for the photos. She captured so much love from the day and, if you have some time, check out her website here. Thanks Jen for the photos!

Remember those hanging pomanders along the aisle? We made them into these centerpieces!

Absolutely love this shot with the moon in the sky. :)

Also, thank you to LVL Events for their help in Spreading Floral Love with their planning and coordination! This was our first wedding at the Marbella Country Club, and what a gorgeous wedding it was! Thank you everyone. <3

Our biggest event yet!

2011-12-13T13:52:00.000-08:00

Since Floral Occasions is located in San Juan Capistrano we have a special place in our hearts for The Mission, it's all over our website! If you have never visited the historical landmark, please put it on your list of places that you must experience. Out of the 21 missions in California, this one is called "The Jewel of the Missions", and you'll see why when you visit.

Every year The Preservation Foundation along with the board and committee members throw a beyond fabulous fundraiser called The Romance of The Mission Gala. It is quite a special evening that is sponsored in part by and catered by The Ritz Carlton of Laguna Niguel. For more information on this event please click here. Planning for next years Gala is already in full swing.

With all that said, we were THRILLED beyond words when we were hired to design and provide the floral decor for this years event. I can't thank Mechelle, Barb and the committee enough for putting their trust in me and my fabulous staff.
Thank you to Paul Von Rieter for coming out to shoot these beautiful pictures for us. Enjoy.

This beautiful circa 1850 bridal trunk served as inspiration for this years theme. It is owned by the O'Neill family. We decorated "The Resurgum" which is the gateway into the Gala to look as if it truly was a "bride's trunk" complete with bridal bouquet, gloves, a veil, groom's top hat and boutonniere.

As you can see, we took our cues from the trunk and the details to the invitations were unbelievable. You can see the tables look very much like the invitations....

We used all kinds of treasure chest type containers that the flowers settled into. Pin cushions, garden roses, orchids, succulents, dahlias, alstromeria, ferns, and fern shoots, pods, and pheasant feathers were used in the design.

We also used for vessels some cool vintage brick molds that were imported from China. The mission is built on adobe bricks that were made in molds very much like these.

A special thank you to our staff....Randi, Susan, Pamela, Janice, Jan, and Stacie. I'd also like to acknowledge and thank the ladies on the Gala committee; Barb, Madeline, Diana, Mozelle and Georgianna. I'd say we for sure spread some floral love at The Mission, San Juan Capistrano! Save the date for next year: Friday, September 14th.

October Has Never Been Sweeter...

2011-12-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

It was a perfect October afternoon. Sun shining, bride smiling, and The Villa San Juan Capistrano provided the ideal, intimate backdrop. It was even more special when Jessy (the bride) came skipping out of the dressing room to greet us, thanks us, and get a little teary-eyed at all the decor. LOVE it! Jessy and Greg had been planning this wedding for over a year, and it showed in every precious detail!!!

It was also our first time working with Paul and Leanne of Sargeant Photography, and we can't wait to do it again! They were so kind to share their jaw-dropping photos with us, and we hope you enjoy them too! Click here to see their blog.

All photos by Sargeant Photography.

Simple, yet beautiful bouquet of Calla Lilies and Cymbidiums.

We love this guestbook idea!! Their engagement photos were printed and bound in a keepsake book (with space for their guests to write their messages).

These manzanita centerpieces were so fun to make! Full of hydrangea, mood moss, and more green cymbidiums.

One of the perks of getting married in San Juan Capistrano??? Pictures at the amazing, historic mission!

This wedding was sweet in more ways than one :)

Crystal chandeliers were hung on the tress to add a little sparkle to the night. We also lit little hanging votives on the manzanita centerpieces.

It's sweet couples like Jessy and Greg that make spreading floral love worth all the time and effort. Hope you enjoyed this wedding as much as we did here at Floral Occasions!

Summer of Love 2011, It's a Wrap!

2011-10-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

Fall is here on our doorsteps...although I can't wait to welcome the beautiful colors, pumpkins, apples, delicious spiced drinks, and all the other goodies of Fall, I have to be thankful for this past summer. Floral Occasions did some amazing weddings, and just ended the Summer season with a super romantic benefit gala at the Mission San Juan Capistrano. I was so honored to have had the opportunity to participate in a such an spectacular event! As a tribute to this Summer (all the amazing people, events, and new experiences), I just wanted to post a favorite photo from each event and give a shout out to some of the great venues and photographers we were lucky to work with. Read on and have fun. Congratulations to all of our wonderful couples.

We were honored to be featured on Wedding Chicks for being part of this fabulous wedding at the Villa!! This picture captures such a hidden, romantic moment for the newlywed couple.....and what a GREAT shot by Hugh Forte Photography.

Breana and Jeremy 7/9/11

Another unforgettable highlight of this summer was the Mission San Juan Capistrano Benefit Gala.
9/16/11

A great wedding at Maison Des Oliviers, complete with romantic roses in soft pastels. Loving the fountain as a background! Picture by Goddard Studios.
Breana and Tom 5/29/2011

This centerpiece, for another Maison Des Oliveres wedding, was overflowing with romance (literally...the amaranthus was perfect for it!) Photo by the amazingly talented Paul Von Rieter.
Brittany and Justin 5/21/11

Awww....this stunning couple was married at the gorgeous Casa Romantica in early June, and she looked absolutely stunning! Photo by Troy Grover.
Katie and Kyle 6/5/11
Julie was married at the Hotel Laguna. She kindly sent me this picture from her wedding day. Isn't her dress gorgeous?
Julie and Richard 6/11/11

This wedding at The Folly was adorable, and check out the hanging frame on the door! Seriously, this wedding has some of my favorite details. :) Thanks to the phenomenal Lane Dittoe for the picture!
Jillian and Edward 7/28/11

I have so much respect and love for our military, so being able to participate and make 21 BOUQUETS for this mass military wedding was such an honor! There were 21 lovely couples getting married, but I'd thought I would share this photo of Ariel and Philippe.....don't they look so happy? Both photos are by Luminaire Images.
Mass Military Wedding 5/22/11

This was my first wedding at Marbella Country Club and WOW, it is a beautiful venue here in San Juan Capistrano. The skies were the perfect shade of blue and there were red roses galore!
Jennifer and JS 9/10/11

Another beautiful wedding at The Villa that was featured on 100 Layer Cake! Tyler Branch Photo, you rock!!
Julie and Tyler 5/21/11

This wedding was a first for us at The Center Club in Costa Mesa, right next door to The Performing Arts Center. I hope that the talented Ashley Rose doesn't mind that I borrowed this beautiful picture from her blog.
Stefanie and Dale 7/23/11

Also, here's a shout-out to even more fabulous couples who had weddings recently and/or we do not have a photo for:

Lichia and Anute @ Torrey Pines 6/18/11
Angela and Joe @ Franciscan Gardens 7/16/11
Katie & Adam @ Maison des Oliviers 7/23/11

Nichole and Matt @ Private Residence 8/20/11
Krista and Colby @ The Villa 8/27/11

Deanna and Nic @ Franciscan Gardens 9/3/11
Michelle and David @ Franciscan Gardens 9/4/11

We wish all of our newlywed couples the very best! This was a jam-packed summer for Floral Occasions, but we wouldn't have had it any other way.

We'd also like to mention the addition of two new members of the team......Randi and Susan!! They both started this summer and have been so much fun, welcome ladies, we are so happy to have you with us :)
Here's to spreading floral love allllll summer long!

What's The Must-Have Flower For Your Wedding? - Part 5: Ranunculus

2011-09-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

Ranunculus
Season: Grows abundantly in Spring, also available in late summer from Chile
Price: In spring they can be very affordable.
Colors: red, white, yellow, pink, hot pink, orange, purple/plum, peach
Meaning: Maybe because of the Ranunculus' bright colors or because it's petals form the cutest layers, the Ranunculus is said to symbolize charm, admiration, and attraction. It can also be referred to as the "buttercup" flower.
Cool Fact: You can visit the Carlsbad Flower Fields each Spring to see the stunning acres of Ranunculus blooms. Seriously, the fields are filled with rows and rows of gorgeous, brightly colored Ranunculus blooms!

Why we LOVE them: Ranunculus blooms are perfect for soooo many things! They are the perfect size for boutonnieres (not too large or small), GREAT for bouquets, are bold enough to stand on their own as a centerpiece, and can fit any wedding style (rustic, modern, vintage, ethereal). They just happen to be Stacey, the owner's favorite flower :) Randi, our new assistant loves them too!

Check out Floral Occasions' many Ranunculus designs:

Photo by Tyler Branch Photo

These next three photos are all by the fabulous Sarah Rhoads Photography

Photo by Christine Farah Photography

Whew! That concludes our week of popular flower features. We have had so much fun sharing information and photos with all of you, but most of all, I hope that you were inspired by the beauty of flowers. It never ceases to amaze me how fresh flowers can transform any event into a dream! Thanks for letting me spread some floral love this whole week.

Although we covered five very popular flowers this week, there is still a chance that we missed your personal favorite. Please share it with us! There's a very good chance we will feature it in a future blog. :)

Calla Lilies, Roses, Cymbidiums, Peonies, or the Ranunculus...which one was your favorite this week?

What's The Must-Have Flower For Your Wedding? - Part 4: Peony

2011-09-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

Peony
Season: mostly May-June. Peonies from Chile are available late October-December.
Price: High, but when you think about the size of the flower, so worth it!
Meaning: Peonies are very lush and full-bodied flowers, most often meaning good fortune, luxury, and prosperity. Peonies are also said to symbolize good wishes and loving marriages.
Cool Fact: Peonies originated in China, AND not only are their blooms greatly treasured, but their foliage is often used as greenery in arrangements.

Why we LOVE them: When I think romance, I think peonies! They look almost feather-soft, like gorgeous clouds...and their fragrance is amazing!!!

Check out Floral Occasion's Peony creations:

Photo by Elle Photography

Photo by Tyler Branch Photography (and picture below)

Photo by Lucero Photography

So far we have featured Peonies, Calla Lilies, Roses, and Cymbidium Orchids....one more feature left to go! I won't give away the name of this super-popular bloom until tomorrow, but I'll give you a hint: it also has MANY layers of petals like the Peony. :)

What's The Must-Have Flower For Your Wedding? - Part 3: Cymbidium Orchid

2011-09-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Cymbidium Orchid
Season: Mostly available year round.
Price: Moderate to high. Worth every penny!!
Colors: white, rusty orange, light to dark pink, green, yellow, burgundy/plum, new brown tones
Meaning: Cymbidium orchids most often symbolize strength, beauty, and wealth.
Cool fact: Once a Cymbidium flower opens, that flower can last (on the plant) for as long as 2-3 months! Off the stock, it will hold up for at least 2 or 3 days. You can also get smaller "mini" Cymbidium orchids for boutonnieres or corsages.

Why we LOVE them: Cymbidiums have such bold colors and can make a grand statement all on their own. They can give any wedding a feeling of luxury and elegance.

Check some weddings that have used Cymbidium Orchids, a la Floral Occasions:

Photo by Lucero Photography

Photo by Elle Photography

As you can see, it doesn't take very many Cymbidium blooms to make a statement. We hope you enjoyed today's installment of the most popular wedding flowers. Please share any comments, ideas, or other favorite flowers with us below. What was your favorite Cymbidium photo?

What's The Must-Have flower for your wedding? -Part 2: Rose

2011-09-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

Roses
Season: Summer :) BUT most roses you can get year-round
Price: Moderate. Garden Roses are higher in price.
Colors: red, white, yellow, lavender, champagne, pastels, purple, burgundy, orange, pinks, multi-colored, peach/apricot, light pink, rust, ivory, cream, deep red....the list could go on and on.
Meaning: Roses ooze love and romance, so it's no surprise that they are considered to symbolize love. Just as with the Calla Lilies, the color of the rose carries it's own significance. For example, yellow roses mean "friendship," red roses mean "true love," and so on...
Cool Fact: Some Garden Roses actually share very similar qualities with the famous Peony flower, and can often work as a substitute for Peonies. They are very delicate with a vintage flair.

Why we LOVE them: The smell! The textures! Roses are classic and can add a touch of elegance to any event!

Check out some of the arrangements with roses by Floral Occasions:

Photo by Elle Photography

Photo by Lucero Photography

Photo by Julie Harmsen Photography

Photo by Paul Von Rieter

Photo by Tyler Branch Photography

Photo by Julie Harmsen Photography

Which rose design did you like best? Leave us a comment below! :)

Also, stay tuned for our feature on Cymbidium Orchids tomorrow! Here's to spreading floral love!

What's The Must-Have Flower For Your Wedding? - Part 1: Calla Lily

2011-09-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

When a bride comes to me wanting to use her favorite flower in her wedding, I ALWAYS do my best to accommodate. Every bride deserves to love her florals! Therefore, one tip I would give to brides is this: If there is a flower you MUST have for your wedding, research its season and maybe even the different colors it comes in. Nothing is harder than having your heart set on Peonies in the Fall. :(

In my experience, some of the most popular flowers requested for weddings (in no particular order) are Calla Lilies, Roses, Cymbidium Orchids, Peonies, and Ranunculus. I thought I'd start sharing some of the important information for these popular beauties to help brides make the best decisions for their special day. :)

Please keep in mind that all this information is from my experience, and things (like prices) are always changing.

Calla Lilies

Season: Mostly Spring and Summer, but can be available almost year-round

Price: Higher than most flowers, use for personals such as bouquets and boutonnieres.

Colors: white, red, yellow/orange, pink, eggplant, burgundy, cream, peach/apricot, lavender, purple

Meaning: Calla Lilies are said to mean "magnificence or beauty" but depending on the color, that can change. For instance, a white Calla Lily can mean magnificence, virtue, and innocence.

Cool Fact: You can get Miniature Calla Lilies too! Mini-Calla Lilies are great for boutonnieres or other small details.

Why we LOVE them: Calla Lilies come in so many different colors! Also, not only are the flowers gorgeous, but you can get really creative with the stems. Calla Lilies have flexible stems that really allow them to be twisted, curled, or left long for a very grand statement.

Check out some of the ways Floral Occasions has used Calla Lilies:

Photo by Lucero Photography

Photo by Barnet Photography.

Photo by Julie Harmsen Photography

Photo by Christine Farah Photography

Photo by Frenzel Photography

Check back each day this week for a new featured flower and more photos, as Floral Occasions continues to spread some floral love! Tomorrow we will be featuring the Rose...can't wait!

What are some of your favorite wedding flowers and why? We would love to hear about any flowers you would like us to feature in upcoming blog segments. Looking forward to it!

A Simply Gorgeous Wedding in July

2011-09-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

This elegant wedding at Maison des Olivieres really reminded me how keeping things simple can often make the biggest statement of all! Mason jars, monochromatic arrangements, and a creative assortment of vintage vases and votives, truly created a sophisticated ambiance. Thank you to the beautiful bride and handsome groom, Katie and Adam, for sharing your special day with us! Oh, and we can't forget to thank the always-fabulous Elle Photography for capturing all the loving moments and gorgeous details AND Stephanie @ Ribbons and Rust, as usual, for having such fun vintage pieces for us to choose from! Spreading floral love is always easier when you got a great team to work with. :)

Loving these soft, white Lisianthus......stunning!

A breathtaking view of the rose garden and the happy couple....

These wedding details were so fun to create! Katie and Adam, thank you for giving Floral Occasions the opportunity be a part of your amazing day!

Pretty Pastels in May

2011-08-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

With this crazy heat wave that's been hitting Southern California, many of us are longing for a little relief from the sun. Well, I don't have the ability to make it Fall already, but hopefully sharing this gorgeous wedding from May will remind you of the beautiful, cool Spring season we had this year.

The bride, Breanna, was a pleasure to work with, and the phenomenal Maison Des Oliviers was the perfect backdrop. We received this sweet thank you:
Dear Stacey,
Thank you so very much for the beautiful job you did on our flowers for Breana and Tom's wedding.
They were absolutely perfect! You are a true artist. You created every bouquet exactly as we had envisioned them.
We really enjoyed working with you and thank you again for your beautiful work.
Sincerely,
Diane & Bruce (parents)
Breana & Tom

Check out some of the amazing pictures from that day and feel the love! (photos courtesy of Goddard Studios):


Photos by Goddard Studios

We love seeing our brides so happy!

The colors were a breathtaking mix of ivory, champagne, pale pinks, and pastels.....so romantic!

Breanna and Tom, we wish you both the VERY BEST! Thanks for letting Floral Occasions spread some floral love on your special day!

Feeling blue??

2011-07-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

While browsing through my pictures on my computer, I realized how many brides are using blue in their weddings. These are all weddings we provided flowers for. I love blue, it's one of my favorite colors! Enjoy....

Photo by Focus Photography

Photo by Click Chicks Photography

Photo by Focus Photography

Photo by Brandon Kidd

Photo by J.Shippley

Photo by J. Shippley

Photo by Floral Occasions

Photo by Christine Farah

Photo by Chirstine Farah

Photo by Christine Farah

Photo by Ribbons & Rust

Photo by Troy Grover

Beautiful Villa Wedding in May

2011-06-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

The beautiful Villa~San Juan Capistrano is one (and I have a few) of Floral Occasions favorite venues, not to mention it is less than a mile from our home based studio (big plus!!). I was overjoyed when I met Julie. She was such a cool, laid back bride with super cool style and beautiful from the inside out. I wasn't lucky enough to meet Tyler until the wedding. From the second I met him he was so grateful for our work, complementing everything. He wanted Julie to have everything her hearts desired. Please watch the attached video from Paperback Weddings to see what gems these two are. Thank you to Tyler Branch Photo for sharing these beautiful pictures with us. Thank you to 100 Layer Cake for the feature as well :) And I can't forget my partner in crime....Stephanie from Ribbons & Rust our amazing vintage rental friend, she has great stuff, and we have so much fun styling together!

tyler+julie • wedding from Paperback Weddings on Vimeo.

Congratulations you two lovebirds! We think you are also ambassadors of Spreading Floral Love!
To see more of this beautiful wedding, check out Tyler's blog.

Venue: The Villa
Cinematographer: Paperback Weddings
Coordinator: In The Moment
Florist: Floral Occasions
Decor: Ribbons and Rust
Make-up: Bridal Rouge
Hair: Beach Bridal Beauty
Cake: Susie Cakes
DJ: Jeff Holmes

Mass(ive) Military Wedding

2011-05-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

On June 1st, this wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty!! Click HERE to see it.

We here at Floral Occasions admire and are so thankful to our Military. For all they do for our wonderful country and most importantly our freedom.

When Stacey at Hitching Post Public Relations called me to ask if I'd like to participate by donating flowers to this Mass Military Wedding, it took me just a second to decide, how could I not?! 21 BOUQUETS! NO PROBLEM! We had a base of ivory and white hydrangea, roses, and stock for all then we had each bride choose and accent color to make it special and her own.

The wedding and vow renewals took place at the beautiful Huntington Beach Hyatt on May 22nd. It was sponsored by K-Earth 101 and the Hyatt along with an amazing list of generous vendors.
Here is a link to a great slideshow by Lucy @ Manalo Empire Photography. Please go check it out!! Also, Molly @ Luminarie Images blog post is full of great images. Here are a few of hers:

K-Earth 101 has these images. And there was a great article posted by The OC Register.
Thank you to all you amazing military men and women, and thank you to all the wonderful vendors that helped to make this event so special.
These words from one of our brides in an email touches my heart:

On may 22nd I remarried my best friend, and hero. If it was not for the generosity, and also the patriotism of the vendors, our fairytale wedding would have never been within our reach.

I honestly can not say thank you enough for the event that took place on the Sunday.

It was truly an honor to spread a little floral love to our military.

We brought a bride to tears! In a good way....

2011-03-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

This is the reaction that we strive for! Not to make a bride cry, but when she is so moved, that she may shed a tear of joy, it is truly heartwarming. This is my nephew Andy and his new wife Julie. We went to Hawaii earlier this month to celebrate with them, but also, of coarse, do their wedding flowers :) Thank you guys so much for getting us over there to do just that!
These words from the photographer Sarah Rhoads, "My favorite moment of their big day was when Julie walked into the room where the ceremony would be held, saw it for the first time and her eyes welled up with big tears, as she hugged Andy she told him she couldn't believe how much everyone did... her gratitude was so sincere. You see, Julie & Andy's wedding was supposed to be outdoors but it rained quite a bit that morning so they made the executive decision to move everything inside so Jules had no idea what it would look like. Andy & his family put together a gorgeous surprise for these two indoors and it ended up playing out perfectly."
I worked along side with my sister-in-law Annie who has a floral and coordination business of her own. I had so much fun collaborating with her on this special wedding. Julie is also in the wedding industry, she is quite a talented photographer. We worked on this wedding together. Julie had a huge part also in the design of her wedding and did many DIY projects that made this wedding truly special and unique.

This beautiful wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty and you can see more beautiful photos on Sarah Rhoads Photography's Blog.


Paper flowers made from maps

Congratulations Julie & Andy! Julie, we are now both Mrs. Fitts!! Welcome to the family!
This wedding is what Spreading Floral Love is all about!

Time is a flyin!

2011-03-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is already March 14th! We have been very busy meeting with potential brides excited about their upcoming weddings. I'm very much looking forward to working with some of you amazing ladies to help make the wedding unforgettable with unique floral artistry. Thought I'd share a few recent weddings with you.

Aubrey and Andrew ~ Est. 11/14/10
Thank you to Troy Grover Photographers for sharing the photos with us.

Succulent Boutonniere

Super cute cake!

We just got back from an amazing wedding in Hawaii. Our nephew Andy and his beautiful bride Julie tied the knot in beautiful Wiamea. So excited to share this wedding with you....maybe even Martha Stewart will be sharing it with you ;) We'll see....

While we were there my husband David and I renewed our vows on the beach with his Dad, Mom and our son Isaiah. Happy 23rd wedding anniversary David, I love you!!

Thanks to our awesome sister-in-law Kathy Fitts Photography for shooting a few photos of this special moment.

Blogity, blog, blog, blog.....

2010-12-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

Blogging doesn't come easy for me. My creativity is through my floral design. Thank goodness for all the wonderful wedding bloggers out there!! Thank you for showcasing our work so we can stick to what we're good at :) I do however understand the importance of blogging so you all can see what we are up to in our world and what we are keeping tabs on.

Soooo.....if you haven't seen them already, here are the blogs we were featured on this year....drum roll please!

We are a preferred vendor with this great website/blog and so proud of it.....THE WEDDING CHICKS
Featured on 11/10/10 See it HERE
Nicole & Patrick ~ Est. 10/9/10

Photo courtesy of Julie Harmsen Photography
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GREEN WEDDING SHOES is an awesome blog, and Jenn, the creator loves all things vintage, so how could she not share this wonderful wedding with her followers!
Featured on 6/1/10 See it HERE
Stephanie & Brian ~ Est. 5/1/10

Photos courtesy of Brandon Kidd Photography
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They say that if you are featured on STYLE ME PRETTY, you've got a lot to be proud of. I'm especially proud of the comment by Abby the writer: "If I have to call dibs on one element that has completely won me over...it would have to be the flowers by Stacey Fitts. The holy-cow-gorgeous flowers!"
Featured on 8/11/10 See it HERE
Pam & Eddie ~ Est. 5/29/10

Photos courtesy of Christine Farah Photography

Our next few blog features were from styled shoots I provided some florals for and helped set up the sets along side some pretty amazing and talented professionals.
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ROCK AND ROLL BRIDE is a great blog with the writer residing and mostly blogging about weddings in England. Her blog is so much fun and she is one cool chick! For her to feature our shoot, was a big honor. Sugar & Fluff Design and Crissy Farah invited me to take part in this end of the year "we're over these trends, but their not going anywhere" funfest. Our model Molly is my daughter Sydnee's best friend, she rocked it!!
Stick A Fork In It Shoot 10/30/10 See it HERE
Also featured on GREY LIKES WEDDINGS 12/14/10 See it HERE

Photo courtesy of Christine Farah Photography

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Another GREEN WEDDING SHOES feature! Pinch me, I must be dreaming!! Thank you to a prior bride, Stephanie and her new company RIBBONS & RUST for actually paying me to participate in this fun photo shoot for her webiste. We did the shoot right in my own neighborhood, so much fun!!
Featured on 12/3/10 See it HERE

Photo courtesy of Brandon Kidd Photography

Thank you to all the wonderful wedding bloggers out there, keep up the good work!!
Happy New Year everyone and let it be a year full of Spreading Floral Love!

Blogs and Magazines

2010-12-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

This has for sure been the year of the wedding blog. It has always been my goal to be published somehow, mostly in a magazine, but I have realized the importance of blogs and how much of an impact they have on the wedding industry. It seems that brides are using blogs more than magazines. I'm more tactile (duh, I'm a floral designer) so I love flipping through the pages of a new wedding magazine and the rush I get when I see something truly beautiful, even if it's an add for a new gorgeous bridal gown. In the next few posts, I will share with you my blog features, but today...... the magazine feature!

My new found friends, the design team of Sugar and Fluff (hire them if you want to have a truly amazing event) and photographer extraordinaire Christine Farah (who actually was responsible for my first blog feature in 2008), invited me to be part of a styled shoot that was to be featured in Volume 3 of Southern Weddings Magazine. Here are the results from Sugar and Fluff's blog post. We did get a few of the photos published :) We've worked together on some other amazing styled shoots, and of coarse I will share those with you too!!

See the editorial here from Southern Weddings Magazine's website.

ENJOY!!
(from the Sugar and Fluff blog)
Wooohooooo!! Hello my readers! We have been blog overload this past week and we hope you enjoy it!
When Christine Farah asked us to help her out on this project…we were so thrilled!
She told us that Southern Weddings were looking for the next cover— and they were looking for a summery feel. So we decided to add summer shades of luminous oranges and splashes of blue. As you can tell we added the orange in the florals and in her make-up and cake. We thought the perfect dress would be from J-Crew of course and our model had to look like the perfect warm and welcoming Southern bride! Isn’t the backdrop of the lake so picturesque? I think we nailed it pretty well!! This is what a Southern Bride means to us :) Big thanks to our AMAZING team!! See our AWESOME vendors below :)

Event Design: Sugar & Fluff
Photography: Christine Farah
Florals: Floral Occasions
Coordination: Kerrie Underhill
Cake: Sweet and SaucyHair: Tania
Make-up: RPM Makeup
Model: Stephanie Nelson

My fave photo, maybe, of all of 2010.

2010-10-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

Leslie Cunningham of Click Chicks Photography has captured my heart with this photo.......

I heard she got in trouble for doing this....so worth it!!!

A little experiment.

2010-10-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

I've usually said a big fat NO to floral sprays and preservatives for my flowers after I have designed and made them into the beautiful floral creations you see in many of my photos. But after reading some recent blog posts in some of my favorite florist industry blogs (UBloom & JTV), I was re-thinking this and wondering if I had been making a mistake for all these years. I am always learning new things, ALWAYS. I'm open to suggestions by those who have gone before me and admiring the up and coming new designers and current trends.

With that said I decided to put 4 "floral preservers" to the test.

The contenders from left to right:

Floralife Finishing Touch, Floralife Crowning Glory

Prestine and Design Master Clear Life

We did this experiment with standard daisy pom flowers.

As you can see on the pink papers it shows the product and the time that the photo was taken. We started at noon on a Friday.

I decided to add one with no treatment at 5pm Friday. As you see below, one day later, 25 hours later on Saturday. Here is in order of best looking and freshest day two:

1. Clear Life

2. No treatment

3. Crowning Glory

4. Prestine

5. Finishing Touch (an industry favorite)

Another 24 hours later on Sunday at 1:00 Day 3:

In order of freshest/strongest to weakest:

1. Clear Life

2. Crowning Glory

3. No treatment

4. Pristine

5. Finishing Touch (still an industry favorite?)

The winner!!! Clear Life by Design Master. It is an aerosol spray, kind of like hairspray.

I still took note on Monday (sorry no photos), at 8am and it still looked as fresh as the day I picked it.

Crowning Glory was still pretty to the eye, but a little droopy. Pristine and Finishing touch still looked worse than the daisy with no treatment.

A classy Rancho Las Lomas Wedding.

2010-10-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun with this wedding. Amelia was a great bride to work with, she has great taste and loves color! The setting, Rancho Las Lomas, a great South Orange County wedding venue. The flowers, bright colors in purple, hot pink and deep red...dahlias, roses, mini calla lilies, lizianthus, mokara orchids and stock.

A special thank you to Barnet Photography for sharing these stunning photos with us. Lorrie deBellis of OC Party Places did the planning and 24 Carrots provided the fab food. Cake by Black Forest Bakery.

Congratulations to Amelia and John, we're so glad that we were able to spread some floral love at your wedding.

Another fabulous MdO wedding!

2010-08-31T07:45:00.000-07:00

Just the other day we gave you another peek into the beautiful Tuscan style private estate that we have done a few weddings at. Here is another fab wedding that we did there at Maison des Oliviers. Very pastel and romantic. Brooke was all about the bling, she incorporated it into every element of her wedding. Cafe Au let Dahlias, Peonies, Sahara & Vendela Roses, Hydrangea ~ oh so beautiful and full of gushy romance! She sent me the kindest e-mail after the wedding that resulted in this nice review.

A big thanks again to the lovely Laura @ Elle Photography for sharing these photos with us and you!

Congratulations to Brooke and Greg!

Beautiful July wedding at Maison des Oliviers.

2010-08-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Floral Occasions has been very lucky this year to provide beautiful flowers for 3 big weddings at

Maison des Oliviers, a Tuscan style private estate right down the street in San Juan Capistrano, CA.

Next weekend we chalk up another at MdO that I'm really looking forward to.

In my last blog entry one of the weddings was featured on Style Me Pretty. Here is a look at the another one.

It is a great location to tie the knot!

Thank you to Laura @ Elle Photography for the beautiful images.

This is Kirsten & John's wedding from July 10th.

Congrats you two and thanks for letting us be a part of your special day!

Love these next few because they used my delivery truck as a prop :)

Style Me Pretty feature!

2010-08-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been so long and I apologize for not blogging sooner....I could make many excuses, but I won't. It has been a busy summer and rather than make one big long blog post, I'll try and make more smaller ones :)

First, I will start with the most exciting news. You may remember in my last blog, I mentioned a wedding I did at the end of May at Maison des Olivers. Pam & Eddie, so cute and full of style, so full in fact that the wedding was featured on the most read blog Style Me Pretty! What a huge honor, and I want to send a huge thank you shout out to Crissy @ Christine Farah Photography for submitting this wedding on our behalf. The photos are stunning, the bride is stunning, and well, Style Me Pretty said the flowers were "holy cow gorgeous"!

ENJOY~

California Wedding by Christine Farah

August 11th. 2010 by Abby Larson | Filed Under | 24 comments

I don’t know if we could ever come up with a better way to cap off a day full of gorgeousness than this next little number. So far today, we’ve seen eight real weddings, all of them so unique and so different, all of them so freaking gorgeous. Well this last one just might take the prize for most beautiful wedding EVER. Photographed beautifully by by Christine Farah, every last details is total perfection. But if I had to call dibs on one element that has completely won me over…it would easily be the flowers by Stacey Fitts. The holy-cow-gorgeous flowers. To see even more, click right here!

click here to see the full gallery!

This beautiful affair took place in May of this year at Maison des Oliviers, a location that delivers the feel of being in the Tuscan countryside, but within the Orange County CA limits. Right now with all of the vintage feel going on it was a nice breath of fresh air to shoot a wedding that leaned more towards traditional chic simplicity. As I was editing through I felt like it might be a good fit for your readers since I know that Style Me Pretty has always catered to the elegant modern bride.

Photography: Christine Farah Photography / Flowers: Stacey Fitts / Event Planning: Lorrie Debellis / Ceremony Location & Reception Location: Maison des Oliviers, San Juan Capistrano, CA / Lighting & Music: Brady Westbrook

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May Madness!

2010-06-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

The first bit of exciting news is that a wedding we provided the flowers for was featured on Green Wedding Shoes today! What a huge honor this is. If you haven't checked out this website, you must. I'm officially (and have been for a while now) a GWS blogstocker! I'm sure that's a new word they will be adding to the dictionary soon "blogstocker". Share with us exciting blogs you follow.

Here is the video link to the very talented photographer Brandon Kidd that he was willing to share. Thanks for making our flowers look even more spectacular! Check his blog on this wedding for even more wonderfulness!

A few weddings that happened during May Madness:

This weekend we had a wedding at the fabulous private estate Maison des Oliviers in San Juan Capistrano. Contact Lorrie at OC Party Places to book inquire about this venue, it is stunning! I have just a few personal photos, I can't wait to see the pictures that were taken by the fabulous Crissy at Christine Farah Photography. I will share when I get a hold of them. She had mentioned that she would get it featured in a blog since it was so beautiful! Thanks Crissy :) Here are some from my camera:
Congrats to Pam & Eddie!

My neighbor Marianne has a great yard. Someone once told her that people would pay to sit in your yard and that got her to thinking....why not offer classes to show people how I did it and other ways to enjoy life through gardening (it is very therapeutic). Goin Native was launched in the fall of 2009. I've been lucky to teach a few classes there as well and have more scheduled in July, August and September. Check out their website for all the juicy info. Here is a beautiful bouquet I made for a garden tour they had a few weeks ago:

We had the opportunity to take a little time off this month to head up north to Cayucos, Ca. A cute little beach town close to Morro Bay. One of my best friends Kirsten was getting married and I certainly couldn't show up empty handed! Congrats to Kirsten & Patrick, he is one heck of a lucky guy. By the way Kirsten is a very talented musician! Check her out!
www.kirstenproffit.com

And finally, congratulations to Sarah & Brett who got married on the 15th at Franciscan Gardens. Sarah just finished a service with the military while planning her wedding. I met with her and did her consultation while she was on a short break during her tour. Bless her heart, that had to have been stressful! Thank you Sarah for your service and thank you to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve our beautiful country and keep us safe.

Now on to June....can you believe it?? Wishing you floral love ~ Stacey

I've been swamped (in a good way)!

2010-05-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy here at Floral Occasions! It IS of coarse, wedding season!! I have posted a few pics of recent weddings on our Facebook Fan Page, so please check those out. As well as a new photo album that I titled "Great Ideas I Have To Share", where I post pictures of great ideas that brides have been rock stars in the DIY dept.

Here are a few teaser pics of recent weddings:

Stephanie's wedding, May 1st at The Villa in San Juan Capistrano. She had an amazing Anthropologie style wedding and a wonderful Marine to marry, it was a beautiful wedding!!

This is sweet as pie Janelle. She is loved by many, especially the mom's that she nannies for. Beautiful bride, great taste in flowers.

I was chosen to design the flowers for the Orange County Board of Tourism's annual convention. This is what we put together to showcase the beauty of Orange County, complete with real oranges and those wonderful little cuties. We did 35 of these beauties!! My team rocks, thank you Pam and Basia :)

Kyla got married April 24th at Franciscan Gardens. Beautiful romantic colors with Vendela and Sahara roses, antique green hydrangea and love!

Tera was a bride that LOVED bling. We had it everywhere! On the cake, the bouquets, mothers corsages, even the groom's boutonniere! Beautiful wedding with great colors.

Oh yeah, my daughter Sydnee has PINK hair! I think it turned out pretty cute :) She is awesome and an up and coming hair stylist extraordinaire!

Hope you are enjoying all the beautifulness of spring and all the floral love you can handle!

First weddings of the season - Spring 2010

2010-04-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

Today will be the third wedding of this beautiful spring. It is at Caspers Wilderness Park on Ortega Highway. Such a beautiful setting and especially this time of year. A challenging wedding because the park rangers would like me to use only native plants or flowers to the park or another alternative "plastic flowers". WHAT??? Could you imagine ME giving a bride a bouquet of plastic flowers! I think they call them silks now, and well, that's just not my cup of tea.

Here is what we came up with.

This was the grooms BestWoman, his sister. I was surprised to find this out, but the boutonniere looked great with her beautiful tweed suit.

I think this boutonniere is my favorite that I've ever done. What do you think of it?

The ceremony location at the Visitors center of Caspers Park.

The reception was held at The Ramos House Cafe in my hood, down the street. I love doing weddings in SJC.

In March we had a few weddings. Candice & Mike's wedding was at Franciscan Gardens.

Glamelia or Couture Rose Bouquet.

***NOTE*** These are pictures that I took, not from a professional photog, so I know they are not that great and maybe don't do the flowers much justice.

Then there was the adorable Arlene & Jojo. Budget savy couple that didn't even have room in their budget for flowers! What to do? Rochelle, the site manager at Franciscan Gardens suggested they call me. I helped them to create a super chic centerpiece that they could afford.

Bridesmaid bouquets that were cute and inexpensive.

And, well, we went all out on the Bridal Bouquet of course! Her dress was stunning, and maybe my favorite so far.

Sweet story from this wedding. Joe is a musician and wrote Arlene a song after their first date. Arlene wanted it for their first dance, Joe said no because he had other plans to surprise her with it another way. He was going to sing it to her during dinner. While setting up with his brother and a violinist friend from out of state, the keyboard died. There was no other way to perform this song, the keyboards were the main instrument. I overheard what was going on so I offered our good ole Costco keyboards for them to use, and I live right around the corner, so we jumped in the car and 15 minutes later they did a quick sound check and saved the day! I love when we can provide more than just beautiful flowers.

Happy Easter to you and remember the real reason we celebrate this wonderful holiday. I'm thankful that He died on the cross for all of us.
Blessings to you. ~Stacey

Beautiful San Juan Capistrano

2010-03-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

I am lucky to live and work in one of the most beautiful and unique cities in Orange County. I live in the historical district of SJC known as Los Rios. It is the oldest established neighborhood in California with homes still standing that were built in the 1700 & 1800's.

A great spot for wedding photos!

We built our home in 2000 and love being a part of this great community. Brides love to come over, and we meet in my consultation suite, which is located behind my garage. I remodeled what has been a rental, office for my husbands contracting company and catch-all-junk room. I love the way it turned out.

San Juan Capistrano's Mission is known as "the jewel of the missions". It is one of the most beautiful and serene places I've ever visited. Many brides that get married in SJC choose to head over to the mission for special photos.

These photos by: Christine Farah Photography Other photos by: jshippleyphotography & Mathew Morgan Photography

I hope you get to make it here sometime and if you do, please stop by and say hello! The swallows will be here soon! ~Stacey

Spreading floral love.

3 Wedding Themes to Try (Right Now)

Recipe for a Memorable Wedding (Inspired by a Real Couple)

We're Seeing Red, But in a Good Way!

Our biggest event yet!

October Has Never Been Sweeter...

Summer of Love 2011, It's a Wrap!

What's The Must-Have Flower For Your Wedding? - Part 5: Ranunculus

What's The Must-Have Flower For Your Wedding? - Part 4: Peony

What's The Must-Have Flower For Your Wedding? - Part 3: Cymbidium Orchid

What's The Must-Have flower for your wedding? -Part 2: Rose

What's The Must-Have Flower For Your Wedding? - Part 1: Calla Lily

A Simply Gorgeous Wedding in July

Pretty Pastels in May

Feeling blue??

Beautiful Villa Wedding in May

Mass(ive) Military Wedding

We brought a bride to tears! In a good way....

Time is a flyin!

Blogity, blog, blog, blog.....

Blogs and Magazines

My fave photo, maybe, of all of 2010.

A little experiment.

A classy Rancho Las Lomas Wedding.

Another fabulous MdO wedding!

Beautiful July wedding at Maison des Oliviers.

Style Me Pretty feature!

California Wedding by Christine Farah

The Blog

• Traditional Elegance

Tags: Blue

• Brady Westbrook

• California

• Christine Farah Photography

• Lorrie Debellis

• Maison des Oliviers

• Pink

• San Juan Capistrano

• Stacey Fitts

May Madness!

I've been swamped (in a good way)!

First weddings of the season - Spring 2010

Beautiful San Juan Capistrano