Day 7 - Sunday, August 23, 2009

I am very proud of myself for completing the first week of my blog... and I am hoping for many many more days of chronecling my thoughts on flowers for royal weddings, flowers for weddings, weddings, and floral design.

The picture I am sharing today is of my most recent bridal bouquet creation. This bouquet was created for Jordan Lantis Billings, of Lincoln, Nebraska. Jordan's bouquet consists of roughly 48 ivory "Eskimo" roses, trailing variegated "English" ivy, and galax leaves for the backing. I had the honor of traveling to the mid-west for the first time, and being part of a joyous family event. Jordan married my cousin Devin in June of this year at Grace Lutheran Church in Lincoln. The groom's mother, Karen, is my first cousin. That's me in the picture with the bride shortly after the ceremony.

I finished the bouquet with crystal beads to coordinate with the crystal beading on the gown as well as the crystal choker created by the groom's mother, who is very talented at making her own bead jewelry. The bouquet's carrying handle was wrapped with white sating ribbon, and decorated with pear headed pins arranged in groups of three for the "Swiss Dot" effect.

This trip to Nebraska was about 49 years in the making. My cousin, the mother of the groom lived separately from her family from the south for roughly 45 without knowing that she had family in GA and SC. The story of our reunion is a complete story in it's own, but we have enjoyed the last four years of getting to know each other and helping my cousin re-establish her southern heritage.

Few other weddings I have attended have held such meaning for me. It was a privilege to be invited to stay with the grooms family and to be allowed to create the most important floral arrangement of the entire celebration.

Thank you Karen, Mark, Devin, and Jordan for a truly meaningful and memorable experience.

Creating a bridal bouquet for a family wedding, to me, is such a wonderful gift, me and I hope for the bride. To be part of such a special time is quite remarkable, they will remember the bouquet forever, as every time they open their wedding photo album, there the bouquet will be, front and center, looking as beautiful as it did on the wedding day itself.

The Flowers for Royal Weddings tidbit for the day... Prince Edward, Prince of Wales married his bride, Princess Alexandra, not in The Chapel Royal at St. Jame's Palace as his parents (Victoria and Albert), but rather, their ceremony took place at St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle.