Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Boutonniere /Buttonhole


Everyone forgets the groom. Fortunately at DebraFlower the groom gets a lot of attention. I believe that the groom should be involved in the designing process of the wedding decorations. It’s his wedding too. Some of my best ideas have come when a groom has expressed his likes and dislikes while designing the wedding decorations.
The Boutonniere or Buttonhole as some call it is the floral decoration for the groom. I make a point of creating with great care this small group of flowers that will be placed in the grooms lapel hole or even in his pocket. The design is always something that looks as if it had been picked from the bridal bouquet. Many years ago the groom would in fact pick a flower from the brides bouquet and place it in his lapel, now I design it that way so we don’t have to ruin the bridal bouquet that took so long to prepare. It’s actually an art to design such tiny and beautiful bouquets for the groom.
Debra

Friday, January 23, 2009

Flower Purchasing

Rome Flower Market
Where do florists get their flowers? This is one of the questions that people ask me the most about my work. I enjoy answering this type of question because it quickly reminds me of one of the most exciting activities that require me to get out of bed at 4am two mornings each week. Then again it also reminds me why my work is NOT as glamorous as people think.
There are basically three ways I buy flowers for my business here in Rome, the Floral Market, Importers and direct purchasing from producers. I personally believe the most important is the Floral Market. Here in Rome it is a large building where producers from all parts of the Lazio region come to sell their products. Unfortunately for florists here in Rome this operation is not at all modern or efficient but I still love going there. It’s loud and colorful and how business was done in Italy for hundreds of years. Producers bring all kinds of things including flowers that they grow in their hot houses or fields. At the market you can find every type of tree limb, bark or foliage. You can buy all types of flowers grown locally. You can also buy odd things like grasses or small fruits. All of these items look lovely when inserted into a floral arrangement. I personally arrive at the Floral market at least two times each week at 5am. This allows me to have the widest selection to choose from amongst the many producers. The best part of going to the market is establishing personal relationships with people who have been working with flowers for generations. They are willing to share their knowledge of flowers and the floral industry in general. What a wonderful group of people.

I feel blessed to have entered this business.


May you also realize your dream, Debra


Friday, January 16, 2009

Enchanted Evening





Last night I had dinner at the "Circolo della Caccia". The Circolo della Caccia, also considered an exclusive private museum, was founded 140 years ago in 1869, and is a true privilege for those who are able to gain access to its noble doors. Stepping back in time, guests marveled at the 17th century frescos adorning the walls; at the traditionally-clad wait staff in livery catering to their every culinary need; at the secret staircase hidden within the internal wall structure of the palazzo; and so much more. Guests were welcomed with a cocktail and treated to a refined dining experience amongst an international group of friends, including the U.S. Ambassador and his wife, Georgia Beth Spogli. I was asked to design a bouquet for Mrs. Spogli and then to personally present it to her at the beginning of the dinner. Seated at her table during dinner we were able to chat and get to know each other better.


Needless to say it was an honor!!


Debra






Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Hand tied Bridal Bouquet


As I mentioned in one of my first posts, the Bridal Bouquet is one of the most important floral items that I create. Normally I suggest the traditional bridal bouquet because I can use many flowers, foliage and accessories while creating a light and easy to carry bouquet. Personally I do not like hand tied bouquets since they leave the stems exposed which can damage the bridal gown. Recently many bridal magazines feature hand tied bouquets so I feel the need to show how this bouquet is constructed. The price of this type of bouquet starts at 80 euro. The price will go up based on the type of flowers, time of year and the “Bling” that is added to the bouquet. Many ladies ask why this bouquet costs more than a normal bouquet that you can buy in any florist shop. There is far more care taken for this bouquet that will be photographed all day than an everyday hand tied bouquet you purchase to give away or decorate your home.
Note I always start with double the amount of flowers that I expect to use for my bouquet. I carefully select each flower by examining the condition of each bud. Knowing that each flower will be photographed close up and needs to last all day I want to make sure that I start with the best possible. I then condition all my flower s in a solution of floral preservative and water for a few hours. This will further ensure that the bouquet will look it’s best all through the day.

Materials
For this type of bouquet you will need wide floral tape and decorating ribbon or fabric from the bridal gown.
To assemble use a wide floral tape to hold all the stems together as you assemble the bouquet. The bouquet is assembled as you would a normal bouquet using the spiral technique and taping as you go so the flowers do not move around.
Although floral tape is very useful it is not pretty to look at. Many people who have not learned to create a bridal bouquet will deliver the bouquet to the bride with this floral tape in view. Do not accept a bouquet in this manner. During the day this tape will become sticky from the heat of your hand and that’s just not fun. I always ask the bride for a piece of the bridal gown to cover the handle but any beautiful ribbon will be fine. It’s the finishing touch that separates the designer from the novice.

My personal secret; I often construct my bouquets in the traditional way and then add dry stems around the handle in order that the bouquet looks hand tied yet is really traditional.
If you have any questions at all about your wedding flowers, please send me an email and I'll be happy to respond.
Enjoy your wedding day.
Debra

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Designing Wedding/Event Decorations


Meeting with a bride who really wants something different and takes the time to work through the steps necessary to create her wedding decorations is a real blessing. The bride and her mom came in this morning prepared to dedicate time. This allowed me to ask a lot of questions, listen carefully to the answers and then put it all together in a design concept for the wedding and reception. I actually draw and label my designs for each bride. This exercise helps her to formulate the first images of her wedding day. It helps me to calculate the cost of each item, number and types of flowers, greenery and other materials. About a month or so before the wedding I usually create a sample and photograph it so that everyone on my staff knows what the bride is expecting on her wedding day.



How I love the creativity of my job!!!



Offering unlimited ideas,



Debra

Thursday, January 8, 2009

In Memory of...




Floral designers have one of the oddest jobs around. In any given day our work lives touch both life and death. Flowers are part of almost every type of ceremony all around the world. Ceremonies include welcoming a new birth, birthdays, parties, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, and even funerals. There have been a few days in my career when I prepared a wedding, funeral and graduation party all in the same time. Although they were three separate events, the one thing connected the three events was the quality of the arrangements. When people came into the shop they complimented us on the nice arrangements and never knew which were for the wedding or graduation and which was for the funeral. As trained florists we learned that the only real difference from funeral arrangements and others is the ribbon that is added at the very end. At DebraFlower we believe that funeral arrangements should honor the person lost and so it should be our most beautiful creation.


Florally yours,
Debra

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Three Kings Day - "Befana"

Over the years I’ve changed my view about holidays. Instead of analyzing and questioning “Why?”, I just accept them as something different to break the boredom of our normal daily lives. We already know that Jesus was not born in the month of December so it’s logical that The Three Kings did not arrive on t January 6th but having this holiday allows Catholics to have an extra holiday……and for the everyone else? La Befana!! Here in Italy the Befana is a witch like person who travels around on a broomstick smiling and filling the stockings of the good children with candies and toys. The bad kids get Coal. I suppose in the old days when people really had coal stoves the bad kids received real coal but today the coal is made from sugar (not bad huh?).

Happy Befana!!

Debra

Monday, January 5, 2009

Venue Visit


At DebraFlower like any other professional floral designer, we visit all venues before designing and calculating our estimates. Why are we so strict about this rule? Let me share a story with you. On Saturday a couple came to enquire about floral decorations for their wedding in June….by the way it’s perfect timing to talk to a florist in January especially if you are planning to marry or have any other event in June. The month of June is the busiest for people who design events since there are graduations, weddings, anniversaries and end of the year business events. Back to the Venue Visit, the couple described the church to me since they had visited it a number of times and booked the church for their wedding. Like most couples they were unable to answer most of my specific questions about the characteristics of the church. We talked about the kind of decorations that they dreamed of for their wedding. Which reminds me, the “groom” should always be included in the planning of floral decorations. On the wedding day, he is the only one who can check to make sure that the decorations are what the couple wanted. Someone from the DebraFlower team is always present to make sure that the “groom” likes the final affect of the decorations. As is our practice, on Sunday I went to personally visit the church with both of my cameras, paper and pen in hand. I should be accustomed to this but I just never get used to how little a couple knows of the church they have chosen for the most important day of their lives. There were at least 5 errors in their description. If I had followed what they shared with me, the decorations would have been wrong for their church and totally against the requirements of the church. Yes, many churches have very specific requirements for floral decorations. It's the designers responsability to make sure these requirements are respected.

If the florist that you would like to use for your very special day, has not personally visited your church, temple, location or wherever you plan to marry, make sure they do. Do not allow someone to design your florals if they haven’t seen the venue.
From the DebraFlower team,
Debra

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Traditional Bridal Bouquet


The traditional bridal bouquet is the most photographed item of the entire wedding. Remember that the bridal bouquet should coordinate with the bridal gown and reflect the brides personality in some way. Just so everyone knows, I personally do not like to design a bridal bouquet without meeting the bride first hand. The modern version of the traditional bridal bouquet is often decorated with fabric from the wedding gown, pearls, beads or diamonte but it’s always wise to ask the bride about her personal tastes before adding any of these items. Note that many people in Italy believe that pearls bring tears. You don’t want to be the one to provoke tears on the brides wedding day.
Ever wonder why traditional bridal bouquets cost so much. The answer is really very simple. A traditional bouquet requires high quality flowers, materials, time, know-how and skill. The price of a simple bridal bouquet begins at about 125 euro. The price will go up based on the type of flowers, time of year and the “Bling” that is added to the bouquet.


Note I always start with double the amount of flowers that I expect to use for my bouquet. I carefully select each flower by examining the condition of each bud. Knowing that each flower will be photographed close up and needs to last all day I want to make sure that I start with the best possible. I then condition all my flower s in a solution of floral preservative and water for a few hours. This will further ensure that the bouquet will look it’s best all through the day.
Next I assemble my wire and floral tape for the type of flowers I plan to use.





Wiring
Traditional bouquets are wired in order to create a bouquet with many flowers yet keep the handle small and light. The trickiest part of a bridal bouquet is the wiring. You must wire each flower, greenery and accessory that will be included in the finished product. The technique for wiring is slightly different based on the type of flower. The bouquet I created today it was fairly simple because I used small cream and white roses, gypsophilla and pidosforo. After inserting the wire, floral tape is used to cover the length of the wire stem. Floral tape is tricky to learn to use. It must be pulled lightly as you wind it around the wire stem. Within the floral tape is a glue that is released in this pulling. This glue helps to keep all the wires together when you begin to assemble.



Assembling
Use a wide floral tape to hold all the stems together as you assemble the bouquet. The bouquet is assembled as you would a normal bouquet using the spiral technique and taping as you go so the flowers donot move around.


Finishing
Although floral tape is very useful it is not pretty to look at. Many people who have not learned to create a bridal bouquet will deliver the bouquet to the bride with this floral tape in view. Do not accept a bouquet in this manner. During the day this tape will become sticky from the heat of your hand and that’s just not fun. I always ask the bride for a piece of the bridal gown to cover the handle but any beautiful ribbon will be fine. It’s the finishing touch that separates the designer from the novice.

Let me know if you want to give it a try. I'll help you out.

Debra

Friday, January 2, 2009

New Years in Rome
















As an American floral designer working in Rome, Italy you would be amazed to learn that the most important item that I have to incorporate in my New Years Eve centerpieces is a SPIDER with a spider web and a bit of mistletoe if possible. Spiders on New Years Eve are expected to increase the amount of earnings in the new year.

May 2009 bring you tons of earnings!!!


Happy New Year


Debra