Borgo di Tragliata

Borgo Di Tragliata During 2009 a customer called me to ask if I would design her wedding at the Borgo di Tragliata. The Borgo was not new to me but I hadn’t designed decorations for it. A few years before I was there as a tourist. Yes, the Borgo is that beautiful that you would want to see it even if you are not planning a wedding or party there. In addition it is close to the Fiumicino Airport yet a very short ride into the center of Rome.

Since my first visit I have designed many weddings at the Borgo for Irish as well as Italian brides. The beauty of the location is that the church and the reception are within walking distance from one another. The bride and groom can wake up at the Borgo, get dressed and walk to the church for their wedding…..all so very romantic.

It’s my personal opinion that flowers should not be wasted. Usually I suggest that the flowers from the church be reworked so that they can be used for the reception. Sometimes I add more flowers for the reception to create the effect that they are completely different yet maintaining a theme between the wedding and the reception decorations. It is my goal to create something original and special for each bride. I do not create the same thing for each wedding. Church decorations start at 50euro.

I will be designing a number of weddings at the Borgo this wedding season and I hope you come back to see the work that I have completed. You will notice that I never do the same decorations twice. I sincerely believe that each couple should have something designed especially for them that reflects their tastes and budget. For this reason I do not have a "package". When I design especially for your wedding , you will pay for the items you choose. Be very careful that a package deal with a very low price are not flowers that are not good quality and arrangements constructed properly. Your wedding photos are what will remain for the rest of your lives together. If the photos have been ruined by ugly wilted flowers there will be nothing you can do to change it.

Florally yours,

Debra

"The colors of Baroque"

Professional florists make a point of fueling their inspiration. They make an effort to update themselves on new techniques and trends. This is one of the main reasons why I always suggest to my clients and friends too, to chose a professional florist just as you would any other professional for your needs. Honestly, would you chose a hairdresser or chef who hasn’t had any training in their field? Chose a professional florist.

Here I am in a city 85 km from home taking a course. The theme of this course is the “Colors of Baroque”. This may seem unnecessary to Americans but here in Rome I often find myself in churches or Villas that are decorated in this period style. Understanding the period assures that my designs will successfully enhance their surroundings.

Learning has been made especially inviting since the course is being held in one of Fiuggi’s five star hotels. Just take a look at what we are seeing while we are listening to the instructor and designing our works of Baroque floral art.

Ahhh!! It’s great to be a professional florist.

Gotta go. Class is about to begin.
Debra

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

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