Wedding STYLE by Kalyn Johnson: How much does budget determine the kinds and types of flowers a couple can have at their wedding? What percentage of the overall budget should be allotted to flowers?

kat flower: budget is most definitely a determining factor in the choice of flowers for a wedding.  and certain budgets preclude certain flowers, i.e. if your budget is small and you are marrying in february, using only peonies, that will no doubt need to be imported, will not give you bang for your buck.  that said, when budget is a consideration (and it almost always is), then it is important that you remain flexible and open to as many options as possible.

i couldn’t begin to advise on what percentage florals should have in a couple’s wedding budget.  but i do recommend that couples weigh how important flowers are to their celebration when creating said budget.

WSKJ: What are some of the latest trends in wedding florals?  Colors? Flowers? Themes?

kat flower: with the proliferation of wedding and design blogs, i think the trend is moving to looser, natural and more organic design.  the flowers have more movement and are not always confined to tight shapes.  i also see more casual, wildflower arrangements, especially for outdoor weddings.

WSKJ: What can a bride with a limited budget to do maximize the effect of the flowers at her wedding?

kat flower: as i said before, the best thing a bride can do is be open and flexible.  using seasonal flowers will always save money.  and think about using flowers more creatively — clustering or grouping bud vase and smaller arrangements, using vessels that have some significance (like your mother’s or grandmother’s perfume bottles/china/glassware) so that it’s not just about the flower but tells a story about your family/traditions/history…

WSKJ: What kind of information from a bridal couple is helpful to you?  Do you like to receive lists?  See pictures?

i like the couple to share as much information as they can — how they met, what do they do for a living, likes and dislikes, concept and colors, how do they envision their wedding day to be, what they would like their guests’ experience to be, what are they wearing, what kind of ceremony will it be and so on.  i also ask them to bring any pictures that inspire them and help illustrate their vision.  as we talk, i help them determine what their floral essentials are so that i can prepare an estimate.

WSKJ: What happens when a couple is unfamiliar with flowers in general?  How do you work with couples who aren’t sure what they want specifically but who know they want their wedding to feel “modern”, “traditional” or “elegant”?

kat flower: more often than not, couples are generally unfamiliar with flowers.  but thank god for the internet!  once they share their wedding concept, design and date, i let them know what’s seasonal and available.  and we also look through the blogs (starting with mine) for different palettes and inspirations.  from there, i usually can produce a sample arrangement as their wedding draws near.

WSKJ: Do you believe that floral decor can help to set the tone for a wedding ceremony?  A rehearsal dinner? Wedding Dinner/Reception?

kat flower: absolutely.  floral decor and lack thereof will play a role in an event’s tone and design.  flowers come in so many shapes, colors, heights, textures and can have a transformative effect to any wedding event.  a couple’s choice of flower can evoke different moods — from romantic, to modern, to dramatic, to casual…

WSKJ: What are your personal favorite flowers?

kat flower: i love all flowers and my favorites tend to vary by season.  i love blossoming branches (quince, cherry blossoms, lilac, redbud, forsythia, etc.) because i love trees. there is something so beautiful, majestic, dramatic about them.  and i like that they are harbingers to the warmer days to come and also fleeting so you have to take the time to pay attention to them before they go away.

i love peonies and garden roses.  i love their fullness, their range of color, how they smell as pretty as they are and how you only need one bloom to make that perfect statement.

i love ranunculus, from the tiny buds to the large fluffy heads.  i love how much the color will vary in one bunch and they seem as if they have hundreds of petals.  i also love how spindly their stems are.

i heart dahlias.  just as blossom branches are precursors to spring, dahlias are that for fall and all its color intensity.  dahlias vary in shape and size and they seem to exist in so many colors.  i am particularly fond of the variegated variety.

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WSKJ: What is like designing for weddings?

kat flower: i love designing for weddings and feel a great deal of responsibility with each event.  after all, there is a level of trust that happens between me and my client.  i am entrusted to realize their vision, their concept and as stated earlier, am a part of creating the tone for the day.  with regard to personal flowers, besides the dress and the groom, the bride’s bouquet is the quintessential accessory that makes the bride feel like a bride.  she will walk it up the aisle, it will wtiness the ceremony, it will be photographed over and over again, making it timeless.  so it’s super important that i get it right.  all in all, i want them to be moved, to be happy that they chose me.  and i am always honored to my flowers played a small part in their celebration.

For more information, please go to kat flower’s website and blog at http://katflower.blogspot.com.  For weddings and events, contact Kathleen directly at kathleen@katflower.com.

[photographs courtesy of Jen Huang Photography, Jenny Ebert and kat flower]

I started watching Treme, HBO’s newest series a few weeks ago. Treme is about the rebuilding of a neighborhood in New Orleans, for which the show is named, 6 months after Hurricane Katrina.  Like almost all of HBO’s shows, and especially those by David Simon (creator of The Wire), it’s superb.  You feel the heat, smell the damp and even the music reverberates with you.  The first episode opens with a Second Line band.  Now, I’m not from New Orleans and know very little about the city’s history other than what I’ve read in books or on the internet.  But, when I heard that Second Line music a smile formed on my face and I began to bob my head and tap my feet in time with the music.  I’d only heard that tune one time before, but it was such a memorable event that I’m hearing it now in my head even as I type.

That one time before was at the wedding of a childhood friend.  My friend was the groom and his family hails from Nachetz, Louisana.  He married a woman from New Orleans.  Their wedding was in Houston, but those in the know knew that they’d have a Second Line band play at the reception, right?  I had no clue.

Beautiful ceremony.  Great cocktail hour.  Lovely reception.  A white handkerchief wrapped in a tube of paper explaining something about the meaning of the Second Line was at each place setting.  I unwrapped my tube and skimmed the text, but there was too much excitement going on for me to pay attention.  So, I didn’t quite get that something was going to happen with these hankies later on.  But, I’ve since learned that virtually every wedding in the New Orleans area has some form of a Second Line. The DJ or band will play “Feel Like Funkin’ It Up”, the song universally recognized by New Orleanians as the Second Line song, and everyone dances in a line around the venue waving napkins in the air.  The bride, and sometimes the groom, carries a fancy umbrella that gets twirled around as the couple leads the dance around the venue behind the band; the bride and groom are referred to as the Main Line (this vernacular harkens back to the inception of Mardi Gras parades). Family and friends follow behind them cheering, dancing and waiving their handkerchiefs in the air (hence the handkerchiefs at our place settings) as the Second Line – sometimes called Second Lining.  Although, my friend’s wedding took place in Houston, they imported a real Second Line brass band; it felt like we were second-lining right in the middle of The French Quarter.

Doing the Second Line is hands-down one of my most memorable moments as a wedding attendee!

Some friends of mine are getting married this Fall and their wedding website is to die for!  They had it professionally done and it’s really really nice.  The Bride is an aesthete and she’s left no stone unturned up to this point.  She’s also a foodie and the pictures of the food (yes, food) on her wedding website are mouthwatering. The Bride and Groom have  invited their guests to join them in Honolulu, the Bride’s hometown, for a Tropical Affair that will be replete with all sorts of local delicacies.  I’m so happy for them and very excited to go to Hawaii to celebrate their nuptials.  What makes each wedding unique really is the fact that it’s a reflection of the two individuals tying the knot.  Some couples are more laid-back, while others are much more traditional.  Flowers may be important to one while food and wine to another.  Seeing how each couple expresses their uniqueness is part of what makes weddings so much fun.  It’s an honor to be a wedding guest and get a glimpse into the Bridal couple’s intimate world of family and friends, and oh yeah the special touches they employ to make their day theirs and theirs alone.

I came across these escort cards the other day and marveled at how cool they are.  I am a sucker for a monogram and these roses monogrammed with the Bridal couple’s initials are really pretty unique.  Just a little something to contemplate as you plan for your BIG DAY!

Oh, and in case you’re mired in wedding details and are having trouble seeing the forest for the trees (I know I was as things got down to the wire!), Escort Cards are the cards used to inform your guests of their assigned table whereas Place Cards are used to let your guest know of their assigned seat at a table.  Do many couples have one card that acts as both?  Yes.  Do whatever works best for you.

If you’re incorporating a special touch into your BIG DAY that you’d like to share or if you went to a wedding and saw a really cool special touch that we must know about, please e-mail kalyn@kalynjohnson.com with Wedding Day Special Touch in the subject line.