Weddingbee

Choosing a florist was a major challenge for me. I worked for one of the over-the-top event designers in Chicago as a weekend assistant and I saw some amazing floral art. They were doing the submerged cymbidium orchid thing before I ever saw it in a wedding mag. They also created a chuppah out of dangling lilies that made my jaw drop- and then they chopped off its “legs” for the second wedding in that same room and created a gorgeous cover for the band’s stage. Their work was a little mod for me, however, and I went looking for someone with a more natural, organic feel.

I love flowers and I still had grand visions of what I could do with my church and my reception venue. But, as most of us eventually realize, fresh flowers are crazy expensive. I needed to find someone that had a few creative ideas for a way to make my venue feel alive and colorful without bursting my budget. I met with so many talented florists in Chicago. I was so impressed with their ideas and their dedication to creating gorgeous floral displays. After going back and forth a million times, I finally settled on Petal Play Designs.

Petal Play Design

Gerber + Scarpelli Photographers

Gerber + Scarpelli Photographers

Viviana had so many unique ideas and was very willing to work with my stickler rules and budget. Nothing submerged. No green apple cymbids. No sparkly beads, glitter or anything else that might fall in the “bling” category. When I asked for a reference, she sent me a few names, one of which was a friend of mine from high school with gorgeous taste. Done and done. I am meeting with her sometime this winter to get down to the details, but I am so excited to bring in my huge file of clippings (thank you Martha and the WB) and get to work. I will keep you posted.

Any tips for that first meeting?

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