Janie Medley is the creator of The Bride’s Cafe and the owner of Janie Medley Flora Design. Janie was trained in New York City with  Matthew Robbins of Artfool, we LOVE Artfool, and was a floral contributer to the Martha Stewart Magazine. Janie’s florals are amazing and her blog, The Bride’s Cafe, is extremely successful! If you are looking for some floral eye candy or some inspiring weddings be sure to stop by both of Janie’s websites!

Welcome to the first installment of the Flower Guide! The Wedding Chicks called on Dawn Hansen of Lavender Hill to share her extensive knowledge on some popular wedding flowers. More flowers to come so be sure to check back to see what’s next!

Flowers listed from left to right. 

Cymbidium Orchid {shown in burgundy and green}
Also available in white, pink, yellow & chocolate (towards summer and fall only)
Per bloom $4.50 - $7.00
Per stem $45.00-65.00
A standard size cymbidium per bloom is about 2-3 inches in length tip to tip. There is also a mini cymbidium orchid that is about 1-2 inches around that is often used for corsages and boutonnières. Cymbidiums come in a variety of color variations (you can get softer pinks, soft green, soft yellow for example) they always have a deep eggplant-burgundy, or yellow “throat”, that is the spotted/variegated center of the flower.

Vanda Orchid {shown in burgundy and orange}
Also available in yellow, lavender, deep purple, pink, fuchsia & novelty colors
Per bloom $1.50 – $2.50
Per stem $6.00 – $9.00
Vanda, or Singapore orchids are all very rich and vibrant in their color. They are more of a flat faced orchid, their throats are very small. They are about 1-2 inches round, often you will see a bit of a vein effect on the petals, or little baby specks (freckles) of a darker color.

Phalaenopsis Orchid {shown in white}
Also available in fuchsia, purple, two toned & novelty
This orchid is very distinctive in its shape; it has very round petals with a simple small throat of yellow usually. It is a very delicate orchid that is more temperature sensitive than its relatives.
Per bloom $9- $15
Per stem $45.00 - $75.00

Orchids grow with multiple blooms on a stem. When using orchids in a bouquet they are always individually wired one by one, and then assembled together with other flowers you have chosen. Orchids add depth, and texture to your bouquet. They are great by themselves, or add a little calla lily and bear grass for some added drama. Most orchids are very hearty, and can withstand being out of water for a long period of time. They make for great boutonnières too… they can handle the hugs!

*These price ranges are intended to give you an idea of what you will pay per stem or bloom. The price difference can be on the high, or low side pending on time of year, availability, and demographic.

A very special THANK YOU to Dawn Hanson of Lavender Hill for all of this great information!

We came across this stunning lunch done by Colin Cowie for a A Fashionista Lunch at the Guggenheim. Sadly we where not invited, however we adore the clean look and feel of the day. Read below to share ideas with your planners if you would like to borrow some ideas from Colin.

The Look -Imagine: different-colored and different-sized porcelain containers from Portugal, in matte shades of gray and white, mixed and matched with square and rectangular jet-black glass vases of varying heights. Every single one of these containers held one particular type of green flower. Some were packed with bear grass shaved neatly across the top, others with cabbage patches, still others with shamrock spider mums…and all were studded down below with amber votive candles.

The Food- A delicious light tomato soup, followed by an amazing salad with crispy greens, fresh herbs, haricots verts, and grilled salmon. Our ever-so-chic dessert swooped in on black plates, with InStyle inscribed in white sugar, paired with a simple, savory sweet wine. Voila!

Black is always in style and always a popular choice among both brides and their bridesmaids. You can opt to have them pick out their own dress per your approval or find something stunning that would look good on everyone. Black also can create that whole black tie affair theme from crisp white linens to crystal champagne flutes. It seems to go perfectly with most any accent color you choose. The best part about the black bridesmaid dress is… maybe, just maybe…they will be able to wear it again! Below are a few floral arrangements that would go perfectly with a black theme.

Dresses listed from right to left:
top two designed by Amsale
bottom right desgined by Badgley Mischka
bottom two middle designed by thread
bottom right designed by Dolce & Gabbana

Flowers listed from right to left:
top right designed by Castle & Pierpont, Ltd.
middle designed by The Flower Girl
left designed by Bardin Palomo
bottom three designed by Lavender Hill

We adore the idea of a simple seashell wedding. In fact, since ancient times, seashells have always fascinated human kind for their beauty and elegance. Beach weddings are super popular these days but narrowing down your theme to one particular item will allow you to explore your creativity and make your special day more unique than the average beach wedding. We are especially in love with Jane Carroll’s seashell arrangements. Her simple style will make a bold statement on your table. We adore the Gorgeous brown striped shell which is massed with all two-tone orange mini dianthus blooms. Ohh so lovely. We collected a few seashell items that we thought might tickle your fancy. Products listed from top to bottom.

• Tiffany’s has a ton of elegant starfish accessories perfect for gifts or for yourself {Starfish earrings}
• Dior’s Karma d’ Orsay Pump from Neimans resembles a perfect shell
• Loving Betsy Johonson’s new shell collection perfect for a bridesmaid gift available at Nordstroms
• Nautical luxuries has a ton of gorgeous items {Natural Shells Place Card Holder}
• Of course Martha has a great idea to make a natural seashell arrangement that you can create yourself
• In Style Weddings displayed the great talents of The Cake Girls
• As we mentioned above Jane Carroll’s absolutely stunning seashell arrangements