Straight Guy with a Queer Eye

Check out Thom's latest posting on Straight Guy with a Queer Eye.  This is the most clever, well designed, non-traditional invitation I've seen in a long time!

Ode to a Simple Flower

I'll never forget the day I cried over carnations.  Thom and I just started working together.  We were talking about our favorite designs, our favorite flowers, and our experiences as floral designers before we met.  I had some pretty stringent ideas of what I wanted Dragonfly to be, and what I was willing (and not willing) to do.  I told Thom that in no uncertain terms would I ever design using carnations or silk flowers.  Thom told me he liked both.  And frankly, I burst into tears.  I couldn't believe that this person who I had chosen to be in business with could use such a tacky, white trash flower!

Granted, I had only seen them with liatris and alstromeria in cheesy FTD-type arrangements and I will always think of the bright blue, green and red ones my high school used to sell to students on special occasions.  (Maybe it's just a deep seeded resentment-- I never was popular enough with the boys at my high school to carry an armful around on Valentines or St. Patrick's Day).

Also, this was well before Martha started using them and before you could see really cool examples of how to use them by some of my design idols (Preston Bailey and Paula Pryke to name just two).  I stuck to my guns for about two or three years, but then images started creeping into bridal magazines, pomanders became super popular for aisle markers and as an alternative to flower girl baskets, and brides started to ask for spheres of flower for their centerpieces and tents and garden decor!   Before you know it, we started ordering carnations by the thousands.

I must say, I have grown to love carnations over the years.  There is nothing like them to make composed or shaped arrangements, they come in a wonderful variety of colors and smell simple fresh and wonderful.  They are a quintessential, classic men's boutonniere-- my first thought when I have a  dapper groom who evokes that old Hollywood feel. 

Lately, we've found that there are fewer and fewer growers of carnations (especially the newer green and purple shades) and they're getting pricier and harder to get in large quantities.  So sad.





I would hate to see this sweet little flower become a hard-to-get novelty item or worse yet, unavailable like some of my other past favorites!  So, next time you want those fabulous spheres suspended in your wedding tent, or need a classic but relatively inexpensive centerpiece, or maybe just want to dandy boutonniere for dad next weekend, think of the carnation.  And damn, look how cute they can be!!!

Oh-- for the record, silk flowers still bring tears to my eyes.  And not in a good way.

Enjoy!

How Hard Will Your Vendors Work to Create Your Event??

Finally, after a really strange winter, and crazy early spring weather that felt more like winter, summer (my FAVORITE season) has arrived with a bang!  It's early June and hot as hell outside!! The beginning of spring and summer has brought us some really fun events, but I can't help but look back at this past winter, when we thought spring and summer may NEVER arrive.   One wedding stands out in my memory, and I'm guessing will remain forever in the memories of all of the family members and guests who attended.  In early February, we had the opportunity to work with a couple, Jess and Josh, on their wedding at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC.  Of course, you think D.C.-- winter-- not so bad.  Well, this year, DC really proved us wrong and that weekend set records with over two feet of snow to fall between Friday afternoon and Sunday.  Completely crazy!

Luckily, Jesse and Josh had assembled a wonderful team of top notch vendors, with the recommendations and careful planning of Michele Hodges.  With the weather forecast predicting heavy snow and possible blizzard conditions, we are all on high alert and watching the weather channel non-stop.

When the snow forecast on Thursday pushed the storm forward to Friday morning from late Friday evening, Thom decided that we couldn't chance not making it to this wedding and being there on time, with beautiful flowers in tow.  Thom loaded up our truck Friday morning with all of the arrangements and the supplies to do some on-site designing and started the trip to DC, reaching the museum just in advance of the storm.  He grabbed a prime spot in front of the Women's Museum and armed with a full tank of gas to keep the truck warm and the flowers from freezing, a snow shovel, and a cooler of provisions (I'm sure, none too healthy), he settled in for a long weekend....

To make a potentially VERY long story short, everything went off without a hitch thanks to heroic efforts on the part of Thom and all of the other truly wonderful and professional vendors working together on this wedding.   We recently got to see some of the gorgeous photos taken by Juan Carlos of FotoBriceno Blog in his blog and he also was sweet enough to link to the article on this wedding, featured in the Washington Post.

Here's a call out to all of the wonderful folks who made this wedding happen:
Michele Hodges Events
National Museum of Women in the Arts
FotoBriceno
Occasions Caterers
John Farr Lighting Design
International Limo
Doctors Orders
Cliff Matheson Videographer

After seeing these frosty images, I'm going to go stick my head in the freezer and cool off!! Enjoy!