If you haven’t noticed, tropical decor has kind of become {one of} our things. 😉 We feature tropical wedding foliage in all of our living walls, and love incorporating it into our other styling services! It can be tricky if you don’t have the right vendor team, and we’ve got our florist partner sharing some of her tricks of the trade!
What are the best tropical flowers and plants for weddings?
I love protea, not a secret there. It can either have a tropical look or a boho vibe. They’re a large flower and really you can just use one for a bridesmaids bouquet with an accent of small filler flowers and foliage, or make a dramatic bridal bouquet with several additional flowers.
Orchids are a classic tropical flower. Cymbidiums are usually mixed with roses or hydrangeas in a classic, neat style, and the gorgeous phalaenopsis make some of the most beautiful cascade bouquets on their own. They are more expensive but so beautiful and just a few stems make a statement.
What are some unique ways to incorporate these into the wedding design?
Tropical wedding foliage alone can make a gorgeous bouquet with various shades of green and variegated with colours such as pink and reds. They are so versatile and would make for a different look. And, of course, tropical foliage makes fabulous foliage walls!
Clear glass cylinders can also be lined with foliage, camouflaging stems and giving a crisp clean look.
What’s the best time of year to use tropical foliage + flowers?
Tropical flowers are pretty much available all year round. It really depends where they come from as to the price, but we’re fortunate to have nurseries here in Central Florida.
Boy, did we have a busy summer! A production shoot, prepping for fall wedding season, and adding new inventory have kept us on our toes! Joining the family are new upholstered pieces, sideboards, and more!
Which brings us to… Ralphy! He’s one of our newest sideboards and we love the vibe he brings! The rattan webbing makes him great for our boho brides, and the drawer style + mini legs give him a fun, modern twist.
He looks fantastic with so many of our pieces, and our pal, Melanie Paige Events, recently paired him with our new Ice chairs. What do you think of this combo? We adore the neutral tones of the tables + textiles with the pops of blue!
He’s the perfect size for lots of options – a social lounge, a cake display, or even a welcome station! Melanie opted to style him in a social lounge and used him as a photo opp for the cake 😉
Not to brag, but we know how to design stunning wedding tablescapes. Styling is our jam, and as we prepped for fall wedding season, we decided to invite others to join us in a two-day style session! Wedding planners, photographers, florists, bakers, and calligraphers all brought their A-game and styled the day away with us! We showcased some of our favorite tables, chairs, and chargers, along with table settings from Treasury Rentals.
It was the perfect way to ease ourselves back into busy season and to see some new + familiar faces. We’re so grateful to all the vendors who joined us and we cannot resist sharing a few sneak peeks from the day with you!
Fern and Curl Designs styled blooms for two wedding tablescapes in front of the bay window. Her first design is perfect for fall and features resin floral favors by Rejoice and Blossom Art. On day two she partnered with Melanie Paige Events for a bright, organic look paired with our brand-new luxe chairs!
If anything, these two days showed us just how important flowers and greenery are for styling a beautiful tablescape! We’ve got to give a huge thank you to all of the vendors who joined us and we can’t wait to reveal more photos soon! We’ve been if we’ll do this again… The answer is yes, but give us a few months to recover, and buy new inventory 😉
It’s always a great day when we have new rental + styling goodies to play with. And that makes today even better because we have LOTS of new pieces! Meet the newest members of the inventory family! These pieces work perfectly if you’re incorporating tropical decor into your event.
Melody, one of our newest sofas, is a stunning shade of blush and features a plush velvety texture. We love pairing her with some rattan pieces to give her more of a casual vibe. But, she works great with modern pieces too! And the natural foliage at Luxmore Grande Estate provides the perfect, tropical-inspired backdrop for this lounge setup 😍 Imagine being a guest at this wedding and having such a stylish space to relax in!
Images: Jessica Jones Photography
Sebastian is one of our most unique bar carts and makes for a fun accent piece to this relaxed social lounge. Paired with the Nala coffee table, a set of end tables, and some fun textiles, this lounge is the perfect place for your guests to relax and mingle! Want to add a touch more tropical decor? Incorporate some Philodendron Monstera or Areca Palm for a fun pop of color! Our selection of textiles, available to all of our styling clients, finishes off the look and makes this lounge picture perfect!
Are wedding traditions a thing of the past? Specifically, traditions such as something old, something new, something borrowed, something BLUE. Did you know this saying came from and old English rhyme?
I have absolutely no idea where I was going with this question, lol! It was a thought I had as I decided to showcase the gorgeous Aries sofa in the Dynasty Collection. This rich hue of blue makes it an easy sofa to pair various color palettes. Style tip: Whether you’re going for rich jewel tones or a softer palette with a dusty blue or soft pink. Aries pairs nicely with both.
Aries comes with a matching settee that shares her rich velvety texture, modern gold legs, and exaggerated tufting.
And yes! If you’re going for jewel tones in the lounge… we totally think you should carry it to the dining tables as well. How stunning is this rich blue velvet linen from Over the Top? The bold arrangement from Flowers by Lesley tied merlot into the palette and we softened it a bit by adding elegant place-settings from Treasury Rentals.
Need help playing with a bold color palette? Give us a ring!
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about fall? Is it cozy sweaters + boots, your favorite soup, or maybe spending time with friends and family? Us too! But what comes to mind when you think fall wedding design? We always see the usual – deep reds and burgundy, dahlias, velvet, and so on. Don’t get us wrong – we LOVE these combos, but we also love putting a new twist on the “norm.” And with fall right around the corner, we’ve been dreaming up some fun new ideas!
One of our favorite ways to choose a palette – sourcing the perfect linen! Find the right one, and you can create an entire design around it! We were inspired by BBJ Linen’s Terra Fresco pattern with it’s traditional mix of bridal favorites, blush + light blue, paired with just a hint of eggplant + gold, one of our favorite fall color combos.
Our gold chiavari chairs, a pop of blush in the bridal bouquet, our Annabelle sofa, and just a hint of blush + eggplant in the cake all tie in the colors of the linen. Wooden + neutral elements, like our farm tables and non-traditional “floral”, add a rustic, cozy feel and help make the colors pop!
So what do you think? Would you go for this non-traditional color palette for your fall wedding?
Shopping for bridesmaid dresses? It’s certainly no easy task narrowing down all the options and making sure each lovely lady is comfortable and looks her best! Especially if you’ve got a squad 😉 The biggest things to keep in mind when shopping: all your maids have different bodies and love to show off in their unique styles. Naturally, choosing mismatched bridesmaid dresses is our go-to option!
We love seeing mismatched bridesmaid dresses that differ in style but are part of the same color family. Have fun with it and make it a girl’s day! Choose a shop (or two), give your ladies a color palette, and let them choose fun styles, patterns, and textures. Do a little try on to see how all the dresses look together and go from there! Another great options for these quarantined days is to shop online. Get your ladies together for a Facetime of Zoom call, grab your favorite drink and shop together virtually!
We’ve gotta say, our team has seen some gorgeous combos at our venues over the years – take a look!
Our favorites combine varying necklines, patterns, textures, and shades whether that’s floral designs, lace, sequins, and even velvet!
We love working with and meeting vendors in the wedding industry. We had the opportunity to attend and sponsor some fun, colorful rentals for the Knot Wedding Pro Experience. The Wedding Pro experience is a seminar for wedding industry professionals and it was so fun to meet and mingle with a great group of people! The event took place at the gorgeous Four Seasons Resort and featured some of our fun rental pieces! We had so much fun learning and networking!
Setting the Stage with Colorful Rentals
We’re obsessed with the colorful rentals in this lounge set and we’re feeling the tropical vibes! The vignette’s framed with three Living Walls, incorporating a mix of tropical greenery for a unique spin on your typical hedge wall. The mustard color of our Krystal sofa and Sunflower chair complements the wildflower floral arrangements by Flowers by Lesley, making for a gorgeous backdrop for this incredible event!
The ballroom set everyone up for success, giving attendees a writing space and comfy seating with our white and gold Louis chairs. This luxe look perfectly complements the stunning recessed chandeliers!
Lovely Lounging & Champagne Break
We love our Sand collection paired with our Esmerelda coffee table! The whole look is finished off with tropical floral arrangements and some brightly colored throw pillows. A fun champagne station was also created with our bookshelves, Elaine coffee table, and Kelly sideboard!
But what did we learn? Check out our favorite tips from some leaders within the wedding industry!
Incorporate Pomodoro into your workflow. Pomodoro is a time-management strategy that breaks tasks down into 25-minutes intervals to help make them more manageable.
It’s all about networking! Connect with others by attending mixers – the shared experience will help foster organic connections and build your circle!
Because we’re always looking for an excuse to create something new!
It typically stems from not being able to find what we need in the marketplace. And sometimes, it’s because we don’t like the options available in the market. For instance, our boredom with the traditional hedge walls prompted us to create something new + needed for our styling clients.
“Re” introducing The Living Wall!
What is the living wall and why was it created? Our owner, Tamuel Cowart, was absolutely sick of the traditional hedge walls. And we couldn’t help but share her sentiments. Traditional hedge walls were overused and didn’t compliment the events styled. In other words, our clients deserved something better. When we sketched out the Living Wall we weren’t sure of the response we’d received. So we tested it on colleagues first at Cypress Grove Estate House.
Quick list of why it’s a staff fav:
Easy to assemble
Fresh foliage allows us to easily fill the gaps
100% customizable
Comes in various sizes
Perfect for a bar, sweetheart table, or lounge backdrop
Yep, that’s an Alpaca hanging out at Cypress Grove Estate House with a floral garland. I mean, because why not?! This is one of the many reasons we absolutely love working with Kristen Weaver and her associates!
I really don’t know much about the overall theme or reason behind the shoot, we simply wanted to share this adorable photo of our new friends! There was a cool tablescape, too. Check out the full shoot here
It’s no secret we’re a sucker for wedding bouquets (flowers in general) and absolutely love working with Flowers by Lesley! Her work and attention detail is beyond impressive. We recently chatted with her about where her inspiration comes from when working with couples… “my inspiration comes from the selected venue, personality of the couple, and colors. I love pulling in non-traditional wedding floral to add some contrast”
She also shared some timeless wedding bouquets using some of her favorite floral recipes. Special thanks to Gian Carlo Photography for the photos!
Your wedding cake vignette is arguably one of the biggest parts of your event; I mean it has its own photo moment! So why not make your cake unforgettable with some rentals and a touch of style!
There are so many ways to make your wedding cake the star of the show. It could be as simple as renting a unique table or as ornate as creating an entire dessert buffet on display. Adding floral and small décor details can make all the difference.
Where you place your cake on the big day can also help in creating a dramatic statement. If you have a beautiful sweetheart table set-up why not incorporate your cake next to you? Does your venue have a cool and unique area but you don’t know how to utilize it? Your cake may be the perfect answer!
We would love to help with making your wedding cake a memorable moment! Check out the gallery below for some stunning (and delicious) cake vignette inspiration! <3
Be sure to check out our inventory for all the cake vignette options!
Love is sweet, but more importantly, so is your wedding cake!
We chatted with Michelle Crawford, Owner, Chef and Cake Artist of Bakers Cottage Cakes to go over all things delicious and learn a little more about her creative insights!
How did Bakers Cottage come to be?
“How much time do we have? ? It had been suggested that I should go to “cooking school”. My aunt was a very colorful lady and a bit rough around the edges, so when she made this suggestion, I believe it went something like, “You’re always making that “Foofoo Sh*t” (Can I say that?) and everyone seems to like it. I mean, I don’t like it but everyone else seems too” and well, crass or not, it planted the seed.
After earning a degree in Pastry and Baking, I worked as a baker at the Swan and Dolphin Hotel under a Chef that held the, “#1 Pastry Chef in the World” title and WOW, this was such an amazing experience!!! I went on to work for a small catering company as the pastry chef and it was there where I was bitten by the “Cake Bug”. I had the opportunity to make a few cakes and play with sugar art for the first time and I fell in love with the art of making cakes!
This was when I decided that if I put in the long hours working for myself that I had been dedicating to my employer, maybe I could build my own dream. I started off in my outdated tiny kitchen, which grew into having a small studio in my finished garage. From there, I juggled working from a commissary kitchen, my studio and office space I would rent to meet with clients. BUT… recently, as in the past couple of months, we have just moved into our own location! Yes Ma’am, we are OFFICIALLY a Wedding Cake Boutique!!!”
What made you fall in love with baking and cake decorating?
“Having the opportunity to create Edible works of Art! We eat with our eyes first, so it’s important to capture the attention of the guests who will eventually enjoy the cake. Sculpting Sugar Flowers is my all-time favorite thing to do!! I am obsessed with beautiful cakes and the detail that is in each complex cake design. “
Any trends you or your clients are loving?
“I love that our couples are being so imaginative lately! Even if they envision a more classic simplistic design, the hands-on approach with my client’s involvement with their designs excites me. If the design leans more towards an elegantly understated trend, then I get to play with the florals. The more elaborate a cake design the more playful I get to be, and I embrace any opportunity! I get to flex my artistic muscles.”
What’s your personal favorite cake flavor? Is there a crowd favorite amongst clients?
“This seriously depends on the time of year! Right now, I am all over our Vanilla Cake with Cinnamon Steusel, Apple Pie Filling and Swiss Meringue Buttercream!! Our Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Blueberry Cream Cheese Filling and Swiss Meringue Buttercream is pretty tasty too. (You’ll find Alecia always asking for a slice of this ?)
However, our Coconut Cake with Berry Delicious Filling and French Meringue Buttercream is out of this world!!! Recently I have had one of the pair state that they really hated coconut, much to their partners dismay, who on all occasions, LOVED coconut. It tickles me, because the reaction is so extreme. On each and every occasion, they try our Coconut Cake and each time the partner that hated Coconut, LOVED IT! This weekend we have five weddings, four of them are with Coconut Cake!
A Client Favorite is definitely our Orange Almond Cake with Lavender Honey Caramel Filling. This is one of our Signature Flavors that I invented when I auditioned for the position as a pastry chef.”
How early do you recommend clients order their wedding cake?
“The earlier the better! We are usually one of the last vendors couples tend to book but we lose the opportunity to work with really wonderful people when they wait too long to reserve their order. One year may seem extreme, but it isn’t unheard of. Six months would be preferred for sure. “
The hanging cake chandelier, what gave you that idea? Would you say that is a signature of yours?
“Yes, It certainly has become a big thing for us! I came up with the idea when I walked into the Luxmore Grande Estate. A few months before visiting Luxmore, I had been doodling on a sketch pad one afternoon and sketched out a chandelier covered in flowers. I thought, wouldn’t this be a cool thing to do for a wedding. The very 1st time I walked into the Luxmore, my mouth dropped open seeing the amazing staircase. As I approached the passthrough, just under the landing, I told the person next to me, “someday I want to hang a cake right here”. They looked at me like “OK Crazy”. But HA! I got to do it! ?”
Want to see more of Michelle’s incredible wedding cake creations? Be sure to check out Bakers Cottage Cakes on Instagram + Facebook and let her know we sent you ?
Signature drinks are a fun wedding trend that everyone can get behind (who doesn’t love a thoughtfully crafted cocktail or mocktail!?), but oftentimes couples can get stuck in the rut of picking the same old thing.
Old Fashions and Vodka-Tonics are all well and good but this is your wedding day! So don’t be afraid to pick a signature cocktail that will make a statement and get all your guests talking.
Here are a few ideas on some new and trendy signature drinks plus some fun names to give them a wedding twist!
The Drinks
Recipe
Ice
1 oz gin
1/2 oz elderflower liquor, such as St. Germain
1/2 tbsp blackberry or raspberry jam
Squeeze of lemon
5–6 Fresh rosemary leaves
4 oz club soda
Sprig rosemary for garnish
In a shaker, add ice, gin, elderflower liquor, jam, lemon, and rosemary leaves. Shake vigorously to combine. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and top with club soda. Add a sprig of rosemary for garnish. Enjoy!
Recipe
2 oz Tequila
4 oz Mango-Orange juice
1/2 oz Grenadine syrup
Orange slice
Maraschino cherries
To a large glass, add the ice cubes, mango-orange juice, and tequila. Add the grenadine, which will sink to the bottom, so do not stir. Garnish and serve immediately.
Recipe
3 oz White Rum
3 oz Pineapple Juice
2 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Cream of Coconut
Nutmeg & Pineapple Leaves (Garnish)
Add all of the liquid ingredients to your cocktail shaker with a scoop of ice and shake for a few seconds. Pour everything from the shaker into a large glass. Top the glass with crushed ice, then grate fresh nutmeg over the top. Garnish with tall pineapple leaves.
Recipe
Lemonade
Champagne
Peach Vodka
Fresh Peach Slices (garnish)
Add vodka and lemonade to shaker with of ice and shake. Pour into a cocktail glass. Top with champagne, and garnish with fresh peach slices.
Mocktail Version – Omit the vodka & champagne, replace with Elderflower Tonic Water and Peach Juice. Stir the Lemonade and Tonic Water over ice in a cocktail glass, garnish with peach slices.
Lemonade
Peach Juice
Elderflower Tonic Water
Fresh Peach Slices (garnish)
I hope you loved all these delicious drink ideas! Add them to your big day and remember, all you need is love…and a good cocktail!
Blush wedding palettes are a tried and true trend that does not seem to be going anywhere. However, we do see this color design evolving with new style and ideas being introduced, allowing for blush décor to feel fresh!
Some new takes on the blush wedding we love are;
Modern décor and accents
Shades of pink
The mix of blush and black
Blush and jewel tones
The classic color also lends itself well to a variety of wedding vibes. Below are four popular décor styles.
We had the pleasure of providing rentals for Victoria & Jonathan’s southern garden inspired wedding, featured on Every Last Detail (head over there to see all the details from this wedding)! The event was hosted at Haus 820, an industrial warehouse for special events – giving this wedding a fun, modern twist!
From the planner: The vast dessert display was set on a vintage ice cream cart and featured a 4 tier, hand-painted cake to match the invitation suite and printed goods. The southern garden wedding was inspired by Victoria’s mother’s Charleston upbringing complete with a flower bucket display. Reminiscent of a flower market, the metal bucket stand filled with florals served as the seating chart for the evening. Small escort cards were connected to each bucket with tiny white flower magnets. The room was filled with romance from the soft blue and pastel tones, twinkling candlelight, crape myrtle trees lining the space, tall greenery centerpieces and an abundance of fluffy blooms throughout. At each place setting an etched charger sat beneath a blue hemstitch napkin wrapped between white dinner plates and mismatched vintage salad plates that tied in beautifully with hints of soft pastels in the blooms.
Anytime we get to dress up Cypress Grove Estate House, we’re excited. Oh, but when we get to design with new tables and chairs **slow clapping*** YES!! Our Kylie farmhouse tables and sand Louis chairs were the perfect addition to this blush and copper color palette.
Styling tip: mix the metals and step away from traditional vessels
We brought in some vintage candlesticks to eclectically clash with the copper flatware. Flowers by Lesley use blush ceramic vessels from our styling inventory for the arrangements. And let us not overlook the tall tapers to add a little touch of drama!
Shout out to our pals at Dishie Rentals for the blush stoneware and copper flatware!
Yes, we’re pickers; we’re always sourcing and gathering new items for our vintage inventory. During downtime, we can be found at local antique fairs, boutique shops, and flea markets.
While working through a local market, I passed these vintage carts several times. They were filthy, tarnished, missing wheels and needed a lot of TLC. Then Dede spotted them and immediately saw potential. For instance, floral stands or dessert stands.
After a few weeks in the shop, she’s done and ready for events! Meet, Iceland.
Seems like Dede and Flowers by Lesley had the perfect idea for this floral stand. Afterall, why would we let gorgeous blooms go to waste. Guests can easily enjoy them for days following the event!
Special thanks to AIS Portraits for the stunning photos.
Our bohemian brides love The Acre Orlando, almost as much as we do for weddings + social events. After all, what’s not to love.
The space below is their Mirror Patio – it’s covered with ivy walls complete with outdoor fireplace. Our design team added a macrame chandelier above the feasting table. Our feasting table was dressed with Shibori inspired linen from Nuage Designs and an array of eclectic centerpieces.
We’ve been obsessed with shades of blue for quite some time – naturally, we were excited when the chosen palette included textiles (full of texture) in warm shades of blue. The table arrangements featured gold cacti, terrariums, blue pottery filled vases protea and exotic wild flowers. We decided to keep the table design eclectic by blending wood table chargers with crystal coupes and sleek flatware.
***did you peep the hanging macrame in the “windows” – it was a perfect accent to their ivy wall. When designing, our stylist will help you enhance and bring out the natural elements of your chosen venue. You know, like hanging macrame in open spaces.
Nicole and Michael held their outdoor wedding at Cypress Grove Estate House! Featuring one of my most favorite colors – merlot! This rich hue made an appearance in their stationery suite and throughout the floral. It was even in their specialty rentals from our inventory.
Pro tip :: incorporating your color palette or a particular design into your invites gives guests a taste of what to expect at your wedding.
Our floral bestie, Lesley with Flowers by Lesley, dreamed up a simple but oh, so romantic ceremony-scape. It was complete with flowy white draping and gorgeous gazebo arrangements. Not to mention, the lovely lush garland to drape the back row of seating.
And can we talk about how gorgeous these bridesmaids bouquets are? Above all, the hanging amaranthus is the perfect touch!
The vintage rentals selected was a mix of rented sofas + chairs from our Chicago and Santa Rosa collections. They also rented farmhouse tables, crossback chairs, and copper chargers to add a pop of color. In addition to, great texture in the reception space.Pro tip :: feature a mix of traditional rounds with rustic farm tables for a unique reception look.Photos: Ais Portraits
Xoxo,
Kim
Our floral bestie, Lesley with 
