How do you pronounce that?

I'm always shocked by some of the names of flowers and specifically how are they are to pronounce. The most popular culprit would have to be the Orchid family, full of names like Phalaenopsis, Cymbidium, Dendrobium, and Paphiopedilum.

So, when Brian over at Inspired Home & Flower Studio brought over my flowers this week and said,

Alstroemeria

I said, "Alstro....what?"

Needless to say, the flowers on my desk are lovely. The Red Alstroemeria looks lovely with the Cherry Brandy Ecuadorian Roses - the colors fit together so nicely. I am a very big fan of the vase that he used this week as well.

For a small arrangement, it really gives it a little something extra, don't you think?

Back to the subject to which the post is actually about...I've been learning so much about different flowers, and particularly their uses in table-top arrangements. Some drink up the water much quicker than others.

It also gives me an idea of what a bride is feeling like during a floral meeting. Phala-what? Dendro-who? Ridiculous, wait - redonculous....hold up, renunculous? A floral meeting can be quite intense for someone not 'in-the-know' of the floral biz. My recommendation? Pictures.

Elbow Grease

We have this old candelabra here at the St. James Hotel. Last week it looked like this.
I can't quite figure out where this lovely piece came from, or how old it actually is. I decided that this would be a lovely centerpiece for the head table at the wedding tonight. The wedding is having simple candles & mirrors on the table for a classy & elegant look. I thought the candelabra would add a nice touch to the special table.

However, as you can plainly see...it definitely looks aged. It also had wax all over every nook & cranny (of which there are many.) So I decided to give it a go and see what I could do for this poor old candelabra.

And let me tell you what! With just a little silver polish & some elbow grease, its looking wonderful!

Flora

I realized this morning that I had not posted my weekly flower delivery from Brian over at Inspired Home & Flower Studio. I've been very busy around the office for the passed couple of days - in fact we actually had a trade show yesterday!

Anyway, this week Brian brought me beautiful orange lilies with some greenery. I also really like the vase that he used this week. Not to mention...look at all those beautiful buds about to burst open!

The New Trend That I LOVE.

As usual, I've been cruising all my favorite weddings blogs (as any good, self-respecting wedding coordinator does...). StyleMePretty, The Wedding Chicks (we were featured there too!), Ruffled, Snippet & Ink, the Ritzy Bee...and many more of course.

I have to say I think I've stumbled upon my new favorite trend: the matching bridesmaid's outfit (that isn't a dress). For example, this little gem (on StyleMePretty earlier today), the bridesmaids wore matching Pucci skirts and varied white tops. OR...this one where the ladies wore classy, grey pencil skirts (with pockets!) and ruffled white shirts. Or how about this spectacular parking garage wedding (again from StyleMePretty, and yes, that's really a parking ramp!) where the girls wore plaid skirts and cardigans!

First off, the 'wear-it-again' factor is great. Your ladies will actually be able to wear it again - not like in 27 Dresses:

"The best part is; you could just shorten it and wear it again!!!!!"

I think all of these look really great on the ladies as well. After all, isn't the cardigan & pencil skirt a woman's bread & butter?

This wardrobe choice is definitely not for an extreme black-tie event...obviously. But I really think that its catching on!

Victorian Dining Room!

Today I wanted to share some pictures of the Victorian Dining Room. The was the original 'dining option' at the hotel when it was originally built in 1875. I love this room because there is very little decoration needed (assuming you like the Victorian style!). The room has 14' ceilings that are pressed tin. It also has beautiful old gas-lamp chandeliers that have been converted to electricity, so the historical charm is very rich.

This group chose to do a 'Harvest Table' which can seat 12 guests. This was a nice way to incorporate their whole family without doing the traditional head table.

This group did a small half-moon table for them and their two attendants.

Her centerpieces were very simple - she really didn't want to over-power the already present ambiance of the room.

The Victorian Dining Room is great for small groups under 80 guests.

My Weekly Flowers!

I realize I haven't blogged since my LAST weekly flower delivery - sorry about that! I'll try to get better - but we're just so busy here at the St. James Hotel!

Our wedding/event season officially (at least in my book!) kicks off on April 24, which is only 11 days away! We're starting out with a bang (230 guests...yes, a bang)...although as many of you know, that's pretty average for Minnesota! We're all very excited here at the St. James for our wedding season.

Because when it comes down to it, who doesn't love a great party? Our catering coordinator here at the hotel just had her wedding (Congratulations Mrs. Ryan!) and my-oh-my was it a great party! With only a few minor issues (dress straps snapping off...) everything went great! Actually, looking back on it, I don't think I've ever had a wedding go that smoothly. Seriously.

Well, back to my actual post - my weekly flower delivery from Brian over at Inspired Home & Flower Studio!

This week's arrangement is lovely. The Cherry Brandy Ecuadorian Roses remind me of a beautiful sunset in South Florida. And the bright magenta heather fits in perfectly! As always, thanks Brian!

Flowers!

Well, here in the Red Wing area, Spring is just raging right on! After a beautiful sunny (sans precipitation) March, April is in full-force with rain!

Its amazing how green the world turns with just a quick shot of rain! Well, with all the new budding life, it has made me yearn for fresh flowers.

*because who doesn't love fresh flowers on their desk*

Brian over at Inspired Home & Flower Studio put together this lovely little bouquet for me of beautiful pink, yellow and purple tulips. The photo doesn't do it justice, bu he also put some river rock in the bottom of the vase as well. It looks great with the lush green stems!

Keep Calm & Carry On

Have you noticed anything different about the St. James Hotel wedding blog? I sure hope so! Recently, I stumbled upon the ridiculously cute and chic, Shabby Blogs! If you haven't checked out all their unique blog backgrounds yet, you really should!

Check them out! shabbyblogs.com

They frequently add new things as well! This morning, I just added a saying that I found on their site,

"Keep calm & carry on." (Please see to the right!)

Of course, this phrase can apply to almost any/every walk of life. In fact, I'm finding it more and more useful in my own daily travels.

But I really think the concept of 'Keep calm & carry on,' really works if you're planning a wedding. Afterall, before you know it, it will be your wedding day. There's no stopping it! So, you only have one choice, and that is to carry on. And usually its a lot more fun if you're calm.

Remember this about planning a wedding, various things will go wrong. If you're hoping for a day without any hiccups at all, I'm sorry but that probably won't happen.

I'm not saying that everything bad will happen. But not everything will go exactly as planned. However, it can still be a perfect day. Just remember to Keep Calm & Carry On!