From essortment. com:

 “May Day was once, in its earliest days of glory, quite a celebrated date. It was marked by plenty of dancing, singing, and merriment. 

This unofficial holiday was never and is still not really considered a holiday by most people in the United States. In fact, it is often overlooked completely. The reason for this is quite possibly the fact that it was not recognized by the Christian church in the earlier days. Some places, though, do hold annual parades and plan festive events to celebrate the end of the winter season as well as the beginning of spring. The town of Minneapolis which is located in the state of Minnesota, held their first May Day parade in the year of 1975. Part of the parade is said to be life-size puppets. The gala event is said to draw thousands of people every year. 

It is quite possible that May Day began a long time ago with the Druids and their custom of worshipping trees. But, the original May Day is thought to have started as part of the spring rituals, which were celebrated in Europe before the Christians came to power. When the Christians abolished or changed the pagan holidays for their own use, May Day was completely left out. Since it was a celebration of spring as well as fertility rites, the Christians decided that they wanted no part of the illicit sexual activities which were commonly promoted. 

This holiday was often symbolized by the colorful new growth of spring. It was an early tradition for the youngsters of Europe to carry fresh flowers and boughs and to visit neighborhood houses. They would sing songs that commemorated the arrival of springtime too. People typically decorated their homes with fresh flowers, green leaves, and tree branches. And, May Poles were a common sight on this holiday. Some considered the poles to represent the “tree of life.” They were erected in the town squares in order to mark the presence of spring as well as the coming of summer when all of the trees, flowers, and crops would be growing heartily in the light of the golden sunshine. The May Poles were usually trees that had been cut down in the forests. The branches were removed, and the trees were then carried into town. Brightly colored ribbons were then attached to the tops of the trees. The youngsters took turns grabbing a ribbon and dancing around the poles as part of their May Day celebration. Some cultures believed that the winding of the ribbons around the May Poles was an attempt at helping Nature remain in balance after the long, cold winter, and continue its plush green growth cycle. The youngsters would wind the ribbons together in a colorful pattern. The youngsters also held an annual election in which they selected a May Day King and Queen who were then supposed to preside over the day’s events. 

In conclusion, it is interesting to note that May Day’s significance has since lost its appeal to most people over the years. Since many Americans, especially the ones who are subjected to cold, snowy winters, are struck with “Spring Fever,” you would think it would be celebrated more vigorously in the United States.”

May Day is also the anniversary of the Grand Opening of our studio, (AKA The Girl Fort.) It has been so wonderful to have this space to meet with clients, design in, hold workshops, and host a girl party or two!  

Today is my husband and my 20th wedding anniversary. The time has flown by but I remember our wedding day like it was yesterday! Our nuptuals were planned very quickly. We chose to elope and have our ceremony by the ocean and honeymoon in Monterey and Carmel. Money was tight and the honeymoon was of higher importance so we could afford just a few special items. I purchased a lovely, ivory, modern-styled dress at J.C. Penney’s for $40.00. Charlie got a beige sport coat, a new pair of Rockport shoes, and a coral-colored tie. Even though our ceremony was small and intimate, a color scheme was of vital importance to me. Ivory and coral.

The day before our wedding I realized we must have flowers. I started calling florist shops in search of coral-colored blooms. After several attempts, I finally found a shop who told me they had ‘Sonia’ roses. They sounded perfect! I ordered a small bouquet of 6 roses with baby’s breath and fern and a boutonierre for Charlie.  I remember going to pick them up an hour or so later, thrilled that I was going to have a bouquet for our ceremony. The designer looked so happy when she handed me the presentation bouquet. The bouquet was perfect and made it through our wedding and honeymoon. I pressed a rose for our scrapbook. ‘Sonia’ roses are still one of my most favorite flowers.

I started floral design classes just over a year after we got married and have been a floral designer ever since. It is funny that the flowers are such a big part of my memories of our simple wedding. I have since envisioned a lavish anniversary party where I would make huge, bountiful table bouquets filled with ‘Sonia’ roses. It hasn’t happened yet, and I will probably be designing our daughters’ weddings before that celebration ever occurs. Still, whenever I see that beautiful variety of coral-colored rose, I am transported back to that special day…

Getting pictures from weddings has always been a challenge for me. I have been lucky to have provided flowers for over 300 weddings, and until last year, had pictures from about 30. Set up is a busy time for a florist. I often arrive before anyone is dressed in their wedding attire, while chairs are being set out for the ceremony and during table setting placement. I focus on getting the bouquets to the bride’s room, pinning on personal flowers, setting up the altar, laying out centerpieces, decorating the cake. When I am finished and am certain everything is in it’s proper place, I get out of the way to let the other vendors do their jobs. Alas, I miss the whole party! Often, I never even get to see the bride in her gown with her bouquet…

Seeing everything together; the setting, the bride and groom with their wedding party and families- and the flowers, are what I most want to see and be able to share with other clients. With the bride’s permission, I have stayed at a few weddings to take pictures for my portfolio. The photographers just LOVE me standing behind them, trying to take advantage of their photo set ups! I have taken a couple of photography classes, but the truth is, I am not a good photographer. I never like the shots I do manage to get. Photography is a fine art.

So, when I do receive photos after the wedding is over, I am thrilled!! Digital photography has made it so much easier to share these images. Photographers and brides have been very generous with their time and talents to get pictures to me, for which I am very grateful. I have been working on gathering images for a “new and improved” website which I hope to be able to launch soon. A site which will have images of ALL my own designs.

Special thank yous go to Ford Family Photography, Lydell Photography, Christopher Kight Photo, Artistic Imagery and Pechan Photography. A good photographer is THE most important vendor for a wedding. When it is all over, the photos are what you have left to remember it all by…

  

Each year in January, I surf the net, purchase the latest bridal magazines and attend local bridal shows in search of the latest trends. It is interesting to see what designers and wedding planners forecast to be popular for the upcoming year. Is platinum the “new” chocolate brown? Will brides be wearing two outfits for the day’s events? What about “green weddings”? I have my own ideas and see the real trends in our client’s upcoming nuptials in 2008… 

• Clutch bouquets- This timeless bouquet style is so versatile! It goes with any dress style and flatters all body shapes and sizes. The flower possibilities are limitless. Personal accessories such as family brooches or pins can be easily added to ribbon wrapped stems.
• Unique boutonnieres- The guys usually only get one flower! Make it special by adding interesting greens and accents.
• Black, white and a fabulous accent color- (Like hot pink!) Keeping flowers simple and accessorizing with rich ribbons, wire or gems keeps this palette modern.
• Simple ceremony decorations- More brides are choosing simple decorations that can be easily moved and enjoyed at the reception.
• Two centerpiece styles- Mix it up! Tall and short, flower arrangements and candles, or different colors for tables is a great way to make the tables interesting.

These are just a few… One trend that never seems to change is how unique each celebration is and the many ways a couple can make their day special by adding their own personal touches. It’s going to be another great year! ]]> http://flowerworks.biz/blog/2008/02/07/2008-wedding-trends/feed/ http://flowerworks.biz/blog/2008/01/17/hello-world/ http://flowerworks.biz/blog/2008/01/17/hello-world/#comments Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:36:32 +0000 Administrator Uncategorized

The start of a new year usually inspires me to learn new things. This is one of them! I have been told that a blog is a “must have” to keep your website interesting. It does seem like a great way to let everyone know what we have been up to, relay new ideas and stay in touch with our wonderful clients. Stay posted!