La Petite Fleur Blog

Check out what some lucky bride and grrom will be getting for the Big Trade Up:

I was asked to donate an arrangement for a silent auction for Children’s Heart Link http://www.childrensheartlink.org/ Fundraising Gala this Friday.  Children’s HeartLink is an international medical non-profit working to build sustainable programs to prevent, treat, and cure heart disease among needy children in developing countries. 1 in every 100 children is born with congenital heart disease, and it remains the third leading cause of death in kids world-wide! To show my support for the global community, and kids with congenital heart disease I happily obliged.

Instead of having hundreds of random items for guests to bid on, CHL put together 15 culinary focused packages. The winner of the table where my flowers were used gets a Moroccan themed dinner for 20 that will be hosted at Children’s HeartLinks President’s house and catered by chef David Fhima.  Custom invitations by Epitome Papers, wine from Solo Vino, a freshly prepared dinner by David Fhima (former owner of Louis XII, Fhima’s and Lo-To), and flowers by La Petite really helped raise the value of this package!

 I just so happened to be doing an Indian wedding the next day so I had flowers I could easly incorporate into the design I was thinking of.  I put long Curly Willow with hanging glass votives, Tiger Tail Dendrobium, Celiosa, Black Dahlias, Montbresia, Marigolds, Monstera Leaves, and a submerged, orange LED light in the bottom of the tall pilsner case. Viola! Instant Morocco!

I was chosen by my wonderful sales rep at Koehler and Dramm, Jessica, to design two pieces for a Rose Design Show.  The title was “A Rose by Any Other Name.”  There were 13 other designers who presented pieces in this show.  They all did very pretty arrangements. I thought about this title long and hard and decided to design something different, maybe almost ugly.  I though of things that aren’t so pretty, namely a tumbleweed and a tornado. 

For the tumbleweed I wanted to use ”pokey” things. I used a large Grapevine sphere accented with Engerium Thistle.  I inserted another smaller sphere covered with 25 ‘Super Green’ Roses intertwined with Sprengeri Fern and accented also with the Thistle. To give a bit of shine, a wrapping of silver aluminum wire was added to the inside sphere.

 For the tornado, I wanted it to look like a tornado went through a Rose garden and swept it up and away.   I glued Moss and pieces of Honeysuckle garland to a cooler bucket and using a frame of a moss covered tomato cage, whirled up the rest of the Honeysuckle wreath, Moss, and more of the Sprengrei Fern into a ‘tornado’ garland.  I added 25 gorgeous ‘Black Baccara’ Roses in and up the Cyclone.  Pretty….dangerous!

Sara and Brandon met in a not too romantic setting…jail.  They both work as Corrections Officers at the Ramsey County Jail, where I also work.  Seeing Sara day in and day out in that hot brown uniform was just to much for Brandon, he had to ask Sara to marry him. And she said, “YES!”

They decided to get married at the Juvenile Justice Center with family and friends including Ramsey County Sheriff, Bob Fletcher, and her beautiful daughter, Madison. Even though this was a quick ceremony, the emotion was intense as this couple really love each other. The self-written, amazing vows, the many speeches from family and friends, and the presentation of a pretty bracelet to Madison from Brandon as he promised he’d always be there for Madison had everyone in tears. 

Apparently I want to be a wedding photographer as well as a wedding florist because, as usual, I took way too many photos- here are just a couple my favorites.

Thank you for letting me witness your touching ceremony and choosing me to be your wedding florist. Here’s to many years of happy marriage- It looks like you’re well on your way!

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