Vendor Spotlight - Petals Floral Design

We love that Michelle from Petals Floral Design uses flowers from local growers and her own garden to create chic wedding arrangements and bouquets. Check out Michelle in today's Vendor Spotlight!

Petals Floral Design
Floral Designer: Michelle Boleski
Phone: 802.793.7814
Website: www.petalsfloraldesignvt.com
Blog: www.petalsfloraldesignvt.com/blog.html
myKPW State and Budget: Vermont $25-50k and $50-80k


The Number of Years in Business: I have been in business since 2006.

Preferred Wedding Locations: I don't really have an preferred location but I have done venues in San Francisco and New York.

Pricing Information: I do not have a price list...

What makes me stand out in the industry? I graduated from Parson's School of Design and studied painting and illustration. I LOVE color and texture and I am a gardener. I often use locally grown flowers from the area and my garden. I also love collecting vintage fabric, containers and pottery and have all sorts of wonderful items to rent for weddings.

What the favorite part of my work? I love flowers and I love colors. I love helping customers plan the day and then see it all come together the day of the event. As part of my service, I pin corsages and boutonnieres on the wedding party and present bouquets. It is rewarding to hand the bride her bouquet and so far I have managed to make my brides happy on their special day.

What do you like to do in your spare time? In my spare time I am an elementary art teacher, a proud Mom of a beautiful 20 year old, and a proud owner of three dogs and a cat. I spend a lot of hours at the dog park :)

Which charity am I supporting? I support the ASPCA and Best Friends Animal sanctuary.

Do you have any tips or advice to share with brides when working with a floral designer? When working with floral designer, find out how many events the designer has the day of your wedding and be prepared to be flexible with flower choices. For colors, any color combination is possible; it's so much fun to work with all possibilities! Finally, keep in mind that you can add anything unique to your wedding day to make for an amazing day. There are so many resources and ideas on the web and in specialty stores for brides -- it's really amazing, but don't be afraid to make your own traditions.

Apotheca Flower Shoppe in Floral Management

Apotheca Flower Shoppe was featured in the October Issue of Floral Management, a magazine issued by the Society of American Florists. Click here to check out the issue!

We're super excited - congratulations!

Vendor Spotlight - Calluna Fine Flowers

Heather from Calluna Fine Flowers shares with us her passion for creating customized floral arrangements and bouquets for any wedding occasion and truly loves working with brides to bring their vision to life. Check out Heather in today's Vendor Spotlight!

Company: Calluna Fine Flowers
Floral Designer: Heather Anne Battagliese
Location: Ogunquit, Maine
Phone: 207.641.0867
Website: www.callunafineflowers.com

Number of Years in Business: 14 seasons for Calluna, but I have been doing floral work for about 4 years prior to that.

Preferred Locations: I love working at the Nonantum Resort Hotel in Kennebunkport, ME. The coordinators and staff there is so easy to work and communicate with. If I have to leave something there, I know they're going to do a great job! And the outdoor setting is absolutely beautiful!

Pricing Information: It truly depends on what the couple is looking for, but typically $2,500 is a basic start. And I will help anyone, no matter how big or small the budget is.

What makes me stand out in my industry? I love helping people and of course I appreciate when someone treats me respectfully, so I love doing the same. And I will try to work with any budget. Even if the budget is small and the flowers that the bride is looking for are a little more expensive, I will work with her as best I can to incorporate her ideas into a look that is reasonable for her.

What do I like to do in my spare time? I have two children, 6 1/2 and 3 1/2, so much of my focus is on them. I also live close to the beach so the water is a huge part of my life. And I also have to say that my husband and I enjoy good food!

What charity am I supporting and why? I am supporting all three charities; the American Cancer Society, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the ASPCA. Diabetes and cancer has been experienced by family members, and of course animals are always so near to our heart.


Check out some of Calluna's work...

Vendor Spotlight - Jessica's Country Flowers

Not only does Jessica from Jessica's Country Flowers create stunning floral arrangements and bouquets, she also has a warm heart for helping others around her as she recently shared with us a wedding she did for a deserving couple. Check out Jessica in our Vendor Spotlight!

image by Alissa Dinneen Photography



Company: Jessica's Country Flowers
Owners: Jessica Robinson
Location: Burlington, Connecticut and will travel throughout New England
Phone: 860.673.6693
Website: www.jesscountryflowers.com

Number of Years in Business: 12 years

Preferred Wedding Locations: Connecticut, Boston, Maine and Rhode Island

Pricing Information: Our weddings are custom created therefore we price based on the types of flowers desired, how many stems needed, and amount of labor involved with designing the wedding.

What makes us stand out in our industry? My fresh innovative designs, extremely personalized service, and the freshest available blooms.

What do we like to do in our spare time? Walking Rails to Trails, camping at the beach with the kids, gardening, and writing books.

What charity are we supporting and why? I am contributing to the American Cancer Society, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the ASPCA. I love giving back to charity; we're fortunate to have healthy kids and Scott's mother won a fight with breast cancer recently. We also donate our services each year to a deserving couple. We've been so very fortunate in business and it's our little way of helping someone else out that probably wouldn't be able to afford our services. Next year we are designing for 3 deserving couples.

Below are some images from Jessica's recent wedding for a Deserving Couple...

images above by Jamie Collins Photography



And here are just some examples of Jessica's work...

image by Alissa Dinneen Photography

image by Alissa Dinneen Photography

image by Jamie Collins Photography

image by Imagine Imaging

image by Rogue Studio

image by Alissa Dinneen Photography

image by Imagine Imaging

A Deserving Couple - Jessica's Country Flowers

Jessica Robinson from Jessica's Country Flowers recently helped a couple with their wedding during this difficult, economical time. It's really great to see that even through tough times, there are still giving individuals always willing to lend a hand.

Check out the story (and photos) that Jessica shares with us and the people involved . . .

Each year we host a contest called "Deserving Couple" which we take applications from engaged couples who have financial hardship and yet still give back to their communities. We feel that we have been extremely fortunate in business and this is our little way of giving back. We donate our services at no charge to the couple and help to coordinate the entire wedding.

This year's couple, Amanda and Matt, were married on August 29, 2009 at Thomaston Congregational Church, Thomaston, Connecticut with a noon ceremony. About 170 guests attended the ceremony and then followed to the reception which was held at the Lyceum in Terryville, Connecticut. Amanda had recently lost her job from White Flower Farm of nearly 13 years and Matt works for a HVAC company. Both of their fathers had also recently lost their jobs and wedding funds were extremely low. Each year they travel the world with missionary programs helping out others less fortunate. They deserved a wedding that was incredible!

We had many outstanding wedding professionals who provided their products and/or services for the couple, which included:

- Jessica's Country Flowers (flowers, invitations and candy station)
- Jamie Collins Photography (photographs)
- Jubilee Events (coordination of event)
- Lamothe's Sugar House (maple chocolate favors)
- Emily's Catering Group (buffet reception dinner)
- Kim's Cottage Confections (wedding cake)
- Festive Occasions (linen and chivari chair rental)
- Kathy Faber Designs (custom bridal gown)
- The White Dress by the Shore (veil and shoes for the bride)
- La Belle Chateau Salon & Spa (pedicures and manicures for bride and her bridal party)
- Dana Bartone (hair and make-up for bride and her bridal party)
- Regal Stageways (transportation)

This couple's love for each other is felt and shared with their families. They are truly fortunate to have the love of each other and their close family and friends. They had a friend who was a DJ and provided all of the music. Their reception dinner was scrumptious with purple colored potatoes, pasta and apricot glazed stuffed chicken along with mouth watering pork tenderloin. You can see the glow of love in their faces!

2009 Vendor Advice and Trends - Jessica Robinson from Jessica's Country Flowers

Jessica from Jessica's Country Flowers gives brides some great advice when choosing the right florist for their big day! Check out some of her work below or visit her website: Jessica's Country Flowers

Tips and Advice for selecting a florist:

If flowers are high on your priority list you may opt for selecting a wedding floral designer vs. a traditional flower shop. Which means a designer in which will be completely dedicated to designing weddings and special events. A normal everyday shop probably won't give you the much needed attention you deserve.

Select about 3-4 floral designers to interview. You'll want to hire someone that can work within your budget and someone that you connect with. It's a long process with planning a wedding and you need to know that the person you hire will create something you will be completely satisfied with, or give you more than you imagined.

Expect to budget approximately 10-20% of your overall budget for flowers.

Be cautious when selecting your date if flowers are important to you. You will get more for your buck if you don't get married on Mother's day weekend or during a busy holiday season. Don't insist on peonies in August. If peonies are something you want, plan to marry in late May to mid-June.

Choose a color scheme with your florist and maybe a few important blooms. But, try and give your floral designer a little creative freedom.

Ask for a sample bridal bouquet as well as a sample table setting. This way you will view your design prior to the wedding and make any necessary changes or additions.

If you have a limited budget, spend more money at your reception. You have to figure, you're only going to be at the ceremony site for about an hour and spending most of your time at the reception.

Jessica also shares with us some trends happening in the floral design space...

Brides are looking for fresh, creative designs. Our signature "tree" centerpieces have been big for us. We are seeing more monochromatic weddings and color is big. People are looking to have events that people walk away saying "wow! I never saw anything like that!".

Colors that have become hot right now are purple flowers and touches of green along with all white/cream flowers with touches of green. We are utilizing more unique containers and coming up with natural organic table settings.

Vendor Spotlight - Apotheca Flower Shoppe

Wedding flowers are a crucial part to creating a style and mood for any wedding. Alyssa from Apotheca Flower Shoppe is truly talented and is in today's vendor spotlight!

Company: Apotheca Flower Shoppe
Florist: Alyssa Van Guilder
Phone: 866.479.4594 or 603.497.4940 (local)
Website: www.apothecaflowershoppe.com

Number of Years in Business: I have been in business since 2005.

Preferred Wedding Locations: The Bedford Village Inn in Bedford, NH, and Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, MA are two of my favorite facilities; however there is something so intimately beautiful when the couple chooses a private home. I realize this isn't always possible and in such instances all of the extra details mean your wedding planner is even more so your best friend; but it can be a fabulous alternative. In York, Maine last year, the parents of the bride opened their home to family and friends, and just last weekend the groom's parents hosted the reception in their Dunbarton backyard which was right across the street from their quaint, New England Church! Guests were able to walk from one locale to the next.

Pricing Information: Pricing is personalized-we work with our couples to come up with options for their budget-however, our average wedding florals range from $2,000-$6,000.

What makes me stand out in my industry? At Apotheca, it is HUGELY important to us that the floral aspects of our Bride and Groom's day reflect their style and who they are, as well as create a seamless flow with the other design components. My favorite question to ask is "what do you share as a couple that you'd like to express?"...at first the question may take them off guard; but this has led to creative concepts that give guests a deeper glimpse into the lives of the celebrated duo! We are passionate about meaningful beauty and design--it's a powerful thing; and our goal is to help our couples express who they are through personalized floral design.

What do I like to do in my spare time? We have 2 incredible kiddos and during my spare time I am with them! We love being outside in the dirt, in the studio working on art projects, or eating--anywhere. : ) When time is not to be spared we have been known to pitch a tent in the shop for a 'slumber party' (so momma can work extra late!).

What charity am I supporting and why? For my KPW, the American Cancer Society. Also, the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" is near and dear to me. Heart Disease is the No. 1 killer of women in America, and we have several customers who have been personally affected by this disease. We have been honored to donate floral designs for various fundraising events and are thrilled to give again through Kate Parker Weddings!

image by Brea McDonald Photography

image by Brea McDonald Photography

2009 Vendor Advice and Trends - Lindsey Maurath from Fresh LiME Events

Lindsey from Fresh LiME Events shares with brides some helpful tips when considering and choosing a wedding planner. Check out her website: Fresh LiME Events

Top 7 things to consider when hiring a Wedding Planner:

1. Hiring a wedding planner near to you or your location is important. For domestic weddings, hire a planner that is relatively near to the area where you’re going to marry. But if you and your fiancé opt for a destination wedding, hire a planner that is close to where you live.

2. When you interview wedding planners, one of the most important things you should ask yourself is “Do we click?” You’ll be working with your wedding planner for months and months, so you should be able to see yourself spending lots of time with him or her. Plus you want to totally trust your planner. If you don’t have a connection, you likely won’t be able to give up some control and trust that your planner will do a good job.

3. Event Planners are really different. No planner is alike. Some planners are strictly that – they can coordinate all of the details and logistics, but might not be able to think beyond that. An event planner and designer, though, will be able to provide all of the event management aspects, but also be able to help design the overall look and feel to your wedding. When looking at what different planner charge, be sure to look at what they’re really offering.

4. Always ask who will be on location the day of your wedding. At some companies you might originally meet with the owner or lead planner of the company, but come wedding day, you might be seeing an associate planner. You certainly don’t want to be caught off guard, so be sure to ask at the very first meeting who will be there. If it’s not the person you’re meeting with, ask for a separate meeting with that person before you sign any contract. Be sure to include your wedding-day coordinator on all meetings moving forward as well.

5. Couples believe that they can plan their own wedding, but what most newly engaged couples don’t realize, though, is that planning a wedding really becomes a full-time job. Realistically, do you really have the time to plan your wedding and worry about all the details? If you answer the question honestly and decide you don’t have the time to devote to planning, hire a planner.

6. Ask for references. I obviously advocate for hiring a planner you click with, but don’t forget to ask for references. Planners should happily give you a few references to contact. I wouldn’t invest in something so important to me with fleshing it out, so how can I expect you to do the same. We always give out contact information from past-brides, but also from vendors we’ve worked with.

7. Wedding coordinators at venues are great, but they typically won’t take on the tasks that an independent coordinator would. Plus venue coordinators ultimately answer to the venue’s management. By hiring a separate wedding coordinator, you can ensure that he or she will always have your best interest at heart.