Destination Wedding, Jamaica

This was a family wedding. Generations of loved ones came together to witness my niece's marriage.

A simple creamy bouquet of Vandella roses and stocks is what she chose to set off the intricate bead work of her gown.

The bridesmaids in pale mocha carried the same roses.

Even on this lush, tropical island, the roses, chrysanthemums and other flowers all came from Ecuador, but I managed to snag a few fruit from the indigenous palms that border the gardens and avenues everywhere.

There was the joy, as always, designing the flowers, but this wedding was really not about the flowers.

When the bride occupies that special place in your heart; when you get to be with all your people watching her arrive at her big day; watching her beam her confidence; watching her share a private grin with her partner as the ceremony begins; watching the skies bluer than any other day, the mountains closer and everyone together witnessing and storing another special memory. So much more than a destination wedding.

Sometimes it takes a year to put this into words.

Wedding Cakes

It was a lot of fun being part of the Union Wedding Show in Vancouver on October 22. Among the awesome wedding specialists was Dalana Fleming of The Cake and The Giraffe. As I approached her booth, I felt as though I was leaving the industrial confines of the Beaumont Studios and entering a world of the imagination. A world of romanticism with Dalana using cakes as her canvas

I wanted to enter the dream world of her cakes.

http://www.christiegraham.ca

If you go to Dalana's website  you can loose yourself in her art and hear her story. What I am sure you'll come away with is how closely related are creativity, passion and growing up loved.www.tcandtg.com

http://jelgerandtanja.com

http://www.kirillbordon,com

Re- connecting with my first bride

The subject line of my email read, Old client of yours.  I did a quick think through the last couple of years, then  read the name, Julie.

"Dear Lois...You did my wedding flowers..."  Did she say 26 years! It seemed like another life.

It was another life. A toddler, a complete career switch from working in human resource planning to starting a florist business. And viola... my first wedding contract. Yes, Julie was my first bride and she didn't just want a posy. She wanted an arm bouquet - that sophisticated, royal look that allows a bride to balance the bouquet in the crook of the arm. A very elegant beginning, featuring white calla lilies and dendrobium orchids. Who could forget? Especially as arm bouquet requests are rare- almost never!

I guess I can call myself lucky that Julie didn't request this-

Or this-

Thanks Julie, for getting me launched and especially for being in touch and giving me news about your life!

Pink Blossoms, Yellow Blossoms

The whole world seemed pink, alive with cherry blossoms when I left Vancouver at the end of march.

A week later, as if to announce "you're in Jamaica now" the Poui trees lit the skies and showered the paths with their golden blossoms. 

Children all over Jamaica know the secret of the Poui. In three days, the blossoms all leave the tree and  create a thick carpet

Its time to play!

Weddings and Diversity

Early this year, I tuned in to a webinar hosted by WeddingWire. It addressed issues such as appropriate language and images, none of which was news to me, with family and friends who are queer.

What struck me though was the discussion around the need for those of us in the wedding industry to ensure that our services are inclusive. This was borne out shortly after in a consultation I had with Clare and Amanda. 

" I have to say, when we started the wedding planning, it was quite daunting," Clare said, when I asked why they chose me.

"As a gay couple, you never know how you will be received.  We  had a few awkward experiences, one being at a wedding show", Amanda explained,  "so when we met you, we felt so lucky. You were friendly,  never batted an eye and made us feel completely at home."

Their theme was simple and casual - sunflowers and mason jars. But their attention to every detail of their wedding was ardent. It was impossible to not get caught up in their joy, especially as I listened to Amanda describe the steps in getting her suit just right - lovingly hand-tailored by Balsam Tailors. All this without giving too much away within Claire's hearing!

Now I have a GLBTQ  package on Weddingful. No more guessing whether I am queer-friendly.