Christmas Ornament Wedding Bouquet

 I found this wonderful how-to at The House That Lars Built , a great bouquet for a Christmas themed wedding.

             

12-12-12 A Once in a Lifetime Wedding Date

Wednesday, December 12, 2012! Will this be your wedding date? Depending on what part of the country you live in, will you have a winter wonderland theme or a fireworks celebration?

Post a comment about your plans and you will be entered in a drawing for a 50 ft. personalized non-woven aisle runner, winner pays shipping. Leave both your names, the winner will be selected on November 21, 2012. 

SAMPLE RUNNER

Unique Winter Bouquet

The Snowflake Bouquet

Made up of three layered frosted acrylic snowflakes, 4.4", 6", and 12" wide and surrounded by acrylic crystal stems of "ice". Finished off with a handle tied with white satin ribbon. This bouquet is for a bride who is not afraid to be different and celebrate her unique character!

Fall Wedding Flowers

You have so many options for wedding flowers now, here are three options.

Fresh Flowers

Real Touch Flowers

Standard Silk

So no matter what your price point we have many fabulous selections.

Real Touch Flowers...The Best Kept Secret of a Destination Bride

Over the last few weeks I have been filling orders for destination brides. My bouquets are going to The Dominican Republic, Antigua, and Porto Rico. I am a little jealous, I would be happy to take a trip to any of those places. Here they are, let me know what you think.

Top 5 Bridal Bouquet Trends

Bridal Bouquets are just as trendy as all the other elements of a wedding. Gone are the days when a bridal bouquet was a round bunch of roses! Pretty Clever Bride is here to help you stay on trend!

5. Feathers

Yep, feathers are in for bridal bouquets! You’ve probably noticed a lot of feather hair accessories for brides, but now you can bring flamboyant and dramatic feathers to your bouquet as well. The most awesome part about feather bouquets is that you can DIY them so they are uniquely you! Scour craft stores, antique markets and textile shops to find trappings for your bouquet.

4. Eye -Catching Stunners

It’s your special day and all eyes will be one you. There’s no reason your bouquet should not be a stunning eye-grabber! To make sure you remain the focus of everyone’s gaze, try holding onto a large, vibrant bouquet. You’ll want to use bold colors and flowers flowers that aren’t used anywhere else in your décor scheme. If you’re using roses in the decor, go with hydrangeas. If you’re using pinks in your decor, choose a coordinating color for your bouquet like bright citrus.

3. Au Naturel

No I’m not suggesting you walk down the aisle buck naked! But your bouquet can be au naturel. Like the opposite of trend number 3, many brides are choosing to go for sweet and simple when it come’s to bridal bouquets. This trends works best with the homier sort of flowers – sunflowers, daisies, maybe even tulips. But note, this trend only works if your whole wedding is a scaled back affair, with a simple venue and a simple gown.

2. Bejeweled Bouquets

We all know it’s true – brides like sparkly things. On what other day with it be socially acceptable for you to wear a tiara? If you’re a bride who’s going for the bling, you might want to considered a bejeweled bouquet. Pick up the sparkle in your rhinestone accessories or the sparkle in your dress by bedazzling your bouquet. Just remember… a little bit of sparkle goes a very long way, so don’t over do it!

1. No Muss, No Fuss Bridal Bouquets

More isn’t always better, and so I bring you to my personal favorite bridal bouquet trend – simple and elegant. If you’re wearing a classic sheath dress, or your having a small, wedding, this is the way to go. It’s also great for very petite brides who can look overwhelmed by elaborate bridal bouquets. And the no muss, no fuss bouquet is a great way to high the natural beauty of a flower, like the stunning calla lily.

You may also want to check out The Ultimate Guide to Bridal Bouquet Types

RE-POST from Wedding Flowers Saturdays

Carnations Can Be A Brides Best Friend!

Ick! That’s what many brides think when they hear the word carnation. The carnation is commonly looked upon as a filler flower that is paired with baby’s breath, not the most modern look. Well I am here to tell you not only do they look amazing grouped together; they’re a hardy inexpensive flower that can go a long way. Think of the carnation as a recession-friendly flower that you can use to add a simply floral touch or “en masse” for that WOW factor. What is even better is that they come in all the colors of the rainbow. So consider carnations for your special day, who knew that they had such power in numbers? I searched the web for a few great example of how FAB carnations can look and here are some of my favorites.

Silk Option

The Origin of Valentine's Day

The Legend of St. Valentine

The history of Valentine's Day--and the story of its patron saint--is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl--possibly his jailor's daughter--who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and--most importantly--romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Origins of Valentine's Day: A Pagan Festival in February

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial--which probably occurred around A.D. 270--others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to "Christianize" the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat's hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.

Valentine's Day: A Day of Romance

Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity and but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”--at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine's Day should be a day for romance.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
Original Post http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day

WHAT'S IN A NUMBER?

WHAT'S IN A NUMBER? As if choosing a specific rose color weren’t enough to express your innermost thoughts, you can convey your message through the number of stems or the type of rose you select. For example, a bouquet of roses (representing innocent love) says “you’re forever young and beautiful,” while a thornless rose says “love at first sight,” and the tea rose says “I’ll remember you always.” Refer to the list below to find out how different numbers of stems can represent different messages of love.

How Many Roses Do I Send?

ONE-On a first date, a single rose symbolises love at first sight. it can also be given in years to come to say, "I still love you."

TWO-Give someone two roses to represent your mutual love and affection.

THREE-Representing the couple and their shared love, a bouquet of three roses is
traditional one month anniversary gift.

SIX-Whether it's a school crush or a more mature passion, six roses symbolizes infatuation.

NINE-To send the message “We’ll be together forever,” send a bouquet

TEN-Let them know that their love is perfection with a bouquet of ten roses.

TWELVE-A perfect dozen shouts "Be mine!"

THIRTEEN-Tell someone that they'll be your friend forever with a bouquet of thirteen roses.

FIFTEEN-Need to let someone know that you're sorry? Send them fifteen roses.

TWENTY-Send the message "my feelings for you are truly sincere" with a bouquet of twenty roses.

TWENTY ONE-Twenty-one roses say, "I'm dedicated to you/"

TWENTY FOUR-Two dozen roses shouts "I'm yours!"

TWENTY FIVE-Send a message of congratulations with twenty-five roses.

THIRTY SIX-Three dozen says "I'm head over heels in love!"

FORTY-Forty roses says, "my love for you is genuine."

FIFTY or MORE-To express a love that knows no bounds, send a bouquet that's equally as limitless - filled with fifty (or more) beautiful luxurious roses.

A Few More Tidbits

Did you know that roses are not only native to the United States, but they are also our national floral emblem? Or that June is National Rose Month? Or that the rose is the state flower selected by Georgia, Iowa, New York, North Dakota and the District of Columbia?

The beauty of this extraordinary bloom is matched only by its seemingly boundless history and legend. For example, it’s said that Cleopatra once received her beloved Marc Antony in a room knee-deep in rose petals, and that the rose was sacred in ancient times as it represented Aphrodite to the Greeks (and Venus to the Romans), symbolizing beauty and love.

An old legend has it that originally all roses were white. One night, a nightingale saw a rose and fell deeply in love, inspiring him to sing a song. (Before this, nightingales only chirped and croaked.) When his passion overtook him, he pressed himself against the flower, and when the thorns pierced his heart. Ever after, the rose was forever colored red.

REPOSTED from TELEFLORA

Mr. & Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday with a look back at his wedding photo.

Martin and Coretta were married on June 18, 1953 on the lawn of her parents' home in Marion, Alabama. Martin's father, the Reverend King, Sr., performed the wedding ceremony. Mrs. Edythe Bagley, Coretta's sister, was maid of honor. Reverend A.D. King, Martin's brother, was best man.

Found on ForBlackWeddings.com