I'd like to thank Cori at Elegala for emailing me over the following information on the top 2009 trends for wedding flowers. What flowers are you planning to use for your wedding? I'd love to hear.

from Elegala . . .
Today's brides are following the old adages, "less is more" and "use your imagination". The sayings may be cliche – but the latest trends in wedding flowers are anything but.

Daring Colors:
Gone are the days of adhering to light pastels and muted shades in wedding decorations. Today's brides are opting for bold and interesting pairings of colors in their wedding flowers and floral schemes. Not afraid of mixing purples and orange's, the post-millennium color palette is expanding.

More than Just Flowers:
Mix it up a bit by incorporating produce. One of the hot trends in wedding flowers is arrangements featuring fruits, herbs and even veggies as a playful and fun approach. Their naturally vibrant colors coincide with the daring color trend. Many brides are also turning to the woods for inspiration. Green grasses add dimension and structure and can elicit a warm, summery feeling.

Dynamic Tables:
Table arrangements are also becoming more dynamic. Instead of conforming to identical floral arrangements on each table, some brides are using different containers, varying the heights, or grouping an assortment of low centerpieces together.

Keep it Simple:
Gone are the days of overpowering floral arrangements adorned with excess filler flowers. Today's brides opt for a more natural and tailored look to their wedding flowers. One bouquet style rising in popularity is the hand tied bouquet. The fresh bunch of flowers presents the look of simple elegance that brides desire.

Above information courtesy of Cori at Elegala.com (online site for Gala Weddings Magazine) All images from Elegala.com's photo gallery.

In continuation of my earlier post today on Sweet Lovely, I wanted to let you know that thru the end of the year you can save 15% on your order with offer code SLSPECIAL. And, now let's continue with some more amazing floral arrangements created by Sweet Lovely . . . {aren't the gift package bouquets just the cutest?} (more information on the preserved florals can be found after the photos) Here's a little more information on the preserved floral arrangements from Sweet Lovely:
1. The Sweet Lovely preserved flowers are 100% real flowers. They are NOT silk flowers or any other type of artificial flower.
2. With preserved flowers you don't need to have your flowers delivered (or picked up) the day of your event. With preserved flowers, you have the luxury of purchasing your flowers well in advance without having to worry about how long they will last.
3. By using preserved flowers for your event you will be able to keep the memories from your special day for a lifetime.

Much more information on the preserved flowers can be found on the Sweet Lovely FAQ page.

Real Flowers to Keep Forever

I was introduced to Sweet Lovely the other night and was completely beyond words when I saw the floral arrangements on their beautiful web site. Sweet Lovely handcrafts bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, centerpieces and other special arrangements with real preserved flowers. These flowers are never to wither or die, which eliminates the need for costly preservation or time-intensive drying. Sweet Lovely can also supplement fresh flowers for your event, if desired. (more to read after photos) If you are in the Dallas, TX area, you can meet personally with the talent behind Sweet Lovely for a local consultation to create your dream floral arrangements for your special day. But, if you are planning a destination wedding or just love their designs (as I do), Sweet Lovely has an online store and they ship worldwide. The also provide consultations nationwide for custom orders.

I asked Grace (creative director at Sweet Lovely) to tell me a bit more about the floral preservation and her company. Since she can say it best - here's what she wrote:

"As far as our collection, the designs in our gallery are all custom and created using preserved flowers with the exception of some of the very large/tall arrangements. Our background is traditional fresh floral design so we can also make fresh flower arrangements but we really like the uniqueness and longevity of preserved florals!

All the florals in our e-store ready-made collection are preserved florals and can be shipped anywhere worldwide anytime before an event as they will last and last and last! :) We are in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and do custom consultations/designs for local brides but we've even done proposals for destination brides and had florals mailed to them. The other neat thing that brides really like is that they'll be able to take bridal portraits with the same bouquet/flowers as their wedding day.

As far as how long the flowers will last, we preserved them with intent of them being truly "everlasting". We've tested them for the last 3-4 years and none of the flowers have withered or died and the color has retained its vibrance. We picked the flowers at their prime and essentially immortalize them. We really love flowers and are so excited their beauty can now be preserved!"

Thank you Grace for introducing Sweet Lovely to me and my readers.

Be sure to check back a bit later today for part 2. I'll have some truly amazing floral designs created by Sweet Lovely to share with you, more info on the preserved flowers, and a special discount code.

Love these pink floral bouquets from bhg.com.

Check back in a little while for an introduction to a lovely invitation company and a cute giveaway for fall.

Today's "something pink" (for Breast Cancer Awareness Month) is from the ultra talented Diane of DK designs {see her etsy shop here}. She specializes in handcrafted clay floral designs. Here's a couple of the latest designs she has available on etsy. Her scope of designs has grown since I last featured her on my blog (back in April), some of the new items include hair flowers, corsages, and boutonnieres. I love the idea of the clay flowers for centerpieces at bridal showers and weddings. What a wonderful keepsake of the special day for either the bride or a loved one.