When I saw Marie of Emici Bridal share her latest handmade silk bouquet this week, I knew right away it would end up being this week's Eye Candy Friday. Her floral bouquets are simply breathtaking. Originally Marie was creating white, cream and blush colored bouquets, but just recently she's branched out to try some colorful ones. And, they are definitely winners. Her latest, the bottom right bouquet, is part of her new one of a kind bouquets that are inspired by iconic cities. This particular one happens to be Seattle, hence the large emerald flower for the Emerald City. Next up for Marie, she'll be creating a bouquet for Paris.

When I came across Aileen Tran's web site I fell in love with the bouquets in her portfolio and just had to share a few of them with you. I love how the bouquets incorporate the loveliest of details, from feathers to succulents to bling - each one is pure Eye Candy.

Guest Blogging with Eli of Majestic Images

Ask any bride, and she will tell you that her flowers are one of the most important parts of the wedding. She has spent hours, days, or even years picking out exactly what kinds and colors of flowers should be in her bouquet, at the ceremony, and on the tables at the reception. But how do you know that the flowers you choose will look their best immortalized in your wedding photos? Eli Allen {founder of Majestic Images in Philadelphia} and his good friend, Carl Alan {from Carl Alan Floral Design in Philadelphia} have some rules of thumb:

Above Photo Courtesy of Carl Alan Floral Design

1. Make sure the flowers arrive at least an hour before the photographer. One of the worst situations I ever found myself in was when I arrived to take photos of the bridal party and there were no flowers!  We took some photos without the bouquets, but the bride and her attendants didn't know what to do with their hands.  They stood around awkwardly and you could tell in the photos that they weren't comfortable.  When the flowers finally did arrive, we wasted 30 minutes looking at them and then getting the girls lined up again.  On the day of the wedding, there's just no time for that.

2. Pull back on the right colors. Too many times, I've worked with brides that wanted a whole slew of really bright colors in their bouquets. While tempting, it creates a situation where the flowers totally dominate the shots and the bride's pretty face becomes the secondary focus. If you really like bright colors, incorporate them into your reception decor. Or choose one or two for the bouquet surrounded by other, more subtle flowers.

Above Photo Courtesy of Eli Allen, Majestic Images

3. If you're petite, skip the cascade. A cascading bouquet can be really beautiful with the right dress and the right bride. But if you're on the smaller side, resist the urge. Cascading flowers totally overwhelm short or thin brides, making them look even shorter and thinner. This sort of bouquet can also completely block the petite bride's dress.

Eli Allen, founder of Majestic Images in Philadelphia, has been a photographer for more than 30 years.

Today's Eye Candy Friday features some of the great photos I spied in my google reader this week. And, they're from two different photographers, but they each feature great shots of brides holding bouquets in white and green. Plus, I absolutely love the backdrops in these photos, don't you?

via Kenzie Shores Photography

via Simply Bloom Photography

As many of you might know by now, I'm a HUGE fan of purple for weddings (any and all shades). So when I come across a stunning wedding with purple, it's hard for me not to share with you. Today's bridal bouquet was created by Carissa of JL Designs. With the wedding being planned by Amanda of In the Now Weddings and photography by Marianne Lozano.

The bridal bouquet was created using plum dahlias, eggplant mini calas, lavender ranunculas and purple tulips.

The bridesmaids bouquets were similar to the bridal bouquet but the lavender ranunculas was removed and replaced with chocolate brown cymbidium orchids for a darker, richer look.