theskinnyvase

Calvert Hall Junior Prom- May. 13, 2017

Calvert Hall Senior Prom – May. 6, 2017

Curley Junior Prom- May. 13, 2017

Curley Senior Prom- May. 19, 2017

IND Junior/ Senior Prom- May. 12, 2017

Catholic High Senior Prom- May. 12, 2017

MOTHER’S DAY IS SUNDAY MAY 14, 2017

With High School Prom’s being so close to Mother’s Day; one of the busiest times in a flower shop it is best to order your Prom flowers early. Right about now 🙂

One popular Prom flower style is the wristlet, flowers being worn on the wrist with petite blooms, accented with ribbon to match the girls dress and her dates attire. Flowers include but are not limited to Dendrobium Orchids, Miniature Carnations, Mokara Orchids, Spray Roses, Button Mums, Gerbera Daisies, Green Trick Dianthus, Sweet William.

Or, some are carrying small nosegay’s or taking it a step further and thinking outside the box with flower jewelry. These include anything from over the shoulder corsages to rings, necklaces, botanical shoes, hair flowers and so much more.

Ask your local florist about their options and the different styles that can be worn.

Photography: Jacobs Photography

Dress: The Bravado

Flowers: Jaclyn Gough 

 

 

 

Fall 2015 is a couple blinks away and there are so many flawless collections gracing the runway such as Reem Arca, Claire Pettibone, Pronovia and Jenny Packham just to name a few. To think a little further, before we know it we will see collections for Spring 2016. But, staying present and speaking of Fall 2015 in particular I’ve formed a collection of my favorite gowns for next season to share with you.

Naeem Khan Collection

Kleinfeld Collection

Alfred Angelo 

Carolina Herrera

David’s Bridal

Good Morning from Seward, Alaska. While many back on home base are probably getting ready for their lunch break I’m just waking. It’s gorgeous here with the glaciers, mountains and waterfalls, in the 60’s and a cruise ship straight ahead in the water. The first thing that came to mind when traveling here was Peonies!! My last client LOVED Peonies so for her wedding I was sure not to disappoint. If you missed her blushing wedding, a couple photos can be viewed here.

Because Alaska offers many Peony Farms I’d like to share a couple with you, and for those who are designers or in the floral industry be sure to check these out.

Polar Peonies, LLC
PO Box 84049
Fairbanks, Alaska 99708

Phone: 907-590-1707 April – Sept
907 590 1700 Year round
Email: polarpeonies@gmail.com
www.polarpeonies.com/

Meadow Lakes Peony Farm
7210 Dawn Dr.
Anchorage, Alaska 99502

Phone: 907-373-7556
907-354-7556

Facebook

Family owned and operated business and to think I arrived in Anchorage two days ago it would of been lovely to check out this farm.

North Pole Peonies
5730 Eielson Farm Road
North Pole, Alaska 99705

Phone: 907-488-0446
Fax: 1-866-535-6459
Email:info@northpolepeonies.com
www.northpolepeonies.com

This farm has developed a co-op, Arctic Alaska Peonies to keep a watchful eye and manage sales. Peonies beginning to bud in June and are in bloom all throughout the months of July, August & September.

One controversial wedding trend is “trashing the dress”. This takes place after the wedding and seems to be a very liberating experience that is caught on camera for continued memories down the road of the bride.

So why trash something so beautiful that could be donated or reworked into something else ? High school friend, Gracie Barrow trashed her dress to do something fun after her wedding. Plus, I think this fit Gracie’s fun and carefree personality. Her husband, Brian was in charge of squirting colorful paint onto the dress and clearly had a lot of fun doing so seen in the photo below by Lauren Hauser Photography.

Personally, if a lot of money was invested in the dress I find it to be somewhat “wasteful” to trash the dress. However, I imagine it to be very freeing to capture beautiful photos whether it be jumping in the ocean or squirting colorful paint onto the wedding gown. Trashing the dress is a free movement where you do not have to worry about every little detail like you do on your actual wedding day. I’ve heard some say it is a “commitment” made to your husband by trashing the dress, saying you will never need this dress again.

So what do you think ? Trash the dress: YES or NO ?

1. Denying others the option to marry the same sex is ‪#‎discriminatory‬

2. The concept of a ‪#‎traditional‬ marriage of man and woman should be no less tradition for ‪#‎samesexcouples‬

3. Marriage is a right for ALL people.

Are you looking for a wedding floral designer ?

Make your dream wedding more memorable with flowers from The Skinny Vase, LLC.

Every summer into fall you will find thousands and even billions of Black Eyed Susan’s in bloom up North in planting beds or arranged in a cute little mason jar on a kitchen table. This butterfly and bird attracting plant blooms from June until October and can grow anywhere from 1 to 3 feet tall. In Baltimore, MD today is known as Black Eyed Susan Day and Pimlico Race Track has tons of events going on so be sure to check them out.

For those getting married and love the wildflower look to a bouquet, be sure to plant tons of Black Eyed Susan’s to have enough for your beautiful bouquet. For those in regions where Black Eyed Susan’s are not grown there are other options for your bouquet such as Sunflowers, Viking Pom or Sunflower Gerbera Daisy. 

Are you getting married in Baltimore? Email me & let’s talk wedding flowers!

April.14,2015 I published a blog post on why you should hire a professional/expert floral designer for your wedding. I received great feedback and many other experts and professionals enjoyed it. This post on the other hand is a must read and what I’m about to say may shock some of you.

This current post ties in with the topic of why hiring an expert is best but, I’d like to take it a little further and tell you 3 reasons why you should stop arranging your own wedding flowers.

Sounds a little harsh right? A slap in the face? Almost like I’m talking at YOU instead of with you, the reader, the bride to be or perhaps the mother of the bride who wants to do the flowers herself to “save money”. But, I will do another post on 5 reasons why you should DIY your wedding flowers to make up for what I’m saying if you feel offended. So let’s get down to business. 

 Most of you have no clue how to design a bouquet

Most likely your bouquet style and shape will look like every other DIY Bride out there. A beautiful “hand tied wild garden bouquet”. So much for being different, right? Let’s face it getting a perfectly round bouquet of 25 Roses takes practice. Creating a spiral bouquet is hard. Stems break, Rose heads fall on the floor and that bouquet you envisioned on the cover of Martha Stewart Weddings is no longer Picture Perfect.

But you are on a budget, right? Find a professional that will work within your budget. I promise there is at least ONE out there. If not e-mail me.

2. Most of you have no clue how to properly write up a floral recipe.

Personally, I am not a good chef in the kitchen. I can cook the essentials but when it comes to baking, I hate measuring and 9 out of 10 times I always add too much or not enough and it screws everything up in the end. This results in WASTED PRODUCT.

Flowers come in bunches and some are packed differently than others. Some are by weight and not by stem count. A complete way to throw you off, right? Ordering what you “think” you need will eventually end in money lost and wasted flowers.

But you are on a budget, right? Find a professional that will work within your budget. I promise there is at least ONE out there. If not, e-mail me.

3. STOP setting yourself up for floral disappointment.

There is nothing picture perfect about babies breath in a bud vase that my 5 year old niece can do. And trust me, it is not “vintage”. It’s simple. It’s easy. That is exactly what it is. It does not leave a lasting impression on anyone. You also have no clue if your Garden Roses or Birds of Paradise will open up in time for the big day. If they stay shut, your whole day is ruined.

But you are on a budget, right? Find a professional that will work within your budget. I promise there is at least ONE out there. If not, e-mail me.

Dear Bride To Be,

Below I’ve provided you with color combinations based off Pantone’s Color Scheme’s for 2015. Choosing flowers can be based off your theme, budget, style and color scheme of the wedding. Most of these flowers are available year round but it is best to speak with your professional floral designer about seasonal availability. In addition the below flower combinations are not necessarily intended to be used to a “T”; they are just flowers grouped together according to color to give you a couple ideas to start working with.

You may also find other options on Pinterest, Wedding Wire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Magazines etc. for inspiration.

If you have any questions, email me: theskinnyvase@gmail.com I’d be happy to answer your questions.

All the best,

Jaclyn Gough

Owner of  The Skinny Vase, LLC

This should not come off as shocking NEWS, but for those who have not heard or caught up on the story of the Washington Florist who refused to do flowers for a long time client who happens to be gay you can read more about it here. In 2013 Barronelle Stutzman turned away her long time client from doing his wedding flowers due to “living out her Christian beliefs”. “Because of her relationship with Jesus” Stutzman could not partake in the wedding floral arranging for her client. Needless to say Ms. Barronelle was sued personally and her business as well for up to $4,000.00

To keep your jaw dropping others have contributed money on a Go Fund Me Page that was created for Stuzman by another florist. Your eyes will get really big once you read the story here. 

I never understood WHY others judged others because of their choices they make in life when choosing a life partner. Let’s be real, folks what is it to you that a man is in love with another man or a woman in love with another woman ? This post is not intended to bring up political or religious conversations. If you disagree with gay marriage, that is fine. If you agree with gay marriage, Buddy Jesus says you are awesome!

It never crosses my mind seeing or hanging out with gay people to think anything less of them.

Warning: If you are against gay marriage and the happiness of all human beings, you may suffer from heart palpitations from reading the following. Please call your nearest Emergency Hot Line if need be.

I said all that to say this… Here are my Top 5 Reasons Why I Support Gay Marriage.

1. We are all created equal. 

– First it was the blacks. Now society has added gay and lesbian to the picture and lashed out with political/religious input on it how others should live their lives.

2. Love should be celebrated by everyone. 

3. It is harmless. 

– Same sex decisions should not affect anyone else but the two parties becoming one legally. It is harmless and is not bringing society down.

4. They are who they are & Marriage is a human right.

– Gay couples should have the right to get married anywhere because they are who they are and feel the way they feel.

5. I Support Gay Marriage Because There Is No Reason Not To !

In conclusion, if you are looking to get married to your companion and need a little assistance look no further than the blog of “Robert E. Blackmon the “Go To Guy” for planning and living your perfect life.” There you will find tons of information to inspire you and also those looking to tie the knot check out the wonderful list of Wedding Resources. Robert does a good job of not leaving anyone in the dark. The Skinny Vase, LLC is happy to be on his Wedding Resources List and we thank him for allowing us to do so.

According to the Merriam-Webster the definition of what a professional and an expert are as follows.

Professional– (adjective) relating to a job that requires special education, training or skill. Paid to participate in a sport or activity.

Expert– (adjective) having, involving, or displaying special skill or knowledge derived from training or experience.

Personally I think one can still be an expert and get paid just as a professional does. In addition, a professional can too display special skills or knowledge which would help in their business endeavors. I think the difference is how far you are willing to go in expanding your horizons and your education.

So, since this post is specifically targeting brides and grooms I raise a couple questions, “Should you always hire a professional or expert for your wedding; in particular for your wedding flowers?” Is becoming the DIY bride ok? Should you at least hire a professional for the personal flowers such as bouquets and flowers to wear? What about saving the stress and spending a little bit of money to take pressure off yourself and hire a professional? Do you care how your wedding florals look or are you the type to youtube wedding centerpiece “how to’s” on Pinterest for ideas?

Some respond with nah don’t bother, ” I’m saving wine bottles”, “I have Mason Jars in my basement”, “Babies Breath will be perfect with a touch of greenery for my vintage feel”. We will talk about “vintage feel weddings” in a later post. As mentioned above I’ve heard many of these comments from brides and all I can think is “Have fun, I’m sure it will look beautiful.” NEXT.

For instance I would never imagine or begin to think of stitching up an open cut myself. There is a reason doctors are in business. There are some things we cannot do and on the other hand professionals are always happy to help. No budget is too big or too small. Ask questions, we love to answer them.

NOTE: To the DIY Bride or family member doing the florals, I commend you. I understand that you think you have what it takes and that you can do everything. I understand you are trying to save a couple bucks, but please just talk to us. We can save you a couple bucks and the stress.

So WHY should you hire a professional or expert ?

1. We make it look easy. Those large Karen Tran or Preston Bailey inspired arrangement are lovely but it takes a real professional to get the job done. We also know what flowers are in season for your special day.

2. We take care of all the hassle for you. Not only designing, but proper refrigeration, transportation, making sure everything is to a T and we always have a plan B (and if you don’t you should). Imagine getting in a box of Hydrangea, placing them in water but because the room in your house is warm your Hydrangeas wilt ? YIKES.

3. Having your family, friends or yourself pull an all nighter before the big day is not the best way to relax. Florists order your flowers well in advance, process your flowers in floral solution and everything is just about completed a day or two before your wedding and placed in the cooler, tagged and ready to go.

4. A photo says a thousand words. It’s TRUE. Let us do our job. You will have these photos for years to come & you should have your flowers looking flawless like everything else.

5. You may “save a few dollars” but are left with all the supplies, buckets and extra’s hanging around. Sure you could donate it to a flower shop but we all know most do not consider that. We have everything on hand, trust us. Plus we know how to embellish wraps with pearls and crystals and can handle all the tedious work that comes along with the job.

Your wedding day is not supposed to drive you crazy. Relax with your family and friends and leave the flower arranging to the professional experts.

For your free consultation email me.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/professional

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expert