A Flower Fetish

Expo Flowers

2012-01-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

I designed and arranged these lovelies for Jessie's booth at the Thanksgiving Point Wedding Expo on Saturday. I am totally in love with them, since the arrangements include some of my all-time favorite flowers and foliage (ranunculus, anemones, brunia, dusty miller and spray roses). Jessie posted these pics on her blog today, and I just had to post them here too, along with a little tip - if you met her at the wedding expo, you've gotta check out her blog; there's a sweet deal she's running right now!

Thanksgiving Point Wedding Expo

2012-01-13T21:48:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine, who is also a fabulously talented photographer, will be at the Thanksgiving Point Wedding Expo Saturday at 10 a.m. I've talked about her before, but here she is again - Jessie, of Jessie Alexis Photography. We did some flowers for her booth, so that's our claim to fame this time at the expo. But Jessie's claim to fame is not only her booth (and her amazing photos, of course), but a fabulous (and also secret) expo-only photography deal that you won't want to miss. So, if you're engaged, or thinking about becoming engaged, head on over there and tell her we said hello!

Brittany and Michael: California wedding

2011-11-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

I had the honor of designing the flowers for one of my best friend's weddings back in July. I was also able to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. It was a gorgeous day in Santa Barbara, California that day. High School sweethearts, Brittany and Michael, were married at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, and had a luncheon following their ceremony at the Four Seasons. It was a wonderful day, and I'm excited to share these pictures with you, taken by the lovely Mary Jane, of Mary Jane Photography.

Tyler and Angela: Park City Destination Wedding

2011-09-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of being part of a fabulous destination-wedding in Park City this summer. The couple, Tyler and Angela (now Mr. and Mrs. Bangs), came all the way from North Carolina to be married outside the Red Pine Lodge at the top of the mountains. As always, it was gorgeous up there, and we even still had a little snow!

Tyler and Angela are travel enthusiasts who love the outdoors. As you will see from their pictures, they incorporated their passions into their luncheon/reception theme, which added lots of character and charm to the whole event. When I met them back in February, they had just come from skiing.

Tyler's one request was that we incorporate red shampoo ginger into the head table centerpiece. Shampoo ginger comes most commonly in yellow, but we found it in red, and it definitely added a cool element to the head table decor. They also have some floral allergies in their family, so we incorporated some non-traditional florals (mostly succulents) for some of the boutonnieres.

I had so much fun designing for this wedding, and especially loved the personal charm and attention to detail. Enjoy the plethora of images. They were just so fabulous, I had a hard time narrowing them down (and this isn't even 1/10 of the total images...).

The wedding was wonderfully coordinated by Cierra, of Simply Stunning Events, and the photos are courtesy of the fabulously talented team over at Zuma Photo. Mitchell Burt and Logan Walker were the photographers who captured these stunning images. Check out their portfolios, as well as the other great vendors listed below.

Hair & Make-up: Stephanie Brinkerhoff, Hair and Make-up by Steph

Catering and Reception Venue: The Red Pine Lodge

Dress: Demetrios Bride gown

Photography: Mitchell Burt and Logan Walker, Zuma Photo

Cakes: Darcie, Pink Peach Cakes

Flowers: Me, of course! Brittanie Stott, SAS Floral

Coordination and Decor: Cierra Powell, Simply Stunning Events

Here's a closer look at those ceremony trees. They were really fun to make - a nice little floral accent for the ceremony spot (don't mind the water spill - someone decided to run into the tree...).

Here's that head table centerpiece. Isn't it awesome?!

Lovely cake, by Darcie, of Pink Peach Cakes.

Here's Mitch, the man himself, in action.

And last, but certainly not least, Cierra, the wedding coordinator and wonderful woman behind the scenes.

California Love

2011-09-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

In July, I had the privilege of traveling to California for the wedding of one of my best friends, Brittany. She married her high-school sweetheart, and the whole event was such a joy to be a part of. Not only did I have the privilege of being their floral designer, but I was also a bridesmaid in the wedding, which added a wonderful new dynamic to the floral element of the wedding. I got to enjoy my floral arrangements first-hand in action and it was such a fun experience!

Here are just two candid "behind the scenes" photos, snapped by another high-school best friend of ours, Hillary, artist and owner of Light of My Life Studio. More photos soon to come from Brittany's fabulous Santa Barbara photographer, Mary Jane.

Marc and Tiffany

2011-09-07T12:22:00.001-07:00

Just a few photos from a spring wedding, back in April. We were LOVING the smell of that fresh lavender. Photos by Your Vantage Photography.

Samantha and Grayson

2011-05-23T19:52:00.001-07:00

Samantha and Grayson got married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on a rainy, rainy February day, but that didn't stop them from smiling. Their reception was at Historic Wheeler Farm, and it felt like being in that scene from the most recent re-make of Pride and Prejudice, when Mr. Darcy comes to talk to Elizabeth Bennett and is walking through the thick England fog - very romantic and etherial. It was a pleasure to design their flowers and be part of the magic! Photos by Susan Moore.

SAS Floral Among the Top 5 Percent of Wedding Professionals Nationwide

2011-02-02T14:19:00.001-08:00

SAS FLORAL AMONG THE TOP 5 PERCENT OF WEDDING PROFESSIONALS NATIONWIDE

Orem, UT – February 2, 2011 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce SAS Floral has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Floral Design!

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

SAS Floral stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud SAS Floral for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that SAS Floral is among the very best floral designers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/sas-floral-orem/6b4bec84bd1b21cd.html

For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit http://www.weddingwire.com/.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire.com, the nation's leading technology company serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives local businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. Businesses that join the WeddingWire Network appear on WeddingWire.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), ProjectWedding.com and Weddingbee.com (both part of eHarmony), and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands, NASDAQ: FLWS).

Get to Know Rockwell Catering

2011-01-17T21:51:00.000-08:00

Check out Rockwell Catering here.

Grand Prize Winner(s)

2011-01-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to AJ and Martina as our Grand Prize winning couple! We had a whopping total of 377 eligible votes come in via e-mail and blog comments over the past week - thank you readers for all your support for these wonderful couples, each couple with its own amazing story. AND, a huge THANK YOU to all of our amazing vendors who will be making AJ and Martina's big day fantastic (check back in June for photos)!

Each of the other finalists is eligible for prizes from SAS Floral, Jessie Alexis Photography, and Polka Dots and Daisies Invitations, so please remember to contact us about your prizes. (read about prizes offered for finalists under vendors' spotlight pages.)

Bookmark our Web site and/or blog, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook for more special offers and announcements. We will still be highlighting the other participating vendors in the giveaway, so check back for their bios. Thanks again for your participation and support!

VOTING IS CLOSED

2011-01-15T15:29:00.000-08:00

For anyone who missed the original announcement, all voting closed today at noon MST. Thanks for your votes, and check back tomorrow for our big announcement of the winning couple!

Get to Know Wilson Diamonds

2011-01-14T22:30:00.000-08:00

Wilson Diamonds was established in 1974 by Keith and Richard Wilson, who were at the time students at Brigham Young University. Their whole idea to start a store came from Richard's attempt to buy a diamond engagement ring from the local stores. After looking around, Richard was disappointed at the lack of real information available from salespeople about quality, price, etc. He was also disturbed about the lack of respect for thinking, intelligent people shown through the sales pitches. (Do you really buy, because a salesperson tells you "you'd better hurry, this will be gone tomorrow?") Thoughtless, tacky pressure was rampant. So. . . Keith and Richard decided there was a huge opportunity to open a store that employed salespeople who would cut out the schmoozy sales pitches and give really low prices on good quality diamonds and engagement rings. Using Richard's Belgian diamond source (another long story), they began to develop this side of diamond sales. The whole philosophy was to sell better quality for less, only sell engagement rings and wedding rings, and show people how to tell what they are buying so they can compare prices knowledgeably.

In 2005, the Wilson's opened their fourth location in Provo next to the Olive Garden on University Parkway. Wilson Diamonds is now the largest store in town. We employ 21 people, including three full-time goldsmiths to do custom work.

Grand Prize Giveaway Votes

2011-01-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

Please note:

Voting closes Saturday, January 15, 2011 at noon MST. Only one vote per person will be accepted. Duplicate entries will be deleted. Best of luck to everyone!

Finalists

2011-01-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

Each of these couples is amazing! Check them out!

AJ and Martina:

AJ and I met three years ago while doing one of the things we love most—serving others. This was no ordinary encounter because this service project was defined by my Cambodian heritage and my religion. As we helped translate English and Khmer for missionaries going out into the field, a connection began between us. AJ admitted he was shy to ask me out and only with the extra push of a friend did he garner the courage to ask me out on our first date. So much has happened since the pitter-patter of our hearts began during those first realizations that there was something special between us.

Over our first year of dating, our love and ability to support each other through thick and thin grew and manifested itself through typical events and activities of college students, such as school projects, finals, and meeting each other’s families. Yet nothing could prepare us for the challenge that we would encounter in our second year of dating.

Our relationship grew exponentially when tragedy struck on February 5, 2009, the day that I was involved in a snowboarding accident. I went off a jump too fast and fell flat on my back after rolling around a few times. I hit the hard and icy surface with such force that I was rushed to the hospital on life-flight, barely conscious. AJ was notified and he was there at the hospital as the helicopter landed. The doctors prepared to conduct surgery on me immediately. As I drifted in and out of consciousness, our fear of the prognosis increased because neither AJ nor I knew what to expect. Two days later, when I was conscious again, I learned of the severity of my fall’s impact. I had shattered aspects of my vertebrae, and severed my spinal cord. I would not be able to walk for an uncertain amount of time.

I struggled with my new reality at first, spending many days in the hospital crying in despair. I lost a lot of hope and questioned things in my life. I had a hard time grasping how I would be able to pursue my life goals, or how I would continue with my life after this accident in such, what I thought were at the time, unbearable, life-changing conditions. The lowest point of my life was when my doctor came to me and declared my injury, permanent.

I had my bouts of depression, feeling alone and hurt in this experience, as everything was happening so fast. But I realized how lucky I was because AJ was always there by my side. He came to visit me everyday. He even sat in the waiting room on the difficult days when I did not want to see or talk to anyone. He was always there to encourage me and help remind me that miracles occurred in different forms. He helped me realize that the miracle of this incident was being able to find myself during my darkest days, overcoming this obstacle, and also becoming a stronger person. While even some of my extended family members had their doubts about our relationship because of my physical state, our relationship grew stronger nonetheless. We have learned how to handle new challenges and have become each other’s greatest companion.

It has been almost two years since my accident. I continue to struggle with miniscule tasks of daily life, such as getting in and out of the house and using the restroom, which is why I often rely on AJ to help me with these daily tasks. He has been quite positive and eager to learn how he can help me, and he tries his best to accommodate me. Being with AJ through this life-changing obstacle has made all the difference, and ultimately, our love has served as armor, shielding us from the storm ahead.

Although we knew after the first year of my accident that we really loved each other, financial difficulties have prevented our marriage. We are both full-time college students and work part-time jobs to support our education. To add to our financial obligations, my medical bills during the months I spent in the hospital total more than a couple hundred thousand dollars, and our school loans have also accumulated. Financially speaking, marriage has been a difficult thing for us to consider, and it seemed like a farfetched idea. In spite of these financial burdens, AJ proposed to me this December, after three years of dating. Throughout these years, our love for each other has been severely tested, but has been solidified.

So far in the wedding planning process, we are planning a very low budget wedding, which will be enough to celebrate with our families and friends on this very special day of our lives. But this is also why we hope that people will consider the eventful journey of our love story, and help us have the wedding of our dreams.

AJ and I have stuck together through my difficult accident, and our love for each other has flowered to untold heights; we continue to face financial difficulties with inevitable medical and student bills, and our wedding poses additional costs; AJ and I feel we are deserving of the help that SAS and vendors are offering, and we ask for your help and vote. Thank you.

Steve and Katy:

Steve and I just got engaged 2 days ago but we've been working on getting married since we were 9 years old....We are so excited to tell you our story!

Steve and I met in Provo in the 2nd grade. I thought he was super cute but he didn't know what a girl was so I gave up trying to get him to notice me somewhere between 3rd and 4th grade. Then, miraculously, Steve woke up one day and decided he liked me! In the 5th grade, we would go to school early and wait in the hall long before class started so we could talk. Sometimes we would bring our toothbrushes to school and he would escort me to the bathroom so we could part ways to brush our teeth. I can't explain the logic behind it now, but at the time it was impossibly romantic.

On one of our field trips, we went to "Classic Skating" in Orem and that was the first time Steve and I held hands. My stomach was full of butterflies when he asked me to slow skate. I was on cloud nine as we went around and around the rink without speaking, grinning like fools and shaking with excitement. At one point his palms got so sweaty that he slipped out of my hand and skated right into a wall. I was in love. :) The song that we skated to was "Forever Young," by Alphaville, which would eventually become our beloved anthem for years to come.....

Steve called the next day and asked me "out." I thought he would never ask. We would talk every night for hours. His parents even had a phone installed in his room because we spent so much time on the phone. Recently, however, I had moved to Orem from Provo and we found it hard to maintain a "Long-Distance relationship," so it was with a heavy heart and deflated hopes that I had to tell him one day I wold be moving to Colorado since my mom had just remarried.

We kept in touch by writing letters for a while but the letters were few and far between by the time we were sophomores in High School, separated by 500 miles or more. So I guess we went about our lives and ended up in very different places.

It wasn't until a little over a year ago that I found Steve on Facebook. I was thrilled to have found my first sweetheart and genuinely interested in how his life had turned out. We traded emails for a few months but the spark didn't catch fire until Valentine's day 2010 when I got a voicemail from him that melted my heart. In a cute, comedic, and slightly panicky voice he said, "Katy, this is Steve Ord. Oh shoot. You probably already have 4 dates tonight. Happy Valentine's Day. I saw a bumper sticker that said 'Love is grand; Divorce is 20 grand.' Ok. Call me back. Bye!" I was in love all over again.

So we picked up right where we left off. He was living in Provo, I in Denver, and we would average 6 hours of phone conversation each day! After 2 weeks of talking on the phone he spontaneously came to Denver for a weekend. For 6 months we went back and forth from Denver to Provo to visit each other and the fire just kept burning brighter and brighter in our hearts.

We were finally broadsided by a miracle in August when an opportunity to run a Bed & Breakfast in Zion National Park was extended to me on the same day Steve had decided to move to Denver so we could be closer. We decided we couldn't pass up on the opportunity in Zion since it was closer to his family and my family lived only a mile down the road from the B&B! So we let go of all expectations and put our trust in God to lead us to where we needed to be.

We moved to Springdale in August and while I run the B&B during the day, Steve works at the small elementary school here in town. Then at night he helps run the B&B while I head to my hosting job at the local steak house. We have never worked so hard in our lives but we love every minute of it. We knew we wanted to be married and we've been working our tails off to save up.

Steve asked me to be his wife on December 30th underneath a beautiful willow tree. I thought he would never ask. :) We would be forever grateful if you would consider our story for the gracious giveway contest! We are not extravagant people and live very simply, but after both of our long distance moves and only small stipends that we live on each month, we are praying for extra financial help with the wedding.

Thank you so much for reading our story. We would shout it from the roof tops if we could!

Mason and Sohea:

When you read a love story, they often begin with the words “once upon a time” and end with “happily ever after”. I think when one ends up in love, his or her very greatest hope for a relationship would be summed up with those words. What makes a love story great? Is it the story of a beautiful woman, who ends up meeting the man of her dreams, instantly knows he is the one, and they end up riding off on a white horse into a gorgeous sunset? In the events that culminated in our love story, things weren’t quite that perfect, but I think that makes it even more epic of a tale, for love nearly lost is love that lasts.

I met my fiancee in one of the most normal of places: work. There were no fireworks, just a drawn out orientation session. I was instantly attracted to her, she was Korean, had long black hair and the most gorgeous dark eyes. But I can’t say that for either of us it was love at first sight. We became acquaintances through several conversations, not about any particularly deep subjects, but things we had in common (how much pizza we could each eat, our picks for the World Cup winner, and favorite color). The more we had the chance to talk, the more I grew to enjoy her ease of conversation, beautiful smile, and genuine kindness. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before I was completely smitten.

I was not even looking to date anyone at the time. I was frustrated by relationships, and was in the mindset that if something fell in my lap, I might consider running with it. As it turned out, she had felt the same way. She wasn’t looking for a relationship, and unbeknownst to me then, had something going on in her life that made her wary about dating anyone seriously. Since May, she had been dealing with a medical condition that caused her to lose her hair. Because of this, she was against getting close with anyone and thought that she could date after her hair grew back, even if it took a few years. She really struggled to be positive and the first months of hair loss were very difficult. With the past experiences and the circumstances at the time, it seemed that all odds of us ever getting together were against us. How it was that we ended up together I cannot attribute to mere coincidence. Destiny? Maybe.

I decided that I wanted to get to know her outside of work, so after a long evening shift at the end of June, I asked her to go eat at Denny’s (romantic I know, but hey, it’s open 24 hours). We talked about work, school, and life in general, and in my mind, I could see the possibility that something could happen between us. I got her phone number, and over the next three weeks, we spent a good amount of time together, seeing movies, walking in the park, holding hands, and just generally getting to know each other. We talked about our relationship, and I expressed that my feelings were beyond that of mere acquaintances. She gently explained that there was a situation that existed in her life that made it hard for her to emotionally open up to anyone, and though she liked me, she couldn’t see herself dating me or anyone in the foreseeable future. I was confused, especially because she wasn’t able to tell me what exactly the situation was. Despite this, we continued to spend time together, growing as close as she would allow. The night came where we shared our first kiss, with an additional confession from her that she was unpredictable, unsure, and generally commitment shy. I brushed this off as her needing more time, confident that despite the setbacks, things were normal and we would soon be officially dating. Little did I know what a curve ball life would throw at me.

The next week, I was dropped off my emotional high by a rejection at her doorstep, leaving me confused as to what she was thinking, considering we had just kissed not a week ago. Her words explained her feelings, that things were going too fast, she was unsure of what she wanted, and she didn’t want me to get the wrong ideas. I didn’t know this at the time, but one of the underlying causes of her feelings was that her hair had nearly completely fallen out, and she had begun wearing a wig that week. I didn’t notice, she looked as good as ever, and had no idea what was going on beyond my own understanding of the situation. This led me to being shocked and heartbroken that our relationship could be ending before it had really begun. I toyed with the idea that I could just let things go, give up, and we would both go in different directions. But my heart told me that there was something more. I decided not to give up, to let her know I cared, and hope that she would come around.

We texted off and on, but there was the awkward feeling that exists between two people who aren’t on the same page with their feelings. I decided to ask her out on a date, my intention being to talk about us, and see if we could rekindle the flame that I felt we had both felt in the beginning. Over dinner, we talked about our relationship, and I expressed my desire to be a part of her life. I let her know that I cared about her, and was willing to wait as long as necessary to be with her. I told her that no matter what was going on I felt that we should be together. I didn’t know this then, but she told me later that her feelings for me before that night were not as strong as I was under the impression they were. She told me that after hearing me express myself, her feelings changed. She stopped seeing me as just another guy, and saw me as someone who really wanted to be there for her and to understand her. Though I still knew nothing about her hair, we were both happy and she finally started to have happy days because we enjoyed each other. We were finally on the same page in our relationship.

From that first date, our relationship matured. We started to grow closer, and spent as much time as we could together. We found that as we spoke about our lives, our hopes and dreams, and our future, that it transformed from something that was talked about, to something that could be realized. There were times when the future seemed fuzzy, times when I didn’t know if we would be together with the dawn of a new day. But every time those feelings arose, we managed to strengthen each other. When she had doubts about the potential of our relationship, I was there to help her through. She learned to have the courage to trust my sincerity. When I felt bad about myself, she was there to strengthen me.

On the night that I first told her that I loved her, she had the courage to tell me about her hair. I told her it changed nothing, and that I would love her just as much regardless. We held each other and cried, out of relief and happiness. It was a couple months later that she was comfortable taking her wig off in front of me to show me that her hair was starting to grow back.

Since then, we have been growing together, learning from each other, and sharing precious memories. We have both learned to have the courage to get through the difficult times, by supporting and loving each other. Our love has grown from a flicker to a flame that cannot be put out by any trial or difficulty that we face. We both understand that it was no coincidence that we were able to fall in love. We found the reason for the circumstances that brought us together. It was to give us the chance to experience the greatest feeling in the world. Truly, our love was meant to be.

I think that the reason we deserve to win this giveaway, is that the way that we complement each other is what sets us apart from the rest. The way we came together could not be duplicated in any other situation in our lives. If one or two things had been different, our relationship may never have happened. I might never have been able to risk being hurt, and she might never have been able to trust me without having something so big to let me understand and be a part of. Never have I seen a couple go through such trials and come through together, and even engaged to be married. Our story may not be the perfect fairytale love story, but for me, I wouldn’t have wanted it that way. Our love is perfect because falling in love wasn’t. It took us finding each other to realize that we had what we didn’t know we wanted: True Love.

Featured

2010-12-16T09:04:00.000-08:00

photo by Erin Summerill Photography

Go on over to theldsbride.com and check out the upper left-hand corner "weekly love" - you'll see our bouquet from this wedding there!

Get to Know Polka Dots and Daisies

2010-12-15T15:56:00.000-08:00

Polka Dots & Daisies was started in January of 2007, after Mollie Openshaw noticed a lack of color in the wedding invitation industry. When planning her own wedding in 2006, she couldn't find wedding invitations that complimented her wedding style or color scheme and since she wanted a cohesive look for her entire event, Mollie put her graphic design training to work and created the perfect custom designed invitations. Since then she's helped hundreds of brides make their wedding invitations unique and customized with thousands of color options, top notch printing, & excellent customer service.

Polka Dots & Daisies offers an array of pre-designed invitation styles that can be customized with your wedding colors and font selections or they can even create brand new designs and graphics just for you! If you're the lucky winner of the Giveaway, you'll get 100 Group A invitations/envelopes (select from pre-designed styles) that can be tailored to perfectly suit your wedding! And if you're one of the finalists (those that do not win the Grand Prize) you'll still receive a special bonus... $50 off your wedding invitation order through Polka Dots & Daisies-- good through 2011. Check out the giveaway post for additional offers.

And now for post #2 on Christmas arrangements: Pine Cones. This is kind of a "no-duh" addition to a Christmas arrangement, but I decided to include it nonetheless. You can see them in the wreath from the last post or in this photo, with roses, seeded eucalyptus, fern, hypericum berries and other fillers, from GoodHouskeeping.com.

Pine cones often come scented at Christmastime and are even great for just around-the-house use. I like them for some of the same reasons I like pomegranates - they add interesting texture to an arrangement, and I LOVE texture in arrangements. There's not much else to say about them, other than as with pomegranates, you have to use a pick or some sort of floral pin to add them to an arrangement, necessitating the use of floral foam as well, but they are great to work with.

Get to Know Jessie Alexis Photography

2010-12-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

As promised, we will be posting little bios about each of the vendors involved in our giveaway. And, as a tie-in, since this is a floral blog after all, I will be posting favorite things to use in Christmas arrangements at the end of each post.

So first, let's get to know Jessie, from Jessie Alexis Photography, in her own words:

-Growing up, I was the girliest of little girls, and having a "boy's" name was a tragedy in my eyes. In preschool, I refused to respond to anything but Princess Buttercup.

- I adore Disneyland with my whole heart and spent the first two years of my marriage as an annual passport holder.

- I love the thrill of photographing weddings, and I always cry during the father-daughter-dance.

- Potatoes and popcorn are my two favorite foods, and I love any sort of fruity candy except anything grape flavored. Yuck.

- I drive a Jeep and my husband drives a Prius, I guess you could say we balance each other out.

- In June of 2010 I became a mom, best job ever second only to being a wife. Photography is a close third :)

See Jessie's amazing photography here.

And now, favorite inclusion #1 for Christmas arrangements: pomegranates.

Proof:

This arrangement from Canada Roses,

and this one from Delightful Deliveries.

Aren't they just lovely? They get used a lot because they are in season and they smell yummy, and they dry well, and they are hearty. They work fabulously cut in half - the texture is just amazing - and they give you rich red color in your arrangement without adding extra flowers. So there you go - pomegranates.

Enter our Giveaway!

2010-11-24T14:04:00.000-08:00

Getting married between January and June? Want an "in" with some of Utah Valley's greatest vendors? Here's your chance!

SAS Floral, along with seven other amazing vendors, is sponsoring a Multi-Vendor Giveaway, running between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. Tell us your love story (or engagement story) and why we should pick you and you will be entered into our giveaway.

Want the details?

Be sure to read the Official Rules to make sure you qualify to enter. Anyone who doesn't qualify will be immediately disqualified.

Who are these people?

We'll be updating this blog with personal information about each specific vendor throughout our giveaway so you can get to know them better, but for now, check out their Web sites, linked below.

SAS Floral

Jessie Alexis Photography

Wilson Diamonds

Polka Dots and Daisies Invitations

Candy Clouds Company

Rockwell Catering

Abella Bridal

What's in the Grand Prize?

SAS Floral: One free wedding day bouquet up to $150 (or a $150 credit toward a more expensive bouquet)

Jessie Alexis Photography: 4 hours of Utah Valley wedding day coverage, with travel fees applying to any wedding outside of Utah Valley. The bride and groom will have access to all their proofs online with the option to purchase prints and/or the disk with their photos.

Wilson Diamonds: 10 percent off your engagement ring purchase

Polka Dots and Daisies: 100 Group A invitations/envelopes

Candy Clouds Company: 25 cotton candy guest favors to use at an engagement party, bridal shower, bachelorette party, or as a gift for the members of the bridal party

Rockwell Catering: Free wedding cake or Italian soda bar

Abella Bridal: One pair of Crystal and Freshwater Pearl Earrings valued at $115 & a set of Crystal hairpins valued at $45

Want some incentive?

In addition to being entered for the Grand Prize, and as a "thank you" for entering our giveaway, each entrant is eligible for 10 percent off a wedding bouquet when you book a wedding with SAS Floral*. Also, Jessie Alexis Photography is offering anyone who mentions the giveaway 10 percent off a custom package and the top three finalists win a free mini engagement session with 30 edited photos (can be upgraded to a full shoot at a discounted price).

*all offers are pending on availability. Weddings and events are booked first-come first-served.

who took that picture?

in case you are wondering, and didn't see the credit at the bottom of the flier, the floral ring pillow is from this wedding I did back in May, photos by Alyssa Cook Photography.

Giveaway Official Rules

2010-11-24T14:00:00.000-08:00

PLEASE NOTE:

Only one entry per couple will be accepted. Entries will be accepted from 12 a.m. Thursday, November 25, 2010 until 11:59 p.m. Saturday, January 1, 2011. Entries will be accepted via e-mail at brittanie [at] sasfloral.com or as comments on the "Enter our Giveaway" blog post. Please title e-mails "Giveaway Entry" with your name. Identifying information must be provided (either a phone number or valid e-mail address for contact in the event that you win). All personal identifying information will be kept confidential. Votes will also be accepted via e-mail. Please continue reading below for additional rules.

Martha and Derek

2010-11-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

I met Martha and Derek almost a year ago at the Thanksgiving Point Wedding Expo. They were super fun to work with! These photos are from their wedding back in July, at The Lion House in Salt Lake City. They wanted an English Countryside type of feel. Long wait, but I assure you they are worth it! Photos courtesy of Hayley Andersen Photography (minus the close-up of the cake, the boutonnieres, and table #1 - those are from me). Check them out!

This last one is from Martha's bridals, at the State Capitol Building.

Danielle and Eric

2010-09-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

The fabulous Jess, over at Picture Me Mine Photography, sent me these photos of our flowers from Danielle and Eric's wedding a little over a month ago. I had a BLAST doing this wedding. The colors were so bright and cheery - perfect for summertime. Thanks again Danielle and Eric for letting me be part of your special day!

Tiffany: Purple and Green

2010-09-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

Tiffany is another friend from college and gorgeous bride. I had so much fun doing her flowers. I think purple and green is one of my favorite color schemes! All images courtesy of Camilla at CioCo Photograph y.

Mr. and Mrs. Beck

2010-09-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Jen over at Fauset Photography for these photos. This was one of my August weddings before we left on vacation, and I was SO glad to be a part of it! Crystalee and I have been friends for years (we met back in college), and it was a pleasure and honor to be her floral designer. She and Ryan are SO cute - quite the lovely pair! Don't you agree?

Peek!

2010-09-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

Just a sneak peek from one of three weddings I did the week of August 14th. SUCH a fun week! These photos are from Melina Moore Memories. More to come from the main photographer for the event, CioCo Photography!

Centerpiece Inspiration

2010-08-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

Love this!

Found here.

Sarah + Ken - Red and Turquoise

2010-07-30T12:55:00.001-07:00

Sarah and Ken's wedding was so, so fun to decorate for. Their colors were bright and cheery, just like their personalities. Probably my favorite part of the whole ordeal (besides her bouquet, because it was gorgeous!) was doing the aisle flowers. I dunno, the centerpieces were pretty fun too. Why don't you decide what you like best? Credited photos by Emily Renee Photography.

The Scottish Highlands

2010-07-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

Brittany and Peter are like a breath of fresh air. They are both such interesting people with such a neat story. Brittany went to school in Scotland, where she met Peter and fell in love. And, if you ever hear him talk, you'd think you were dreaming. His accent is so thick, you know it's authentic.

Brittany had such a gorgeous vision for her wedding. When she came to me last year and asked me to be her florist, I was honored and excited to be a part of their special day. Their ceremony and dinner/reception was at The Canyons resort in Park City. The whole event was at the Grand Summit Lodge, a 15-minute breath-taking gondola ride from the base resort. I'll let their pictures do the rest of the talking.

Aren't these romantic photos? Courtesy of the fabulous folks over at Bird on a Wire Photo.

Enjoy!

Peter's daughter, Cairyn - So cute, and I mean, so cute!

Dashing in their kilts, no?

Britt and Ben: April 2010

2010-07-13T20:22:00.001-07:00

Remember this wedding, back in April? Well, here are pictures of the bride's lovely bouquet and a close-up of the centerpieces. Roses, freesia and ranunculus, with salal, were the choices of the day for the bouquet. Aren't those centerpiece stands gorgeous?

Photos by Bostonian Photography.

Branches

2010-05-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at a neat wedding centerpiece we did this weekend. The branches added such a cool element to this piece. Please forgive the terrible lighting in these photos (and the fact that I am no photographer). Working with indoor lighting in my house is always tricky.

S+K: Bridal Bouquet

2010-05-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

I made this gorgeous bouquet for Sarah and Ken's bridals/groomals today. I'm excited to see more pictures from the photographer after the session, but here's a teaser for now.

Snowballs in April

2010-05-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

It's no surprise seeing snow in April, since we just had snow in late May, but I thought these centerpieces from Brittany and Benjamin Stanley's wedding were too pretty to keep to myself. More photos to come.

Cameron + Kristina

2010-05-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

Kristina is from Hawaii. She told me that she wanted beautiful flowers in bright yellows and whites, with lilies and stephanotis and any other tropical-looking flowers I could add. I had such a blast making the her bouquet and all the other little details that went into the wedding. The ring pillow may or may not have been my favorite thing ever! :)

We used three types of orchids, stephanotis, lilies, alstroemeria, roses, tulips, and lots of other fun flowers and greenery! Don't you love the pearl bracelets for the wrist corsages?

Gorgeous photos courtesy of Alyssa Cook Photography.

April Wedding Expo

2010-04-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Jessie from Jessie Alexis Photography had a booth at the Thanksgiving Point wedding expo this past weekend and she asked me to provide her booth with some floral eye candy. Her signature colors are Red and Turquoise, so here's what we came up with. Carnations were the flower of choice. Don't you just love the colored wire spirals in the white arrangement and the cute turquoise bow on the red arrangement?!

R+K: The Wedding

2010-04-12T14:10:00.001-07:00

LOVED this couple. LOVED their wedding/reception. LOVED putting together their arrangements. Thanks Rob and Karly!Want to see more photos from this wedding? Check out the Featured Gallery on our Web site: Rob and Karly. Photos by Erin Summerill Photography.

Nettie

2010-04-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

Photos of flowers are always better when they are accompanied by a bride. I have an absolute love affair with this bouquet, and I'm pretty sure she did too (the photog. definitely did!). So, here's Nettie, modeling that red and turquoise bouquet from the last post. She is so gorgeous and reminds me a little of Snow White. See for yourself. Photos by Erin Summerill Photography.

Red and Turquoise

2010-03-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

These colors are SO POPULAR this year. I have already had three requests for these as wedding colors, which makes me so happy because I am a big fan of the combo.

Until the photos come in from the photog, here's a peek at our recent bouquet for a gorgeous bridal shoot, and gorgeous new pomander/centerpiece stands, used recently. Love, love, LOVE!

New Site and Promo

2010-03-12T13:08:00.000-08:00

Hello readers and future clients! We are excited to announce the long-awaited launch of our new Web site! Check it out and tell us what you think!

Also, a new addition to our sidebar: a promo section. Ever want to know if we are running any deals? Well, check out the sidebar and you can see! We also offer specials if you book us, along with one of our preferred vendors; so, don't forget to ask us about those!

Happy planning!

R+K

2010-03-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

Spent the weekend working on the wedding and reception flowers for this sweet couple. Rob and Karly are so adorable and so in love! These are some photos from their bridals/groomals. Fabulous photos courtesy of Erin Summerill Photography.

Stunning Cake Crown Centerpiece

2010-02-26T15:56:00.001-08:00

AH, I about DIED when I first saw this centerpiece. Isn't it just stunning? What a fun project! Someone, PLEASE commission me to do one of these for something - wedding, birthday, anything!

Oh, and by the way, it cost $1000...

Willow branches, orchids, roses, hydrangea, fun. Find it here.

Early St. Patrick's Day

2010-02-24T10:58:00.000-08:00

A bridesmaids bouquet for a recent wedding - I love the classic white and green.

Day of Love

2010-02-17T07:59:00.001-08:00

These are about 1/4 of the arrangements we made for Valentine's Day this year. It was quite the fun-filled-busy weekend! Our clients ranged from middle school and high-school-aged to men and women of all ages and walks of life. Thanks to all our great clients for your orders!

Killer Table Arrangement

2010-02-08T20:28:00.000-08:00

Have a special someone you want to send flowers to just because? Or maybe it's for an event or special date?

Well, that was the case with a recent client who ordered this GORGEOUS (and fantastic-smelling, might I add) arrangement for his sweetie's birthday. Her favorite color is purple and her favorite flowers are orchids and wildflowers, hence the arrangement. I am so in love with this.

More Giveaway Bouquets

2010-02-03T14:41:00.000-08:00

So, I am definitely not a professional photographer, but I figured I'd snap a few shots of these last giveaway bouquets and wedding items so you could see them before they were actually given away! I think the orange bouquet was my favorite.

Pink Peonies - they smelled FABULOUS!

A heart-shaped ring pillow, showcased at the Wedding Expo

Blue and green pomander with hydrangea, orchids and mums

This cascade bouquet has almost too many beautiful flowers to name them all - tulips, orchids, lilies, altstroe, billy balls, roses, ranunculus, freesia and SO many more.

This one reminds me of romance, for some reason. The pinks are so pretty and so was the wrap - English garden roses, orchids and stock

Kelsey Bridals

2010-01-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

We brought four lovely bouquets to Kelsey's shoot. She looked so beautiful and modeled them all well, despite the freezing temperatures!

These bouquets were part of our giveaway from the Utah Wedding Expo. A great big thank you to Jessie, from Jessie Alexis Photography, for this fabulous shoot!

Sneak Peek

2010-01-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

Here is one photo in a series of MANY from our bouquet giveaways resulting from the Utah Wedding Expo this past weekend. More soon to come!

Giveaway

2010-01-13T12:17:00.001-08:00

Have a wedding dress? Want a free bouquet? All you have to do is e-mail us (our e-mail is on the side). We are giving away four free bouquets today and tomorrow.

Catch? You must be available for pictures either Wednesday, January 13 or Thursday, January 14th.

Don't miss out on this great offer! First 4 qualifying brides will win!

Utah Wedding Expo

2010-01-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

In case you missed us, here are a few of the popular arrangements and decorations that adorned our booth this past weekend at the Utah Wedding Expo at Thanksgiving Point.

And, the wagon wheel and frame are available to rent. E-mail us if you are interested!

Sensing a Theme

2010-01-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

To all the brides-t0-be out there, and to anyone else reading this, I'd like to share some fabulous advice recently written by two talented florists who are also based in Utah Valley.

Both, as I, have experienced, many times, the struggles brides face when trying to budget for a florist. And both, as I, have tried to explain to brides that you get what you pay for, and then some, in quality - not to mention peace-of-mind - when you book a florist.

So, to you brides out there who are considering whether or not to book me, or any other florist, PLEASE read these articles. They are DEFINITELY worth your time!

First one found here. Second, here.

Utah Wedding Expo at Thanksgiving Point

2009-12-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

We will be here this year and we are so excited about it!

Come on January 9th to see our really cool booth and say hello! If you're a bride, and you pre-register, or register at the door, your admission is free! There will be lots of great vendors and giveaway prizes, so come win something and book your whole wedding at the same time!

W+J: Orange

2009-12-09T18:43:00.000-08:00

Remember this adorable couple? Well, I just got great photos from this August wedding. Courtesy of Emily at WinkFotos.

and here are a few I snapped myself for a little more detail

Cold

2009-12-09T08:19:00.001-08:00

It's -4 degrees or thereabouts in the lower Utah Valley region this morning, "feels like -19 degrees". brrr, brrrrr, brrrr. Be careful brides getting married this time of year - those roads are dealthy dangerous.

Also, this is the only time of year you have to worry about keeping your flowers warm, rather than cool. Frozen flowers get dark and wilty.

Lindsey + Dayron - After a long wait

2009-12-05T22:53:00.000-08:00

After a long wait, here are the promised photos from this wedding. Much thanks to Joshua from Joshua Tree Photography for these great shots!

Flamingo Pink and Creamsicle Orange

2009-10-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

Ammon and Marissa are getting married tomorrow morning and here are a few shots of their GORGEOUS flowers! More soon to come!

A great big thanks to former client and bride, Kristi, for being our model!

Flower Tip #10 (Finally)

2009-10-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry this has been such a long time coming. Things have been really busy and hectic over here lately, but you'll be able to see the fruits of it here in pictures in about a month (once all the photographers have time to work their magic!).

This is our last entry for this segment, and it has been a lot of fun to produce. Next up: Tips for your Fall wedding - starting soon.

As for today's "tip", it's more of a no-brainer.

#10: Flowers are for every occasion

No matter the formality or the splendor of your occasion, flowers can make it a better one (call me biased if you like). Flowers are for weddings just as much as they are for birthday parties, funerals, get well sentiments, and everyday splashes of color. Can't afford to always have fresh flowers around? Silk arrangements add the feel and colors of fresh flowers without the maintenance or lifespan.

Other fun times to give flowers:

Dates
Babies
Feel Better
Holidays
Romance
Birthdays
Performances
Condolences
Just because

Lindsey (Louie) + Dayron

2009-10-01T13:41:00.001-07:00

Mix:

and you'll have Louie and Dayran's wedding. She has porcelain white skin and he has dark chocolate colored skin - they are so perfect together, just like the chocolate pictured above! I had a BLAST doing the flowers for their wedding today. Here is a sneak peek of her bouquet. Although not pictured here, her bouquet wrap is AWESOME! Be excited to see more pictures - soon to come! I'm off to the reception!

p.s. Thursday Flower Tip update coming soon!!

Thursday Flower Tip

2009-09-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

#8: Traditionally, flowers had/have specific meanings

In Victorian times, and even in times not so distant, specific flowers were used to convey meanings or feelings to the recipient. Red Roses for passionate love, yellow Daisies for secret admiration, purple Tulips for royalty, poppies for consolation/sorrow.

But, in a more general sense, yellows and oranges are often used to cheer someone up or convey friendship, pinks, purples, and red are typically associated with love, and blues can be incorporated just about anywhere. Of course, holidays dictate colors and flowers used in arrangements too. Gladiolus, carnations, roses and daisies are most often associated with funeral arrangements (although the latter three are used just as readily in bridal arrangements).

This site gives a longer list of flower-by-flower meanings, and there are several others on the internet and in books. This site is great because it has the history behind the flowers as well as meanings.

#9: Flowers have different vase lives

While this may seem extremely obvious, it is not always something people consider when picking flowers for their wedding, but it is very important. Your florist will take this into consideration when making suggestions, but here are a few classic long-lasting and short lasting flowers. *Also note* the weather has a lot to do with how long your flowers last.

Tropical flowers typically last a very short amount of time and are very temperamental with temperatures. Most will last a maximum of three days - some only last one. Orchids, for instance, last a very short amount of time off the stem. They must have a good water source, but still last little more than two days. BUT, you can't beat how absolutely STUNNING tropical flowers are in arrangements, so they are worth the fuss!

Wildflowers last longest. Perhaps it is because of their hearty stems and growing environment. I have known Chrysanthemums (daisies) to last three weeks or more. There are some "wildflowers" that are more fragile - Delphinium, for instance, sometimes is very droopy in the sun.

Roses last a medium-long time if taken care of, but are very heat-sensitive. Some varieties bloom faster than others, but as a rule, roses bloom quickly when it's warm. If you like the look of tightly-bloomed roses, then keep them in the fridge!

Calla lilies are a relatively fuss-free flower. No refrigeration necessary. They last at least a week when taken care of and are absolutely gorgeous!

Leah: Bridals

2009-09-15T14:22:00.001-07:00

This post has been a long time coming, but here is a photo from Leah's bridals back in August. I LOVED how elegant these white open cut callas were. Thanks Leah for letting me be part of your special day!

Photo courtesy of R+C Photography.

Fresh Lavender

2009-09-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

My mom's favorite color is purple. She has lavender growing in her front yard and wanted a fresh lavender bouquet from her garden. Here's what we came up with.

From the Files

2009-09-13T00:13:00.000-07:00

I came across this picture of a lovely bouquet we did this summer and absolutely fell in love all over again. I love. love. LOVE this bouquet! Fantastic photography by Jessie Alexis Photography.

Oh, and apologies for not doing a "tip of the week" this past week - we were out of town. Two coming this week though, so check back Thursday!

Sneak Peek

2009-09-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

This is one of two bouquets I made for Wendy for her wedding day. More photos soon to come! This photo was taken by the talented Emily Clark. See more of her work here.

Thursday Flower Tip

2009-09-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

#7: Some Have Medicinal Value

While flowers smell pretty and are gorgeous to look at, they can by used for many other things too. We already talked about how they can be incorporated into cuisine, but flowers/plants and herbs are also WIDELY used as medicines.

Think of aloe - used for aloe vera. Or Echinacea - for colds, or the California Poppy - for nervous tension or mentstral cramps, or Yarrow - as a wash for eczema.

This site lists 15 flowers and their medicinal uses. Such things as Sunflower infusion for relief of mentstral cramps, chewing rose petals to increase your blood circulation or help with depression, Chrysanthemum that cures colds and fevers. Many flowers can be brewed as teas and used to cure sore throats.

Marigolds, Calendula, Chamomile - the list of traditional medicine alternatives is forever long. Check your local health food store or search online to find more!

Thursday Flower Tip

2009-08-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

#6: Many Flowers are Edible!

Since Roman times, flowers have been used in cooking. Oriental, Mid-eastern and Indian cultures still use many flowers in their cooking. And, in America, the trend is coming back in fashion! Edible flowers were especially popular in the Victorian era during Queen Victoria's reign.

Some common edible flowers are Lavender, Thyme, Pansies, Day Lilies, Marigolds, Squash blossoms, Roses, Daisies - all sorts of flowers are edible! If you're interested in a complete list, more information on edible flowers, and recipes, check out this site.

New Web Site Up

2009-08-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

SAS Floral's newest Web site is finally up and running. We ran into a lot of technical problems along the way, but it is now up and functioning well!

As another announcement, SAS Floral is now available to travel to the Arizona Phoenix/Mesa Area and the greater Los Angeles area (most anywhere in Southern California south of Santa Barbara). Please send us an e-mail if you are interested!

Happy wedding planning!

Thursday Flower Tip

2009-08-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

#5: Some will stain your clothes

Any exterior pollinating plants will cause the problem. Lilies are notorious offenders. Save your guests and your dress the trouble and de-pollinate these babies first. It's really simple - just pull off the pollen. But, use a napkin or gloves, or else everything you touch will stain a yellow-orange.

image found here.

Leah: August 1, 2009

2009-08-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

Leah LOVES orchids, so she wanted lots in her bridal bouquet. Her bouquet was a classic teardrop shape and totally reminded me of Hawaii. Thanks Leah for letting me a part of your special day! Photos courtesy of R+C Photography.

Not-So-Mellow Yellow

2009-08-18T13:27:00.001-07:00

Here are some more of this bouquet:

Attention All Brides

2009-08-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

SAS Floral is offering an early Fall booking promo. If you book your date with us before October 1, 2009, we will give you 10 percent off your entire order. E-mail us at sasfloral@gmail.com!

Thursday Flower Tip

2009-08-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Today's flower tip is a double-whammy, since there wasn't one last week. Enjoy!

#3: Some Flowers Keep the Bugs Away

Marigolds are most popular for this treat! Plant them around your tomato plants in the summer and they'll keep the aphids away. Garlic, Sage, Thyme and Rosemary are also known to keep the bugs away - although these are rarely, if ever, used in floral arrangements.

#4: Some "flowers" are not flowers at all

A lot of floral arrangements, especially in recent years, incorporate non-floral elements for a touch of elegance, a garden feel, or to save money. Check out this ribbon bouquet, featured by Martha Stewart,

or this bouquet that incorporates cabbage and artichokes featured by The Knot,

or this bouquet (also from Martha) which incorporates fruits and flowers (I did this at my own wedding).

People also often incorporate brooches,

(this photo here on The Knot) either on their bouquet wrap, or in their flowers.

Fake leaves, feathers, and all sorts of glitz are added to arrangements to make them POP. Whatever your theme, make sure your flowers are a representation of YOU!

now I understand

2009-08-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

why people would want a 24" computer monitor. They want to be able to see this,

instead of just seeing this!

(in case you can't tell, I can barely see half of the page design...)

Oh, and if you're wondering, these are a few pages from my upcoming redesign of the floral Web site, automated in Flash! Hopefully it will be up and running beginning of next week.

More May Photos

2009-08-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some more photos from this wedding. Enjoy!

Tropicana

2009-07-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

This final bouquet from our Summer Days Giveaway was tropically inspired. It even sports fern curls, from Hawaii. Courtesy of Triana Ord Photography, here are some pictures of the lovely Gillian from her bridal shoot.

Thursday Flower Tip

2009-07-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

#2: Sometimes We Cheat:

Flower color is not an exact science, and sometimes varies from bunch to bunch, even if the flowers are genetically engineered the same way. So, sometimes, especially when couples are very particular about the colors they want for their wedding, florists dye the flowers.

Before hybridization and genetic engineering were popular, flowers like blue roses (pictured below, and found here) were created by dying white roses. Dyes are still used today to color flowers. For instance, dyes were used to color these sunflowers orange, as seen in this bouquet and cake I made for the Provo Bridal Fair over a year ago.

There are lots of ways and trade secrets to get your flowers the color you want, so don't ever get discouraged if your flower that you love is out of season. Ask your florist what other options you have for flowers that look similar, or the same flower in a different color!

K+M: Wedding

2009-07-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

Cotton candy, Pepto Bismol, Mary Kay Cars, Elvis' Caddy, bubblegum, J-LO's diamond, flamingos, grapefruit - these things all share the hue of this fabulous wedding from a few weeks ago. Karen and Mitchell are such a fun couple and I had a blast designing their flowers! Enjoy this eye candy - pictures by Nickell Photography.

absolutely LOVE this!

2009-07-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

How perfect for the summertime! These pictures found here.

Site Makeover

2009-07-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to announce that SAS Floral is in the middle of our Web site makeover. The new site promises to make its appearance sometime next week! Stay tuned for details!

Thursday Flower Tip

2009-07-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Tip #1 from our "Things You Need to Know about Flowers" section:

Please Don't Sneeze

Something to consider before picking flowers for your wedding are family allergies or pollen sensitivities. Even the toughest of the tough can find themselves in tears around the wrong flowers. I recently discovered some new allergies of my own to foliage I was using the other day for a wedding.

A few things to consider:

Some plants are toxic when ingested or touched. Leucodendron is toxic when ingested; Masterwort is one of the most toxic flowers out there. To prevent a reaction, or worse, hospitalization, use gloves when working with flowers of questionable allergic reactivity.

Flowers with pollen, such as lilies, often cause the worst reactions. De-pollinate your flower before use in arrangements for the least problems with allergies.

Often people with flower allergies are fine around orchids. The fragrance of orchids is often sweeter than other flowers, and they don't cause the problems associated with exterior pollinating flowers.

Always do your homework before using new flowers. Make sure to keep flowers away from children who might ingest them.

Black and Red

2009-07-22T16:56:00.001-07:00

Another one of our Summer Days Giveaway bouquets here. Lindsey's colors are red and black, and we couldn't think of a more perfect bouquet for her than this. Fantastic photos by Brittany Andersen Photography.

New Weekly Series

2009-07-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

SAS Floral is proud to announce a new weekly series of posts titled "10 Things You Need to Know about Flowers". It will be very informational and based on some of my personal experiences as a florist. I hope you enjoy it! Installment 1 will be up on Wednesday. See you then!

Purple and Green

2009-07-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here are two more bouquets from the Summer Days Giveaway. Thanks again to Jessie for the purple bouquet pictures and to our gorgeous brides!

Lovely Ladies; Lovely Bouquets

2009-07-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from our Summer Days Giveaway, taken by the talented Jessie from Jessie Alexis Photography. Special thanks to Wendy and Aly for being such fantastic brides to work with!

Kelsey: Bridals

2009-07-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

This lovely lady and I took some FABULOUS pictures today as part of the Summer Days Bouquet Giveaway. Her one request was that she get lots of pictures with the details of her dress - lace, back buttons and neckline, so that's what we did!

Up to

2009-07-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

LOTS of this:

photo by Jessie Alexis Photography

More from our Summer Days Giveaway soon to come!

Summer Days Give-away

2009-05-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

I have been planning to do this for quite some time and am finally getting around to it. SAS Floral will be hosting a Summer Days Give-away photoshoot the week of July 6 with lots of fun surprises attached, so keep reading!

I have had the "design bug" for awhile now and have had a bunch of gorgeous ideas and color schemes in my head. But, I haven't yet had the opportunity to concoct these lovely creations, so I am going to now, and you, future brides and grooms, get to be the beneficiaries of it! Here's the deal.

Anyone who is getting married this summer or fall/winter (the rest of 2009) can enter the drawing. There are 8 designs and color schemes we will be working with. The talented Jessie, from Jessie Alexis Photography, will be our photographer, and she will be providing a free 8x10 for each couple. If you would like to purchase a CD of your photos, or additional copies or sizes, you can do so by contacting Jessie directly.

The designed bouquets are valued between $175 and $350, but we will be giving these bouquets away for a $75 flat-rate fee - a steal of a deal! If you decide to use SAS Floral for your wedding day or reception, and book us on or before the shoot date, we will give you 10 percent off your total wedding order.

So, here is what you do. Send us an e-mail at sasfloral@gmail.com telling us you want to enter. List your preferred color scheme (color schemes are listed below and will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis), and the date and location of your wedding. We will get back to you as soon as possible and let you know if you are a lucky winner! Once you are selected, we will tell you when and where the shoot will be and where to send payment. So, act fast, because spots will fill quickly!

Color schemes:

Blue and Green

Black and Red

Brown, Green and Creamy White

Fuchsia, Lime green, Orange and Yellow
Canary Yellow

Purple, Lavender and White

Orange, Yellow and White

Red, Green and White

This offer is good for Utah clients only.

Bearded Iris

2009-05-19T21:50:00.001-07:00

The Recap

2009-05-19T12:06:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos from two of the three weddings we had at the beginning of May. Enjoy! The picture immediately below was taken by Melissa Englebright.

Been A While

2009-05-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I have been busy with weddings! We've had three in the past week and a half and it's been a blast. Apparently, the colors to have this season are fuchsia and lime green. Pictures soon to follow from the Dziendziel, George and Holyoak weddings.

Thanks to Jessie for this lovely picture.

Thanksgiving Point Bridal Expo

2009-03-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

I won't be there this time, but THIS lovely lady will. Check out her amazing booth to enter some great giveaways. She is also kind enough to have my business cards at her booth, so you can check out the new WEB SITE.

Have a wonderful weekend!

May Wedding

2009-03-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

Our first wedding of the season (so far) will be in May. Congrats to this lovely couple!

Making the Switch

2009-01-20T08:55:00.000-08:00

Well, we're really excited about our new Web site, to be launched soon. It's been a long time coming and we'll be really glad when it's up and running. No real updates besides that. Stay tuned for the finished product.

Hilary + Andrew: Manti in the Fall

2008-12-17T11:04:00.000-08:00

This couple was so fun to work with. Not to mention that I LOVE their colors (I did the same colors for my own wedding). Here are just a few snapshots of the flowers. The flowers bloomed a little bit on their 6+ hours of trips here and there, but they are still beautiful!

These lovely photos courtesy of Brooke Snow Photography.

Other Professional Photos

2008-12-04T21:52:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos from the Arnett Wedding on November 1st. Enjoy!

The difference

2008-12-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

Here are two shots from the Whitham Wedding in May. What a difference a good photographer makes! (Way better than my point-n-shoot snapshots!) These gorgeous pictures are courtesy of Paul Johnston Photography.

Flower of the Week: Solidago

2008-11-05T15:16:00.000-08:00

Common Name: Solidago, Goldenrod

Botanical Name: Solidago

Type of flower: Filler flower
Common Colors: Yellow
Vase Life: 7 to 10 days
Availability: May through October
Why you should love Solidago: It is a wonderful filler flower and a great way to brighten an arrangement. The plant actually has medicinal properties. It is one of my favorite fillers because it looks great with practically everything. Add some life to your arrangement!

(The pictured flowers can be purchased at www.ftd.com)

Flower of the Week: Stephanotis

2008-11-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

Common Name: Stephanotis, Madagascar Jasmine

Botanical Name: Stephanotis floribunda
Type of flower: Specialty flower
Common Colors: White
Vase Life: 1 to 4 days
Availability: Year-round
Why you should love Stephanotis: They smell FANTASTIC - similar to the fragrance of Plumeria (found in Hawaii). Although they require a little special care in wiring and use, they work great for boutonnieres, corsages, and wedding designs. They are small flowers, typically pictured with pearls or other gems in the center - a gorgeous choice for adding small white accents and wonderful fragrance to a bouquet.

Tom and Mary Arnett Wedding- November 1, 2009

2008-11-02T15:01:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the newely-married Tom and Mary Arnett! Here are a few of their flowers. Burgandy Red Roses, Stephanotis, Chocolate Cosmos and Bear Grass were the choices of the night. HERE for the professional photos.

Bridal Fair: March 2008

2008-10-23T08:49:00.001-07:00

This post is a little dated, in that these pictures are from March's Bridal Fair at Provo High, but I wanted to add these photos to the collection.

Flower of the Week: Bells of Ireland

2008-10-22T15:08:00.001-07:00

Common Name: Bells of Ireland
Botanical Name: Molucella laevis
Type of flower: Line flower
Common Colors: Green
Why you should love Bells of Ireland: How many green flowers are there? Not tons. This unique flower is a summer-blooming annual that makes for great use in fresh or dried arrangements. The line flower is great for adding height and length in arrangements. But beware: this flower is geotrophic, meaning it bends with response to earth's gravity. A beautiful flower and great to work with. Another warning: when this flower gets older, it develops sharp spikes on it's blooms. Keep careful watch not to get pricked!

Image courtesy of BeyondBlossoms.com

Back to Basics

2008-10-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

This blog is meant to more than a place for past or potential clientele to view pricing information, portfolio pieces and pretty pictures. I designed this site to be a reference point for those interested in learning more about flowers as well. But, I have been short on time lately - this little one has been taking most of it.

However, I will begin, again, posting a "flower of the week" for your information and enjoyment. Stay posted. This week's flower will be listed tomorrow.

Check back in December

2008-10-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

for wedding number 3 of the season. With a bridal party of nearly 30, this is sure to be an exciting event. Congrats to Tiffany on your upcoming big day. See you December 20th.

Weddings, weddings, weddings

2008-10-02T14:46:00.001-07:00

We're very excited to report another upcoming wedding in full fall colors! Stay posted ... coming November 17th!