Utterly Engaged...Round 2!

We're so sorry that we've been neglecting our blog. I'd like to blame it all on being busy, but sometimes we get lazy too. We admit, we are florists and not writers and appreciate it if you got this far into the paragraph. We thank you for your interest! :D

We have awesome brides and clients and wish we could share their stories with you. And part of the truth is, we are (seriously) (finally) working on our website and we're carefully selecting what we want to present. We've worked with a lot of amazing vendors in the last few months and are excited to share those weddings with you when the website is up and running (end of the month, fingers crossed!).

Today I just really wanted to share the excitement of being part of Utterly Engaged Magazine in their newest issue!


All of the vibrant details were captured by the amazing Ellsworth Photography.

When Eva from Utterly Engaged contacted us about doing some bouquets, she said the theme was rock n' roll, the models would have tattoos, and she left the rest up to us. We interpreted this as lots of rich jewel tones, feathery accents, lots of texture, and pops of black. And here are the bouquets we created:




We cannot wait to see the rest of the images they got during the photo shoot! Please check out the new Utterly Engaged e-zine for ideas, fantastic tips, creative vendors, and eye candy galore!

A "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Inspired Wedding - Utterly Engaged Issue #4

We've been anxious to revel our featured spread in the most current issue of the newly popular Utterly Engaged e-magazine.

We were so inspired by Holly Golightly's free spirited nature in the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" that we created a ceremony and cocktail reception catered towards the DIY bride. We featured simple projects including: custom coffee cup jackets, fabric chiffon flowers, and paper party blowers which transforms the simplest event decor into a personalized affair to remember.

Click on the picture above to see more of our spread in Utterly Engaged.

A Green Composition

Leftover flowers after a wedding usually means two things:

1.) we get to make someone really happy with an unexpected arrangement or
2.) we get to play and experiment with bouquets and boutonnieres

After last Saturday's wedding, we found ourselves with a few vases of sweet pea, hydrangea, coxcomb, and roses. We set forth with some ideas of an emerald green bridesmaid dress in mind, along with a vintage (but quirky) feel, and incorporating the newest color trend of gray. Here's what we made:

1st row {berzillia on a capiz shell | dresses by jenny yoo | sweet pea pin-on with coxcomb collar}

2nd row {coxcomb & manzanita boutonniere| dogwood with berzillia pods | sweet pea bouquet}
3rd row {hydrangea bouquet | green hydrangea flowergirl posy | table # by www.papeteriestore.com}

Open House with PPE & Steven Lam Photography

Wow, it's been awhile since we last blogged! In the last month we've been chugging along with planning a fleureticademia schedule, working on our website, meeting brides, designing weddings, and going to industry events (and meeting more awesome people in the wedding industry).

As you might recall, we used to share an office with Kelley Gin of Picture Perfect Events. However, with Kelley's expanding clientele on the Westside, it was an obvious decision to move towards thataway to be closer to her brides. We were so excited for her when she partnered up with Steven Lam Photography and found a loft style office suite with plenty of natural light, big windows, and a roof to chill on. :)

Last week, PPE and Steven Lam Photography hosted their Open House where they invited their friends and family to check out their new studio.

*Justin from Huntington Catering provided good eats like mini quesadillas, pumpkin pie tartlettes, tortilla soup shooters | Kelley's talented brother, DJ Orbit, spun cool mixes throughout the night | Mendy Pound of Cakes by the Pound displayed a cute 'dummy cake' and brought in her heavenly blackout, red velvet, strawberry, and pistachio cakes (on homemade sugar discs) | Theresa Huang from TH Makeup Design beautified all the women at the party with fancy lashes

What's a party without...

*sweet tea was served in personalized mason jars - party favors anyone?

Two of our favorite invitation designers also participated:

*Kim from Papeterie Store made letterpress coasters (very Jonathan Adler-ish) | Tianyi from Tiselle passed out letterpress cards to all the guests (I can't bear to use my 'I'm Sorry' card)

We provided the flowers for the party and added tones of fuchsia, magenta, and grey to the modern airiness of the loft:


Some shots of Kendra and me:

*L-R, CW: kendra getting her lash on | theresa (from thmakeup) and me | kendra, our friend tracy, and me | kendra and her husband art (who had to crouch down to get his 6'7" build into the picture)

*L-R: Emily (thmakeup), Steven + Carmen Lam (super cool couple and super cool photographers), Theresa (thmakeup), Kelley (PPE...we miss you), Tianyi (Tiselle - her cards are going to be sold at Paper Source!), Tracy, me and Kendra

Congratulations to PPE and Steven Lam Photography on an event well hosted! :)

Pasadena Love

Kristin & Eric said their vows on a blissfully warm, May afternoon at the Los Angeles Arboretum and we were lucky enough to have a small part in it. I love how Caroline Tran (artist behind the lens) framed them within the chaos of the willow sculpture - it's all about taking a moment from the craziness of this world to say "I Love You".


The color scheme was to take key from the plaid kilt that Eric would be wearing, accented with soft yellowy golds and creams.

*Left, bridesmaid's bouquet consisting of lisianthus, 'creme' and 'blizzard' rose, ranunculus, and bupleurum. Right, bridal bouquet with roses, freesia, peonies, bupleurum, accents of red anemones and umbrella fern.

Kristin opted for a wedding that was formal and traditional (honoring Eric's Scottish heritage) yet infusing some 'Californian aesthetic'. Kristin designed the invites herself and neatly tied it all together with the invitations - the rose motif is by a Scottish artist who was part of the Arts & Crafts movement:

*i'm a sucker for detail shots!

The reception was held at the Rococo Room in Pasadena. The centerpieces were mixed arrangements of roses, stock, freesia, alstromeria, hypericum, bupleurum, lisianthus with accents of red spray roses:
.

Kristin and Eric had tiramisu instead of cake which, fyi, Cafe Santorini has the best in Pasadena!



But at the end of it all, there's nothing sweeter than...



Many happy wishes to Kristin & Eric!

Get Schooled in Crafts!

We are so excited to announce our newest venture :

We've been so blessed to work in a creative environment and while we love flowers as our medium, we also have a penchant for textiles, paper, tools, and food! Someone recently suggested that we host a design class and the ideas of incorporating all of our hobbies started flowing. We wanted to bring people together and encourage them through creativity as well as give them an opportunity to debrief from the conundrums of work. Thus Fleureticademia was birthed, not so much as a class, but more as a creative outlet to learn crafts like scrapbooking, quilling, food decor, vase wrapping, and oh yes, flowers!

Our first session of the summer took place a few days ago and totally rocked. We invited a few of our past brides as well as Theresa (from th makeup design) to test the waters and had a fantastic time chatting, eating, arranging, and decorating.

We love to eat and cook so we provided a few snacks - otherwise, what kind of hosts would we be? We spun playful names for our food because we're corny like that. :)

*egg salad sandwiches, fondue bar, champagne with blueberries, mango shrimp salad, and antipasto skewers

And of course, the sweets (I wanted to add mini donuts to the fondue bar but got vetoed):

*fondue platter featuring marshmallow lollipops, fruit spears, pound cake, a chandelier with cookie cups, the dark chocolate fondue, and a doily cup of cookies to go

Our project of the night was wrapping coffee cans (courtesy of Trader Joe's) with fabric. We provided various patterns of cotton and taught the girls how to wrap the cans using posterboard. Then we let them loose in our ribbon/bead/feather library :
Our sample cans were so simple and elementary compared to the ones they made. They really went all out and expressed their personalities through their vases. We also went over brief pointers on purchasing and arranging flowers and provided lisianthus, roses, and hydrangea for bouquets.

These are so freakin' cool. I'm really proud of them!

If you're looking to host a small bridal shower, wanting to make your own wedding flowers, or looking for a place to chill with your girl friends, we can create a class that caters around your event. We're also going to be doing a series of classes for individuals to sign up as well. If you're a designer wanting to branch out and teach a class, you're welcome to use our space too!

Feel free to contact us with more information if you're interested - fleuretica@gmail.com or 626.797.4759. Come and get schooled (and fed)!

The Comforts of Home

Welcome to Katie & Bragi's wedding!
From the very beginning, Katie had a vision that her wedding would be 'earthy, rustic, natural and personal'. She chose to have her wedding at her sister's house which made it even more special. On our first site visitation, I was just in awe of the house - it was heavily fortressed by trees and calmed with the soothing sounds of a waterfall that trickled into a stream that ran along the center of the yard. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought I was at some mountain resort - not in the heart of Los Angeles!

The ceremony took place underneath a tree where we strung mason jars filled with floating flowers:

The bridal bouquet consisted of anemones, veronica, daffodil, sweet pea, freesia, wheat stalks, finished with camelia and hosta leaves. We created bridesmaid bouquets of green blooms using helebores, succulents, viburnum, and bits of bupleurum. We wrapped the stems using galax and leather twine.


Katie's nephew served as the ringbearer - his piercing blue eyes and slightly askew bowtie gives this fellow such character! He held a bird's nest with mood moss and a succulent. More leather twine held the (fake) rings.


The boutonnieres were succulents with hypericum, curly willow, silver dollar eucalyptus and dogwood, complete with Bragi's own personal touch:

I find that I can't continue without singing the praises of Lindsey and April from Sweet Monday Photography. They captured everything so well with a quality that is, well...sweet. These two gals are just down to earth and personable & I can see why Katie chose them for her wedding. Their bio states that they once drove to six places looking for pie - something Kendra and I can instantly relate to! :)

Apparently they blogged right before the wedding about wanting to get a picture of moss initials. Coincidentally, we did moss letters with succulents and manzanita branches to greet guests as they entered:

The couple looking blithe and happy. Katie made such a beautiful bride!

Katie wanted the flowers to have a just-gathered-from the garden effect using blooms that weren't formal or rigid. Mason jars lined the center of the table along with vases of candles. Each candle was accented with pine cones, sword fern, wheat stalks, coffee beans or curly willow loops.


The rustic wooden tables are from Classic Party Rentals, along with the chargers and cube salt & pepper shakers. Please note that the following subpar quality pics are NOT from Sweet Monday but from my beloved blackberry phone...tweaked using picnik.com!

*Centerpieces consisted of freesia, mums, Star of Bethlehem, bouvardia, ranunculus, bupleurum, and honeysuckle vines.

The table cards were designed and printed by the bride as she is a talented graphic designer. Check out her site www.beodesigns.com. Throughout the wedding, Katie tied everything together with her personal touches, down to a cake topper of pine cones she found from her engagement at a ski resort!


Katie really understood that when you incorporate these kinds of special details, you guests will only know you better as a couple. That is a true celebration of a wedding! Congratulations to Katie & Bragi :)

Ask & You Shall Receive!

Tianyi from Tiselle graciously sent us pictures of Trishia & Jason's invites. Aren't they incredible?!


Accept an invitation like this, and expect an event no less!

The details on this box were nothing short of amazing. Tianyi spent hours gluing on those itty bitty crystals:


And the finishing touch:


There's just this charm about everything that Tianyi creates. Her business cards alone are works of art - I have it posted on my wall at home! Now she's going to think I'm creepy. haha

Check out Tianyi's blog to get the latest happenings of Tiselle! She will be heading to the National Stationary Show in New York this year. Did we mention that Tiselle is also eco friendly? Their committment is to "subsidize 75% of the electrical powers at our shop with solar panels thus reducing our carbon footprint. Our products are made with a combination of FSC certified 100% cotton paper sans chlorine bleach or 100% post consumer paper."

If you couldn't already tell, we're big fans and know that you will be too! :)

Wedding Extravaganza at the Westlake Four Seasons

It was deliciously toasty at the Four Seasons in Westlake Village this weekend. While it was blistering hot outside, you wouldn't have known it from standing in the center of the transformed ballroom (on a round custom dancefloor, no less!). Swagged in panels of chiffon with uplights, the venue was cool, hip, chic, and just all around magical.

(picture courtesy of Joshua Yeh : jcy3@inside.artcenter.edu)

Everyone that helped pull this look together was amazing. While certain details and elements will always stand out, vendors must depend on each other to bring out the best of what we do. Linen needs flowers needs lighting needs photographer needs venue needs bride & groom. And who puts that all together? The coordinator!

Enter: Kelley Gin from Picture Perfect Events. Although Kelley is my very good friend, I'm being objective when I say she is one of the best coordinators around. You wouldn't have guessed all the behind the scenes hurdles that went down but was never seen because Kelley rolled with the punches and pulled it off. Weddings are unpredictable...that's why you need a coordinator!

We also got to work with Ryan Phillips, with whom we've had a secret adoration for ever since seeing his Eucalyptus Lane wedding series. Swoooooooon. We are excited to see when his pictures come in! :D

Wildflower Linens provided luxurious matte satin cashmere linens with a 'Victoria Nude' overlay. We did a variation of high centerpieces:

*hydrangea, lilac, hyacinth, roses, dahlias, tulips, and calla lilies in shades of eggplant, purple, mauve, fuchsia, and deep dark reds with crystal swags

Our low centerpieces were a series of silk wrapped boxes filled the same assortment of flowers and crystal accents. Small glass vases of 'Schwarzwalder' calla lilies surrounded the breakaway set:


G2 Audio and Lighting set the mood with their fantastic lighting and Royal Events was responsible for creating the cool blank canvas with their drapery. When we got there at the end of the night to pick up our rentals, people were still hitting the dance floor to the diggable beats of DJ Orbit.

I wish I had a picture of the letterpress invitations that Tianyi from Tiselle created. You will have to stay tuned for more pictures. It was an awesome day for an awesome couple! Congrats to Trishia and Jason!!

New Galleries!

We've been selfishly hoarding pictures from weddings we've done in the last 6 months but we have now unleashed them into our smugmug gallery!

Some of the pictures you might recognize from our recent blog posts. The others might give you some fun, new ideas for the event you're planning.

You'll find the galleries:

1. Calamigos Ranch - a fairytale wedding took place under the twinkling willow arch at the venue. Soft blues, lavendar, periwinkle, and accents of brown was the color scheme. We love working with Serena Grace because she always captures all the little details and presents them with such crispness and clarity - yet it's also very feminine.

2. Trump National - a hot pink infused wedding accented with turquoise and gold. It was a romantic wedding on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific ocean. We used peonies, cyclamen, ranunculus, roses, mini calla lilies, orchids in shades of raspberry, magenta, and fuchsia. Victor Sizemore always brings us images with an ethereal feel. Soft yet modern and classic!

3. St. Regis - we were in Dana Point yet again for a whimsical wedding, complete with flowering branches, a three tiered chandelier, and soft panels of fabric. The color palette was green, ivory, and cream. This was our first time working with Dennis Santirinala, who is also a fashion photographer. We also got to work with our good friend, Theresa Huang, who created all the gorgeous looks on the bride.

4. Orange County Museum of Art - playful elements set the tone for this fun and modern wedding at the OCMA. You'll find Lego people, square boxwood topiaries, mini apples, and carved lettering on boxes. John Partridge did an awesome job representing this couple!

5. Casa Del Mar -a relaxed wedding in a grand venue with ivory, cream and accents of blue and green. The ballroom in itself is stately with crystal chandeliers, ornamental moulding, and high ceilings, but Linda Lewis not only managed to capture the warmth of the couple and their awesome family, but also depicted a fresh, hip vibe at the reception.




Hope you enjoy!

Behind the Scenes: Wilshire United Methodist

On delivery days, a hurricane of stress ripples through our store and everything is in shambles - foliage on the floor, boxes everywhere, and empty vases haphazardly sitting on some ledge. We have a general rule to get to our appointed location 1/2 hour before arrival time, so we pack up our vans as carefully and quickly as possible. There's no looking back!

*Kendra's car

*euri's car

This past weekend was no different as we headed off to the Wilshire United Methodist Church for Esther & Daniel's wedding. We met Esther at our Great Bridal Expo show at the LAX Sheraton Hotel and hit it off instantly. Esther's vision of her wedding involved pink, pink, and more pink with an accent of espresso brown. We brought in branches, coffee beans, candles and crystals. And Hello Kitty :)

Esther and Daniel originally wanted fish in their centerpieces, but as the church didn't allow pets/animals, we had to go in a different direction. We created an ocean themed arrangement for the sign-in arrangement though, complete with sand, coral, and blooms that emulated starfish.


As a kid, I had a slight obsession with dollhouse furniture because of the meticulous detail that went into creating every piece. In the same way, I see boutonnieres as miniature bouquets and have a lot of fun putting them together. If only I could do this with dollhouse furniture. :S

*our pin-ons are always labeled for easy identification

*the groom's boutonniere: mini calla, berzillia berry, and stephanotis with pink swarovski crystal

For the ceremony, we brought in reversible vases with a layered arrangement atop with trailing crystals.:

*sweet clusters of roses, ranunculus spray roses, and bouvardia. The church provided the organza draping on the aisle. Always ask what your venue provides to help you save on budget!

The reception was held at the church's grand hall, where Gothic and Romanesque architecture provided the foundation for a classic reception.


Esther and Daniel had about 30 tables. She couldn't decide between the centerpiece options we provided for her so she chose them all! We recommend this more for large receptions because you get a good amount of variation of each option.

*the manzanita with cymbidium orchid blooms with birds & moss at the base

*the birds up close

*a center vase of coffee beans and pink candles surrounded by small vases of pink flowers

*the opposite of above with an even plane of 'Titanic' pink roses nestled in coffee beans. Surrounded by three cups of candles with submerged hydrangea

*a wooden tray with roses, ranunculus, lisianthus, and stock. Three vases were nestled within with floating candles

There was actually one more centerpiece but we didn't get a picture of it! hehehe

The reception was to be hosted buffet style and I have to say, the selection of food I saw on the table was overwhelming and crazy! Props to the staff at Grace Catering for bringing in such an array of food that smelled so good and looked so tasty. :)

*oh my...and this was just 1/8 of the shot!

And remember how I said we brought in Hello Kitty? Well here she is on the cake top...

*with her Dear Daniel! They're made of foam board, carnations, pipe cleaners and clay

And no Fleuretica excursion is ever complete without a stop at some location that we wouldn't otherwise visit unless we were in the neighborhood. We had some time to kill so we visited Scoops, a little ice cream shop known for their intricate and unique flavors (goat cheese lavendar anyone?). It actually took 30 min to get there from the church, but we blame that on horrible LA traffic!

*kendra's Jim Beam Vanilla & Mocha ice cream cup

And that, in a nutshell, is how we do it. :D