dolly pearl styled sessions | editorial

A few weeks ago we got the opportunity to create super modern, luxe and organic bouquets for an upscale dress designer, Dolly Pearl. Vi, the owner, reached out to us with the most amazing mood board and of course we fell in love. It's so nice to step out of the box and create with people who have unique visions. Oh, and in case being an incredibly fashion forward designer wasn't enough, Vi is also the photographer of this shoot. (You can check out her photography here. )

The sessions were broken down into two parts.

Part one: let's get lost

The bouquet we created to accentuate the gorgeous white off-the-shoulder gown featured:

• Garden Roses in peach and blush 
• Various Eucalyptus species
• White Berries
• Spray Roses
• Seasonal Greenery

Part two: luxe love

The second gown in the style session was a long, sophisticated, sleek fit with an attached cape. We created an organic bouquet that featured:

• Viburnum 
• Seasonal Greenery

These simple shoots are the epitome of beauty and sophistication. We highly recommend that you look into Dolly Pearl's custom gowns for any special event. Bonus- everything she does is made-to-order....talk about fitting like a glove! We can't wait to work with Dolly Pearl again soon on our Maxit Studio Styles session....keep an eye out to see more of her gorgeous work!

windswept by the sea | editorial

It's always a great Wednesday when you receive gorgeous images in your inbox. While it doesn't help our constant craving for some vitamin SEA, this stunning beach shoot really brightens up this gloomy Houston day. 

Alli Bixler of Bixler Events contacted us a few months ago with this coastal palette of tan, pale blue, and ivory. We immediately got on board and created a centerpiece and bouquet. Both arrangements featured:

• Garden Roses
• Tulips
• Scabiosa
• Eucalyptus
• Berries
• Alstroemeria
• Seasonal Greenery

From Alli- "Movement and textures that mimicked the elements of the coast were a focal point for design, like the gauze table runner, raw silk ribbon, and whitewashed wooden chairs. The whole look was tied together with the small details, such as the oyster shell saltcellars and handmade paper goods."

The cake by Edible Designs by Jessie was adorned with the same flowers featured in the centerpiece and bouquet. 

Even though we didn't get to dig our toes in the sand, we were still honored to be a part of this seaside shoot. The vendors included were:

Photography: Koby Brown Photography | Styling and Design: Alli Bixler of Bixler Events | Floral Design: Maxit Flower Design | Hair and Makeup: Blushworthy | Model: Allison Kennedy | Cake: Edible Designs by Jessie | Invitation Suite: Tone & State | Bridal Gown: Charlie Brear | Gown Boutique: Unbridaled Houston | Rentals: EB Inc Events and Swift & Company | Film Scans: Richard Photo Lab

You can check out the full editorial here.  Special thank you to Bajan Wed for featuring us!

design demonstrations [teaching is my passion]

For the last several months I have had the awesome fortune of having my lovely office manager assist me with posting blogs.  She has been rocking it so much that I have been getting a little bit rusty and thought I would have my first attempt in months.  So here we go..

In the last several months we've had the pleasure of being asked to do a couple demonstrations for the local florist community.  And not only was I honored to be asked, the best part was the people I met through it all. Mayesh has been the new kid in town this year and with a large mountain to climb.  But they accomplished something I think many of us didn't think would be possible.  They created a little space for themselves in a highly competitive market.  And even better than making their space, they came in with amazing product and a warehouse full of creative, knowledgeable people.  

And of course, when they called and requested I come to do a little demonstration for their Open House/ Customer Appreciation, I said Yes! But when they told me that I would have my pick of Japanese product, I said HELL YES!! And don't think for a second I was excited to speak in front of a crowd... but I put my big girl pants on and handled business.

Let me tell you that I am fully aware at how ridiculous I look in these images as I am mid sentence, I had to post them non the less.

In this particular demonstration I focused on creating a garden arrangement, one in which could be relatable and yet able to show some tricks that others might find interesting.  Variety and texture is crucial to making this work.  And of course lets not forget to continuing varying heights of the flowers so that depth and structure can be created.

As if that wasn't the highlight of my year, the ladies of Westside Flower Exchange came a calling.  Since I first walked into that warehouse, I knew I would immediately love these ladies.  They are full of personality, and have a love affair with flowers that I immediately related to. The knowledge they hold and the insane variety of premium blooms, always keep me close.  

They were celebrating their 20th year in service, and I had no clue till the day of... I was the one designer in Houston they requested.  WHAT??? Little ol Maria Maxit of Maxit Flower Design was the designer they thought of when thinking of the one designer in 20 years of service they would like to come help celebrate their big day. 

What an honor.  They too gave me my pic at product, as they were some of the first in town to bring in peonies... you know I was immediately dying. You walk in their cooler and your heart just starts racing.  That cooler is jam packed full of the most dream worthy flowers that exist. And with hearts in my eyes, I was given direction to pick out "what ever I wish".  

Let me stop here by saying... THIS. IS. A. DREAM.

I think I fainted and went to heaven.  My go at the cooler, to pick anything I want?!!! Oh holly flowers.  I have to admit that I died of sheer joy and kinda blanked out. When I came to... people were starting to fill the room and the demonstration had to start.  Cue 'go blank again', as it's always nerve wrecking to talk in front of people.  

I went into this demonstration with the idea that I would create  a large scale arrangement.  One that would be placed at the altar or a focal point of a space.  Concentrating on having attendees see the structure of the base and how the beginnings of flower arranging starts.  With details as when to place certain flowers and why particular flowers are used when.   Did you know that the order you place flowers dramatically changes the shape of a flower arrangement?

Special thanks to all the wholesalers in Houston that have supported my journey in the crazy flower industry, I could never do it with out you! 

matt's 41st [private residence]

A few weeks ago, we were contacted by Courtney of Little Coterie to be involved with Matt's 40-ish birthday party. We instantly fell in love with Courtney's sweet soul and just HAD to say yes. We are so glad we did. While we only provided the florals, every design aspect came together seamlessly. Check out this ultra-chic birthday party below:

The arrangements that we provided were super modern and masculine. They featured:

• White & Plum Ranunculus
• Artichokes
• White Roses
• Greenery
• Succulents
• Tropical Leaves
• Mini Dark Calla Lilies 

Courtney absolutely B L E W this Birthday party out of the water. Even though we simply provided the flowers, this is one of our favorite non-wedding events to share. Intimate, chic, low-key gatherings are something special. Some of our favorite details are:

Thank you again to Courtney & Little Coterie...we can't wait to work with y'all more! Special thank you to Lawrence Knox Photography for these gorgeous images. Lastly, Happy Birthday Matt! (Yes, we are incredibly jealous of you & your shindig.)

callie + steven [briscoe manor]

Y'all, I will never understand how we get so lucky with our clients. They are always so trusting, kind and just plain H A P P Y.                     [Knocks on wood.] 

Callie & Steven are no exception when it comes to rockstar clients. These newlyweds were an absolute dream to work with. We're so excited to have photos from their big day to share with you, courtesy of Luke and Cat. Besides practically being the most amazing models (part in thanks to Hey Lovely), you can really see the love and joy in their hearts when you see them. If you know us, you know that is one of our absolute favorite things!

Callie & Steven got hitched at Briscoe Manor in Richmond, TX in January of this year. We couldn't have asked for better weather. The ceremony was held in the Briscoe Chapel, cocktail hour was in Amy's Courtyard and the reception was in the gorgeous Crofton Ballroom. 

For their special day, Callie held a bright and bold garden bouquet filled with:

• Rose
• Spray Rose
• Ranunculus
• Scabiosa
• Veronica
• Tulips
• Berries
• Freesia
• Anemone
• Eucalyptus 

Steven donned a simple boutonniere made with a ranunculus. 

The bridal party followed suit with bright florals, similar to the bride's but smaller in size. The groomsmen also wore boutonnières made of ranunculus.

The ceremony was simple and focused on their act of exchanging vows. They didn't want too many distractions, so we kept it dainty and minimal. We added greenery garland on the pews and the table hosting the unity candle. 

Cocktail hour was held in the courtyard. Our greenery garland dressed up the wooden bar and seating chart. Small single bud arrangements sat on the bar high tables covered in a sultry steel blue velvet linen. The day of coordination & lounge areas were executed by Pomp & Circumstance.

The reception was one of our favorite parts of the day. We had special wood blocks handmade for their head table to arrange with small compote mixes and candles to create a "garland" that was unexpected. Single stems of tulips were placed at each setting. 

Guest tables were draped with a white linen. We mixed medium compote style arrangements with groupings of the blocks to create varying heights throughout the room. 

Wrapping up- Can we just take a minute to talk about this cake by Cakes by Gina?! The 5-tier cake had some major style going on. Marbled buttercream, gold leaf and a sash of flowers truly made this guy a show-stopper. We can only imagine how good this tasted....

We were so honored to be a part of this unexpectedly bright winter wedding. Callie & Steven, we wish you many many years of wedded bliss! Thank you for trusting us and our vision for your wedding. XOXO