DIY Floating Pool Flowers for the 4th of July!

Fourth of July is about a week away and while it has always been an outdoor holiday, this year people will be celebrating by the pool more than ever!

Here are a few easy steps to create your own festive floating flowers.

Mise En Place

Oasis floral ring with plastic backing

waterproof tape

twine or bind wire

Bubble wrap

fishing line

fishing weights

scissors

red roses

white roses

blue hydrangea

white hydrangea

greenery

Queen Ann’s Lace Flower

Blue Love in a mist Flower

Optional Floating Candle

Steps

Step 1: Soak your oasis ring by placing it oasis side down in a tub of water and allowing it to soak up towards the plastic. Note: Do not press down!

Step 2: Cut your bubble wrap into strips and attach the strips to the back of the oasis wreath using your water proof tape.

Step 3: Attach 2 loops to the ring, this is where you will ultimately time your fishing line and weights so that your ring does not drift with the current.

Step 4: Start inserting flowers beginning with your largest roses, moving to hydrangea, and then smaller roses, accent greenery, queen ann’s lace and love in a puff.

Step 5: Take your floral ring to the pool and gently place it on the water. Attach weighted fishing line to the bottom of the wreath once you have it in the desired location.

Step 6: Add a candle and light it.

Note: You most likely will need to be in the pool to position them exactly where you would like them.

This design does not have to be 4th of July themed, but can be branded for any occasion.

Fleur Encore Keepsake Bauble

A great way to preserve your special event flowers and create something new is a keepsake bauble. The advantage is you can store both your dried flowers and a sentimental card, program, or invitation all together!

Mise En Place:

• Clear ornament of any shape

• Dried flowers

• Invitation, card, or program

• Scissors

• Pencil, pen, paintbrush or knitting needle

• Pipe cleaner (optional)

Step 1:

Stuff an empty ornament with dried flowers.

Step 2

If your ornament gets any dirt or dried petals stuck to the sides, use a pipe cleaner to wipe it clean

Steps 3 & 4

Cut your program/card/invite into tiny strips hi-lighting the good stuff.

Next curl the strips around a small object such as a knitting needle, paintbrush or pen

Enjoy!

If the card or program has a tassel, use it to hang the bauble. Enjoy!

Fleur Encore - DIY Recycled Candle

Have you ever wondered what to do with extra candles leftover after a special event or party? If you are like me, you probably have a hard time throwing them away, and yet can never find a use for them either.

Here is a solution. Melt them down, add a few petals from a special event, and create a new decorative keepsake candle. Here’s what you will need to do it.

Candle wax (Any kind will do, but I’m using leftover 3” floating candles)

An old pot for melting the wax

A clear glass vessel to pour the “new” candle into

Wicks

Tacky glue or adhesive spray

Flower petals

Chicken wire or some kind of grid to keep the candle wicks upright while your candle is drying.

Step 1: Use tacky glue or adhesive spray to attach dried petals and leaves to the inside of your vase. This will make sure you can see the petals through the wax. Let dry.

Step 2: Affix a wick to the bottom of the vessel with glue. If you do not secure them, they will float up. Let dry.

Step 3: Cut the wax into smaller bits so that it will melt easily.

Step 4: Using an old pot, add the wax in a little at a time. Let it melt down and then adding more.

Step 5: Mix additional dried flower petals into the wax. The more the better, medium to small petals work best.

Step 6: Carefully pour the wax and flowers into your decorated vessel.

Step 7: Create a grid to keep your candle wick in place using chicken wire or tape.

Step 8: Enjoy your Candle!

Fleur Encore recycled floral candle

Fleur Encore Potpourri Recipe

Ever wondered what to do with your flower when they begin to wilt? Make Potpourri of course!

Step 1: Dry you flowers. There are few ways to dry your flowers once they begin to fade. The first is the old fashion way, simply tie they together and hang them up side down in a warm dry place. Winter is actually an ideal time for this because the air has less humidity in it and we have our heaters going.

The second option is to cut off the flower heads and place them on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and into the oven at 200 degrees for about 30 minuets to 1 hour or until the petals seem dry. If you leave them in the oven too long they will burn, so be sure to set a timer!

Last if you are really in a hurry and just want the rose petals, pull them off the rose and place them on a single layer of paper towel. Next place them in the microwave with one paper towel on top. Set the microwave for 2 minuets and viola, dried rose petals!

Step 2: Add some scent. Most commercial flowers are lacking in fragrance, so you might want to add a few spritzes of essential oils to the dried blooms. If you do, just make sure that you let them dry completely before moving onto step 3.

Step 3: Sachet or Bowl. Choose a decorative sachet that is a transparent or loose weave fabric and place your completely dry flowers inside. The loose weave will allow the scent to escape and add fragrance to a drawer or closet.

Secret Tip: Moth Away. If you ever have problem with moths, you can add dried cloves and dried mint leave to your sachet, they are natural moth deterrents and will help keep them away from your wools and sweaters.

Last secret tip: Summer Jasmine. Jasmine blooms are one of the sweetest and most fragrant flowers in the world and are abundant during the summer month. If you pick a handful of these tiny blossoms, let them dry, and add they to your sachet, they will smell divine!

Last last secret tip: Variety. If you are making your potpourri to be decorative and go in a bowl, try adding some fun elements like pine cones, dried citrus slices, acorns, or any other naturally decorative element.

Happy First Anniversary Erin and Ryan. Elegant July Wedding at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C.

It’s no secret that The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is one of my favorite venues in Washington. I love the hotel and working with their pro staff (read: Michael Deltette). Last July, I had the pleasure of designing for a beautiful couple, Erin Loomis and Ryan Moore, who made my job easy. And receiving this email from Erin after the wedding was icing on the cake: “Thank you so much for all the amazing flowers for my wedding this weekend. They were even better than what I was picturing in my head.” Happy First Anniversary Erin and Ryan! All photos by Michael Connor of Connor Studios.

I get a lot of requests for floral arches which can be designed in a variety of shapes and sizes. It all depends on your venue and set-up. Erin and Ryan had a medium-sized arch of greenery accented with garden roses in blush and pink. The arch photographed beautifully and looked so romantic in the Mandarin’s garden.

The bouquets and boutonnieres featured all the best summer blooms in pinks and blush - from garden roses and hydrangea to ranunculus and dahlias.

You can’t beat these classic photos on the steps of The Jefferson Memorial by Connor Studios. The blush and blues really pop against the white stone monument.

For a more modern look, Connor Studios took advantage of the great waterfront views at The Wharf - just down the street from The Mandarin.

Erin and Ryan chose a tall centerpiece and a low candle design for their reception which created an elegant setting for the dinner. We also designed a signature escort arrangement and added fresh blooms to their beautiful wedding cake by Buttercream Bakeshop.

Washington, D.C. Historic Wedding Venues and Happy First Anniversary to Danielle and Michael. May Wedding at Woodlawn Estate

Washington, D.C. is full of historic venues that make for beautiful weddings, including this one just down the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Alexandria, Virginia. The history of Woodlawn Estate started with a wedding which makes it an even more perfect venue for your nuptials. In 1799, the one and only George Washington gave Woodlawn to his step-grand-daughter, Eleanor "Nelly" Parke Custis and his nephew, Lawrence Lewis. Today, Woodlawn offers an outdoor setting with tented areas surrounded by beautiful gardens and landscaping. Not to mention, the mansion makes a gorgeous backdrop for any event. Also located on the property is the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Pope-Leighey House which is available to rent as well. Both are listed as National Trust for Historic Preservation sites.

Woodlawn Estate is beautiful in springtime and this bride and groom did it justice. Danielle and Michael were wonderful to work with and look stunning in their pictures. Photographer Anna Reynal shot so many beautiful images, it’s hard to choose just one - so forgive me while I share them all (not really).

Beautiful Bride Danielle in her Essence of Australia wedding gown from Wren Bridal in Annapolis. Make-up by Georgetown Bride.

So much love and emotion in this shot.

Groom Michael in Hugo Boss.

Danielle’s bouquet was a wild and organic spring mix of roses, blue delphinium, hyacinth, white stock, orchids and a variety of greenery. Her bouquet was finished with blue and white streaming ribbons.

The bridesmaids carried smaller versions of the bride’s bouquet, also finished with streaming ribbons.

Two gold urns full of hydrangea, roses and greenery and placed on pedestals flanked the couple during their ceremony.

Happy First Anniversary Danielle and Michael. Wishing you many more happy years to come.

Happy First Anniversary Caroline and John - Classic Washington Wedding at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church and The National Press Club

It’s been awhile since you’ve seen me design a classic, all white Washington wedding. Despite all the bright blooms and Design Master color on my Instagram feed, classic all white is something I adore. So on this occasion of Caroline Gunther and John Ismay’s first anniversary, I thought it would be a good time to share some pictures of their beautiful and timeless wedding at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church and The National Press Club. All photos by Erin Tetterton Photography.

Caroline hired Jewel Hair Design and Blend Makeup Artistry for her hair and make-up.

A beautiful picture of Caroline and her Father - I love how her kind and thoughtful personality comes through in all the photos.

Caroline chose an all white, rounded peony bouquet - classic and always in style.

John wore a detailed white ranunculus boutonniere accented by grey brasilia berry and finished with a coordinating satin ribbon.

A sweet and petite flower crown of spray roses was made for the flower girl who carried a basket of petals finished with a dusty pink ribbon.

Details… details. Erin Tetterton did a lovely job of capturing all the little things that made Caroline and John’s day so elegant.

The bridesmaids also carried all white bouquets which were slightly smaller and made of polo roses nestled in hydrangea.

Great moment captured outside St. Aloysius Gonzaga Catholic Church.

I love this portrait and am so happy to see the aisle flowers went home with him.

For their reception at The National Press Club, Caroline and John carried the dusty blue, pink and grey colors to their centerpieces made of hydrangea and roses.

The wedding cake by Edibles Incredible accented with a simple spray of flowers.

Happy anniversary Caroline and John! Wishing you many years of happiness.

Cherry Blossom Photos in Washington D.C. at the Jefferson Memorial

As a collector of experiences, I wanted to see what it felt like to wake up at 5:30 a.m. and arrive in D.C. an hour later to experience a cherry blossom photo session. It actually felt pretty good! I am not a morning person by any means, but it was thrilling to join the other photo seekers at the Jefferson Memorial. Luckily for me, I was joined by Brittany Branson, Nika Smirnoff, and our photographer Casey Marie Windsor. After seeing these photos, I think the early wake up call was worth it!

J.Crew Fashion Night with Erica Natal and Leigh Heiserman

Have you seen @ericalnatal on Instagram lately? She is hustling - and making some real headway - by generating creative and compelling content. Recently, she partnered with J.Crew in Georgetown for a spring shopping party and asked me to design some flowers for the event. Her buddy Leigh Heiserman from Lauryn Prattes Styling and Events stopped by to share in the fun which made for great photos.

All photos by Erica’s company, Solely In Focus. Daisy macaroons by Buttercream Bakeshop.

Erica and Leigh

My Wedding at Oxon Hill Manor

Truly, I have so much to say about my wedding at Oxon Hill Manor, but mostly I just wanted to share the pictures with you. So here are a few of my favorites from our wedding almost 7 years ago. Yes, I did the flowers myself (with generous support from my friends Antje Wood, Tricia Siudet and The Enchanted Florist, VA). All photos are by Lisa Boggs Photography, day of coordination by Kelly Cannon Events. The motorcycle is a Paul Smart Ducati and the cake is by Maggie Austin Cake.

Cherry Blossom Photos Washington DC a DIY Guide - Parking and Photography

While notorious for meticulous planning when it involves my clients, when it comes to fun projects just for me, “Spontaneous” is probably the nicest word that could be used to describe me.

When I heard peak Cherry time had been moved up a couple of days, I wanted in on the action, and I wanted in now. My first thought was to ping a couple of my professional photographer friends to see if they had any “Cherry Blossom Sessions” left, but most were completely booked or couldn’t work within my last minuet time frame. Most professional photographers only guarantee a handful of time slots because of the unpredictability of the Cherry Trees blossoming.

Following so many #igdc photographers I realized that I could probably get some great photos with just my iPhone and good lighting. So next I tapped a few people I identify as “creative hustlers” who would probably be down for an early morning if it meant some good content. I also put a flyer up on my Instagram Stories asking if anyone wanted to join me in the joy of waking up at 5:30.

Within a few hours, By Brittany Branson, Calligraphette & Co, and even a real photographer, Marie Windsor Photography were all on board! Now technically there are rules to taking photos at the monuments, and if you are working with a professional photographer they need to apply for a permit. Since we were going as friends, and working mostly with our iphones we thought we were probably ok. Just no props and no tripods, I have haerd that fines can be issued in the thousands of dollars range.

Never having been part of a Cherry Blossom session myself, I really didn’t know what to expect. Would there be parking, how early do we really need to get there?

I have heard that the best time to be there is before sunrise, so since sunrise was at 6:59 am we decided to meet at 6:30am. This was a good idea, and meeting at 6:15am might have been an even better idea, but really that is just way too early!

Coming from Alexandria, VA I took the parkway over Memorial Bridge, bore to the right and then turned left to follow the road along the water towards the Jefferson Memorial. My idea was to park in the lot closest in front to the memorial but it was closed. I continued to follow the road closet to the Jefferson and eventually saw a sign for Public Parking. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was doing, but decided to trust the signage and turned left. Just a little down that road there was a parking lot with lots of spaces at 6:28am. It is pay parking and I used my Park Moblie App, zone 5811 and was on my way. The walk from the lot to the steps of the Jefferson is about 10 minuets.

Brittany had been the first to arrive and remarked that waiting alone at 6:25 in the morning had been kind of creepy, but that in the time she had gone in to use the ladies room (so yes there are some restrooms) and come back out, 2 couples were already in the midst of their engagement sessions.

Having been admiring Connor Studios portraits, for a year, I wanted to try and get the same angle so we walked clockwise around the water from the memorial. By 6:55 another photographer and family, were in the spot I had spied on our walk in. Trust me, jockeying for position gets real, which is why you may want to come even earlier than 6:30. I guess it’s just human nature, but sometimes I forget to be all zen and polite.

By 7:05 the sun was making its way up, and the sky was showing signs of brilliant yellow and red. We took turns posing in pairs of two and as a group. We captured the cherries with the Washington Monument, and the Jefferson and then took a few through the blooms themselves.

We photographed until about 7:30am which by then the place was drawing with couples, families, photographers, instagram models, joggers and bikers!

Brittany and Nika had appointments to head off too and Casey Marie and I wandered a little further down the path. Eventually we were tired and felt we had enough photos, by 8:00 I was back in my car and heading home.

The Cherry Trees were not quite a peak, and something about being up and in the presence of such powerful elegance is intoxicating, so I may just have to do this again!

Historic Meridian House Wedding

Last October, I had the pleasure of designing for a special couple who were married at the historic Meridian House designed by architect John Russell Pope. This weekend is Megan and Coult’s first anniversary and I wanted to take a moment to celebrate them. Looking back through the photos by Djenno Bacvic, it’s hard to find a frame where they aren’t smiling or laughing — and not just little smiles, we’re talking big smiles that go ear to ear.

Megan and Coult’s outdoor ceremony was full of white and peach flowers, including an all white chuppah accented with greenery.

What an entrance! The gardens at Meridian House are in bloom from April to October and provide the perfect setting for a wedding. Maria Canellis, Director of Events, is an expert at making private events and weddings magical.

There’s that big smile again.

Wedding Planner Molly Radigan was hard at work on all the details behind the scenes.

I like this bird’s eye view of the party in the linden grove. Catering by Natalie Walker, Event Coordinator for Well Dunn Catering.

Sparklers and one more big smile for the road.

Happy memories of a happy couple. Congratulations on your first anniversary!

Cherry Blossom Photos Washington DC a DIY Guide - Parking and Photography

While notorious for meticulous planning when it involves my clients, when it comes to fun projects just for me, “Spontaneous” is probably the nicest word that could be used to describe me.

When I heard peak Cherry time had been moved up a couple of days, I wanted in on the action, and I wanted in now. My first thought was to ping a couple of my professional photographer friends to see if they had any “Cherry Blossom Sessions” left, but most were completely booked or couldn’t work within my last minuet time frame. Most professional photographers only guarantee a handful of time slots because of the unpredictability of the Cherry Trees blossoming.

Following so many #igdc photographers I realized that I could probably get some great photos with just my iPhone and good lighting. So next I tapped a few people I identify as “creative hustlers” who would probably be down for an early morning if it meant some good content. I also put a flyer up on my Instagram Stories asking if anyone wanted to join me in the joy of waking up at 5:30.

Within a few hours, By Brittany Branson, Calligraphette & Co, and even a real photographer, Marie Windsor Photography were all on board! Now technically there are rules to taking photos at the monuments, and if you are working with a professional photographer they need to apply for a permit. Since we were going as friends, and working mostly with our iphones we thought we were probably ok. Just no props and no tripods, I have haerd that fines can be issued in the thousands of dollars range.

Never having been part of a Cherry Blossom session myself, I really didn’t know what to expect. Would there be parking, how early do we really need to get there?

I have heard that the best time to be there is before sunrise, so since sunrise was at 6:59 am we decided to meet at 6:30am. This was a good idea, and meeting at 6:15am might have been an even better idea, but really that is just way too early!

Coming from Alexandria, VA I took the parkway over Memorial Bridge, bore to the right and then turned left to follow the road along the water towards the Jefferson Memorial. My idea was to park in the lot closest in front to the memorial but it was closed. I continued to follow the road closet to the Jefferson and eventually saw a sign for Public Parking. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was doing, but decided to trust the signage and turned left. Just a little down that road there was a parking lot with lots of spaces at 6:28am. It is pay parking and I used my Park Moblie App, zone 5811 and was on my way. The walk from the lot to the steps of the Jefferson is about 10 minuets.

Brittany had been the first to arrive and remarked that waiting alone at 6:25 in the morning had been kind of creepy, but that in the time she had gone in to use the ladies room (so yes there are some restrooms) and come back out, 2 couples were already in the midst of their engagement sessions.

Having been admiring Connor Studios portraits, for a year, I wanted to try and get the same angle so we walked clockwise around the water from the memorial. By 6:55 another photographer and family, were in the spot I had spied on our walk in. Trust me, jockeying for position gets real, which is why you may want to come even earlier than 6:30. I guess it’s just human nature, but sometimes I forget to be all zen and polite.

By 7:05 the sun was making its way up, and the sky was showing signs of brilliant yellow and red. We took turns posing in pairs of two and as a group. We captured the cherries with the Washington Monument, and the Jefferson and then took a few through the blooms themselves.

We photographed until about 7:30am which by then the place was drawing with couples, families, photographers, instagram models, joggers and bikers!

Brittany and Nika had appointments to head off too and Casey Marie and I wandered a little further down the path. Eventually we were tired and felt we had enough photos, by 8:00 I was back in my car and heading home.

The Cherry Trees were not quite a peak, and something about being up and in the presence of such powerful elegance is intoxicating, so I may just have to do this again!

Happy First Anniversary Claire and Brendan! All White Spring Wedding at the Sagamore Pendry in Baltimore

March is here and that means it’s time to wish Claire and Brendan a happy first anniversary. Their wedding was truly a dream - they are a gorgeous couple that complements each other in every way.

The Sagamore Pendry Hotel provided the perfect backdrop for this beautiful all white wedding planned by Tiffany Rivera of Simply Breathe Events. I also had the chance to work with the fabulous Maren White; Maren is now back in town as the Director of Catering and Special Events at The Conrad Washington, D.C.

Photos by Steve and Jane Pilkerton

I love designing a show-stopping arrangement for the escort table. Claire and Brendan’s tall arrangement included white garden roses, hydrangea, orchids and white pear blossoms.

Photos by Steve and Jane Pilkerton

Claire and Brendan’s soundtrack for the night was created by DJ Kelton Higgins. Check him out - he’s wonderful to work with and is getting married himself in just a few months.

Photos by Steve and Jane Pilkerton

Claire carried a classic, all white rounded bouquet of David Austin Patience garden roses and peonies with just a hint of greenery. About half of my brides choose a classic style like this for their bouquet; the other half opt for something organic, wild and free flowing.

Photos by Steve and Jane Pilkerton

Claire and Brendan were married under an all white floral chuppah.

Photos by Steve and Jane Pilkerton

The couple chose tall, dramatic centerpieces to highlight the architecture of the ballroom at the Sagamore Pendry. As you can see, the centerpieces were on double duty for the wedding day - we used them for both the ceremony and the reception which is a great way to get more out of your wedding flowers.

Photos by Steve and Jane Pilkerton

Pear blossoms and these little blue bird ornaments gave this late March wedding a unique spring feel. Happy March, Happy Spring! And Congratulations Claire and Brendan.

DIY Over The Top Wreaths! As seen on #GoodDayDC @Fox5dc

Just like yours, my holiday season has been busy! Lots of designing fresh flowers for parties and plenty of homes to decorate. So far, my December favorite has been making what I call the “Over The Top” wreath.

This is a close up of the wreath I made for @blonde_inthedistrict which started this season’s trend!

For this wreath, you glue on every holiday bauble you can find and call it a day. Keep reading if you want a little more instruction on how to do it.

Step 1: Gather materials. You will need a wreath form (can be fresh or faux), scissors, fabric scissors, wire, glue gun, extra glue sticks and lots of baubles! Note: A wreath is a great place to use any broken ornaments that you have been saving and just can’t stand to throw away!

Step 2: Glue your biggest ornaments first.

Step 3: Wind beaded garland or tinsel around your big ornaments.

Step 4: Add your fun and/or special ornaments. I always try to choose ones that match the personality of the recipient. Dani’s (@blonde_inthedistrict) wreath reflected her fun and royal personality!

Step 5: Add any “picked” decorations. Hint - Cut them into pieces so you can get a lot more out of them.

Step 6: Hang it on a door and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! Here are a few more “Over The Top” wreath designs from this season.

This wreath hangs on my front door and is made from broken ornaments. I talked about it on my 12/11/19 appearance on Fox 5 - Good Day DC with @producer_stewart and @hollylivefox5

For more on that check out my Insta Stories!

Two More of my favorites! The light pink one was for Julie at @strawberrymilkevents - @Studiomilk_ holiday decor and the other for @lucysyarnpocket.

Children’s National Hospital and Light Up The Season on December 16, 2018 at The Four Seasons Hotel, Washington

The holidays are fast approaching and I wanted to take a minute to shine a light on a cause near and dear to my heart. It’s called Light Up the Season and it benefits Children’s National Hospital. The event (formerly known as The Georgetown Jingle) raises money to support the Hospital and is held every year at The Four Seasons Hotel. Each year, 12-15 of Washington’s top interior designers and florists are invited to decorate a tree or holiday item, like a wreath, menorah or mantle piece, that is then auctioned off at a fun family-friendly afternoon event (buy tickets here). Last summer, I was excited and honored to receive an email from the event’s organizers asking me to participate for the second year in a row.

The process works like this: Every designer is partnered with a Children’s National Hospital patient and together the patient “artist” and designer work to come up with a fantasy holiday theme. This summer, I had the pleasure of meeting a sweet young lady named Annabelle.

As I talked to Annabelle about what she would like to see on her tree, she drew the small picture below. Her favorite color is blue, her sister’s favorite color is lavender, and, of course, mine is purple. Naturally, we were already in harmony!

Annabelle very much liked the idea of woodland animals and an enchanted snowy forest. We also agreed there should be some bells on the tree as a nod to her name. After combining Annabelle’s ideas and my vision, I decided the theme of our tree would be “Over The River and Through The Woods.”

The next step was to begin the work of decorating a tree. In recent years, I have found myself missing the camaraderie and aesthetic kismet that comes from working with a large group of volunteer designers. Heavily influenced by my time in the White House Floral Shop under Former Chief Florist Laura Dowling, I wanted to recreate this experience and feeling. So I reached out to all my creative friends and asked them to help me #craftforacause. The response was incredible; I am so warmed by the generous people in my creative community!

I hosted the first #craftforacause party at my home in mid September. As the saying goes, “many hands make light work” and the attendees produced dozens of floral hoop wreaths made out of yarn and felt. Thanks to Anne Kelley, Carleigh Smith, Emily Alyssa, Jasmine Ellesse, Maria Kessel and Vicky Choy for kicking off #craftforacause!

Photo by Marie Windsor Photography

The second #craftforacause party was held on a beautiful late September day at Periwinkle, a lovely clothing boutique in Old Town, Alexandria. Marie Windsor Photography joined us and took lots of detailed photos. Pamela Vetrini of Cheats and Meeses brought us a delicious cheese board extravaganza to fuel our designs. The designers for our second party included Elizabeth from Periwinkle, Kelley Cannon, Janice Carnevale, Lindsay Kidwell, Jasmine Ellesse and Nicole Nespor. It was fun to see how unique everyone’s designs were and how different they were from the first party.

There was one more #craftforacause party this weekend and I can’t wait to show you those designs too!

The finishing touch on my tree comes from Accent Decor who generously donated dozens of beautiful glass and felt ornaments. These handcrafted ornaments are just what I needed to complete the tree’s wintery woodlands theme. While it is not guaranteed that Annabelle can attend the event, I sure hope she can because I think she will love what we have created.

Thank you to everyone who came out to #craftforacause. And thanks in advance to those will help set-up and decorate the tree in preparation for the big event on December 16. I’ll make sure to share pictures of the finished product once it is complete!

Happy First Anniversary Claire and Brendan! All White Spring Wedding at the Sagamore Pendry in Baltimore

March is here and that means it’s time to wish Claire and Brendan a happy first anniversary. Their wedding was truly a dream - they are a gorgeous couple that complements each other in every way.

The Sagamore Pendry Hotel provided the perfect backdrop for this beautiful all white wedding planned by Tiffany Rivera of Simply Breathe Events. I also had the chance to work with the fabulous Maren White; Maren is now back in town as the Director of Catering and Special Events at The Conrad Washington, D.C.

Photos by Steve and Jane Pilkerton

I love designing a show-stopping arrangement for the escort table. Claire and Brendan’s tall arrangement included white garden roses, hydrangea, orchids and white pear blossoms.

Photos by Steve and Jane Pilkerton

Claire and Brendan’s soundtrack for the night was created by DJ Kelton Higgins. Check him out - he’s wonderful to work with and is getting married himself in just a few months.

Photos by Steve and Jane Pilkerton

Claire carried a classic, all white rounded bouquet of David Austin Patience garden roses and peonies with just a hint of greenery. About half of my brides choose a classic style like this for their bouquet; the other half opt for something organic, wild and free flowing.

Photos by Steve and Jane Pilkerton

Claire and Brendan were married under an all white floral chuppah.

Photos by Steve and Jane Pilkerton

The couple chose tall, dramatic centerpieces to highlight the architecture of the ballroom at the Sagamore Pendry. As you can see, the centerpieces were on double duty for the wedding day - we used them for both the ceremony and the reception which is a great way to get more out of your wedding flowers.

Photos by Steve and Jane Pilkerton

Pear blossoms and these little blue bird ornaments gave this late March wedding a unique spring feel. Happy March, Happy Spring! And Congratulations Claire and Brendan.

Happy First Anniversary Sarah and Keith!

Slainte! Cheers to Sarah and Keith who are celebrating their first wedding anniversary this weekend.  The photos of their classic Old Town, Alexandria wedding are so beautiful and full of happiness that I thought they deserved another look.

Sarah+Keith on the grounds of historic Christ Church in Old Town, Alexandria.  The church opened its doors to parishioners in 1773 - including the future president George Washington - just before the start of the American Revolution.

Sarah's airy bouquet in greens and whites was a perfect match to Keith's tartan kilt.  The bouquet included white roses and orchids, blooming clematis vine and greenery.

All smiles behind the scenes with the talented Sara Pete of Sincerely Pete Events. Sara and her team have more than 16 years of experience planning weddings and more.

The charming wee lad and lassie.

Elegant bride and groom cakes accented with fresh flowers by Morgan Phillips Cakes.

Another shot of the groom's cake adorned with fresh Scottish Thistle and tartan ribbon.

More classic greens and whites for the table arrangements.  

Not just any wedding invitation - custom artwork and a pop of color on these unique invitations by Artisan Matchmaker.

Love this shot of Sarah+Keith celebrating at Eammon's in Old Town.

Happy First Anniversary and Cheers! 

About Me

Family. Flowers. Sweets... And if I'm being totally honest, reality TV.

Hi, I'm Atelier Ashley, at least that's what my friends have been calling me lately. But that's ok, I like it. I also like desserts, emails and a hundred other things I could tell you about.  Instead, I am going to try to focus on why I decided to open my own shop.

This is me on my wedding day outside of The Alexandrian Hotel

My son Finnley will be a one year old on June 21.  I insist that he is a Gemini (like his mama) even though it could be argued that he is technically a Cancer.

To say that life has changed would be cliche, to say that having a baby rocked my world in ways that I couldn't have imagined would be an understatement.  Recently, I learned that the brain literally changes after childbirth. Hmm, good to know.

Finnley and me at the Yayoi Kusuma exhibit at the Hirshorn Museum

For the last 10 years, I have been perfectly happy being a lead designer in other people's shops.  Life was easy. Go to work, make beautiful things, go home, paint and craft.  No real responsibility, no real reward.

I had planned to take a year off to just be Finnley's mommy.  But about three weeks in, I knew that without flowers and a creative outlet, I was not my best self.  So I started scrambling.

I tried this, then that.  Planned for this, then planned for that, but nothing was really coming together.  Floundering, it soon became clear to me that the time had come to take a chance and go all in on starting a studio of my own.

Glorious slow grown flowers

That was in January and it has been full steam ahead.  If I'm being 100% honest, I will tell you that it has not been entirely easy to find clients.  I spend a good part of my days reaching out to wedding planners, venues, photographers and other wedding professionals to let them know I have gone out on my own and would love an opportunity to collaborate with them.

I got this great packing tape from Sticker Mule

Surprisingly, or not surprisingly, it has been the love from other established florists (shout out to Lisa Sommer of Petals and Promises in particular) that has sent brides my way and helped me to start filling dates on my 2017 calendar.  I couldn't be more grateful.

The autonomy of being my own boss is motivating, but the ability to offer designs, creative ideas and budget friendly solutions is even more empowering.  

It feels good to say "yes" and know that I can deliver what I have promised.