Blog - Garden by the Gate Floral Design

January 27, 2018February 1, 2018

Five Biggest Wedding Trends for 2018

Fall wedding bouquets, from the Garden by the Gate florist.

(A 2-part post)

In an unscientific study of 2018 wedding trends, I went to a lot of popular wedding websites and looked at their hottest wedding trends for 2018. There were some common threads, a few outliers, and at least one where the experts contradicted each other! Before I get to the top 5 trends that I found I’ll give you the ideas that are definitely trends, but perhaps not everywhere for everyone.

Cakes, big cakes: It sounds like the multi-tiered cake with elaborate decoration is making a comeback after years of cookies, cupcakes, and pies. Personally, I think donuts are still trending.
Floral backdrops: Equally popular are the flower wall, greenery wall, and circular arbor, with the flower wall being the spendiest.
Geometrics: This trend tag-teams with the BoHo look, metallics, and succulents. It is seen as hanging decorations, vases, and floral risers, or backdrops.
Open Photo Booth: Also called the no-booth booth. Your photographer sets up a background, supplies the props, and stations an assistant to snap everyone’s shenanigans. I love it when the background brings out the theme of the wedding.
A shout-out to the runners-up: Wedding entertainment, neon signs, succulents, unique food, textured table linens, and the woodsy look

Where do the experts disagree? Flower crowns. Some say they are going strong, some say stop already. I’m not tired of them, especially for little girls.

Now on to the main event! The number one trend for 2018 is color! That includes many-colored palettes, bright palettes, and the moody color palette.

Number 1: Color!

Or as I like to say, the Color of the Year is Color! It couldn’t come soon enough for us here at the Garden by the Gate. Our garden grows in an abundance of bright colors, including the Pantone color of the year, Ultra Violet, and the ever-popular burgundy. But try them in a new combination with another color. Ultra Violet pops with Lime Punch! And there are so many great lime green flowers and foliages now. Green trick Dianthus, green Hypericum berries, or Bells of Ireland add great texture as well as color. Burgundy continues its popularity in a color Pantone calls Spiced Apple. It looks great with the tried-and-true dusty rose, but we suggest going a little bolder with Sailor Blue. The moody palettes lend themselves to a fairy-tale themed or woodland wedding. The colors are intense reds, greens, or purples. Add at least one shade that is so deep it is almost black, for the perfect moody color palette.

Next post, we’ll dive deeper into the color trend and give you the rest of the top wedding trends for 2018!

January 15, 2018February 1, 2018

3 Tips for Choosing your Wedding Color Scheme

Urn filled with Eremurus, Protea, celosia, snapdragons, hydrangeas, roses, dahlias, eucalyptus, by the Garden by the Gate florists

How to choose the right colors for your wedding

One of the first questions that we often ask in a consultation is “what are your wedding colors?” We’re sorry. We can’t help it. We just want to start dreaming up gorgeous florals for your wedding.

You may have had ideas about your dream wedding since you were a little girl, or you may have found the perfect wedding color scheme on Pinterest. But there are some important things to consider before you order those bridesmaid’s dresses.

Tip Number One

Consider the season

One of the most important things that should help determine your color scheme is the season of the year, probably the biggest factor. Colors make people feel a certain way, they can bring out emotions, or even change the perceived temperature of your venue! That’s why you should consider the season of the year when you choose your wedding day color scheme. Say you’re getting married in the winter, you might want to make your guests feel warm and cozy, in a way that reminds them of snuggling up in front of a roaring fire in a cozy cabin in the woods. For that feeling, you may choose warm colors like Burgundy or Cranberry, and some soft greens that remind you of the forest. But you can also take the opposite track, you may want to emphasize everything you love about winter, the fresh clean snow, the frosty air, the bright clear night sky twinkling with stars. Then your color scheme may be ivory, ice blue, and navy.

Dahlias, roses, and wildflowers for a summer barn wedding at Rivercrest Farm. Flowers by the Garden by the Gate — Loren Jackson Photography

You can apply the same ideas to whichever season of the year you have planned your wedding. A summer wedding color scheme might mimic an old-fashioned garden filled with fuschia peonies, pink roses, and tangerine zinnias. Or you might choose colors that remind you of a summer day at the beach: sea-blue, palm-tree green, and driftwood gray.

Just think about how you would like to feel on that day, and what the weather and surrounding scenery will look like and you’ll make the right choice.

That being said, don’t let the season rule out a color you had your heart set on. Take Blush for example-a very popular color in 2017 that industry experts see continuing into 2018. Blush and white is perfect for a Spring wedding. How about a Summer wedding? Brighten up your blush by adding raspberry or watermelon pinks and lots of bright greenery. Blush can be lovely in autumn as well. Try a color scheme of blush and burgundy or blush, apricot, and gold. Add some branches foraged from fall trees or bushes. For a wintry vibe, adding dried material like Pampas grass works great or you could add sparkle and glitz with rose gold or silvery touches.

Tip Number Two

Consider your venue

Especially consider your reception venue when choosing your color scheme. A bland plain-vanilla ballroom calls for color, lots of it, while the dim interior of a dark wood-walled barn will sparkle with lots of white flowers and linens. Keep in mind the walls, carpet, lighting, and other big areas of your venue when considering colors. The important thing to remember when choosing all of your decor is the general impression people get when they first enter. That is when your flowers, linens, and other decor will really communicate the mood and theme of your celebration. That’s where we as florists and event designers can really help you make decisions that will have the most impact for your money.
We’ll be able to tell you that perhaps a lovely jewel-like detail seen in a close-up photo may have almost no impact on the overall effect. It may even become lost as the tables become cluttered with handbags, drink glasses, food items, etc. We’ll help you design decor that will really pop, and make a big impression on your guests.

Fall wedding bouquet of burgundy dahlias, white roses, and sunflowers for a wedding at Firestone County Club — Too Much Awesomeness photography

When it comes to the ceremony, the color of the carpeting where the ceremony will be held is often a sticking point. Red and other bright colors seem to be common and that doesn’t always work with your color scheme. You can try to work with it, but often you have to just choose to ignore it. And remember, only those in the first couple of rows will actually see the bridesmaids’ dresses right against the carpeting. Everyone else will only see the bridesmaids’ upper body and faces and only see the brides’ gown against the carpet. It’s something most people won’t even notice or think about so don’t stress out about it.

Tip Number Three

Consider the flowers

It may surprise you to hear that Mother Nature did not have the advantage of a Pantone color deck when choosing how to paint each blossom in the garden! There are certain colors that just do not occur naturally in flowers. We at the Garden by the Gate love using our own flowers from the garden and other locally grown flowers for your wedding day. They naturally come in hundreds of gorgeous colors and we’re just not into artificially painting or dyeing them an unnatural color. But you can still have that special shade in your wedding if you use it in creative ways. Maybe order the bridesmaid dresses that color, and then the flowers can pop in white or a contrasting color. Gorgeous silk ribbons trailing from bouquets is a trendy way to bring in a color that isn’t flower friendly.

When you have your consultation with us at the Garden by the Gate, we’ll ask you what kinds of flowers you like, what you’d like the general mood or feel of your wedding to be, and what’s more, we’ll also ask you what kinds of things you don’t like! That way we can be sure to give you the very best guidance as we work together to make your wedding day everything you always dreamed it would be!

Get started now by filling out the Wedding Inquiry Form or just email us directly at [email protected]. We’re looking forward to working with you!

January 8, 2018February 2, 2018

Three Tips to Save Money on your Wedding Flowers

Wedding blogs and magazines

are full of articles about how to save money on your wedding flowers. Some of these have useful information, but some of it is inaccurate or incomplete. The best advice I can give brides today is that your greatest ally in keeping your flower budget under control is us, at the Garden by the Gate. That may surprise you, but it’s true! As experienced professionals, we know THE BEST ways to save money on your flowers and we will never steer you into anything that isn’t going to be beautiful. After all, our reputation is on the line every time flowers go out of the studio to a wedding or event. We want your guests to be wowed by your wedding decor just as much as you do.
Three tips for saving money on wedding flowers

Spend your money where you can make the biggest impact, both for your guests on the day of your wedding and in the wedding pictures that you’ll cherish for years to come. Of course, if your budget allows, by all means, go all out and have every gorgeous flower you desire! It will be a beautiful, fabulous day that you’ll never forget. But if you need to trim the budget a bit, we can advise you. One thing that usually isn’t seen in pictures, and not always noticed by guests, is the aisle decor. So flowers on every pew or a thick carpet of rose petals are some things you may wish to forgo. In a church wedding, overly decorating the altar area is not always necessary, after all, the time spent there isn’t nearly as long as at the reception. A couple of arrangements that can be moved to the reception site are an economical way to go.

At the reception, it’s not always necessary for every table to have the same centerpiece. You can alternate large or tall arrangments with low, less expensive ones. Another good idea is using a grouping of candles on alternate tables. Pillar candles are a striking look, but they are relatively expensive; for more savings, consider using floating candles instead. We always make sure to use unscented candles; you don’t want any additional smells in the air in addition to the food, flowers, and guests’ perfumes.

Another way that we can help keep within your budget is by the types of flowers that are used. For example, garden roses are about three times the price of long-stemmed roses. White hydrangeas are about half the price of fancy-colored ones, so we may use white hydrangeas then use other flowers to bring in your color scheme. Of course, if this is your first time planning an event as important as your wedding, you don’t know all these things but you can trust us to steer you in the right direction. After all, that’s the most important thing about choosing your florist; having faith and confidence that we have your best interests at heart.

At the Garden by the Gate, one of our strengths is the relationship that we build with our clients. We want to be your ally and advocate for having the wedding that is exactly what you have been dreaming of. If you are interested in finding out what we can do to bring your vision to life, start by filling out the wedding inquiry form.

December 31, 2017February 1, 2018

Putting the Country in Country Club

When Jennie and Paul first became engaged, they planned to be married on the family farm with tons of rustic touches. As it became apparent that preparing the farm for a wedding was too daunting a task, the couple chose to move the festivities to Firestone Country Club, where they are members. The world renowned club has been home to many high profile events like the Bridgestone Invitational, part of the World Golf Championships. Portraits of the many celebrities who have visited the club hang in the halls. The couple knew that the elegantly appointed club with its world-class cuisine and impeccable customer service would be perfect for their wedding, but they wanted to keep some of the rustic, country decor elements that they had planned on.

As a professional graphic designer, Jennie had a meticulously planned vision for the decor and the Garden by the Gate was up to the task of making her vision a reality. Champagne-colored sequined table runners were the perfect way to bridge the elegance of the club with the mason jar arrangements brimming with white roses, sunflowers, burgundy dahlias, eucalyptus, and dried wheat.

View all of the awesomeness captured by Too Much Awesomeness photography HERE

October 20, 2017October 21, 2017

Jewel Tones for Fall

As fall brings a nip in the air

nature puts on some of her most vibrant colors. Nicole and Issac’s wedding was on a perfect September day and they chose a perfect fall color palette that included harvest colors of eggplant, wine, maize, apple green, and all the oranges of a maple tree at peak fall color. Nicole carried her grandmother’s rosary down the aisle along with her bouquet of black magic roses, dahlias, mums, hypericum berries, scabiosa pods, and seeded eucalyptus. Since the Garden by the Gate uses locally grown flowers as much as possible, I had told Nicole that I wasn’t sure if the scabiosa pods would be ready in time for her wedding. Luckily my crop of scabiosa pods matured at just the right moment to be included in Nicole’s wedding flowers. Homegrown dahlias used included Hollyhill Black Beauty, Voodoo, Diva, and Summers End. Most of those are new varieties that were chosen with Nicole’s color scheme in mind. See all the gorgeousness captured by EllieJay Photography HERE

When you choose the Garden by the Gate for your wedding flowers, we get right to work making sure that we will have your flowers ready for your wedding. We’ll order dahlia bulbs, seed packets, or plants that coordinate with your color scheme. We also work with local growers like Bloom Hill Farm, a family flower farm in Uniontown, Ohio (just 5 minutes away from the Garden by the Gate).

For Nicole’s wedding, we planted dahlias in shades of eggplant, wine, and orangy-peach. Scabiosa pods were new for me this year, and I have to say they are pretty easy to grow and they are perfect for adding soft texture and unique color to bouquets. For the centerpieces, we planted Benary’s Giants zinnias in purple, wine, gold, and orange.

The most unique thing we grew this year is seen in the ceremony arrangments. Balloon plant milkweed is grown for the balloon-like inflated seed pods that appear in the fall. It is also the food of Monarch Butterflies, an endangered species. I think they added great interest to the arrangements.

October 9, 2017October 18, 2017

Color of the Year-Greenery!

We are totally smitten

with Pantone’s color of the year, Greenery, and with this lovely barn wedding featuring . . . Greenery! Bride Jenna added some white to her greenery and the result sparkled in the rustic interior of the barn at Rivercrest Farm, in Dover, Ohio. We adore the subtle khaki green of the bridesmaids’ casual dresses, which made their greenery bouquets shine. A painterly gray sky threatened thunderstorms all day but the sun made its appearance just as the ceremony was about to begin.

After the hilltop ceremony, guests made their way down to the barn where the cocktail hour took place under a white canopy. Guests found their seats in a display overflowing with seeded eucalyptus greenery (designed by the bride’s mom). Inside, the greenery continued at the head table draped in moss and garlanded with more eucalyptus and ferns.

See all the gorgeousness captured by Lyssa Ann Portraits HERE
*Photos on this page by the Garden by the Gate[df_divider el_width=”100″ style=”solid” accent_color=”” border_t_width=”” padding=”20px 0″ position=”align_center” el_class=””]

How to do a Greenery color scheme for your wedding

With the popularity of the Pantone color of the year, Greenery, I would like to offer a few tips and suggestions, and maybe correct some misconceptions about foliage decor.

If you’re a bride who would like to try to DIY your wedding flowers, Greenery is a good choice. Most foliages are pretty un-fussy about their treatment and last quite a long time in or out of water. We suggest that you choose a few items to DIY and hire a professional to do the rest. Perhaps you could put together centerpieces ahead of time and have your bouquets done by a florist. You really have to think about how much time you will have to create your bouquets and decorations on top of all the special events such as bachelorette parties, mani-pedis, fittings, salon visits, bridesmaid brunches, etc. You want to concentrate on getting yourself ready for your big day, staying fresh and relaxed, and not feeling harried or distracted by extra duties. As a wedding florist, I know how long and hard our team works the days leading up to a wedding so it’s hard to envision non-professionals adding this to their schedule.

When you decide that you want to make some of your own wedding decorations, you will need a source for the greenery materials. Your choices include online vendors, big box stores, or your local florist. The main drawback to using most online vendors or big box stores is the quantity of each item that you are required to buy. Flowers and greenery are mostly sold in box lots which generally consist of around ten bunches. Bunches vary in size having from 5-10 stems, sometimes more. As a florist who does many weddings, I can tell you that we seldom purchase a box lot of any one item or color. It is also a misconception that so-called “bulk” outlets are giving you wholesale prices. Generally, they are much higher than what your florist would pay. This is where the Garden by the Gate can help you out by not only providing reasonably priced greenery in just the quantities that you need, but we can also offer a lot of advice about what you’ll need and how to put together your arrangements. Just call us or fill out the wedding inquiry form on our website.

One misconception is that greenery and foliage is always cheaper than flowers. Some foliages are inexpensive and some are not. Here is a quick list of some foliages you might use.

Good Value

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Leatherleaf fern
Plumosa
Variegated or green pittosporum
Salal (Lemon leaf)
Sprengeri

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Huck
Nagi
Smilax
Ming Fern

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Premium Foliage

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Dusty miller
Italian ruscus
Leucadendron (Safari sunset, Jester, etc.)
Magnolia

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Fiddlehead fern
Sword or flat fern
Monstera leaves
Hosta leaves

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Maidenhair fern
Bay leaves
Olive branches
Explosion grass

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Eucalyptus and more eucalyptus!

There are now so many kinds of eucalyptus greenery to choose from! Most are a little more expensive than your value-priced foliage, but they make a big impression. Here are some varities to try.
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Seeded
Parvifolia
Silver dollar

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Willow
Gunni
Baby blue or silver

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Naked seeded
Feather
Tinted

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Garland

Greenery garland can be made out of any of the above foliages or any combination. A word of caution: garland is EXPENSIVE! Whether your florist makes it in their studio or buys it pre-made, it’s going to be expensive because there is a lot of labor involved. This is the biggest misconception that we see, brides thinking that some greenery down the center of each table is going to be cheap. This is also not recommended as a DIY project because it takes practice, and even then, it is VERY time consuming to do.

One alternative is to just lay pieces of greenery down the center of the table and this may work if no one disturbs it. It won’t look as lush and full as a real garland and here again, it is a lot more time consuming than just placing a vase on the table. This will need to be done the day of the event so it’s not a good project for the wedding party. If you have helpers who are not in the wedding, they may be able to do this for you.

Flowers can be tucked in at intervals using flower glue, wire, or water picks.

A word about foraging

Foraged foliage is a very popular look now and many professionals will forage greenery for their work. Branches and leaves from trees, shrubs, or vines can add great color and texture. The caveat is that you must test your foraged greens ahead of time to see if they will hold up. Cut the foliage and place it in water and flower food overnight or for several hours. If it is going to be used in centerpieces where it will have a water supply, this is all you have to do. Observe it for as long as you think you will want to hold your arrangements. If it is going to be used in something that will not have a water supply such as garlands, bouquets, or boutonnieres, condition it as above then take it out of the water and observe how it holds up out of the water for as long as it will be without water.

August 6, 2016September 2, 2018

A Rivercrest Farm Wedding for Flower Lovers

It’s truly a pleasure for us to work with a bride and her family who LOVE flowers! It is particularly poignant that their love of flowers was fostered and shared by a loving husband and father. In his memory, the bride carried a single tiny sunflower, his favorite, in her bouquet. Carissa chose an awesome ombré color scheme that ran from palest blush to coral to rich cherry pink. Getting the colors right might have been a challenge but Karen, our representative at Mayesh Cleveland supplied us with gorgeous flowers that included peach ranunculus, coral dahlias, café au lait dahlias, blush garden roses, hot pink cockscomb (celosia), and giant peach eremerus.

Carissa and her mom Anais spent the months before the wedding scouring flea markets, antique shops, and tag sales for the antique porcelain and crystal vases grouped on each table in addition to the main centerpiece.

Another fun touch was the floral pocket square that Carissa requested for her groom, Gabe. It was so fun to do and and really made a statement on his tuxedo.

But the most fun (and challenge) was the giant “go big or go home” arrangements that flanked the barn entrance. After rejecting our first choice of urns as way too small, mom Anais was thrilled with the final arrangements of hydrangeas, snapdragons, roses, cockscomb, Queen Pink protea, and eremerus in tall, faux cement urns. The protea was another touch of nostalgia, reminiscent of a family trip to New Zealand. Carissa’s bouquet and her mom’s corsage also included Blushing Bride protea. View the entire gallery at Loren Jackson Photography.

March 6, 2016March 6, 2016

Faith, Hope, & Family Farm Love

This lovely celebration took place under an expansive white tent on the family farm. Baskets of baby’s breath led the way from the parking field along a lane, past the chicken coop, and under a swoon-worthy arbor. Mason jars filled with blush and white flowers graced the tables. A hay-wagon piled with sweets and beverages beckoned and as night fell Swedish fire logs cast a magical glow on the party.

March 2, 2016March 6, 2016

Ohio Wine Country Wedding

Home-grown Dahlias Dazzle

Water’s Edge Vineyard, in Louisville Ohio, is a gorgeous venue that has it all. From the charming gazebo where the ceremony was held, to cocktails on the pergola-covered deck, to dinner and dancing in the “glamorous barn,” a colorful mix of home-grown flowers was used to create a vintage feel with a bit of glam. Mercury glass and antique silver provided the shine while dahlias and zinnias amped up the vibrancy. In addition to the dahlias and other flowers grown by the Garden by the Gate, the bride’s mom turned her front yard into a flower garden to add more zinnias and cosmos to the mix. We made sure that the bride was carrying plenty of her mom’s home-grown flowers down the aisle to make the day even more special for them.

February 29, 2016April 19, 2016

Grow your own Wedding Flowers!

Is it possible to grow your own flowers for your wedding? YES! And you don’t even have to be that experienced in gardening. Home grown wedding flowers are great for barn and outdoor weddings, vintage or rustic weddings, or DIY weddings. Locally grown flowers are also well suited to a garden or tea-party theme. Some of the best flowers for a rustic or vintage look are also very easy to grow! Here are some tips from the Garden by the Gate’s main grower Joy Walko.

Annuals

Fast growing annuals such as Cosmos, Zinnias, Cornflower, and Queen Anne’s Lace (Ammi Majus) are easily grown from seed, even for a beginner. For a fall themed wedding there are many new varieties of small sunflowers that are very attractive and easily sown from seed. Contact your local library or garden center for workshops on seed starting.

Other flowers like Lisianthus, Snapdragons, Salvia, Angelonia, or Dusty Miller are inexpensive at garden centers or discount stores. Buy packs of small bedding plants and they will flourish in your sunny garden.

Garden Roses

Garden roses are really not as hard to grow as their reputation suggests. We planted twelve bare root English rosebushes in the spring and had quite a lot of blooms our first year. We had enough roses in bloom in mid-August to have a couple of our own roses in each bridesmaid’s bouquet and a few for the centerpieces. This year I expect them to really take off. David Austin English roses are repeat bloomers so you’ll still have flowers up until frost. You’ll need to watch for pests such as aphids and Japanese beetles and use a fungicide if black leaf spot appears.

These David Austin roses have amazing root systems that allow them to get established quickly. Mushroom compost is great for enriching the soil.

Dahlias

One of our most successful crops is dahlias. A single bulb will produce dozens and dozens of blooms throughout the growing season and they required very little care.

The most important factor in growing your own wedding flowers is timing. Find flowers and plants that are known to be at their peak at the time of your wedding. In June these would include roses, peonies, delphinium, and astilbe among others. In midsummer most of the other flowers I mentioned will be in bloom and you should still have roses. The exception is the Dahlias which won’t really come into their own until late July and August. They will be at their peak at the end of August and throughout September.

Plan B

Don’t forget to have a Plan B! If your flowers are not doing what you expect at the time you need them you’ll need to supplement. Locate some other local growers from whom you can purchase additional flowers if needed. Visit farmer’s markets or investigate gardens clubs to find people who may have flowers to sell. You can also purchase bulk flowers at your local big box buying club store. I found the website of a local dahlia enthusiasts group who were helpful in locating growers. I ended up purchasing several dozen stems to supplement my crop from a lovely lady who ran a farm stand at her home. I visited early in the season and explained what I was doing. She gave me some tips and I had her phone number so I could place an advance order when the wedding was near. You may also have neighbors who would be willing to share their garden bounty; they’ll probably be excited to be a part of the wedding plans. Have you noticed a house down the street with a row of peonies along the drive or banks of astilbe in bloom? We got buckets of purple liatris from a neighbor of my mother-in-law who was only too glad to share.

Of course, growing or buying flowers is only the beginning. You will need to turn them into bouquets, centerpieces and other decor. I’ll talk about that in a future post.

Meanwhile, get out those seed catalogs and visit websites to start planning your garden now.