bride - Garden by the Gate Floral Design

March 29, 2018April 5, 2018

Do you want cheap wedding flowers?

We all want a good deal. That’s why we search for cheap airline tickets and end up on the Cheapo Airlines site (I’m not making that up!). But all the tickets put you on the same flight, so what’s the difference? On my last flight, I paid extra to get a seat in the middle of the plane, on the aisle. I got bumped to a different flight and guess what? Last row. Against the window. Right in front of the bathroom. Yep, not the same at all. But I still got to Chicago on time.

Same thing with wedding flowers. One of the top-ranking searches is “Cheap Wedding Flowers.” You don’t want flowers that LOOK cheap, but you want to know you got a good deal. And why are wedding flowers so expensive anyway? Is there a difference between cheap wedding flowers and expensive wedding flowers? Whatever you choose, you will still be married at the end of the evening (provided you didn’t choose the Cheapo Sort-of-Official Officiant).

I’ll try to give you some answers and explain some of the differences in the flower and florist choices.

Why are flowers so expensive?

Even if your flowers are grown locally like ours in the Garden by the Gate, it is a long and arduous road from seed or bulb to perfect bloom for your bouquet. It must be the right color, it must peak the week of your wedding (weather permitting), it must not have even the tiniest little insect nibble or water spot. That requires a lot of hard work, money spent on soil amendments and fertilizers, and plenty of luck. We grow some of our own flowers and when we buy them from local growers, they want to be rewarded for all their labor and investment.
When we purchase flowers from a wholesale broker, the grower in South America, or Canada, or the Netherlands, has gone through all the same work as we do to grow flowers but then the cost of refrigerated transportation has to be added. After the flowers make the long journey, some of them don’t make it. These are a loss to the wholesaler or to us at the Garden by the Gate.
When we get your flowers into the studio, we care for them like our own babies! We have to either gently encourage them to leave the nest and open up or we need to tell them not to be in a hurry to grow up so fast. We want them to be just right for your wedding. Then we custom arrange them with care to your specifications and use techniques and mechanics to preserve them through the end of your wedding day.

So the flowers aren’t cheap.

What is the difference between “cheap” wedding flowers and “expensive” wedding flowers?

This is a huge topic that really could fill several blog posts! I’ll try to cover a few of the main points; send me your comments and questions and I’ll address them in a future post.

The number one factor in the cost of wedding flowers is type and quantity of flowers. When you show us a Pinterest picture and say “That’s what I want,” our first price estimate will be for those flowers and that design. Generally, if you saw it on Pinterest, it’s going to be expensive! If you want that look but need to trim the budget, just tell us! We can make some good substitutions or just change the formula a little to help meet your budget. These substitutions won’t make your flowers look cheap, you probably won’t even miss those other materials.

Something that WILL make your flowers look bad, is outdated design. It might not even be cheaper, but if your florist isn’t following the trends and keeping up with what today’s brides are looking for in wedding flowers, your flowers may be a little boring and just look dated.

At the Garden by the Gate, our design aesthetic is what we call “Garden Glam”. The designs are relaxed and flowing; so that they look like they were just picked from a field of flowers, yet they can be as elegant as you like. Bouquets are getting larger, looser, and have more greenery. Texture is king, so all kinds of berries, pods, or twigs can be used. Unusual flowers such as protea or airplants draw the eye and make your wedding flowers much more interesting.

If you would like wedding flowers that are beautiful, chic, and just what you’ve always dreamed of, please fill out our Wedding Inquiry Form and tell us all your ideas.

Wedding Inquiry Form

February 26, 2018February 26, 2018

The Barn on Enchanted Acres June Wedding

June Wedding. Wedding bouquets by the Garden by the Gate florist, North Canton Ohio

What would be better on a freezing February day than to look back at one of my favorite summer weddings from 2017? Let’s go back to a warm June day at the Barn on Enchanted Acres through the photos by Liza Kirk Photography. The Barn on Enchanted Acres is such an awesome wedding venue and we loved bringing it to life with abundant blush and white wedding flowers. Beautiful bride Brooke and her family were fantastic to work with and had tons of ideas for the flowers and other decorations. Everything couldn’t have been lovelier.

Guests were welcomed to the wedding by a barn wood sign the read “Happily Ever After Starts Here” above an abundant arrangement of peonies, roses, delphinium, snapdragons, and hydrangeas. For a barn wedding or outdoor wedding, you’ll need something to set off the ceremony area. At the Barn on Enchanted Acres they have a fab arbor that we covered in white hydrangeas, blush roses, and vines along with sheer draping. We added some lanterns and ferns to draw the eye to the focal point of the wedding, where the couple would say their vows.

We agree with brides that the most important item of the wedding flowers is the bridal bouquet. We advise brides that this is not where you want to try to save money on your wedding flowers. The bride’s bouquet should fulfill every one of her wedding day dreams. It was Brooke’s dream to have lots and lots of Peonies in her wedding flowers and we didn’t disappoint. We used peonies grown here in our own garden along with other locally sourced peonies. The scent was divine! The ceremony took place right in a beautiful meadow behind the barn so the addition of Queen Ann’s Lace to the bouquets and centerpieces was just the right touch.

We loved the long, rectangular tables and gold Chiavari chairs provided by the Barn on Enchanted Acres. The centerpieces were arrangements of peonies, hydrangeas, and roses in tall mercury glass vases alternating with low arrangements. In addition, small cups containing a single peony dotted the tables. Don’t underestimate the power of flowers to set the mood and tone of your wedding. As the guests entered you could hear hushed exclamations of how lovely and romantic everything looked.

If you would like to chat with us about your wedding flowers, we would love to hear your ideas. The first step is to fill out our Wedding Inquiry Form and we’ll be glad to make an appointment to talk about your wedding flower ideas.

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the Garden by the Gate wedding florist located in North Canton and Hartville

February 4, 2018February 10, 2018

The Five Hottest Wedding Trends for 2018, part 2

an Ultra Violet wedding at Waters Edge, Louisville, OH. Dahlias, Zinnias, locally grown by florist t"he Garden by the Gate"

Hi again!

I’m ready to continue last week’s post on the hottest wedding trends for 2018! Why should you care? You don’t have to care; if you know exactly how you want your wedding day to look and feel, and you’re not influenced by what everyone else is doing, then you have a strong sense of style and are confident in your choices. Go you! You might be coming up with the newest wedding trends we’ll be talking about in 2019, or you have very classic, traditional taste and you can’t go wrong with that.

For everyone else, here are some new trends you can incorporate into your day, just to give your guests a little surprise, something to talk about. I think it’s rather nice if your guests say, “Sweet, I haven’t seen that before!”

The 5 Latest Wedding Trends

#1 Color

To recap last week’s post, the top wedding trend for 2018 is new ways with color. You can keep your favorite color, but to set your wedding apart from last year’s crowd, don’t be afraid to use bold color. Bright, multi-colored palettes, moody palettes, and adding a pop of the Pantone Color of the Year, Ultra Violet, will wake up your color scheme.

#2 Hanging Flowers

Things are looking up! Up at the gorgeous hanging floral installations, floral chandeliers, and garland draped ceilings. These new trends in wedding flowers make a big splash whether your venue is a traditional white wedding tent, rustic barn, or modern gallery. These can be moderately priced when mostly greenery is used or the sky’s (literally) the limit with lush flowers abounding.

The hanging flower trend also includes hoops and wreaths. Flower accented hoops of brass or wood are used as hanging backdrops, ceremony decor, and even as bridesmaids bouquets. Wreaths are simply hoops that are completely covered with flowers or greenery and can be similarly used or can be hung horizontally to make the base of a fab floral chandelier.

#3 Transparency

You might not have ever been “ghosted” but your wedding can be with “ghost” chairs. That’s what they’re calling the completely see-through plexiglass chairs that will give a light look to your wedding reception. Also popular in transparency are clear hanging signs with white calligraphy for your seating chart, menu, or welcome signs. You can even rent a clear tent so that you can dance the night away under the stars.

Transparency has been popping up more and more for the bride’s attire as well. Gauzy chiffon skirts are layered over pants or a mini for modern style. Sheer, lacy skirts and bodices update a traditional gown. Sheer fabrics are also very popular in bridesmaids dresses on the bodice, as a capelet, or for a long-over-short look.

#4 Industrial Chic

The industrial chic look is the new rustic, and it takes its cue from new venues coming into use. The industrial venue is just what it sounds like, a place that used to be a manufacturing facility, warehouse, or 19th-century office space. You’ll know you’re in an industrial venue by the exposed brick walls, overhead steel beams and heating ducts, metal shaded light fixtures, and Edison bulbs. You can play up the look by using metals in your decor such as geometric flower stands, metal chairs, strands of bistro lights, and a neutral color scheme. Find uses for metal grates, pulleys, factory carts, or wooden pallets to complete the look. Add an industrial vibe to your bridal attire by tossing on a denim jacket in cool of the evening.

#5 Bohemian

The bohemian look began last year but is coming on even stronger. A bohemian wedding is an eclectic mix of styles, a carefree spirit, bright colors, unfussy, and most of all, dedicated to everyone having fun. Flowers are bright, arranged loosely, and used in unconventional ways, in the hair, as a hanging curtain, or even as jewelry. Textiles play a big part in the Boho wedding trend with bright colors, fringe, embroidery, velvet, or macrame showing up as chair covers, backdrops, or bridal party wear. Geometrics, metals, and crystals are often found in centerpieces and decor.

Which new wedding trends do you see for your own wedding?

You don’t have to try every new 2018 trend at once, but some trends really layer well. For example, moody color palettes, woodsy decor (moss!), and caped gowns all work together for a fairy tale theme. The transparent trend in decor calls for a clean and modern gown and florals that are light and bright.

Tell us more about your wedding ideas, be they traditional or trendy, by filling out the Wedding Flowers Inquiry form. We’d love to meet you and hear all about your dream wedding.

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.

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.