Decorating Your Event With Candlelight

Occasionally, a client of ours comes to us with visions of adding tons of candlelight to their decor. But I often feel it is an afterthought for most. After seeing so many events come together, I can honestly say there is no easier and more effective way to create ambiance, highlight your centerpieces and add drama  than by adding more candles. I'm not talking about three little votives around a vase arrangement. My advise; imagine of the number of candles you think is appropriate and double or triple that! This is way less expensive than adding on a lighting designer or pin spotting and its so much more romantic.

 If your budget is tight, then taking inexpensive glass cylinder vases and adding pillar candles or floating candles is the least expensive option. But there is nothing "cheap" or "budget" looking about the effects. I think the images here say it all. Cluster grouping of cylinder vases at different heights down your aisle, entry-way, on windows, bars, and seating card tables.

On the dinner tables, even adding a few decorative candles to what the venue or caterer is providing will give your table a more custom look and ambient light.

If you have a larger budget, then there are so many styles to choose from. If you love classic and traditional styles then look for candelabras, pedestal candle holders, mercury glass and anything with clean lines. If vintage, rustic or garden speaks to you; look for tarnished metal and rust finishes and unique displays. There are many new wire, and birdcage-like style lanterns and votives popping up everywhere.

Lastly; I predict the taper candle is going to make a comeback for 2012. And it should! They are so elegant; especially when they start dripping down the sides. They take up less room and can even be slipped into skinny hurricanes if your venue doesn't allow open flames.

October Beauty

Just saw these images from a wedding we did this October on the Susanna March Photography site. There are so many amazing, seemingly effortless shots that everyone looking for a wedding photographer must go- right now- and check out this website!

Fall Flowers: A Painterly Palette

The past month has been a busy one, and it hardly feels like "work" when you have the joy of walking into the flower market and seeing the explosion of colors available. It reminds me of my art school days when I would go shopping for oil paint. I could stare at the richly colored tubes for hours, wanting every one that I saw.

This is the best time of year to play with colorful flowers, textures and fruits as a painter would. There are the traditional vivid oranges, reds and golds and they are always lovely and festive. I love to add fruit and berry elements to these arrangements. Not only are there apples available; but also pomegranates, persimmons and rose-hips.

 I also tend to be drawn to the wealth of complex and unusual shades like taupe roses, chocolatey brown orchids, and the dahlias that look like the've been splattered with a paint brush. There has been gorgeous porcelain berry in the studio for the past few weeks (the blue berry pictured above).

As well as enjoying a busy wedding season; we have been sending out lush and seasonal gift arrangements, hostess gifts and flowers for intimate dinner parties at home. Everyone is turning their attention to entertaining indoors, gift giving, cooking and crafts. We are gathering our ideas for holiday flowers and decor and will be sharing more soon!

Flowers on Fifth Avenue

This cocktail party was held in an amazing raw space on Fifth Avenue.  The space had two balconies, and from one of the them you could see Central Park.  The views of the city were stunning,  we just had to be careful to not look over the edge!

QuatreCoeur in the Press

Right now, QuatreCoeur's work is featured in the Fall/Winter issues of Town&Country Weddings and Brides Local Magazines.

For Town&Country, we were asked to create a sleek calla lily bouquet for the article "Get the City Look". We added accents of muscari, celosia, and interesting foliage.

For Brides, we were asked to make a few bouquets which were used on the covers. A different version of the cover went to each region of the country.  The editors' favorite was definitely the succulent and blush rose bouquet. The bouquet of red blooms was also chosen for a cover. Often I feel nervous when using red (so difficult to coordinate with other colors) so I was really happy with the results! By adding burgundy peony, fuchsia roses, rusty hellebores and anthiriums; the classic color looked fresh and unique.

We also were featured inside of the New York Brides Local Magazine Fall/Winter issue, in an article about local florists.

Photo-shoots are a great opportunity to try out new designs and experiment with unexpected color palettes. We had a great time and are very excited to have this much press all at once!

Real Wedding: Nadine & Brian

We are excited to share a few of our favorite pictures from Brian & Nadine's July wedding at The View on the Hudson.  All photos were taken by the super talented Patricia Kantozos (who we also worked with on this spring wedding).

From the very beginning, Nadine knew she wanted bright and colorful flowers, but not arranged in the typical wedding centerpiece style. This was the perfect opportunity to design something we like to call a "floral carpet".  This simply is arranging flowers floating on water, but using so many flowers that they are locked into their spot and form a landscape that is textural and interesting. Ruth and I have been long time fans of Spanish florist, Bornay, and were thrilled to get to create something inspired by her work.

Congratulations Brian & Nadine!

Jillian & Josh's Vintage Flower Market Wedding

We waited patiently all summer to post pics from Jillian and Josh's amazingly floral centric wedding. Green Wedding Shoes recently featured this story with our work and the many talented vendors we met during the planning process (click the link to see more ).

Jillian and Josh were married on July 3rd at The Hudson Terrace, NYC. The highlights of the event for us were constructing an elegant white strung-orchid and linen covered chuppah.  With the exception of Jillian's bouquet, all of the ceremony decor was white and green.

And, like Dorothy entering the Land of Oz for the first time; things changed dramatically for the reception. We designed two types of centerpieces. The first featured a cloche bell with a pretty moss landscape and garden flowers, surrounded by delicate bud vases. The second centerpiece was a landscape of more rustic elements including vintage tea tins, birch wood slices and mason jar vases. Kimberly of Inspired Goodness added even more "goodness" to the table with lace wrapped votives, vintage brooches and miniature vials of seed beads. But, best of all, our seating card display was re-styled into a French themed flower market and guests took some of the loveliness home with them.

All photos (with the exception of the last one) were taken by Susan Stripling.