Sisters goes GREEN with Vase Rebates

At Sisters Flowers, we do our best to leave a smaller "footprint" on the environment. We have always recycled and tried to conserve as much as possible. In an effort to be even more environmentally aware, Sisters Flowers now offers a vase rebate for used vases purchased from us in 2008.

Many times after an event is over, people find themselves bogged down by leftover vases of all shapes and sizes. They take up room in closets, basements, and pantries. Sisters Flowers would like to help recycle unused products by offering a rebate for those vases. We now pay you for bringing back any reusable vases from your event within two weeks of the event. At the time of your consultation, we can give you a rebate price for each piece we are providing you. It's a savings for you AND we all get to help out our Earth. Everyone wins!!

If you have any questions about this offer, please fell free to contact us!!

Q & A with Sabrina from "Proposing Dreams"

As a wedding and event florist, we at Sisters Flowers get to work with some great wedding and event coordinators. All of them have their own unique styles and ways of bringing an event together. One of our favorite planners is Sabrina Torti with Proposing Dreams.

Sabrina is the best of both worlds when it comes to event design. She has a creative spark and can always come up with new and original ideas. Sabrina also has a very analytical mind that can carry out those ideas in detail. Sabrina is the kind of person that you want going to bat for you on your big day! She is a "no-nonsense" kind of gal and a natural leader. She is a true professional and that's why we LOVE working with her!!

Here is a recent Q&A session with Sabrina regarding an "inspiration" picture of a decorated event space:

Q: What elements would you bring into a space to help duplicate this look?

A: The white palette is a great start for this elegant look. The addition of lots of candlelight and the white branches makes for a romantic and intimate look.



Q: How important is venue selection when planning an overall theme and style for an event?

A: Budget is more important than venue. Most venues can be transformed if your budget allows. So, knowing your budget will allow you to select the right space for your design, or in reverse, knowing what you can do with the design in the venue you have selected.



Q: If a bride had a small budget, what would you suggest to help cut costs while still maintaining a similar feel?

A: Fortunately, this is an easily achieved look. White linens are standard, so to save costs you can forgo the higher quality linens. Chivari chairs and covers are costly. You can have white chair covers with gold/beige ties for sometimes less than half the cost. The branch centerpieces really make a statement on their own. Therefore, you can do 1/3 of your tables with these large pieces and still wow your guests. Talk to a decor company (we recommend Exclusive Events) about lighting. You would be surprised the amount of change you can make in a room with lighting. The costs do not have to break the budget either. The reason these tables appear to "glow" is because of pin spot lighting. To achieve that look with just candle light you would have to have tons of candles. At least check into the option.



Q: What are some ways that you could personalize a look like this one?

A: With a look like this, I would save your personalization for stationary. Some suggestions would be menus with your monogram or custom wedding logo. Another idea is a candy or snack bar with your favorite treats, using bags or containers with your names and wedding date. The curtain in the background can have your monogram or custom wedding logo on it in print or a light (a gobo).


Check out Sabrina and Proposing Dreams at http://www.proposingdreams.com/ !!

ISES Event at Lumen

This past Friday, Shelly attended an event at Lumen (one of our new favorite spots!). She had the opportunity to see the 2008 Louie Awards, which showcases members of ISES (International Special Events Society). Many awards were given to outstanding vendors that specialize in event planning, decor, catering, etc.

Shelly got to spend the evening with three great friends of ours: Sabrina Torti of Proposing Dreams, and Bryan and Erin Schulte of Exclusive Events. Here are some snapshots of the party.

Lumen --dazzling and ready for the party!

Erin--presenting an award.

Sabrina and Shelly in the VERY blue room!

An event that Sisters Flowers did the centerpieces for even won an award!!! Here is Annie of Cosmopolitan Events accepting the award for the party she worked so hard to plan and execute! Way to go, Annie!!



It was a great night out for Sisters Flowers!!

Centerpiece Trials

If you don't think you have an eye for visualizing what you've picked for your wedding or event flowers, you might want to consider a centerpiece trial. For a minimal fee, Sisters Flowers offers this service as an option for our booked weddings or events.

We suggest these trials take place about a month from your event, in your event space, so you can get a feel for what the whole room will look like on the actual day. If possible, it's helpful to do this during your tasting so that you can see the centerpiece on the set table with the linens you will be using. If needed, Sisters Flowers can also do centerpiece trials out of our "wedding cottage."

Here is an example of a centerpiece trial that we did for one of our brides at Moulin, a one-of-a-kind event space downtown. This bride is considering doing two different centerpieces at her reception. The first is hot pink roses, submerged inside a rectangle vase. The second is orange tulips, curly willow, and lily grass submerged in a cylinder vase. Both centerpieces are great options for this space.

Centerpiece trials help to narrow down your options or confirm your choices.

Ranunculus "Inspiration"

Ranunculus are a very sweet way to add interest to your wedding flowers. They are not as commonly used as roses, but they give a similar look and come in just about as many colors.

Ranunculus are available mostly in the spring-time. Although they are out of season in the summer months, they do reappear in mid-fall through winter. Ranunculus are similar in price to roses, but are slightly smaller in size.

Here is a shot of a bridal bouquet that we did for a bride of ours just this past weekend. This very feminine bouquet was all ranunculus (about 36 stems).

Ranunculus are a great flower for mixed bouquets as well. They are featured here as a nice round alternate shape to mini callas and blue muscari.

Ranunculus are a great "inspiration" flower to use in your wedding or event!!

Timelines-Vendor Availability

Since the busiest time of the wedding season is fast approaching, Sisters Flowers wants to give a few tips about vendor bookings for summer and fall weddings.



We know a lot of wedding guides or books about wedding planning often give a timeline that suggests when to search for and book vendors in relationship to your wedding date. Many of these guides list wedding flowers as a "to do" six to eight months from the big day. Depending on what time of year and date the wedding is, that time frame can be accuarate. However, the spring and fall months are becoming just as popular as the summer once was.



June used to be the big month for weddings. Due to the wonderful St. Louis weather, (mainly the heat) months like April, May, September, and October are quickly becoming just as desirable, if not more desirable than the old standby. If you are planning a wedding in these months, especially around Memorial Day or Labor Day, many wedding florists may be booked a year or more in advance. The same is true for October. Even though it is just now eight months away, we have had bookings for many months and will soon be full.



Basically, the bottom line is, if you have certain vendors or aspects of your wedding that are important to you, don't wait to schedule meetings. Don't listen to some silly timeline if you will be disappointed without certain vendors. Even if your friends, family, and fiance think you are crazy to be shopping that far ahead, reassure them that you are "in the know," straight from the Sisters Flowers blog!!

Weekend Adventures from Sisters

We love to share whenever our employees have great news or adventures outside of Sisters Flowers!! The weekend of January 26th was especially eventful!

David, our brillaint and brightest employee, participated in the "We the People" competition in Jefferson City, MO. David and his fellow brilliant classmates from Westminster Christian Academy took part in this state-wide contest which focused on Constitutional law and critical thinking. Westminster took six different units, or teams, to the all-day competition. Each unit had to write a paper about different Constitutional ideas and be ready to defend their positions in front of a panel of judges, who just happen to be State Supreme Court Judges and lawyers. After a whole school year of working and preparing, Westminster took first place in the competition!!! David's unit (Unit 1) also took the best school unit award for the highest scoring unit! It was a very close race, as the top three teams were separated by just a few points out of an overall score of 4800. The Westminster "We the People" team will now compete at the national level in Washington D.C. in May. Congratulations and Best Wishes to the whole team!!

Unit 1 Team members: Liz Crowell, Ben Winter and David Testrake shown with teacher/coach Ken Boesch.

The entire Westminster Christian Academy team.

Shelly also had an eventful weekend. She and her husband, Jess, went on a vacation to Las Vegas and Twentynine Palms, CA. Shelly and Jess met Jess' brother, Will, and his wife, Stephanie, in Las Vegas where Will and Stephanie were attending the Marine Corps Ball. (Will is a Marine stationed at the base at Twentynine Palms, CA.) All four of them enjoyed the bright lights of Vegas for one night, and then headed back to Twentynine Palms. While in CA, they enjoyed the desert and all it's scenery. Joshua Tree National Park is located right near Twentynine Palms and was a great place for Shelly and Jess to visit! It's amazing rock formations, views, blooming desert plant life, and of course the Joshua Trees proved to be breathtaking! Needless to say, Shelly enjoyed her trip!!

Will and Stephanie at the Mairine Corps Ball in Las Vegas.

Shelly and Jess in front of a Joshua Tree. Joshua trees grow about a half inch a year. This tree is approximately 200 years old!!

A group photo in the rock formations at Joshua Tree National Park.

Shelly and Jess enjoying the landscape. This park is beautiful and anyone who has the chance should go!!

We always make time for adventures here at Sisters!!