Flat Tires & Fire Alarms- The Adventures of Sisters Flowers

Here at Sisters, we pride ourselves in not only our flowers, but on our ability to be organized and on time for every event. We always have back-up plans in case of slow traffic, weather-related issues, etc. But a recent Saturday brought up two unusual new scenarios none of us had ever experienced!!

When leaving for our last two set-up/deliveries of the day, we discovered that one of the vans (Emily and David's), filled with reception flowers, had a flat tire in our driveway. Like a true champion, David, (with the help of John) got the spare tire on the van and enabled the delivery schedule to remain unscathed! Whew!!

Meanwhile, the second van (Shelly and Beth's) headed out for the other remaining delivery/set-up. Shelly and Beth got to the hotel, and up to the top floor where the reception was being held. Then, they started the on-site production and centerpiece placement. About half-way through set-up, Beth heard a fire alarm!! Knowing not to use the elevators in a fire, Shelly and Beth found the nearest set of stairs (in the kitchen) and evacuated onto the parking garage near-by. Meeting up with Emily and David in the lobby, Shelly and Beth found out that the problem had been solved (no real fire) and everything would be back to normal shortly. All four Sisters staffers had a laugh and returned to the top floor. We finished set-up and decided that we did not even think of a fire alarm contingency!! :)

Even with a couple of unexpected hitches, Sisters Flowers pulled off another great weekend of weddings and no one was the wiser, until now....

Spring has SPRUNG at Sisters!

Here is a little "sneak peak" at all the beautiful spring flowers that we've been doing for our brides the last couple of weeks. We are all so ready for SPRING and it shows!

Here is one of our brides, Erin (Wille) Watkins and her wedding party. She chose black magic roses with stephanotis for herself, and mixed bouquets of pink gerbera daisies, red roses, and purple lisianthus for her girls. All the colors really pop against the black dresses!!

Here is the new Mrs. Katie Griffin with her very spring-like bouquet of ivory and lavender roses, ivory spray roses, ivory ranunculus, and an accent of pink waxflower filler. Perfectly soft and pretty for a spring wedding!

Katie's bridesmaids had a beautiful spring bouquet of purple calla lilies, stock, roses, lisianthus, and pink waxflower. If that doesn't make you think spring, I don't know what will!!

Last weekend, we did a very fresh, spring-time reception at the Chase for another one of our brides, Maureen (Dempsey) Alfermann. (Lots to tell about that reception set-up in another blog!!) She had three different centerpieces to decorate the Starlight Room. Here are some of those pictures:

Cube vases wrapped in Maureen's signature color are filled with all white and ivory flowers.

Coordinating centerpieces of white and ivory flowers in a ginger jar with river rock in the bottom decorated some of the tables.

Tall vases of hydrangea and cherry blossom branches made a bold, spring statement in the room.

For one last touch of spring, here are some pictures of Jill (Schroeder) Faulk's reception at the Four Points Sheraton.

We used seasonal iris and bells of Ireland in Jill's tall centerpieces. To accent, the opposite tables had short, round vases of blue hydrangea, white spray roses, and white waxflower.

The rain has made us so HAPPY for SPRING to arrive!! We will keep you posted on more seasonal weddings that are coming up!!

Sabrina's Birthday Bash

Last Saturday, March 29, Sisters Flowers helped one of our good friends celebrate her birthday! Sabrina from Proposing Dreams was the guest of honor. She had a great turn-out with wonderful support from her friends and family.

The Birthday Girl and her hubby.



The party had a tropical theme, complete with leis and palm trees. The cake was yummy, too!! (Bet you can't guess which birthday this was for Sabrina!!!)



Here are the tulip centerpieces that Sisters brought to the party.

It was a great night and we were glad we could be there to help Sabrina celebrate!!! Happy Birthday, Sabrina!!!

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.