Our Lead Floral & Décor Designer, Giselle, shared with our soon-to-be-brides insider tips & ideas for making your wedding both GLAMOROUS & AFFORDABLE! She discussed how to make your wedding stand out while keeping your budget in mind—how to wisely choose your floral, centerpieces, linens, lighting, and specialty rentals to make your day as beautifully memorable as you’ve imagined. The class highlighted how to set the mood, recommending when it’s a good idea to DIY and when to hire a professional. Guests sipped on vino while designing their very own mini floral bouquets. Thank you to all of our wonderful brides for making it a successful class!
For our brides that weren’t able to attend the class, here are some helpful tips from the extraordinaire herself!
INSIDER FLORAL & DÉCOR TIPS:
1.) Bridal Bouquet: The most important floral element of the day! Your bouquet will be photographed the most out of any floral at the wedding. So be sure to choose the blossoms your heart desires. With that in mind, remember that round hand tied bouquets are always more inexpensive than a cascade design.
Round Hand-Tied Bouquets
2.) Lighting: Build ambiance with up-lighting and candles! Most venues will provide votive candles, and you can purchase or rent mercury votive candles to create a romantic glow to the tables. Use up-lighting at the head table or all around the room to create another layer of warmth.
Total Room Up-lighting & Candles
3.) Linens & Drapery: The head table is the area to splurge a bit with specialty linens and backdrops. Dress up guest tables for nominal cost by renting chair covers, table runners, or overlays.
Chair Covers and Head Table Backdrop
4.) Reception Centerpieces: If tall centerpieces are what your heart desires, but you are finding them difficult to fit into your budget; use them on ½ of the guest tables. It will create impact but also save you a lot on cost in the long run.
Mix of High and Low Centerpieces
5.) Make it Yours!!! Your wedding is unique and is a reflection of you and your fiancé’s own personal taste and style. Use online resources such as Pinterest for inspiration and don’t be afraid to experiment with colors and textures, as this tip can help add dimension to the room!
Bright and Bold Bouquet Featuring Hot Pink, Fuchsias, and Purples and gold!
Meet our Floral & Décor Designer, Giselle:
Giselle has over 12 years of experience in the floral industry. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2008. Giselle has competed nationally as a member of the University of Illinois Floral Judging and Design Team; in which she excelled and received the 1st place Award for Bridal Bouquet Design in 2006. She has worked with designers from backgrounds ranging in retail, wedding, and special events.
Her love for great design, combined with her passion for flowers & décor, are what make her designs truly special. She continually educates herself on current design and industry trends, and welcomes any design challenge.
Giselle’s work has also been featured in local & national publications including Wedding Guide Chicago, Brides, & Martha Stewart Weddings.
