What She Carried: Blake Lively

Just in time for the Gossip Girl finale, we're getting a new fix for our fascination with the lovely Blake Lively.  Her wedding pictures are being released through a collaboration with the equally mesmerizing Martha Stewart Wedding.  Of course Martha would land this wedding...

To their credit, the couple didn't release the most intimate details of their very private wedding.  BUT, they did give us a full frontal shot of the bridal bouquet,  (PS:  That almost never happens!) along with this explantion:

"Weddings' style director Kate Berry created Blake Lively's lush bouquet of pink jasmine, andromeda, dusty miller, and blushing bride hydrangea. She dipped select petals in subtle rose-gold glitter to play up the embroidery of the same color on the bride's couture ballgown by Marchesa." 

While I don't ever advocate doing an exact copy of another bride's flowers, I know you'll probably be wanting to incorporate at least a little of this southern charm into your own bouquet.  So, on that note, here's a breakdown of flowers used, as seen in this now infamous photo.

So cheers to the happy couple!  And to a wedding bouquet that befits the dignity and class of we, oh so charming, Southern women. 


Photo Credit:   Martha Stewart Wedding

Color of the Year: Emerald

Pantone named their forecast for the "it" color of 2013... Emerald!  We've seen it on the red carpet for quite some time now, but this year you're probably going to be seeing this regal shade in more places than that.  Want to impress your wedding guests with just how style savvy you really are?  Here is some inspiration on how to incorporate this fashionista favorite into your big day.

The Bridesmaid Dresses:  A color like this deserves a high-class affair, so I'm keeping the dresses classy (which is important for any wedding, in my book).  These two dresses are equally stunning in their own right and could each hold their own with any party... bridal or otherwise.  Or put them together for your girls and watch your guest's faces as they're strutted down the catwalk/aisle.  Your bridesmaids will owe you eternally.

The Ring:  If you really wanted to go all out, you could get your beau to buy you an emerald-cut eternity band like Angelina's.  Not in the budget?  How about this one?  It's a vintage, which will be keeping things classy and now eco-friendly.  Colored stones are all the rage these days, and if you make it emerald, you'd be killing two birds with one stone.  Really, I'm not trying to make puns here.

The Flowers, of course:  I hate to break it to you, but emerald flowers don't actually grow in nature.  And for the record, neither do turquoise... I can't tell you how often people ask for turquoise flowers.  But here's what does grow in nature:  beautiful shades of blush and plums that will complement this emerald in the most regal of ways. (Reds will make it too Christmas-y... Unless that's what you're going for.)  Mix in plenty of interesting greens to keep the look from getting too color-blocked and you will have yourself a fancy little garden party fit for the Queen.

Photo credits:

1- Girl Meets Dress

2- InStyle

3- The Three Graces

4 & 5- Saipua

Ask Margot: What is your #1 tip for making my bouquets unique?

Answer:  It's all about the ribbon.

To me there is no quicker way to make cheap flowers look expensive and expensive flowers look cheap than whatever you choose to wrap it in.  And let's face it, nobody wants the latter.  So give this aspect of your wedding a little more thought than, say, the first thing you find that perfectly matches the swatch of your bridesmaids dresses.  

Texture and pliability also play a huge role.  A stiff ribbon with an unnatural sheen does not lend itself well to the soft, romantic look that most brides are looking for these days.  Instead, maybe try a lush velvet or a nice floppy satin.  Sure, these may cost a little more, but this will be a small expense that will give the overall effect of you ceremony a huge bump in the right direction.  Plus, you can take the ribbon off after the wedding and keep it as a memento (or use it to wrap all of those shower presents that you plan on re-gifting during the holidays...wink wink).  

Don't be afraid to make a statement.  Nothing makes a wedding unique like a bold detail that nobody was expecting, and this is a great way to show some personality.  Do you love the neon trend we've been seeing on all the runways?  Go for some neon pink that will make the rosy pastels of your bouquet pop in contrast.  Are you having a black and white affair?  Maybe use an eye-catching stripe that will add a bit of fun without taking a detour from your color scheme. 

Where to find the good stuff:  Online stores are your friend.  I have been looking and looking for a local supplier of news-worthy ribbons but have yet to find any.  (If you know of one, please let me know!!)  So some old-fashioned internet cruising has been key.  There are some great places shipping out of New York that my friend Ashley Bailey introduced me to.  For example, things coming from Hyman Hendler make me go weak at the knees.  I've also had clients win some breath-taking vintage finds on eBay.  If you have the time to do some perusing then I definitely recommend that route!

As always, I send you big hugs and creative mojo...

-Margot

Photo Credit:  Martha Stewart Weddings.

{ Meet Karina }

Karina was sent to me by the oh-so-lovely wedding photographer, Carli Kiene, of InkedFingers Photography (and of superstar Instagram fame), and right away I knew we would get along.  Karina's sweet demeanor and obvious sense of style made my job quite easy, and it didn't take long for us to pin down exactly which flowers to use to get the look Karina wanted for her wedding.  Her color palette of a rich purple, light green, and soft white led to a classic lineup of hydrangeas and garden roses, accented by seeded eucalyptus and the show stopping look of Picasso calla lilies (a special touch added by the bride!).  And of course, the pictures shot by InkedFingers added the perfect finishing touch.  A big warm thank you to both of you lovely ladies for letting Margot be involved.

xoxo, Margot

Photo Credits:  1) Pantone Color Swatches 2) Inkedfingers Photography 3)  Inkedfingers Photography

** Oh!  We were also asked to do flowers for Karina and Gabriel's engagement shoot.  We do that, by the way... { Book Margot Blair Floral for your next photo shoot!! }

Photo courtesy Inkedfingers Photography

Ask Margot: What's an inexpensive way to decorate my ceremony?

This is a question that I get A LOT.  And it's one that I don't mind answering repeatedly because of this:  The truth of the matter is that most ceremonies only last about 30 minutes, whereas the reception usually lasts upwards of 4 hours.  So dropping a boat load on your ceremony decor doesn't usually make a lot of sense for the budget-conscious bride.  That being the case, here are a few ideas to help make the most of your budget while still looking like money is no object...



1}  Make those flowers work double time!

Talk with your florist about ways to use the same flowers at both your ceremony and reception.  There are countless ways that this can be accomplished.  From using your bouquets as centerpieces (Make sure to spruce it up a bit though...you don't want it to look like you just stuck the bouquet in a spare vase you found lying around.), to taking the flower garland you used on your canopy and moving it to the escort card table, it's all about reusing everything you can.  This is not only budget-friendly, it's also eco-friendly, so we're looking at a win-win situation here!  But if you're going to go this route, make sure that your cocktail hour allows enough time to reasonably make a smooth transition for all the decor... Your florist will thank you!

The party's not over yet:  Move this ceremony decor to the reception site for double time beauty

Image courtesy of Ruffled Wedding Blog

2}  There's no need to gild the lily.

The best advice I can give, and probably my favorite advise to give, is let your venue space shine through.  Surely you chose your ceremony site for a reason.  Is it the beautiful garden space?  Is there a huge live oak to stand under?  Does it have breathtaking windows?  Let these features stand out and use any decoration you do choose to accentuate the space's already existing beauty.  And remember, sometimes less is actually more!

This venue's already existing botanical wall makes quite the statement without any further decoration.

Photo courtesy of 100 Layer Cake

History Margot-fied: Part I

Here's a look at my favorite wedding of, well, pretty much of all time. With her sophisticated grace and unwavering sense of self, Jackie embodied the type of woman I strive to be everyday, in both my business and my personal life. So here's to Jackie on the day she entered the spotlight, and here's to the wedding of a century... Margot-fied.

WHAT SHE WORE
It's no secret that Jackie never actually liked her wedding dress. With 50 yards of silk taffeta and a big bouffant skirt, it certainly didn't fit the simple, all-American style that she eventually became famous for. But whatever the case, after a good bit of pressure from her mother, Jackie chose a design by New York designer, Ann Lowe.

WHAT SHE CARRIED
Pink and white spray orchids with gardenias

Margot-fied:   This Oscar de la Renta dress has always reminded me of Jackie and I think it would have been perfect for her 1950's ocean-front garden wedding. Pair that with this all white bouquet, inspired by the orange blossoms she wore with her grandmother's veil, and you get a simple and classic look that still befits a bride who was standing in front of twelve hundred guests. (!!!)



Photo credits: 1) Time Magazine 2) Oscar de la Renta Bridal 3) Martha Stewart Wedding