T H E S E R I E S : T H E B O Y S

So, we found quite a lot of love for Pinterest recently, which has resulted in...

 T H E  S E R I E S 

...a pinterest collection of all super cool things, wedding related. 

We have pulled together oh-so-dreamy, jaw-dropping dresses, the most beautifully designed and delicious cakes, the hippest, hottest suits for the fellas and a whole host of other aesthetic wonders to get you on your way to creating, well, basically the world's greatest party.

Each month on the blog, we will share a new board with you and from that, pick our top five faves.

Next up...

T H E  B O Y S

Not just an excuse for us to search 'hot grooms' or 'hot men in suits' or any other combination of objectification of men in wedding - related attire.  

Men so often get marginalised when it comes to wedding prep but an increasing amount are 'pinning' their ideas and getting their creative voices heard in the planning stages. 

We're all about equality here.

SO, let's hear it for the boys...


1. Buttonholes with personality

So often the boys don't (get to) put their stamp on the wedding flowers.  Not these fellas...

Big up the groom we had a couple of years ago who loved TFL so much he asked us to wire the Underground logo into his buttonhole.  Still one of our absolute faves.

image via tigerlilyfloralart.co.uk


2. No tie...open shirt

Relaxed, smooth and ready to party...  Breaking with tradition and playing it super cool.  

Also great for high summer / weddings abroad when it's just too hot to feel constricted.

image via photos.essence.com 


3. Men in Glasses

You have worn glasses every day of your life because contacts are weird and scary.  

Don't cave just because you happen to be getting married. 
YOU LOOK HOT IN GLASSES. And really intelligent.

P.S. this goes for ladies too.

image via monde-des-hommes.tumblr.com


4. Miami Vice A.K.A wear some colour

Be a bit outrageous, enjoy yourself, make your guests (and each other) smile.

And above all, look back on the photos and think, 'sheeeeeeet, I was kewl'.

image via London Bride


5.  Paul Newman on a motorcycle

Just because.

image via piccsy.com

More like this on our pinterest...

Proper Weddings: Amelia & Andrew

Amelia, like many of the brides we meet, planned to do her own flowers.  And then, a month or so before the wedding, she had second thoughts.  

About the flower situation, that is.

This is not uncommon. 
Doing your own flowers is a lovely idea because there is (in our, of course, totally biased opinion) no better feeling than sitting down with your mates, cracking open a bottle of wine, popping on some Beyonce and getting creative.  

It's why we do (and love) this job.

NB. We're more cup of tea and radio 4 when in a professional capacity, promise.

It is important to think this decision through carefully, however, as there are a few aspects of wedding flowers that many brides-to-be may not be aware of...

1.  Generally, the flowers should be purchased about 3 days before the wedding so they have time to open up nicely.  

This means that a trip to New Covent Garden Market will need to be factored in very close to W-Day.

2.  The flowers should be conditioned when you get them home and kept somewhere cool.

This means more time and possibly moving a car or DIY equipment to make room in the garage...

3.  You need committed help.  

Things will probably take longer to prep than you expect so ask your best, non-flakey, friends and family to help and get in a ton of delicious treats (wine) to keep them going.

4.  Buttonholes, wrist corsages, flower crowns and hair pins should be prepared on the morning of the wedding.  

This puts off most brides because on the morning of your wedding you and your loved ones will most likely want to be having a leisurely breakfast and giddily sipping on prosecco, not being woken by an alarm at 5am to start wiring stems...

Amelia and Andrew decided to out-source their bridal flowers to us and do their own flowers for the venue.  

This is a great compromise as flowers arranged in water can be prepared in advance, in a stress-free atmosphere, and can be packed up and transported easily.

We were thrilled to get involved in Amelia and Andrew's wedding.  And not just because they are total mega-babes, but also because we knew from the second we met Amelia that the wedding would be full of fun, wit, joy and love.

All beautiful photos courtesy of the wonderful Joanna Nicole.

HOW TO... Make your own floral delights! The Flower Crown

In our latest series, we show you 'How To'...

Make your mam think you're such a good boy by turning up to Sunday lunch all smart and buttonholed; 
Recycle a dress you wore to a wedding last year by accessorising with a fancy hair pin or wrist corsage;
Whack on 6 Music and pretend you're at a festi in the comfort of your living room wearing a floral head crown.

Last year, our absolute fave workshop was the Floral Delights evening where we taught you how to make all the above.  So, we thought we'd break it down for you here in black and white (with some coloured photos) so you can all have a go yourselves. 

This week..

HOW TO... Create a floral crown

Ingredients:

Wire of medium gauge (needs to be malleable but support your stems) 

Floral Tape - the sticky, crepe kind or the plasticky, 'guttering' kind - whichever you prefer

Stems of choice / Small foliage of choice (bear in mind weight and size - small and light is best.  You can go for big blooms for your floral crown - the same principals apply - but small hardy flowers are easier to work with and will last longer.) 
A length of ribbon / fabric / twine of your choice

*You can get any of these speciality floristry items at New Covent Garden flower market and at Amazon (boooooo Amazon, you're so evil and convenient)

Method:

Start off with your wires and work out how many you need to form a ring to go around the circumference of your head.  

Join your wires together in a line by wrapping two ends around each other securely.

NB. your headdress base does not need to be a full circle - if you would prefer to only cover 1/2 or 3/4 of your head with flowers, you can use ribbon to complete the ring.  We like to use ribbon, as you'll see, to tie on and ensure the crown is nice and snug.

At either end of your line of wires, you will need to make a loop.  Take your piece of wire and double one end back on itself to make a small loop.  Secure by twisting the wire around itself. 

This is where the ribbon will eventually be threaded through.  

Now, we tape down the entire length of the joined wires.  This is to secure the wires together and also to cover the ends which may be sharp.  No scalp pokes for us.

Stretch the tape and keep pulling it taut whilst wrapping it around the length of the wire. 

You can double up over sharp ends for maximum comfort when wearing the crown.

Cut down all of your flowers and foliage of choice leaving around half an inch of stem below the head.  

For more flexibility with a stem, and to allow you to move the head, say facing forward, you can wire it.  This is done in exactly the same way as we showed you when wiring stems for buttonholes.

One by one, take a flower or piece of foliage and lay along the wire.  Secure it by taping around the stem and the wire.  Each time, lay the stems on facing the same way, so you are not obstructed when taping the length of stem to the wire.  This also avoids gaps and creates a natural, flowing look.

Continue down the length of the wire, filling in any gaps along the way.  The wire will naturally curve into a circular shape as you add more flowers and foliage. You can keep popping it around your head to keep an eye on your progress...

Once you have added the desired amount of floral contents to your crown, slip your ribbon / fabric / twine through both loops on the ends of your wire to complete the circle.

And there you have it!  A floral crown all ready to go.

The weight of the crown and tying the ribbon / fabric / twine tightly should mean this sits on your head quite nicely.  

But, if your dancing tends to be more 'toddler on sugar' than 'ethereal goddess', stick in a couple of bobby pins behind your ears just for added safety!

Houseplant of the Month: June

Houseplants: like the perfect man... long lasting, great looking and low maintenance.  

What is not to love?  

Which is why the Flower Council of Holland have launched their Houseplant of the Month Campaign throughout 2015.  Each month they have chosen their favourite Houseplant and given a ton of information on the history and uses of the plant, how to choose a nice healthy one, and how to take proper good care of it.

We thought we'd do you all a favour and follow their lead, condensing the info in our own monthly feature.  

In the sixth part of our series...

June: the Peace Lily

You may recognise the Peace Lily from the waiting room at the dentist, or from when you temped on reception that one time...  



Peace Lilies are readily available from most garden centres and frequently seen in (dare we say, the lower rent) workspaces, so over the years they have got a bit of bad press.  

The carnation of the houseplant world, perhaps?

Perhaps.  
But the reason they are so prolific in 'high pollution' and high footfall areas is that they are considered among the best air purifiers out there.  There are micro-organisms in their soil which absorb some of the evil air pollutants floating about. 
Woah.

  As well as being peaceful purifiers, these plants are relatively low maintenance, making them perfect for the office. 

Keep in a light, warm position out of direct sunlight and water regularly with a good drink of lukewarm water.  Treat him to a good old organic plant feed every now and then too to keep him in tip top shape.



And if you are super creative, check out the Flower Council of Holland's video below which shows you how to make a Peace Lily living wall in your kitchen.  

It's mad.  But totally great.