This is truly amazing.   The Beautiful Blooms team knocked it out the park big time at the Philadelphia Flower Show.  Some think (as do I) that it was the most innovative and exciting exhibit at the Flower Show this year.   Maya came up with the original concept of creating a topographical map of a sea to glacier terrain out of hanging glass vases filled with colored water and perfectly chosen flowers.   From that freaky concept, the Beautiful Blooms team designed and planned a truly stop-in-your-tracks stunning exhibit.   Every time I walked by, there were people lined up, taking photos and talking about how amazing it is.

Here are some great photos by David Mielcarek of CINEMATICbyDavidM.

Small wonder Beautiful Blooms won the Flower Show’s “Award of Excellence,” eh?

Here are the initial drawings — I thought you might find this interesting:

Even a nor’easter can’t quiet the spirits of a great party, when Eclatante and Beautiful Blooms put their hearts and minds to creating the first holiday party of the season.

Holday Party photo Collage by Mike Kehr Photography

Donna and I decided long ago to create a “fire & ice” themed holiday party — and use red & white as our colors.  And it totally worked.    Take a look at these amazing photos from the the cream of Philadelphia photographers who came with their cameras to help us celebrate — Marie Labbancz and Mike Kehr.   We love them both very much  – they are incredibly talented people who always make us look our very best.

Even though the weather forecasters were predicting heavy rains and 35 mph winds, our friends, families and colleagues were not deterred.  Over 200 people came to our little piece of the planet on Liberties Walk and celebrated the kickoff of the 2009 Holiday Season. And, as if on cue, just before the party started, the winds died down and the rain, for the most part, went away.

My favorite  comment came from a friend the next day:  “It rained at your party?  Wow, I didn’t notice!”

We were prepared, though — We had patio heaters and fireplaces and, at the last minute, installed large market umbrellas into the center of our round banquettes that we had placed outside.  And we had to put a couple of the bars and food stations inside that were originally going outside.   That’s it — by 6:00 pm, we were ready to great our guests.

See the little fleece blankets on the banquets.   They were so cozy — kept everyone warm.   After the party, we donated them to a homeless shelter.

Leila came up with the absolutely brilliant idea of having a “hot santa” as part of the photobooth and it tuned out great.

There’s Sandy — from Creative Juice Group — painting the shirt and suspenders on our Santa

Santa and the ladies from Eclatante (from L to R): Taylor, Kendall, Leila, Lorraine, Alyssa and Sarah

The food was to die for. Truly. Feast Your Eyes Catering totally brought their A Game with a hot, Brazilian spread in our office and a phenomenal cold raw bar, expertly displayed on a gorgeous ice creation in our Boutique.

Plus, a scruptious hot chocolate bar, red velvet cupcakes and WONDERFUL s’mores we toasted over patio fireplaces on the Walk.

Our guests ADORED the bars.

Especially the one with the “adult” milkshakes – they were laced with yummy liquors that warmed us from the inside out.

Since we have  six individual spaces (including Tu Belleza Studio) and we couldn’t have a sound system outside (because of the weather) Elan Artists brought us two of amazing bands that kept everyone delighted.  People were dancing and enjoying those great musicians all evening long.  They were incredible!

Last, but NOT LEAST, Claudia Seyler of Claudia Seyler Hair and Makeup and Tu Belleza Studio created a fun “fashion show” down the Walk featuring her  fabulous new makeup line called “Tu” (which we absolutely LOVE, by the way!)

So, we had a little bit of everything for everyone.

And we have so many people to thank

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!

What better way to kiss 2009 goodbye than by throwing this month’s fantasy New Years Eve Wedding party at the gorgeous Conservatory of Winterthur Museum and Country Estate in Winterthur, Delaware!  Through these gates a magical fantasy celebration awaits featuring the colors of onyx, gold and emerald.

These magnificent photos are compliments of our good friend and photographer Marie Labbancz who beautifully captures our step-back-in-time to the days of glamour and lavishness!

As you can see, our unique table design flows seamlessly in conjunction with this venue and the outdoor scenery. We absolutely love this striking centerpiece cone Beautiful Blooms created out of gardenia leaves with a burst of extraordinarily lush, black feathers.  Who doesn’t love feathers in winter?

Our table was decorated with cut crystal candleholders and gold pillar candles. We’re crazy about how the linens coordinate beautifully with the rims of each plate and cup, then brought together with perfect napkin rings!  Then, of course, the ultimate last touch with the feather placed inside each napkin.

Beautiful Blooms really outdid themselves with this unique bridal bouquet made out of green cymbidium orchids, green prada carnations and black feathers.

This absolutely stunning boutonniere was made of orchids and black feathers.

The fabulous bridal gown designed by Matthew Christopher and provided to us by Gabriella New York Bridal Salon (we love them!) is reminiscent of the glamorous and lavish styles of the 1920s and 30s – the era of gorgeous Hollywood starlets and incredibly extravagant parties.    Your eyes immediately follow the feather details along the back and length of the gown unveiling its sensational drama, softness and femininity.   Our model wears pearls to accentuate the vintage qualities and period style of this gown.

Claudia Seyler did the hairstyling and makeup for our bride capturing the essence of this time period by using pearl accents and bright red lipstick.

We hope you enjoyed our 2009 color stories as much as we enjoyed creating them and sharing them with you  Stay tuned for our January color story when we bring you our first beautiful surprise for 2010!

Welcome back to Kelly & Liam’s wedding.  Hope you enjoyed Part 1.  This Part 2 is about their very special Quaker ceremony on the private beach at her mother’s summer home in Bethany Beach, Delaware.   Only these amazing photos by Amy Deputy can even begin to tell the story of how beautiful and romantic the ceremony and its setting were. Amy’s genius is in capturing the magic in every moment.

When guests arrived they were offered these refreshing lemon/limeaid beverages

Guests were then invited down the lovely boardwalk accented beautifully with blue ribbon and glass lanterns

Guests were offered seats in the lovely Quaker Meeting House setting we created on the beach for Kelly & Liam's wedding ceremony

In case you don’t know, a Quaker ceremony is a bit different than a typical wedding ceremony. The guests will gather for silent worship.  Then, as they may be inspired to do, individual guests may stand and give their own messages to the couple and the other guests.    Afterwards, the couple signs the marriage license and the guests are invited to do the same.   This certificate becomes the couple’s treasured possession.

At Kelly & Liam’s wedding, the couple and their immediate family members sat under an absolutely gorgeous structure created by Beautiful Blooms that perfectly reflected the stunning setting. The words spoken by many of the guests – some of which in a truly melodic Irish brogue — were incredibly warm and loving.   It was, in all ways, one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have ever seen.

The adorable flowers girls carried these perfect flower baskets created by Beautiful Blooms

Kelly enters the beach with her brother

After the ceremony,the guests were welcomed into the cocktail hour on the beach

Really nothing like a cocktail hour on the beach!!

We had these absolutely perfect pinwheels created to serve as the seating cards for the guests. Guests just LOVED them!

While the guests enjoyed their cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, Kelly & Liam spent some time basking in their first moments and husband and wife.

There is one more amazing part left to show you about Kelly & Liam’s wedding.   The wedding reception was as much fun as it was gorgeous.   Just wait!

Our September Color Story offers an escape into a world of the rich and vibrant colors of deep purple and yellow in a magnificent and elegant setting.  We love the energy of this stunning story!

This month’s fantasy party takes place at the Elkins Estate on the terrace of this amazing grand mansion. Photographer Marie Labbancz once again showcases her creative genius by capturing these breathtaking images and shots!

As you can see, our unique table design works wonderfully in conjunction with this venue as the simple outside exterior brings focus to the fascinating, customized and complex centerpiece.

We absolutely love this two-tiered plexi-glass centerpiece structure created by Beautiful Blooms with hanging yellow calla lilies and a floral arrangement comprised of bunches of deep purple hydrangea, yellow calla lilies and yellow eremerus on top.

The lower tier of this amazing composition contains a tasteful mixture of purple votives and yellow roses.  We chose the linens and place settings in perfect compliment to the mood set by  this gorgeous table.

Our table was also decorated with just the right amount of tall yellow vases and small yellow bud vases – all from Eclatante’s Boutique!

Look at the way the light bounces off the yellow colored glass vases and clear glassware creating a modern celebratory feel!

To complement our table design, our bride carried a hand tied bouquet Beautiful Blooms created from deep purple hydrangea, yellow spray roses and bupleurum.

Finally, what can we say about the Pronovias gown provided by Jennifer’s Bridal in Wilmington, Delaware that our beautiful model Paula is wearing – just perfect and absolutely stunning!

Claudia Seyler of Claudia Seyler Hair and Makeup did the styling, hair and makeup for our bride capturing the essence of her beauty with a gorgeous full bun and natural makeup.

We hope you enjoyed this month’s fantasy celebration as much as we enjoyed creating it!  Stay tuned for our October feature when we bring our creative flair and event design expertise to the Winterthur!

Our warm and luxurious August Color Story embodies the end of summer and transitions beautifully into the feeling of autumn with its warm, inviting colors created out of hues of orange, red and yellow.  You can just the feel the magic in the air with this fantasy celebration! 

The venue for this month’s fantasy party was the elegant Elkins Estate, an amazing grand mansion just a few minutes outside of Philadelphia sitting on 42 acres of graceful rolling hills among beautiful ponds and a tranquil retreat center.  Our friend and photographer Marie Labbancz worked her magic once again behind the camera to bring you these amazing and stunning shots!

One of the most unusual things about Elkins is the fact that you can actually host hundreds of people for a sit-down dinner within the estate itself – a true rarity among the stunning Pennsylvania estates that serve as venues for the areas most beautiful celebrations!

The foundation for this elaborate table design is a wrought iron structure with soft colorful fabric creating soft puddling and hanging birdcages. We’ve been thinking lately that creating a smaller romantic setting for two within the wedding reception would be perfect for a couple’s first dinner together on the evening of their wedding.  And the Elkins Estate was, as you can see, the perfect place to implement this vision!

Rian of Eventions was the master behind the lighting and draping that brought out the magic of the entire design! 

We absolutely love the floral arrangement by Beautiful Blooms created out of a birdcage with a beaded dragon fly accent (from the personal collection of Donna from Beautiful Blooms) and filled with lush Alaskan pink peonies, early season virburnum berry, yellow roses and butterfly asclepius.  

Our couple’s table was decorated with a painted martini glass from Anthropologie,  Michael Weems’ green etched wine glasses, vintage plates and Anthropologie bowls. 

Notice the charming monogrammed votive candle from Eclatante’s Boutique placed at the couple’s placesettings.

And how absolutely fabulous is the bridal gown by designer Kenneth Pool, thanks to Jennifer’s Bridal in Wilmington, Delaware!  Our gorgeous model, Paula, was styled beautifully by Claudia Seyler of Claudia Seyler Hair and Makeup.   Claudia also provided the exquisite jewelry including this perfectly suited dangling drop bracelet and headband.   

As you can see, Claudia is a pure genius at what she does!   She also did a beautiful job of creating the perfect soft, flowing hairstyle and subtle makeup as the perfect look for this month’s story creation.

Our bride carried a beautiful hand tied bouquet of Alaskan pink peonies and early season virburnum berry expertly created by, of course, Beautiful Blooms!

Next up:  our breathtaking September color story of rich deep purple and yellow!

Succulents are a very interesting way to bring something unexpected and beautiful to your celebration

Here’s a little background on succulents for all of those who are not versed in these lovely plants.  Succulents (or “succose”, which is Latin for juice or sap) are water-storing plants that give a thickened or fleshy look to their leaves, stems and roots. These plants come from dry areas of the tropics and subtropic regions of the world.   They are a durable, low-maintenance and eco-friendly alternative to flower arrangements that you can beautifully and easily incorporate into your own wedding day or any other party you’re hosting!

Here’s the part you all really love — the pictures!

Photo by http://www.erinheartscourt.com/, (Succulentlove designs): http://succulentlovedesigns.com/

From Utterly Engaged

Photos by http://www.erinheartscourt.com/

Succy Stuff’s Etsy Store

Horticopia’s Etsy Store

Thanks to Beautiful Blooms!

How cute is this?!?!?!  From Style Me Pretty

From Utterly Engaged

Thanks to Beautiful Blooms!

Photo by: http://sukrachand.com/wedding/

Okay, I don’t really mean that.   Especially since we’re lucky enough to be a block away from Brown Betty — creators of the the best cupcakes in the entire world!   One could never burn out on their cupcakes!

BUT, if you want to see what alternatives there are to cupcakes — take a look at these amazing dessert delights (churros, croissants (chocolate and otherwise), brioche and eclairs) – if this doesn’t inspire you to think outside the cake pan, nothing will!

These stunning eclairs are from Fauchon - a chic French Patisserie from where you can order these gorgeous morsels.

If you’re having an event with a Latin flair – look at the amazing delights — they’re dessert churros from Xooro (pronounced Sure-oh) — so yum!

Then again, there’s Patisserie Claude in the West Village in New York (187 W. 4th St., near Barrow St.).  The desserts there are so good it’s hard to believe it’s really possible!  Croissants,  brioche – simple things done extraordinarily well.   It would be well worth a trip to NYC to grab enough for the most amazing brunch or rehearsal dinner, dinner parties  or any other smaller gathering.   Your guests will never forget you!

This morning I got up ridiculously early to get to New York City to a meeting with Silvia Weinstock, the original phenom of masterpiece cakes (more on that later).   In addition to our  terrific meeting, Donna (from Beautiful Blooms) and I tripped throughout the Flower Market district in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.   

It was just amazing to walk through garden after garden of gorgeous flowers in the middle of the all the urban sounds of NYC.   I just Love New York!   Here are some pics of today’s field trip.

Here’s one of my favorites.  Almost every flower shop had it’s own adorable greeter.   I love this guy sitting in the pin cushions!

We’ll tell you more about what’s happening with Sylvia Weinstock these days and what we’ve got up our sleeve!!

So, it’s not a big secret to those who know me — I’m a bit of a skeptic.  So, when some people (whom I trust, actually) suggested the use of “angel cards,” I sneered. For those skeptics among you who, like me, have no idea what an “angel card” is, it’s an affirmation card – something like a fortune cookie, except bigger and more directed towards making you feel really good about yourself.   

Would you know it, in spite of all my skepticism, angel cards found me — sort of.

Way back (two months ago) when I was trying to figure out what paint color went where in our new home, I decided to have some fun and paint the employee bathroom in our new home with blackboard paint and keep a cup of colored chalk in there. The original idea was that Leila, Taylor, our interns and I could write secret notes to each other that would never been seen by the outside world. (The bathroom reserved for clients and customers in the boutique is in completely different room.)  But when our industry friends, our personal friends (many of whom overlap), our family (and some random other people we know) wandered back into our office, they came upon our blackboard painted bathroom and wrote wonderful notes to us!   

Here are my favorite walls EVER — a never-ending source of inspiration!

Well, it’s official.   Eclatante is growing up.   

We are thrilled to tell you that Eclatante is moving to a new and beautiful new space in the chic, new section of Philadelphia known as  ”Liberties Walk.”   We’re really excited!

Eclatante’s new home will be the three glass store fronts you see here along one full side of a block of Liberties Walk.  Right now, the space is very raw — as you can see from the photos (taken by our great friend Marie Labbancz).  Consider these our “before” shots!

Lots of other amazing new things are coming, too!   Stay tuned to watch the evolution from this raw space into Eclatante’s new home and for all the new things coming to our block!  

The inspiration for our March Color Story was my own wedding, which happened a few years ago in late March.  I’m still thrilled with the colors we chose, but, of course, new twists and turns are part of everything Eclatante does.  So, here we go with what I believe is one of our most beautiful color stories ever!  

The venue for our March Color Story was the absolutely enchanting Carousel Room at the Please Touch Museum.    We all had such a great time in there (how could we not? It’s a real carousel!).  (These two photos are courtesy of the Please Touch Museum.)

So, with this as our backdrop, we brought in an amazing team of professionals who, together, worked and played so well until the way-late at night to bring you this month’s color story.  We were, again, truly fortunate to have Marie Labbancz photograph our story so that you can see just how beautiful it was!

The drop-dead gorgeous wedding gown (designed by Monique Lhuillier) and the adorable short lace party dress Oksana was wearing were delivered and styled by Mary Helen Ranieri, the owner Suky Occasions.   Claudia Seyler (Claudia Seyler Beauty) created the absolutely perfect look for Oksana, our beautiful model. 

Bill and Donna of Beautiful Blooms were the ultimate perfectionists creating their gorgeous florals that adorned this fantasy perfectly.  The centerpiece consisted of three vases wrapped in white lace paper filled with a mixed arrangement of purple hydrangea, deep plum tulips, blue curiosa roses, purple double lisianthus and muscari. At the base of the vases were smaller vases with lace accents filled with muscari. The whole table was accented with navy blue skinny taper candles.  

Two Paper Dolls masterfully stepped up to the plate with gorgeous periwinkle and white lace table numbers and seating cards – absolutely perfectly suited for our story.   They always get it right! 

The beautiful finishing touches, including all the elegant table top pieces, and those amazing “ghost chairs” by Party Rentals Ltd. and the wonderful and perfectly coordinated linens from The Total Table – made this Color Story absolutely flawless. 

Another captivating detail were the multiple streams of periwinkle satin ribbon painstakingly hung by VU- Events, who also did a fantastic job of lighting our beautiful table.  

Beautiful Blooms created a lovely hand-tied bouquet of lavender hyacinths, blue curiosa roses and purple double lisianthus with a lace ribbon detail on the bouquet. 

Finally, the food and wine were nothing short of phenomenal — created and beautifully presented by the chefs at Max & Me Catering.   David Robison, Max and Me’s Executive Chef and Theresa Linskey, the Sous Chef, prepared a feast of Seared Foie Gras with Ginger Cassis Sauce and Silky Onion Puree.  Unbelievable!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our March Color Story as much as the whole team enjoyed bringing it to you!

Stay tuned for our April Color Story – another stunner!

Welcome to a new very hip and extraordinary event space in Philadelphia.  It’s called Artesano Ironworks Gallery and we just LOVE it.    

Artesano is an early twentieth-century renovated warehouse that has been converted to a truly gorgeous 10,000 s.f. loft style indoor/outdoor event space. The space itself is so so cool, but then, there’s the magnificent hand forged iron art work all over the place. Upstairs, the gallery of amazing artwork hangs above a floor of elegantly restored polished hardwood oak. Downstairs, the tres-chic cocktail area downstairs connects with a truly cool European-inspired outdoor courtyard that is totally unforgettable. And it has its own plentiful parking (a major plus in Philly)!

Eclatante was thrilled to help create an open house for Artesano. Take a look at these amazing photos by Gerald Tomko Photography – I think you’ll see the Open House was a great success.   All the details — the flowers (by, of course, Beautiful Blooms), the aesthetically pleasing and super-tasty food (by Jeffrey Miller Catering) and the amazing lighting (beautifully executed by Rian Winther of Eventions Productions) made this Open House really unique and beautiful in every way.   

We really are looking forward to creating amazing events in this space.   Stay tuned!!!

Eclatante Event Design and Beautiful Blooms announce a great new joint project – monthly color stories.   

November Color Story

There’s no use fighting it with pastels – November was created for great rich and interesting colors.   And lately, we’ve been craving plums.   So Eclatante imagined a wonderful color palette and designed a fantasy table party perfectly suited for a cool and brilliant November celebration.

After creating our color palette,

 we came up with our inspiration board:

Once we lined up the perfect home for our photo shoot – the classically modern F.U.E.L. House in Philadelphia — Eclatante could start the design process in earnest. 

Our first idea was to design widthwise table runners to be made out of paper.   Our dear and talented friends at Two Paper Dolls created these awesome paisley table runners (with color-opposing table numbers) that were perfectly matched with the gorgeous plum linens we found at Wild Flower Linens.    We found just the right coordinating glass chargers and tinted flutes at Party Rentals Ltd.    The masters at VU-Events flawlessly executed our drapery and lighting design. 

Finally, Beautiful Blooms’ amazing floral design: The centerpiece of the table is a vintage green glass container with a dome design of sterling roses intertwined with a cage of plum calla lilies. Green glass rectangle vases are filled with a pave of purple anemones and aqua glass bud vases filled with stems of magenta phalenopsis orchids.   Every napkin is accented with a single orchid bloom.

We were thrilled when Feastivities came up with the perfect entrée for a fabulous November party — pan-seared duck breast with olives, braised plum tomatoes and grilled asparagus.  YUM.

And the whole thing was expertly captured by the amazing photographer – Marie Labbancz.   She is such a genius!

I met Donna O’Brien of Beautiful Blooms about three and a half years ago when I was starting the process of planning my own wedding.   I interviewed about ten florists but couldn’t find that special someone who understood what I meant when I said — “flowers are secondary, I want centerpieces with elements!”  But Donna’s eyes lit up when I presented my little challenge and off we went.   Since then, I have worked with Beautiful Blooms far too many times to count.  

Donna has successfully built a team of people at Beautiful Blooms who are just like her —  each painfully talented, tenacious about their jobs and so willing to go waaaayyyy beyond the call!   The studio is crazy most of the time — each event is the ONLY event.   Each client is the ONLY client.   It’s amazing what goes on in that brick and cement warehouse in Northern Liberties.   Its scares me sometimes — always a gush of creativity everywhere and and a flurry of activity from the perfectionists that make up the Beautiful Blooms team.

All this to say — Donna, Bill, Maya, Amanda, Keith, Teri and Alaine and all of the other Beautiful Blooms guys got exactly what they deserved.  

THEY ARE THE ABSOLUTELY

BEST IN PHILLY 2008