Getting to Know... The White Orchid Floral Design

The White Orchid Floral Design | Adelaide SA | Website | Facebook


What’s your favourite part of your job?
I love creating the wedding flowers for the bride and seeing her reaction when I personally deliver them on her wedding day, it gives me goose bumps every time!


What are you reading at the moment?
All the new wedding flower magazines that are hitting the stands for Spring/Summer, love seeing the new trends coming through.


What are you lusting after at the moment?
The change in season really inspires me so at the moment I am lusting over beautiful flowers in Spring tones, and starting to see a sneak peak at the flower markets. Yum!


Top three songs on your play list?
Lisa Mitchell “Clean White Love”, Angus & Julia Stone “Big Jet Plane”, Jack Johnson “Banana Pancakes.”


What is your favourite moment during a wedding?
The exchanging of the vows, especially if they are personally written, they can be so beautiful.


Who inspires you?
In 2010 I travelled to New York to take part in a master class on Advanced Wiring Techniques for weddings. I studied at the Flower School New York, one on one alongside Master Florist Felipe Sastre and found this experience not only improved my skills but gave me new inspiration for wedding flower design.




 
Favourite Cocktail?
Cosmopolitan


What does it take to impress you?
Anyone who has followed their passion and created a successful business and living from it.


What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?
To follow my dreams and find passion in life and I feel I have achieved that with my floral work.


Favourite way to spend a Sunday?
After usually finishing a wedding the day before, having a sleep in! Followed by late brunch of banana pancakes and reading the paper, heaven!


Black Tie or Casual?
Both! Whichever is fitting for the occasion.


Your suggestion for a new name for ‘Hens party’.
I have heard a new party is emerging called “The Sten” combining the Stag and Hens party, though I’m not sure how that would work?


Your favourite hostess gift to give?
Flowers of course!


What’s the best gift you have ever received?
A Tiffany silver cuff from my husband for my 30th Birthday when we were in NYC last year, I love it!

 
Three words that describe you best.
Creative, perfectionist, passionate.

Kyla thanks so much for sharing about yourself with us today! It was so great to get to know you a little better!

Portobello Bride Featured Wedding: Katie & Bret by Michelle Fiona Photography

The pretty floral details from today's beautiful wedding photographed by Michelle Fiona Photography make this wedding extra special in our eyes. Pretty pastel florals were the stand out feature of Katie and Bret's Sydney wedding, which were designed by the very talented Mandy Voulgaropoulos from Opulent Garden.

Katie's wedding dress is by Rose & Ruby, oh how we miss them.

As you know I love a bunch of littlie's in a bridal party, Katie's flower girls are the perfect addition to such a pretty wedding. 

The perfect mix of floral's for Katie's bouquet.

The bridesmaids gowns were also by Rose & Ruby.

Mandy decorated the cake table with spanish moss and votive candles.

LOVE the details for the cupcake display.

photography by Michelle Fiona Photography

Thank you Mandy for sharing images from Katie & Bret's wedding with us. 

Katie & Bret's Wedding Team: 

CEREMONY SITE: Observatory Hill, The Rocks, Sydney.

RECEPTION SITE: Richmond Villa, The Rocks, Sydney.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Michelle Fiona Photography 

WEDDING DRESS and BRIDESMAID DRESSES: Rose and Ruby, Sydney 

SHOES: Mollini 

HAIR: Hair By Jorge Alfaro, Sydney 

FLOWERS: Opulent Garden, Sydney

CATERING: Miss Chu, Sydney 

BAR: Wats on Tap, Sydney 

The White Orchid Early Bride Promotion

For more info visit The White Orchid website.

Beautiful and Unique Flowers by Blumin

Have you every wondered what it must be like to plan a wedding which is to be held in a different country to that which you currently reside in? Well, this is the challenge that faced Canadian Rebecca as she planned her Melbourne wedding to Fiance Paul. Of course the Internet became an invaluable tool, and when it came to planning the flowers for her big day Rebecca found one of our favourites, Blumin in our Boutique Wedding Guide.

When Sandy rang me to tell me a Bride-to-Be in Canada found her through our website, I was thrilled. We love hearing from our members about weddings they are part of through being listed on Portobello, so it  was very exciting for us at Portobello and the ladies at Blumin to hear from a couple overseas.

Sandy and the team's initial brief was: “We are hoping to achieve a rustic but classic style for our outdoor garden wedding and would like the flowers to reflect this. We would also like to keep to seasonal flowers grown locally wherever possible and noticed this is something you do!". The rest of the arrangements were handled over the internet and by phone. Then, in March the big day arrived. Here are some gorgeous photos by Njoy The Moment of the celebration.

“Echinacea flower heads” were used as they were always in bloom when Rebecca visited Melbourne from Canada. Raspberry coloured Dahlias and Blackberries were a key theme, and the use of old fashioned mason-type glass vases for the outdoor setting.

Rebecca and Paul were delighted with their flowers on the day. It might be daunting organising a wedding away from home, but the key is to find a suppier who understands the theme and styling you are after and to leave it in their capable hands! The Portobello Bride Boutique Wedding Guide is a great place to begin your search for a quality and unique suppliers if we do say so ourselves!

Thanks to Sandy from Blumin for sharing this great story with us and to Njoy The Moment for sharing the gorgeous images.

Getting to Know... Sinikka Floral

Portobello Bride Member: Flowers
Sinikka Floral Design | Website | Blog | Facebook

What’s your favourite part of your job?
When something comes back into season that you haven’t seen in awhile... such as peonies roses in late Spring.

What are you reading at the moment?
Rereading ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ Louis de Bernieres

What are you lusting after at the moment?
Jonathan Adler Sprout vases

Top three songs on your play list?
Arcade Fire – We used to wait
Camera Obscura – Country Mile
Leeden – Daddy Long Legs

What is your favourite moment during a wedding?
I love a good speech at a wedding... heartfelt, funny stories... even the cringe-worthy ones by an awkward best man!

Who inspires you?
Melanie of Cecilia Fox Floral Studio, she is an inspiration and has been a wonderful mentor.

Favourite Cocktail?
I love a mojito on a summer evening.

What does it take to impress you?
It’s the attention to little details, when thought has been put into something ordinary to make it out of the ordinary.

What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?
Nothing will work unless you do.

Favourite way to spend a Sunday?
Late morning in bed, reading Martha Stewart on my ipad, with a constant supply of hot tea and toast. (the reality is, 6am wake up with our baby girl squealing and smiling and pulling my hair!)

Black Tie or Casual?
I’m a casual lass most of the time, but always love an excuse to frock up and wear a pair of heels.

Your suggestion for a new name for ‘Hens party’
hmmm...all my ideas seem to incorporate a rooster!

Your favourite hostess gift to give?
I love giving my friends and family flowers that they haven’t seen before. Celosia is always a fun one to give because of its texture and shape.

What’s the best gift you have ever received?
My husband took me to a Japanese Mountain Retreat in Montrose for our first year anniversary, because I am obsessed with the film ‘Lost in Translation’ and wanted to wear slippers sitting on the edge of a bed like Bill Murray.

Three words that describe you best.
Thankful, Motivated, Content.

Thanks so much for sharing with us today Sarah!
Sinikka Floral Design is a member of the Portobello Bride Boutique Wedding Guide.

Valentine's Day, A Celebration of Love through Flowers

 [©Blumin]

The origins of Valentine’s Day are steeped in history, with many popular symbols surviving from days gone by; Cupids, Doves, Crimson Red Colours, Hearts pierced by Arrows, Cherubs and Red Roses. So whether it be from the days of the Roman Empire or the romantic Gothic Times, the world’s notion of idealised love has given us one of the most romantic days of the year – Valentine’s Day.

In the Victorian era, Valentine's Day was celebrated with the giving of "Tussie Mussies" - posies of flowers that held a hidden message and were decoded through the “the secret language of flowers” - the meaning given to specific flower varieties and colours. A luxurious red rose, a simple Summer dandelion or a collection of lavender and herbs all provided a different meaning intended for one’s Valentine and are a charming custom even today.

Some flowers decoded are:
Yellow Acacia - Secret Love   
Globe Amaranth - Unfading Love
Bluebell - Consistency
Pink Carnation - Woman’s Love
Red Chrysanthemum - I Love You
Dandelion - Love’s Oracle
Forget Me Not - True Love
Rose - Love
Strawberry Tree - Esteem and Love
Red Tulip - Declaration of Love


The modern Valentine’s Day holds an interesting statistic as being one of the most popular days for wedding proposals - the second most popular being Christmas Day.  It is also becoming more popular as a wedding date, with themes often including the Valentine red or perhaps a more vintage and demure selection of antique pastels and muted tones.

You don’t have to keep to modern traditions of “red” for the day.  Aside from the traditional Valentine’s red rose, for which you are charged a premium, you can also choose from many seasonal, locally-produced bouquets and floral themes that can be even more exquisite. Why not consider berries, grasses, fragrant flowers and textured foliage to ensure your gift this Valentine’s Day is unique, sentimental and definitively gorgeous!?


A big thank you goes out to Sandy from Blumin for helping us out with this info!

Portobello Bride Member Blumin at Flowerwild's Fall Workshop

Today we have a treat for you! Portobello Bride Member Sandy from Blumin is here to share with us about her experience at the renowned Flowerwild Workshop late last year. Here is what Sandy has to say:

Recently featured on Once Wed’s blog was Blumin’s  floral bouquets and arrangements photos of which were taken at Flowerwild Design’s Fall workshop. This fabulous workshop was  held in a tranquil Spanish style retreat in Santa Barbara, California late in 2010.  Kate Holt, Flowerwild’s owner and floral designer, gathered together some of the finest vendors in the wedding industry, including Duet Weddings, to cover current styling trends and Jose Villa and Joel Serrato, to overview how to get the best photos and cinematography for a spectacular visual of the day. 
 

The experience was unique, creative and liberating and introduced a number of new design techniques and way of thinking which the American brides can’t get enough of and which Australian brides will  love.  Colour is “in” for the popular and evergrowing “Fall (or Autumn for us downunder) Brides”.   Textures and colours are not limited to flowers, with the inclusion of grasses, berries and fragrant foliage.
 

What was overwhelming was the sentiment, ensuring authenticity for weddings, especially highlighted in the bridal flowers -rich vintage, retro ribbons and old fashioned flowers from our grandparents days embody the spirit of new bridal trends coming through from the USA. With this new found liberation and experiencing  an “aha” moment Blumin continues its quest to inspire and create floral designs which are free flowing, seasonal, natural and simply gorgeous.

There is a new style of bride and a new style of wedding emerging in the States and Portobello Bride is passionate about bringing that style to Australia. Kate Holt and her team are very excited and supportive of what they see Portobello Bride is setting out to achieve. This makes us excited as these are the people "in the know"!

We are so proud that Sandy from Blumin, who has now trained under these wedding visionaries, will be at our Boutique Wedding Market in Melbourne on March 26 and 27! Purchase your tickets now! Portobello Bride is all about bringing cutting edge style and quality to Australian Brides.

Handmade Elegance

I have been wanting to share with you one of my favourite members of The Boutique Wedding Guide for some time. Our first international member that ships to Australia, Emici Bridal makes the most stunning heirloom quality bridal accessories. Designer Marie Conrad is one of the most lovely ladies and all her pieces are simply divine.

When Marie sent me news of her latest design I was overwhelmed at its beauty. I'm not really one for bling, but this is absolutely beautiful and so elegant, I love everything about it; Especially the peridot gemstones and green silk stems, ivory and green are one of my favourite bridal colour palettes. 

Marie created the Leona Charlize Bouquet from hand cut petals of various gorgeous silk fabrics, faceted peridot gemstones, silver rhinestones clusters, vintage brooches and lace. Each flower is its own individual piece with a green dupioni silk wrapped stem. 

We are delighted to have Emici Bridal as part of Portobello Bride and think the Emici Bridal Bouquets will make a fabulous addition to the already beautiful collection of accessories that are on offer from Emici Bridal. 

Portobello Bride Real Wedding- Ann & Lex

I love weddings that include sentimental details, Ann & Lex's is no exception. 

Together for twelve years, after meeting on the first day of university, this inseparable couple were surrounded by family and friends who travelled from across the globe to celebrate their marriage with them. 

The first detail that touched my heart was the bouquets, which were made up of the prettiest pastel tulips, were inspired by Lex's Grandparents who were tulip growers in the UK. 

Ann, with her mum by her side, entered the church with Bjork's 'All is full of love' playing.

My favourite detail of the day; Ann's Mum wore the very same kimono her mother wore to her wedding. That is truly beautiful.

Ann and Lex thought it would be a nice touch to play Etta James' 'At Last' as they left the church. The perfect choice considering how long many people had waited for their wedding.

One of the first things that attracted me to this wedding was the girls colour palette; it is so pretty and really compliments the church's colours. Perfect for the wedding photos.

images by Karina Illoska for Nerida McMurray Photography

Thank you Nerida McMurray Photography for sharing your beautiful images from Ann and Lex's ceremony with us today. Photographer Karina Illovska's natural style has captured the love and sentiment of their wedding perfectly. 

The Wedding Team:

Wedding Dress: Nicola Finetti

Beauty: Miss Kitsa and Salon East

Fragrance: Chance by Chanel

Flowers: Potteround Floral Design

Grooms Attire: Calibre

Ceremony: St Johns Darlinghurst, Harbours Edge

Photography: Nerida McMurray Photography