REAL WEDDING: NAT + GRACE (April 2010)

I was recommended to Nat & Grace by a friend of the bride, a Vatel Manila client-to-be (for November 2010). I met them on a Maundy Thursday, signed the contract on the same week of their wedding, and saw them again on the wedding day. That's just a week of preps for me, but who am I to buckle down to a challenge like this? I had free reign over the design and the choices of flowers and with a theme like Old World Vibe and with venues to match (San Agustin Church & the adjoining Museum's Inner Courtyard - acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Site), it jived pretty much with our sensibility & aesthetic. We love anything vintage & Old World! I have been visiting this church & the museum since I was 7 years old and it means a great deal to me, too. :-)

The bridal bouquet is made up of 12 large peonies, all half open to reveal the paper-thin details that characterize this amazing bloom. We also added white wax flowers for texture and as a filler as well. The handle is covered in antique lace appliqué, and a vintage pendant (a gift from the groom to the bride) was added later on. The flowers for the bridal bouquet are imported from Holland.

We created these bouquets for the Moms & the Maid of Honor. The concept was to make arrangements that look "old". Yes, it's possible! It's really just a play of colors. The secret is to blot out the large flowers with lots of small ones for that added texture. See how the small and large flowers play a part in creating this look? One doesn't overwhelm the other; they complement. It also helped that we used a neutral palette. We also didn't use leaves and made sure the stems are long enough to register well on the photos.

For these bouquets, we used roses (baby pink & peach), Queen Anne's Lace, rice flowers that are multi-colored (pinks, peaches, rusty yellows) and two-toned pink Carnations. All flowers were locally sourced. No need to break the bank to create these beauties. :-)

The handles were wrapped in satin ribbons first, then a lace overlay was added. Incidentally, all the gifts of the couple were also wrapped in this manner (no, we didn't even discuss it!) so imagine the pleasant surprise the next day! Cute! :-)

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. In this case, the proof is in the overall look as captured in this (not so good) photo of the two Maids of Honor. The bouquets are not so small nor too big. Our contention has always been that if we do not get to appreciate your flowers in pictures (or video), then we've failed as a florist. We have to see things in various perspectives, not just from our own. This explains why we make large bouquets. Because they, too, deserve their own 15 minutes of fame.

Will post official photos soon. :-)


SUPPLIERS//

Entourage Flowers//


Photographer//
Dino Lara
9186 Balagtas St., Guadalupe, Makati City, Metro Manila
Numbers: 883.4408 / 0920.912.5069
Email Address: dinolaraphotography@gmail.com

Videographer//
Jason Magbanua
Unit 23 Star Centrum Condominium, 317 Gil Puyat Ave. Makati City
Numbers: 817.1989 /0920.960.2127

Caterer//
Center Table