Wedding season has finally wrapped up at willow & bloom and we are now receiving the professional photographs of the weddings of this past season. We have a couple of our weddings that are now featured on Green Wedding Shoes (www.greenweddingshoes.com) and this is one of them!

We are delighted to share these photos taken by Brooke at Brookelyn Photography (www.brookelynphotography.com), clearly a very talented photographer.

Kelli & Toby wanted flowers inspired by a vintage Parisian color palette, which we translated into soft pinks, soft greys, touches of beige and accents of creamy white. We used a combination of three different rose types, Dusty Miller, dahlias, berries, and fern curls finished with Midori double-faced satin ribbon.

The couple chose a beautifully unique venue, Treehouse Point in Issaquah, Washington and wonderful desserts from Bakery Nouveau and Trophy Cupcakes (my personal favorite cupcake in the whole entire world!).

If you didn’t happen to see the tens of thousands of runners and hundreds of bands in the streets two weekends ago in Seattle, then you may have heard of the inaugural Rock n’ Roll Marathon on the news.  We were delighted to service the company with florals for their VIP events in Seattle.

The guests were treated to a dinner party the night before the race at the Museum of Flight and we were asked to provide the centerpiece table arrangements in the theme colors, which we think worked very well with the 747′s in the background.

event florals

museum of flight flowers

The race started in Tukwila and finished at Qwest Field in downtown Seattle, and while we did not have flowers every two miles with each of the rock bands staged along the way, we did deck out the VIP tents at the starting line, the finish line and at that night’s musical performance by Keb’ Mo’ at Marymoor Park in Redmond.

It was so much fun to be a part of the buzz (without actually having to run the 26 miles that so many brave souls did)!

We are in the full swing of our wedding season and have some wonderful photos that we have been slow to get loaded onto the web site, so we thought we would share some of our favorites in a series of blog postings.

Rebecca & Glenn celebrated their wedding at The Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland this past April.  We created florals in a vintage-inspired color palette of deep blues, rich pinks, browns and accents of green.  Taking advantage of spring blooms, ceremony arrangements were created with blooming branches complemented by hydrangea, garden roses, berries and orchids.

Rebbecca & Glenn were one of the nicest, easy going couples that we have had the pleasure of working with and we wish them all the best!  They also hired one of our favorite wedding and event planners, Holly Kate at Sweet Pea Events (a true pleasure to work with).

We are waiting on the professional photographs, but in the mean time thought we would share our photos taken by one of our staff.

one of our designers spreading rose petals...

aisle rose petals in ivory & pale pinks

bridesmaid holding her bouquet

aisle bouquets...

blooming cherry blossom trees at Woodmark Hotel

our centerpieces were complemented nicely by Glassy Baby votives

willow & bloom low and lush centerpiece at The Woodmark Hotel

If you are in town this weekend, make sure to visit Fremont for the Memorial Day Sidewalk Sale.  We have our sale tables out in front of the shop along with up to 50 other businesses in the area!  The weather is beautiful for a stroll through your favorite neighborhood.

We are offering some of our fine merchandise at sale prices with discounts up to 60% off…whether off season or simply over quantity, we have some good deals on quality labels such as Elum, Soap & Paper Factory, Rendevous candles, Oh Baby Designs and more!

sale items on display

Up to 60% off

discount soaps

Mom – She was there for our first step, our first word and the first day of school.  She was the one who packed our lunches, shuttled us around town and tucked us in at night… she has been there for it all.  So what better way to thank her than with a beautiful willow & bloom custom designed arrangement?

Spring has sprung and everywhere you look nature is bursting into bloom!  The warm sunshine filled days are hinting to us that summer is fast approaching.  For those of us yearning for more spring blossoms, it is not too late.  Why not share the fragrance of hyacinth or the warmth of tulips and daffodils?  In fact, May Day is just around the corner.

Traditionally, May First falls approximately half-way between the spring equinox and the summer solstice and marks the transition from spring to summer.  We love the tradition of making baskets of flowers and leaving them on the front step of someone we admire and why shouldn’t we share flowers with someone we think is great?!  There’s no better way to make someone’s day then by sending them flowers “just because.”

Show someone you care about them and bring a smile to their face by giving them flowers this May Day!

spring blossoms

With the large amount of interest we have in our potted orchids, we wanted to share some basic orchid care tips which apply to most of the varieties we carry.

orchid care

Tricks of the trade:

- The problem most people have has to do with getting the plants to re-bloom. Orchids will respond to slight temperature and light changes by blooming. So, to help your orchid re-bloom, place your orchid in more direct light when it is ready to bloom again. It might take a few weeks, but it should start sending out new bloom shoots.

- There are a few ways people water their orchids. Some will mist their orchids, others will just pour water into the pot, while some even soak the orchid. We recommend avoiding the misting of the plant. The water left on the leaves will attract the sunlight and cause the leaves to burn.

- It is best to water your orchid in the mornings, so as to give it most of the day to let the sun dry it out again. We also prefer the soaking method. If you let the water run through the pot or soak it, you know that the water is making it all the way to the roots of the plant.

As you can see, it is quite simple to keep your orchids healthy and fabulous. With a little water and light they will flourish and you will be able to enjoy this stunning and unique plant for years.

In addition to our everyday flower arrangements, we have added a few new selections to our Valentine’s Day offerings along with beautifully potted orchids, hand crafted jewelry, divine Theo Chocolates and some of the best cards you can find!

Take advantage of our extended hours, complimentary curbside pick-up and free parking.  To ensure delivery on Saturday, please call ahead by Thursday so that our drivers can reserve your spot.

potted orchids

Kat (one of our favorite customers) wearing our hand-crafted jewelry

Theo Chocolates

Christmas has come and gone, but Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!!! Yes, the ”Day Made for Flowers” is almost here and willow & bloom is ready! Come tell us about the lush creation you envision for a loved one and our uber-talented designers will create it for you. Flower arrangements start at $45 with upgrades only limited by your imagination. View our gallery today under the holidays section of the web site and make sure to place your order early. 

With stunning hand crafted jewelry from Christa Hope and India Blue, special florals, handcrafted cards, and artisan chocolates we have everything you need to make this Valentine’s Day one to remember.

Christa Hope Jewelry

The new Seattle Bride is out on stands and amongst its stunning array of dresses and stylish wedding ideas lies an interesting article, that we were asked to provide floral arrangements for, on color theory and its application to wedding flowers.

As in fine art, creating magical and fresh wedding florals goes far beyond the basics of the color wheel. Floral designers are ever changing their approach to color and composition. Nature gives them an amazing spectrum to work with and every flower brings with it a unique shade and texture, helping to shape the mood and feel of the bouquet.  Floral designers are inspired by nature as well as the people they are creating for and each bride is different and unique, so her bouquet should not be any different. With each bouquet being individualized, the old “rules” must be bent or broken.

As we are move beyond complementary colors, into a world of creativity and unique vision, we find ourselves no longer governed by the strict color palettes of the past, but moving into a new and exciting future of color and textures, of combinations both elegant and fresh, of bouquets that reflects the love and romance behind the day. 

Below are two of our arrangements that were featured in Seattle Bride.  We hope you like them!