Rehearsal Dinner In A Midsummer Garden

Congratulations to our lovely couple, Mona and Tom! Dragonfly recently created the floral and event designs for their wedding weekend in Washington, DC. 

We are thrilled to share with you the highlights of their unique weekend in two blog postings. This first posting is about their rehearsal dinner on Friday evening. Many of the guests traveled from far and wide, and Tom and Mona wanted the space to feel intimate and casual, where people could sit and talk into the night. 

Mona wanted a romantic summer garden, filled with warm yellows, oranges and greens. The site for the evening's event was the venerable Meridian House, an historic mansion in the Northwest section of DC.

Meridian House is known for its grove of historic linden trees that were planted with the mansion was built in 1923. We were permitted to hang candle-lit lanterns among the trees to create an intimate, outdoor seating area for cocktails. In addition to small cocktail tables with petit pops of brightly colored flowers, we created two conversation nooks near the garden fountain. We brought in comfortable sofas and armchairs with pillows to match the florals. We also prepared a table of colorful pashmina shawls in case there was a chill that evening.

 

When guests arrived, they were guided up the steps by larger lanterns, and greeted with their first brightly colored flowers.

 

 

After cocktails and music outside, the guests entered into a large salon filled with long banquet tables for dinner. Down the center of every table was a garden of fresh flowers, lanterns, and votive candles. We brought the summer garden indoors and created a fresh, intimate setting for family and friends of Mona and Tom.

 

 

 

Up next: Mona and Tom Wedding Day!

RSVP for the Luxury Wedding Spotlight

Dragonfly is so excited to be chosen to be a Showcased Vendor at the Luxury Wedding Spotlight 2014!

For 2014, Stacie Shea Events and Ambiance Luxe Wedding Designs have co-planned the Luxury Wedding Spotlight to create an event for couples who want their weddings to be truly amazing. 

The Luxury Wedding Spotlight will take place at the newest wedding venue in Fairfield County, Harbor View at Norwalk Cove, on Sunday April 27 from 6-9pm. While attending the event, engaged couples will be able to meet with the most talented vendors and event planners in Connecticut and New York. Since each showcased vendor has been chosen by top wedding planners, attending couples will know they are seeing the best of the best.

Space is limited, and guests must register in advance. So please RSVP today to attend!

LUXURY WEDDING SPOTLIGHT
Event Website: http://www.luxuryweddingspotlight.com/
 
SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2014
HARBOR VIEW AT NORWALK COVE
48 CALF PASTURE BEACH ROAD in NORWALK, CT
Valet Parking service provided.
 
Guests must pre-register online:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/532529

5 Things I Learned From Preston Bailey

Earlier in February, I had the honor of being invited to spend an evening with world renowned event designer and wedding planner Preston Bailey. Preston has been an inspiration to me for many years, not only for his incredible creativity and execution, but for his business experience and his openness to sharing it with his colleagues in the industry.

The evening in Preston's Chelsea design studio was memorable for many reasons. I want to share with you the five top things Preston taught me:

1.  Fill your business with the best people you can find. I learned that I need to let go of the controls a bit and work with talented people who help me do the things that I just can't do alone. Those areas may be business management, financial management, social media and PR, production and logistics. Preston told us that it was his staff that pulled him back from the brink of bankruptcy and turned his vision into a reality. He said, "Start at the top and hire down.  A great, skilled staff will soon develop the business."

2.  Service is the key.  Preston recommends showering your client with attentiveness, responding quickly and following through.  He hired one of the best planners in NYC full-time to be the face to the client for every event. "It's about service, service, service!" he said. 

3.  Dare to be different. One idea I learned from Preston is to offer clients that one thing that will blow them away, even if it cuts into your margin. For Preston, it is his unique signature topiary animals. By doing this one thing, whatever it happens to be for you, you create a lot of buzz, especially if photos of it get picked up and shared via social media.

4. Provide your clients with options. When conferring with a client, show them 3 samples. One meets meets the expected budget.  The next one a bit more glamorous. The third one is way over-the-top. In Preston's experience, these options help a client see their wedding or event in a much bigger way. "A client needs to see the possibilities in order to decide on the budget,” he said. Preston approaches every client in this way.

5.  Examine and streamline your sourcing practices. Preston taught me some valuable new techniques for sourcing items for our events. For instance, he never stores anything; every single item he purchases gets discarded after the event.  In a tight NY production studio, workspace is more valuable than storage. Granted, this practice may work well in NYC where space is at a premium, and it may be cost effective to store certain items in other locations. But he does have a valid point around starting fresh with every new client.

During his presentation that evening in his studio, Preston asked each of his employees this question: "If you could give me one piece of advice, what would it be?"  They clearly respect, admire and like their boss. The answer that struck me the most, though, was his financial manager, who said, "Preston, you need to value yourself monetarily." 

It was a interesting piece of advice, and it is something I will keep  thinking about.  We are in a design-based industry, and we put so much of ourselves into every aspect of our work. And so when Marcy and I sit and discuss all future clients and events, we will keep in mind that our ideas are as valuable as the flowers we ultimately deliver.

- Thom Green, Co-Owner, Dragonfly Floral & Event

Love Is All You Need

Dragonfly wishes you a very happy Valentine's Day!

Love is what it’s all about. It is the reason Dragonfly exists. Love is how we started, what helped us grow and the reason we wake up every day.

Thanks to our wonderful couples over the years, here is a bit of the love we have captured along the way …

Photographers: Rodney Bailey, Candace Jeffrey Photography, Holland Photo Arts, Jane Shauck of Iris Photography, Michael Bennet Kress, Orchard Cove Photography,

Dragonfly's Thom & Marcy: A Kiss In Paris

Dear Pantone: Your Color of the Year Took Us By Surprise

Dear Pantone:

We love following color trends in wedding design and watching the Pantone Color of the Year wash over the entire design world.

And then came Radiant Orchid, Color of the Year for 2014, which took us a bit by surprise. While it sounds like a perfect color trend for us (being floral and all), it didn't really tickle our fancy. In fact, some among us here at Dragonfly would go so far as to call it garish (we aren't naming names).

So how will we incorporate this color into our design concepts this year? We agree that a little Radiant Orchid can go a long way. As an accent color, it adds a bright pop to an arrangement. We also like how it can go from delicate to bold in the right floral combination.

Little Silver rose with soft and romantic creams, pinks and greys

For softness, we will mix it with creams, lavenders and greys. Lilacs can be a soft shade of orchid. Muscari (grape hydrangea) ranges from pale blue to a deep purple. Dahlia comes in wide array of similar hues. Garden roses come in delicate orchid. Hydrangeas come in similar shades, Dutch in the winter and New Zealand in the fall. Dusty Miller's furry grey leaves will add sweetness and texture.

Alternatively, we can go bold with deep greens, dark purples, burgundies, and rich pinks. Red callas, hot pink peonies, and even purple or burgundy hyndrangea can provide drama in a bridal bouquet. But ever in small doses.

Cattlaya Orchid (photo courtesy of www.envygfx.com)

Then, of course, there are this year's color namesake: orchids. Phalaenopsis, cattleyas and vandas are gorgeous and delicate, yet quite hearty.

And so are imaginations are off and running with ways to use this color for our clients this year. We'll let you know all the creative combinations we develop.

Sincerely,
Dragonfly

Sunny Dahlia

Lilacs with shades of green and curly willow

Moody Blue Roses (photo by www.HarvestWholesaler.com)

Roses in pale to bold shades of Radiant Orchid, creams and pinks (photo by www.HarvestWholesaler.com)

Mini Macarons as festive party favors (photo from Pinterest)

Kissing Ball Aisle Markers

Tonal Swatches of Radiant Orchid

Happy New Year from Dragonfly

As the new year comes to an end, we have one wedding on New Year's Eve. And then we'll launch head first into 2014. For the moment, though, we wanted to take some time to think about 2013 and the things for which we have been and will continue to be grateful:

Our Family ~ Our daughters are the light of our lives. We are grateful for our extended families too. We only wish we lived closer to each other.

Our Couples ~ We love helping our couples create their wedding visions. We find great joy in sending them into their new married lives surrounded by loved ones and beautiful flowers.

Our Colleagues ~ We have been fortunate to work with the most talented and professional planners, venue managers, photographers, cake designers and so many more who make our work possible.

Our Suppliers ~ We source flowers and decor items from dozens of providers who make sure we get the best products available when we need them. We are grateful for the trusting relationships we have built over the years.

Our Inspiration ~ We find inspiration everywhere we look. The spark usually comes from our clients. The final event design, from the smallest bloom to the largest chandelier, may be inspired by a hundred different people, books, websites, images, products, colors or even feelings.

We hope you have had a wonderful 2013, and we wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

~ Marcy & Thom

Surf's Up At A High End Beach Party

In our last blog posting, we featured a hunting lodge luncheon, with an atmosphere that was dark, cozy and classic.

This posting is the second in our series about creating not just a look and feel, but a feeling for your guests as they walk into your event. 

Welcome to our high-end beach party! 

Imagine a bridal shower, a bat mitzvah or an anniversary party for a family that wants a bright seaside setting for their party. We started with bright, watery blues accented with sunny orange to make it all pop. The menus are letterpress printed on subtle blue and white striped cards

The table top features blue art glass chargers and bowls, as well as blue water glasses. A lantern with a blue candle inside is surrounded by a variety of handmade wooden and dried flowers in beach tones with blue and naturally orange star fish interspersed among the flowers. A subtle floral design on the white linens adds airiness to the sea shore atmosphere.

You don't want to cut into the individual table cake with its beautiful waves, shells and stars. But you know it is going to be delicious! The starfish motif is carried into the napkin rings, tied with a sea blue ribbon. White shivari chairs add a classic elegance, while sea grass and a vintage surfboard bring in the fun.

The companies who coordinated on this project are:

• Rose Marie Belo, Lettres Stationery of Distinction
• Debbie Grazier of Riverhouse Catering 
• Ana Parzych Cakes (part of this overall project, but not in this particular photo setting)
• LifeTouch Photography
• Dragonfly Floral and Event Design 

Guests can take home woven beach bags.

Letterpress invitations on subtle blue and white cards

The cake is decorated with bright blue waves, shells and starfish, all edible!

Starfish napkin rings tied with matching blue ribbon.

Blue glass place settings are accented with a touch of orange

A burning sea colored candle surrounded by handmade flowers, rope balls and star fish

Throw a beach party any time of year!