Weekly Roundup

Happy Friday once again! Here's our week in Instagram (you can follow us @lafleurvintage):

1. Stock. 2. Asymmetrical arrangements <3 3. This is what your wedding flowers look like the day before. 4. Bow tied. 5. Where to stick extra flowers. 6. Color love!

1. Love the colors in this bright wedding by Creative Consultants.

2. This short film is lovely, not to be missed, incredibly moving work by playwright Simon Stephens and actor Andrew Scott. 

3. Absolutely adore Hilda Grahnat's photography blog. 

4. It's National Doughnut Day! What's your favorite? (In case you couldn't tell, we voted on Boston Cream). 

5. Inspired By This' post on the ups and downs of dealing with rejection in your professional life is worth a pause and second thought. 

Have a fantastic weekend, you guys! 

Dessert First

Last week we had the privilege of enjoying some of Sara Belle's cupcakes over brunch, and with the heavenly taste of almond roca and lemon cream lingering on our tongues, we decided it's time for another roundup of wedding cakes we love. 

Because our main focus is floral design, we adore a tiered cake topped with cascades of lush flowers, but vintage inspiration is still close to our hearts, and lately playful, modern cake design has been catching our collective eye as well. 

The perfect amount of sweetness. 

Elizabeth's Expert Advice: Carnation Garlands

We love carnations, and we don't care who knows it. 

Lately they've been coming back in a big way, showing up on ruffled cakes, in thickly strung garlands and as ceremony and altar backdrops. 

Image by Bill McCullough; Flowers by La Fleur Vintage

Image via Pinterest

From Martha Stewart Weddings

Carnations en masse are a beautiful thing. While it's certainly easier to step back and let your florist spend hours stringing these little flowers together, this is something that you could turn into a DIY project if you have a few hours to spare (and resilient fingertips). Here's how: 

Flower of the Week

Camellia

In the eyes of the Chinese, the symmetrical petals of the camellia flower reflect the spirit of a lady, and the calyx holding the petals represents the young man who will protect her. The calyx of most plants remains after the petals have dropped, but the camellia's calyx falls with the petals when the flower dies. This symbolizes an everlasting union between lovers. In many parts of China, the camellia is considered the most favorable flower to be worn by young people to attract a marriage partner. 

Camellias became the height of fashion as a corsage in 1940s America. In Temple City, California, the first Camellia festival was celebrated in 1945, with people gathering to admire vast floats of flowers. Annual camellia festivals spread across the United States in this decade and in the 1950s. 

Unlike some flowers, which can have negative as well as positive meanings, camellias always symbolize good fortune. Not only are they emblems of love, but they are also lucky, especially when presented to a man. 

The beauty of Camellia flowers inspired Victorian lovers to choose them to express decoration, but different flower colors varied in meaning:

The pink camellia: "I long for you"

The red camellia: "You are a flame in my heart"

The white camellia: "You are adorable"*

*Excerpt from The Secret Language of Flowers, by Samantha Gray