MY FANTASY FLORALS AND EVENTS

A "thank you" to Mayesh Wholesale Flowers (the best flower mart in the Valley!) for this:

Language of Flowers

 The language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, was a Victorian-era means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. This language was most commonly communicated through Tussie-Mussies, an art which has a following today.

 The nuances of the language are now mostly forgotten, but red roses still imply passionate, romantic love and pink roses a lesser affection; white roses suggest virtue and chastity and yellow roses still stand for friendship or devotion. Also commonly known meanings are sunflowers, which can indicate either haughtiness or respect - they were the favorite flower of St. Julie Billiart for this reason. Gerbera (daisy) means innocence or purity. The iris, being named for the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, still represents the sending of a message. A pansy signifies thought, a daffodil regard, and a strand of ivy; fidelity.

 History

 Though most popular in the Victorian period, the symbolic use of flowers dates back to antiquity. In medieval and Renaissance culture, flowers were often given moral meanings. This is most apparent in art in which saints are often depicted with flowers that are symbolic of their virtues. Liana DeGirolami Cheney notes that "some of the Christian symbols for Virginity or Chastity are the white rose, the myrtle, a vessel or vase, the lily, and the unicorn".  Victorian sources also used flowers to describe moral, spiritual, or emotional truths.  

Rose

   More than any other flower, the rose has been prized for its beauty the world over. Symbolic associations with the rose have existed since the days of the ancient Romans and Greeks. Roses have been identified with love and passion since those times, beginning with their association with the goddesses Aphrodite, Isis and Venus. Cleopatra is said to have received Marc Anthony in a room literally knee-deep in roses.  The flower symbolism associated with roses is love, remembrance, passion (red); purity (white); happiness (pink); infidelity (yellow); unconscious beauty, and I love you. Wild roses have five petals. This has led to their symbolic connection to the wounds of Christ in Christian iconography. The rose also symbolizes the Virgin Mary herself, who was known as the "Mystic Rose." 

The History of Roses

There are fossil records dating roses back some 35 million years. Roses are native to the United States. Montana and Oregon have the oldest rose fossils. The rose has the most complex family tree of any known flower species with over 30,000 varieties.

Roses were first cultivated 5,000 years ago in Asian gardens. In the Orient, ladies carried rose petals in their purses and gentlemen made wine and herbal medicine with the flowers. Along with the name Orchid, Rose is one of the most popular names for girls in China. Confucius wrote that the emperor of China owned over 600 books on the cultivation of roses.

 Roses were introduced to Europe during the Roman Empire and were thereafter used for ornamental purposes. Romans were known to carpet huge banquet halls with rose petals. Experts divide roses into two groups."Old roses" are those cultivated in Europe before 1800. "Modern roses" have been cultivated since about the turn of the 19th century.

Before cultivation, roses typically bloomed only once per year. Now roses are blooming somewhere every day of the year. 

©2008-2009 Living Arts Enterprises, LLC   

Meaning of Different Color of Roses

RED ~  True love

BLUE ~ Mystery, attaining the impossible

WHITE ~ Eternal Love, Silence or innocence, wistfulness, virtue, purity, secrecy, reverence and humility

BLACK ~ Death, hatred, farewell, rejuvenation or rebirth

YELLOW ~ Friendship, or dying love (or platonic love) or jealousy, infidelity

PINK ~ Grace

DARK PINK ~ Gratitude

LIGHT PINK ~ Desire, passion, joy of life, youth, energy

BURGUNDY ~ Unconscious Beauty

CORAL OR ORANGE ~ Desire, passion

LAVENDER OR VIOLET ~ Love at first sight

RED AND WHITE TOGETHER ~ Unity

RED AND YELLOW TOGETHER ~ Joy, happiness, and excitement

THORNLESS ~ Love at first sight

Mayesh Wholesale Florist, Inc.Chandler

  Your color scheme has the power to set the vibe – so choose wisely.  Here are the top determining factors to selecting your hues - the cornerstone for your wedding flowers and decor scheme.

The Setting should be your first consideration.  Look at the colors used in your venue’s carpeting, drapery and decorations.  If the site has strong colors, you’ll need to select a color scheme that complements.  If you already have your heart set on a certain color, you may need to select a more neutrally decorated site.

Say you’ve been in love with pale lavender since the 1st grade, so go with what you love.  You can tastefully incorporate any color into your wedding decorations by selecting the right hue, and combining it with the right accents.

If sunflowers are your thing, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t make it into your décor scheme.  Incorporate the flower color – either making it the dominant shade or using it as an accent – and it will all come together. 

Season Decorating is simple when Mother Nature is your guide, so let the natural colors of the season be your inspiration.  That doesn’t mean that you’re stuck with prissy pastel decorations during Spring or brown and orange during Fall.  Just make sure that the wedding colors you choose complement the blooms and foliage that are naturally available during that time of year.  Nowadays, flowers are shipped from all over the world.  So, if it's spring in the northern hemisphere, it's fall in the southern hemisphere.  Also, many popular flowers are hothouse grown and available (although at a price) any time.

If you want your ‘maids decked head to toe in your color, you’ll need to make sure it’s an appealing and flattering shade to wear.

Have fun with color!  Go to a fabric store and wander.  Make a pile of the fabrics that catch your eye.  What do they have in common?  Is it the color, the texture, the pattern?  Page through the latest issue of a fashion magazine.  What fashions and colors catch your eye?  Also, pay attention to the ads.  Why did you stop to look?  Was it the bold, graphic design?  Was it a feeling of romance?

A good florist can help you come up with designs and flowers to blend beautifully with ANY color.  Have fun with it.  Sometimes the most unusual color schemes are the most dramatic.

We are back into the busy season here in Arizona...which means, of course, no more weddings with 100 plus degree weather (for a while at least).  Thank goodness!  Flowers just aren't very happy in the heat.  We made good use of the "spare" time during the summer though.  We hosted a Wedding and Event Network meeting at the new Hilton Homewood Suites on Cotton Center Blvd. in Tempe (being that we are their official florist).  Since the hotel is decorated beautifully in bright, fun colors, we used a "South Beach" theme.  We had a fashion show, food, mojitos, pina coladas, more food, deserts, a D.J. and guest exhibitors.  All in all it was a great evening with a large crowd of Valley wedding vendors. 

We also had a booth at the East Valley Bridal Show, did flowers for the Gala Tasting at Heidi's Events and Catering, did 75 centerpieces for The Spirit of Athena Awards Banquet for the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce at The Biltmore, and even managed to do a few weddings along with the rest of it! 

Karen traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota to make all the arrangements for a wedding she will be doing there next May.  The weather was cool and rainy - which was a welcome relief from the heat.  She also traveled to New York City for a symposium and took the train down to Washington D.C. while she was on the east coast. 

As you can tell, it was a busy summer with an even busier fall, winter and spring coming up. 

We are looking forward to the months ahead and some cool weather. 

I've been working hard to get the website looking fine!  I've learned so much about website design that my head is spinning. 

Both Sara and I will be writing here to keep everyone up to date on the business.

  Next Thursday, June 25th, Heidi's Events and Catering will be holding their Gala Tasting (one of four each year).  This is quite the event and if you can make it, go to Heidi's Website and RSVP (see the link on our Vendor Links page).  You won't be sorry! 

The new issue of Arizona Bride Best of 2009 is available now.  Check out our ad, my niece Jenny designed it for us!

It's down-time for weddings here in Arizona and time for us to re-group and savor some relaxation.  Karen is going to visit friends in Durango, Colorado July 8th through July 12th, so she will be out of the office and incognito for a few days.

Go on over to our Facebook page and write on our wall.  http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/app_settings.php?id=96759943096&aid=2309869772#/pages/My-Fantasy-Florals/96759943096?v=wall&viewas=1830933042  or become a fan.  Feel free to share any pictures of your event with others.

Karen