melanie benson floral design

New Blog

2011-04-25T23:44:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone, so here is the latest. My web site and blog are not in sinc. Why, well we are working on that. So thanks for you patience.

forgotten source

Seattle Wedding in Purple and White

2011-04-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

Our first wedding of the Season! A rainy day made ceremony even more romantic. The vintage room was transformed into a dreamy setting with candles and flowers lining the aisle.

GARDEN ROSES FOR BRIDAL BOUQUETS

2011-03-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

Romance and fragrance, just add some garden roses. The billowy flowers remind me of a peony and smell even better. Add a few to your bridal bouquet for sweet memories.

PLACE CARDS FOR WEDDINGS

2011-02-23T18:27:00.000-08:00

Someone asked me the other day what they could as place cards. So I looked around the internet and found a few. What do you think?

WINTER WEDDING

2011-02-14T20:08:00.000-08:00

Karen and Chuck recent college grads and now newlyweds. They had a lovely ceremony in sage and lavender. The reception was held at Herban Feast and decorated by family and friends. Photos by John and Joesph

A VERY WHOLESALE VALENTINES DAY

2011-02-08T21:30:00.000-08:00

Brannan Street Wholesale in San Francisco, guess they are planning on selling some roses this Valentines Day.

Worcester florists - Sprout: The Cost of Wedding Flowers - Centerpieces

2011-02-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

Worcester florists - Sprout: The Cost of Wedding Flowers - Centerpieces: "To give you some idea of what the flowers you see in bridal magazines really cost, I've borrowed a couple photos of centerpieces from Martha..."

TIME

2011-02-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

When planning a wedding most people need to know how much do flowers cost, how much should I budget for? I saw a poster on a telephone pole today, bulldozer $75 per hour. How much does a plumber charge per hour, or the electrician or the Dr? How much does a florist charge per hour? I am not sure, I cant speak for every one but I can give some information of how long it takes to put flowers together for a wedding.
-initial consultation 2hrs
-writing a proposal 3 hrs
-second consultation and a meeting at the venue 2hrs
- approximate number of emails per wedding 86
-preparing and placing a flower order for the wholesaler 2 hrs
-pick up flower order drive time to and from wholesaler 4hrs
-clean and process flowers 6hrs
-clean and prepare containers 3hrs
-design time 30 hrs
-load van and drive to venue 2hrs
-set up ceremony and reception 3hrs
-wait until reception is over 6 hrs(we wont even count these)
-tear down decor and leave reception site as I found it 1hr
-unload van, wash buckets, put everything away, sweep etc 8hrs

OK lets say 75 hours for an average size wedding bride, 5 attendants, corsages, bouts, 15 centerpieces, ceremony flowers maybe a small arbor, cake flowers. That is 75 man hours!!!! Lets just say a designer needs to charge the low low rate of 25 per hour, a fraction of what other professionals charge, this comes to $1875 not including flowers. Just something to think about as you prepare your flower budget, there is so much more time involved other than just the arranging of the flowers.

VINTAGE FLOWERS

2011-01-30T10:18:00.000-08:00

I had a request the other day for something vintage. Pastiche is a local antique store and a favorite of mine, they had lots of old silver that was perfect for that vintage look. The prices are amazing if you aren't going for serious quality, I bought several things for under $20 each. Photo from my studio

WEDDING FLOWERS FOR CARS

2011-01-26T20:47:00.001-08:00

Do we do wedding flowers for cars? Yes, of course the latest model and vintage cars as well.

WEST SOUND WEDDING SHOW

2011-01-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

Check out the link for pics of Allison Lum Events at the show, flowers by me.

Alison Lum Events: West Sound Wedding Show - pics!: "My hubby and I attended the West Sound Wedding Show in Bremerton last week, and had a great time. We met tons of couples, networked wi..."

Wing Point Golf Club Wedding Sneak Peak | Seattle Wedding Photographer

2011-01-17T16:23:00.000-08:00

Wing Point Golf Club Wedding Sneak Peak | Seattle Wedding Photographer

Enjoy this slide show, a beautiful family

GIFT FOR BRIDES IN 2011

2011-01-07T20:07:00.000-08:00

I have a special gift for all brides getting married in 2011. A beautiful, lush, elegant bouquet of your dreams will be designed just for you. Here is what you have to do
get married at Port gamble or
get married at Port Ludlow or
get married anywhere with Allison Lum Events as your coordinator and
have MBF design and create you wedding flowers of 2,000. or more
the bouquet will be our gift to you a value of up to 250.

Sneek Peek Seattle Wedding Show

2011-01-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

Today I set up Flowers for the Farm Kitchen and dropped off a bouquet at Port Ludlow, both great places to get married. The Farm Kitchen is romantic and great for a garden wedding. Port Ludlow has a great waterside location and the inn is elegant.

SPRING FLOWERS

2010-12-30T20:39:00.000-08:00

Every January I think to myself one more month and we will start to have flowers in the garden again. February is a time when things start to bloom, plum blossom, daffodils, tulips come up, lilac buds start to swell. Here are a few photos of spring flowers that are available now from our wholesaler.

GREEN WEDDINGS

2010-12-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

Which is greener organic flowers from South America or conventional flowers sent from Canada or California? Since there is not an organized flower growers association in WA the farmers come from all over the state and sell at various places, which requires driving sometimes hours. Maybe the local grower down the street doesn't grow any white flowers or they aren't available since the grower is small and all the flowers are needed for the farmers market. The logistics of getting good quality organic flowers in WA when you need them in the color you require, well it makes my head spin. So here is what we do.
-use the farmers close by that can deliver to my studio, when they have product available
-make arrangements with farmers outside our area to deliver in Seattle
-use whatever we can from our own organic garden
-fill in with flowers from Canada or California preferably organic

Here is a list of our other green practices:
- we compost all of our plant waste on site
-we discourage the use of floral foam, if we do, we reuse it for some other purpose
-we rent vases and props over and over
-ribbon is ironed and reused
-bio soap is used for washing buckets
-refrigerators are turned off when not in use

Please enjoy the photos of our compost, it may be ugly but it makes the garden grow.

SEATTLE WEDDING

2010-12-15T16:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I am only a small part of a couples wedding, but I like to think not unimportant. Elle and Chris wanted to stick with their budget no matter what and we did. I only make bouquets for this couple but it was a pleasure. Select photography took beautiful photos.

OH MY WHAT A WONDERFULL DAY

2010-12-11T16:40:00.000-08:00

Megan and Chris were married on a very beautiful day this summer. The ceremony took place in Port Gambles, Saint Catherine Church. after the ceremony the entire crowd moved the brides grandparents for a night of celebration. I made the personal flowers and the large arrangement for the church in the yummy rich summer colors the bride loves. Family and friends pitched in for all the ceremony decor. Paul Dudley took the great photos.

FAIRY TALE SPARKLE

2010-12-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

Check out Patricia and all her sparkle goodness. A must have for any would be princess.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

2010-12-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

Sometimes its hard to get photos. I am not the photographers client and after the wedding, well newly weds are just plain busy with their new life. Melissa and Christian were married in 2009 here are some of the photos.

AUTUMN ONE MORE TIME

2010-11-29T16:19:00.000-08:00

I know we are so over Thanksgiving and on to Christmas colors, but I just found this.....autumn flowers from Quince

2010-11-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

I found this on married and more with Michelle , just had to share it

CAKE ?

2010-11-17T19:47:00.000-08:00

this looks like a wedding cake but its for cards. I love it, this bride thought of so many things that really made her wedding special.

MY FLOWER GIRLS

2010-11-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

In her gloved hands she held a loop of velvet cord. Suspended from the cord was a mass of ruffly pink carnations their sweet cinnamon scent filled my imagination, the fragrance enhanced by the coolness of the floral refrigerator. Cindy, the big girl from across the street was in her sisters wedding, I'll never forget it.

VINTAGE FUN

2010-11-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

This very fun family wedding was held this summer in a gorgeous backyard of the brides parents. So many friends and family came near and very far to join in the happy union. There was no place to park but Melody Davis of mgdavisevents dreamed up a yellow school bus that was a hit with everyone. Della Chen took the fab photos, more later.

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND FLOWERS

2010-11-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

People ask me all the time where I get my flowers. They come from a wholesaler in Seattle or I order them on line from vendors I have used for years. But sometimes I pick them from my garden. I will never be able to grow 100 stems of white roses but I can go out and pick some chocolate foliage or maybe a few blue hydrangeas. When , like the other day I didn't receive the chocolate cosmos I ordered , they were in the garden. I also need beauty, so my surroundings are always being pushed in a way I dream of. Next door neighbors are impatient with my progress but gardens are living art and this takes time

2010-10-30T15:57:00.001-07:00

kjkkj

PORT LUDLOW

2010-10-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

A sweet wedding for a very sweet girl.

CHOCOLATE COSMOS

2010-08-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes brown is the color the bride wants and there aren't that many brown flowers. So chocolate cosmos are the flowers I usually use for some chocolate color and fragrance. Yes, they really smell like chocolate. The other day I ordered some for a wedding and they never showed up, not sure why. That happens sometimes so you just go to plan B, except there aren't that many brown flowers and if you haven't ordered them they probably wont have any at the wholesaler. Luckily I had foreseen this contingency and had checked out the ones growing in my garden thinking if I had to use them I would. They were very pretty in the brides bouquet.

GREEN?

2010-08-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

So today I was ironing ribbon for a wedding, about 30, yard logs strips. While I was ironing and trying to keep my kittens from helping me, I was thinking this is kind of a green thing to do. What I mean is I have used the same pieces of ribbon about 3 times now. Double face satin ribbon is made of rayon a totally man made fabric that doesn't break down very fast. I collect at the end of an event, roll it up and save it for next time. Re-use and it doesn't go in the garbage. Not to help full as far as the world goes but everything helps.

What do you put on top of a cake?

2010-07-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking about cake, which I love. In my other life I was a baker. A real one, I got paid for baking. My friends and former employers at Blackbird Bakery made this cake. The tiny bride and groom on top were first used on the brides grandparents cake. I am amazed such a tiny precious piece hasn't been lost over the years. Hopefully it will be around for more generations.

Spring at Kiana

2010-07-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES ON EARTH

2010-05-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

When driving through the city in the middle of the night say around 2 am it is mostly quiet. The traffic lights turn green as if by magic. No trucks are double parked blocking your way. A right turn down Brannan then a left on 6th and you are there. Put your badge in the slot, the gate comes up, you jockey for a space to park. Double parking is your only option, its OK as long as you leave the keys inside so someone can move it if needed, and they always do. Suddenly sleep has left your body, the place is alive and vibrant. It smells like flowers, they are everywhere. It is the San Francisco Flower Market. Every Mon, Wed, and Fri from 2am to 10 am the market is open for business. Two city blocks of warehouses where flower vendors and growers sell their stuff.

HOW MUCH IS A ROSE

2010-04-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

Cost is always a consideration when purchasing wedding flowers, so how much do flowers cost anyway? Lets take the rose for example. If I go to my local grocery store I can purchase a dozen roses for $9.99 that is 83 cents a stem. I have to buy a dozen and they may not have the color I want. Grocery stores buy mass quantities from South America to get this deal, the quality is OK, not great.
When I go to my local wholesaler I have choices, I can buy South American roses for about $1.00-$1.30 per stem depending on the season and I have to buy 25. The quality is good but not the best. If I want the best quality I buy California roses for sometimes up to $1.70 per stem that is almost $40.00 for a bunch of 25 stems, wow! To get the best price, just below what I would spend at the grocery store, I place an order for 8 bunches of South American roses all the same variety. That gives me 200 stems of the same flower at about .80 cents each, which means I would need a lot of the same color. The longer the stem the more you pay. Sometimes shorter stems are not available so I end up with more expensive longer stems that I have to cut off anyway.
Quality, usually there is a broken stem(s) that more often than not gets tossed. Or maybe there is mold and they cant be used. It is really disappointing to open a package of what looks like beautiful roses and some of them are brown or grey and fuzzy. Of course this is like throwing money in the garbage. If it is more than a few stems the wholesaler will come through and have perfect flowers sent Fed ex, but they arrive the next day and that puts you behind,oh well Sometimes the desired variety is just not available and a substitution is required, so with a leap of faith and the help of your trusted wholesaler different variety is ordered some times with great results.

2010-04-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

It is really raining which reminds me of a wedding I did for a sweet couple last year. The reception was held at Pr Defiance Zoo, a really fun place to have a reception. I had broken my leg a few months earlier and walking was still a challenge, rain was coming down all day and a peacock kept pecking at the flowers.

2010-03-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

I was part of a wedding show in early March which raised money for breast cancer and Helpline house. I met some great people and hope to take part next year.

WHAT AM I DOING NOW

2010-02-24T14:26:00.000-08:00

It is winter, cold and rainy. There aren't many weddings right now, so what am I doing with myself? Well I am building a new studio. Its a great new space. I found old doors and windows in Seattle at the architectural salvage stores. During the dark hours my portfolios are being reworked. Adding new photos and taking out old ones I don't like anymore. I am also dreaming of my garden.

IN SEASON NOW

2010-02-20T19:36:00.001-08:00

Hellebore

A beautiful flower that is available winter through early spring. They come in white, cream, dark purple and the color shown. Great for the bride to carry and very special.

Atumn Urban

2009-12-04T15:46:00.001-08:00

Gorgeous photos of Michell and Matt s wedding at the Hyatt Olive 8 in downtown Seattle. Thanks so much to Sea Studio for the all the photos. Much better than the ones I took.

2009-12-04T15:03:00.000-08:00

2009-12-02T14:44:00.000-08:00

Victorians loved lily of the valley. It has a beautiful fragrance, placed it tiny vases it can perfume a room. Many brides love this traditional flower, perfect for a May wedding. It doesn't hold well and is very expensive. I guess that is part of what makes it so special.

My First Blog

2009-11-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the blog of Melanie Benson Floral Design. Thanks for visiting.