2013 Table Talk – NH Magazine Award Winners

It’s been pretty busy around here as we continue to meet with couples before the start of the wedding season.  I haven’t even had the chance to post about our table, a collaboration with My Fathered Nest, for the Palace Theater’s 2013 Table Talk Fundraiser.  We we lucky enough to win NH Magazine’s Award that evening and you can see our ode to Seussical The Musical in the May issue of the magazine!

Mb Lincoln of My Fathered Nest crafted a paper mache tree around one of our plant stands and we built around it with a grapevine nest and live plants and moss creating a jungle below.  We gave Mb all of our ribbon remnants from past events and she sewed this crazy tablecloth that made the perfect base for our yellow placemats and flower arrangements at each place setting.

The “Birdephant” peeked out of it’s bright red and white polka dotted egg.

Each setting had a votive which served as both place card and favor.  A “hearts rose” sat in a nest of bright green moss with a trio of craspedia shooting off to the side.  Pam created the place cards and anchored them on pipe cleaner springs that made them dance about.  Talk about whimsy!  Mb took our turquoise napkins and expertly folded them into lotus blossoms to add to the setting.

 

A great time was had by all!  Mb and Pam pictured here, sporting the custom feather fascinators I made.  Yes, we even decorated our guests!  Our server didn’t escape either.  She was a good sport and wore a hat just like that of the Cat in the Hat.

Welcome Spring?

 

Well it certainly doesn’t feel it, but the calendar tells me it’s now officially Spring.  Woohoo?  It’s very difficult to feel “springy” when there’s a fresh coat of snow and ice on the ground and more flurries in the forecast. 

Here’s a glimpse as to what awaits our oh so patient winter weary souls.  Warm sunlight and new blooms with soon fill the world around us and this long, snowy winter will be just a memory.  Happy Spring!

2013 Boston Flower & Garden Show

 

Today may have felt like the end of winter, but temperatures are forecasted to dip in the next few days.  Didn’t get your spring fix?  Not to worry, the Boston Flower & Garden Show is this weekend!  Starting tomorrow you can walk through the doors of the Seaport World Trade Center and be transported to a magical land of blooming blubs, babbling brooks, and flowers as far as the eye can see…sort of.  But hey, we’ll take it! 

We will be buzzing around the shop this weekend and won’t make it this year.  I remember our trip last year vividly though – almost 9 months pregnant and going stir crazy, it was a great diversion!  Here’s a recap of that Show to get you in the mood: http://ideas-in-bloom.blogspot.com/2012/03/2012-boston-flower-garden-show.html.

Planning to go?  Share the highlights with us here!

Photo Recap from Samantha Melanson – Vintage Wedding Flowers

A big thank you to Samantha Melanson Photography for providing us with these photos of our work from The Vintage Wedding Weekend at Robin’s Egg.

 

Enjoy!

 

Vendor Spotlight – Samantha Melanson Photography

 

Happy Wednesday all!  I don’t know about you, but all this talk of more rain and snow in the next few days has really dampened my spirits.  It’s like last Wednesday all over again!  Luckily for me, and for you, we have the bright photography talent of Samantha Melanson to cheer us up.

Samantha was one of the talented vendors featured with us at the Vintage Wedding Weekend at Robin’s Egg a few weeks ago.  She has some shots of the event to share with us all very soon, but for now, learn a little more about Samantha and her work…

Your name:     Samantha Melanson

Your business name:     Samantha Melanson Photography

Your location:     I am based in Central Mass though I am available for travel all over New England and beyond. I have even shot a couple weddings in California and Virginia.

 

 

 

 

 

How and why did you start your business?    I had just graduated from photography school and wanted to dive right into photography as a full time career.  I decided to mainly photograph weddings because I absolutely loved capturing real stories of love and true human emotions and connections.  I wanted to be able to freeze these amazing moments and connections in people’s lives and to share them with these people in a form so vivid and true, as imagery. I set up a website and shortly after I booked a few weddings and then my business started to take off mostly through word of mouth referrals.  It all happened so much faster than I ever dreamed it would and I am so thankful for that!  I have my dream job. Photography has always been my passion and now I am making a living doing it and there is nothing better than that!

How many years have you been in business?     Almost 5

What makes you stand out from other photographers?    I have a unique style in that I can simultaneously capture real moments as they unfold on the wedding day (by taking a photojournalistic approach to the events and moments on a wedding day) while also using my sense of style and my trained eye to capture beautiful and creative detail shots and portraits of my couples and their friends and families that will be cherished forever.

What's your favorite part of the trade?    My absolute favorite part of my job is that I get to be surrounded by and to capture incredibly precious and intimate moments full of love and emotion for wonderful people.  I LOVE when my couples say that viewing their images for the first time brought tears of happiness and really brought back all of the excitement and love that they felt on their special day, as if they were reliving the moments.  There is no better feeling for me than being able to give someone a life time of memories so vivid that would otherwise fade with time.  Aside from that I also love that my job enables me to travel and to see so many beautiful places and also to meet and spend time with all of these uniquely amazing people who I would probably never have met otherwise.

    

Are you seeing any trends emerge for the next season?    In regards to wedding trends in general I am seeing that a lot of people are opting for “unplugged” wedding ceremonies which means that they are asking their guests to leave cell phone and cameras at the door so that they are fully present with them during their exchanging of vows.  A lot of photographers are noticing now that since everyone has a cell phone or an ipad that can take photos almost every guest gets up with a camera to try to capture a piece of the action, but a lot of couples are reminding their guests that that is why they hired a photographer.  Couples want their guests to actually witness the ceremony first hand and to really be fully present with them instead of viewing their ceremony on their iphone or the back of an lcd screen.  I can’t tell you how many photographs I have taken where the guest snapping photos of the recessional wears a concentrated but emotionless face while a guest next to them gazes excitedly and loving at the newlyweds with wide eyes and huge smiles, and no camera in front of their face.  I think this is really important, though I do also understand that everyone wants to freeze these moments to hang onto them. Here is a good article on the topic – probably a lot better than my description above! -  http://shangchenphoto.com/weddings/say-yes-to-an-unplugged-wedding-ceremony/

I am also seeing that vintage props and décor are becoming widely popular.  People are letting go of some of the most traditional aspects of a wedding and latching onto more forward thinking and fun ideas.  I am not a very traditional person and so I love a lot of the new ideas that are surfacing such as letting your bridesmaids wear different style and even different color tones in dresses.  Things like the garter toss and bouquet toss are fading out for example.  I love the more relaxed and casual feel of a hilltop ceremony and mason jar covered tables.  Burlap and mason jars are huge, so is the color mint.

What's the single best piece of advice you can impart to a newly engaged couple?    Not to let the craziness of life and wedding planning overwhelm and stress you out.  Slow down and take the time to love each other and to be happy!  That’s what your wedding is all about anyway!  Don’t let the precious moments slip by you because everything flies by so fast.  Just enjoy your time together and enjoy being engaged, young and in love.

 

Pricing information:    A full day of wedding coverage begins at $3000 and you can create your own custom package, which includes only exactly what you want.

If you have any spare time, how do you spend it? Or some other personal tid-bit you don't mind sharing.    I spend as much time as possible with family and friends and with my boyfriend and our dog Tucker.  When I have time I love to travel to see new places and try out new restaurants.  I also love to craft!  I’m always looking for new ways to let that creativity flow.  On a typical day off Andy and I love to take Tucker for walks together or to grab some coffee and peruse local consignment shops. 

 
Contact info:   

website: www.samanthamelanson.com
email: Samantha@samanthamelanson.com
facebook:  Samantha Melanson Photography
pinterest:  smelansonphoto

A new take on Wedding Websites from WedOverHeels

From time to time we come across a new and exciting wedding related service and share it here on our blog.  We stumbled upon WedOverHeels this past fall and really liked their fresh take on the wedding planning website game.  Lots of photos, a load of great and active vendors, and some of the best and most attentive customer service we’ve had the pleasure of dealing with in quite some time.  They’ve recently launched a new wedding website service for engaged couples call “wedsites.”  No templates here, just your photos as the design.  Not being engaged, I haven’t tried them out for myself, but our experience with this brand has been excellent.  Read more about the wedsites here: http://WedOverHeels.com/wedsites.

As part of the kick-off campaign for the wedsites listed vendors have been given a 30% off promo code to pass along to our clients. It's good until the end of March, so if you are one of our wonderful couples, email us for details – designs@ideas-in-bloom.com.

Ideas in Bloom now listed in the Rustic Wedding Guide

Happy Friday!  Just a quick post this morning.  We are now listed in Rustic Wedding Chic’s new Rustic Wedding Guide.  This new resource catalogs listings from around the country in an effort to connect likeminded couples and vendors.  The site continues to evolve, but be sure to check it out.

Our listing can be found here.  There is a section for comments, so if you have a free moment and care to submit a few words about your experience working with us, we’d certainly appreciate it.  Thanks!