To be bold or subdued; bright or muted; classic or trendy… should the colors complement the venue or your complexions? Does my mother have to wear a matching dress? Invitations, bridesmaid dresses, table linens, vests and neckties and of course the flowers are just a sample of items affected by the color scheme a couple chooses for their wedding. Since color can set the tone, it is best to choose wisely. Through my years as a designer, I’ve seen some fun combinations. Some color schemes have been more successful than others. Over time, I’ve developed some dos and don’ts that I have shared with countless couples. Although I contend that there are no rules when planning a wedding, I’m always willing to share my opinion on choosing a winning color combination.

Don’t Go for Complements:
Most brides and grooms are familiar with the idea of complementary colors. The three primary colors of red, blue and yellow are placed opposite their corresponding complementary color on the color wheel. Blue is paired with orange, yellow with purple and red with green. You will notice that the primary color is paired with the secondary color that is made by mixed the other two primaries. This creates a bold and loud contrast between the colors. These color combinations are often used for things like gas-station logos, or sports team uniforms. The contrast between the colors catches the eye and forces the viewer to take notice. When trying to use these colors together in floral design, it’s very difficult to fight off thoughts of the Mets or the Lakers. Red and green together also bring their own unique challenge of constantly conjuring thoughts of Christmas for many of us. For these reasons, I suggest trying to avoid using complementary colors as the basis for wedding décor.

 Do Go for A Bold Statement:

While complementary colors may be too bold a choice for most, it is a great idea to choose at least one bold color to inform the design. Purple, fuchsia and orange seem to be the go-to colors these days for couples looking for a pop of color. Vibrant and rich tones such as these can provide a warmth and personality to the occasion without detracting from the proceedings. When choosing a bold pop, I suggest limiting the palette to just one bright tone. This brings me to my next tip.

Do Go Green:
Green is your friend. I frequently suggest adding lime green to the floral arrangements we make for weddings. If a bride or groom favors a brilliant tone such as purple or orange, adding a touch of green into the mix tends to heighten and embolden the arrangements. Green is a neutral color and is found in abundance in nature. Green “goes” with everything! (Although it’s good to keep in mind the challenges when pairing red and green, Jingle Bells…) It’s soothing and calming qualities pair beautifully with the lush colors found in the floral world.

Don’t Count out the Classic:
A white wedding seems to have become a less popular choice these days. Perhaps with all the fantastic color options found both in fabrics and flowers, couples would rather have more fun with the color palette. This is understandable, however white has been the traditional wedding color because it’s clean, pure, and simple and it allows for the couple to be the stars of the day. There are also so many flowers available in white; it’s easy to make arrangements interesting by using different textures, shapes and scales. This is another instance when lime green can be helpful. It’s also a good idea to choose one color to add into the mix of white. One of my favorite weddings used all white flowers with accents of huge and lush coral colored peonies. Simple and chic, this color scheme still resonates with me all these years later. It was unique and yet remains a classic and elegant choice.

Don’t Tempt the Humor Gods:
If you’ve never seen your color combination used at a wedding, there might be a reason. Sometimes when a couple chooses to be unique, it can backfire. I’ve had to explain to a bride and groom why yellow and brown is not a great choice for a color scheme. Without going into the specifics of why, (think about it people, yellow and brown… really?) certain color combinations elicit subconscious responses or connotations. It’s the same reason why yellow and black can be difficult to use together; taxi cabs and bumble bees! Yellow and red always makes me think of Ronald McDonald and ketchup and mustard. These are not thoughts I want to have at your wedding!

Don’t Over Indulge:
No matter what colors are finally chosen, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that everything has to be covered in these tones. You don’t have to dye your Maltese puppy to match the bridesmaid’s dresses. It will be just fine. Choose key locations and items for the colors to be used. You don’t want your guests to feel like they just stepped into a Pepto-Bismol bottle if your color happens to be pink. Touches here and there will suffice. Also, everything doesn’t have to be the exact same shade or hue. I have learned to beware of the bride who carries the Pantone chip! Relax!

Do Listen to Our Advice but…:
We have seen it all… or close to it anyway. Your vendors have been involved with hundreds of events and weddings. Most of the time, our advice is free and is often given weather you ask or not. We will tell you if your colors won’t work or if they should be rethought. Although we can offer some sage wisdom, remember that it’s your day and your decision should be the final word. You write the check so ultimately you must be happy with the colors you chose. Maybe you are both huge Lakers fans. So go for it! Don’t let us get in your way.

Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.
Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in! We would love to meet you….
Passionately yours,
Your New York City Wedding Florist
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.
T. 800.520. 8999
Web: www. starflor.com
E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com
Wedding: http://www.starflor.com/tag_manhattan_florist_nyc_wedding_flowers

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Boring. Click.

Boring. Click.

Boring. Click.

Predictable.  Click.

Boring. Click.

Boring. Click.

Maybe. Click.

Boring. Click. Boring. Click. Boring. Click. Boring. Click. Boring. Click.

Hmmmmm.

There’s got to be a new take on holiday arrangements somewhere in the universe, I thought, scrolling down the Google list. Not everyone can be happy with a triangle of red carnations intermixed with white spider mums and evergreen.

Uh huh.

Uh huh.  Seen it. Yep.

What?

Red ginger stems with glossy green foliage and seeded eucalyptus in a blue pleated ceramic vase? Click eagerly.

Ethereal white-flowered branches twining through bright red curly willow braches?. Click rapidly, heart a-flutter.

Orchids?  Dusty red orchids daringly played against the cleaner reds of roses and ginger and sited in front of a cherry paneled wall?

I had arrived in florist heaven. 

What was the name of this place?

Starbright Florist, NYC.  Sure.  Makes sense.

Starlight, star bright,

First star I see tonight. 

Wish I may, wish I might

Have the wish I wish tonight.

I remembered Gippetto.  He got his miracle and apparently, I got mine.

I spent the next hour cruising through the gallery of photos, taking screen shots of floral designs that took my breath away. I labeled them “amazing white” and “spectacular white” and “incredible white, lime” until I realized these names would not help me distinguish the arrangements in my folder, and maybe I needed to be more informative about colors and styles and less giddy.

Wait.  You’re thinking THAT?  Of course I’m not a rival florist pirating designs.

I am the flower committee for my Midwest church – a big, Greek revival downtown church whose grandeur has been slowly diminished over the years by a declining neighborhood and a declining membership. My goal was to infuse a sense of freshness in the flower arrangements. Create new ones every season.  Invigorate the congregation. God or the pulpit could challenge their self-concept and shake up their sense of charity or forgiveness.  I  would challenge their sense of beauty. A creative outlet for me.  A means of rejoicing for them.

Well, maybe.

I soon discovered I was no Starbright designer.

And I lacked the right flowers.  I was using the silk flowers my predecessor had purchased 12-15 years ago in colors and selections that often did not appeal to me.

And there weren’t enough of them – not if I was going to create the impressive-sized arrangements needed for a 32’ by 27’ lobby or our giant auditorium.

And I had a one-time budget of $500. HA!  For silk flowers? I tried to guess what some of the Starbright arrangements must cost their patrons.  Starbright designers use their flowers exuberantly and imaginatively in distinctive vases that become part of the design. $500.????????  C’mon.

And then there was the irony. Going to all this work, searching for flowers, cruising all 600 entries of vases on ebay to find something distinctive for under $15. Frustrating myself with my own inabilities.  All for a small congregation. Did anyone care? Was I contributing to joy?

My first adaptation was an out-and-out steal of the Starbright design below.  But it was simple and I knew I could duplicate it. And I loved it.       

I bought the square glass vase, the white callas and clipped one deep red orchid from another new stem.  My artificial stems did not bend quite as gracefully as the real ones but I loved the clean lines, the straight of the vase against the curve of the stems, the illusion of the stems floating in mid-air, the tight, closed shape of the callas in contrast to the open bloom of the orchid. If anyone noticed this little gem I reproduced, they didn’t mention it, although the congregation as a whole recognized the fresh arrangements and expressed appreciation.

For winter, I wanted to attempt this arrangement.

I was transfixed by this design – how the red spikes echoed the design of the wallpaper, how the lime, purple and gray played with the rust and red tones in a terra cotta vase. It was so exciting. So dynamic in form, color and combination of flowers.

That I did not have any of these materials did not stop me. The substitutions were not always happy:  red twig dogwood sticks for the airiness of the red orchids sprigs; rust and gold foliage (marked down 75% at the floral wholesaler) for the rust-colored orchids; the hydrangeas with too much pink and not enough gray tones; and the total absence of the lime component. Of course I blamed the white background for the failure of the piece to come together You can see the result is pretty pathetic. 

So far, Starbright was in no danger of being usurped by a Midwest floral superpower.

This summer, however, I had better luck.  I wanted to imitate the gorgeous and very romantic wedding centerpiece on the Starbright site.  The height of the crystal vase and the size of the hydrangea globes read “lavish” and the contrast of the thin, soaring curly willow against the lushness of the flowers –I had to go for it.  And those gold lights shooting up the columns and picking up the gold tones of the gilt chairs.  Whew!  I wondered if God would bestow some gold-toned special effects for me. I knew He was good with haloes.

I had plenty of white hydrangea so I wired bunches together to get a similar, lush effect.  A local interior design store closing its doors marked its silk flowers down 75% and I loaded up on some beautiful blooms, including the large pale green lilies at the base of my arrangement.  It wasn’t Starbright quality, but this time I wasn’t embarrassed by my results.

In the spring, summer and fall, my real passion is perennial gardening. My favorite areas of the garden are those where the plants themselves create the clarity of the design by the contrast in their leaf size and texture and structure. In the photo below from my garden several years ago, you can see each plant distinctly – just as you can in the Starbright arrangements.

In contrast, the flowers in my white arrangement are pretty but messy. The design lacks clarity of form, an element the Starbright team excels at. I have found that clarity much harder to achieve with artificial flowers. I always have too few or not the right kind. Am I making excuses here?  You bet.

But just look at the Starbright design below.  Every bloom or branch is cleanly seen and makes its own statement while contributing to the harmony and beauty of the piece. And the blending of floral types – the tropical orchids and anthuriums with the traditional hydrangea. Plus the bare branches for contrast and strength.  I sigh with appreciation.

Over and over in the Starbright designs I noted the use of curly willow branches. I knew their soaring quality was perfect for the height of my church spaces. 

But when I called local florists and a wholesale distributor, I could never find them. And I couldn’t buy a wholesale lot online.  I didn’t need a 30-years supply.

But I wanted them and I was going to hunt them down.

OK – it wasn’t quite that dramatic.  Frustrated by my failure to find any, I called a florist friend who had just dismantled some wedding arrangements and had piles of curly willow branches outside his back door for the taking.

I hurried over, loaded them into my too small car and took them home to spray paint red. I was fond of two Starbright arrangements I had viewed over the past 12 months.  I would try to blend them.

Here’s that combination I discovered on my first visit to Starbright – the white floral branch with the red, curly willow branches.  You can see how each element is allowed to speak for itself, how the willow stems add structure and definition while the white branches soften.

In the second arrangement, the reverse occurs.  The density of the white flowers with the green foliage contrasts with the airiness of the red, curving branches.

My final product combined the density of the underlying white with the structure of the red, soaring branches which extended 5 feet into the air.

I will say, while my floral arrangements at church do create a little stir each season among the women, at least, this arrangement might have been too unorthodox. A little too modern.  Remember, I live in the Midwest. Only one person told me they liked it.  Even my husband withheld outright enthusiasm.

Two other quick inspirations from Starbright to share, then I’m done.

The photo below shows how Starbright influenced me to make the vase part of the statement of the design.  While I inherited some classic vases at church, they were all white or cream.  This green gladiola vase (a $9 ebay purchase; the base has a small crack) delivers a lot of punch in this summer design and makes the blue and fuschia flowers more vibrant. Plus it’s fun.

Finally, Starbright produces tight, close arrangements on a smaller scale that nevertheless avoid the canned arrangements of many standard florists.

Here’s the Starbright inspiration followed by my more humble adaptation.

So, Starbright, you are my muse site, offering me the stars even though I’m at the flashlight level.  But I’ll keep wishing on my star and maybe someday…

 This scribe is brought to you by Debbie, Starbright’s #2 fan (Sorry Debbie My Mom is #1).  Thanks again Debbie and I hope everyone enjoyed half as much as I did. 

Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s historic flower district in a second floor loft at 150 West 28th Street.  Our services include local, national and worldwide flower delivery as well as consultation and execution of social and corporate events.  To learn more about us and the type of work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com.  You may also go directly to our online portal for ordering gifts at www.starbrightnyc.com or to our Event Gallery to see thousands of photographs from our recent work. You may also call us at 1.800.520.8999.  We are always thrilled to hear from you and to be of service in every way possible….

Our warmest regards,

The Official Florist of the City That Never Sleeps

Starbright Floral Design

Tips on what not to do; the no-nos of valentine’s day gift giving.  Do not send a gift containing a thinly veiled message of “you’re fat”.  Examples of these are edible arrangements, gym membership or gift certificate to diet centers. Do not send a gift of flowers that travel in a box across the country.  Imagine how you would look and feel after a long airplane ride followed by a holdover in a warehouse, followed by handling by a freight operator working a double shift on a holiday somewhere.  The same holds true for those flowers.  Instead of delivering a smile and message of love, they deliver a lesson in mortality.  The number one no-no for Valentine’s day is to forget about it all together.  Avoid this tragic mistake by ordering your gifts from Starbright early and painlessly.

This public service memo is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, voted “The Best Florist of New York City”.  Along the way we try to find and write about the fun side of flowers.  Starbright delivers flowers all over the world for the endless romantics everywhere.

Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.  Sometimes we deliver yellow carnations.

Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in!  We would love to meet you….

Passionately yours,

The Official Florist

Starbright Floral Design

Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.

T. 800.520. 8999

Web: www. starflor.com

E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

I’ve been told that this post might be misleading as many people associate the material girl with Madonna.  I assure you that wasn’t my intention.  Nor was it my intention to include ten of Madonna’s song titles within the body of this post.  Read back and see if you can find all ten hidden song titles.

Seriously folks, the good people at Driscoll’s, producers of the finest berries in the world asked us to produce the dress form for an upcoming food & fashion event show in lower Manhattan.  Driscoll’s provided the berries and the concept.  Starbright provided the talented designers to get it done.

Starbright Floral Design is a florist in Manhattan (New York City).  Our design studio is located in Chelsea (a NYC neighborhood) in the heart of the Historic Flower District on 28th Street.  We offer same-day delivery of flowers in Manhattan and everywhere else in the USA.  Gorgeous flowers, masterfully designed by Starbright Floral Design.

We invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com. where you will learn more about our organization and the work that we do.  (or you can call us at 800.520.8999)

Starbright Floral Design is a florist in Manhattan (New York City).  Our design studio is located in Chelsea (a NYC neighborhood) in the heart of the Historic Flower District on 28th Street.  We offer same-day delivery of flowers in Manhattan and everywhere else in the USA.  Gorgeous flowers, masterfully designed by Starbright Floral Design.

We invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com. where you will learn more about our organization and the work that we do.  (or you can call us at 800.520.8999)

Happy and Healthy New Year to All!

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 16,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Here is a pictorial behind the scenes look at Tom’s work on the West Coast. We are all really proud of you Tom!

Starbright is proud to encourage all the members of our team to maximize their creative potential.  Tom has been a part of the Rose Bowl parade since long stemmed roses were taller than he was… A lifetime dedicated to this floral extravaganza.  Tom is one of the most reviewed floral stylists on the web and he always gets five stars!  We are proud to have Tom on our team.

Starbright Floral Design is a florist in Manhattan (New York City).  Our design studio is located in Chelsea (a NYC neighborhood) in the heart of the Historic Flower District on 28th Street.  We offer same-day delivery of flowers in Manhattan and everywhere else in the USA.  Gorgeous flowers, masterfully designed by Starbright Floral Design.

We invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com. where you will learn more about our organization and the work that we do.  (or you can call us at 800.520.8999)

Happy and Healthy New Year to All!

Poinsettias and Christmas seem to go together like peas and carrots.  This association hasn’t always been the case.  Its roots stem from Mexican legend.  As legend has it, a child who could not afford a proper gift to offer the Christ child on Christmas Eve was left to pick weeds from the roadside. The child was told that any gift given in earnest and with love is valued in God’s eyes. When the child placed the weeds onto the church altar, they miraculously bloomed into a poinsettia with its bright red flowers.

Poinsettias are native to southern Mexico and Central America, where they may reach heights of sixteen feet. They are named after the first United States ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett.  A physician, politician and an avid amateur botanist, Dr. Poinsett sent samples of the plants to the U.S. in 1825 and by 1836 the plant had become commonly known as the poinsettia.

The Aztec Indians prized poinsettias (pronounced oohahargh-do in their native tongue) and considered them a symbol of purity because of their brilliant red color.  The Aztecs made a reddish dye from the flowers of the poinsettia.  They also made a medicine said to fight  fevers from the sap of the plant.  One common myth of the plant is that its sap is poisonous.  Although not tasty, it has not been found to be poisonous.

Today every festive holiday party is sure to contain the popular plant.  Its brilliant colors are sure to brighten any venue.

Shop for Poinsettias in NYC here.

This scribe is brought to you from all of us at Starbright Floral Design.  We are big supporters of all things to eradicate Leukemia.  We hope that you will join us in contributing to this fight.

If you would like to read more about Starbright, who we are and the scope of the work that we do, please visit our website.

If you would like to place an order for flowers (worldwide delivery), please visit our e-commerce portal.

Happy Holidays to all!

The Starbright Team

The Chrysanthemum - November Flower....

These days the flowers come in various forms and can be daisy-like, decorative pompons, or buttons.  In addition to the traditional yellow, other colors are available such as white, purple and red.

In the United States, Chrysanthemums are identified as cheerful holiday flowers.  Fall arrangements and Thanksgiving Day Flowers in NYC and throughout the country incorporate Chrysanthemums in their decor.  However, many European countries (France, Italy, Spain, Hungary and Croatia) have identified Chrysanthemums with death.  Accordingly, their use in floral arrangements is limited to funerals or on graves.

Other Uses:

Be sure to bring Chrysanthemums with you when taking a walk in the jungle.  The flower is considered a natural source as an insect repellent.  The Pyrethins when extracted and applied on the skin in an oil suspension or as a powder can be lethal to insects such as mosquitoes.  The Chinese have used the flower for its antiseptic and antibiotic qualities for centuries.

Starbright Floral Design is located  in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  We are in a second floor loft space from where our customer’s orders get dispatched.  To learn more about our organization and the work that we do, we would like to invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com or you may call us at 800.520.8999.  Either way, we would be thrilled to hear from you and to be of service.

Starbright deliverers flowers in Manhattan (our home city) as well as world-wide.  In addition to flowers and plants, fruit and gourmet baskets, balloon and the like; we are also the go-to florist for events (both corporate and personal).  Flowers, Festivals & Celebrations…. It is what we do!

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Starbright Floral Design

“The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps”

website: starflor.com

to order flowers: www.starbrightnyc.com

by phone: 800.520.8999

The Marigold is native to southern Europe but do well in North America as well.  Seeds planted in April take root in any type of soil in full sun or medium sun locales.  Practically no care is required other than weeding and pruning. Marigolds bloom from June until the first frost kills them.  However, their death is short lived reappearing with young plants in the spring.

Religious Worship:

In India, the marigold is considered a sacred flower.  Hindus devote the marigold to gods and goddesses in religious ceremonies.

Medicinal Uses:

Plant pharmacological studies have indicated that Marigold extracts have anti-viral and anti-inflammatory qualities.  Marigold solutions have been used topically to treat acne, reduce inflammation, control bleeding, and sooth irritated tissue.  The petals are edible and can be used fresh in salads or dried or used as a replacement for saffron.  Eaten in salad, Marigold petals have been shown to relieve abdominal cramping and constipation.

Demonic Evictions:  Sixteen century herbalists used the marigold to remove evil spirits from one’s head while simultaneously strengthening eyesight.  According to folklore, all Linda Blair and Emily Rose needed was a blossoming marigold plant placed in her bedroom (ironic that a marigold is needed in a rose bedroom).  Once the girls stared at the marigold petals their demons depart and would return to the wonderful little girls they were before their demonic possessions.  Coincidently, children throughout the New York area have been growing marigolds in classrooms and day care centers as classroom projects since I was a kid.  The stated scholastic reason is that it teaches the kids about germination.  However, many teachers have been heard branding our children as “little devils” (mine of course, can only be mistaken for angels).   Perhaps there’s something else going on.

This scribe is brought to you from all of us at Starbright Floral Design.  We are big supporters of all things to eradicate Leukemia.  We hope that you will join us in contributing to this fight.

If you would like to read more about Starbright, who we are and the scope of the work that we do, please visit our website.

If you would like to place an order for flowers (worldwide delivery), please visit our e-commerce portal.

Thank you!

The Starbright Team

The shoes were the centerpieces at this event!

Tropical Flowers Galore!

Bouquets of early autumn...

From time to time we keep a camera at our design table to bring you the latest photos of our work.  These are actual pictures of compositions as they come off our design table and we post them to give  you inspiration for the next gift you send, the next event you host or even for your wedding day.

Please feel free to visit our website at www.starflor.com where you will gain a bit of a broader perspective on our work at Starbright Floral Design.

Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District.  We are in a second floor loft space from where our customer’s orders get dispatched.  To learn more about our organization and the work that we do, we would like to invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com or you may call us at 800.520.8999.  Either way, we will be thrilled to hear from you and to be of service.

Starbright delivers flowers in Manhattan (our home city) as well as world-wide.  In addition to flowers, plants, fruit and gourmet baskets, balloons and the like we are also a go-to florist for events both corporate and personal.  Flowers, Festivals & Celebrations…. It is what we do!

Wishing you a wonderful  day!

Starbright Floral Design

The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps.

website: starflor.com

to order flowers: starbrightnyc.com

by phone: 800.520.8999

150 West 28th Street, Studio 201, New York City -