#BouquetBreakdown - The "Alexis" 

Another day another bouquet breakdown. Today we're here to breakdown our first bridal bouquet we ever made for a real wedding! And yes, today is their first anniversary! This beautiful bride dreamed of blush and white fluffy peonies and garden roses. After seeing this bride in person we couldn't have imagined a more luxurious and posh bouquet for her dreamy day. 

So why do we love this bouquet so much? 

Besides the bouquet having such a special place in our heart for being our first bridal bouquet ever, we love the simplicity of it. The clean and simple design really allows for the bride and her dress to be the center of attention. 

So what's in this bouquet? 

Not a lot to be honest. Once again the simplicity gives this design the high-end feel. 

Blush & White Peonies: Peonies are 100% the most highly requested flower for weddings and bridal bouquets. We'd be lying if we said we didn't love them from the bottom of our hearts. They also tend to have a connotation of being super expensive and unattainable for lower budget wedding couples. Well, myth busted! We are finding more and more that peonies are becoming more available and more affordable every year. Peonies are typically only available from May to early July but the season can be extended into August and even sometimes the first week of September depending on the Alaskan weather. We give peonies $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

Tsumugi Wabara Garden Roses: We think these are the hidden gems or the garden rose world. They are the perfect pale pink. Not to bright but not to blush. They have large heads and open up to a soft swirling interior. While they aren't to fragrant their beauty more than makes up for it. Tsumugi wabara garden roses haven't been on the scene for very long. They were just put into cut flower production in 2018. They are available year-round and we give them $$$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.  

Have we changed your mind on the big greenery heavy boho bouquets? Sometimes the clean and simple all flower bouquets are 100% the way to go.

#BouquetBreakdown - The "Nikki" 
We're coming at you with a super unique bouquet for this bouquet breakdown. We'd be lying if we told you this bouquet was a breeze to make. The giant tillandsia xerographica was HEAVY! Our traditional wire and stick method that we use for other non-flower things like succulents did not work for this. We had to think outside the box. Our solution, a chicken wire cradle! Hidden under all that greenery and all those blooms was a chicken wire cage. We carefully glued and wired the xerographica in the cradle and then filled in with blooms and greens around till the cradle was hidden.

So why do we love this bouquet?

We love a challenge and we love to problem solve. Side note: many of you may not know, but I(Emily), am a real math and science nerd. Till life decided it had other plans for me, I was set to attend Iowa State University as a chemical engineering major. Wild! I know! While I am kind of sad I wasn't able to follow through with that path I am so incredibly happy with the path life has provided to me. With that backstory, I am sure you can see why we love problem-solving and critical thinking. The tougher the challenge the more interesting it is to us.

So what's in this bouquet?

We'll cut right to the chase with this one and start with that huge air plant!

Tillandsia Xerographica: The tillandsia xerographica aka the "Queen of Airplants" started to become more popular in bouquets over the last couple of years. They are a dry-forest epiphyte that grows without any soil. They simply require high light conditions and a good 20-30 minute soak upside down in water every week or so. We love having unusual things like the tillandsia xerographica in bouquets because it adds a special element. Once the other traditional blooms have faded you can pop this out of the bouquet and have it live on as a special memory of your wedding day. They are available year-round but are one of the most expensive things you can add to a bouquet. For that reason, we give them $$$$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

White Ranunculus: Ranunculus the new favorite for us! This time we used it in white to give the bouquet another textural difference to contrast against the white roses. While it may not be super noticeable at first, we find that even the smallest change in bloom structure or petal structure makes a difference. Ranunculus are available in a rainbow of colors and are super hardy out of water. They are available year-round and we give them a $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

Playa Blanca Roses: Playa Blanca Roses are a wedding staple in our opinion. Anytime you see a white rose in one of our bouquets it's 95% of the time a playa blanca. These stunning white roses open up so large and have a more garden rose feel to them even though they are just a standard rose. A fun fact is that the playa blanca rose is named after the southernmost town on the Spanish island Lanzarote. It is truly a stunning pure white rose. Playa blanca roses are available year-round. We give them a $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale. 

Blue Thistle: Blue thistle is another secret texture element we love to throw in. The quite literal sharp lines and points of this flower are so unique.  When you're thinking you still need something blue for your day, this is almost always our go-to. While we admit we do use the blue color quite often, we find ourselves using the green and purple varieties just as much. Blue thistle is available year-round and we give it a $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

Silver Dollar Eucalyptus: We're going to go out on a limb here and deem this the "king of eucalyptus". You may notice that we use it in almost every bouquet. The truth is wedding couples absolutely love it! It has a stunning silvery sage green. Silver dollar eucalyptus is available for the most part year-round but does go off crop for a short stint in the spring. We give silver dollar eucalyptus $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale. 

Seeded Eucalyptus: Much like it's cousin silver dollar eucalyptus we can't get enough of this stuff either! While the silver dollar eucalyptus may be the king of eucalyptus, this is probably the queen of eucalyptus. With this eucalyptus variety, it is truly sought after for the all-important texture element. The tiny seeds are just so versatile and just give the bouquet that much more dimension and interest. Seeded eucalyptus does go off crop in the early spring and some parts of the year can have brown cupped seeded instead of the desired green seed pods. We give seeded eucalyptus a $$$ out of $$$$$ rating on our expensive scale.

We hope you loved our bouquet breakdown of the "Nikki" leave us your comments below!

#BouquetBreakdown - The "Alyssa" 

So, we've decided, bouquet breakdowns are kinda our thing. We absolutely love flowers and talking about flowers. I suppose you could say, "well that's because you're a florist." While that is true we also have a small suspicion that you guys like them as well. We hope you at least find them entertaining and maybe even a little educational. This bouquet breakdown might be a little shorter than our other ones but none-the-less we LOVE this bouquet.


So why do we love this bouquet so much?


We find the "Alyssa" to be super elegant and timeless. This is the kind of bouquet that you'll look back at 30 years from now and think wow! I'm so glad I picked such a classic bouquet.


So what's in this bouquet?


You may be thinking hmmm that looks like just roses. Well, we do have some stunning roses in here but we also have a new kind of eucalyptus and lisianthus. But first, let's start off with those roses!


Quicksand Roses: Quicksand roses might be the most sought after wedding roses right now. They are best described as a nude or dusty champagne color with a hint of pale pink. These creamy stunning roses are sure to compliment any color palette and reflect the other color tones of the bouquet. Quicksand roses are grown in a variety of different countries and harvested from a ton of different farms. That means depending on which farm your roses come from, they could be more tan or sandy in color or more pinky. No matter which farm or county they come from they are sure to be a stunner. Quicksand roses are available year-round but being one of the most sought after roses they also carry a higher price tag. We give quicksand roses $$$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Secret Garden Roses: Secret garden roses might have the most misleading name. They are not garden roses at all. They, in fact, are just standard roses. However, they get their name for their stunning color and way the rose blooms. The secret garden rose has a 100% bloom aperture which means it will completely open up like a garden rose and expose the stunning peachy yellow core. The dusty light pink petals are a sure-fire match for any light mauve dress. If you can't get secret garden roses some other great options would be the menta rose or the faith rose. We give secret garden roses $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Blue Manhattan Roses: Blue manhattan roses are a standard rose in a stunning lavender shade. They have a large bloom size and if allowed to, they will open up to a 100% bloom aperture. These roses are typically imported from Columbia. Some great alternatives if the blue manhattan rose isn't available for order would be ocean song, moody blues, and avant garde. We give the blue manhattan rose $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


White Lisianthus: Lisianthus is another one of our best-kept secrets when it comes to wedding flowers! Lisianthus is available in a huge spectrum of colors. Yes, even find those hard to get mauves, champagnes, and yellowy apricots. Lisianthus kind of remind us of spray roses in the way the fresh-cut blooms look. The tiny rosettes in the middle have the same shape as spray roses and open up to reveal a gorgeous center with tiny little stamens. This specific lisianthus is just a single white but some colors are also available is doubles with fun ruffly edges. Lisianthus are available year-round and we give them a $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Parvifolia Eucalyptus: The new kid on the block when it comes to eucalyptus in our bouquet breakdowns! Parvifolia eucalyptus is another great variety of eucalyptus that gives a beautiful light green pop to a bouquet. It grows as a long stem multi-branch tree! Yes, a tree! A tree that can reach 35-45ft when fully mature. The elliptical shaped leaves of the parvifolia eucalyptus offer a dainty and feminine touch to the bouquet. Parvifolia Eucalyptus can be found year-round but during certain seasons the tips of the new growth will have a burgundy red tone to them. While it is not as common as the Silver Dollar Eucalyptus it is just as expensive if not more. For that reason, we give it a $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


So what do you think of this classic rose bouquet? Do you have a bouquet you think we should breakdown next? Drop a link in our comments.

We can't help ourselves! We absolutely love bouquet breakdowns. We often hear wedding couples say "oh I really like those! What are they?" or "Those are roses? I guess then I do like roses and I'd like those in my bouquet." While we have zero expectations of our clients flower knowledge we find when a client is more confident during our consultations they are able to ask the questions they want. Therefore, making the consultation more productive and leaving the wedding couple feeling like they were completely heard.


So why do we love this bouquet?


The cascade of course! While it's not a full floor-length cascade we find that even a little cascade action adds an immense amount of elegance to a bouquet. A cascade bouquet no matter the flower choice will always be a show stopper.


So what's in this bouquet?


EVERYTHING! We have the most affordable greenery all the way to one of the high-end greeneries. We have super budget-friendly flowers in this bouquet as well as some gorgeous and highly sought after garden roses and ranunculus.


Kahala Garden Roses: Or as we like to shout, KA-HALA! These garden roses are truly one of a kind. They have a beautiful champagney-cream undertone outlined in a powder pink peach. These roses are a must-see and must-have for fall weddings. Fun fact the name "Kahala" comes from an affluent neighborhood in Honolulu Hawaii. They are available year found and we give them a $$$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Burgundy Wine Ranunculus: Another fall wedding favorite, the burgundy wine ranunculus. Ranunculus is one of our favorite wedding flowers. We try to tuck ranunculus into every bouquet. The fluffy petals give a sweet softness to the bouquet. Ranunculus are available in a rainbow of colors and are available year-round. We give ranunculus $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Spray Roses: Spray roses are a great filler flower and just like ranunculus come in a rainbow of colors. While these red and orange spray roses are standard form they also are available in the garden rose from as well. Spray roses are available year-round and we give them a $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Green Thistle: Green thistle is a great filler flower. The stems typically have 4 to 5 blooms which gives you a great bang for your buck. I know you hear this a lot from us but it does give the bouquet great texture. Texture is so important when making a bouquet really stand out and look ultra-lux. Green thistle is available year-round and we give it a $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Cream Hypericum Berries: Here we go again with the great texture thing. Someone get us a thesaurus! While yes they are great for texture they are also great for adding small pops of color in bouquets. The small cluster of berries adds an element of interest and intrigue. And no, they are not edible but they look it sometimes. They come in every shade of green, red, pink, white, peach, and cream.  Hypericum berries are available year-round and we give them $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Brick Red Alstromeria: Alstromeria is another great inexpensive filler flower. It comes in a variety of colors and typically has 4-7 blooms per stem. Their common name is the peruvian lily and I am sure you can tell why. They look like mini lilies with their petal shape and bloom structure. Alstromeria is available year-round and we give it a $ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Copper Spray Chrysanthemum: These cute little copper spray chrysanthemums are a fall favorite. They boast the perfect shade of copper and are a great filler flower. While they are quite bold in color, we think they pair nicely with the deep reds, oranges, and cream tones in this bouquet. Copper spray chrysanthemums are available year-round and we give them a $ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Agonis: Agonis much like the willow eucalyptus has wispy long leaves. Agonis however, has a stunning burgundy and green tone. It is ideal for fall weddings as it gives the perfect backdrop to show off those deep yellows and burnt oranges. Agonis can be found year-round but technically is in season from June to December. It is one the most expensive greenery options available but we think it's totally worth the extra bucks. We give agonis a $$$ our of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Silver Dollar Eucalyptus: The one and only silver dollar eucalyptus. This is definitely by far the most popular greenery right now. Pinterest boards are smothered in and we're not upset about. The sage green color compliments almost every palette. Silver dollar eucalyptus is available for the most part year-round but does go off crop for a short time in the spring. We give silver dollar eucalyptus $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale. 


Seeded Eucalyptus: A tried and true eucalyptus variety. While not quite as famous as the silver dollar eucalyptus, seeded eucalyptus is definitely gaining traction. We find the seeds give an amazing texture to any bouquet but fit best with rustic or fall weddings. Seeded eucalyptus can be found year-round for the most part. It does go off crop in the early spring and some parts of the year can have cupped seeded instead of the desired green seed pods. We give seeded eucalyptus a $$$ out of $$$$$ rating on our expensive scale.


Willow Eucalyptus: A new eucalyptus to our bouquet breakdowns! Willow eucalyptus has long beautiful wispy leaves. While it is not super aromatic like the baby blue eucalyptus it does have a nice hint of eucalyptus scent. It is a wonderful greenery for cascading bouquets as it has a nature drape and incredible movement. Willow eucalyptus is available year-round and most often February through May can be found to have seed pods like the seeded eucalyptus. We give it a $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Baby Blue Eucalyptus: What can we say. We LOVE baby blue eucalyptus and love to tuck it into everything. You've seen it in a couple of our bouquet breakdowns now and despite the sticky sap when processing it, we still can't help ourselves. It is available year-round and we give it a $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Israeli Ruscus: The good ol' trusty Israeli ruscus! It's a great traditional greenery that is amazing at adding some bulk and brightness to a bouquet. It may be hard to see here but it does have a beautiful deep green color. Israeli ruscus is available year-round and we give it $ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.


Do you have any favorite flowers or greens from this bouquet? Drop them in the comments!

Hi! Us here again to talk more flowers! This time we have a winter bouquet to breakdown. With Punxsutawney Phil telling us it’s going to be a short winter, we figured we would squeeze in a winter bouquet before it’s too late.

Our second bouquet in this series is titled “The Aspen”. It’s a fun snowy twist on a garden-style bouquet.
So why do we love this bouquet so much?

The simple answer: it’s different. It’s not often we get to do a winter wedding bouquet but when we do, oh boy, we love it! This winter bouquet wasn’t designed for a bride, however. It was just a fun Sunday creation with some leftover blooms and winter greens. And if you’re wondering, yes it did smell like Christmas.
So what is in this bouquet?
We have a lot of texture going on in this bouquet with both the greenery and flowers. But let’s start with the greenery this time!
Pine: With its long skinny needles peeking out here and there, pines give this bouquet a true winter feel. Although it is more of a non-traditional greenery for wedding bouquets we couldn’t help ourselves. While it is technically available year-round as it can be fresh cut locally we find it to be used the most during the winter season. We give pine a $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

Balsam Fir: Another uncommon greenery for bouquets that we absolutely love! Nothing says Christmas wedding more than that soft smell of a Balsam Fir. This confer is available to cut year-round but just like the pine, we find it most often used in the winter months. We give Balsam Fir $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

Cedar: This evergreen foliage is the thickest and lush of the winter foliages. It gives a beautiful true green color throughout the branch with the tips sometimes showing a greyish blue tint. It is an extremely hardy greenery and available year-round. We give it a $ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

Mini Variegated Pittosporum: These white and green leaves remind us of Holly leaves with their elongated shape and color pattern. They are a great filler year-round and we give them $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

Baby Blue Eucalyptus: This dusty blue/green foliage is a favorite among wedding couples. The long stems with horizontal leaves give a different texture when paired with most other greens. It is a great greenery to add height and structure to an arrangement. Be warned though, it can have a sticky sap when the leaves are removed. Baby Blue Eucalyptus is available year-round and scores a $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

Grevillea Foliage: This jagged almost saw style greenery transitions from a dusty green to rusty red. Grevillea Foliage is typically available late fall into the winter. We give Grevillea Foliage a $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.
Safari Sunset Leucadendron: A fun twist on a “greenery”. These deep red/burgundy stalks of foliage have cupped leaves that grow in an upward fashion. While other leucadendron varieties come in a variety of colors this one is our favorite. It is available year-round and we rate it as a $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

White Mini Poms: These cute little minis are a wonderful substitution for mini carnations. They also remind us of mini dahlias too! These mini poms are available year-round and are another great budget-friendly option. We give them a $ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

Red Hypericum: These berries are all the rage and come in a huge variety of colors from white to green, pink, peach and of course red and burgundy. Another common name for them is St John's Wort. Although, we don’t think that such a sexy name especially when you are describing them to potential brides. Hypericum berries are available year-round and rank as a $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

White Statice: Statice is like the gift that keeps giving. This cut flower is super versatile and can be used fresh cut or dried. Betcha can’t guess which way I used it in this bouquet. (hint: I’ve had it in my house for over a year now) Statice is a branching flower so each stock has multiple blooms. It is available in so many colors but our favorites are definitely white, lavender and pink. One of the best things about Statice is that it is available year-round and is very cost effective. We give Statice a $ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

Raspberry Scabiosa: This tangy bright colored flower is also called the pincushion flower. You most often find it in more wildflower bouquets and arrangements but we like to tuck it into everything. A fun fact about scabiosa is that they are in the honeysuckle family and according to historians were used to treat scabies in the middle ages. While Scabiosa can be purchased year-round we find the local season to be August through October. One the expensive scale we rate Scabiosa $$ out of $$$$$.  

​Let’s talk flowers! 
One of the most common things we hear brides say is, “I am not good with flower names but those are pretty! What are those?” Well, we’re here to break it down for you. In this series, we will: break down what type of flowers are in the bouquet, give a little more description of the flowers themselves, explain when they are in season and where they fall on the expensive scale. Our goal is to help brides feel more confident when talking flowers.

Our first bouquet in this series is titled “The Lydia”. It’s a bright twist on a classic peony bouquet.

So why do we love this bouquet so much?

This bouquet was one of our favorites for many reasons. Besides the bright bold colors and amazing scent, this bouquet had an incredible love story behind it. When the bride and groom moved into their new home the groom was very gung ho about moving in and making it their home. He was so gung ho he accidentally mowed over some beautiful peonies in their front yard. Needless to say, the bride wasn't too pleased. As time went on and the seasons changed the new couple got engaged and started planning their wedding. When they came to the Tipsy Tulip for a wedding flower consultation the bride had mentioned this story. We thought nothing of it for a while till the bride landed on a specific style of bouquet. She had jokingly commented about adding these peonies to her bouquet. What a beautiful unexpected twist to add to this couple's wedding story. It truly was such an incredible metaphor for how strong their love is.

So what is in this bouquet?

White Peonies: These white peonies had such a sweet lovely scent. Their fluffy soft petals gave such a luxurious dreamy vibe to this bouquet. Peonies are typically in season from May to June with limited availability through July and August from flower farms in Alaska. We give peonies a $$$ to $$$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale just depending on when they are in need.

Bowl of Beauty Peonies: This variety is called “bowl of beauty” and we couldn’t think of a more fitting name. It is not your standard double ruffle fluffy peony. Instead, it boasts a double ring of bright fuchsia pedals with a creamy pale lemon yellow center. While most peonies are typically in season from May to June with limited availability through July and August from flower farms in Alaska, this specific variety usually comes from specialty local growers or out of personal gardens. We give this specific variety of peonies a $$$$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale because they are hard to source.

Lavender Lisianthus: These small almost rosette types of blooms are highly sought after by brides nowadays. They bring a nice pop of color and the unopened buds give a nice texture to the bouquet. Lisianthus is typically available year-round as it can be imported from other countries. However, we find the best season is mid-summer to early fall when the local growers have unique varieties blooming. We give lisianthus a $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

Lavender Stock: Stock is a fairly fragrant flower that reminds us of a spice smell, almost clove-like. They have more of a vertical growth pattern when compared to other flowers such as peonies and roses. They are made up of little clusters of ruffled petals that grow upwards towards a small spiked top. While they can be purchased year-round we find they are most in-season between March and August. We give stock a $$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.
Scented Geranium Foliage: Just like the name says scented geranium has a wonderful smell. It reminds us of a minty lemon mixed with a little pepper. We found this foliage to pair nicely with the traditional mint in this bouquet. The bright green foliage gives a crisp feel to the bouquet and makes the lavender and pink tones pop. This unexpected greenery is in-season between May to September. We give scented geranium a $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale.

Mint Foliage: Similar to scented geranium, mint is an unexpected and unusual greenery to see in a wedding bouquet. With our bride loving blueberry mojitos we knew we had to sneak some mint in there. Besides its incredible scent, mint foliage offers a more non-traditional leaf shape when compared to other greenery used in wedding work. Mint can be purchased year-round but like other flowers, we find it looks and smells the best during the spring and summer months. We give mint foliage a $$$ out of $$$$$ on the expensive scale. 
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