A few weeks ago, I teamed up with several incredible vendors. I have fallen in love with photo shoots. The goal was to create designs worthy of being published.  We created four different themes the day of the shoot. The first was featured on Elizabeth Anne Designs; it was a Christmas wedding inspiration. We submitted the other three looks to Style Me Pretty. I have been holding my breath hoping, and waiting, that our photo shoot would be picked up by Style Me Pretty, and yesterday was our big day. All three themes were featured throughout the day. I am so proud of this event for many reasons: first, so many wonderful vendors were willing to participate, which was a huge show of support, and I am incredibly grateful; second, this was my first chance to bring some of my visions to life. When I create for my brides, I am bringing their look to life. This was my chance to not only do the flowers, but to style an event. I loved working on this shoot, but I must tell you we worked like fiends to bring you these very incredible images.

The following links show you the posts that were presented throughout the day on Style Me Pretty:

The first wedding we called our “Cello bride,” and the link to the Style Me Pretty post is here.

The second look we called our “Woodland Wedding” look, and it is featured here.

The third look was our “Pheasant Wedding,” and it is featured here.

Here are a few other images from the cello bride, and in the next few days I will publish others from the shoot. I also now owe you the other parts of my Cost of Flowers post. I certainly seem to have a lot to share right now.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Genevieve, Victoria, Hitched, Christina, Kendall, Design Cuisine, and Stone Manor. Also a huge thanks to Designer Debbie who helped me the day of the shoot. She is awesome.

Holly

Hair and Makeup by Victoria Stiles; Photography by Genevieve Leiper Photography; Flowers – Holly Heider Chapple Flowers LTD. LBB 2009; Gown- Hitched Bridal Salon;  Styling – Holly Chapple at Holly Heider Chapple Flowers ltd. ; Paper – Christina M. Barbour, Paperzest LBB 2008; Linens, China, glass –Design Cuisine ; Cake – Kendall from Kendall’s Cakes LBB 2008 Vendor; Venue- The Stone Manor Country Club

I love what I do; you could even say I am addicted to growing, designing and delivering wedding flowers. I am from a long line of farmers. The picture above is my father and my son Elijah. It seems my whole life I have been surrounded by farming and growing. My father has operated a garden and produce center since before I was born.  

When we were kids, we would grow thousands of chrysanthemums. This process began with filling pots of soil and or preparing the garden.  We were then asked to insert small plants called plugs into the soil. A plug is simply a baby plant. The base of the plant was probably the size of a quarter, and it had a few sprouts of greenery.  We would water, tend, and care, for these baby plants until they became of substantial size.  After the plug starts to get established (meaning the roots are developing and becoming a part of the soil), you start the process of promoting growth.  

This part used to drive me and my sisters crazy; we would have to go out with scissors and cut the top off of every plant. Every single branch or stem needed a nice little hair cut. This hair cut would encourage the stem to divide and grow yet another stem.  I can't even begin to tell you how monotonous and annoying this was. As far as you could see there were more plants that needed a hair cut. It only got worse after this stage. When the plant  became the size and shape of a healthy plant, you would start the process of delaying the blooms. You could no longer use scissors because the point now was to protect the stem but to encourage the blossom.  This fun little step required us to pinch each bud off of the stem, so instead of a helter skelter wack with the scissors our little fingers had to pluck each bud. If we did not do this, our chrysanthemums would have bloomed in July rather than September. 

When we talk about how much flowers cost, I can't help but to think about this very tedious process. It is a long and lengthy road that is traveled to grow just one healthy blossom. Somewhere right now, someone is putting a baby plant into the soil, just for you. The plant will have to be nurtured, loved, and cared for, until it is perfect enough to go down the aisle with you.  This is just the very beginning of why wedding flowers costwhat they cost.  More coming later…

Holly

I have absolutely fallen in love with flowers in the bride's hair.  It can be a little more complicated than it looks, so here is some advice.  It is important to choose a flower that is one sided, so that if will lay flat up against your head. A rose, for instance, is rounded at the base and will stick very far out, destroying the look. Every once in a while I have seen a big open rose used in photographs but I have to wonder how long it stayed in because the weight of a rose will also make it fall out. 

I have found orchids to be the easiest blossom to work with because they come in many different colors and sizes. The orchids also are very light weight and do not mind the heat.  I often cluster several small orchids together to make a big look, and that also works better than using a big orchid. The above picture is a cluster of white dendrobium orchid blossoms.

 

The purple blossom is the vanda orchid; here I used just one single blossom with some filler flowers.  The orange blossoms below are orange mokara orchids.  We also used a little bit of pheasant feather in this piece.

 

In the below picture I simply used peacock feathers with a little bit of greenery. Feathers are a lot of fun to use.

 

This hair piece was made with green mini cymbidium orchids and a few orange mokara orchids. The large cymbidium can be used as well, but I prefer the mini cymb.

 

One of my absolute favorites last year was the use of this mini dahlia. This small dahlia is very tight in formation and held up perfectly throughout the day.

 

How it works: I wire individual blossoms on tiny thin wires, one blossom or bud at a time. The wires are taped just like a corsage or boutonniere. Suggest to your florist that they use a thinner gauge wire, as I believe it is more comfortable to wear.  I leave the wires several inches long and then the hair dresser can decide how long they need the wires to be. Essentially the wire is woven through the bun, hair, or clip, just like a bobby pin. 

When we use the smaller orchids I usually provide 5-9 buds and let the bride and stylist decide how many they would like to use. We often suggest picking up these pieces the day before so that you can take them with you to the salon.

 If you do not want to use real blossoms, I am in love with the hair pieces at  Twigs & Honey, and they are a perfect option. 

Photo Credit:  First image Regeti's Photography. All other images were taken by Genevieve Leiper Photography.

Holly 

I thought it would be fun to share these images from one of my trips to the wholesaler. For the next few months my work will be more about paper work and computer work than actually designing. This is the hardest time of year for me; I actually go through a mini flower withdraw.  I might just have to take a peek at these pictures every once and a while to keep me going.  We do have several events this winter, and we have weekly deliveries to maintain so that I can get little fixes. I just will not be rolling in roses again until wedding season hits.

 

Each one of these packages contains 25 roses. The roses are stored out of water in the cold (in the cooler)  to stop development. When the roses are purchased they are shipped to the flower shops, or to designers like me. Each rose is freshly cut and then placed in buckets of screaming hot water. The hot water helps to open the stems and allows the rose to get a really good draw of water. We also use a flower preservative in the water to help keep the water clean and to offer nutrients.

 

This picture shows just how large the flower cooler is at the wholesaler. Better get your coat if you are going for a visit.

 

Have you ever seen this many tulips? This is a fabulous time of year to get tulips. Holland has awesome varieties ready throughout the winter.

 

These gerber daisies just make me want to smile because today these are the only flowers I will get to have. I need to start weeding though a ton of emails, voice mails and contracts. The first days back to work after the holiday break are very difficult. If I was designing today I would be running back into the shop; instead it is a total computer day. One bright spot will be uploading last years weddings on to the website. I will see lots of flowers there. And you should come see them too.

Holly

 

 I just wanted to flash my new pretty little badge today.  I am really flying high, as I move  into this New Year. I earned this badge just as 2009 ended, and I will be a "Little Black Book" vendor with Style Me Pretty. I am so excited about the many new relationships 2009 offered and nurturing them in 2010 is going to be a blast. I am so charged for this year, I can't believe I am saying this, but I am ready to reach even higher. Sometimes I even exhaust myself. I love having limitless goals. Wait until you see what we do this year!

Holly

 

 

 

 

I pulled together some of my favorite bouquets of 2009 to create these collages.  I loved every one of these beautiful designs, and each one was made by my loving hands.

I would also like to thank the many photographers that have so willingly provided me images this year. I am so incredibly grateful when I receive images of my work. I often say my art is perishable; I can assure you I look forward to the wedding pictures as much as my brides and grooms do.  All of these images have  been featured on my blog, and the photographers were properly credited there; plus you can contact me directly if a particular image strikes your fancy. I would be happy to refer you to one of the many incredible photographers in the DC area.

Holly  

 

 

 

Our holiday season started off last weekend with 18 to 20 inches of snow. Honestly the storm was awesome because it forced us to stop, relax, and play. It was a little pre-Christmas present. 

 

The snow did however create a few issues for our animals.  Evan had to dig a trench from our house to the chicken coop in order to feed them. In fact we just opened the pen and allowed them to walk the line, so that they could get some exercise.  I love this picture. Evan got these chicks when they were one day old, so they are his little flock.

 

When the roads cleared our oldest child, Alex, made it home from college.  Thank goodness he did not attempt to drive route 81 in that storm. It is so much fun when we are all together; his arrival home officially starts the holidays for us. Alex's lovely girlfriend, Mallary, also is home, and she is a huge part of our family. They have been dating for 6 years. The baby boys adore her.

 

Here is sweet baby Grace with Elijah. Grace is almost 11 months old; this year has flown by.

 
I also celebrated my birthday on Christmas Eve, and it was wonderful. I am one of those lucky people who was born on Christmas Eve. I have never been bothered by my Christmas Eve birthday. In fact, it has always been a lot of fun. It was, however, really hard for Samuel; he did not understand why I could open presents and he had to wait until Christmas.

 

This is Nico; she is one of the people I love and respect the most.  Every day I am able to work and take care of my family with Nico's help. She is truly the most loving woman I have ever met.  I can't even imagine how difficult life would be without her help. Nico makes everything possible around here. We gave her a silver locket that had pictures of her grandbabies inside.

We also have a tradition of  decorating cookies together. This is a major undertaking as the red hots and spinkles usually end up all over the floor.

 

Notice we have a Easter bunny cookie. Sam was adamant that we needed a bunny cookie. With this many kids you just go with the flow. We always make a cookie for Santa, and that is put out for him each Christmas Eve.

 

My daughters Abby and Hannah did the most adorable thing this year.  They sent out invitations in the mail inviting their siblings to a slumber party in their room for Christmas Eve.  Evan and I received the below invitation that clearly told us we were not invited to the festivities.  I was totally impressed by their party idea, and I was very proud of the girls for bringing this fun event together for their siblings.

 

 

This is the whole family on Christmas Eve, just before we head out for church services. I always sneak back into the house and set up the first presents of Christmas. Everyone goes to sleep in new PJ's, and they are always waiting for the kids when we get back from church.

 

This is a picture first thing Christmas morn. The big present of the holidays was a puppy. She is our newest family member and the children named her Sadie. 

 

The boys had a ball in their new clubhouse that designer Debbie found for them. They also got their own wheelbarrows, shovels, and rakes. We are hoping they will help in the gardens next year. Wishful thinking right? Actually, I was also hoping our new puppy Sadie would help with the gardens as well. We had such a huge deer problem this past growing season that I thought a herd dog would possibly keep them off of the property.

 

Grace loved the puppy and her new pink pony.

 

Later in the day Grandma and Grandpa  came by for dinner and to play with the kids. Alex and Grandmother actually did a little singing which was fun to see.

 

This has been a fabulous holiday season. I am so grateful for time with my family.  We have worked very hard this year and time with the family is such a gift. I hope all of you had a fabulous holiday season, and if we will be working together next year, welcome to this very big family. 

 

Holly

This is the beautiful Historic Belmont Country Club.  This was Tina's wedding venue, and one of my favorites in Loudoun County.

The wedding photography was done by K. Thompson Photography . I love the story she told with her amazing photographs.  As always it is an honor, when I can share one of my weddings with you. Having incredible photographs just makes it so much more fun.

 

The bridal bouquet was created with white roses, white hydrangea, white freesia and white stephanotis. Pearl pins were inserted into each stephanotis blossom.

 

The bridal bouquet was our only design created with all white blossoms, all other designs were done in deep burgundy tones. We used black magic roses, black beauty roses, burgundy gerbers, ranunculus and spray roses to create the maids bouquets and all of the centerpieces.. We also lined the aisle with shepherds hooks with hanging vases of the same beautiful burgundy blossoms.

 

The ceremony was moved inside due to rain, but later in the evening they were able to catch a few great images when the rain let up. 

 

I am loving these images.  

 

I hope you enjoyed these photographs as much as I did.  This was a beautiful wedding, with a beautiful bride, beautiful flowers, a beautiful venue  and incredible photography. What a great wedding 

Holly

 

I am adoring these images from Tina's wedding this fall. Thanks to K. Thompson Photography for providing me with pictures of the day.

I have tons more to share, and I will do that later today. As most of you know, I have  7 kids. I have a little shopping to do, and that is putting it mildly.

Holly

I have it from a reliable source that we have been featured in Washingtonian Magazine.  I have not actually seen the magazine, but this picture was emailed to me late, last night. The magazine was released yesterday, and I probably will not find a copy for days. Lucky for me friends called and gave me the news. We are so busy designing for the holidays, I may never get to the bookstore.  One of our favorite weddings from last year was also featured.  In addition to that we were chosen for the 2010 Best of Wedding Vendors. We also got a nice little Editors Pick by our name.  Are we excited? You bet. Over the moon might be a better description. Thank you Washingtonian for your belief in our business. I just want to also mention that I love Editor in Chief, Jill Hudson Neal. She is a remarkable woman, and I am so fortunate to be a part of this publication. 

I also want to share the link to our very exciting blog post with Elizabeth Anne Designs. Click Here to see our feature. Elizabeth Anne Design is one of the top wedding blogs in the industry, and we are so happy to be featured on her beautiful blog. The images are from the first photo shoot that I organized, styled and planned. I am so proud of this Christmas wedding inspiration. Please visit the EAD blog and see our creations. Thanks to the many vendors that made this wedding inspiration come to life. 

 The vendors are listed below.

 

Photography – Genevieve Leiper Photography   http://genevieveleiper.com/site.html

Flowers – Holly Heider Chapple Flowers LTD.  http://www.hollychappleflowers.com/   

Gown- Hitched Bridal Salon  http://www.hitchedsalon.com/

Model –  Leigh Ann from Hitched Bridal Salon

Styling –  Holly Chapple at Holly Heider Chapple Flowers ltd. http://www.hollychappleflowers.com/

Paper – Christina  M. Barbour  Paperzest http://www.paperzest.com/fluid.php 

Linens, China, glass – Design Cuisine http://www.designcuisine.com/

Cake – Kendall from Kendall's Cakes http://www.kendallscakes.com/ 

Venue- The Stone Manor Country Club http://www.stonemanorcountryclub.com/

Hair and Make up – Victoria Stiles  http://victoriastilesmakeup.com/site.html

Holly