My Style Twin!

One of my clients this year was a bride whose style is a lot like mine. She came to me for a consultation and told me that her colors were hot pink, canary yellow, and apple green. So fun! Yay! Her wedding floral designs were glamorous and funky and her personality is type A all the way. She was so organized and on top of everything - she could become a fabulous professional event planner if she wanted to. The day of her wedding, I was at the venue with my team, delivering and installing the flowers, when I saw the bride in her dress. Wow! I have been to a lot of weddings and seen a lot of wedding dresses but this dress was absolutely stunning! If I were getting married again, this is the dress I would want for myself! It's a 2008 Manuel Mota gown named Camara. The bodice and straps have unfinished raw edges and tiers of romantic ruffles fall from the skirt. I'm not sure what material the fabric is but the whole dress has a kind of elegantly crinkled look. There is a brooch-like embellishment of large rhinestones and opalescent white stones at the bottom of the v neckline and more stones that circle the bodice for a defined waist and a lovely silhouette. I love working with brides with different style preferences, and can accommodate most styles but it was just uncanny how similar this particular bride's sense of style was to my own!

Purple: Pretty, Chic, or Rustic?

A few of my brides this year want various shades of purple as their main wedding color. Like green, purple is another color that is somewhat rare in flowers and so it can be quite striking. For a romantic, traditional look, use garden flowers in lighter shades of purple. You would be surprised at how many different types of lavender roses there are! Deeper purples can convey a more modern feel. Dark purple carnations when arranged enmasse, evoke a sexy, high-fashion vibe. Purple vanda orchids create an exotic, swanky atmosphere. Fall brides may consider using deep purple eggplants and artichokes for an earthy, Tuscan look. What makes this such an exciting field is that the design directions and color combinations are limitless!

An Ode to Green

I was at the Los Gatos Fitness Grand Opening/Member Appreciation celebration last month to promote my business. I brought this scrumptious design to attract people to stop and learn more about the services I provide. A lot of people stopped to remark with surprise on the arrangement and here are a few of their comments: "Is that real?" "Is that one of those edible designs?" "Wow! It's so unusual!" I think a lot of brides today are looking for something unique and different for their events. And I love to design pieces that make all the guests notice and start talking about the flowers. However, sometimes it's hard for a bride to know just what she wants. She might see photos she likes of floral designs in a magazine but wants something more than just to replicate the look. Or maybe she's not sure that that is the right look for her special day. That's where the floral designer comes in. I like to ask my potential clients to describe the feeling they want their event to convey. Should it be lively and colorful? Serene and tropical? Romantic and lush? Design does a lot to evoke a mood and so it is important to discuss what kind of mood you'd like to create for your guests. Green floral designs can be both calming and invigorating. Green is earthy and soothing, but it's also not your typical flower color. Florals in green can add that bit of surprise to your event and provide an unexpected source of beauty and wonder. P.S. Even roses come in green! And they are beautiful!

Papyrus Wedding Event

Pink Lincoln Designs will be promoted at Papyrus in Westfield Valley Fair the entire month of April! I will have a new floral design featured in the store every week this month. On April 26, Papyrus is hosting a wedding event where various wedding vendors will be available to answer questions from brides, showcase their work, and hand out marketing materials. I will be there as a local floral designer. There will also be a special event hairstylist and a wedding photographer, Benton Street Photography. Papyrus will be promoting their wedding invitation services. So stop by any day this month to view the wedding display and come in on April 26 to meet me and pick up information on other wedding vendors in the bay area.

Papyrus
Westfield Valley Fair
(408) 984-2273
2855 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95050

Store Hours
Monday-Friday10:30AM - 09:00PM
Saturday10:00AM - 09:00PM
Sunday11:00AM - 06:00PM

What's in a Name?

A lot of people have asked me how I came up with the name of Pink Lincoln Designs for my floral design business. I wish I had a really cute story to relay or could tell you that there was some deep meaning behind the name but honestly, there isn't.

It's not easy deciding on a name for your small business. I knew I didn't want to have any part of my name in the business name. This way, when I am older and ready to retire, I'll be able to sell my business and things can continue on without me.

Also, you have to make sure that no other business has your same name. With all of the flower shops and floral design studios in the world, this is harder than you'd think. Company names with the words "flower," "fleur," "petal," and "bloom" abound.

I thought it would be cool to have a name that doesn't pin the business to one trade. Sure, now I'm only doing flowers, but maybe I will one day expand to include invitations or linens, or maybe even go beyond events and do everyday design for interiors. Who knows what the future holds, right?

Pink is my favorite color. I also think it is a happy sounding word. Pink Lincoln just sounds good. It's as simple as that.

Corporate Events

Designing flowers for corporate events is great. You usually have more freedom in the design and color choices since the client isn't emotionally attached to the decor like a bride is at a wedding. If the corporate event is on a weekday I might even have the opportunity to fit two events into one week since weddings usually take place on the weekend. Now if only the economy would turn around so companies can start throwing big events!

Thank you to The Tech Museum of Innovation, EHC Lifebuilders, and Alliance Credit Union for your business!

Award Winner!

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that Pink Lincoln Designs has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™!

In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means Pink Lincoln Designs is one of the very best Floral Design Companies.

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews. “We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”

Pink Lincoln Designs would like to thank our past clients for speaking on our behalf and helping us win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award!

Second Time

Here is my second arrangement for this church. I usually like to do something different every time, but this particular order was for an arrangement similar to the one I had done before. It's not my favorite style of arranging just because it isn't very modern but the effect created was just what the client wanted so I was happy they were happy.