A Floral Checklist

While I was in LA during Thanksgiving, despite a very hectic schedule of gorging on In 'n Out burgers (everything tastes better when it's done "animal style") and Pinkberry, I managed to get together with Angel Swanson (planner extraordinaire and WeddingbeePro) and to meet with some florists.  Since I'm uber-type A, I put together a floral inspiration packet to give the florists a sense of the look I was envisioning for the wedding.  The photos included in that packet definitely helped me communicate my vision, but the part of the packet that was most helpful was a floral checklist, on which the florists could rely in putting together an estimate.

I thought I'd share the checklist here.  Hopefully, this will be useful for some of you!  (Oh, and I added a few other common elements in brackets that weren't on my checklist.)

Floral Checklist

Personal Flowers

• Bridal bouquet (1)
  
• [Bride's toss bouquet (1), breakaway or whole]
• Groom’s boutonniere (1)
  
• Bridesmaid bouquets (6 total)
  
• Groomsperson boutonnieres (7 total) + grandpa & dad boutonnieres (2 total)
  
• Small nosegays for mothers and grandmas (4 total)
• [Flower girl pomander or bouquet]
• [Ringbearer boutonniere]

Ceremony Flowers and Décor

• Chuppah [or altar arrangement for the goyim]
  
• Aisle decor (8-10 luminarias, hurricanes with floating candles, or lanterns on shepherd hooks)
  
• [Rose petals for aisle or for flower girl]
• [Pew decor]

Cocktail and Entrance Flowers and Décor

• Guest book table
  
• Gift table
  
• Escort card table
  
• Small florals for bars and food stations (6 total)
  
• Small arrangements for cocktail tables (8 total)

Reception

• Mix of low/tall centerpieces for guest tables (25-30 total)
  
• Arrangements for wedding party "feasting table" (table seats 16]
• Dessert buffet table
• [Cake]
• [Favor table]

Photo 1 Source.  Photo 2 Source.

In addition to the above checklist, I also included a list of my favorite and least favorite flowers:

Favorite flowers (no particular order):

• Ranunculus
  
• Peonies
  
• Orchids
  
• Camelias
  
• Dahlias
  
• Hibiscus
  
• Amaryllis
  
• Chrysanthemums
  
• Zinnias
  
• Lisianthus
• Mums
• Cherry blossoms & flowering branches
  

Least favorite flowers:

• White flowers (okay in small quantities, but generally to be avoided b/c they are funereal in Chinese culture)
  
• Roses (except cabbage or garden roses that resemble ranunculus)

Yeah, I hate roses.  I know, it's like hating rainbows or puppies or babies.  Sorry!

Anything missing off the checklist?  Anyone else dislike a flower everyone else gushes over?

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A beautiful Boston day! continued

In yesterday's post, I chronicled our romp through Cambridge, MA, with our infinitely patient, fun, and creative photographer Leigh Miller.  We had such a good time -- okay, Leigh and I had a great time, and Mr. HC amicably tolerated our wedding-related gabbing -- that by the time we were done traipsing through Harvard, the sun was rapidly descending, and we had to scurry to our final location. To conclude our shoot, Mr. HC and I thought we'd take Leigh to the most picturesque of Boston neighborhoods: Beacon Hill.

Hotness ensued.Beacon Hill is so gorgeous, even the parking spots are photo-worthy.  Leigh saw this great fence in an alleyway, and we plopped down in front of it.  It's possible that I'm smiling apologetically at a resident as she was waiting for us to get our plump rear-ends out of her parking space.

I wonder what Mr. HC was thinking here?  I'd like to think it was, "I'm so in love with my fiance."  More like it was, "Hmm, what totally inappropriate thing can I say next to make her crack up?"

Here we are in front of my favorite building in Beacon Hill.  There's a corner apartment on the second floor of this building that has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that I covet.  Not that I'm stalking this apartment or anything.  But if you live here, you might want to keep the curtains drawn.

This is our "let's rub noses" and be cute look.  Miss Jay would be flipping out about my left hand, which seems to be have gone rogue, Cousin It style.

Mr. HC: "Hey, hot stuff, come here often?"

Me: "Why, yes.  I often hang out at random sign posts."

Pumpkin: "These idiots are blocking my shot!"

We dated for fifteen years.  Could that sign be any more appropriate?

We were initially a bit nervous about the prospect of being photographed, but Leigh made it really low-stress and enjoyable.  The experience was helpful in getting us comfortable in front of the camera.  I figured out that I have Bugs Bunny teeth from certain angles and that Mr. HC smiles the most naturally if I whisper naughty things in his ear.  And while we probably could have been a bit more prepared for the shoot -- Leigh, I swear I'm going to practice my "sassy" pose for the wedding -- we love the results.

How did you prepare for your engagement photos?  Did you learn anything about your camera face from the session?  And did you find a sure-fire way to coax a photogenic smile out of you or your fiance?

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A beautiful Boston day!

November 4th was a good day for the Hot Cocoas.  After two heartbreaking presidential elections, we finally voted for a winner.  And we got to spend a few hours in the company of one very fabulous photographer, the incomparable Leigh Miller.  We showed Leigh around Boston, and in return, she made two usually disheveled, unphotogenic Cocoas look Hot.

We started off at Harvard, where we made out in front of a group of perplexed Chinese dudes.  This is our wedding in a nutshell.

"Hey, mister, eyes up!"  ;-)

How cute is Mr. HC? 

Here's the library, a place the two of us usually avoid.  I think Mr. HC is giving me the "stop being naughty" face after I just said something lascivious to him.  Poor Leigh had to deal with our shenanigans all afternoon.

I'm giving Mr. HC the crazy eye here, but I love Leigh's use of shadow and light.

I'm smiling with my eyes, Tyra.

I think Leigh told me to be "sassy" here.  I gave her demure instead.  I think Mr. HC is thinking wistfully about the time he whizzed on John Harvard's statute.

Here I am forcing a smooch after Mr. HC said, "Ew.  No more kissing!" 


The above are my two favorite pictures.  Mr. HC loves old encyclopedias, and after we took these shots, he made a certain Harvard Square bookseller very happy by taking that dilapidated volume off her hands.

I thought I'd end the Cambridge-area series with this shot, which is just so us.  I'm trying to look stylish and composed, Mr. HC is squeezing me and making a weird face, and Jellyby the shih tzu is having none of it.

Tomorrow, our Beacon Hill shots!

Did you take your engagement photos at a site that's important to the two of you?  And do you have a photo that captures your personalities to the "T"?

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