Well, I have the privilege to be in Teleflora's Education Center this week for a class on European Style Design. The DC/MD/VA Unit of Teleflora selects a member each year to go on scholarship to one of the classes they offer. I was the 2008 recipient and have had the pleasure of picking any class they offered this year with an all expenses paid trip to Education Center.
I chose the European Style Design course taught by Dutch floral artist, Els Hazenberg. An Aalsmeer, Netherlands native who comes with a host of credentials; one of which has been the producer of all florals in the Rose Parade for many years up until two years ago.
Today was our introduction to the class. We were able to watch her designing as she taught us the many levels and principles of floral design. I will post pictures after tomorrow's class so that you can see some more of her work, and hopefully, a few of us in the class room as we try to elevate our design skills.
It is a fantastic and humbling experience to have the opportunity to learn from veterans in our industry. Els artistic talent and knowledge left me yearning for more. I was surprised when our class ended today. The time just flew by. I spent most of the evening talking with other florists who are here and exchanging info about our industry. Priceless......wouldn't change a thing!
Bye for now~
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wedding Arch
Recently one of our brides had us decorate an arch that was provided by the hotel (Fair Lakes Hyatt ). It isn't always common for the venue to have the arch, so often we will rent our own arch for them to use.
Fair Lakes Hyatt was prompt and courteous in getting it set-up in time for us to decorate. And, as you can see from the picture, the end result was beautiful. And, it always helps to have a beautiful day!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The Bliss Collection's New Website
All things new and re-done...
One of the most cherished opportunities I enjoy is time well-spent with other vendors in the Wedding/Event business. As of January this year, I joined the Bliss Collection. This group provides some of the best vendors in the Northern Virginia area: photographers, videographers, bakers, event planners; the list goes on.
During this short time, we have been able to hire a website designer to re-design our website. You can check it out here: http://www.theblisscollection.com/. Andrew, the owner of Eiffelfish.com, did a superb job and really captured what we were looking for in a crisp, fresh look that represented a first-class group of people/companies. I would highly recommend him.
Take some time to check out our new website and see all the wonderful vendors that are available for your (or someone else you know) wedding. Obviously, some of us do all types of events, but in this group we focus on weddings in particular. I'm proud to work with these vendors time and time again. There is a sense of peace when you know that you will be working with others you trust and rely on.
Monday, July 20, 2009
God's Creations
The past few days while on my daily walk, I've been noticing the beauty that surrounds me on the wooded path. In the early morning the sunlight that shines through the trees onto the path provides fresh viewpoints and a joy about living.
I am amazed at the flowers, plants, and trees that I work with at the shop surround me in the natural habitat. Fresh upright amaranthus, Queen Anne's lace, black-eyed susans, sword fern, bark shed from the trees, all remind me of the plethora of choices God has made available for us, as florists, to use for delight. I get the pleasure of working with them and to use my God-given talents to arrange them artfully. I love my job!
Any florist will tell you it's not all roses and glory, the shop floor is filled daily with cut stems on the floor. The workroom is not glamorous, but the end product is where the beauty lies and we get to pass that on to you!
Monday, July 06, 2009
The 3/50 Project
I came across a wonderful grassroots campaign today. The 3/50 Project is a campaign to get consumers back to choosing the businesses that started this great nation: the brick and mortar shops. I'm happy to say that Bergeron's is one of them!
The Wall Street Journal featured an article on June 30th about what The 3/50 Project is doing http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124631541083270621.html . If you want to learn more about The 3/50 Project, please click on this link: http://www.the350project.net/home.html
Bergerons is independently owned and has been since it's original owner, James Bergeron started this florist shop in 1971. Thanks for choosing us time and time again!
The Wall Street Journal featured an article on June 30th about what The 3/50 Project is doing http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124631541083270621.html . If you want to learn more about The 3/50 Project, please click on this link: http://www.the350project.net/home.html
Bergerons is independently owned and has been since it's original owner, James Bergeron started this florist shop in 1971. Thanks for choosing us time and time again!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Weddings, Weddings, Weddings
Well, it has been a long few months at Bergerons! We have had one wedding after another. Each wedding has been so different from the next: large and small, contemporary and traditional, elegant and fun. Guaranteed to delight in any form, they have been wonderful to be a part of.
After twenty-one years in the business, I still get excited about each wedding and look forward to the boxes of flowers that come into the shop for each one. The boxes come in from our purveyors and I feel like it's Christmas. Just opening the box and checking out the bunches of flowers we've special ordered for each wedding, watching the flowers open to their pristine best, and then arranging them in to the designs the bride has chosen. To see the bride's face on the day of the wedding when we present the bouquet elicits a feeling in my stomach that I never tire of experiencing.
After twenty-one years in the business, I still get excited about each wedding and look forward to the boxes of flowers that come into the shop for each one. The boxes come in from our purveyors and I feel like it's Christmas. Just opening the box and checking out the bunches of flowers we've special ordered for each wedding, watching the flowers open to their pristine best, and then arranging them in to the designs the bride has chosen. To see the bride's face on the day of the wedding when we present the bouquet elicits a feeling in my stomach that I never tire of experiencing.
Friday, May 15, 2009
What is the Length of a Long-Stem Rose?
Ever wonder with all the information out there, what the real definition of a "long-stem rose" is? This link is the best description I've found and since I couldn't say it better, click on the link below and find out the real scoop!
http://thefloristblog.dragonflyflowers.com/2009/03/15/some-real-florists-perspectives-on-long-stem-roses.aspx
Know what you are ordering. So many just throw around the words, "long-stem", but aren't really sure what that means.
At Bergeron's we carry 60cm "Long-Stem" roses on a weekly basis in a variety of colors, so please call us, your professional, "real" local florist, and let us deliver some beautiful long-stem roses for you!
http://thefloristblog.dragonflyflowers.com/2009/03/15/some-real-florists-perspectives-on-long-stem-roses.aspx
Know what you are ordering. So many just throw around the words, "long-stem", but aren't really sure what that means.
At Bergeron's we carry 60cm "Long-Stem" roses on a weekly basis in a variety of colors, so please call us, your professional, "real" local florist, and let us deliver some beautiful long-stem roses for you!
Friday, May 01, 2009
Blue Ribbon for Bridal Bouquet Design
Exciting news!
After entering a design contest with nine other contestants, I walked away with 1st place. The design was to be a bridal bouquet designed with lime green and one other color.
I chose to make a purse design out with an aluminum wire handle, metallic wire and bouillon wire. The purse base was designed by layering flattened hydrangea florets. I used Rosita Vendela pink roses with accents of pink hyacinths. The lime green flowers consisted of green hypericum berries, and button pompons.
After entering a design contest with nine other contestants, I walked away with 1st place. The design was to be a bridal bouquet designed with lime green and one other color.
I chose to make a purse design out with an aluminum wire handle, metallic wire and bouillon wire. The purse base was designed by layering flattened hydrangea florets. I used Rosita Vendela pink roses with accents of pink hyacinths. The lime green flowers consisted of green hypericum berries, and button pompons.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Getting what you've paid for....
On the heels of another holiday, I realize that once again customers are deceived at the photos from wire services, i.e. Teleflora, FTD, 800-Flowers, etc, versus the price they've paid online.
If you've ordered directly from one of those sites, they've built in their delivery fees and service fees that either don't get passed onto the florist or the florist's aren't given enough to fill to the value of the flowers in the arrangement.
As a real florist, we attempt to match the "look" of every piece from the wire services according to the recipes that we are given. These companies give us a recipe to follow for each arrangement that often times doesn't even include all of the flowers pictured. Or the wire services have designed the arrangement for the photo with ALL of the flowers in the recipe facing the front, but have sold us the design as a piece that should be designed all-around, instead of one-sided. This gives the customer a skewed idea of how the arrangement is going to look. We, as the filling flower shop, have to decide do we design the arrangement all the way around (which means that the look of the arrangement will NOT appear as full as the picture), or do we design it as it looks in the picture? This option would either make the back of the arrangement bare (which is a no-no) or we end up adding more flowers to make it all-around? To add more flowers, makes it impossible to meet the bottom line, especially since we do not receive all the monies paid by you the customer. Either way, the florist is not able to break-even when sending out the arrangement. I'll explain below:
The wire service keeps a percentage of the amount, as well as, not indicating to you, the customer, that your total amount doesn't go towards the arrangement, but some gets taken out for the delivery too. If you were to look online at your local florist's website and notice the same arrangement you just paid for on the national wire service's website is less, you would see that we are actually listing the real price of the arrangement and that our delivery price is listed separately at the check-out. Wouldn't you want to know what you are really paying for?
For a different option, we sometimes take the container that we have gotten from the wire services and produce our own design in them so that we can give you a better product for your $$. In these economic times, we realize that all want to get what we pay for. Just remember, you don't always get what you pay for on these national wire/floral websites. They aren't really a florist themselves, they are just a "phone center" to direct the orders to real florists. Why not, save your dollars and go directly to the real florist themselves?
We really do want to please our customers. We welcome the opportunity and would rather speak to you. The opportunity to form a relationship with our customers as we recognize their needs and likes is how we have stayed in business for over 38 years. We don't enjoy getting the orders from a "phone center", we'd rather talk to directly to you, our customer.
If you've ordered directly from one of those sites, they've built in their delivery fees and service fees that either don't get passed onto the florist or the florist's aren't given enough to fill to the value of the flowers in the arrangement.
As a real florist, we attempt to match the "look" of every piece from the wire services according to the recipes that we are given. These companies give us a recipe to follow for each arrangement that often times doesn't even include all of the flowers pictured. Or the wire services have designed the arrangement for the photo with ALL of the flowers in the recipe facing the front, but have sold us the design as a piece that should be designed all-around, instead of one-sided. This gives the customer a skewed idea of how the arrangement is going to look. We, as the filling flower shop, have to decide do we design the arrangement all the way around (which means that the look of the arrangement will NOT appear as full as the picture), or do we design it as it looks in the picture? This option would either make the back of the arrangement bare (which is a no-no) or we end up adding more flowers to make it all-around? To add more flowers, makes it impossible to meet the bottom line, especially since we do not receive all the monies paid by you the customer. Either way, the florist is not able to break-even when sending out the arrangement. I'll explain below:
The wire service keeps a percentage of the amount, as well as, not indicating to you, the customer, that your total amount doesn't go towards the arrangement, but some gets taken out for the delivery too. If you were to look online at your local florist's website and notice the same arrangement you just paid for on the national wire service's website is less, you would see that we are actually listing the real price of the arrangement and that our delivery price is listed separately at the check-out. Wouldn't you want to know what you are really paying for?
For a different option, we sometimes take the container that we have gotten from the wire services and produce our own design in them so that we can give you a better product for your $$. In these economic times, we realize that all want to get what we pay for. Just remember, you don't always get what you pay for on these national wire/floral websites. They aren't really a florist themselves, they are just a "phone center" to direct the orders to real florists. Why not, save your dollars and go directly to the real florist themselves?
We really do want to please our customers. We welcome the opportunity and would rather speak to you. The opportunity to form a relationship with our customers as we recognize their needs and likes is how we have stayed in business for over 38 years. We don't enjoy getting the orders from a "phone center", we'd rather talk to directly to you, our customer.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Brides: DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Trend
Over the course of the past few weeks, we've had many brides coming in to see if they can effectively produce their reception centerpieces themselves, and a few interested in making their own bridal party bouquets.
My initial thought is, "Of course, you can!". But as I think about it there are a few things that pop into my mind that can be warning signs. I thought I would mention some of these items so that brides would have a chance to think about it before jumping in:
1) Your wedding day (and the days preceding it) are extremely stressful. If you have a tendency to get stressed over the "small stuff" then this may not be the best option for you. The beauty of flowers is lessened when making sure everything needs to look it's best for one of the most important days of your life.
2) Realize that all flowers need to be processed and hydrated before working with them! And, some flowers need to have the refrigeration time to "harden" in their perfect state before arranging them.
3) Don't take on too much! Would you make your own wedding cake and decorate it? Taking on 10-20 centerpieces for the reception may be more than you can handle.
4) There are lots of ideas that can be done by you and your wedding party. Make sure that your bridesmaids are willing to help you and that you won't be left alone trying to put this together by yourself at the last minute. Let's face it, not everyone is the creative type, so don't expect all of your bridesmaids to be expert floral designers.
There are other countless questions/comments to bring up, but you have to be prepared.
All that to say that if you decide to venture down the "designing your wedding flowers" road, then try a few ideas from the expert first.
1) Maybe just working on the bridesmaids flowers would be fun. Ask your local florist if they would be open to you and your wedding party coming in and assembling the bouquets yourselves? Or, have a one-on-one demo with your florist to show you how to make the bouquets and then work on them by yourselves if you need to. Please don't expect your florist to do this for free. This is what your florist has been doing to years and their expertise and knowledge are worth something.
2) Keep in mind that if you are going to be doing something yourself, then pick something that is easy to put together, not more than you can handle. I don't suggest trying to learn how-to design 7 cascade bouquets for your bridesmaids, this requires a little bit more skill. But a hand-tied design, maybe with all the same type of flower, might be an easier choice.
3) Take a class on floral arranging to see if this fits your creativity level. This is the best way to see if you can handle this type of work for the days leading up to the wedding. Some brides have realized too late that they loved to work with flowers, but their wedding week was too hectic.
4) How about some creative centerpieces that can be made in advance and have flowers added at the last minute? Tap into your local florist and find out what part you can do and how they can help.
The last point I want to make as a florist, is to not expect to buy your flowers from somewhere else and think that the florist you bring them to can guarantee them and work with them. I've learned this for experience. You might be able to get them cheaper somewhere else, but do you know how those flowers perform? Does the variety of flower you are ordering open nicely? Does that variety hold-up and last in the design you have chosen? Is it in season? If it isn't, then the quality of the flower isn't going to be a great as it would in the height of it's season.
As a professional florist, we do have floral purveyors that we use on a regular basis and trust the quality that comes from them. Florist's process them, clean them, add preservatives, determine the correct water temperature and special handling instructions for every type of flower. That is part of what you are paying for when you come to a professional. Our designs and labor are just a part of the whole process.
We love to help you and guide you in the most important day of your life. Trust us, we are here to help you make decisions that best fit your budget and ideas.
My initial thought is, "Of course, you can!". But as I think about it there are a few things that pop into my mind that can be warning signs. I thought I would mention some of these items so that brides would have a chance to think about it before jumping in:
1) Your wedding day (and the days preceding it) are extremely stressful. If you have a tendency to get stressed over the "small stuff" then this may not be the best option for you. The beauty of flowers is lessened when making sure everything needs to look it's best for one of the most important days of your life.
2) Realize that all flowers need to be processed and hydrated before working with them! And, some flowers need to have the refrigeration time to "harden" in their perfect state before arranging them.
3) Don't take on too much! Would you make your own wedding cake and decorate it? Taking on 10-20 centerpieces for the reception may be more than you can handle.
4) There are lots of ideas that can be done by you and your wedding party. Make sure that your bridesmaids are willing to help you and that you won't be left alone trying to put this together by yourself at the last minute. Let's face it, not everyone is the creative type, so don't expect all of your bridesmaids to be expert floral designers.
There are other countless questions/comments to bring up, but you have to be prepared.
All that to say that if you decide to venture down the "designing your wedding flowers" road, then try a few ideas from the expert first.
1) Maybe just working on the bridesmaids flowers would be fun. Ask your local florist if they would be open to you and your wedding party coming in and assembling the bouquets yourselves? Or, have a one-on-one demo with your florist to show you how to make the bouquets and then work on them by yourselves if you need to. Please don't expect your florist to do this for free. This is what your florist has been doing to years and their expertise and knowledge are worth something.
2) Keep in mind that if you are going to be doing something yourself, then pick something that is easy to put together, not more than you can handle. I don't suggest trying to learn how-to design 7 cascade bouquets for your bridesmaids, this requires a little bit more skill. But a hand-tied design, maybe with all the same type of flower, might be an easier choice.
3) Take a class on floral arranging to see if this fits your creativity level. This is the best way to see if you can handle this type of work for the days leading up to the wedding. Some brides have realized too late that they loved to work with flowers, but their wedding week was too hectic.
4) How about some creative centerpieces that can be made in advance and have flowers added at the last minute? Tap into your local florist and find out what part you can do and how they can help.
The last point I want to make as a florist, is to not expect to buy your flowers from somewhere else and think that the florist you bring them to can guarantee them and work with them. I've learned this for experience. You might be able to get them cheaper somewhere else, but do you know how those flowers perform? Does the variety of flower you are ordering open nicely? Does that variety hold-up and last in the design you have chosen? Is it in season? If it isn't, then the quality of the flower isn't going to be a great as it would in the height of it's season.
As a professional florist, we do have floral purveyors that we use on a regular basis and trust the quality that comes from them. Florist's process them, clean them, add preservatives, determine the correct water temperature and special handling instructions for every type of flower. That is part of what you are paying for when you come to a professional. Our designs and labor are just a part of the whole process.
We love to help you and guide you in the most important day of your life. Trust us, we are here to help you make decisions that best fit your budget and ideas.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Real Florist vs. Phone Booth Order Gatherer
Okay, for the past couple of weeks, I've found myself explaining to customers the difference between sending flowers from a real "brick and mortar" florist and calling a "phone booth" florist.
What is the difference? I think the best description and information to figure out the difference comes from www.floristdetective.com, which gives consumer Information about alleged deceptive and misleading florist advertising and marketing practices.
Basically, you call one of these "phone booth" listings and they take your order, keep a percentage and then send an order to a "real" florist to fill and deliver. We are given the percentage of the order and expected to fill it to full value. For years, local florists have subscribed to wire services to be able to help their customers by finding shops in other areas when they needed to send a gift to another town or state. Now, with the internet, our customers have the ability to find local florists to where they want to send on their own using such sites as locateaflowershop.com or localflowershop.com.
Don't get me wrong, we love to help our customers and still send wires daily for them. Some of you like getting credit toward your flower buyer club account, and not having to spend the time finding a shop. We are happy to do it. That is why we have a wire service fee instead of taking the fee out of the amount we are trying to send to the other shop to fill the order. We want you to get what you pay for.
So, call us or use the search sites that I mentioned above. Either way, you will always have your order go to a "real" florist. In these economic times, we need to make sure our money is used in the best way possible. We are here to help. Feel free to comment or even call us to find out more information!
Have a great week...and Happy New Year!
What is the difference? I think the best description and information to figure out the difference comes from www.floristdetective.com, which gives consumer Information about alleged deceptive and misleading florist advertising and marketing practices.
Basically, you call one of these "phone booth" listings and they take your order, keep a percentage and then send an order to a "real" florist to fill and deliver. We are given the percentage of the order and expected to fill it to full value. For years, local florists have subscribed to wire services to be able to help their customers by finding shops in other areas when they needed to send a gift to another town or state. Now, with the internet, our customers have the ability to find local florists to where they want to send on their own using such sites as locateaflowershop.com or localflowershop.com.
Don't get me wrong, we love to help our customers and still send wires daily for them. Some of you like getting credit toward your flower buyer club account, and not having to spend the time finding a shop. We are happy to do it. That is why we have a wire service fee instead of taking the fee out of the amount we are trying to send to the other shop to fill the order. We want you to get what you pay for.
So, call us or use the search sites that I mentioned above. Either way, you will always have your order go to a "real" florist. In these economic times, we need to make sure our money is used in the best way possible. We are here to help. Feel free to comment or even call us to find out more information!
Have a great week...and Happy New Year!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Paula Dean--Diva of Southern Cooking!
My sister, mom and I went to the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining show in downtown D.C. for the day. It was filled with fun! My mom, Jeanie, gave us an early Christmas gift by buying tickets to Paula Dean's book signing and luncheon. It was so much fun to see her up close and personal. She's one lovely lady! I took her a hand-tied bouquet of luscious roses in coral and deep pink, mixed with white crane kale, bear grass, bullet allium (part of the onion family and has a beautiful hue of purple), and hypericum (St. John's wort) wrapped in a organically friendly paper and tied with raffia and dried okra finish. Everything to tie together a cook's love for flowers!
Next, we went downstairs to the show area and looked around and visited many booths. What great food vendors! Then came the cooking show with Paula. Yum...chicken enchiladas....pico de gallo...her version of Spanish rice. She has a way of just having fun and allowing people to ask questions.
The later afternoon show was slated with Giada de Laurentiis. She is one of my favorite Food Network host's as well. Okay, the biggest question--How does a tiny lady have the ability to stay tiny when making some of the best tasting pasta? Her recipes are delicious and
mouthwatering.
We came away with great recipes, smiles, and memories that last a lifetime. Who wouldn't want that type of Christmas present?
Next, we went downstairs to the show area and looked around and visited many booths. What great food vendors! Then came the cooking show with Paula. Yum...chicken enchiladas....pico de gallo...her version of Spanish rice. She has a way of just having fun and allowing people to ask questions.
The later afternoon show was slated with Giada de Laurentiis. She is one of my favorite Food Network host's as well. Okay, the biggest question--How does a tiny lady have the ability to stay tiny when making some of the best tasting pasta? Her recipes are delicious and
mouthwatering.We came away with great recipes, smiles, and memories that last a lifetime. Who wouldn't want that type of Christmas present?
Design Competition
Okay, it took a while, but I'm finally posting the design competition results.
I placed 2nd, which was awesome for me. What an experience.
It's like Iron Chef for florists. Essentially, we walked into a room that had tables set-up with supplies and buckets of flowers. The sympathy design was to come up with an arrangement to adorn a cremation urn. The wedding design; well, we were given a faux cake to design. And our original piece was of our own choosing. they had containers to choose from and we could use whatever flowers we wanted. The permanent botanical was something we had to bring with us.
Needless to say this was an eye-opening experience. I can't remember the last time I had been under such pressure. We had two hours to complete everything. I completely flaked on the cake design, which should have been my best piece. I think that being short on time made me overthink my design and under perform. This gave me some great opportunities to get some constructive criticism on my work, especially under pressure. I know, given the opportunity again, that I would concentrate on working faster.
The other bright spot of the evening was winning the Teleflora scholorship to their design center. Out of many applicants in our unit (D.C., Maryland, & Virginia) the application were sent to headquarters and chosen by them as to who would win an all expenses paid trip to their design center for the class of my choice in 2009. I never would have dreamed that I would win this trip! I can't wait for them to post the class schedule for 2009. I'll keep you updated on which class I choose.
I placed 2nd, which was awesome for me. What an experience.
It's like Iron Chef for florists. Essentially, we walked into a room that had tables set-up with supplies and buckets of flowers. The sympathy design was to come up with an arrangement to adorn a cremation urn. The wedding design; well, we were given a faux cake to design. And our original piece was of our own choosing. they had containers to choose from and we could use whatever flowers we wanted. The permanent botanical was something we had to bring with us.
Needless to say this was an eye-opening experience. I can't remember the last time I had been under such pressure. We had two hours to complete everything. I completely flaked on the cake design, which should have been my best piece. I think that being short on time made me overthink my design and under perform. This gave me some great opportunities to get some constructive criticism on my work, especially under pressure. I know, given the opportunity again, that I would concentrate on working faster.
The other bright spot of the evening was winning the Teleflora scholorship to their design center. Out of many applicants in our unit (D.C., Maryland, & Virginia) the application were sent to headquarters and chosen by them as to who would win an all expenses paid trip to their design center for the class of my choice in 2009. I never would have dreamed that I would win this trip! I can't wait for them to post the class schedule for 2009. I'll keep you updated on which class I choose.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Upcoming Competition
Well, tomorrow is a big day for me. I am one of three competitors in the Annual Capital Cup Competition. We have competitions at three times during the year and each one has one winner. I was one of those winners in March. So, tomorrow the three winners meet at one location and bring a permanent botanical arrangement they have designed. It is a holiday theme. Mine is done in a contemporary feel (I'll post a photograph later). Then we'll have what's called a "surprise package" competition where we are told that we will design a wedding piece, a sympathy piece and a designers choice. We can only bring our toolbox. We will be given a half hour to go into the room and see the flowers, containers, accessories, etc. and have that time to sketch ideas. They will tell us spefically what types of wedding pieces or sympathy pieces we can do: for instance, a wedding piece can be a wearable piece like a corsage or head-wreath, bridal bouquet, or even a flower girls piece. The sympathy piece could be a standing easel spray, or table arrangement.
We'll have two hours to produce all three pieces and then we'll be judged on principals and elements of design, mechanics. I'll give you the categories after the competition.
The winner gets to do the design show next year in October focusing on the Christmas holidays. This show is in front of all the Teleflora shops in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. Boy, would I love to do that!
So, I'll take all the prayers I can get. I'll post pics and stats after the competition. Stay tuned!!
We'll have two hours to produce all three pieces and then we'll be judged on principals and elements of design, mechanics. I'll give you the categories after the competition.
The winner gets to do the design show next year in October focusing on the Christmas holidays. This show is in front of all the Teleflora shops in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. Boy, would I love to do that!
So, I'll take all the prayers I can get. I'll post pics and stats after the competition. Stay tuned!!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Washington Wedding Show Update
The Washington Wedding Show was a fabulous time. We had a beautiful booth full of gorgeous flowers. Our bridal bouquets were featured in the fashion show and were a bit hit. Brides came anywhere from West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia--even Georgia.
The wedding vendors were top notch and made the professional success of this show overwhelming. I was looking over the timing of the upcoming weddings of the brides who
attended the show and they were ranging from November, 2008 to undecided. Most of the couples have dates in 2009. My question is has the state of the economy kept brides from making decisions until closer to their wedding date? Are the shows on television hurting brides by showing the platinum weddings? This sometimes put the brides at a disadvantage to get the world on a dime. I know that as a floral designer for over 20 years, I want to give the best I can for the money each bride has to spend in her budget. I do think that the television has made it harder to brides by showing these luxurious weddings that aren't exactly able to fit the average bride's budget.In order to give bride's a better way of budgeting for their special day, Bergeron's has a wedding floral calculator that helps them put together
what will be needed for their wedding. Check out our event website and you can download onto your computer and get a budget for yourself. Our event website is bergeronsevents.com.By the way, our photos are courtesy of David Madison Photography. He took the time to come to the show to photograph our images exclusively. He does a fabulous job, doesn't he? We recommend him highly if you are in need of a photographer to capture your special moments. Thanks, David!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Workshop with Phil Rulloda
Renowned florist guru--Phil Rulloda shared his love of the florist industry and poetry by sharing with 25 students at a recent workshop in Charlottesville, Virginia. Phil traveled to Virginia from his home in California where he has a school of floral design. He rarely travels anymore, so it was a great opportunity to learn from him.
This two-day Advanced Floral Design class was filled to capacity where people traveled anywhere from Louisiana to Pennsylvania and everywhere in-between. We learned weaving techniques with foliage, even learned how to make birds from hala leaves. That took some time to learn! Rosettes made from galax leaves and larger rosettes made from aspidistra leaves. Designing with tropical flowers and beautiful foliage intensified the beauty of great design.
Phil delivered beautiful recited poetry and his passion for flowers. It was so encouraging to meet someone who loves this industry and has an intense passion to pass on his knowledge. He feels that his legacy is furthering the industry by teaching the care and design of flowers as an art.
This two-day Advanced Floral Design class was filled to capacity where people traveled anywhere from Louisiana to Pennsylvania and everywhere in-between. We learned weaving techniques with foliage, even learned how to make birds from hala leaves. That took some time to learn! Rosettes made from galax leaves and larger rosettes made from aspidistra leaves. Designing with tropical flowers and beautiful foliage intensified the beauty of great design.
Phil delivered beautiful recited poetry and his passion for flowers. It was so encouraging to meet someone who loves this industry and has an intense passion to pass on his knowledge. He feels that his legacy is furthering the industry by teaching the care and design of flowers as an art.
Who wouldn't want this gorgeous design with a dozen roses? The weaving of the "cone" for each flower is stunning, isn't it? Ahhh, the beauty!Monday, September 22, 2008
Hitomi Gilliam--Awesome Floral Artist
What an experience....two days closely working with Hitomi Gilliam. I had been looking forward to this for weeks. I was sick, but made sure I got there! Hitomi was awarded Gold Medalist at World Cup in Singapore this year. Well, it's no wonder. She's been one of my favorite designers for years and she lived up to my expectations (not that she has to live up to mine!).
Hitomi was serious about the industry; graceful in her design; helpful in teaching technique; and, powerful in her presentation. Teleflora sponsored her to come to our area and do a wedding show. She had helpers for two days as we constructed the pieces to show. Two of us were Capital Cup winners in '08 and another had taken a class with her in the past. Setting out for Maryland, I arrived at a local floral purveyor at 8:30 a.m. and worked until 7 p.m. the first night. Making bridal bouquet handles and constructing large armatures, we put to use our own ideas and learned new techniques and heard her share about the industry and her vision.
The second day we arrived again at 8:00 and worked hard until the culmunation resulting in a show that delighted everyone who attended. We had a packed house and florists in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia area we amazed at the wealth of knowledge and stunning designs she presented.
It was such a great experience.
Hitomi was serious about the industry; graceful in her design; helpful in teaching technique; and, powerful in her presentation. Teleflora sponsored her to come to our area and do a wedding show. She had helpers for two days as we constructed the pieces to show. Two of us were Capital Cup winners in '08 and another had taken a class with her in the past. Setting out for Maryland, I arrived at a local floral purveyor at 8:30 a.m. and worked until 7 p.m. the first night. Making bridal bouquet handles and constructing large armatures, we put to use our own ideas and learned new techniques and heard her share about the industry and her vision.
The second day we arrived again at 8:00 and worked hard until the culmunation resulting in a show that delighted everyone who attended. We had a packed house and florists in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia area we amazed at the wealth of knowledge and stunning designs she presented.It was such a great experience.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wedding show at Waterford
Well, Bergeron's will be participating in the wedding show at the Waterford in Springfield, Virginia on the 28th of September. We're excited! This is the first big show we've done in several years. Bergeron's had exclusively shown only at the Macy's wedding shows for the past five years.
We will be the exclusive florist for the fashion show, which provides us great opportunities to show off our fabulous bouquets. I'll post the pictures after the show. Tune back in!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Design Show with Rene Van Rehms
Spectacular! The one word that all of us at Bergeron's thought about going to see Rene van Rems recently at a local floral purveyor. We had a fantastic time watching a renowned designer show us his winning ways especially with hand-tied bouquets. His new book called "Rene's Bouquets" has such timeless information. Check out some of the pics from the show.
Also, that day there was a design competition of local designers, of which I competed once again. The competition was strong and it was such fun. We saw some fabulous designs. The theme was to use spring flowers for a centerpiece. The sky was the limit with a $300 budget. You can imagine how beautiful and artistic the designs were in a room full of floral artists! I've chosen some of the design
s that you can see from the show as well. 
Saturday, April 05, 2008
1st Place Winner @ Design Competition
Well how exciting was it that a couple weeks ago I won first place in a regional design competition called "Capital Cup". I was speechless. Our task for the competition was to design something for a "get well" in a hospital setting, so we had height and price limitations. Out of several designs submitted from all over the Washington D.C., Maryland, & Virginia area I took 1st place.
This was a great day not only for me, but also for Bergerons Flowers & Events! Look for the final competition with all the Capital Cup winners of 2008 to compete in the fall. Can't wait!
This was a great day not only for me, but also for Bergerons Flowers & Events! Look for the final competition with all the Capital Cup winners of 2008 to compete in the fall. Can't wait!
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