Weddings, June, Roses...and Don't Forget the Shoes!

I definitely recommend comfortable shoes while touring the Chicago Botanical Gardens. For some, this means wearing flip flops and carrying in the stiletto heels for those once in as a lifetime photo shoots of your life's happily ever after story.



There were minimally eight different bridal parties making good use of the gardens a a backdrop for weddings and untold engagement pictures. Those were almost as easy to spot as the weddings, bride- and groom-to-be arm in arm, her heels dangling from a fingertip and the heavily-camera laden photographer trailing in their wake.

This bride looked every inch the model bride, not the bridezilla version, in her organza and ostrich feather creation. She looked like a swan searching for open water.



And oh! Those shoes!


The dress the bridesmaids, who could have come from central casting, I swear, all a size 6; actually landed a dress they could have worn again, and probably will. My photos do not do the mauve gray tones justice. The cut and line of them-- fantastic!


Surprisingly, the placement of the zipper makes the dress!

I don't think the photographer had to work too hard with this bridal party! It seemed right down to the weather, this bride had every detail perfect in its implementation.

Creating One of a Kind Floral Arrangements Using Shrubs and Vines

I love to create one of a kind natural looking floral arrangements. Whether it is a garland to decorate an arch or railing for a special occasion or a simple wrist corsage for a spring prom or homecoming, shrubs and vines can add to the natural flavor of your floral arrangement.



This corsage was made to go with a flirty red dress with a balloon hem. It was worn for a Homecoming Dance. It features seasonal flowers, tiny pink carpet roses, along with the seed pod of clematis 'Sweet Autumn' and clusters of red berries from crab apple 'Red Jade'.

Red Jade is a wonderful small weeping crab apple for urban yards. It holds its beries throughout the winter. When they defrost in spring, they provide a natural food source for birds. The hydrangea used in this corsage is tardiva 'Unique'.

The greenery is from a Korean boxwood species, one of the hardier boxwood for zone 4. It does suffer a bit of tip browning in the spring. I recommend using an anti-desiccant or wrapping it in burlap to prevent wind burn.

This swag featured here is composed of conifers, pine cones, both hydrangea 'Annabelle' and tardiva 'Unique', clematis (again the 'Sweet Autumn' clematis, but a month earlier when it was in flower), grasses (This one is miscanthus sinesis purpurea or Purplr Flame Grass) and the seed pods of a rudbeckia. It is six feet wide and dried well, becoming a beautiful memory of a special day.