•         Consider hosting your cocktail hour in a separate room.
•         Choose a room or area with high tables and bar stools. This allows guests to mingle rather than sitting for an hour.
•         Serve delicious food. Most likely, your guests are hungry and craving something yummy.
•         Consider foods that match your theme.
•         Serve fun drinks that coordinate with your theme. For instance, a beach theme might serve a signature drink such sex on the beach or Malibu bay breeze.
•         Decorate! The cocktail area is just as important as the reception, so utilize candles and flower arrangements to bring life to the cocktail area.

Below are a few designs by A Garden Party that would be perfect as cocktail hour décor.  

This is perfect for a place card table!

Mary and Dawn designed this cocktail table centerpiece for a bridal show at Running Deer. I love the martini glass vase!

Floating candles and orchids are simple but beautiful.

I love the different heights of these candles.

Rose petals and votives are an easy way to dress up the cocktail area.

These cube vases are the perfect size for cocktail tables! Plus, I love the bright colors.

I am obsessed with these spider mums.

This is perfect for a fall wedding.

 So I’d love to know, where do you plan on hosting your cocktail hour? How do you plan on decorating the area?

If you are interested in our floral design services in South Jersey, the greater Philadelphia area or Northern Delaware please contact Mary by filling out the form below:

Now – on to the fun stuff… July 1st was a gorgeous day and we were lucky enough to be working with Shannon and Judd for their wedding.  Mary went to college with Meghan, Shannon’s sister, so this wedding was all that much more fun for us.  Liz Warnek Photography did an excellent job with the pictures, check them out…

Shannon carried a bouquet of white mini callas, pink nerine lilies, sweet unique roses, silver brunia berries, pink electra spray roses, and pink lips lisianthus (SWOON).

All the textures were amazing!

Judd wore a simple boutonniere of two white mini callas wrapped with white ribbon.

I was in LOVE with these bridesmaids dresses…and how perfectly the flowers matched The bridesmaids carried bouquets of quicksand roses, pink mini callas, and brunia berries. Those Gaffney girls are all so beautiful, in their own special way…right Megs? We were so honored to be a part of the first wedding in the Gaffney family!

Here is Meghan – isn’t she gorg! Beware, her laugh is contagious

Shannon wanted to attach this ladybug charm to her bouquet to symbolize her beloved grandmother.  This was her way of having her grandmother with her on her wedding day…so sweet (sniffle sniffle).  As a surprise Meghan asked us attach Irish charms (the 4/4 symbolizes the 4 sisters) to Shannon’s bouquet, and each of her sisters’ bouquets…I love special little touches like this. Meghan ordered the charms from Etsy, of course!

This flower girl is precious! She wore a crown of pink electra spray roses and carried a kissing ball to match.

Thank you Shannon, for sharing these pictures with us, and for letting us be a part of your wedding day.  Congratulations and best wishes for you and Judd in your future together! Hope to get some Gaff love again soon! xoxo

If you are interested in our floral design services in South Jersey, the greater Philadelphia area or Northern Delaware please contact Mary by filling out the form below:
[contact-form] [contact-field label="Hi! My name is..." type="name" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Let's chat! Email me back about my event here..." type="email" required="true" /] [contact-field label="The magical day is..." type="url" required="true" /] [contact-field label="We picked the perfect location at..." type="text" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Here is my cell phone #, just in case..." type="text" required="true" /] [/contact-form]

While most of the details of Kim’s wedding are over-the-top and impractical for the average bride, her flower choices are down to earth. According to Life&Style, Kim’s “favorite flowers are gardenia, jasmine, and tuberose.” Kim also revealed that she loved Khloe’s all-white bouquet. (Khloe is Kim’s sister who married Lamar Odom in 2009.)

Jasmine

White bouquets are beautiful, elegant, and traditional. Check out these white bouquets designed by A Garden Party Florist.

Kristen carried a bouquet of white anemone, white peonies, and white ranunculus. To see more pictures of Kristen and Ryan’s wedding, click here.

Mary carried a bouquet of white ranunculus, white lisianthus, white sweetpea,  ivory garden roses, ivory spray roses, brunia berries, phalaenopsis orchids and  white peonies. To see more pictures of Mary and Brian’s wedding, click here.

Katy’s bridesmaids carried paperwhites wrapped with red satin and black lace. To see more pictures of Katy and RJ’s wedding, click here.

We would love to hear your feedback. What are your favorite flowers? Do you perfer all-white bouquets, or do you like colorful bridal bouquets? What would your ideal bridal bouquet look like?

While most of the details of Kim’s wedding are over-the-top and impractical for the average bride, her flower choices are down to earth. According to Life&Style, Kim’s “favorite flowers are gardenia, jasmine, and tuberose.” Kim also revealed that she loved Khloe’s all-white bouquet. (Khloe is Kim’s sister who married Lamar Odom in 2009.)

Jasmine

White bouquets are beautiful, elegant, and traditional. Check out these white bouquets designed by A Garden Party Florist.

Kristen carried a bouquet of white anemone, white peonies, and white ranunculus. To see more pictures of Kristen and Ryan’s wedding, click here.

Mary carried a bouquet of white ranunculus, white lisianthus, white sweetpea,  ivory garden roses, ivory spray roses, brunia berries, phalaenopsis orchids and  white peonies. To see more pictures of Mary and Brian’s wedding, click here.

Katy’s bridesmaids carried paperwhites wrapped with red satin and black lace. To see more pictures of Katy and RJ’s wedding, click here.

We would love to hear your feedback. What are your favorite flowers? Do you perfer all-white bouquets, or do you like colorful bridal bouquets? What would your ideal bridal bouquet look like?

Adelina and Mike during their ‘first look’.  I love how the shades of orange in her bouquet match the fall leaves all around them…perfection.

Adelina was a stunning bride!  She carried a bouquet of peach finesse roses, orange spray roses, peach stock, orange protea, uhle fiddleheads and brunia berries.

We wrapped the stems all the way down with ivory ribbon.

Gotta love all the texture in this bouquet…and those peach finesse roses are amazing.

The bridesmaids wore chocolate brown dresses and carried bouquets of orange roses, orange and peach spray roses, orange protea, chocolate cosmos, brunia berries and uhle fiddleheads.

We wrapped the stems with chocolate brown ribbon and accented with orange pearl pins.

Adelina and Mike’s daughter Mia was sooo cute.  She carried this pomander made of green moss and accented with a few fall leaves and silk orange flowers.  We used silk flowers to keep it nice and lightweight for her.

For the bouts we used orange spray roses, brunia berries, and a fiddlehead.

To flank the couple during the ceremony we filled two of our pedestals with branches of fall leaves (we cut these ourselves!), hydrangea, amaranthus, protea, stock, and orange roses.

We hung peach finesse roses, stock and beech leaves with some sheer chocolate ribbon from the chairs.

Their ceremony was in the same room as the reception so we used the centerpieces to line the stage that their ceremony took place on.

A few peach finesse roses and beech leaves dressed up our card birdcage beautifully.

For the cocktail tables we used brown cubes filled with green moss, orange roses, and fiddleheads (in the shape of a heart <3)

The centerpieces were done in our silver bowls. I love these bowls, they are the perfect size for a tabletop centerpiece.  We filled them with green hydrangea, peach finesse roses, orange roses, peach spray roses, peach stock, beech leaves and glittered pods.

Each centerpiece had an ivory pillar candle in the center.

I loved these little pods that we glittered up with some copper glitter…just a touch of bling!

For the cake we used chocolate cosmos, spray roses and peach stock.

Thank you so much Tina for the photos…you blew us away again.  And of course we have to thank Adelina and Mike for letting us be a part of such a beautiful fall wedding; your day really looks like it was amazing!

If you are interested in our floral design services in South Jersey, the greater Philadelphia area or Northern Delaware please contact Mary by filling out the form below:

[contact-form] [contact-field label="Hi! My name is..." type="name" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Let's chat! Email me back about my event here..." type="email" required="true" /] [contact-field label="The magical day is..." type="url" required="true" /] [contact-field label="We picked the perfect location at..." type="text" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Here is my cell phone #, just in case..." type="text" required="true" /] [/contact-form]

Adelina and Mike during their ‘first look’.  I love how the shades of orange in her bouquet match the fall leaves all around them…perfection.

Adelina was a stunning bride!  She carried a bouquet of peach finesse roses, orange spray roses, peach stock, orange protea, uhle fiddleheads and brunia berries.

We wrapped the stems all the way down with ivory ribbon.

Gotta love all the texture in this bouquet…and those peach finesse roses are amazing.

The bridesmaids wore chocolate brown dresses and carried bouquets of orange roses, orange and peach spray roses, orange protea, chocolate cosmos, brunia berries and uhle fiddleheads.

We wrapped the stems with chocolate brown ribbon and accented with orange pearl pins.

Adelina and Mike’s daughter Mia was sooo cute.  She carried this pomander made of green moss and accented with a few fall leaves and silk orange flowers.  We used silk flowers to keep it nice and lightweight for her.

For the bouts we used orange spray roses, brunia berries, and a fiddlehead.

To flank the couple during the ceremony we filled two of our pedestals with branches of fall leaves (we cut these ourselves!), hydrangea, amaranthus, protea, stock, and orange roses.

We hung peach finesse roses, stock and beech leaves with some sheer chocolate ribbon from the chairs.

Their ceremony was in the same room as the reception so we used the centerpieces to line the stage that their ceremony took place on.

A few peach finesse roses and beech leaves dressed up our card birdcage beautifully.

For the cocktail tables we used brown cubes filled with green moss, orange roses, and fiddleheads (in the shape of a heart <3)

The centerpieces were done in our silver bowls. I love these bowls, they are the perfect size for a tabletop centerpiece.  We filled them with green hydrangea, peach finesse roses, orange roses, peach spray roses, peach stock, beech leaves and glittered pods.

Each centerpiece had an ivory pillar candle in the center.

I loved these little pods that we glittered up with some copper glitter…just a touch of bling!

For the cake we used chocolate cosmos, spray roses and peach stock.

Thank you so much Tina for the photos…you blew us away again.  And of course we have to thank Adelina and Mike for letting us be a part of such a beautiful fall wedding; your day really looks like it was amazing!

If you are interested in our floral design services in South Jersey, the greater Philadelphia area or Northern Delaware please contact Mary by filling out the form below:

[contact-form] [contact-field label="Hi! My name is..." type="name" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Let\'s chat! Email me back about my event here..." type="email" required="true" /] [contact-field label="The magical day is..." type="url" required="true" /] [contact-field label="We picked the perfect location at..." type="text" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Here is my cell phone #, just in case..." type="text" required="true" /] [/contact-form]

From the bride:

“Our happily ever after began about 3 years ago with a “cyber spark” that ignited through the help of Chemistry.com. About a week after connecting through the site we met for our first date. What started out as lunch on a beautiful Sunday afternoon lingered into an afternoon coffee and only ended seven hours later due to the setting of the sun. We were both instantly smitten and excited to finally understand the concept of love-at-first-sight. A little over a year later we went on a weekend getaway to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia to see the fall foliage and much to my delight and surprise, he proposed and the planning began!

I had never given much thought to what I would want my wedding to be like, but there were a few things I knew I didn’t want: no pink, no roses, and no over the top “bling.” My fiancé and I were both looking for simple elegance with something timeless and sophisticated. We had decided to get married in center city Philadelphia, not far from
where I had grown up. We quickly found a beautiful old colonial style Catholic Church for our ceremony and the weekend following our engagement we set out on a hunt for a reception venue. We saw many beautiful spaces but nothing was really representative our style until our meeting at the Hyatt at the Bellevue. Our wedding was going to be much more intimate than the size of one that would be held in their grand ballroom so we took the elevator up to the 19th floor to see their Rose Garden ballroom that overlooks the city. We were instantly in love with the space. With the beautiful old architecture and the silver and white color palate already in the room it was the perfect mix of old and new, and seemed it was made for a black and white color theme.

From there the planning fell into place. Everything from the black bridesmaids’ dresses adorned with an ivory sash by D’Zage to the black linens and silver chairs we rented from Select Event Rentals for the occasion showcased the sophisticated wedding we were looking for. The one piece I was very undecided and worried about was the flowers since I was fearful if I kept the flowers and centerpieces white they would look boring and not stand out. I was looking for something different and a step away from the traditional all floral centerpieces, while still incorporating some flowers. After meeting with A Garden Party those worries were put to rest. The black and white anemones used in my bouquet, the centerpieces, and the cake tied the theme together and looked anything but boring. Red anemones made up the bridesmaids’ bouquets, which were the only addition of color. The centerpieces kept in the theme with simple black glass vases holding orchids and tealights hanging from Manzanita branches. A floral ring of orchids, anemones, and ranunculus at the base of the centerpiece gave me the dramatic centerpiece that I was looking for, while also incorporating flowers. Our big day was everything we had envisioned and thanks to the absolutely gorgeous photos by Philip Gabriel Photography, which truly capture the beauty and joyful mood of the day, we can look back and feel the same happiness we felt on that day for years to come.”

I love photos taken in the city…check out all of the cars driving by!

Kristen carried a bouquet of white anemone, white peonies, and white ranunculus.  We tied the stems with silver velvet ribbon.

I love the velvet ribbon as a wrap for bouquets.

The bridesmaids carried bouquets of red anemone.  They photographed beautifully against their black dresses.

Isn’t this flower girl adorable???  She carried a pomander of white button mums, accented with black pearl pins and silver satin ribbon.

This bout was soooo cute.  We have been trying to get more creative with our bouts…after all the groom wants to look great too!

At the church we hung little bubble vases with a peony in them to mark the first few pews.

Mary came up with this design for the place card table….amazing.  We used our tall black vase filled with manzanita branches and white dendrobium orchids.  Three cylinders with pearls, orchids, and a floating candle were clustered around the tall vase.

The room their cocktail hour was held in had this gorgeous fountain, which we decorated with votive candles and peonies.

On the cocktail tables we filled these shallow bowls with pearls, cymbidium orchids, and floating candles.

The table centerpieces were done in our shorter black vase.  We used manzanita branches that we hung tea lights from and added some cut cymbidium orchids to glam it up.  Around the base of the vase we did a floral ring of peonies, ranunculus, anemone, orchids and bear grass.

The room looked AMAZING.

Ok – so I know this blog was super long….but I just couldn’t leave out any of these photos.  Philip Gabriel Photography made it too hard for me to choose!  Thank you so much Kristen and Ryan for letting us be a part of your wedding day and sharing your story with us, xoxo!

If you are interested in our floral design services in South Jersey, the greater Philadelphia area or Northern Delaware please contact Mary by filling out the form below:

[contact-form] [contact-field label="Hi! My name is..." type="name" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Let's chat! Email me back about my event here..." type="email" required="true" /] [contact-field label="The magical day is..." type="url" required="true" /] [contact-field label="We picked the perfect location at..." type="text" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Here is my cell phone #, just in case..." type="text" required="true" /] [/contact-form]

From the bride:

“Our happily ever after began about 3 years ago with a “cyber spark” that ignited through the help of Chemistry.com. About a week after connecting through the site we met for our first date. What started out as lunch on a beautiful Sunday afternoon lingered into an afternoon coffee and only ended seven hours later due to the setting of the sun. We were both instantly smitten and excited to finally understand the concept of love-at-first-sight. A little over a year later we went on a weekend getaway to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia to see the fall foliage and much to my delight and surprise, he proposed and the planning began!

I had never given much thought to what I would want my wedding to be like, but there were a few things I knew I didn’t want: no pink, no roses, and no over the top “bling.” My fiancé and I were both looking for simple elegance with something timeless and sophisticated. We had decided to get married in center city Philadelphia, not far from
where I had grown up. We quickly found a beautiful old colonial style Catholic Church for our ceremony and the weekend following our engagement we set out on a hunt for a reception venue. We saw many beautiful spaces but nothing was really representative our style until our meeting at the Hyatt at the Bellevue. Our wedding was going to be much more intimate than the size of one that would be held in their grand ballroom so we took the elevator up to the 19th floor to see their Rose Garden ballroom that overlooks the city. We were instantly in love with the space. With the beautiful old architecture and the silver and white color palate already in the room it was the perfect mix of old and new, and seemed it was made for a black and white color theme.

From there the planning fell into place. Everything from the black bridesmaids’ dresses adorned with an ivory sash by D’Zage to the black linens and silver chairs we rented from Select Event Rentals for the occasion showcased the sophisticated wedding we were looking for. The one piece I was very undecided and worried about was the flowers since I was fearful if I kept the flowers and centerpieces white they would look boring and not stand out. I was looking for something different and a step away from the traditional all floral centerpieces, while still incorporating some flowers. After meeting with A Garden Party those worries were put to rest. The black and white anemones used in my bouquet, the centerpieces, and the cake tied the theme together and looked anything but boring. Red anemones made up the bridesmaids’ bouquets, which were the only addition of color. The centerpieces kept in the theme with simple black glass vases holding orchids and tealights hanging from Manzanita branches. A floral ring of orchids, anemones, and ranunculus at the base of the centerpiece gave me the dramatic centerpiece that I was looking for, while also incorporating flowers. Our big day was everything we had envisioned and thanks to the absolutely gorgeous photos by Philip Gabriel Photography, which truly capture the beauty and joyful mood of the day, we can look back and feel the same happiness we felt on that day for years to come.”

I love photos taken in the city…check out all of the cars driving by!

Kristen carried a bouquet of white anemone, white peonies, and white ranunculus.  We tied the stems with silver velvet ribbon.

I love the velvet ribbon as a wrap for bouquets.

The bridesmaids carried bouquets of red anemone.  They photographed beautifully against their black dresses.

Isn’t this flower girl adorable???  She carried a pomander of white button mums, accented with black pearl pins and silver satin ribbon.

This bout was soooo cute.  We have been trying to get more creative with our bouts…after all the groom wants to look great too!

At the church we hung little bubble vases with a peony in them to mark the first few pews.

Mary came up with this design for the place card table….amazing.  We used our tall black vase filled with manzanita branches and white dendrobium orchids.  Three cylinders with pearls, orchids, and a floating candle were clustered around the tall vase.

The room their cocktail hour was held in had this gorgeous fountain, which we decorated with votive candles and peonies.

On the cocktail tables we filled these shallow bowls with pearls, cymbidium orchids, and floating candles.

The table centerpieces were done in our shorter black vase.  We used manzanita branches that we hung tea lights from and added some cut cymbidium orchids to glam it up.  Around the base of the vase we did a floral ring of peonies, ranunculus, anemone, orchids and bear grass.

The room looked AMAZING.

Ok – so I know this blog was super long….but I just couldn’t leave out any of these photos.  Philip Gabriel Photography made it too hard for me to choose!  Thank you so much Kristen and Ryan for letting us be a part of your wedding day and sharing your story with us, xoxo!

If you are interested in our floral design services in South Jersey, the greater Philadelphia area or Northern Delaware please contact Mary by filling out the form below:

[contact-form] [contact-field label="Hi! My name is..." type="name" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Let\'s chat! Email me back about my event here..." type="email" required="true" /] [contact-field label="The magical day is..." type="url" required="true" /] [contact-field label="We picked the perfect location at..." type="text" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Here is my cell phone #, just in case..." type="text" required="true" /] [/contact-form]

It is so rare to get a photo of either of us with the bride that I had to share this one….aren’t they beautiful!?!

Leah looks amazing.  I love her fur shrug, perfect for a November wedding!

Fall weddings are my favorite…I was a fall bride myself, and I love when couples venture outdoors for pictures.  Lia and Mike are a gorgeous couple and I love everything about this picture of the two of them.

Check out the fall color and the sunshine in this picture…gorgeous!

Lia carried a bouquet of white hydrangea, sunflowers, yellow gerber daisies, red dahlias, and red ranunculus.  Red and yellow are a fabulous color combination, especially for a fall wedding.

Here is a close up.  Look how amazing these colors are!!!

Such a bright, cheerful bouquet.  I love all the textures…and those ranunculus are amazing!

Gorgeous bridesmaid carrying a complimentary bouquet using the same flowers…her two tone dress is so pretty.

Lia and Mike had an outdoor ceremony.  Mary decorated this arbor on site and I love how it turned out.  She tied curly willow branches to the arbor and accented them with hydrangea, sunflowers, hanging red pepperberry, and dahlias.

We lined the aisle with rose petals and potted burnt orange mums wrapped in textured brown paper.

I had to end this blog with a photo of this PSU cake.  Lia was a huge Penn State fan so her and Mary hit it off immediately…and Mary LOVED this cake.  I think she was a little jealous she didn’t have one at her wedding!

Thank you Lia for sharing these pictures with us…I was setting up another wedding that morning, so I loved looking through these photos and seeing how it all turned out!  Today is technically a day ‘off’ for Mary and I…although I bet she is home working just like I am home blogging, haha.  I need to go play with my own little Leah now though….I have a 3 year old with tons of energy and she is begging to get outside and soak up some of that sunshine. Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

If you are interested in our floral design services in South Jersey, the greater Philadelphia area or Northern Delaware please contact Mary by filling out the form below:

[contact-form] [contact-field label="Hi! My name is..." type="name" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Let's chat! Email me back about my event here..." type="email" required="true" /] [contact-field label="The magical day is..." type="url" required="true" /] [contact-field label="We picked the perfect location at..." type="text" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Here is my cell phone #, just in case..." type="text" required="true" /] [/contact-form]

It is so rare to get a photo of either of us with the bride that I had to share this one….aren’t they beautiful!?!

Leah looks amazing.  I love her fur shrug, perfect for a November wedding!

Fall weddings are my favorite…I was a fall bride myself, and I love when couples venture outdoors for pictures.  Lia and Mike are a gorgeous couple and I love everything about this picture of the two of them.

Check out the fall color and the sunshine in this picture…gorgeous!

Lia carried a bouquet of white hydrangea, sunflowers, yellow gerber daisies, red dahlias, and red ranunculus.  Red and yellow are a fabulous color combination, especially for a fall wedding.

Here is a close up.  Look how amazing these colors are!!!

Such a bright, cheerful bouquet.  I love all the textures…and those ranunculus are amazing!

Gorgeous bridesmaid carrying a complimentary bouquet using the same flowers…her two tone dress is so pretty.

Lia and Mike had an outdoor ceremony.  Mary decorated this arbor on site and I love how it turned out.  She tied curly willow branches to the arbor and accented them with hydrangea, sunflowers, hanging red pepperberry, and dahlias.

We lined the aisle with rose petals and potted burnt orange mums wrapped in textured brown paper.

I had to end this blog with a photo of this PSU cake.  Lia was a huge Penn State fan so her and Mary hit it off immediately…and Mary LOVED this cake.  I think she was a little jealous she didn’t have one at her wedding!

Thank you Lia for sharing these pictures with us…I was setting up another wedding that morning, so I loved looking through these photos and seeing how it all turned out!  Today is technically a day ‘off’ for Mary and I…although I bet she is home working just like I am home blogging, haha.  I need to go play with my own little Leah now though….I have a 3 year old with tons of energy and she is begging to get outside and soak up some of that sunshine. Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

If you are interested in our floral design services in South Jersey, the greater Philadelphia area or Northern Delaware please contact Mary by filling out the form below:

[contact-form] [contact-field label="Hi! My name is..." type="name" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Let\'s chat! Email me back about my event here..." type="email" required="true" /] [contact-field label="The magical day is..." type="url" required="true" /] [contact-field label="We picked the perfect location at..." type="text" required="true" /] [contact-field label="Here is my cell phone #, just in case..." type="text" required="true" /] [/contact-form]