No literally, it was just a sign to get you to click on the link and it worked….

Let’s talk about greenery- yes we know…greenery was the Pantone 2017 Color of the Year so why are we talking about it now?  Because it’s our blog and we can write about whatever we want but more importantly it’s been just about 11 months since our last post so we figured what better shade to pull us out from underneath our beyond dormant blogging behavior than the world’s second favorite color….green! Let’s face it, those of us who live in New England are all clinging to the hope that we WILL be seeing this color soon and in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day (rapidly approaching we might add) we thought we’d share with you our insight on working with greenery in wedding floral design.

USING GREEN IN FLORAL DESIGNS | Leigh’s Favorites  

What are some of your favorite green things? Green shoots. Green leaves sprouting from stems left dormant all long cold dreary winter. The green of emerald, vaseline glass and jadeite, greens of mosses on rocks and old luxurious green colored velvet. I also love grass, the color and the feel and smell when it’s cut.

What does the color green mean to you? It means Spring, the smell of a new season, a season that brings color and more beautiful scents to the new year.

When floral designing for weddings, what are some of your favorite greens to work with? Vinery is my fave when floral designing for weddings, it puts that little wild twist of ‘go ahead, try to control me’ it’s the dot on the i, the cross of the t. More faves; jasmine, ivy, plumosa, foxtail ferns.

What is your favorite floral design you created thus far for weddings? I liked the bouquets created at the Eiola Mansion for Kelsey’s bridesmaids. They were wearing the most chic white pantsuits. I loved the trumpets created for Alissa and Nikhil’s wedding at The Branford House. And the mantel.

Are there any greens you are sick of seeing in floral designs? Silver dollar eucalyptus.

Do you think greenery used in floral design for weddings will ever go out of style? If you lived near a forest and it wasn’t there anymore wouldn’t you miss it? Green means life, it gives life. It’s a happy thing.

Are there any floral designs you are excited for in the future where you will be working with greenery? Yes of course, looking forward to overhead installations.

USING GREEN IN FLORAL DESIGNS | Katey’s Favorites 

What are some of your favorite green things? I love the color chartreuse. I love the word chartreuse. It is just such a “I’m way too cool for you color” and there’s no other color like it. I hope I never get sick of it. I have a chartreuse velvet tufted armchair in my office. If I have an office day, my animals come and keep me company and snuggle in for a nap at some point and there’s probably oh I don’t know at least a few hundred pictures on my camera roll of either Brady, Bambino or Gypsy on that thing. Also, one of my favorite sounds are green leaves being blown in the wind during the summer months. Yes, I am a freak, they are green leaves- not autumn leaves- that is more crisp. It’s one of the most peaceful, relaxing and soothing sounds I’ve ever heard. I love green coats, military style jackets and bombers.

What does the color green mean to you? I don’t want to say it’s invigorating or refreshing because that’s more of reaction from plunging into ice cold water but I think there is something reenergizing about green. It’s like taking a shower, makes you feel clean, fresh and start anew just by looking at it.

When floral designing for weddings, what are some of your favorite greens to work with? Right now ruscus because it’s very durable and heavy duty while still being romantic. Olive branch is very pretty because it has different shades of green, the leaves can be quite chameleon-like. One of my favorites at the moment is pieris, lots of fun texture. Of course ferns and the very botanical fractal look of them, they can always look like they are a part of a science experiment scene.  I love green amaranthus, although technically it’s not a green its a flower. It drapes perfectly, it’s very dramatic. When picking greens to work with on a specific floral design for a wedding I think it depends on which is going to best create the shape we are going for to tell the story of the event. We want to pick the ideal greens that are going to help guide the story and keep everything looking cohesive.

Are there any greens you are sick of seeing in floral designs? Yes. Silver dollar eucalyptus and maybe even seeded. It’s everywhere. And succulents. If a client is dying to use them of course we will absolutely accommodate but we try to adopt them in a way that has not been plastered all over Pinterest.

What is your favorite floral design you created thus far? I think by far it has to the the mantel design we created for The Branford House. When a client says let your creative freak flag fly, we get to go wild- and we did, we flew that thang baby. When you have a mantel that could transport your entire family to Narnia if you happened to fall inside the hearth, you have to create something that is going to be the same scale or it will look….rinky dink- it will. We thought about the mechanic’s and the venue let us do what we wanted, which is also extremely helpful when executing a vision.

Do you think greenery used in floral design for weddings will ever go out of style? Um, no. It may take a back seat once in a while but greens are in the natural world, which is a big inspiration for us and for many.

Are there any floral designs you are excited for in the future where you will be working with greenery? Yes, we have a few large green installations and ceremony pieces. Also a very botanical wedding coming up soon just when everyone is craving greens and getting the heck outside. Very exciting!

THE MANTEL | THE BRANFORD HOUSE

When creating a floral design for the gargantuan mantel at the ever-historic Branford House, it must be met with equal grandeur or it simply will be swallowed whole never to be noticed. Luckily we were told to ‘be as creative’ as we liked for this Connecticut wedding which any designer will tell you is music to one’s ears to the funky tune of Sly & the Family Stone’s ‘Thank You Falettineme Be Mice Elf agin.’*…pressing on… The K.L.W. Design Co. team created a custom mantel design covered in climatic greens, soaring towards the crown-molded covered ceiling and spilling over to say hello to the tabletops below. Designing with greens allows you to brighten dark corners and walls that lack light, they can transform large empty spaces and awaken once vivacious venues with life again. Imagery by Connecticut wedding photographer L’Amour Fou. 

#GREENGOALS

1. Always inspired by nature the K.L.W. Design Co. team transformed this tented Norwalk, Connecticut wedding into a mid-summer nights dream by using charming ivy draped overhead, wisps straying this way and that. Usually found on old and highly-desirable mansions throughout New England this foliage never fails to draw immediate attention, envy and awe. Used in this setting this ivy installation created a canopy of greens making guests feel as if they were dining al fresco. You can check out more of this wedding featured in Style Me Pretty here. Photo taken by Connecticut wedding photographer Kelsey Combe .

2. A green heavy arbor of assorted ferns, eucalyptus and other effects brought a bit of the outdoors in during this wedding ceremony at the Essex Steam Train in Essex, Connecticut. The color green symbolizes renewal, freshness, life and energy, who wouldn’t want those good vibes before saying I do?  Image taken by Daphne and Dean. 

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Crawling greenery floral design on our gold french-inspired chandelier, provided a bit of garden whimsy at the Lace Factory in Essex, Connecticut. Available to rent here. Taken by Connecticut wedding photographer Lacey Gabrielle Photography.

Calm down garlands, you’re so sensational. Extremely popular for our 2017 weddings and pictured here during receptions on head and bridal party tables; they liven up tablescapes and make a dramatic exit draping over and sweeping down to mansion floors. Lush, lavish and full of life. Definitely a fan favorite with 2017 clients and a few of 2018 clients.

Image on the left by Connecticut wedding photographer Kelsey Combe at the Gallaher Mansion. Image on the right was taken by Connecticut wedding Photographer Melani Lust from an Eiola Mansion wedding at Harkness Park in Waterford, CT, featured in Connecticut Bride.

Eucalyptus, ferns and moss come together to create this one-of-a-kind, must-take-a-picture-for-Instagram teepee for Meg + Jeff at Holcomb Farm in Granby, Connecticut.

Hopefully we’ll blog again before Pantone’s 2019 color is revealed… for those readers in Connecticut this is the home stretch- enjoy this last snow day inside or out, we’ll be seeing shoots sprout soon enough.

*the title for this song is an intentional mondegreen; a misunderstood or interpreted word or phrase resulting from a mishearing of the lyrics of a song. The song is Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself Again. Thought this was a fun fact since it has the word green in it -the subject of this blog post.