Sherri & Rocklin | Monterey, Ca | November 2010

Sherri and Rocklin were one of two holiday weddings I had the pleasure to design for in 2010. The couple could not have had a more magical, and amazing day for a wedding on the Monterey Bay! The weather was sunny and clear as a bell. The temperature stayed in the high 60s all day, and it was amazingly perfect! To couple set out plans to wed at The Sanctuary Resort, Monterey Bay on Thanksgiving Day!

The backdrop for their ceremony. LUCKY!!!

The Blushing Bride, elegantly photographed by beautifully by Paul Martin from Ocean Blue Photography and Design.

Sherri's Bridal Bouquet was designed to reflect the seasonal flowers that make our hearts go pitter patter during the fall season. She specifically requested something that would always remind her of Thanksgiving, and I'd say this bouquet did just that. The cream colored roses, accented with the scabiosa pods, and rose hips set an elegant tone with a magnolia as their backdrop.

Rocklin's Boutineer coordinated with the bouquet, but offered a much more toned down, and simple design, which is what I like to provide for men, as I don't know many that like big showy flowers.

Congrats you two! I hope your day was magical, and I truly adored being there to share it with you.

Photos are courtesy of Ocean Blue Photography and Design, a totally rad, and lucky gentleman who gets to travel all over the place for his weddings!!

Randy and Joy-Sweetest Couple of 2010 | Sanctuary Resort Monterey Bay | January 2011

As January comes to a close, I'm studying the details for my 2011 weddings. With a busy year on the horizon, I'm super excited for what the year will bring for Courtney Marie Floral. All the love stories in 2011 are touching, and I'm thrilled to be part of one of the most important days in each of my couple's lives. I can't wait to amaze each couple with the designs that are unique to them as a couple, their personalities, and their wedding dreams.

But before I go too far into 2011, I want to look back on what I think is one of the most romantic, and exciting weddings that I have have been a part of to date. I truly believe this couple, and their amazing friends deserve wedding of the year. While they were married on the first day of the New Year, I'd like to group them into 2010, as tireless planning, and strategizing all took place in during that year.

The groom Randy is a man of surprises, and he has a couple friends who represent the golden standard friendship. Friends who helped him make this a special day for his bride Joy.

I was contacted by Jean to provide flowers for this surprise, yes I said SURPRISE, wedding taking place on New Years Day 2011. At first I didn't understand the parameters of this surprise, but I was astonished and enchanted when I had the chance to hear the story from Jean, the day before the wedding.

When Randy proposed to his bride, he enlisted the help of his friend Jean to make the wedding an even more dramatic surprise. It all started by Jean and Randy planning the wedding at Sanctuary Resort, Monterey Bay. They worked with the staff and vendors to plan a New Years Day Wedding to sweep his bride Joy, off her feet. Joy had no idea she was coming down for her wedding day. When Randy made the plans, Joy thought they were just coming down for dinner. Little did she know that on New Years Eve, Randy would ask her to marry him on the beach the following day. The dress was there, the flowers were designed, and all the details for this intimate, and incredibly romantic wedding were taken care of by their endearing friend Jean.

While I wish I could have been there to see the look on Joy's face when Randy asked her to marry him the following day, I know the following pictures tell their story in itself.

MARRIED!!!!

Congratulations Randy and Joy! You have a marvelous friend in Jean, and I wish all of you the most wonderful "Happily Ever After". Thank you so much for choosing me to be part of this magnificent day!!

Pacific Oaks Estate | Aptos, Ca | December 2010- A Modern Wedding Photo Shoot

A few weeks back I was honored when I was chosen to be part of an amazing team of wedding professionals, looking to collaborate on a photo shoot unlike any other. We needed something fresh, and unique.... After some serious thinking, we came up with a pool house!! And what better place to shoot than Pacific Oaks Estate in Aptos, Ca.

My partners in crime were as follows:

Venue: Pacific Oaks Estate Aptos, Ca

Photography: Urban Shutter Bug Photography

Wedding Coordination & Design: Twitterpated Weddings

Floral Design: Courtney Marie Floral

Cake: Glass Slipper Gourmet

Jewelry: Alissa B Custom Jewelry

Stationary: The Card Lady

Bow Tie: Intertwined

Bride: Jaqueline Tang

Groom: Conner Quinto

See what our creative minds came up with below.

Every wedding needs directional signage... Lucky brides who book at Pacific Oaks Estate are blessed with permanent signage that is rustic, and romantic.

The awesome interior of the pool house... and yes, that's a real live fish!!

Rachel & Armando | Monterey, Ca | September 2010

Rachel and Armando came to me through a referral, and I couldn't have been more excited at the opportunity to design for them! Right away I could tell that working with them was going to be very special!!! When I met with Rachel for the initial consultation I felt at ease, and Rachel was so understanding of my full time job, that I knew it was a match made in heaven.

Rachel and Mando wanted their wedding to reflect the wine country, using purple and chocolate brown as their wedding colors. She described natural textures, including branches that she wanted to incorporate into her centerpieces. Instantly, I knew exactly what I was going to produce for their wedding, using the non-traditional elements my designs are known for. I used smoke bush (one of my favorites), Chocolate Cosmos, and Fern Shoots, all of which reflected the chocolate brown Rachel wanted. For the main element, Rachel wanted Purple Hydrangea, and Freesia. I thew in some Bella Donna Delphinium just to give it one more shade of purple. See what you think below!!

Sometimes I forget what my weddings actually look like. Then I get to see pictures like these, and I get super excited all over again! Special thanks to Ashley Wexler from Under The Sun Photo, ashleywexlerphotography.com who generously snapped, and provided the pictures below.

The amazing bridal bouquet from another angle (held by her bridesmaid of course!)

I just love the trend of bridesmaids all wearing the same color, but different cuts for the dresses. I also just LOVE the purple bridesmaids bouquets against their royal purple dresses!

Alejandra & Pierre | San Jose, Ca | August 2010

You know how when you meet someone for the first time, and you can just tell that they are amazing, caring, generous individuals? Well thats how I felt when I first met Alejandra and Pierre. They are the definition of love birds!!! I couldn't believe how cute they were. I knew instantly that this was a match made in heaven.

Ali is an amazing planner. Her eye for color, and her ability to navigate the wedding planning process produced one of the most amazing weddings I have done thus far. I was completely blown away when I stepped back to look at the big picture during her ceremony. From her bridesmaid dresses, to the ceremony setting, everything was just perfect!

Ali asked for an organic, natural looking floral designs. She let me run wild with my imagination, and here's what was produced. Working alongside my favorite amazingly talented photographer Amanda Lock, amandalockphotography.com, I couldn't have imagined a more beautiful documentation of Ali and Pierre's wedding.

Her bridal bouquet echoed her grecian Maggie Sattero gown. I couldn't believe how beautifully coordinated her dress was the location.

The bridesmaids bouquets. I just love these dahlias. I love to produce unusual and striking color combinations like this. The bouquet looked amazing against the burnt orange bridesmaid dress. Have I already mentioned how perfect the bridal party looked?? Just amazingly color coordinated.

For the flower girl. I'll get a picture up of this sweet little girl ASAP. Ali's daughter was so cute, and so sweet. She made me want to have kids... I KNOW RIGHT!! That shows you just how cute she was. She asked me to walk down the isle with her when I was wearing jeans, flip flops and a tank top. Ahh innocence. I love it!!

Now here's another creative piece. Ali and I worked to make sure the wedding was an natural and fit the grecian theme. She trusted me to choose the right flowers when it came to these isle arrangements, and turns out I picked ones she loved.

And lastly, the beautiful bride! Congrats Ali and Pierre! I wish you a long and happy life together, and I hope we made all your wedding dreams come true!

Jin & Joe | San Francisco, Ca | June 2010

When Jin contacted me, I was thrilled to help her. Jin is the type of person you are instantly comfortable with. With her easy going nature, and lust for life, you just know that she's an amazing person. Jin found my on craigslist, as did most of my clients this year, and I'm so thrilled she gave me the chance to make her dreams come true!

Her wedding photographer, Annamarie Calbarloc, took these amazing photos around the city. Upon seeing these, I was amazed, and inspired by Jins' bravery to tread the San Francisco streets before her wedding.

Inside the church. Yes, that is a true pipe organ in the back ground. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the orange gerb daisies, and the blue bridesmaids dresses.

A little harder to see, but those ceremony pieces... man those were amazing!!! Hopefully I can get a close up shot soon!

Sweetest little flower girl! I had no idea they were wearing these dresses, and WOW!! Did Jin ever get it 100% right! So Sweet, and such beautiful little girls

(theres two, but you only see one here ).

And the bridal bouquet. I love it when a bride give me freedom to design as I see fit. This is what happens... a wonderful bouquet that compliments an amazingly beautiful bride, and coordinates her bridal party.

Brenda & Edwin | Livermore, Ca | April 2010

Brenda and Edwin came to me for a last minute bouquet and boutonnière for their wedding in Livermore. They told me if would be "a small, and incredibly intimate ceremony." I was so touched by the charming idea of a small private ceremony. Two people coming together, in a quite manner, to express, and proclaim their love for one another. I don't get many chances to design for such small and intimate ceremonies, so I knew these designs had to be extra special.

Their wedding took place at a beautiful venue, which evokes the feeling of passion, intimacy, and of course, a love of wine! Wente Vineyards in Livermore is a romantic Mission Inn style venue that woos many couples with it's immaculate grounds, and rustic, yet elegant buildings. I couldn't imagine a more amazing place for these two love birds to tie the knot.

With a winery as your setting, it was a no brainer to choose flowers reflecting the deep reds and purples reminiscent of the complex, and lush, red wine varietals. Brenda and Edwin wanted to see elements of Merlot and Cabernet in their designs. Given the romance, and intimacy, of this truly blessed event, they knew only red roses fit the bill. To tie in their wishes for hints of wine, rich burgundy calla lilies were added to the bouquet, and instantly their ceremony was transformed into a wine lovers delight!

I LOVE sweet peas. I hoped I could use them in the bridal bouquet, but it just didn't suit the romance I imagined when Brenda described her vision for the wedding. Classic Romance with an amazing shade of red, and a twist using a single sweet pea stem gives the grooms' boutonnière the touch that the couple was looking for.

Congrats you two!! May you have a long, loving, and wonderful life together.