modern luxury feature

in the latest issue of Dallas Brides (from the publishers of Modern Luxury), BranchingOut is featured on page 42 in an article written by Rebecca Sherman  titled “Scuptural Integrity”. it’s true, people are loving how i’ve incorporated succulent plantings in my event design. details of lichen, fungus pieces, antlers and quartz crystals really make these pieces unique.

recently, i created a huge planting in a galavanized wash basin for a client’s sunroom. the basin sits on an antique stand and gets rave reviews from all who see it. (pictures of that to come)

here’s a few shots that show a little more of the detail of the planting featured in Dallas Brides. and many thanks to Rebecca for such a complimentary article!  i love how she quoted me on the phrase “cuckoo crazy!”

arboretum wedding, part I

bride calls. not sure about wedding flowers.  not very excited either. enter BranchingOut. meeting with bride. bride gets excited. bride says, “i trust you.” and I get excited, too!

Katie Kowalski was a dream bride. i could tell she had great style from the moment she sent me links to her dress and shoes. any bride willing to pull off a short, flirty wedding dress has to be fun. she just needed some help in the event design department.

after looking at pictures, Katie found that she liked very casual table settings. her one request, keep it simple and unfussy. and when she told me the caterer was serving Cajun food, my idea wheels started turning. i came up with a “Couture French Country meets Casual New Orleans” decor theme. lots of ferns, linen, cast iron urns and lots of vintage bottles.

on the big day, the flowers and decor got Katie’s approval immediately. and at the end of the evening, her dear Mom gave me the nicest complement ever. “Debby, this is just gorgeous! All of our friends and family have been telling us how incredible this wedding is all night. One friend even said, ‘I’ve been to hundreds of weddings and this is by far the most beautiful one I have ever seen.’ ”

and i thanked them both for being dreamy clients and trusting my vision!

congratulations Katie and Derek!

*click on image to enlarge

(more pictures to come)

roses are red

most red roses are just plain pretty, but the “black magic” variety is amazing! it has deep red petals that look like velvet.  below, for a  “Cowboy Chic” event, i created two different looks:  1.) a simple arrangement of 5 black magics in mason jars,  2.) a bountiful dome in a small cast iron urn.

(click on images for a larger view)

tip: most bride’s come to me and say, “i don’t think i can afford roses.” not the case. roses are actually one of the more affordable flowers. i always look for a bigger head (measured at the base of the rose when it’s closed) that is going to open to a nice, full bloom. and as long as you’re going for simplicity in design, using bigger faced flowers requires fewer stems going into your arrangements, allowing your dollar to stretch farther. now that’s what i call more bang for your buck!