One Year Later……

It’s hard to believe that from the time I began my  attempt at a  blog  an entire year has already gone by. Time is so funny. Sometimes it creeps along and other days it whizzes right by! Each single moment added together to make up some form of time is so precious and can never be recaptured.

I think my favorite morsel of space and time from a full 24 hours is the early morning before anyone is up. I can be in that quietness in  peaceful communication with my God. Everything is so still…the sun hasn’t come up yet, the birds remain quiet, and our household is totally silent. It’s not a long stretch before the clamor begins and the day is off and running.  Before I know it, I am wondering, once again where did the time go?

Wedding day preparation is a lot like that for me at my studio. I usually come in before the sun rises and work in pleasant silence before the rest of my staff arrives. Before I know it, the time is already upon us to load up and head out to a beautiful venue, somewhere, to create some magic for an excited bride and groom.

It never seems to fail or should I say “He” never fails me….I will be in the crunch time of an installation and the hands on my watch seem to slow…  almost to a standstill….it always amazes me…time is on my side at that point and everything turns out as planned and there’s that word again…right on time!

Time is precious, irretrievable, and, in the big picture, swift.

Use it wisely…we don’t know when ours will run out!

Happy One Year Blog to me!!

G.

Reflecting

Photography by Haley Sheffield

I can’t believe so much time has slipped away since my October post….I find myself into the new year by almost a week and, as usual, continuing to play catch up. I am thankful that business is good, considering the economy we all are facing, and I owe a lot of that gratitude to the many, many brides and loyal clients  I have been  blessed to work with!

So many weddings in 2011 and so much fun creating each individualized style! Lots of engagements took place  over the holidays and I am  booking consultations as fast as I can.

Hard work and attention to details has paid off with coverage in the wedding media world. Gertie Mae’s Floral Studio was honored with recent features on Wedding Chicks and Style Me Pretty Georgia. Seeing my  designs on national sites  is so rewarding and helps to  grow my  business even more.

Pinterest has become one of my favorites this new year and it tickles me to see my flowers repinned by other members of the pinning world! It is fun to share ideas with other designers through this new media and it is yet another marketing tool for Gertie Mae’s.

My hope for 2012 is to continue to develope innovative ideas and grow in my own personal creative styling. I look back to my beginnings and am so happy to see the evolution of my work from then until now. Being open to change and having the willingness to continue to learn new things is a must. The best venture for me in 2011 was becoming a part of The NotWedding team. The entire experience was beyond my expectations and definitely a springboard for bigger and better opportunities!

Happy New Year to all…and thank you for your continued support!

May we all prosper and also remember to give to those around us whenever possible!

G.

Falling Leaves

Photo from Katie Rivers

Here I am at the end of October and I have almost missed my monthly post. Fall wedding season has been so extremely busy(thankfully) that with a wedding or multiple ceremonies each and every weekend it’s difficult to know where to start.

I can definitely begin by saying I have had the pleasure of working with lovely and sweet ladies. I have not had the “Bridezilla” experience yet, although I have encountered a “Momzilla” of epic proportion in the past. The “Drama Mama” I speak of was tragic…just so my brides’ Moms don’t worry…unless our experience included the police, judges, courtrooms, restraining orders, etc..not to worry, I am not referring to you.  This one will definitely go in “the book”. Speaking of which…I am certain I have enough stories to write a book….time…always an issue!!

Considering a Fall wedding the thoughts of bronze, gold, eggplant and other traditional shades come to mind. The many wives-to-be I worked with had other non-seasonal ideas. One of my lovelies had all of her maids in different colored dresses…jewel tones I guess would be correct and she loved HOT pink for her bouquet. The creative juices were flooding the workroom to pull all of it together. I do love a challenge though!

Teal, which is one of those subjective colors…is it teal, is it turqoise, or maybe malibu, was a color choice for many gals this year…especially this Fall. God didn’t grow teal flowers…as I am not about “matching” everything that worked out just fine. Complimenting the dominant color makes the flowers not only pop to the eye,but also in the lense.

I am trying to pull out some specific details from my memory, but with so many weddings it feels like a blurr…hopefully when my email inbox fills up with the images from the many artistic and gracious photographers it will all come into focus!

Glad you decided to check in with me….

One more thing before I finish…

Does anyone remember saving the rich-colored Autumn leaves betwen wax paper pressing them with your Mom’s iron? Or painting them and leaving the painted image on the reachable windows of your childhood home…those days seem like a lifetime ago…I do recall sharing these innocent activities with my own kids when they were small and carrying on the seasonal traditions.

Happy October!

G.

photo by Katie Rivers

Karen Baker Photography

The NotWedding Follow up and more ….

This gallery contains 6 photos.

photo compliments of Once Like A Spark I have been so busy with exciting adventures I realized today I totally missed an entire month of blogging! First, and most important, is the fabulous experience I had at The NotWedding 2011! … Continue reading →

Exciting Adventure

I am pleased and very excited to be a part of the talented and  creative team of wedding professionals  at The NotWedding 2011 on July 21st. This amazing event is being held at the Ambient +  Studio in Atlanta and is an ingenious way for brides to be up close and personal with wedding vendors. This  big “Fake” Wedding and Reception is produced with multiple wedding pros from all vendor categories…event design, wedding gowns, dj, wedding planners, photographers, floral designers, caterers, and the list goes on. Everything you need to make your own wedding a huge success is showcased. The “guests” experience a wedding ceremony and reception with all the lush trimmings of a real wedding. It certainly beats the conventional Bridal Show with vendors sitting or standing at their assigned table as future brides wander through a conference hall.

To rsvp (purchase tickets) or learn more about the savvy women that started this event, go to www.thenotwedding.com and read more.

Photos and fun memories from the event to follow!

G.

Sweet Wedding Ceremony Twist

Since the beginning of my floral design adventure I have been a part of hundreds of wedding ceremonies, bridal parties, and receptions.

The “traditional” wedding seems to be a thing of the past with the Bride and Groom incorporating more of their personalities, hobbies, and “how we met” into their event. One in particular has always stood out for me and I have shared this story with many that would listen.

I designed flowers for a wedding that was held  at  Glenn Ella Springs Inn, located in the Northeast Georgia Mountains, close to where my business is. The gardens are lush and  naturally beautiful for an outdoor ceremony. 

Half of the wedding party had a Danish origin hence the tradition I am about to share.

The Bride and Groom wrote love letters to each other and sealed them in envelopes. Along with a special bottle of wine and two wine glasses, they placed the items into a wooden box and nailed it shut during the nuptials as part of their vows.(the holes in the box were pre-drilled to make the process a bit easier and less time consuming.)

Now comes the part that made me cry the day of, and tear up whenever I tell the story. When the  couple experiences their first big valley, or difficulty  in their marriage, they are to open the box, uncork the wine, and read the love letters to one another…

How simple…taking them back to when they fell in love with each other and why….

Life is difficult and messy, but it’s surviving these times with our love intact that only makes us stonger!

Pull out a sheet of paper and write it all down for the one you love….it certainly will make more of an impact than a text or an email and it might do more for the author than the recipient!

Love endures the test of time!

G.

May Day Memory

May 1st has always held a special  place in my heart…also known to many as May Day. As a little girl, my mother taught me how to make little flower bouquets contained in colorful dixie cups with ribbon handles. We would punch holes in each side of the top of the disposable, yet colorful cups and tie a ribbon on. Then we would wander around our yard and pick little “johnny jump – ups”, dandelions, azalea blossoms, and whatever else was in bloom.

 Mom  would let me arrange them in the homemade vessel. I am not sure if the flower bouquets  were designer perfection, but I thought they were beautiful!

What came next was most exciting…I would ever so quietly sneak up to my favorite neighbors’ front doors, hang them on the doorknobs, ring the doorbell… AND RUN!!

I did this for years as a child and then passed along the memory and creative activity to my own precious little ones.

These are experiences that modern technology seems to be rubbing out….May is a beautiful month…take yourself outside and close your eyes…smell the spring aromas, listen to the birds’ songs, and then look around you and thank Him for all he has so brilliantly created!

Happy May!!

G.