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.

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.

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

Photo compliments of Chelsea Patricia and wedding gown by Laurel and Fife

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! All the professionals I was so lucky to work with were just that… and more…professional and unselfish, and definitely more interested in the entire picture rather than just their contribution. That is the beauty of this bridal show concept!

The event collaborators, Callie and Michal, did not miss one single detail in the big “Fake Wedding” or in the reception after. It certainly is an ingeniuos way for brides and their friends and family to truly see and experience wedding vendors and professionals at work close up and personal.

I have posted some of the photos from the evening on my Facebook page and will add some more  and the video of the evening produced by White Dress Media on this entry.

New relationships were started with multiple vendors and new projects and partnerships continue from being involved in The NotWedding. It definitely had a much different air to it than the standard bridal show.

I will be participating in March for the next NotWedding being held again at the Ambient plus Studio in Atlanta. More details to come as far as date and time and ticket sales.

Thanks to blogs and Facebook friends, I had the opportunity to provide flowers for an HGTV pilot featuring Layla and Kevin Palmer from The Lettered Cottage. On the prompt of a friend and past bride, I made contact to the production company about their need for a floral designer.

This was a new expereince for me as at one time in my life I pursued an on camera presence…my career didn’t go far, but I did manage to land my membership into the Screen Actor’s Guild! Dressing a set with touches of color and just the right vessels to match the design team’s vision was definitely a learning process for me. It was not all about the flowers, but all about the whole picture. Similar to the NotWedding experience, it was a total team effort that turned out gorgeous. Photos of the finished room are not available until decisions about the pilot are final.

The Lettered Cottage did give Gertie Mae’s a nice shout out on their blog and shared the entire 5 day shoot with the exception of the reveal. I am adding their blog link to this post…take a look and become one of their followers…Layla and Kevin are uniquely talented with their design ideas and freely share them on their blog.

http://theletteredcottage.net/

Not sure what is around the next corner for Gertie Mae’s, but if the door is opened I most certainly will be walking through….

Be aware of the opportunities in your path!

G.

photos by Once Like A Spark, bridesmaids' apparel by Dres your CORE

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.

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.

 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.

Happy Bride!

With the arrival of Spring, we begin our many walks down the aisle with all of our wonderful Brides and Grooms.

Designing wedding decor is one of my favorite things to do and something I am very passionate about.

Each individual bride has her own wedding day vision and a specific feel she wants her guests to experience. The diversity of choices for each wedding makes the process new and exciting each and every time.

It could be upscale and contemporary, french country, tropical and exotic, or just a simple “picked from the garden” feel.

Gathering all the ideas from the bride and offering suggestions from our own bag of tricks helps to complete the painting known as “The Wedding Day.”

The most gratifying feeling is seeing it all pulled together with the Bride grinning from ear to ear….she is so happy that we listened to her and “we got it!”

Blessings on all the nuptials this Spring!

G.

The countryside is in full bloom with daffodils, quince, Braford Pear trees, forsythia and now the lenten rose. Thrift is ablaze on roadside slopes and the frogs are beginning their songs of summer in the pasture ponds.

A new season, a new beginning, another chapter in our book of life. Oh the beauty of Spring… the gem of the seasons… when the darkness and cold of winter days comes to an end and the newness of life  bursts onto the scene in a choreographed dance of sweet fragrances and breathtaking hues!

Another chance to start fresh in our own season and thrive and grow and be….

Oh Happy Day…Spring has Sprung!

G.

As a floral designer I tend to see life through the flowers I am so blessed to care for and work with  on a daily basis.

Friends are like flowers… they come in and out of our  lives just as the seasonal flowers bloom at different times.

We love all the flowers even when we can’t see them…….spring blossoms in December…..or late summer blooms in March.

Great friends are just like that……

 Maybe it is an in town friend whose  busy schedule keeps us from hanging out or a long distance friend we hardly ever see…

Or maybe it’s that one special friend from childhood days gone by  that has lived her life in another place.  If  paths crossed  or the phone call made, the love would still be as strong as that first day of grade school.

The diversity of the flowers is just as vast and inviting as the personalities of friends.

Each with their own uniqueness and beauty, each with its own season….just like the flowers so brilliantly created by Him.

So I gather the flowers from different seasons and plant the seeds for seasons to come….flowers…friends…they are one in the same for me…Love them all!!

G.