By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of MK Photo Studios, Chadds Ford, PA
Peonies are a very popular flower of choice for brides in 2009--from bouquets and boutonnières to simple but aromatic accents to centerpieces.
I’ve enjoyed the most magnificent cluster of powder pink, magenta and snow white peonies beautifully blossoming this time of year since 1982—when my mother (whose green thumb marvels Martha’s) planted 8 rows of these great, fragrant plants along the Wayne driveway of my childhood home. I saw the other day the buds were blanketed with an ensemble of ants—they will be in full bloom once again this week for my family to celebrate with their sensational aroma. Sweet and succulent and simply the most beautiful of late spring flowers, peonies are a personal favorite of mine. And, there is no better way to celebrate this great flower than during a summer or spring wedding…which leads me to my next point.
You may have noticed AroundMainLine.com has begun publishing some very exciting online wedding-related editorial. Today, brides are planning and researching for their weddings almost exclusively online-and relying on the internet more than ever before. And with the influx of limitless resources on the world wide web conveniently at their fingertips, who can blame them?! Long gone are the days of painfully paging through the dozen of wedding binders and 200-page costly wedding books or magazines.
Modern brides on the Main Line, and beyond, are utilizing blogs, wedding sites, discussion boards, Facebook pages, and more to help plan their big day. But we know, all those comprehensive, national sites with thousands of pages and dizzying amounts of information can get pretty daunting and overwhelming when the clock is ticking on planning your perfect day. That’s where AML is going to step in-as your local and targeted online resource for your wedding in the Delaware Valley, Jersey Shore or, perhaps, your parents’ own backyard.
So, join us as AML will be ramping up this ‘matrimonial’ focus throughout the summer months-from profiles of local engaged couples to wedding tips from experienced planners, to the Main Line’s most popular wedding cake connoisseurs, flawless wedding day makeup, local ceremonies, creative centerpieces and much more…the AML team has got it covered! And, with the help of the Philadelphia region’s finest wedding and lifestyle photographers, we promise to bring you breathtaking photos and content superior to any local newspaper or regional magazine. I’ve been keeping a sharp (and late night) eye on floral trends, hot gown designs and, the ‘buzz’ in the wedding industry. So, brides-to-be…stay tuned.
Last but not least, check out one amazing local wedding show: Wedding Inspirations 2009, Sunday June 7th from 12-4 p.m. on Liberties Walk hosted by our new AML friends Kendall Brown of Eclatante Designs and Donna O’Brien of Beautiful Blooms. Brown and O’Brien, megastars in the Philly wedding planning scene, recently opened dual retail spaces in Northern Liberties. Their chic, welcoming stores offer one-on-one custom consultations, sophisticated home décor, beautiful fresh and dried flowers and more.
Wedding Inspirations 2009 is free and will feature special guest Ann Chertoff, senior editor of Brides.com and formerly of Martha Stewart Weddings. The full details are below. And, if you are interested in being featured as one of our local engaged or recently married couples (or you know someone who would jump at the chance), feel free to send me an email at: info@aroundmainline.com.
Enjoy a summer full of romance and great expectations!
Sincerely, Sarah Lockard
ePublisher, AroundMainLine.com
Donna O’Brien of Beautiful Blooms and Kendall Brown of Eclatante Designs have joined forces to offer discriminating brides a dynamic duo of premiere wedding style. And, their new Northern Liberties retail spaces will soon offer classes on event planning, etiquette and floral design.
Donna O’Brien knows a thing or two about chic event planning-and floral design. The Philadelphia-based owner of well-known Beautiful Blooms, a full service floral and design company, started her entrepreneurial vision out of her home seven years ago. Look closely at the credits of the next breathtaking Philadelphia or Main Line wedding you see highlighted online, it most likely has O’Brien’s elegant touch. “I had a career in fashion and floral design for years and I began to recognize that people seemed to appreciate my taste level. It evolved into not just providing flowers for events, but into offering my clients a one-stop shop. I felt like Philadelphia was lacking a company that took fashion and design and combined it with floral expertise, and that is really how Beautiful Blooms has evolved. Now, in conjunction with Eclatante Event Design, we do lighting, draping, table accents, you name it,” explained O’Brien.
Wedding Inspirations 2009 is a unique wedding event being held on June 7th in Philadelphia's Liberties Walk. Local brides-to-be looking for amazing inspiration and exciting local vendors do not want to miss this opportunity! For more information, email: Leila@eclantantedesign.com or call 610-565-9977.
O’Brien has a 6,500 square foot space in Philly and, with business partner and Eclatante owner Kendall Brown, decided to open dual retail spaces on Liberties Walk last month. The strategic piece of real estate in a bustling area of Northern Liberties will be the exciting backdrop for their aforementioned first elegant wedding event on June 7th. Classes on event planning, etiquette and floral design are in the works.
Similar to my first memories and introduction into the world of peonies, O’Brien’s appreciation of beautiful blooms is steeped in her own childhood. “I grew up in England and then we moved to Bucks County when I was a young girl. I always remember my mother bringing in these massive fragrant bunches of peonies from her garden. They are so romantic and there was always that great scent in the house,” recalled O’Brien.
In early May, O’Brien worked on a wedding in which the floral focus was on an exciting new variety of peonies that were the most perfect shade of pale yellow. (O’Brien’s business partner is photographer Marie Labbancz and the wedding photos with the bride’s bouquet of yellow peonies are currently featured on her blog, artoflove.com). “The bride had pale yellow, her maids wore a gold-hued silk and they held (peony) bouquets that were white. It was simply magnificent,” said O’Brien. “Peonies are so special, our clients are always asking for them. I feel like I am breaking their hearts when a bride wants a bouquet of peonies in late August or September. They simply won’t hold up. They will always be one of my favorites and I am definitely seeing an increase in demand-from brides, to corporate events and bat mitzvahs, everyone seems to want perfect peonies this year while they are in bloom.”
Floral designs pictured courtesy of Beautiful Blooms, beautifulblooms.com
Wedding Inspirations 2009
A Unique Wedding Event
Hosts: Donna O’Brien/Beautiful Blooms, Kendall Brown/Eclatante Event Design
When: Sunday, June 7, 2009 12-4p.m.
Where: Liberties Walk, Philadelphia
Featuring: Anne Chertoff, Senior Editor of Brides.com
Showcasing: Eclatante Event Design, Beautiful Blooms Boutique, Two Paperdolls Invitations, Claudia Seyler Hair and Makeup, Marie Labbancz Photography, Max Hansen Catering, Eventions Productions, DVideography, Truli Confectionary Arts, Spa-East, The Little Candy Shoppe, The Flour Pot Cookie Boutique
Highlights: View spectacular table décor and fine jewels, taste exquisite hors d’oeuvres and cakes, learn from the very best experts in wedding style and function…leave inspired!
To RSVP: Contact Leila Miller, Eclatante Design, Leila@eclatantedesign.com or Call 610-565-9977. The new Beautiful Blooms Boutique, open and ready for business, is located at Liberties Walk, 1021 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA. Donna O’Brien, Owner and Creative Director of Beautiful Blooms, can be reached at 215-925-3111. www.beautifulblooms.com; www.beautifulblooms.com/blog
