Monday, May 26
Lawrence Business Magazine LLC
Lawrence Business Magazine LLC
2016 Second Quarter - The Business of Weddings

Flowers

By on 113 Comments
Flowers

Local, In-Season on Trend and on Budget

| 2016 Q2 | story by LIZ WESLANDER | photos by Steven Hertzog
Flowers

Karen Pendleton with Pendleton flowers

No matter the size or style of the wedding, flowers are the flourish that confirms you are truly in the midst of a special occasion.

Three local florists have given us an inside look at the world of wedding flowers, including a rundown of the trends they’ve noticed in Lawrence. They also make a convincing case for why choosing in-season flowers is the single best way to get the highest quality flowers for your money.

Ask any florist, and he or she will tell you this: Brides love peonies, but this has not always been the case. Behold the power of Martha Stewart.

Karen Pendleton, who specializes in local, seasonal, pesticide-free wedding flowers, first planted 2½ acres of peonies on her farm in the late 80s as way to diversify the springtime offerings at Pendleton’s Country Market, which she co-owns with husband John Pendleton.

“At that point, peonies were still primarily seen as a Memorial Day flower,” Pendleton says. “But a year or two after we started growing them, Martha Stewart’s first wedding book came out, and she featured peonies. It changed our lives.”

One of Pendleton’s friends had a daughter getting married in 1991, and, inspired by Martha Stewart’s new book, went in search of a florist who would work with peonies for the wedding. She couldn’t find one.

Flowers

Pendleton flowers


“Florists wouldn’t work with peonies at the time because they didn’t hold up very well, so she asked me if I would do the wedding,” Pendleton explains.

Pendleton said yes and, using the peonies from her farm, successfully pulled off the event. Through word of mouth, Pendleton quickly found herself in the wedding flower business. She and John quickly got busy increasing the variety of flowers they were growing and started refining their post-harvest handling techniques to maximize the durability of their flowers. Pendleton’s is now booked with two to three weddings every weekend from May through November.

Flowers

Kristin Spacek adds final touch to a flower arrangement at Owen’s Flower Shop


Kristin Spacek, who has co-owned Owen’s Flower Shop, 846 Indiana St., with her husband since 2011, can attest to the fact that peonies are still going strong in the world of wedding flowers.

“Oh, people want peonies all year round,” Spacek says. “I wish that was available, but they are so expensive out of season.”

Flowers

Owens Flower Shop


Perhaps one of the reasons for the enduring popularity of peonies is they come in colors that have been trending in the wedding world. Both Pendleton and Spacek agree that coral, blush pink, ivory and white have dominated wedding color palates for the past few years. However, more vibrant colors appear to be staging a comeback.

“This year, I am starting to see more of the marsala color, which was supposedly on trend last year, but we tend to be behind by about a year in the Midwest,” Spacek says. “We haven’t done that sort of color scale before, so I’m excited to see that happening.”

Jennifer Oldridge, who has been operating Stems Event Flowers out of her home studio in Lawrence for three years, says a number of her fall brides are planning a color scheme involving a deep emerald color paired with a hot pink or a hot rose.

Flowers

Owen’s Flowers, photo courtesy Melissa Sigler Photography


“It’s really dynamic,” Oldridge says. “It will be remembered, that’s for sure.”

Aside from peonies, florists agree that dahlias and hydrangeas are popular at the moment, as are flowers that fit with the earthy, organic, just-picked-from-the-garden style that a number of brides currently favor.

“The whole country burlap thing has definitely been on trend for the last three or four years,” Spacek says. “But I feel like people are starting to move a little bit away from that now. People still like the rustic, outdoor, wildflower look, but without as much burlap.”

Spacek says she likes using herbs, especially lavender, to create a natural look.

“Herbs are soothing and calming as far as the scents, and they provide a lot of texture that make the bouquet look more interesting,” she explains.

Oldridge has also seen a lot of the “burlap and lace look,” and she says a number of people have recently started requesting the addition of antlers and horns to the wedding décor. Weathered vases and containers are also popular for creating a look that blends old and new, she continues.

Pendleton, too, does a lot of “country and barn weddings,” but she says locally grown flowers and loose, round bouquets are currently popular across the board, and she does plenty of traditional church weddings using flowers grown on her farm.

“Just like locally grown food, people are more aware of locally grown flowers right now,” she explains. “Martha Stewart has honestly done more for my wedding business than anyone because she promotes locally grown flowers. That’s huge.”

Both Spacek and Oldridge like to work with local flowers when they can, especially since they naturally lend themselves to the just-picked style that is popular right now.

“If people stay with what’s seasonal, then we can get flowers that are literally picked the day of from one of our local sources,” Oldridge says.

Even if couples choose not to use flowers that can be grown locally, all of the local florists agree it is still in the couple’s best interest to plan their flower choices around what will be in-season on the day of the wedding.

“If a flower is out of season, I try to tell brides up front that it might not be available,” Spacek says. “If a bride wants peonies in November, that’s probably not going to happen. But there are always options for in-season flowers that will have a similar look to the flowers they want.”

Aside from the issue of availability, out-of-season flowers are also significantly more expensive.

“Picking flowers in season is the best way to save money,” Pendleton says. “People think they have to have carnations or lesser flowers in order to save money, but buying things in season will save money. If someone is wanting hydrangeas in May, I’m going to tell them to use stock. I’m growing that then, so it will be less expensive. For people who want lots of dahlias, which are running expensive, I tell them they can get the same look with zinnias between July and October.”

Oldridge agrees couples should embrace flexibility as much as possible when it comes to their wedding flowers.

“Sometimes it’s kind of a reality check for people to understand the pricing and availability of flowers,” Oldridge says. “It’s really a good idea for couples to have a few flower options in mind. We can always get roses from Ecuador, anytime, that’s a pretty easy one; but quality and pricing on most flowers can fluctuate even from week to week depending on weather patterns across the world.”

Both Spacek and Pendleton say they have some customers who, following the do-it-yourself trend, are simply interested in purchasing flowers in bulk that they can then arrange themselves. Both florists do sell bulk flowers for weddings, but, as experts, they have a few caveats for the DIY folks. One is the importance of having a specific idea of the type and quantity of flowers and greenery they will want.

“Some people will just ask me to give them enough flowers of whatever I have for twenty bouquets,” Pendleton says. “Well, that can vary quite a bit depending on things like how full they want the bouquets. If I’m going to figure all that out and make all those decisions, I might as well be making the bouquets.”

Spacek agrees DIY flowers require more planning and effort than many couples realize.

“I always like to try to offer my services and explain to the bride that unless they have a team that is doing it for them, it really does take more time than you think,” Spacek explains. “I’ve actually had someone call me the day before their wedding saying they realized that doing their own flowers was too much and that they needed my help.”

Aside from choosing flowers in season, local florists say the best thing a couple can do when it comes to their wedding flowers is trust their florist—they want the flowers to look good just as much as anyone, and they have the expertise to make it happen.

“We all want to make that bride cry for joy,” Pendleton says. “Give your designer a little leeway, and let them use their good judgment. The most gorgeous bouquets I do are the ones where the bride just gives me some colors, a list of flowers she does and does not like, and says, ‘Make it pretty.’ ”

Share.

Related Posts

113 Comments

  3. gamdom giriş on

    Having read this I believed it was extremely informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself personally spending a lot of time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile.

  5. gamdom giriş on

    I seriously love your website.. Excellent colors & theme. Did you create this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m planning to create my very own blog and want to learn where you got this from or what the theme is named. Thanks.

  6. baccaratgratis on

    Hello there! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using
    for this site? I’m getting sick and tired of WordPress because I’ve had issues with
    hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform.
    I would be fantastic if you could point me in the direction of a
    good platform.

  19. Hire A Killer on

    My family members every time say that I am killing my time here at net, however I know I am getting know-how daily by reading thes nice articles or reviews.|

  21. เบสเย็ดกับแฟรี่ on

    Can I simply say what a relief to discover someone that actually understands what they’re discussing on the web. You certainly realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people really need to check this out and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you are not more popular since you certainly possess the gift.

  22. เย็ดน้องวัยใส on

    Hi there! This blog post couldn’t be written much better! Looking through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept preaching about this. I am going to forward this article to him. Pretty sure he’s going to have a great read. Many thanks for sharing!

  28. หลุด ขืนใจ on

    Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thank you so much, However I am encountering problems with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I can’t join it. Is there anyone else having similar RSS problems? Anyone that knows the answer can you kindly respond? Thanks!!

  29. gamdom giriş on

    I am now not positive where you’re getting your information, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thank you for magnificent information I was in search of this info for my mission.

  30. Dissertação on

    Do you have a spam issue on this website; I also am a blogger,
    and I was curious about your situation; we have created some
    nice practices and we are looking to exchange solutions with other folks,
    please shoot me an e-mail if interested.

  32. 에볼루션카지노 on

    I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was wondering what all is needed to get set up? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very internet smart so I’m not 100 certain. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers

  37. charcoal2525 porn on

    Aw, this was an exceptionally good post. Finding the time and actual effort to make a top notch article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and never manage to get anything done.

  39. 라이브카지노 on

    I believe that avoiding prepared foods may be the first step to help lose weight. They will often taste good, but processed foods have got very little nutritional value, making you take in more only to have enough electricity to get through the day. When you are constantly feeding on these foods, converting to whole grain products and other complex carbohydrates will assist you to have more vitality while taking in less. Interesting blog post.

  40. my site on

    An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who has been conducting a little homework on this. And he in fact ordered me lunch due to the fact that I found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to talk about this issue here on your internet site.

  41. click this over here now on

    After checking out a few of the articles on your web page, I truly like your way of writing a blog. I book-marked it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back in the near future. Please check out my website as well and tell me what you think.

  42. 에볼루션 바카라 on

    I have noticed that over the course of building a relationship with real estate proprietors, you’ll be able to get them to understand that, in every single real estate deal, a commission is paid. All things considered, FSBO sellers do not “save” the fee. Rather, they fight to win the commission by means of doing a agent’s occupation. In accomplishing this, they devote their money plus time to carry out, as best they might, the jobs of an representative. Those duties include exposing the home by way of marketing, representing the home to all buyers, developing a sense of buyer emergency in order to prompt an offer, preparing home inspections, dealing with qualification check ups with the bank, supervising fixes, and assisting the closing of the deal.

  47. отзывы о Займер.ру on

    I used to be suggested this blog by way of my cousin. I am now not
    positive whether or not this publish is written by means of him as no one else understand such distinctive approximately my difficulty.
    You are wonderful! Thanks!

  50. gamdom giriş on

    My spouse and I stumbled over here from a different web page and thought I may as well check things out. I like what I see so now i’m following you. Look forward to checking out your web page again.

  52. AquaSculpt reviews on

    Exceptional post but I was wanting to know if you could write
    a litte more on this topic? I’d be very grateful if you could
    elaborate a little bit further. Many thanks!

  53. Hire A Killer on

    you’re in point of fact a excellent webmaster. The web site loading speed is amazing. It seems that you are doing any unique trick. Moreover, The contents are masterpiece. you’ve done a great process in this subject!|

  55. gamdom giriş on

    I have seen a great deal of useful elements on your web page about computers. However, I have got the impression that netbooks are still not quite powerful sufficiently to be a wise decision if you typically do jobs that require a lot of power, just like video modifying. But for web surfing, word processing, and many other typical computer work they are just fine, provided you don’t mind your little friend screen size. Thank you sharing your ideas.

  60. 23win.com on

    Hiya! Quick question that’s entirely off topic. Do you know
    how to make your site mobile friendly? My weblog looks
    weird when browsing from my iphone. I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might
    be able to fix this issue. If you have any recommendations, please share.
    Thanks!

  63. dabetom.io on

    It’s remarkable to pay a quick visit this site and reading the views
    of all mates on the topic of this piece of writing,
    while I am also keen of getting knowledge.

  64. kèo nhà cái on

    Your style is unique compared to other folks I’ve read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this site.

  67. Joeann on

    You’re so interesting! I don’t suppose I have read something
    like this before. So good to find another person with some unique thoughts on this topic.
    Seriously.. thanks for starting this up. This website is one thing that’s needed
    on the internet, someone with some originality!

  72. trực tiếp đá gà on

    With havin so much written content do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or
    copyright violation? My site has a lot of unique content I’ve either created myself or outsourced but
    it looks like a lot of it is popping it up all over the web
    without my agreement. Do you know any solutions to help stop content from being stolen? I’d definitely appreciate it.

  74. kubet on

    Please let me know if you’re looking for a writer for your blog.
    You have some really good articles and I believe
    I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load
    off, I’d absolutely love to write some content for your blog
    in exchange for a link back to mine. Please send me an e-mail if interested.
    Thank you!

  75. hubet on

    I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your blogs really nice,
    keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back down the road.

    Many thanks

  78. architecte d'intérieur Béziers on

    Excellent goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you are just too magnificent. I really like what you’ve acquired here, certainly like what you are saying and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it wise. I can not wait to read much more from you. This is really a great website.

  79. décoratrice intérieur Narbonne on

    Thanks for enabling me to gain new strategies about computer systems. I also have the belief that one of the best ways to maintain your notebook in perfect condition is a hard plastic case, or shell, that fits over the top of your computer. A majority of these protective gear are usually model specific since they are manufactured to fit perfectly over the natural outer shell. You can buy these directly from the seller, or via third party sources if they are for your mobile computer, however not every laptop may have a cover on the market. Once more, thanks for your guidelines.

  80. décoratrice Narbonne on

    A few things i have observed in terms of computer system memory is the fact there are specifications such as SDRAM, DDR or anything else, that must go with the specific features of the motherboard. If the personal computer’s motherboard is kind of current while there are no os issues, changing the storage space literally requires under an hour. It’s among the list of easiest computer upgrade treatments one can visualize. Thanks for expressing your ideas.

  81. luxury car rental on

    Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much
    about this, like you wrote the book in it or something.
    I think that you can do with some pics to drive the message home a little bit, but instead of
    that, this is magnificent blog. A fantastic read. I’ll
    certainly be back.

  82. architecte d'intérieur Narbonne on

    The following time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as a lot as this one. I imply, I do know it was my option to read, however I actually thought youd have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you might repair in the event you werent too busy on the lookout for attention.

  83. architecte d'intérieur Narbonne on

    Thanks for your post. I would also love to say that a health insurance broker also works well with the benefit of the actual coordinators of the group insurance plan. The health broker is given a list of benefits sought by anyone or a group coordinator. What a broker may is hunt for individuals as well as coordinators which in turn best go with those requirements. Then he provides his ideas and if the two of you agree, the actual broker formulates a binding agreement between the 2 parties.

  84. architecte d'intérieur Montpellier on

    I do consider all the concepts you have introduced for your post. They’re very convincing and can certainly work. Nonetheless, the posts are too quick for starters. May just you please lengthen them a little from next time? Thank you for the post.

  85. décoratrice d'intérieur Narbonne on

    Great post. I was checking continuously this blog and I’m inspired! Extremely helpful information specifically the final section 🙂 I maintain such info much. I used to be seeking this particular info for a very lengthy time. Thank you and best of luck.

  86. architecte d'intérieur Montpellier on

    Oh my goodness! an amazing article dude. Thank you Nevertheless I’m experiencing situation with ur rss . Don?t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone getting similar rss problem? Anyone who is aware of kindly respond. Thnkx

  87. Phising dan website Scame on

    I was curious if you ever considered changing the page
    layout of your site? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
    But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.

    Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or two
    pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?

  89. décoratrice intérieur Montpellier on

    Have you ever thought about writing an ebook or guest authoring on other blogs? I have a blog based on the same subjects you discuss and would love to have you share some stories/information. I know my viewers would enjoy your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e mail.

  91. sporting post on

    Heya i am for the first time here. I found this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and help others like you aided me.|

  92. fucile m4 softair full on

    Hi, i think that i saw you visited my site so i came to “return the favor”.I’m trying to find things to enhance my website!I suppose
    its ok to use some of your ideas!!

  93. Click here on

    Hi there, this weekend is nice in support of me, because this occasion i
    am reading this enormous educational article here at my residence.

  94. red mercury value on

    Do you have a spam issue on this blog; I also am a blogger, and I was wondering your situation; we have developed some nice practices and
    we are looking to swap solutions with others, please shoot
    me an e-mail if interested.

  96. CPI instructor certification, on

    Hi! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good success. If you know of any please share. Thank you!

  99. caluanie muelear oxidize manufacturer in india contact number on

    Hi there, I found your blog by means of Google at the same time as searching for a comparable topic, your site came
    up, it seems to be good. I have bookmarked it
    in my google bookmarks.
    Hello there, simply was alert to your weblog via Google,
    and found that it’s truly informative. I’m gonna be careful for brussels.
    I’ll be grateful for those who continue this in future.
    Lots of people will probably be benefited from your writing.
    Cheers!

  101. Film Porno on

    One other issue is that if you are in a situation where you will not have a co-signer then you may actually want to try to make use of all of your school funding options. You could find many funds and other grants that will provide you with money to help with education expenses. Thanks for the post.

  103. cpi instructor training course, on

    I have discovered that sensible real estate agents everywhere are Advertising. They are seeing that it’s not only placing a sign post in the front area. It’s really with regards to building relationships with these vendors who at some point will become purchasers. So, when you give your time and effort to supporting these suppliers go it alone : the “Law connected with Reciprocity” kicks in. Good blog post.

  105. Mab instructor course, on

    Another thing I’ve really noticed is that often for many people, less-than-perfect credit is the results of circumstances past their control. As an example they may be actually saddled with an illness and because of this they have large bills for collections. It would be due to a work loss or the inability to do the job. Sometimes divorce process can send the finances in the wrong direction. Thanks sharing your opinions on this weblog.

  109. porn on

    An attention-grabbing dialogue is value comment. I feel that you should write more on this subject, it won’t be a taboo subject however typically people are not sufficient to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers

  112. Trabzon Escort Bayan on

    Hi there! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any problems with hackers?
    My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing a few months
    of hard work due to no data backup. Do you have any methods to protect against hackers?

  113. Bokep on

    What i do not understood is actually how you’re not actually much more well-liked than you may be now. You are so intelligent. You realize thus significantly relating to this subject, made me personally consider it from numerous varied angles. Its like women and men aren’t fascinated unless it is one thing to do with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs great. Always maintain it up!

Leave A Reply