I have to admit that being a wedding photographer is a lot of pressure and a lot of responsibility...and I LOVE every minute of it!! But, other than photography, I never really get to see all the "behind-the-scenes" stuff that goes into putting a wedding together.

Now, I remember when I planned my wedding. I believe we planned it in 3 months, parents, friends and family pitched in with everything.  We had free things given to us as gifts for the wedding and I even remember my cousin was our DJ. Thanks Paul! So, I understand...I have been there!! But the one thing I never thought about was my bouquet.

I admit, I was one of those brides that thought it would be cool to hang on to my bouquet forever and had silk...WAIT...basically plastic flowers. They had the white plastic handle that they sat in and you know what...I do still have it somewhere! I just have no idea where since we just moved :-/ But now looking back at all the amazing bouquets I have seen and photographed, I really wish I would have had a real floral bouquet. The flowers always smell amazing and there are so many kinds to choose from!! But how does one actually make a bouquet? It seriously can't take that long right? Don't you just bundle them together and wrap some burlap around it?

WRONG! I recently watched lead floral designer Joanelle at Luxe Event Productions in Fort Collins, put together a beautiful and rustic bouquet with Sunflowers, Roses, Queen Anne's Lace and even one that smelled like CHOCOLATE!! Totally not kidding! They are called Chocolate Cosmos!  

She started out simply by carefully selecting the correct amount of flowers that she needed to put the bouquet together. Honestly, I didn't think that they would all fit into one bouquet! She carefully snipped and selected each flower as if it were a silent orchestra of snipping, trimming, bending, and taping the flowers perfectly together. The Queen Anne's lace added that light, romantic feel to the bouquet. While the Sunflowers added that slight rustic touch and the Roses added that world class, traditional feel. With the great description from the bride-to-be and and beautiful selection of fresh flowers, Joanelle was able to create a very natural, cascading wedding bouquet for the luckiest bride ever!

So, my suggestion to all of you brides out there is this.... if you REALLY want silk flowers...think twice! Your flowers really do make a statement when you walk down the aisle towards the man of your dreams and your future together. The flowers become an accessory to your dress just like your earrings, necklace, bracelets and shoes! The bouquet becomes a significant piece in your wedding that you will never forget! 

I promise you, that years down the road, you will remember picking them up out of the vase for the first time and holding them up to smell the many fragrances that come from the collection of flowers you chose for your bouquet. Not to mention, that your photographer should and probably will get many pictures of your bouquet throughout the day for you. And I know that one look at those pictures 10 years from now, will spark that memory and aroma from the flowers in your bouquet and you WILL have your bouquet forever!

To contact Luxe Event Productions, owner Elizabeth Alcorn and her amazing staff, call 970-482-0701 to schedule your appointment for help with any or all of your wedding or event needs!