Jenny Preston 8/22/16 Jenny Preston 8/22/16

Making the Biggest Impact with Your Floral Budget | Style Tips

So often I hear from a friend, a recently married couple, or an engaged couple that flowers are not/were not the priority in their budget because flowers are just so expensive. These are the floral design details I feel make the most impact and will make your budget happy.

So often I hear from a friend, a recently married couple, or an engaged couple that flowers are not/were not the priority in their budget because flowers are too expensive. I've even heard some couples say they never emailed me because they assumed I would be way out of their budget. Sad! Always email your dream vendor, you never know what might end up happening!

Often times the alternative suggestion of faux silk flowers will arise, but sadly these are usually no more budget friendly than the real thing. I can almost guarantee you will never touch those fake flowers again after your wedding so often times they end up in the trash not long after the “i dos”.

Exception to the rule: paper flowers. These are stunning, are made of a more natural material and when my friend, Hayley Sheldon gets her hands on anything it turns into a magical creation. There’s something about a natural material that makes it feel a bit more special and something you might want to keep around for home decor.

With that being said, you can allocate your floral budget to those show-stopping, highly photographed moments or areas and keep within a $3,800 budget. These are the moments I feel are the most important and the floral details you can skip.

The Details to Keep

Bridal Bouquet

average cost, $350

You will treasure your bridal bouquet. When my bouquet was handed to me on my wedding day sh*t got real. It was magic. This little bundle of flowers was created just for you and there's something so special about that.

Ceremony Decor

average cost, $900 - 2,200 +

So the ceremony is kinda a big deal. It is like the whole reason you're having a wedding, right!? Yes. So many pictures are captured in this one spot. Your ceremony and family portraits take up a big chunk of your album so you want to make sure it is pretty. Defining the space with an arbor accented with a large floral installation or choosing layered and stacked pedestal arrangements are each great ways to make a lush impact.

Sweetheart/Head Table Design

average cost, $400

Some of the sweetest pictures of you as a couple on your wedding day come while you're enjoying speeches and a brief moment slightly separated from your guests. Make it special.

Reception Tables

average cost, $350 per table

This is where a HUGE chunk of your floral budget ends up, especially those couples who opt for round tables. My suggestion for couples looking to cut back on reception table cost and still have a floral design element - go for the banquet (rectangle) tables in multiple rows or in one long row. I normally suggest an anchor arrangement placed in the center with bud vases and candles placed along the length of the table. guests and candles intertwined. For a 100 person wedding you're looking at a spend of about $2,000.

The Details to Skip

Boutonnières/Corsages

average cost, $25

They end up being floppy and forgotten, put on incorrectly, or a point of contention because one family member was forgotten in the final count. I say skip it.

Aisle Markers

average cost, $60 per aisle

The only time I see these being necessary or impactful is if your venue is a bit of a blank slate and you're going for that lush garden vibe. If you go for the aisle markers, opt for something that is placed on the ground or a chair garland and forgo the ribbon-wrapped mason jar hooked on the chair.

Cocktail Table Arrangements

average cost, $40

Place candles in a design savvy votive/lantern here instead and you'll save a good amount of money. Cocktail hour comes and goes so quickly and is rarely revisited. Bar arrangements will make a more substantial impact and will be visited throughout the evening by your guests.

Bathroom Arrangements

average cost, $40

Find a venue with a cute bathroom and you're good to go.

Other Details to Keep in Mind

When reviewing your floral design quote keep in mind that the final cost includes time spent communicating your vision, sourcing, ordering, designing, setup and breakdown the day of your wedding. While you're getting your hair done and relaxing with your bridesmaids your floral design team is loading up their delivery van and prepping every arrangement for delivery. Hiring a team of professionals saves you and your family valuable time and minimizes stress on your wedding day.

Glass of bubbly > moving boxes of centerpieces

Inquire About Floral Design

Jenny 3/18/15 Jenny 3/18/15

A Sephora Custom Makeover | Beauty

Makeup terrifies me. I was the girl on dance team begging someone to glue fake eyelashes onto my lids because I was completely inept. Who turned into the girl squirming when one of my friends tried to throw some makeup on my face before going out for the night. Who eventually tried foundation for the first time in college and didn't recognize my perfect looking skin in pictures. Who has now resorted to a Clarisonic, bronzer, and mascara- if I am feeling crazy.

THE SEPHORA CUSTOM MAKEOVER

So when it came time to think about the makeup portion of my wedding plans I was a bit lost. Thankfully, my maid of honor LOVES makeup and will be my makeup artist on my wedding day. Problem solved, right? WRONG. I still had no idea what foundation to buy, what the best lipstick color for my skin tone would be, or even what blush wouldn't make me look like a clown. With that in mind, I put my big girl pants on, called Sephora to set up an appointment for a custom makeover, and dragged Lauren (my best friend, photographer, and stand in bridesmaid) to the City Place Sephora in West Palm, promising a big glass of wine afterward.

MY SKIN COLOR IS NOW A PANTONE COLOR

I had a wonderful makeup artist who made me feel comfortable and asked questions about my current skincare routine (that was a short conversation). Then, she washed my face with some magical product, and went to town. Sephora and Pantone joined forces and created this incredible tool, Color IQ. It is a handheld camera that takes pictures of about 5 different points on your face, allowing the program to perfectly color match your skin tone with a Pantone color. My makeup artist was then able to select the perfect foundation, concealer, and blush.

From there, we chatted about product, she took me through, step-by-step, when to use each product, gave me three lipsticks to choose from, taught me how to contour like Kim K., and put together a bag full of goodies filled with everything I would need to create my perfect wedding look.

WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

Even if you're not getting married, I strongly recommend visiting Sephora and taking advantage of their Custom Makeover service. It is free, all they ask is that you purchase at least $50 worth of product afterwards. Which won't be a problem once you realize everything is perfect and foundation is about $40. The service is offered all day long, all you need is an appointment. I strongly recommend it for engagement pictures, if you're attending a wedding as a guest, or a fun activity to do with your maid of honor as a thank you.

WHAT I BOUGHT

Stila All Day Foundation + Concealer

Make Up For Ever Eye Shadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow

Make Up For Ever HD Cream Blush

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer Yellow

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion

Marc Jacobs Lipstick

Smashbox Lip Liner

Fake Eyelashes

Sephora Eyeshadow Brushes

Brush Cleaner

Grand Total: $400

Find them all online here!

The Wedding Day

Photo Credit: Lauren Louise Photography

Jenny 2/18/15 Jenny 2/18/15

Onli Beverages Editorial | Behind the Scenes

Onli Life Editorial Shoot

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There's always that moment between wrapping a shoot and seeing the full gallery of photos that seems to stretch on for a lifetime. While Lauren, of Lauren Louise Photography, works her magic in post production I thought I would share a little behind the scenes sneak peek of the fun had on set with some of the most creative and lovely people in West Palm.

After a month of planning, last minute trips to vintage shops and green markets, and two days of sprucing the studio it was go time.

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We created three separate sets intended to be used for the promotion of Onli Beverages through social media and their upcoming blog. Onli Beverages's branding is bright, fresh, and full of life. We wanted to capture that Palm Beach style, while offering an organic and vintage inspired approach. The result: Palm Beach Meets Mad Men.

See the full shoot here: Onli Beverages Launches The Onli Life | Editorial

Interested in a styled photo shoot like this? Contact us here!