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Bella Fiore, custom floral design in Victoria BC

Real Wedding: Stefanie and Gregor

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

This is the lovely Stefanie and Gregor as photographed by Jennifer Kirk Photography from Vancouver. Stefanie and Gregor were married May 16, 2009 at the fabulous Laurel Point Inn.The perfect venue to host your wedding and reception in one place. To see more of the floral details for this wedding please view my sneak peek of this wedding in my blog.Their floral details were fresh, beautiful and springlike !
A lovely shot.
The beautiful girls.

The handsome boys.
What exactly is going on here?!! They look like their having fun.

The cake was made and decorated by the pastry chef at the Laurel Point.

The guest book table. View my sneak peek to get a close up of those candlesticks.
The centerpieces in the venue.

Congratulations to Stefanie and Gregor! Wishing them both much joy and happiness. Also, a big thank-you to Jennifer Kirk Photography for sharing her photos with us.

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posted by Sarina Chauhan @ 8:56 PM

Sneak Peek: Villa Marco Pollo Floral Details

Sunday, June 21, 2009

I have found a new wedding venue to love. It is called the Villa Marco Polo Inn. It is a lovely five star bed and breakfast with beautiful Italianate gardens and interior decor full of Persian and antique styling; from the moment I first saw it I was in love. It felt like home. This venue is perfect for an intimate garden wedding.I discovered this venue thanks to my lovely bride and groom who held their wedding there this Saturday. This is just a sneak peek of some of the floral details while we wait for the professional photos.
I made this turquoise bead curtain to delineate the entrance to the gardens for the guests as they arrived. I did not want to spend too much of the bride's budget on the entrance but still wanted to have something elegant and tasteful. I think this fit the bill!
I attached these lovely chartreuse orchids just to add another pop of color.
And tied back the curtain with turquoise satin ribbon. The bride's colors as you can guess were chartreuse, white, turquoise and touches of silver.
The bride's bouquet full of roses, berries and two different kinds of orchids.

A close up shot of the flowers.
The bride wanted a floppy satin bow and a bit of bling on the wrap.
One of the boutonnieres. I made four different kinds.
The corsages.
The venue had this sweet little tree that I couldn't let go naked; so I dressed it up with turquoise and chartreuse satin ribbon. I also made these custom crystals to tie onto the ribbon and to catch a bit of light. I think the tree was happy to be dressed for the occasion!
The centerpieces were made in tall fluted glass vases that had submerged orchids and chartreuse wire.
Spilling forth from the top were white orchids and hydrangea. So elegant.
This one with it's mate were waiting for the banquet table to get dressed.
A close up of the wire detailing.

The sweetheart table had this lovely centerpiece.
Three types of orchids were used in this wedding.
Some more crystals attached to the ceremony gazebo.
The gazebo looked so pretty all dressed up.
The altar piece was placed on a nice white Italianate pillar.It was made in a tall silver fluted vase.
Here is the total effect. My pictures do not do it justice. Click on the pictures to enlarge the images.



The garden has this beautiful fountain in the middle and I was chomping at the bit to do a fantastic floral feature in it, but one thing a florist has to do, is stay in budget! Sigh. Maybe next time.

The lovely grounds.
Thanks to my son for taking all the garden and building shots for me while Mom worked he photographed. My daughter is the one who actually helped me by passing me flowers, scissors and ribbon when I needed it. We worked like a fine tuned machine. I'm a lucky Mom.
My son had a fascination with all the garden statues. Could it be because they were women in various states of undress, or because they were simply beautiful?
I wish I could be a lady lounging around in this garden; the problem is, I am not very ladylike, but I could pretend!
Best wishes to my latest newlyweds Stacey and Chris! I can't wait too see the photos !

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posted by Sarina Chauhan @ 10:28 PM

Cake Inspiration

Thursday, June 18, 2009

I was wondering if Bride's thought about their wedding cake as an extension of their style? Quite often when I talk to brides they have not thought about their wedding cake in very much detail. When I think of the wedding ceremony and focal areas that absolutely need substantial floral pieces I always think of the front altar or where the ceremony is taking place. I absolutely cringe inside when a bride says she is forgoing altar flowers. Sorry, but I do. I almost always try to convince them otherwise. Sometimes they listen, sometimes they do not. The reason why altar flowers are so important is that it frames the ceremony. It creates the focal point for all the guests at the wedding to look at while they are seated. Also, and most importantly it frames the wedding ceremony photographs. I understand there is a recession going on and that not all brides have big wedding budgets; but I would even go so far as to suggest cutting the flowers from somewhere else to avoid forgoing altar pieces. The good thing about altar pieces is that they can be reused at your wedding reception in so many ways. But this post is not about altar flowers; it's about wedding cakes!
I view the wedding cake like I do the altar flowers. Quite often it is one of the first places your guests look after they have entered the reception site and oohed and awed over the centerpieces and decor. Not to mention the huge photo opportunity the cake cutting ceremony actually is. I also like cupcakes. I like anything that extends the bridal couple's personality. An artful cake is one way to extend your style no matter what that style may be.
These fabulous cakes were made by Allyson Meredith Cakes from Toronto. A very fine cake artist in my estimation! I think they illustrate the very many different styles and ways you can express your personality at your reception and like altar flowers should not be brushed off as dispensable.
A little pink and green whimsy.
Perfect for an orchard, vineyard or fall wedding. Understated elegance.
Patterns on your cake can mirror a pattern else where in your wedding....linens,lace, dress or china.
Look at the gold damask pattern on this one. Ooh la la!
Did you know I love cherry blossoms but they make me sneeze!
So many different styles of cakes, so many different kinds of brides. Please have a look at all the different styles of cakes on Allyson Meredith's site you are sure to be inspired to think about cakes in a different way.
Your wedding ceremony may only last half an hour and your cake cutting ceremony 10 minutes but the memories you will have through the photographs will last forever. Make your memories beautiful and rethink cutting those altar flowers from your budget! Oh yeah, this post is supposed to be about wedding cakes......

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posted by Sarina Chauhan @ 12:39 AM

I Love Fall Weddings

Monday, June 15, 2009

Time to get you thinking about Fall weddings. I love Autumn weddings. I love how it is still sunny but the air has a crisp,cool feel to it.I love how my apple trees bare so much fruit I have to knock on all my neighbor's doors begging them to take some. We eat a lot of apple crisp in the fall and my daughter makes apple sauce in old spaghetti sauce jars with handmade labels. The trees are dressed in their coats of many colors and every flower shop has bunches and bunches of dahlia. I always search for the largest showiest bloom to display. My birthday falls in Autumn and I always manage to draw out the celebrations for at least two weeks; all though, I always try to push it for a month. No one buys into it though. Sigh.Maybe this year!
I love the colors available to us in Autumn. The oranges, golds and burgundies. Just yummy.
Kim Kalyn Photography took the professional shots and yours truly took the floral detail shots.
For this wedding that took place last fall I made altar pieces in giant pumpkins. They were so heavy! There is nothing I love more than pumpkin patches! That's not entirely true. I love my kids, lavender fields,wildflower meadows, weddings, babies of all kinds, dancing barefoot, good music and certain kinds of cheesecake! But I do love pumpkin patches a lot! This is not a personal ad because I have not mentioned long walks on the beach!!!
Another thing I love about Autumn is the color hydrangea turns and all the different grasses and cat tails that become available to floral designers.
I love those almost black dahlia and black baccarra roses. So rich and deep.
Here's a box of all those apples I was talking about. Look at the fabulous physallis (Chinese lanterns) in this bouquet....another item I love that comes available in fall. If you are planning a fall wedding, book a complimentary consultation with us soon. We still have a few dates available for September and October but they are going, going, gone! If you book with us you'll probably get a wedding present of some gift wrapped apples! Please. Please take them.I'll even give you my top secret apple crisp recipe to impress your groom with! I love Fall weddings!

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posted by Sarina Chauhan @ 11:39 PM

Music Love: I'm Yours!




I love this song by Jason Mraz. I think it's perfect for the guests to hear before the ceremony; while they are seated and patiently waiting for the ceremony to start. The song is so uplifting and joyous. It seems to create instant unity and good will.....all the things you want present at your wedding celebration! I think this song is perfect for a casual summer or beach wedding. I love it and have been listening to it over and over. My son got me hooked on it and now I must go check out the whole album It's called, "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things ". The title alone makes me smile. Simple things make me happy. Fresh order of flowers, new satin ribbon to wrap them in and a new song to sing in the studio. YAY! LIFE IS GOOD!

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posted by Sarina Chauhan @ 12:57 AM

Floral Fashionista Fridays Presents:Threadhead Creations

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Threadhead Creations is a custom wedding dress designer based out of Knoxville; but don't let that discourage you my Canadian Brides.Threadhead ships worldwide and is so affordable, even with the prices listed in U.S. currency! Trust me, check out her shop you will be pleasantly surprised.
The reason I chose to feature these stunning dresses besides being so incredibly artful and unique is that they are created with organic fabrics. I love the idea of wearing something so beautiful on your wedding day, that was created by hand with obvious love, using sustainable fabrics .It just makes sense to me. Look at that dress! Have you ever seen a dress so unique that you actually would want to wear? This dress reminds me of my post "Cherry Blossom Fairytale". I love how the two trees reach for each other and the branches crisscross. Two lives become one....sigh...I am a hopeless romantic.
Look at all the colors of sashes you can have to match your color scheme.

The landscape panel is handcrafted and appliqued using many lovely colors of hemp/silk charmeuse. Over forty blossoms accent the intertwined tree limbs.
Hemp and silk combine in this fabric to give a lovely sheen and wonderful drape. This hemp is grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers and blended with wild peace silk (cocoons are harvested only after the moths have emerged). 60% hemp, 40% silk. Fully lined in 100% silk. This dress is fabulous for a spring wedding.
I love the simplicity of this one and think it could easily fit into a retro-styled wedding.
This one is completely West coast.Perfect for a Vancouver Island wedding! The couple on the path are completely customizable as are the colors and sashes. It is artful.So artful.
Here is your classic, elegant dress with lace up detailing. I know you brides love that! This dress just looks like it would be flattering on any figure.


This is my favorite. I LOVE IT! I love the empire waist. The drape of the chapel train and how it pools on the floor.The tie back sash that I seriously want to create a romantic rose piece for and it's completely understated elegance! LOVE. I can visualize a whole wedding for this dress. My dream would be for a bride to bring me this dress and say, "This is my dress. Go to town. Money is no object." First, I would say," Are you related to Oprah? " Then, I would say, "Preston Bailey
move on over!"
A girl can dream can't she!!
Thank-you to Threadhead Creations for giving me my inspiration for this Friday.

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posted by Sarina Chauhan @ 11:28 PM

I Love Pin-up Photography!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

The big rage for brides these days is to do a boudoir photo shoot to give to their grooms on their wedding night. I think this is a fabulous idea! Better to have photos of you between the mattress than some girly magazine! I would love the idea even more if the boudoir shots were actually interesting to look at and showed the bride's personality. That's why I love pin-up photography. The options for creativity and personality are endless.
Tim Melideo Photography soon to be based out of New York has kindly let me use some of his pinup shots to illustrate my point.
First of all, men are visual creatures. It's a little known fact that us girls need to remember. Second, men love what they love. Remember George in that Seinfeld episode where he's in bed with a woman and sticks his head out from under the blanket to get a bite of his favorite sandwich? He's combining the two things he loves! You can do that for your groom too! You can combine his love for you with his favorite guitar, pie, sport and nachos! You would be surprised how much more this engages his fancy than just you in stilettos and lingerie. By all means rock the stilettos but amp up the visual interest to keep him wanting to view the image longer.What exactly is she doing with those nachos?
If you are not naturally a vixen with Bette Davis eyes and an Angelina Jolie pout then just be yourself. Play up your attributes.Gorgeous smile, quirky nature. Rock what your Mama gave you! Your groom loves you and maybe tacos too!
Sometimes more is better then less. Pin up photography gives you the option of keeping more of your clothes on if you feel more comfortable that way; while still allowing you to be sexy and titillating. It allows the viewer to use the imagination. Sometimes the imagination can create far more interesting scenarios than if everything is spelled out like in boudoir photography." O.K. there she is in bed, draped in a sheet, dressed in a lacy number that I can hardly see. O.K. Ho Hum. Next." Where as in this image, " Hey, is that the band's vintage station wagon?Oh, I love those pink short, shorts on her and the heels. She's so beautiful. I remember that time we took the wagon up to Tofino to go surfing and pulled over to make sweet....." Do you get my drift? Men love to use their imaginations! It's the third little known fact!
I wish boudoir photographers would incorporate a little more of the pin-up mentality into their photo shoots, infuse more fun, play,props and personality into the images. I don't see why the two styles can't borrow from each other while still being true to the chosen art form. Do you?
I love pin-up photography and want to thank Tim Melideo for sharing his images with us. He's getting married in five days! Congratulations Tim! Maybe his fiance will rock a taco for him!

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posted by Sarina Chauhan @ 8:18 PM

Wham Rap Wedding Makes Me Happy!

Monday, June 8, 2009



O.K. I am just too tired to do the post I had planned and I don't yet have the images from the photographer.....sooo a little blast from the past! This video just makes me smile from beginning to end! First of all, if your man took the time to choreograph this little number out he must really love you! Second of all, he manged to convince his groomsmen to perform it with him! Thirdly, they are obviously having a good time! Fourthly, the boys can actually dance ! Fifthly, boys that dance are always in my good book! I even had a theory about boys that were good dancers in University and refused to date boys that did not dance ! Sixthly, the eighties rock! Give me back my "Bon Jovi hair"!! Seventhly, the couple who's wedding this is are apparently still married after 22 years! Eighthly, which proves my point about boys who dance! Ninethly, if you aren't smiling by the end of this video stop using Botox! Tenthly, I hope this little post makes your day because LOVE DOES EXIST!

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posted by Sarina Chauhan @ 6:33 PM

Floral Fashionista Friday Presents: Econica

Friday, June 5, 2009

This week on Floral Fashionista Fridays we present Econica a designer out of Ottawa.We are very happy to feature this Canadian Designer because she designs using primarily organic fabrics that include organic bamboo,cotton,hemp,soy and silk. The dresses are very suitable for weddings and the eco minded bride.
This dress would work very well for a bride having a natural garden style wedding. Casual yet elegant.This would be so comfortable to wear and could be worn again and again.

All the dresses are made to order so each bridesmaid would have a dress that fits them properly.
The colours of the dress are customizable.



Blossom Sundress has a vintage feel and is made with Japanese cotton poplin,organic bamboo and silk jersey.
Perfect to wear to a wedding or elegant affair.
This Evening gown is made with bamboo jersey and would be fabulous to wear to an elegant function. Perhaps cruise ship honeymoon!
Love the back detailing.
I just love this one for some reason.It looks cozy.Perfect for cuddling up in on your autumn honeymoon. I love supporting a Canadian designer who is environmentally conscious.Econica has fabulous casual wear too. Check them out!

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posted by Sarina Chauhan @ 12:16 AM

Music Love: Natural Woman

Thursday, June 4, 2009



I still love this song. Please don't hold it against me. I used to sing it at the top of my lungs when I was about five or six. If you can imagine. I totally have this vision for a wedding where as the groom waits for his bride, the bridesmaids break into Natural Woman as the bride walks down the aisle! Corny, I know. I can't help myself. Do you believe I lie awake at night and think of such things? Maybe, someone will buy my idea and make a movie with Cameron Diaz, Julia Roberts and Drew Barrymore with this scene in it....or maybe Kate Hudson.Matthew McConaughey could play the groom as long as he has a scene where he doesn't wear a shirt because seriously, that man without a shirt is a work of art! Really, Mathew McConaughey without a shirt inspires me to make all kinds of wonderful floral designs and sing, You make me feeeel like a natural womaaaan at the top of my lungs....

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posted by Sarina Chauhan @ 12:19 AM

Bride Love Makes My Day!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

I am so happy when a Bride takes the time to let me know how much they appreciated my work on their wedding. I know brides get busy with honeymoons, settling into their new lives and writing thank-you cards after the wedding so when one takes the time to send me a special email or thank-you card I am overjoyed! I put a lot of love, heart and thought into each and every piece I create, so to hear back so soon from a recent wedding....well, I am simply OVERJOYED! I wish Susan and Lauren all the joy and happiness in the world.Thank-you so much for your letter it means the world to me.
Here is the letter of bride love from Susan and Lauren, Married May 23, 2009.

Dear Sarina ,

We are home and finally settling in after our wonderful wedding in Victoria. Thank you SO much for the beautiful wedding flowers you prepared. I know I speak for both of us when I say we were stunned with the beauty, artistry and magic you preformed. The flowers were such an important part of the wedding for me, and one that I was in charge of. My expectations are very high, but you exceeded my vision and gave us such beautiful and rich bouquets and arrangements. You were fabulous to work with, Sarina, and we are so appreciative of your artistry. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

The flowers I was able to bring home are drying in the garage. I smile each and every time I walk in there.

Thank you 10,000 times for the work you did Sarina. You are the best!

XXOO Always! Susan and Lauren


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posted by Sarina Chauhan @ 1:03 AM

Photography Love: The Garden's Muse

Monday, June 1, 2009

I love photography. Let me rephrase that...I love good photography. I tend to like photography that is evocative, that tells a story, where the personality of the subjects are portrayed and that are details driven. I find much inspiration from photography that I can translate into my floral designs. I actually design bridal flowers with the awareness of how they will look photographed for the bride. Which is usually something that brides and other florists do not think about, but is so important to the photographic memories of the bride. So many times I feel heartbroken for the bride when I see the photographs from her wedding. A photographer whom she has paid well to document her day has taken absolutely no detail shots of her bouquet,her shoes, of her centerpieces, of her dress! I know how much thought she has put into all these details not to mention money. A bride recently just said to me, "It's all about the shoes!" She had just purchased a hot pink satin pair for which she had been searching and searching. Now imagine if she receives wedding photography and those shoes are not documented! Needless to say, professional photos shot in bad light drive me crazy and will propel me into a diatribe which no one pays much attention to, and so is probably not very good for my health! Let me also say by detail shots, I do not mean placing the bouquet on the grass and photographing it ! I want to inspire photographers to be creative, to think outside the box, to think about their subjects personalities, style and vibe, and to capture the evocative emotions of the day.
Jeremy Harwell and Kyle Egan two photographers based out of Atlanta took this bridal fashion shoot and I think the shots are lovely and have some ideas that bridal photographers could employ. I originally spotted their images over on Style Me Pretty's fabulous blog.
The use of accessories and props. Do not be afraid to stage your bride. By all means document the important events in the wedding but do not be afraid to take the bridal party away and stage them like you were doing a fashion shoot. Find fabulous locations near the venue, bring props that relate to the bridal party. The groomsmen are all in a band together? Get them to string on their guitars and bass.Pull out the drumsticks! They'll love it and have fun while you are shooting. Allowing the photos to express their true personalities. Take the time to get to know your subjects so you can portray them well.
The use of light and texture.The light shining on the models hair makes her look like a pouty angel. The texture of the tree in black and white adds visual interest. Texture is incredibly important in black and white photographs and I design bouquets with this in mind.
The fabulous hairstyles were done by Caprice Green and make-up by Lay' Na Anderson.The bridal fashion is from Etain and Morgan from Bridal Naturals. Whom you may remember from my earth week floral fashionista post.
I love this shot of the bride baring her knees and standing slightly pigeon toed.It has an element of girlish rebellion which just calls to me! Aren't the hair flowers gorgeous! Have you seen our hair flowers. We can custom make whatever you desire. Have you noticed how the hair flowers change from different images? By simply changing an accessory like a hair flower(easy to do without messing up the brides hair too much if the flowers are made onto alligator clips); the look of the photograph can be changed from romantic to vintage.
Love the vintage feel of this shot. By getting your bride to change the colour of her lipstick(really, really simple) you can get a vintage feel in black and white. Don't be afraid to ask you bride to bring different lipstick or hair pieces to the after wedding shoot. If you mention this in the initial consults and explain why; she may be really into it. What bride doesn't want to look fabulous in her bridal photos!
I love the use of pink tulle in these shots. Different from the bridal veil.It adds romance, mystery and high fashion to the shot instantly! I believe every good photographer should have a "tickle trunk" like Mr. Dressup (remember him from when you were a child? ). The "tickle trunk"is the only reason I watched Mr. Dressup as a child.What costumes would they pull out to wear and what skit would they stage! Because I have a background in theater and dance, I absolutely LOVE the use of props in photography; it makes photography so much more interesting to view. If you are a photographer get some good staging items for your bridal shoots from umbrellas to fake mustaches...it's all in good fun and makes the bridal party comfortable instead of stiff and formal in every shot.

Thank-you Jeremy Harwell and Kyle Egan two photographers from Atlanta for allowing me to blog about your work. I do so appreciate it.
If you are a local photographer and have some photography pertaining to weddings that you think I may love. Don't be afraid to contact me.I don't bite...well only sometimes! Here at Bella Fiore we appreciate all that is beautiful and artistic and are more than willing to spread the love!
If you are a photographer I hope you have been inspired. If you are a bride do not be afraid to make specific requests for photography shots to your photographer.....that's why they get the big bucks!

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posted by Sarina Chauhan @ 10:28 AM
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