Bella Fiori - Floral & Event Design - Denver, Colorado

Vintage pink and white floral designs for Jaimee's wedding

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Backyard weddings are so great, especially if your backyard looks like this:

In addition to providing flowers we also provided all the chairs and tables for Jaimee's wedding:

Jaimee carried a vintage styled bouquet of roses, carnations, stephanotis with rhinestones, baby's breath, gerber daisies, calla lilies and nerine lilies:

Jaimee and her bridesmaids, the girls carried almost all white bouquets with just touches of hot pink nerines:

This picture is awesome, we created an orchid umbrella for Jaimee's daughter and here is Jaimee's dad carrying it! (Great shot Audrey!)

Jaimee's sweet daughter:

In the center of the ceremony arch we hung a large pomander (aka - kissing ball):

You know how I keep saying I've worked with the best brides this past season? Well, I also worked with the best moms! This is Pam, one of my favorites!! We had a great time coming up with ideas and designs for Jaimee's wedding.

The reception took place on the back yard patio - such a comfortable and lovely space:

The girls check out the floating arrangement in the pond:

The following photos aren't about flowers, they are about the reception and the beautiful antique plates Pam collected for the place setting, the delicious food served by Footers Catering and the pretty cake designed by Intricate Icings:

Thank you, Janet & Jeff, for the following video clip!

5280 Photography
www.5280Photography.com

I received a few thank you notes from Pam & Jaimee - seriously great people to work with!!

Yours were the most amazing flowers and made the whole event spectacular.Just can't thank you enough for everything, most beautiful flowers I've everseen. You are amazing!
Pam, mother of the bride

Once again flowers were more than I could have ever hoped for.You win BEST VENDOR EVER!Pam, mother of the bride

Huge smile!!

Vendors:
Photography: Audrey Michel Photography (I've wanted to work with Audrey for awhile, so glad we finally got a chance and I love how she captured all the details of this wedding!)
Caterers: Footers Catering (Amazing food, amazing staff, always!)
Cake: Intricate Icings (Love Rachel and her awesome works of art)

Wedding Inspiration :: Museum of Nature & Science

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

I feel as if I've started all my posts lately with : I loved this bride, she's so awesome and we created really cool floral designs for her wedding! I guess I'm just blessed with wonderful clients!!
Here's another example of an awesome bride I got to work with - Lindsey! Every time I saw Lindsey for planning meetings she'd waltz in the door with an immense amount of good energy, you can feel her energy here:

Lindsey's colors were a bright blue and green, so fun. Her bridesmaids wore gorgeous blue dresses and carried bouquets of all green flowers. I used primarily green hypericum berries, fuji mums, hydrangea and super green roses.

Lindsey carried a bouquet of green and blue hydrangea, super green roses and delphinium blossoms, I wrapped the stems with blue and green plaid ribbon:

Aaron wore a boutonniere with super green roses with blue delphinium blossoms:

The ceremony space had a modern and clean feel at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science which Lindsey and I wanted to convey in the altar pieces. I designed three various vases, one filled with curly willow for height. The second vase filled with tall blue delphinium and in the front was a vase with green hydrangea and super green roses:

Adorable photo of Aaron and Lindsey together, how cool are her blue shoes??:

Vendors:
Photographer: Rennard Photography (click on the link to see even more awesome photos of this wedding!)
Wedding Planner: Julie of Bliss Elevated (she's great to work with!)
Venue: Denver Museum of Nature and Science

The Wedding Design Workshop

2012-01-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

(Click on image to enlarge)
To register visit: http://weddingdesignworkshop.eventbrite.com

Crash course in Floral Design for the Professional Wedding Planner

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Are you a professional wedding planner and would like to know what to do when a floral emergency happens at a wedding?? The florist has left the premises and suddenly a boutonniere breaks, someone forgot to order a corsage for Aunt Mae, the bride doesn’t want to toss her own bouquet, etc. etc.!!What do you do??

Alicia Schwede, owner of Bella Fiori and Chuck Graham, lead designer of Brown Palace Flower Shop are offering a two hour hands-on design class at Bella Fiori Studio located at:
7711 West 6th Avenue, Lakewood, 80214

Choose either:
January 11, 10-12 am - http://bellafiori.eventbrite
Or
January 18, 6-8 pm

In this class you will be instructed on how to:
- wire & tape boutonnieres
- wire & tape corsages
- how to create a toss bouquet
- how to design a small centerpiece
- proper way to pin-on a boutonniere

We'll also discuss economical, mid-prices & expensive flowers & how to estimate a floral budget for your clients.

Register by December 31, 2011 for $50 per student per class.
Register after December 31, 2011 for $65 per student per class.

All supplies & flowers will be provided.

Ordering Bella Bouquets for a holiday gift

2011-11-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Looking for the perfect gift for a flower lover, wedding planner, bride, etc? Bella Bouquets makes a great gift!

Bella Bouquets can be ordered directly from us online at: http://bellabouquetbook.com/ for $24.95 + shipping. Order now for a signed copy & we'll ship immediately or arrange to pick up your copy at our shop in Lakewood.

Bella Bouquets can also be ordered from Amazon! Click here

If you have a wholesale license and shop at Floral Supply Syndicate (locations throughout the USA or online) you can order Bella Bouquets from them for $23.00 - check it out on their website: Floral Supply Syndicate

For floral designers located in Denver, a copy of Bella Bouquets can be purchased at Stevens & Son Wholesale. Just inquire at the front desk or with your salesperson.

Bella Bouquets is also available at Boettcher Mansion Gift Shop, inquire with Laurie.

Flower Wholesaler: DWF, is also selling Bella Bouquets, for locations click here.

If you are in San Francisco you can pick up a copy at Blu Bungalow on Union Street: Blu Bungalow

Lots of options! Bottom Line - order your copy now for prompt delivery for the holidays!!

Purple and Blue Bouquets

2011-11-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Jeannene carried one of my favorite bouquets of the year - all purples anemones, hydrangeas, sweetpeas with blue muscari, delphinium, bachelor buttons and accents of dusty miller leaves.

For contrast Jeannene carried bouquets with predominately white hydrangeas with accents of muscari and sweetpeas with dusty miller leaves:

Photos by Encore PhotographyThank you, Jeannene, for sharing these photos, you were so much fun to work with!!

Wedding Inspiration :: Arrowhead Golf Course

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Jared Wilson Photography for these gorgeous photos of Fran & Nick's wedding which took place at Arrowhead Golf Course:

Fran's beautiful wedding dress:

Fran & Nick before ceremony, Fran carried a bouquet of white roses with white feathers:

Ceremony arch at Arrowhead Golf Course, aisle full of petals:

Arrangements placed at the back of the aisle on aspen tree trunks:

The reception space, a mix of tall and low centerpieces, white lanterns and hanging flower pomanders:

The tall centerpiece designed on an aspen branch, surrounded by floating candles placed in cylinders with wrapped bear grass:

Hanging pomanders of flowers were placed throughout the tent:

Low centerpieces were designed in aspen branches, lush arrangements of pink garden roses, Ecuadorian roses, dahlias, hypericum berries, hanging amaranthus and lisianthus:

Gorgeous cake by Gateaux:

After ceremony the bridesmaids bouquets of green hydrangea, roses and cymbidium orchids were placed around the cake:

In addition to the flowers we also provided the white lanterns and the purple uplights around the perimeter of the room - amazing ambiance to the space:

Pink & White Flowers for a Green Gables Country Club Wedding

2011-11-03T15:03:00.000-06:00

One of the weddings I designed at Green Gables Country Club this past summer. I love a long king table filled with an assortment of tall centerpieces with flowing dendrobrium orchids combined with lower lush centerpieces. Floating candles surrounded by petals and votive candles will add to the ambiance during the dinner portion of the reception.
The flowers I used were a variety of blush pink and white dendrobrium orchids, hydrangea, roses, carnations, stock, spray roses and lisianthus.

Wedding Inspiration :: Fall Flowers

2011-10-27T06:30:00.000-06:00

Love the return of fall season, one of the best parts?? Fall flowers! The gorgeous leaves & dahlias galore!Jenna selected a variety of fall colored flowers - circus roses (one of my favorites), ranunculus, hypericum berries, spider gerber daisies and lots of dahlias:

Thank you, Michele, for these photographs!!IN Photography970.333.0594www.inphotography.net

Wedding Inspiration :: Westin Beaver Creek

2011-10-20T06:30:00.000-06:00

Lisa and Dave's wedding at Westin Beaver Creek rocked! Seriously, as Lisa entered the ceremony site to take a few pre-ceremony flowers she spotted me decorating her arch & she yelled - Alicia Really Holy Sh*t - this is all amazing! I still chuckle just thinking about her reaction.
First, the bridal bouquet, oh the bridal bouquet how I loved it. Peonies, succulents, fern fronds, sahara roses, stock, lisianthus & dusty miller:

Bridesmaids' bouquets, again major loved these - carmel antike garden roses, juliet garden roses, pale yellow stock, pink peonies, dusty miller & cafe au lait dahlias?!

Hello ceremony spot by the river in Beaver Creek, stunning!

The reception:

In addition to all the floral designs we also provided the pipe & drape and the uplights:

Vendors:
Wedding planner: Julie Gambrell of Classic Creations
Photographer: Jason & Gina Photographers thank you for providing all these lovely photographs!!

Wedding Inspiration :: The Cable Center

2011-10-17T06:30:00.000-06:00

Love this classic black & white wedding with all red flowers which took place at The Cable Center in Denver.Erin & her bridesmaids carried bouquets of all red roses:

Ahhh... the reception - lush arrangements of all red roses & carnations, alternating between elevated arrangements on my gold candelabras and lower pieces in a gold revere bowl:

On the head table we attached damask print cones filled with roses & carnations to the back of the chiavari chairs:

Red accents to the cake:

Vendors:
Amazing & gorgeous photographs by: Katie of Jenna Walker Photography
Delicious catering provided by: Footers Catering (did you see the preset salads on the elegant china?? perfect!)

Wedding Inspiration :: Spruce Mountain Ranch

2011-10-13T06:30:00.006-06:00

Katelynn carried a hand-tied bouquet of peonies and ranunculus:

The bridesmaids carried bouquets of hydrangea, pink peonies and ranunculus:

Here's a photo of Katelynn with her sister Beth. We designed the flowers for Beth's wedding during fall 2009. Such a great family to work with!

The ceremony space at Spruce Mountain offers an amazing view of the valley, so peaceful:

The reception centerpieces, we alternated between elevated centerpieces on a wrought iron stand and lower centerpieces in urns:

Vendors:
Thank you David Gaston for the photographs!
Catering provided by Footers Catering
Spruce Mountain Ranch

A note from Katelynn:
Hi Alicia,
We just got back from our honeymoon and I just wanted to check in with you. Thank you so much for the amazing flowers! They were perfect and really made everything look so gorgeous. You really went above and beyond my expectations and I can't thank you enough for all your hard work. Thanks again!
Katelynn

Wedding Inspiration :: Beano's Cabin, Beaver Creek

2011-10-10T06:30:00.003-06:00

I'm starting this post with this photograph; Kirsten had just arrived at Beano's Cabin and I hollered to her - Kirsten come see your aisle.. I think this photograph of her reaction says it all! :)

Love these photos from Shane Maccomber Photography

Photos of the ceremony space:

The ceremony:

The reception:

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of visiting Beano's Cabin.. here is a shot of the location, isn't it amazing??

HUGE THANK YOU to Heather of Calluna Events who introduced Kirsten & I, Heather knew the two of us would love working together. Not to mention, I love working with Heather, she's a wonderful Boulder based wedding planner.

This is a note I received from Kirsten after her wedding:
Thank you for doing such an amazing job on the flowers! I absolutely LOVED them, and it was exactly what I was hoping for. And so many guests remarked how beautiful they thought the ceremony looked and the reception space and it was all due to you. I thought everything looked absolutely perfect! The arch was amazing...during the ceremony when I wasn't looking at Kerry or the officiate...I actually was admiring the flowers on the arch :) It was just so beautiful! I loved the little yellow orchids, the roses, lillies, sunflowers, everything...was just gorgeous! Also, the mason jars were perfect, and the reception tables looked so great! The vision for the reception tables was all you. And I really loved my bouquet, it was just so beautiful....and I had the chance to admire it for the next three weeks. I just couldn't throw it away and it held up for a good couple of weeks.
You definitely exceeded my expectations and I would DEFINITELY recommend you in the future to other brides. You're just so easy to work with, and you create such beautiful arrangements! And I also really appreciate you taking all of that extra time to go over all of those little details with me over the last eight months because you created the vision :) I cannot thank you enough for helping to make that day even more special!
Thank you!!!
Kirsten

Brides Colorado Magazine - Centerpieces Ideas

2011-10-07T06:30:00.002-06:00

One of my centerpieces (top left) was selected to be included in this collaborative post, so fun!

Brides Colorado Magazine - Maggie & Jeremiah

2011-10-05T06:30:00.000-06:00

Another one of my favorite weddings with a great couple! So pleased Colorado Brides Magazine featured their gorgeous wedding!
Photography by Jamee Photography.
(click on pages to enlarge)

Brides Colorado Magazine - Rebecca & Adam

2011-10-03T06:30:00.004-06:00

Fabulous wedding at Boettcher Mansion with a great couple - Rebecca & Adam, so glad it was featured in Brides Colorado Magazine!
Photography by Andrew and Jessica.
(click to enlarge)

Wedding Inspiration :: Spruce Mountain Ranch

2011-09-29T06:30:00.011-06:00

I've heard about Spruce Mountain Ranch for the past couple of years and finally this year I had the opportunity to work there twice - WOW, what a beautiful place for a wedding!!
I worked with a fabulous team on Orlee & John's wedding - Autumn Burke Photography & Save The Date Events!
Thank you, Autumn, for these photos!!
Love Orlee's bridal bouquet of peonies, football mums, green & white parrot tulips, ranunculus and fern fronds:

John's boutonniere of ranunculus and fern frond:

The bridesmaids carried bouquets of mostly purple flowers with touches of green and orange; lisianthus, mambo spray roses, super green roses, vanda orchids, anemones & fern fronds:

Orlee & her bridesmaids:

The ring-bearer "pillow" of kermit mums set in an aspen container:

The Chuppah I created for Orlee & John; you'll notice in the background streamers of purple ribbons and danging purple orchids, the side poles decorated with curly willow with purple, green and oranges flowers tucked in:

The escort card display:

Centerpieces in wood boxes wrapped with purple satin ribbons & holding arrangements of tulips:

Vendors:
Location: Spruce Mountain Ranch
Photographer: Autumn Burke Photography
Wedding Planner: Save The Date Events

Featured on Brides.com

2011-09-28T06:30:00.003-06:00

Rebecca & Adam's awesome wedding at Boettcher Mansion in Golden, Colorado - featured on Brides.com!

Winding down of wedding season...

2011-09-27T06:30:00.006-06:00

What a season, what a GREAT season this has been - I've had the pleasure of working with the most wonderful brides & mothers of brides!! I have so many lovely images from extremely talented photographers to share with you. I'm getting busy with posting those images in the coming weeks. I do have a handful of weddings to design for in October but I did limit the amount since I have so many projects going on with Flirty Fleurs and my book: Bella Bouquets.

Bella Bouquets updates:
I have a book signing in San Francisco on October 18th at:
Blu Bungalow
2068 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
6:30-9:30pm

Flirty Fleurs updates:
We have a few floral designing classes in the works, including bringing the amazing Francoise Weeks to Denver. Please email us at info@flirtyfleurs.com for more information on classes.

The summer did go by so quickly, didn't it? A few photos I snapped w/ my phone of installations we've done.
These two photos show a display I did at Studio 12 Gallery in Denver. I had just returned from Paris and was inspired by all the displays I had seen there when creating this:

At the beginning of the season I made a deal with myself, I'd take a week off middle of July and go home to California - that's where I refresh & relax best. I had a great time with my family. There's something so perfect about picking peaches off the tree in the backyard and baking a fresh pie! Spending time with this sweetheart and teaching her floral design is beyond words perfect:

A huge arch we installed a client's private home, Mindy is decorating the top with vines and white flowers. To give you an idea of the size - it's 3 sections at 10' wide each and reached about 10' off the ground.. largest arch we've installed!

some of the other beauties that graced our studio this season:

and the parting shot, there are two babies who think they spent way too much time at the studio...

Summer style wedding flowers

2011-08-25T20:48:00.003-06:00

Alicia - Thank you SO much for the beautiful wedding flowers! They seriously made our day!!!! Please feel free to use me as a reference at any time. You do amazing work!!! Attached is a photo of me and Tim. I will send more pics as they come in! Thanks again!!!!! Brittany

Photo by: Estes Photography

Summer Wedding at Beano's Cabin, Beaver Creek

2011-08-08T06:30:00.000-06:00

At the beginning of the year I created a vision board, on this board I wrote down all the locations I really want to work at this summer. Beano's Cabin made the list and I'm happy to say I have three weddings there this summer!!
The first of the three took place in July & it is the wedding of Kirsten & Kerry.
Kirsten loves flowers which makes us the perfect match! The color palette was magenta, yellow and orange with a slight rustic touch via the vessels used for centerpieces, aspen candles & the burlap table runners.

Check out this video by KHODGE Films:

Kirsten & Kerry from Kyle Hodge on Vimeo.

Thank you for doing such an amazing job on the flowers! I absolutely LOVED them, and it was exactly what I was hoping for. And so many guests remarked how beautiful they thought the ceremony looked and the reception space and it was all due to you. I thought everything looked absolutely perfect! The arch was amazing...during the ceremony when I wasn't looking at Kerry or the officiate...I actually was admiring the flowers on the arch :) It was just so beautiful! I loved the little yellow orchids, the roses, lillies, sunflowers, everything...was just gorgeous! Also, the mason jars were perfect, and the reception tables looked so great! The vision for the reception tables was all you. And I really loved my bouquet, it was just so beautiful....and I had the chance to admire it for the next three weeks. I just couldn't throw it away and it held up for a good couple of weeks.

You definitely exceeded my expectations and I would DEFINITELY recommend you in the future to other brides. You're just so easy to work with, and you create such beautiful arrangements! And I also really appreciate you taking all of that extra time to go over all of those little details with me over the last eight months because you created the vision :) I cannot thank you enough for helping to make that day even more special!

Thank you!!!

Kirsten

Bella Bouquets has arrived!

2011-08-01T06:30:00.002-06:00

Very exciting times at Bella Fiori! My book, Bella Bouquets, has arrived! Bella Fiori has turned into book shipping central!!
I'm signing away and the books are being packed up and shipped out today, I admit - it's pretty fun.

Packages going out to Oregon, Illinois, California, the UK, Virginia, Texas, New Zealand, Minnesota, Canada - just to name a few!!

We've added a few more book signings to the list:
August 24, 4-7pm
Denver book signing party
Chair Covers & Linens
6265 East Evans, Unit 14-15

August 28, 9am-4pm
Amato's Wholesale Florist Open House
note: open to florists only

September 7, 11:30-1:30
Perfect Wedding Guide Luncheon
Wellshire Inn, 3333 South Colorado Blvd. Denver

October 18, 6:30-9:30
San Francisco book signing party
Blu Bungalow, 2068 Union Street

For more information about the book & book signing dates or to order online please visit our website:
http://bellabouquetbook.com/

What are people saying about the book??
I had the opportunity to get a sneak peak at the Bella Bouquets book and was blown away by the quality, content and new floral designs showcased in the book. I have worked with Alicia on numerous events and was always impressed by her talent. I knew her book was going to be great but I was truly amazed and inspired by the bouquets she created for the Bella Bouquets book. I plan to use this book for design inspiration and ideas for my future clients. This book is a must-read for every floral designer and event planner.
Debbie Orwat | Owner & Creative Director
www.savethedateevents.com

Wedding Inspiration :: The Four Seasons Denver

2011-07-15T06:30:00.004-06:00

Recently we showcased Chris & Stephanie's wedding at The Four Seasons, since then their wedding has been shared on a few blogs:
Wedding Wire
One Stylish Bride (an Australian blog)
and our hometown favorite blog:
Couture Colorado
The cool thing is each blog choose different photos!

Photography by: Jason + Gina
Wedding planning & design: Classic Creations

A little teaser...

2011-07-12T06:30:00.003-06:00

Jason & Gina sent me this one photo .. to give me a little taste of what is to come!!
Gorgeous!!
This is from our wedding on July 4th at the Westin Beaver Creek in Avon, Colorado:

Can't wait to see MORE!!

Jason+Gina | Wedding Photographers
Julie Gambrell | Classic Creations

A Dutch Painting..

2011-07-11T06:30:00.003-06:00

Don't you love a Dutch Painting of still life? I felt inspired and created this:

The only difference between the two? I added in clematis, what a difference it makes!

Wedding Inspiration :: Boettcher Mansion

2011-07-07T06:30:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite Colorado locations for weddings is Boettcher Mansion. I love the rustic warmth this location provides. This past winter we had the pleasure of working here with Tawndra & Steve and I enjoyed working with Tawndra to create this classic vintage feel.
Thank you to Amanda and Debi of Kokoro Photography for these lovely photos.
The room had a unique layout. In the center was the king table where the large arrangements were placed. Then two long tables centered in the room where I designed medium height arrangements. To the sides we had round tables, these had low & lush centerpieces that included sugared fruit.

My friend, Tama of A Matter Of Taste Cakes, designed this lovely cake:

The Bride's Cafe

2011-07-06T06:17:00.002-06:00

Check it out!! We are on The Bride's Cafe today!!

Pictures of .... me.

2011-06-30T06:30:00.004-06:00

Ok, I'm going out on a limb here & posting pictures of me. I'm not a fan of having my photo taken, I much prefer having photos of flowers!
However, with the release of Bella Bouquets I needed to have my head shot photo done for the bio page. Luckily, I know quite a few talented people in this industry...
A huge Thank You to Zack of Revert Photo for taking these photos and Janine of Makeup by Janine for doing my makeup.
You two are the best!!

The Bride's Cafe

2011-06-28T09:21:00.003-06:00

Such a pleasant surprise today when I wandered over to The Bride's Cafe blog. Just curious to see what Janie has posted and behold a nice surprise for me! On the right side of the blog I notice this:

Thank you Janie!!

Wedding Inspiration :: The Oxford Hotel

2011-06-27T06:30:00.002-06:00

Thank you Joe & Joyce of Studio JK for these images. Another great wedding this season. I love garden style arrangements of all green and white flowers.
Cindy carried a bouquet of peonies and white with black centered anemones with a few garden roses.

Love the silver stands holding a plush & textured arrangement of super green roses, peonies, viburunum, green hypericum berries, campanula bells & lisianthus.

Wedding Inspiration :: Museum of Nature & Science

2011-06-22T06:30:00.003-06:00

Great bride, great wedding! I had a ball working with Lindsey on her wedding at Denver's Museum of Nature & Science. As soon as I met Lindsey I knew I wanted to work with her, she has this great energy about her + her color palette is one of my favorites - royal blue and emerald green. So fresh and perfect for a summer wedding!
Julie McKenney brought all the details together & is one of the coolest wedding planners to work with, super fun & energetic. Her company is called Bliss Elevated.
Check out these fun collages provided by Rennard Photography:

Bella Bouquets !!

2011-05-18T06:30:00.007-06:00

I'm very excited to share this news with all of you! I'm releasing my first book Bella Bouquets in August, 2011!!!

Perfect peonies, gorgeous garden roses and sweetest sweet peas are a few of the flowers shown on these pages, affectionately designed into a variety of bridal & bridesmaids bouquets.

Bella Bouquets showcases vibrant full-color photographs of over 100 stylish bouquets. Offering a wide variety of designs including elegant, modern, rustic, traditional, dramatic & romantic.

This has been a labor of love, something I have dreamed of doing for some years. Thank you to Kim for working on the design & layout, thank you to Revert Photo for the fabulous image shown on the cover. Thank you to all the photographers who's beautiful photographs are shown on these pages, the brides who agreed to be featured and to the friends who have listened to me talk about this project for the past year!

xoxo!
~Alicia

PS - we have a few book signings in the works, will post the info as soon as those are finalized!

You may reserve a copy on the Bella Bouquets Website.

Today on Style Me Pretty

2011-05-13T17:46:00.004-06:00

Check out this loveliness on Style Me Pretty today!!

Photography: James Christianson Photography
Venue: Sanctuary Golf Course
Floral Design: Bella Fiori
Wedding Cake: Intricate Icings Cake Design
Paper Goods: The Paper Guppy
Wedding Dress: Vera Wang via Anna Bé
Cinematography: Rising Moon Video Productions
Event Design and Coordination: Sapphire Celebrations
Makeup, Wardrobe, Styling & Creative Direction: makeup by janine
Hair Styling: Hilary Hackney, hilhac2000@aim.com
Model: Sophia of Wilhelmina Denver
Linens: BBJ Linen
Rentals: Event Rents

Wedding Inspiration :: The Four Seasons Denver

2011-05-02T06:30:00.006-06:00

What a beautiful day for a beautiful couple. Stephanie and Chris married at the fabulous Four Seasons in downtown Denver:

For more amazing photographs be sure to visit Jason & Gina's blog!
Julie Gambrell of Classic Creations designed & coordinated this lovely affair.

Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Website

2011-04-19T12:45:00.006-06:00

I'm thrilled to pieces that Colleen & John's wedding is on Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Website under tabletop inspiration. Such an honor to have this awesome wedding included! It took place recently at the Westin Tabor Center with Autumn Burke Photography & Weddings By Norie.

Amsterdam & Paris

2011-04-18T06:30:00.009-06:00

I'm back from a fabulous trip to Amsterdam & Paris. It was a great and much needed vacation, perfect for feeling refreshed before wedding season hits!
I'm posting about the daily experiences + lots of photos on the Flirty Fleurs blog.
I'll post a few photos here just to give you an idea of what we saw:

Hydrangea at Aalsmeer flower auction:

Clematis, oh how I love thee:

Tulips, tulips, tulips:

Paris flower shops:

Fields of daffodils in Amsterdam:

If you liked those five photos you'll definitely want to check out the flirty fleurs blog!

Across the pond I go...

2011-04-04T06:30:00.002-06:00

Today I'm on a plane headed to a few lovely places.. Amsterdam & Paris!!
I will be out of town April 4-14.

I'm so excited to check out the famous Aalsmeer Flower Auction in Amsterdam:

As you can probably imagine, I will be blogging about the trip when I return.
Until then..
au revoir,
~Alicia

Today on Style Me Pretty

2011-04-01T12:00:00.002-06:00

Today on Style Me Pretty - Denver Photo Shoot by Keri Doolittle Photography + Talia Events

Vendors from this shoot:
Event Design and Styling: Talia Events
Cake and Dessert Table: Intricate Icings
Floral Design: Bella Fiori Events
Table Number/Stir Stick/Placecards: JS Design Custom
Make-up and styling: make up by janine
Hair: Hilary Hackney
Rentals: Event Rents
Model: Liana Figgins with Wilhelmina Denver
Gown: Monique Lhullier at Anna Be Bridal
Venue: Space Gallery
Photography: Keri Doolittle Photography

Today on Every Last Detail Blog

2011-03-29T07:24:00.004-06:00

We are featured today on Every Last Detail blog!!
Click here to see part #2 of our shoot.

Check it out!

The cool vendors who worked on this project:
Photography & Video: Revert Photo
Stationery, Detail Pieces, Dessert Bar: Julie with JS Design
Dessert Bar: Rachael with Intricate Icings
Florals: Alicia with Bella Fiori
Model Styling: Tina with Worthwhile Style
Hair: Hilary with Zandi K Salon
Makeup, Styling, Design, Planning: Janine with Makeup by Janine

Scenes of Spring

2011-03-21T09:49:00.005-06:00

Spring is definitely my favorite season, I love seeing the little buds appear on the trees, daffodils popping up to show their sunny selves! I snapped a few photos of spring appearing here in Northern California and thought I'd share them with you. It's been raining a lot here, I hear it's sunny and warm in Denver..

enjoy..

Back from New York City

2011-03-11T10:21:00.003-07:00

I'm back from an exhilarating, whirlwind trip to New York City. I had the privilege of joining 20 other floral designers on a 4 day excursion to the big apple. I will be blogging a play-by-play of the trip and what we saw on the Flirty Fleurs blog. Holly Chapple, the organizer of the trip, is already planning a trip for next March. :)

Here's a photo of us waiting outside the Martha Stewart studios:

Happy Birthday Bella Fiori

2011-03-01T06:29:00.003-07:00

Eight years ago today this journey started, eight years ago!!.. I always like to take this day and think about where I've been and where I'm going. Wow, 8 years.... The first 5 years is all about making it, surviving, proving it'll work. I was told that by many other business owners and boy were they right. The last 3 years came & went, every year seems to pass quicker than the last. I've been thinking about how this all started, just a young girl with a dream. I laugh at my naivete, at the time I started Bella Fiori I probably knew less than 20 people in Denver. Yes, less than 20 people!
Thankfully I am stubborn and that trait is probably why this all worked. Plenty of people told me it wouldn't work. Oh well, I didn't listen. Probably the best business advice I could give someone starting a business based on their dreams - believe in yourself, don't listen to nay-sayers and be stubborn.

This year ahead looks wonderful & exciting, full of new adventures. This Sunday I'm going to NYC to meet up with 17 other floral designers from around the country. We have quite the adventure planned; class w/ David Beahm, visits to NYC flower district, taping of the Martha Stewart show, visit to Ovando flower shop and the list goes on.
In April I'm going to Amsterdam & Paris with my friend, Kaye. Kaye was actually one of the first people I met in this business (caterer). I'm so excited to check out Aalsmeer, the largest flower auction in the world!!
The biggest adventure of the year will be the release of my book. Yes, I'm publishing a book. It's currently in the lay-out phase with the designer. A big thank you to the brides and photographers who have agreed to have their weddings & work in the book. And a huge thank you to my flower friends who have listened to my ideas, looked at the photographs, helped decide which ones should be included. I'm so thankful for my BFFs (best flower friends). It's a huge project and I can hardly wait until it is released. Once we have a better idea of when the book will be released I will be putting that information on this blog. Oh, it is a design book all about bridal and bridesmaids' bouquets...
hmm... that's actually just a sampling of the what's coming this year. There are a few other things in the works, of course, they'll be posted on this blog as they happen.

Most importantly, thank you to all the brides who have let me be part of their day! Thank you to the brides from the last 8 seasons and to the brides of this coming year. Thank you to all the amazing vendors I know, who make me laugh on a daily basis & who keep me amused. Thank you to Chad who definitely keeps me amused. He is doing a wonderful job running Bella Rents and is always helping me with my Bella Fiori projects. Seriously, you should see what he is building for me (huge aspen arch). I have an idea and he builds it, how cool is that??

We are having fun & that's a good thing. ;)

Boutonnieres

2011-02-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Thought it would be fun to post some of the boutonnieres we've created lately:

Craspedia (aka Billy Balls), a very popular boutonniere:
Ranunculus with a sprig of seeded euc. (Kathleen Rose Photography):
Succulent & fern frond:
Craspedia and hypericum berries:

A boutonniere of 'schwarzwalder' calla lily with sedum and fern fronds (Andrew & Jessica):
Incorporating the groom's favorite activity - bike riding! We used a bit of the groom's bike chain in all the boutonnieres (Kent Meireis Photography):

Here we complemented the bridal bouquet with this pink spray rose boutonniere (Jason G Photography):
Sleek & simple look of the mango calla lily (cooley photography):
Outdoor style wedding with a blue delphinium yellow freesia boutonniere wrapped with raffia (Jason G Photography):
Classic & elegant white miniature calla lily (cooley photography):

For something a little different, a spray roses nestled inside a calla lily and adorned with a rhinestone:

An ode to spring...

2011-02-21T06:30:00.001-07:00

Daffodils, sweetpeas, anemones, nerines, freesia, orange stars, tulips.

Spring, how I love thee..

Photos from Grant Humphries Bridal Show

2011-02-17T06:30:00.003-07:00

Steve Tinetti sent me some photos of my bouquets from the Grant Humphries Bridal Show & I thought I'd share them. Fun & artistic shots!

Flower Inspiration :: Peach Centerpieces

2011-02-15T07:00:00.001-07:00

Laura selected an elegant reception setting at Parkside Mansion in Denver. Silver candelabras surrounded by sweet arrangements of peach roses with seeded eucalyptus:

Flower Inspiration :: Spring Flowers!

2011-02-10T06:30:00.001-07:00

I love spring and I can hardly wait for it to arrive here in Denver. As I write this it is snowing outside. Snowing & cold! Looking at these spring flowers make me happy, hope they make you happy too!
Kari carried a cascading bouquet of green hydrangea, yellow & pink roses, yellow freesia, stephanotis and tweedia.

My favorite style of centerpiece - a lush garden style arrangement in a glass vase, timeless. I designed with an assortment of spring flowers - peonies, delphinium, lilies, snapdragons, freesia, bells of Ireland, tulips, stock, hypericum berries & Queen Anne's Lace:

Flower Inspiration :: Navy & Pink

2011-02-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

How do you like how these hot pink bouquets pop off the navy blue bridesmaids' dresses? A nice look for summer! Megan carried a bouquet of blue hydrangea with hot pink roses and stephanotis. Bridesmaids carried hot pink roses and anemones. The flower girl carried a pomander of hot pink hydrangea.

Photographs from Chris Noll Photography

Wedding Inspiration :: Timber Ridge, Keystone

2011-02-02T06:30:00.001-07:00

A lovely wedding with Julie Gambrell of Classic Creations at Keystone Timber Ridge. Roxanne selected pinks, creams and whites for her flowers, very feminine and sweet:

Thank you Jason for the photos!
(303)204-8937
jason-g.com

Photo shoot with Alisa Benay

2011-01-31T06:30:00.004-07:00

Aren't these phenomenal photos by Sam Adams Photography? He captured Alisa Benay's work so wonderfully. I created a soft white bridal bouquet of 'patience' garden roses, 'polo' roses, ranunculus and feathers for the photo shoot.

Wedding Inspiration :: Hudson Gardens

2011-01-28T06:30:00.007-07:00

If you love color then you'll love this wedding - Christie loves color! Oh, and she also loves flowers!

The reception had a few different centerpiece varities, I thought this one was quite cute with the limes in the vase:

Accents of orchids in cube vases:

And the cake:

Thank you Katie Van Buren for the photographs!
Contact information for Katie:
http://www.vanburenphotography.com/
720.489.1172

Wedding Inspiration :: Devil's Thumb Ranch

2011-01-26T06:30:00.005-07:00

Thank you Karie Mclain for sending over these great photos of Sara & Scott's wedding at Devil's Thumb Ranch!
Sara selected a bouquet of all white mini-callas with accents of bear grass:

Bridesmaids carried all green bouquets of hydrangea, kermit mums, freesia, hypericum berries and fern fronds with seeded eucalyptus:

The centerpieces were cool, all green flowers arranged in my brown boxes:

Karie Mclain
Karie's website: http://www.kmclain.com/

Chandeliers..

2011-01-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Check out Bella Rents Chandeliers at Hudson Gardens:

NACE event

2011-01-21T06:30:00.002-07:00

We provided the winter inspired centerpieces for the December NACE event:

Photo by Allee Photgraphy

Wedding Inspiration :: The Pines at Genesee

2011-01-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you Katie for these lovely photos of Jen & Sean's wedding at The Pines at Genesee!
Classic & pretty white flowers were used throughout Jen's wedding. I love this combination, timeless, gorgeous and we can play with a lots of textures.

Ranunculus boutonniere:

Jen provided me with some of the coolest vessels to design in for her wedding - logs that had been carved out! We filled them with white flowers, so fun!
First we placed them down the aisle:

And then they were used as centerpieces:

BLOG http://www.kathleenrosephotography.blogspot.com/
WEB http://www.kathleenrosephotography.com/
PHONE 303-775-4494

Hello 2011 & Hello Winter

2011-01-20T06:30:00.001-07:00

Wow, a month since my last blog entry? I think that's a first in my four year history of blogging. My dear flower friend in Virginia, Holly Chapple , gave me a nudge on the phone yesterday & told me to get back to blogging! Well, the truth is I've been blogging a lot just on a different blog.. for all your flower lovers make sure you are following along on Flirty Fleurs!
Flirty Fleurs is definitely more about the business of flowers. I am thinking I have some catching up to do here on Bella Fiori, lots of beautiful images have arrived from photographers & I look forward to sharing them with you.

What else is happening at Bella Fiori? Well, Chad & I took a vacation to Peru in October once wedding season was over. I love the thrill of visiting a new country & experiencing a different way of life. Plus, seeing Machu Picchu was exhilarating & quite worth the trek!
I will be posting photos from the trip soon on Flirty Fleurs - I have hundreds of photos of the beautiful flowers there.

As for 2011 - what will it hold for us? Sadly, Michelle will be leaving us. She's been my main assistant for 5 years! Wow, 5 years! I will surely miss her and the visits from her cute-as-buttons kids. However, I'm very excited for her and her husband and his new career move!

Oh, in addition to a lot of photographs that I will be blogging about - we've been featured in some magazines lately, I'll post those too!
So get ready - we are about to look at a lot of flowers!

Happy 2011!!

Flower Inspiration :: Mini Calla Lilies

2010-12-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Alicia,

Thank you so much for the beautiful flowers. Everything looked beautiful and
I LOVED my bouquet. I would be happy to serve as a reference/testimony for
any other interested brides, if needed!!! Thanks again for your beautiful
work!!

Thanks again,
Jessica

Pictures by: Cooley Photography

Rocky Mountain Bride Magazine

2010-12-15T07:00:00.002-07:00

The winter issue of Rocky Mountain Bride Magazine was just released and we’re thrilled to have Roxanne and John’s Keystone Timber Ridge wedding featured!!

Photography by: Jason G Photography
Wedding Planning by: Classic Creations

Flower Inspiration :: Purple & White Bouquets

2010-12-13T07:00:00.002-07:00

Thank you Samantha Randall for sending over these lovely photos!

Samantha Randall Photography
www.samantharandall.smugmug.com
www.samantharandallphoto.blogspot.com
720-308-8493

Wedding Inspiration :: Beautiful Breckenridge Wedding

2010-12-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Thank you Kent Meireis for sending over these lovely photos from Amanda & Nick's wedding in Breckenridge.
I loved the color palette of electric blue, purple, magenta, red and hot pink. I've never mixed these colors together in the past and really did enjoy seeing them come together.

Nick is an avid cyclist so we added in bike chain to the boutonnieres, such a fun addition.

Each bridesmaid carried a monochromatic bouquet and then we used all the colors in Amanda's bouquet.

Kent Meireis Photography
2742 S. Fillmore St.
Denver,CO 80210
303-759-9574
http://kentmeireisphotography.com
http://kentmeireisphotography.com/blog
kent@kentmeireisphotography.com

Wedding Coordinator: Tanya Porter, Weddings, Etc. Thank you Tanya for bringing Bella Fiori in on this lovely wedding.

Wedding Inspiration :: Colleen & John's Wedding continued..

2010-11-30T07:00:00.001-07:00

Ah, the reception! Love this reception. Colleen had me on board from day #1 with her sophisticated, edgy, clean & modern vision. The reception took place in the Augusta Room at Westin Tabor Center in downtown Denver. This is a great room and working with Desiree at the Westin is a dream.

Check it out:

I love the color palette - dark purple and we did only use carnations! Silver bling. Colleen had the bling buckles for everything & I like how they added such a fine touch.
Another thing to mention, really look at these photos. Autumn is an amazing photographer. The lights in this room were dim and she magically captured the dark carnations & the bling. Autumn blows me away every time.

Vendors:
Weddings by Norie
Autumn Burke Photography
LMD Productions (Lighting)
Westin Tabor Center

Wedding Inspiration :: Colleen & John's Wedding

2010-11-29T07:00:00.006-07:00

As I look through the photos from Autumn Burke (Autumn Burke Photography) of Colleen & John's wedding I remember every tid-bit and how much I truly enjoyed working on this wedding. First of all, Colleen is the niece of one of my favorite wedding planners (and one of my favorite people for that matter) Norie Hamilton of Weddings By Norie. Norie knew I would love working with Colleen and helping bring her vision to life. Plus, Colleen is one cool person and bride. In fact, last October when Chad & I went to New York City we met up with Colleen who showed us around the NYC Flower District.
These photos from Autumn are so awesome that I feel to do them justice I will have to do a two day post... Today we'll focus on the bouquets and tomorrow I'll share the reception at Westin Tabor Center.

First - the bridal and bridesmaid's bouquets.
Colleen dreamed of a pure white peony bouquet. I was nervous, could I get peonies at the end of July? Could she ship some from NYC? I held my breath and hoped for the best. What a relief when these beautiful peonies came in...

I also love the bridesmaid bouquet of all dark purple carnations in a clean shape.

A few other cool shots:

I hope you enjoyed these photos of the bouquets. I'm excited to share the reception room on tomorrow's blog post.

Holiday Collection Pop-Up Shop - December 4th!

2010-11-28T07:39:00.004-07:00

I'm so thrilled that we'll be doing our first pop-up shop ever!

Join Us For::
Handcrafted for the Holidays

Time Saturday, December 4 · 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Location
The Workshops
4340 East Kentucky Avenue
Glendale, CO

Fabulous Gifts & Goodies Sale
Jewelry, beads, cards, gift tags,
shawls, fabric gifts and kits,
flowers and plants, stocking stuffers and more!

Hosted by JS Design Custom
Cut & Press and The Peacock Shop

{Sweets, Treats and Hot Drinks}

For more information visit: www.ideachic.net/handcrafted-holiday-sale

Featuring these creative women owned businesses:
www.jsdesigncustom.com
www.cutandpress.com
www.thepeacockshop.etsy.com
www.gypsybeads.etsy.com
www.ideachic.etsy.com
www.splendorforyourguests.com
www.artjunkiedesigns.etsy.com
www.bellafiori.com

Wedding Inspiration :: Spruce Mountain Ranch

2010-11-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

This past summer we had the privilege of providing flowers for Jason & Gina's wedding. Who are Jason & Gina? Well, they are a well known husband & wife photographer team! I always feel privileged when another wedding vendor selects me to design their flowers, what an honor.
I adore this bouquet that I designed for Gina, I selected perfect peonies, lily of the valley, sweet peas and touches of larkspur. It's not often that I get to use lily of the valley, a precious flower here in Colorado. I like that we had a natural & organic feel achieved with very romantic blossoms.

Isn't this a beautiful photograph of Gina??

The moment they first saw each other on their wedding day:

Jason holding Gina's bouquet:

A fun family shot after the ceremony:

Photographs provided by RJ Kern.

Wedding Inspiration :: Boettcher Mansion

2010-11-11T06:39:00.008-07:00

Rebecca & Adam married at one of my favorite Colorado locations - Boettcher Mansion, on a lovely day in September. Rebecca was such a fun bride to work with full of life & energy, I loved our meetings. She selected a fall look that wasn't your typical orange/red/yellow, instead opting for a rich palette of burgundy, teal, plum, purple and green. I loved our textured table runners of burlap filled with floral centerpieces, cotton branches in birch & candles galore.
I hope you enjoy these lovely photos provided by Andrew & Jessica. I think Jessica enjoyed photographing all the details!!

And now for the reception::
Long tables at Boettcher are just awesome!!

blog surfing..

2010-11-09T09:00:00.003-07:00

Decided to check out google alerts and see where Bella Fiori has popped up in recently ::

Colorado Wedding Style - Roxanne & John's Wedding

Andrew & Jessica's Blog - Rebecca & Adam's Wedding

StudioWed Denver Blog - Lisa & Ryan's Wedding

a sweet little arrangement..

2010-11-07T06:36:00.005-07:00

Do you ever make an arrangement for yourself?
I do...
This is what I made for myself one day when my friend, Andrea, brought me some clematis from her yard.

Milk glass, clematis & polo roses = pure sweetness.

Sean Low Symposium - ONE week from today!!

2010-10-18T07:00:00.001-06:00

Just one week until the Sean Low Symposium! Due to the popularity we've decided to re-open the registration.

You can register here:
http://denvercreativebusinessseanlow.eventbrite.com/

Andrea & I are so excited for the symposium! It is taking place at The Oxford Hotel in downtown Denver. Lunch will be provided by McCormick's Catering.

The Cost of Flowers

2010-09-29T07:00:00.001-06:00

Photo shoots have become all the rage this year, talented people joining forces to create a look and then have it published on websites. I think this is all great, I love the creativity, the inspiration, the fresh ideas. I appreciate all the wedding blogs that show these beautiful and lush floral designs portrayed in the photo shoots. Only two slight problems... Price & Season.

Yes, I too, LOVE peonies, garden roses, hydrangea, ranunculus, anemones, orchids, etc. I would use them every day if it were possible. I'm sure many of my fellow floral designers feel the same way.

Let's first talk about the price. I will be placing the flowers in 3 categories which reflect the pricing here in Denver, Colorado.

Most expensive, more than $10 per stem:
Callas, mini & regular sized
Casablanca Lilies
Garden Roses
Hydrangea
Lily of the Valley
Orchids ( Cymbidiums, Cattleyas, phalaenopsis )

Medium Price, $5-10 per stem
Dahlias
Fern Fronds (monkey tail)
French Tulips
Glorisa Lilies
Orchids (Dendrobriums, Mokaras, Oncidiums)
Peonies
Pincushion Protea
Succulents
Viburnum

Least Expensive, under $5 per stem
Anemones
Asiatic Lilies
Bells of Ireland
Carnations
Craspedia (Billy Balls)
Freesia
Gerber Daisies
Gladiolas
Grape Hyacinth (Muscari)
Green Fuji Mums
Hyacinth
Hypericum Berries
Larkspur
Lisianthus
Phlox
Poppies
Ranunculus
Roses
Scabiosa Pods
Snapdragons
Stephanotis
Stock
Sunflowers
Sweetpeas
Tulips
Tweedia

Now, I know what many of you are thinking - oh good, my favorite flower is in the least expensive category. Yet, there's another element to take into consideration when selecting your flowers - SIZE! As with most things in life, size matters.
Yes, hydrangeas & Casablanca lilies are expensive per stem but they are large and therefor you need less of them to make an impact. The delicate flowers such as ranunculus, anemones, sweetpeas, tulips, tweedia, stephanotis, craspedia fall under the least expensive flower per stem but they are small and you need a lot of them to make an impact.

The other issue with many of the flowers we see in styled shoots - their availability. Seems the most popular flowers seen in photo shoots are anemones, ranunculus, peonies, tulips and garden roses. Here's their breakdown by season. Anemones and ranunculus are spring time flowers, they grow the best in early spring. The practically disappear during the hot summer months and then make a return half way through September. Peonies are available mid-May thru June. Sure, you can get some in early May and July but they are half the size of the prime season peonies. We do see them re-emerge in November as they are being shipped in from the southern Hemisphere. I have heard rumors that growers are emerging in Alaska which will mean we'll receive peonies for an extended season, hopefully this takes place by next season. Tulips do appear to be in season almost year round now, however, their prices surge in the summer as this isn't their normal season. Plus, they are smaller than when in their season prime and open very quickly. They really are best November-early June. Garden roses are at their prime during the summer and fall months (June-November).

There you have it, the most popular flowers broken down by cost and season. Any questions or comments? Please let us know.

Do you love peonies?

2010-09-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

Do you love peonies? If you do then I'm pretty sure you are going to love this bouquet. (I'm thinking of my friend Janine (Makeup by Janine) while I type this, she loves peonies!)

Thank you Andrew & Jessica Photographers for sending these over!!

Flower Inspiration :: Peony Envy

2010-09-16T06:19:00.001-06:00

I came across this beautiful website which sells peony plants. The front page shows a great chart of peony colors.

Check out Peony Envy website for more eye candy.

"Know that a beautiful garden takes years to develop, hours of planning, months in the dirt, and maintenance. Remember the old garden truisms - first year sleep, second year creep, third year leap - or first year roots, second year shoots, third year flowers."

Kate's Timber Ridge Wedding

2010-09-15T07:00:00.004-06:00

Alicia and Bella Fiori team,

Thanks so much for everything you did for my wedding. Being an artist myself it's hard to let other people put your vision into place. When i walked into the Timber Ridge hall i was so amazed! It all looked exactly like i hoped it would and better! Thanks for the beautiful job! I've gotten loads of compliments on the uniquely beautiful centerpieces and the gorgeous archway!

--
Kate and Dave

Photography by Autumn Burke Photography

Shop News :: What's Happening at Bella Fiori

2010-09-15T07:00:00.002-06:00

Hello my dear friends!
I hope you have enjoyed your summer and are now looking forward to fall. I love fall! It's amazing in Colorado how on September 1st it's as if someone flicks a weather switch here. We suddenly go from 90+ days for the past two months to more comfortable temps in the 70s & 80s and every morning greets us with a crispness in the air. Although, I know the first snow is looming... I hope it takes its sweet time arriving.

As for Bella Fiori & Bella Rents it has been a busy summer and looks to be a busy fall.

A few highlights:
We designed the flowers for The Knot event. I will be posting beautiful photos from Jensen Sutta. Meanwhile, you can see a recap on the StudioWed Blog.

We've been invited onto the preferred vendor list for the brand new Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Denver. It's a beautiful property which will open in October.

I've been surfing the net, with the help of Google Alerts, to find any write ups including photographs of our work. I came across these:
A Realistic Wedding
Alisa Benay - Wedding Dress Photoshoot
Jensen Sutta - 10 Mile Station
Jensen Sutta - Crooked Willow Farm
Weddings By Tanya
Polyvore

That's just a few tid-bits for now. I have quite a few photos from weddings to post and will be doing that in the coming weeks.
Wishing you a fabulous weekend!

Wedding Inspiration :: The Brown Palace Hotel

2010-09-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

A beautiful color palette of burgundy, mauve, pink and merlot was used to design the flowers for this lovely wedding. A perfect color palette for the stately Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver.

For more photos please visit the Frances Photography blog. Frances & I had the pleasure to work with wedding planner extraordinaire Michelle Gillette of Dramatic Events.

Vintage Pink Baby Shower

2010-09-13T07:00:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago Debbie from Save The Date Events called to ask if I'd be interested in designing flowers for a very pink, very vintage baby shower. I said, yes of course!!

We used my collection of milk glass vessels and filled then with lush arrangements of garden roses, peonies (in August!), ranunculus, sweetpeas, hydrangea, lisianthus and touches of jasmine vines.

The full table setting at The Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver:

Debbie created such an adorable atmosphere for the baby shower. Here are a few photos showing the other elements:
Cutest Favors:

Display of cookies and milk, how cute!

Milk glass vases displaying the menu:

A cute candelabra provided by Debbie:

Display of cakes:

Creative Business Symposium with Sean Low

2010-09-10T15:46:00.002-06:00

A reminder that we are fast approaching the Creative Business Symposium with Sean Low. It takes place this October 25, 26 & 27 at the beautiful Oxford Hotel in Downtown Denver.

Andrea and I are very excited to bring Sean Low to Denver. He's a business man, he's coming here to help business owners grow their businesses. No fluff here, he gets down to the nitty-gritty and makes you think! Makes you push yourself! Makes you be honest with yourself!

Schedule:
Monday - All Day Workshop open to all creative business people. 9-4, lunch served.
Tuesday - Two workshops are offered:
9-11 - Workshop for Photographers
1-3 - Workshop for Event Planners
Wednesday - One-on-One meetings with Sean Low

Register for Sean's Creative Business Symposium here.

Sean wrote the following article which reflects what he plans to present at the Symposium:

The 4 P's

I cringe at rules, proscriptions, formulas — anything that tells me how I have to do anything. It feels far too confining for me and creates an illusion of safety: if you do it this way, things will all work out. Mostly, I just hate being told what to do. There is no net and the only person that has the “right” answer for you is you. That said, there is a huge difference between being unconventional and being reckless. Not to be overly outrageous, but without core principles your creative business will fail. I translate core principles into the 4P’s: Passion, Philosophy, Platform and Process.

Passion: The unending, visceral, overwhelming desire to create the art that you do. There are far easier ways to make a living than to run a creative business. Nobody needs what you provide. Your clients hire you because they think you and your art can transport them to wherever they want to go. Hard for me to ever imagine that you would be able to honor and embrace this responsibility if you were not deeply passionate about what you create.

Philosophy: What is the purpose of your creative business? To be famous? Rich? A means to an end? The end? What do you want your clients to feel about you, your art and your creative business? Your employees? Vendors, friends and family? You? Your creative business has to have a purpose beyond delivering your art. Your business is simply the vehicle through which you can share your message. The integrity of what you believe is what infuses what you are selling regardless of whether you are creating it for yourself or a client. Your clients buy the message as much as they do the art. Soulless art is an oxymoron and is unsustainable as a business.

Platform: If you do not deliver to your clients what is most valuable about you and your creative business, you cannot hope to get paid what you need. What makes Apple different from Dell? The Flip different from Sony? Target different from Hermes? The better question is why each cannot sell the others’ products? Platform – each of these businesses message is designed to elicit a response (i.e., sale) from the audience that cares most about it. If you are confident about your philosophy and what you are truly passionate about, designing (or fixing) your platform will become obvious. I just finished Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh (the CEO of Zappos.com) and, for me, the coolest part of the story was how they created an extranet for their vendors. Zappos’ vendors can see how their inventory is selling and at what rate on a real time basis – they have the keys to the store. Instead of taking all of the power from Zappos, the extranet turned vendors into partners and made them more, not less, invested in Zappos’ success. Transparency is a key part of Zappos’ platform, derived from their passion for customer service and their philosophy to deliver happiness.

Process: Nobody will be able to see your passion, philosophy or platform if you do not have a defined process. Yes, you have to write it down so that everyone – clients, employees, vendors, colleagues, even your mother – knows what comes next. There is not just comfort in everyone knowing how you do things, there is trust and faith. Talking the talk is necessary, but walking the walk is what defines a creative business. Tell me what you are going to do and then do it.

Fall is the time all of us think about what is to come and plan for the future. My prayer is that you use the 4P’s to help guide you. They are meant to be accomplished in order: Passion first (what gets you out of bed), Philosophy (what do you want to share with the world), Platform (who do you want to share it with and why) and finally Process (how you are going to share it). Will it guarantee the financial success of your creative business? Of course not. All that the 4P’s are meant to do is to help you satisfy your soul — to make sure your creative business best reflects all that is most important to you as an artist and human being. I would like to think that the rest will take care of itself.

Wedding Inspiration :: Crooked Willow Farm

2010-08-28T11:48:00.005-06:00

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted a few photos from the studio? :
http://bellafiori-events.blogspot.com/2010/07/flower-inspiration-crooked-willow-farm.html

Well, as promised, here are the professional shots from our wonderful friend Jensen Sutta!

Vendors:
This fun & spunky wedding was designed by Ashley of Table 6 Productions
Photographed by Jensen Sutta
And took place at Crooked Willow Farms

A note from a bride..

2010-08-23T16:16:00.001-06:00

Nothing makes me smile bigger than a note like this the day after a wedding!

Dear Alicia -
The flowers - every last blossom, bud, and leaf - were exquisite! I am so sorry I didn't have a chance to talk to you yesterday
morning and express my appreciation in person. The flowers were remarkable, and were remarked upon starting on Friday night with the lovely small vases and the arrangements for the wedding were simply show-stoppers. The color choices, sizes, vases were spot-on for the siimple elegance we wanted express at our ceremony. You were a wonderful consultant to work with and I am SO grateful to Darby for the recommendation.

Kerry

Wedding Inspiration :: I love pink!

2010-08-21T16:13:00.008-06:00

Just received a beautiful package today from Cheryl at artist i photography. She sent over the prettiest note cards with images of my flowers on the cover plus a photo booklet & a CD. I admit it, I love fun packages like this! Thanks Cheryl! It's my pleasure to share her beautiful images from Tarrah & Daniela's wedding.

Tarrah's bouquet:

I in particular loved the centerpieces. Tarrah's mom collected tons of small cut crystal vases and we filled with a variety of pink flowers - peonies, roses, phlox, dahlias, ranunculus, sweetpeas. You name it, we probably had it in there.

Here's a shot of the back yard all setup:

In addition to providing all the floral decor we also provided the white dance floor and the white padded resin chairs:

When I met Tarrah she told me that she used this blog a lot while planning her wedding from Switzerland! I think that's so cool and I'm so glad I can help in anyway!
A few other vendors Tarrah worked with (& selected from this blog!):
Footers Catering
artist i photography

Flower Friday!

2010-08-20T19:52:00.003-06:00

Late Flower Friday today .. we've been busy with designing flowers all day! Thought I'd share what can be found on my own desk today... a lovely & simple vase full of pink & white dahlias.

Wedding Inspiration :: Vail Cascade

2010-08-16T16:54:00.007-06:00

Thought you might like to see the candy bar we designed for Jaime & Mack at the Vail Cascade Hotel & Spa:

The cute Chinese take out box:

Candy shop sign:

Closeup of the Hammond's lollipops:

Maggie & her flowers

2010-08-15T14:15:00.004-06:00

Check out this cute photo montage Jamee Photography just sent over to me!! :

(Click the above image and it'll expand so you can see more detail of Maggie's bouquet & how adorable Maggie was when she first laid eyes on it! Seriously, it's moments like this that all us floral designers live for!)

Flower Friday!

2010-08-13T17:43:00.003-06:00

I'm noticing a trend with my Flower Friday posts.. lots of garden roses!

This adorable arrangement of garden roses, peonies, ranunculus, jasmine, mint and sweetpeas arranged in a milk glass vessel is headed to a baby shower tomorrow morning.

We have a busy weekend ahead, looking forward to sharing photos soon!

Flower Friday

2010-08-06T12:36:00.003-06:00

I can't take my eyes off these divine yellow garden roses. Their scent is drifting through the air in the studio, my office smells like heaven. One of our local wholesalers sent them home with me to test. So far I'm just in love with them.

Wedding Inspiration :: Ten Mile Station

2010-07-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

Can a venue be any more *Colorado* than Ten Mile Station in Breckenridge? Seriously? Look at this place:

During winter months it is a ski lodge. Summer months is becomes a wedding venue. It's gorgeous!
I snapped this photo after the ceremony had taken place and the wedding party had moved inside. We had built a simple style mandap for our bride. Again, combining the *Colorado* look with something a bit more clean lined & modern.

We had the pleasure of working with Ashley from Table 6 Productions and Jensen Sutta for photography. Great team! Can't wait to see Jensen's photos!

Flower Inspiration :: Garden Roses

2010-07-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Do you love garden roses? I sure do! Peonies end their season right about now and luckily we have garden roses coming into their prime to fill the peony void.

Here's a photo of Kelly's bridal bouquet with the bridesmaids' bouquets:

Wedding Inspiration :: JW Marriott Cherry Creek

2010-07-28T07:00:00.005-06:00

We love a wedding at the JW Marriott in Cherry Creek, what a fabulous & versatile space to work with. Our bride, Sara, and her mother, Carol, hired us to decorate the space & we had a lovely time working with them. We provided all of the twinkle lights across the ceiling, pipe and drape behind the stage area, uplighting around the perimeter of the room and, of course, all the flowers & chuppah. Sara & her fiance enjoy the outdoors and wanted to convey that natural, woodsy feel into their wedding. Carol likes the sophisticated feel. We combined these two wishes by using our Aspen chuppah and decorating it with curly willow & seeded eucalyptus and flowers. For Carol we were able to add in the sophisticated feel with the draping and lighting elements, in addition to the chair covers provided by Chair Covers & Linens.
A special "thank you" to Betsy from the JW Marriott - she was absolutely a pleasure to work with, we can't wait to work with her again!
Here is a photo of the bouquet Sara carried, it was created with antique green hydrangea, pink dahlias, pink roses, pink freesia and seeded eucalyptus:

We received a little note from Sara the day after her wedding:
"Hi Alicia,
The flowers, my bouquet, and everything about the evening was perfect! Thank you so much for everything. I really appreciate your help and will definitely recommend you to my friends!

Thanks again, Sara"

Shop News :: What's happening at Bella Fiori

2010-07-27T15:33:00.003-06:00

Would you like to take a guess at what is happening at Bella Fiori? If you guessed we are busy with wedding season you are completely correct! Sorry, you don't win a prize, I think it was too simple of a question. :)

My obsession with the camera continues and I've purchased another lens to work with. Some of the photos I snapped with it:

Johann loves to have his photo taken. And yes, just two puppy pictures. I'm up to something with the flower pictures.. so can't post them right now. :)

Coming soon... flower photos from my photographer friends!
However, right now - off to run some errands & enjoy the rest of my Tuesday. Tomorrow all the flowers arrive again at the shop, time to prep for a fabulous weekend!

Flower Friday!

2010-07-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Not sure how it is already Friday again... holy smokes, what a fast week!

Picking a flower photo this week is so hard! So many lovely blossoms made their way into our shop this week. Guess I'll have to post a few images..

"A bucket of Heaven" = Garden roses taken with my iPhone:

Delicious Dahlias:

Flower Friday!

2010-07-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

something pretty to end your week with:

Shop News :: Featured on Style Me Pretty

2010-07-13T07:20:00.001-06:00

I love it when the subject line says: Featured on Style Me Pretty! Today is one of those fabulous days where we are featured once again!! Check out the divine photoshoot Autumn Burke & I designed at Crooked Willow Farms in Larkspur, Colorado:

Style Me Pretty: Rustic Romance

Autumn and I had so much fun with our Rustic Romance Concept and we pulled together an amazing team of vendors. A HUGE thank you to all of them for participating in our shoot:
Crooked Willow Farms
Autumn Burke Photography
Intricate Icings (Wedding Cake)
JS Design Custom (Menus, Placecards, Invitations)
Alisa Benay (Wedding Dresses)
Girls & Curls (Makeup and Hair Styling)
All Well Rents (Place Settings)
Chair Covers & Linens (Table Linens)
Bella Rents (Chiavari Chairs)

Flower Arrangements for Deliveries

2010-07-12T07:00:00.003-06:00

I've realized lately that many of our event clients and vendor friends don't know that we provide flowers for all occasions, not just wedding & special event flowers.
We do offer flowers for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, thinking of you and get-well wishes. These arrangements can be delivered and start at $50 each.
Here's a sample of one of our get-well arrangements which recently went out the door:

We do offer Sympathy Arrangements - including the sprays displayed on easels & casket sprays. Here is a lovely display we just delivered recently using lilies, hydrangea & peonies:

Orders can be placed over the phone at : 303-233-5566 or placed online thru our website
Also, we are members of bbrooks fine flowers & can send flowers worldwide through them.

Flower Friday

2010-07-09T09:03:00.004-06:00

Today while visiting at Stevens & Son Wholesale in Arvada I came across this beautiful new variety of Stargazer lily. Audrey was telling me about how they'll start growing two varieties in the coming months in their greenhouses. I was instantly amazed and drawn into it's complex petal structure.

For any of my national flower friends - Stevens & Son does ship throughout the USA.
Stevens and Son Wholesale Florist
14022 W. 54th Avenue - Arvada, Co. 80002-1516
303-279-6254 | 800-826-7798 | Fax 303-279-3794

Flower Inspiration :: Crooked Willow Farm

2010-07-08T17:35:00.001-06:00

Today I have the pleasure of working on a lovely wedding at Crooked Willow Farm in Larkspur, Colorado with Ashley from Table 6 Productions.
The flowers Katy has selected are absolutely divine, hip, fresh & fun!
Here's a photo of the seven bridesmaids' bouquets right before they get packed up to make the journey:

A closeup of one bridesmaid bouquet:

The adorable boutonnieres of Craspedia (aka: Billy Balls):

Jensen Sutta is the photographer for the wedding today, I'm excited to see his amazing photographs and will post those soon!

Vendor Profile :: Nomelie Cupcakes

2010-07-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

A few days ago we had a very pleasant surprise here at the studio - the ladies of Nomelie Cupcakes walked in the doors and presented us with a box filled with cupcakes. The cupcakes they brought were: Red Velvet, S'mores and a Vanilla Mango. (My favorite was the Vanilla Mango) We had a lovely visit with them and showed them around our shop.
I've visited their adorable shop in Parker once, it's so charming! I'd suggest next time you are in the area be sure to pop in and try one of their yummy cupcakes!
They are located at:
19751 E. Main St., Suite R5
Parker, CO, 80138
Phone:
303-805-2607
Mon - Sat:
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

So you think you know flowers??

2010-06-30T17:09:00.005-06:00

So, you think you know flowers? Well, here's a test and if you are correct you can win a prize. What's up for the prize? A $50 flower arrangement from Bella Fiori.

Name the flowers in this hand-tied bouquet:

Here's how it works:
1) Name all the fresh flowers used in this bouquet. You can either post it in a comment or email me directly.
2) You must reside in the Denver Metro area, or be willing to drive to our shop in Lakewood to pick up your arrangement.
3) If you prefer to have the arrangement delivered to a friend as a gift, that's fine by us!
4) If you are a current client that we are working with for an upcoming event you may elect to have the $50 credited towards your final invoice.
5) If you are a florist or wholesaler - well, you are disqualified. sorry! ;)

Any questions? Email me.
Good luck!

StudioWed Stationery Design Showcase, Open House and Bridesmaid Dress Trunk Show

2010-06-28T17:27:00.002-06:00

All engaged couples are invited to the StudioWed Stationery Design Showcase and Open House. See stylish and unique seating card display ideas, browse invitations, see calligraphy options and check out the latest trends for wedding programs and menu cards. Our stationery experts will be on hand to discuss paper styles, printing options, envelope addressing ideas, design ideas and wording etiquette. We will feature styles and samples from JS Design Custom, Cloud 9 Bliss and PrettyWriting.com.

Bella Bridesmaid will be also hosting a mini-trunk show featuring the exclusive Cynthia Rowley bridesmaid dress collection.

In addition to the fabulous stationery showcase and bridesmaid dress preview, you can browse through the studio, review vendor displays and portfolios, enjoy a glass of champagne and go home with a great StudioWed swag bag.

Bring your fiance, your friends, your mom, your planner or bring them all! RSVP here or email denver@studiowed.net.

Check out our exclusive vendors page for a list of our hand-picked experts, complete with links to their websites, photos of their work and more.

http://www.studiowed.net/denver/vendors.php

Random Photos from the studio

2010-06-24T17:04:00.007-06:00

Yes.. yes.. I'm still photo-happy around here. I'm not sure that my Facebook friends are too happy with my new hobby/discovery. However, if you like flowers (and you must if you are reading this blog) well then, you are about to be treated to even more flowers photos. Hold on to your seats, here we go:

The above peonies are about 3 weeks over, seriously! They are beyond amazing.

Dainty and romantic ranunculus are shown above.

I made up two bouquets just for fun:

My new toy..

2010-06-23T14:52:00.005-06:00

My new toy arrived on Monday, the UPS man finally came thru for me - my new Canon Camera has arrived! I love it, taking photos of everything today that holds still .. and a shot or two of Johann.
Check out how beautifully this camera captures flowers:

Flower Friday!

2010-06-18T11:38:00.004-06:00

I rarely post photos of our works in progress but I really cannot help myself today. I'm in LOVE with these centerpieces.
Jen's father created them for us from his property - used a chainsaw to make these containers from trees that had fallen. We filled them with wet floral foam and went to work... filling them with peonies, poppies, stock, queen anne's lace, hydrangea, phlox, garden roses, spray roses, larkspur, ranunculus, tulips, snapdragons. They smell absolutely divine!
The Before:

The After: