wedding extravaganza

Well my “will travel” wedding gig is done, the final chapter in my month long vacation and I am on my way home!. Lindsay, sister of one of my dearest friends, Chelsea (who is one glam, talented, super mom), and daughter of my dear friend Suz (one of the craziest women I know) was getting married and I was doing the flowers and cakes-- and I am happy to report it all came off with only a few minor incidents...

I did 17 arrangements, 19 corsages and boutonnieres and 5 bouquets using lisianthus, bouvardia, roses (5 varieties), football mums, fuji mums, snapdragons, larkspur, tuberose, glads, wax flower, curly willows, day lilies, godetia, bells of ireland, stock, field hydrangeas, salal, coin plant, bear grass, seeded eucalyptus, & sorghum. My favorite was this giant urn arrangement we affectionately termed the "New york hotel lobby" arrangement it was 4 feet tall and over a yard wide!
Special thanks to great friends who put themselves at my beck and call (kim, debra, kelsey, and auri), who cheerfully obliged in the tasks of greening down vases, stripping roses, keeping me company, and occupying my troops. The greatest catastrophe was when I turned the corner onto my parents road after my 30 min drive back from the flower market and all 6 buckets tipped in domino fashion, sending gallons on flower water all over my moms van, (which required a serious intervention -2 shop vacs and numerous fans).

After finishing the flowers, I assembled the grooms cake and began the wedding cake,in the great company of one of my other favorite friend, Jennifer (she and her 2 kids have been spending the night at my parents with us, as her husband was away on high adventure- she is like a sister and she gets incredibly funny when it is late). She was a part of many of the preparations leading up to the cake assembly including the “great frosting color matching night”- see her with our 24 cup vat of green frosting-and note the great match with the bridesmaids' dresses--she is also a frosting and cake taster extra ordinaire) I did learn when using green frosting all layers must be frosting virtually simultaneously to maintain an even color- as the more it dries the deeper the color gets- this require a speedy sat am refrost of the entire cake and full assembly before transport something I never do - many potential cake tragedies flash before your eyes as you hold wobbling 4 layer cake on your lap in the Virginia August heat.




It was a was a gorgeous reception and so fun to see so many old friends and of course- eat cake!

And like Mary Poppins when my work here is finished, I must leave. I must return to my normal life- bills, cleaning, real life responsibilities. It has been a great trip- I will miss sleeping in while my parents get up with my kids, playing with my old friends, visiting with family, doing so many fun things, and most of all seeing how much my boys love being with their grandparents.