Pantone Color of the Year for 2011

If you are in the art or design world, you know Pantone. The color swatches that are used to color match for fabrics, paints, printing, packaging, etc. But did you know Pantone comes out with a Color of the Year each year?

For the past decade, Pantone's Color of the Year declarations have influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries including fashion, home and industrial design. Last years color was Turquoise. Can you remember where you saw turquoise this past year? It was definitely in the wedding industry.

This years color is named Honeysuckle and is a reddish pink tone. I think it's a stunning shade of pink and would be perfect for weddings. It goes well with black, charcoal, navy or grey tones. Also perfect with green shades, as with flowers. Flowers in this tone include rose, hydrangea, dahlia, peony, gerbera and anemone. A vivacious color, perfect for a wedding that is uplifting and exciting.

Watch for more of this color through out the year, in fashion and home decor. Read more about Pantone's Color of the Year for 2011 at:

http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=20821&ca=4

Flowers By Color

Quick quiz: Name all the flowers you can that are the color Blue. You have one minute. Go.

Did you find it difficult to think of flowers this way, by color? Many people do, which is why listing them by color when planning your wedding is helpful. Maybe your wedding colors are Navy with pink accents. Or yellow with grey accents. What flowers can you use?

The following are cut flowers listed by color, for your reference. These lists are by no means complete, but they will give you a good starting point when planning your wedding.

Blue

Bachelor Button

Caryopteris

Delphinium

Hyacinth

Hydrangea

Iris

Love-in-a-mist

Muscari

Scabiosa

Sea Holly

Veronica

Green

Bells of Ireland

Euphorbia

Hydrangea

Lady's Mantle

Lunaria

Mum

Orchid

Sedum

Tulip

Viburnum

Orange

Amaryllis

Astilbe

Calendula

Calla Lily

Dahlia

Freesia

Gerbera

Lily

Marigold

Mum

Orchid

Ranunculus

Rose

Rose Hip

Snapdragon

Stock

Tulip

Zinnia

Pink

Anemone

Aster

Calla Lily

Dahlia

Gerbera

Hydrangea

Lily

Lisianthus

Orchid

Peony

Protea

Ranunculus

Rose

Snapdragon

Stock

Sweet Pea

Tulip

Zinnia

Purple

Allium

Anemone

Aster

Calla Lily

Dahlia

Delphinium

Hydrangea

Lavender

Liatris

Lilac

Lisianthus

Orchid

Ranunculus

Rose

Snapdragon

Sweet Pea

Tulip

Zinnia

Red

Amaryllis

Anemone

Astilbe

Dahlia

Freesia

Gebera

Lily

Orchid

Peony

Rose

Rose Hip

Snapdragon

Sunflower

Sweet Pea

Tulip

Zinnia

White

Anemone

Astilbe

Calla Lily

Dahlia

Delphinium

Freesia

Gerbera

Hydrangea

Lily

Lisianthus

Narcissus

Orchid

Peony

Ranunculus

Rose

Snapdragon

Sweet Pea

Tulip

Zinnia

Yellow

Billy Button

Calendula

Calla Lily

Daffodil

Dahlia

Freesia

Gerbera

Iris

Lily

Marigold

Narcissus

Orchid

Ranunculus

Rudbeckia

Snapdragon

Sunflower

Tulip

Zinnia

Wedding at Bowman's Bay and Majestic Inn

Tracy and Mark were recently married, on one of the hotest days of the summer. The ceremony was held at Bowman's Bay, where Tracy grew up. Beautiful outdoor location, right on the ocean.

Tracy choose hydrangeas and purple shades for her colors. We used garden flowers and herbs, to keep the look natural. Above is a picture of her bouquet, including: hydrangea, roses, salvia, sedum, malva, lavender, mint, rosemary, oregano and grasses. Very fragrant!

By using herbs, your bouquet will smell wonderful. Touching a mint leaf releases its oils and fills the room with its fresh scent. Herbs have been used for centuries in weddings, with many meanings attached to them. For example, rosemary is for remembrance.

Mark and Tracy, at the top of the Majestic Inn and Spa. Their reception was held here, in the recently added outdoor courtyard. Beautiful historic building with a wonderful staff.

For the boutonnieres, we used white English roses with rosemary. English roses are a great choice for boutonnieres because they are generally flat when fully open. And many of them are fragrant!

One of the reception centerpieces at the Majestic Inn. We used hydrangea, dahlia, rose, malva, sedum, mint and grasses. The vases are square glass with leaves wrapped inside.

A stunning wedding, one that really showcases using garden flowers from my farm. Hope these photos give you inspiration for your wedding or event!

Welcome Summer

I love when the flower colors change from pastel to jewel tones. Check out the yellow tiger lily. Stunning, right? The dahlias have just started blooming, as well as the zinnias. These are some of my summer work horses. My snapdragons are hitting their stride, though the recent rain storm took its toll on them. For those of you who didn't know snapdragons had a fragrance, the burgundy ones do. A nice fruity smell. Other items in this bouquet include lemon balm, marble arch salvia and frosted explosion grass. This bouquet is a great example of the arrangements I deliver to my weekly clients. Perfect size for an office counter or breakfast table. Now lets just hope our summer weather sticks around for awhile...