What Brides (and Event/Wedding Planners) can Learn from Extreme Cage Fighting

Chuck Liddell facing off against Rich Franklin...
Image via Wikipedia

What’s the one thing everybody knows about cage fighting? No holds barred. No rules. Can that apply to the bridal design world? Read on. And if you got to this blog by googling “cage fighting bride?” you have got to email me. Because that’s awesome. Etiquette books contain mountains of good advice- and we owe the people who write them a great debt of gratitude. Receiving line order and invitation wording – couldn’t do it without them. People notice sometimes though, that we don’t keep a lot of wedding planning books around the store. Happy to share why: we believe in the “Ultimate Fighting” school of wedding design. We operate by nobody’s rules but our own, and as far as we’re concerned, there are no rules.  That works for us on a few levels.

1)  There are no rules for us in the way we design.  Nothing is off the table, and so all our pieces are developed as individual ideas. We don’t do the cookie-cutter follow the trend thing.

2)  There are no fashion or style rules.  If a bride loves and wants a baby blue and pale yellow theme for her December wedding, we aren’t going to talk her into more “seasonal” colors. Velvet in summer, rhinestones in the morning, snowflakes in July…we color outside the lines.

"out of the box" Prom entryway display - La Quinta prom 2011

3)  There are no rules for who our clientele will be. We would never turn away a wedding for being too small.  Everyone’s celebration is important, and deserves beautiful wedding flowers. We take a budget, work out what can be done, and make it beautiful.

4)  Since we allow our ideas to develop from the ground up, it passes on the “no rules” ethos to our brides and quinceaneras.  They can tell us what they truly dreamed- not just what they think we can do or what the girl next door had at her event. We really listen – we don’t impose a vision of how things “should” be.

So as you plan (your wedding, or your client’s), make sure you’re following your instincts, your dreams and your heart.  Don’t bother so much with rules.  And the only holding that matters, is that of hands, and hearts.

bride and groom in gazebo

Proms, Moms and Automobiles. No, that’s no good. Hmmmm.

The title will continue to evolve.  In any case, we’re celebrating Moms and Proms this weekend at My Little Flower Shop. (A wedding too – note to self- order more white roses). Moms across the Valley (and the country!) will fill with pride, watching their kids stepping out on the town in their prom dresses and tuxedos.  Wait, they’ll be stepping into…Automobiles!  Hey! How about that! OK, a stretch. Back to the drawing board on the title.
What did your Mom whisper to you on your way out the door?  Here’s a distillation of some advice and wisdom My Little Flower Shop staff gleaned from our wise Moms once upon a time.  Feel free to pass any and all along to your little darlings for Prom Night 2011, in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, or all across these United States.
Behave like a young lady/gentleman at dinner.  The other patrons of the restaurant aren’t paying to have dinner with a bunch of rowdy teenagers.
-Be polite to your date. You asked them/accepted the invitation for a reason. Don’t abandon them at a table and run off to be with your friends.
-Please don’t roll your eyes at Mom when she take lots of pictures. You’re going to love having them someday, so smile and have fun for the camera.
-Don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with, or let anyone push you too far. Carry enough cash for cab fare home, and you’ll always have an “out.”
Last but not least…
– Make memories. As Lee Ann Womack (also a Mom) put it so well:
“And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Celebrate your prom!
Photo by Sean McGrath - Lic. by Creative Commons
We’re here for any and all corsages, boutonnieres, and prom posies you might need.  Just call. (760)778 7111 (855)500-7111 (psssst…order something for Mom too).

My Little Etiquette Shop: Prom Posies and the Problems they Pose

It’s that time of year again, when you’ll see groups of teens looking awfully snazzy overtaking hotel ballrooms all over the country.  The occasion? You likely remember it well: Prom.  As this year’s crop of Juniors and Seniors gets ready to boogie down in their gowns and tuxes, we thought we’d tackle 2 of the etiquette questions that pop up when kids venture out into the wonderful world of social events. Have others? Send ’em in! We’ll revisit prom in a future blog post.

Succulent boutonniere suitable for wedding or prom
Boutonniere using succulent - perfect for prom or desert wedding

Q: Who orders and pays for the flowers?

A: Each date buys the others’ flowers (corsage or boutonniere as appropriate).  Mom, feel like taking over for your busy teen?  We actually recommend letting  your son or daughter handle this on their own.  It’s an important step for young people to learn how to operate in the world – making Prom arrangements with local businesses is a great start. Encourage your teen to order flowers, and to communicate with their dates to find out what they are wearing so that everything coordinates nicely.

Q:  What do I do if my date arrives and the flowers don’t match my outfit? Or are really ugly? Do I have to wear them?

A: Whatever those flowers look like, smile, say thank you, and put them on.  This is someone who you liked enough to go with to the Prom, and they are giving you a gift. Do you really want to crush them and start the evening off on a negative note?  Not good form. The exception to this rule is if you have allergies. If your corsage is going to make you sick, by all means thank your date, and explain that you’ll keep it at home to admire later due to your sensitivity to the particular bloom.

Corsages and boutonnieres have come a long way. Gone is the single rose and baby’s breath that was the mainstay of every prom and wedding in the eighties, replaced by succulents or other unexpected elements. The scratchy elastic bands have been replaced with silky ribbons and stretchy pearled bracelets.  Some girls even carry a small handheld bouquet.  Let your floral professional create a special memory for your big night.

Stay safe everyone!