Wedding Season Begins

We marked the beginning of our wedding season a few weeks ago as we made our first bouquet of spring blooms, buds, and greens. Being asked to participate in such a large milestone in a couple's lives is truly an honor and a humbling experience. As I cut, collect, and assemble the elements for a wedding, my mind and heart is tuned to these turning moments in life, over and over again. 

Some take months or even years to plan out their wedding day, while others take only weeks. I got an email a few weeks ago from a mother-of-the-bride asking me to make a "colorful bunch of whatever is in season, with natural small green leafy stuff in between - not too big or floppy." The family was going to drive up for the day from southern Wisconsin and witness their daughter getting married in the woods on Madeline Island. I love the thrill of this go-with-the-flow last minute planning and being given the creative freedom to work with "whatever is in season." 

Anemone, hyacinth, honeysuckle, and cherry blossoms were in perfect bloom for the weekend, and there was plenty of "small green leafy stuff" to work with -- tamarack, currant branches, dusty miller, grasses. I met the parents of the bride early on Saturday morning as they were traveling north to the Island. We exchanged hugs and flowers - they loved it all. Being a do-it-all seed to vase operation definitely comes with its fair amount of stress and strain, but being able to place flowers directly into the hands of our customers is no doubt one of the sweetest rewards of all that work.