Photography by Kate Price Photography

Oh my goodness today I am so excited to feature one of my dear friendor’s on my blog today.  Paula is a wonderful florist and owner of Paisley Petals.  We will get to see some of her amazing designs and hear a little bit about her business.  Now the first time I worked with Paula was when we did a stylized shoot together a few years ago and when I saw her bouquet for the shoot I was blown away.  Not only is she one of my favorite florists she is the sweetest person you will ever work with.  She creates bouquets that are one of a kind and perfect for each of her brides. 

Photography by Benj Haisch

Tell us why you love bring a florist and how you got into the wedding industry?

 I have loved flowers for as long as I can remember.  There was a climbing rose that grew up the walls of the well house on my grandma’s property- it’s the first flower I can remember that connected with me on kind of a deeper level.  I was in the 4th grade when I started cutting flowers from my mom’s garden and making arrangements for my grandma’s.  My cousins will tell you that I was always trying to get them to go out in the woods with me and find ferns and flowers to make bouquets with.  It was just in my blood from an early age.  I worked at a local flower shop in high school and learned some things along the way.  In 2000 some college friends asked me to do their wedding flowers, and the rest is history!  I’ve been designing wedding flowers for 18 years now, and it’s still my dream job.  I adore flowers because they really serve no purpose beyond bringing joy and beauty into the world, and goodness knows we could use as much joy and beauty as we can get these days!

Photography by Amy Galbraith Photography

How far in advance does a bride have to book your services and where do you travel?

Most clients book with us about 9 to 12 months in advance.  Every year, we get multiple requests for just about every weekend during wedding season, so it’s best to book early if you really love what we do!  Once you have a date, a venue, and a general idea of the look and feel you’re trying to create, we can set up a consultation to talk flowers. Most of our weddings are in Washington State and south of Seattle, but we are willing to travel just about anywhere for the right client. 

What makes you different than other florists?

Florists are some of my very favorite people!  Each florist I have met brings something unique to the table.  They are some of the hardest working people out there, and most people have no idea how much hard labor goes in to producing wedding florals. If I’m not available for a particular wedding date, I can almost always point people in the direction of another florist who will be a great fit. I do think I’m unique in the amount of experience I bring to the table.  There aren’t many wedding florists (especially those working from a home studio) who have been at it as long as I have-nearly 2 decades! I also have an aesthetic that recognizes the natural joy and beauty that flowers bring to an event.  My designs are professional and beautiful, but don’t come off feeling stuffy or overdone. 

And it is so true Paula’s floral designs definitely do not come across as stuffy or overdone they are beautiful and will make any bride happy.

Photography by Courtney Bowlden Photography

Visit Paula’s website here Paisley Petals.

Photography by Kate Price Photography, Benj Haisch Photography, Amy Galbraith Photography and Courtney Bowlden Photography

This is going to be more of an informative post today to help my brides with dry winter skin.  My background is skincare I care about the skin I am in and know the best way for my brides to take care of their skin.  Winter time is so hard to manage your skin, you see a lot of dryness a lot of flakiness and a lot redness.  If this is you it is time to get serious about your skin care.  

The first thing after a bride books me for her wedding is we meet for a consultation.  At this consultation I ask a lot of questions about your wedding details and makeup style, but one of my most important questions that I ask is what is your skincare routine.  That is because you need to start your skincare routine months before your wedding.

If you are suffering from dry skin the best thing is to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize.  Now with dry skin look into cleansers that are a cream base, not gel base.  My personal favorites are from The Zen Lounge and Pevonia Botanicals.  

Next the best exfoliant for dry skin is Enzyme peels (these are not a peel, peel) it is an enzyme that eats away at your dry skin creating a nice glowy, non textured finish.  Exfoliation with an enzyme should be done once a week or so.  This is called a chemical exfoliation and is honestly the best way to get a good, gentle exfoliation.  Mechanical exfoliation is something you do with a paste with microbeads and you rub it onto your skin, this can be abrasive and leave plastic granules in your skin, that is why I prefer an enzyme peel.

Get yourself a toner it helps balance your PH, prevent oilyness and get the product deeper into your skin.  

Moisturizers are so important a Hyaluronic Acid moisturizer is the best for dry skin.  It will help improve collagen, make your skin plump and hydrated and it just feels good.

There you have it a good skincare routine to get rid of your dry winter skin.

Happy Valentine’s Day.  I hope you all are getting to spend the day with your significant others.  Don’t those burgundy dresses just scream Valentine’s Day.  This wedding was in September but with the colors of these dresses I had to feature it for Valentine’s Day.

Heather Ann got married at The Empress Estate.  Seriously this venue is fit for a princess.  It is gorgeous with beautiful outdoor scenery and indoor details that are simply stunning.  When I met Heather Ann she is all about the glam so we worked together to find a look that will fit her vision while still being soft and bridal.  For her wedding I pulled out my Stila Magnificent Metals these eyeshadows are a glitter gel formula that don’t need glue to be applied.  They are sparkly and pretty and aren’t to glittery perfect for bridal.

I had such a fun time getting her and her girls ready.  They spent the morning sipping mimosa’s and playing Guess Who.  It was a very relaxing morning and all of her friends were so supportive and wonderful.  And what was so wonderful is because her environment was stress free Heather Ann was relaxed and got to enjoy her morning with her girls.  Didn’t she rock her dress the whole look was perfect for what she envisioned.  

Photography: Autumn L. Rudolph Photography

Venue: The Empress Estate

Hair: Ashley Burden at London Salon