Thallo

We were excited to design and style a whimsically refined bridal shower at a local cafe, Yellow Dog, a few weekends ago. This party was a perfect example of taking a theme and running with it. Yellow Dog Cafe’s logo is yellow and black, so naturally, the color palette followed suit. The cafe’s eclectic interior complimented the vintage bridal suite vignette created to greet guests, complete with a gown on our dress form, calendar’s marking important dates to come and antique luggage ready to “bon voyage” to the couple’s planned honeymoon spot.

Thanks to Kate Hall Events for choosing to work with Thallo and for giving us artistic license to style and design the event! Pardon the fuzzy photos… my iPhone served as a camera this day.

We are doing something unprecedented at Thallo for the next 14 days… closing up shop!  Ann and I have enjoyed a busy and demanding year of events and as we experience a brief slowdown, we have decided to actually shut the studio doors (instead of just saying we are closed but actually being there, accepting calls and taking orders… its too hard to say no) for 2 weeks so we can decompress, regroup, reflect and reinvent.

Since we began 5 years ago, the floriculture industry has changed drastically. The global economy’s downswing has forced countless numbers of growers, farms large and small, out of production.  Flowers that we had grown to love and depend on for event work have been phased out of production.  Roses and carnations we had once purchased for .45 a stem have jumped up to .90 a stem.  Shipping and transport costs have increased exponentially… the whole canvas of our job has dramatically changed. The average wedding investment in 2010/2011 is 36% lower than the average in 2007.

Wedding clients too have changed over the past five years.  The average couple, like all hardworking people, is much more interested in understanding the specific value of their investment.  We of course, know exactly the value of our services and how important it is to have inspired flowers at a wedding.  But as guests counts rise and budgets fall, flowers are often the first item to be cut.  Where brides were once flexible, they are now incredibly particular.  We find ourselves on the verge of having to explain the ins and outs of our industry to justify the price of a design.  Overall, I think we would say that we are doing double the amount of work (extra meetings, correspondences, multiple revisions of proposals) for half the amount of profit.  Its become rare to hear the magic words “I trust you.”  We are tired.

With this change, Thallo is evolving.  Change can be good.  As we take some time off, we are striving to develop ways to maintain the same level of service and product without compromising our artistic integrity, despite these challenging circumstances.  We thank all of our clients – past, present and future – and look forward to our Autumn and Winter events.  Happy Summer, see you on August 24th!

Dutch growing fields in summer.

Right now, we are obessed with lavender.  I don’t know if its the soothing scent of the flower or the coolness of the color, but it seems like perfect antonym to hot, humid Florida summer days.

Here are exceprts from a photo shoot by Art of Love’s Marie Labbancz, styled and captured on a lavender farm in Pennsylvania.  Swoon

And a pretty bouquet from a recent Thallo wedding in shades of the color aforementioned.

When one lives in Florida, one has the tendency to take for granted the pristine, natural beauty that exists throughout the peninsula. And with the Atlantic basically as our backyard, we definitely forget that the whole “beach” thing is truly a luxury.  Since this wonderful world of weddings & events dominates our weekend life, destination weddings are welcomed by us.  Not only are we able to work and design in new settings that stimulate our creativity, we are offered an opportunity to explore our very own state, which in the end, is way more beautiful and fun than we give it credit.

Ada and Mike’s wedding at the Coconut Palm Inn in Key Largo fell right smack in the middle of one of the busiest 4 weeks since Thallo’s conception.  We were thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a dynamic bride — Ada — who had great ideas along the confidence to allow Thallo some artistic license.   We were nervously anxious about working in the Keys; after all, the main appeal of the destination — isolation and sleepiness — can be a challenging thing for events.    But, we felt completely comfortable in the hands of a very capable planner and friend of the bride (and friend of Thallo), Cynthia Alonzi of Bellissimo Events and Paper. 100% organized and armed with a very cold EuroVan, coolers, 4 years of experience with wedding flowers and extreme heat, and a planner 6-hours ahead of us to take care of any last minute hitches, we headed South, catching the last launch of the space shuttle Discovery as we pulled out of town.

We arrived in Key Largo and instantly felt relaxed.  Once one passes mile marker 110, one might find it difficult to hang onto any peripheral stress.  The thick salty air has a tranquilizing effect and the local color is definitely mellow.  The Coconut Palm Inn was where the wedding was held, on the Bay-side of the island.  The resort; relaxed, casual and speckled with coconut trees, was the perfect Florida wedding site.

When we were designing the wedding flowers, the intensity of the color was almost too much for our studio.  Our space is a collage of neutral colors and textures and the 1920’s Craftsman architecture of the studio is anything but tropical.   In a way, the flowers and decor seemed a bit awkward in Melbourne.

A centerpiece, photographed in our studio before we departed.

Hot, hot color.

But, with the white sand and swaying palms, the vibrant color palette was a perfect match.  As we always say, in the “great outdoors” even the largest, most over-the-top florals can be dwarfed by the sheer expanse of outdoor space.  The floral palette complimented the venue well and really “popped” in the end.

After 6 hours of set-up and a lot of sunscreen, Thallo completed the job, along with Cynthia from Bellissimo.  The celebration was a success and Thallo-crew had a really amazing time.  Its nice, sometimes, to blend work and pleasure… this time we added a splash of key lime for extra flavor.

A special thank you to Jacquelyn Prussing Photography, for sharing the rest of the photos in this post.  I really appreciate the energy and vibrancy of the celebration that her photographs captured so well…  Jacquelyn was even kind enough to help us light over 100 candles once the celebration started.  Its not always that other wedding vendors are willing to step-up to the plate when those last minute mini-emergencies occur.   And another big thank you to Cynthia with Bellissimo Events and Paper.  You’re the best.

The bride carried a mixed bouquet of peonies, mokara orchids, tulips, roses and ranunculus, accented with hypericum. Thallo prefers to mix tropical blossoms with romantic flowers to soften and refine them.

The bride and her daughter...

The bride's daughter tossed petals from a pearlized nautilus shell and also wore a ribbon wristlet.

The bridesmaid wore smokey coral and carried a petite nosegay of orange blossoms... love that green-center of the ranunculus!

The bride and groom.

Luscious centerpieces featuring protea, ranunculus, roses, orchids and celosia sat upon tiffany blue pintuck.

All guests, including the bridal party, sat at large square tables. The bride and groom chose to forgo a sweetheart table and dine with immediate family instead.

Half of the tables featured carnation orbs, pincushion protea in glass and orange jute votives.

I love how intensely these children are concentrating on their games, and how wildly unihibited the adult crowd looks.

A nosegay of flowers attached to the hotel's front gate both greeted and bid farewell to guests.