Mac's Flowers

Cliona & Darragh's Big Day at Quilty & Doonbeg!

2011-10-31T21:25:00.000Z

cliona chose an elegant teardrop shaped bouquet of roses, freesias and orchids

Cliona loved princess charlene of Monacco's bouquet which was the inspiration behind her bouquet.....

Groom's Buttonhole of double rose and freesia

Floral arch at entrance

buttonholes for the bridal party

entrance to the church

The star of the sea church quilty county clare with lanterns......

.............and with the ivory carpet

the altar area

the bridesmaids carried simple yet funky orchid bouquets

One of the beautiful bridesmaids

table center's at the lodge at doonbeg golf club

the lodge at doonbeg

the bride with her father and bridesmaids outside the church

close up of bouquets

the lodge at doonbeg complimented by our blue uplighters

top table arrangement

...

Emer & Robert Doonbeg Golf Club

2011-09-03T12:23:00.002+01:00

Just came across these fab pics of Emer and Robert whose wedding flowers we did the other day (see our pics below) by their photographer Peter McGarry of Alchemy wedding Photography who you can find here: http://www.f-stop1.com Love these pictures - great photography! If you are a blogger fan you can also find Peters blog here: http://petermcgarryblog.blogspot.com

Emer & Robbies wedding day at Miltown Malbay Church and Doonbeg Golf club

2011-09-01T21:23:00.000+01:00

The bride carried a bouquet of hydrandgas and roses

Bridal and bridesmaids bouquets of hydrandgas and roses

Floral arch on entrance door of hydrandga's and roses

The altar area

silver lanterns with roses lined the aisle.....

silver lanterns and vintage urns with floral arrangements

Cake arrangement

birdcage with flowers and guest book

the marquee at doonbeg golf club

candleabras with floral arrangement

Muireann & Declan's Wedding at St. Joseph's Church Miltown Malbay and the Falls Hotel Ennistymon

2011-08-02T17:03:00.000+01:00

The mother of the bride and the mother of the Groom outside the church

heart shaped 'wedding wreaths' on the railings outside the church

Floral Arch and Lanterns outside the church

The Aisle in the Church with floral arrangements and tall candleabra's

Light pink rose for the groom....

Orchid Corsage for mother of the bride / Groom

Ivory roses for the gentlemen in the bridal party

The bride's bouquet of light pink roses

bridesmaids bouquets of light pink and ivory roses

We added a rose detail to the bride and groom's chairs

We added pink gel with L.E.D. lighting to the vases on the back altar to add interest & keep the pink 'theme'

We used mirrored boxes with flowers and candles on the side altars

We added an extra arch to the inside door frame for added interest

And Here comes the bride!

The groom waits patiently!

Best wishes in your married life Mr & Mrs Fawl xx

Claire and Darren's Wedding at Spanish Point and the Armada Hotel, County Clare

2011-06-18T09:58:00.000+01:00

the bride carried a bouquet of ivory roses with diamantes......

matching buttonhole for the groom....

brides and bridesmaids bouquets

Flower 'wand' for the flower girl

The other gentlemen in the bridal party wore purple rose buttonholes

Pew ends of purple and ivory with organza bows

The Church at Spanish Point is such a beautiful little Churchand looks great with country style decorations

Altar Arrangement at the church

The bridesmaids dresses were fab, lovely colour with flower detail

The bride arriving at the Church

The Bridal Party arriving at the church

Bridesmaid and flower girl looking very pretty....

The function room at the Armada Hotel all dressed and ready for the party!

and doubled up afterwards as a top table arrangement at the Armada hotel, with beautiful candles from Irish Cottage Candles

Unfortunately my Camera was playing up so I did not get my usual picture of the Bride and Groom :(
However the very talented Dermot Culhane http://www.dermotculhane.ie/ who was the photographer on the day has promised me a couple of shots so when I get them I will re post them for you !

Gráinne and Donals Wedding at Doolin Church and the armada hotel spanish point

2011-06-05T20:05:00.000+01:00

It was a gorgeous day in beautiful doolin for Gráinne & Donals Wedding

The Groom wore a double buttonhole of rose and gerbera

Mother's Corsage of Orchids and mini roses

The bride carried a bouquet of avalanche roses, spray roses and germini's

We set up simple vase arrangements and lanterns in the church.....

and made flower 'lollipop' topiary's to greet the guests..... (Love these!)

The bridesmaid carried a posy of bright coloured gerbera's, roses and spray roses

Congratulations Gráinne and Donal, We wish you both all the best x

Tara and Penn's wedding at Adare Manor & St Nicholas Church Adare

2011-05-31T14:32:00.002+01:00

The bride carried a beautiful simple handtied bouquet of white peonie roses, white avalance roses and white spray roses, it smelled SO Great!

The bridesmaids carried complimenting handtied bouquets of peonies and roses

Bouquets and Pomanders all ready to go!

Floral Headress for the flower girl (she refused to wear it to everyone's dismay!)

Buttonholes for the gentlemen including a double rose and peonie buttonhole for the groom

The entrance to St. Nicholas Church, Adare, adorned with bay trees and red carpet

window detail

Pedestal on Podium at the entrance

We made Rose Pomanders to hang on the pews

The Main Aisle

I Loved these - So Cute !

The beautiful Flower girl carried a little rose and Peonie Pomander as well!

The radiant bride leaving Adare Manor with her Dad.........

Pedestal on the Piano in the entrance Hall at Adare Manor

Candleabras filled with white avalanche roses and peonie roses for the tables at Adare Manor

The beautiful function room at Adare Manor all set and ready to go !

The entrance to the function room at Adare Manor decorated with pomanders and a pedestal

We also used Pomanders to decorate the Bride and Grooms Chairs

The Head Table in the function Room at Adare Manor

The bride and groom get showered with petal confetti!

Huge Congratulations to Tara & Penn!

It's Offficial! The pictures that is........

2011-04-30T20:09:00.000+01:00

The Official Royal Wedding Photos taken by Hugo Bernard were released earlier today by Buckingham Palace.........

Prince William and Kate are joined by Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Miss Eliza Lopes, Miss Grace van Cutsem, Lady Louise Windsor, Master Tom Pettifer, Master William Lowther-Pinkerton

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (centre), Front row (left to right): Miss Grace van Cutsem, Miss Eliza Lopes, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, HM The Queen, The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Lady Louise Windsor, Master William Lowther-Pinkerton. Back Row (left to right): Master Tom Pettifer, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH Prince Henry of Wales, Mr Michael Middleton, Mrs Michael Middleton, Mr James Middleton, Miss Philippa Middleton

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Royal Wedding Flowers

2011-04-29T12:13:00.002+01:00

Miss Kate Middleton arrives at the abbey for her wedding to Prince William, her dress

reminding me of Princess Graces Wedding Gown, timeless fashion and her bouquet containing lilly of the valley and sweet william with myrtle and hyacinth reminding me of Laura Parker Bowles bouquet

............................

Princess Grace on her wedding day

Laura Parker Bowles on her wedding day

Royal cupcakes!

2011-04-26T12:56:00.000+01:00

Ooooooh! not long to go now! It's like waiting for santa! I can't wait for friday so that I can watch the Royal Wedding, as Mammy to two girls (and also 1 boy but not so much interest in flowers there!) we decided that we will have a girly royal wedding party and make a mini feast to watch the royal wedding with! Cupcakes and fairycakes are always a great choice in our house and while looking for something different I came across this, http://www.madewithpink.com/2011/04/royal-wedding-cupcakes-flowers-union.html Love the little flags very easy to make and in keeping with the theme! Lots of lovely recepies on this blog so if you don't want to make these you are bound to see something else that takes your fancy...... Enjoy!

Paper Wreaths.........

2011-04-14T10:37:00.000+01:00

Following on from our D.I.Y paper flowers yesterday check out this great tutorial on how to make a paper wreath, these are just gorgeous......

For step by step tutorial see Here would look just as good made from newspapers....

Paper Roses......

2011-04-13T11:42:00.000+01:00

Totally Love this idea.......

Paper Roses, Peonies, Carnations, so pretty, so versatile, so easy to make (and so Cheap!!!)
Use them to decorate a little girl's bithday party, make them in white for a communion or confirmation or wedding or in pastels to add a splash of colour........
for a step by step tutorial check out this great blog : http://sewsweetstitches.blogspot.com/2010/04/handmade-tissue-paper-flowers-and.html

Royal Wedding Fever (6) - Keep Calm and Marry on!!!!

2011-04-01T11:07:00.001+01:00

Keep Calm and Marry on is the message from http://www.mrxstitch.com/2010/12/31/fffof-free-royal-wedding-cross-stitch-pattern

keep calm and marry on cross stitch

If you are a lover of cross stitching then you can re create this commerative sign for your own wedding you can find the pdf for it here http://www.subversivecrossstitch.com/KeepCalmPDF.pdf and if your hands are feeling cold after all that cross stitching you can always treat yourself to a pair of will and kate gloves

(found here: http://www.fashionfoiegras.com/2011/01/royal-wedding-memorabilia-wills-and.html) a snip at only £35 .................................. hmm........................... indeed...................!

Royal Wedding Fever (5) Ring Ring..........vroom vroom!!!!!

2011-03-31T17:50:00.000+01:00

Every day more and more royal wedding products are becoming available as Royal wedding Fever hits both the uk and the us, if you are a royal wedding fanatic check out this new mobile phone http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/39183/royal-wedding-mobile-phone-chavtastic
or if you have an i phone you can treat yourself to one of 4 royal wedding themed commerative covers such as this: (available from case mate http://www.case-mate.com/Will-and-Kate-Royal-Wedding/Case-Mate-Royal-Wedding-iPhone-4-Barely-There-Cases.asp)

Alternatively if you have a bit more cash to splash and own a mini cooper you could always get a custom made roof like this :

Royal Wedding Fever (4!) A right Royal Knees Up!!!

2011-03-30T12:54:00.000+01:00

royal wedding themed party!

Got Royal Wedding Fever? Why not throw a royal wedding Party? Get all your friends round and have a party while you are watching the royal wedding, (well it's a great excuse for a party) Or if you are getting married on the same date you could go all out and even have kate and william table confetti for your tables, you can get lots of supplies here: http://www.thepartymonkey.co.uk/store/ROYAL+WEDDING+TABLEWARE

also loving this idea for a right royal style bouquet created by arena flowers,

(http://www.arenaflowers.com/)

which of course we would be happy to recreate for you.......

Royal Wedding Fever - the Heir and the spare!!!

2011-03-29T09:50:00.000+01:00

Royal Wedding Fever may not be gripping us too hard yet here, but in america they are totally enthralled already, the latest that I have found is a kate and Willam fridge (yes you did read that right a fridge!)hmm indeed, somehow I can't see sales rocketing but then again who knows?

the royal refridgerator!!!

and in other Royal news Poor Prince Harry has being dubbed the 'spare' and apparantly (according to msnbc news) masses of american women are flocking to england with just one purpose in mind - Marry Harry! Dubbed 'Harry hunters' these ladies are reading all the royal gossip blogs to find out 'hot harrys hangouts!'
Ha Love it!!!
If you want to see this news video click here to be directed!

Royal wedding fever (3)

2011-03-28T15:57:00.002+01:00

The new david Austin Rose 'Kate'

David Austin roses are to name two new roses in honour of the royal wedding.

Delighted staff at David Austin Roses said the new English roses were their “personal tribute” to Prince William and the future queen, who get married next month at Westminster Abbey.

The striking raspberry pink cut rose, Kate, will be exclusively available from the family-run nurseries in Albrighton.

And in May, the rose breeder will celebrate another exclusive when it presents the new English Rose garden shrub William and Catherine at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2011/03/22/pink-rose-is-tribute-to-royal-bride-kate-middleton

Royal wedding fever (2) Princess Diana's Bouquet

2011-03-28T13:14:00.002+01:00

princess Diana's wedding bouquet

Princess Diana's wedding bouquet was designed for her by longmans florist's of london who also designed and made the bouquet for queen elizabeth when she married in 1947. (longmans have since sold their business, although their daughter Lottie Longman still works as a florist)
Because of a mix up with bouquets when Queen Elizabeth got married (her bouquet went missing and was unable to be found for family photographs) not one, but Three wedding bouquets were ordered for the Wedding of Diana & Charles to ensure that this would not happen again. One was used for the rehersal the evening before, one for the ceremony and one was delivered to buckingham palace for use in the family portraits. As is tradition (started by queen Elizabeth - the queen mum as was, who lost a brother in worl war 1) one of these bouquets was placed on the tomb of the unknown soldier at westminister , this is a tradition that is still carried on today.
Diana's bouquet was 42" inches long and 15"inches wide and was a cascading shower shaped bouquet of similar fashion to those carried in victorian times. It became a trend setter for weddings at the time, as at that time bouquets were comparably small. However the designers of diana's wedding dress david and elizabeth emanuel encouraged her to have a large bouquet as a small one would have been lost with the dress.
The flowers used in the bouquets comprised of:
Gardenias, Stephanotis, Freesia, Lilly of the valley, yellow earl of mountbatten roses,
(a tribute to the groom's uncle Lord Mountbatten) odontoglossum orchids,
hedera (ivy), tradescantia, veronica and a sprig of myrtle which is a royal tradition, taken from a myrtle bush which was grown from a sprig of myrtle grown from queen victoria's wedding bouquet .
The bouquet was said to have weighed in the region of 2- 3 kilos - imagine carrying that around all day!!!

Princess Diana's Wedding Bouquet

Wells Church and Dromoland Wedding County Clare

2011-03-28T00:26:00.003+01:00

Here are some pictures from a recent wedding at Dromoland Castle and the Wells Church

The bride carried a handtied bouquet of red roses

Bride and bridesmaid matching bouquets of red rose handties

The Wells Church, beautiful for a wedding

Wrought Iron t - light holders with ivy and roses for the windows

Floral Wedding Arch at Dromoland

Our Candleabras and mirror bases complete the look with some red rose petals scattered around!

Royal Wedding Fever!

2011-03-27T16:59:00.015+01:00

Not long now before Royal Wedding Fever grips the nation! Almost time for the countdown to begin! As a florist I can't wait to see which flowers Kate will choose for her bridal bouquet, so much to choose from - will she go vintage which is of course a huge trend at the moment or will she go modern and break with tradition, I personally think that she will go for a mixture of both, using a traditional lace style dress and carrying a handtied (shock horror!) bouquet rather than a large waterfall bouquet, but consisting of traditional flowers, my predictions for the flower choices are pictured above and top of the list is lillies (middle pic) which are said to be kate's favourites, david austin roses, top left, a sprig of myrtle which is a royal tradition started by Queen Victoria (beside the david austin rose) White daffodils (top right) because they symbolize Prince Williams' status as one of the Prince's of Wales, Peonie roses (2nd over from right on the bottom) or fairtrade kenyan roses, (because Prince William proposed to Kate in Kenya) and lilly of the valley or freesia (both under the david austin roses) to add to the scent, White is the traditional colour used for all Royal Wedding Bouquets so I would imagine that this will remain the trend. As for the church arrangements I think they will be a mix of all of the flowers above, with lots of bigger showy blooms such as delphiniums and hydrandgas but with lillies featuring prominently. Of course I could be totally off the wall wrong!!!! but as I said I can't wait to see!!!

New Stock for 2012!

2011-03-23T11:54:00.002Z

Lots of new stock already arriving for the 2012 wedding season!!
If you are looking for something pretty to compliment your tables or indeed to line your wedding aisle, then these could well fit the bill! Perfect to compliment a vintage themed wedding & Available now to hire from Mac's Flowers............

Cute mini birdcages that can hold a t-light so pretty!!!

Beautiful lanterns with pretty heart detail

Wedding Centerpiece

2011-03-22T23:31:00.001Z

Loving these new bubble balls just in with built in L.e.d base's. Looks great with some floating flowers and or/floating candles, available now to hire for your wedding, for only €15 * each including floating flowers/candles and mirrored base. (*subject to availability)

The Candy Man.........

2011-03-15T21:02:00.001Z

If you are thinking about having a candy bar/sweet table for your wedding or just need sweets for those all important wedding favors or the kiddies table then we have a great range of new retro sweets in stock to tempt you with!

Choose from tempting chocolate satin cushions, acid drops, pear drops, cola cubes (yum!), coffee creams, strawberry creams, lemon sherbet, orange and lemon slices, rhubarb and custard, dolly mixtures, sour apples, country fudge and assorted bon bons to name just a few!! We have something to suit everyone, add in some retro style lollipops and some beautifully iced cupcakes and you have sweetie heaven!!!!

Prices start from only €3.50 per person, we provide everything you need including favor boxes or bags for your guests to fill with the goodies! For more information please contact us directly.

Photo credit:
http://sorrentoweddingplanner.blogspot.com/

Let them eat cake!

2011-03-12T13:02:00.001Z

Loving this I just found this over here http://letthemeatcakeatyourwedding.blogspot.com/2010/04/cupcake-topiary-tree.html and so easy to make too, but very effective - for details on how to make visit the blog above

A Snowy Day Surprise at Adare Manor!

2011-03-05T20:00:00.000Z

I had a meeting arranged today at Adare Maor to discuss flowers for an upcoming Wedding, Imagine my surprise when I arrived to find that it had "snowed"!!!! Peter Kelly (aka Franc) and his team were setting up for a winter wonderland themed wedding, with the full snow effect outside! I enjoyed having a look at a Franc Wedding in "Production", and although Peter is very hands on I couldint help but wish that I had a big production team to give me a hand with some of my weddings! One Can dream.........
Maybe one day huh?

Packages 2011/12

2011-02-17T11:40:00.000Z

The Lantern Package

The Lantern Package is available in either Black or White and costs from €250

The Basic Lantern Package includes: 12 tall Lanterns to dress the Aisle,

Co-Ordinating Organza bows to match your colour Scheme,

A Pair of Chair Covers for the bride and groom

A Pair of Dressed Bay trees outside the door

The De-Luxe Lantern Package includes:

All of the above plus:

an additional 8 tall lanterns (bringing total to 20 tall lanterns)

Lanterns for outside the door, and also to dress Porch etc.,

Black or white Wedding Arch dressed with organza and silk flowers

A Red Carpet for the entrance of the church (weather permitting if raining will be used indoors)

All for only €350

And not a Rose in sight!!!!

2011-02-16T13:05:00.002Z

Proving that the most expensive flowers do not always have to be your first choice is this site: Just Chrysants Just chrysants is excatly what it says on the tin so head on over there for some affordable wedding inspiration, now all we need is another site for my favourites - just carnations!!!!

Easy Escort Cards /Table cards

2011-02-15T18:07:00.006Z

Love this easy to make table plan /Escort card idea, to find out how to make it see instructions on the Martha Stewart website here: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/heart-escort-cards-how-to?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/creative-seating-cards#slide_2

Fiona & Dave's Wedding Quilty County Clare

2010-10-14T23:39:00.003+01:00

(And all of this beautiful photography is by http://www.lollipop.ie/ ! )

Midlands Regional Bridal Fair 2010

2010-09-22T14:59:00.004+01:00

Thanks to all at The County Arms Hotel Birr, for a really great day at the Bridal Fair on Sunday, we really enjoyed it and it was a great chance to get to meet everyone......
As part of our special offer at the show if you book any Package of Wedding flowers and Chair covers together you will get 10 Free Candleabras

Book any Package of Wedding Flowers, chair covers and Fairylight Backdrop and get 10 Free Candleabras AND Matching full lenght tablecloths

Also did you know that we give as standard to all of our brides the following FREEBIES:
Chair Covers for the bride and Groom's Chairs at the church with complimenting organza bows,
Organza bows for pews
Free Hire of our 10 foot Red Carpet for your big entrance (may be used outside weather permitting)

The County Arms hotel is one of the top venues for weddings in the Midlands, I had my own wedding reception here and could not praise them highly enough! For more information on this venue visit here: http://www.countyarmshotel.com/wedding-hotel-birr

Siobhan's Wedding at Loouscaun, Woodford,County Galway and Coolbawn Quay

2010-07-18T23:25:00.003+01:00

Floral Arch of Orange Gerberas and Cream Roses with lanterns.........

and dressed bay trees

Tall Pew ends with candles......

The Altar area

Pushing the Groom in the Door!!!!!

Orchid Corsage wristlets for the ladies.....

Candles and Rose Petals in the entrance windows....

The gorgeous flower girl....

and the beautiful bridesmaids....

The beautiful bride and her dad.....

The best of Luck to the bride & Groom!

Naomi and Steve's Wedding at Kilrush Church and Doonbeg Golf Club

2010-06-07T01:22:00.007+01:00

Brides bouquet of Peonie roses, white roses,spray roses & freesias

(Smelled divine!)

Bridesmaids and flowergirls boquets of Peonie roses

Rose buttonhole and freesia and spray rose corsage

Entrance at St Sennans church Kilrush

Altar arrangement

Bridesmaids waiting for the bride to arrive

and here she is!!!!

Doonbeg golf club

The entrance to the marquee dressed with lanterns

Table plans

Terrecotta pots waiting to go on the outside tables at one of the outdoor seating areas

Outdoor seating area, lovely view of the beach!

The marquee with sea views

One of the indoor seating areas with pod tables

Loved the light up bar!!

Close up of one of the low table arrangements

entrance to the restrooms!

In keeping with the beach theme flip flops were provided for the ladies!

Seating area in the ladies powder room

Close up of one of the low hurricane vases

The top table

Close up of one of the top table arrangements of white roses, spray roses and freesias,

(sorry my camera is not the best can you see the butter pats are heart shaped - so cute!!!)

Big Congrat's to Naomi and Steve, a truly lovely couple!

Naomi & Stephen's Wedding Day from Gavin Gallagher on Vimeo.

I hope you will enjoy the highlights of the day on the above video recorded on camera by the very talented Gavin Gallagher of dreamcatcher productions http://www.dreamcatcherproductions.ie/ )

Naomi's Doonbeg Wedding

2010-06-04T21:14:00.001+01:00

Preview of Naoimi's Wedding at Doonbeg, Golf Club, County Clare.........

Table center's with beautiful hurricane vases in varying heights.......

In a beautiful Marquee especially constructed for the wedding with a view of the sea all around

Love This! Quite Amazing!

2010-06-03T21:55:00.002+01:00

THE (purely paper) FLOWER SHOPPE from David Stark Design & Production on Vimeo.

Martina and Fergal's Wedding at Lisseycasey Church

2010-06-01T11:22:00.003+01:00

The Bride & her Dad

Ivory Rose Buttonholes for the groomsmen and dads,

Double red rose buttonhole for groom,

Orchid Corsage for mother's of bride and groom

flower detail on brides bouquet

Brides Bouquet of red roses and diamante's

Lisseycasey Church

Bridesmaids bouquet of Ivory roses

The Bellbridge House Hotel, Spanish Point, Looking gorgeous!

A Little bit of Bling!

2010-05-22T00:48:00.001+01:00

Lovin this bouquet of Red Roses with diamantes and matching double rose buttonhole for groom!!

Libby & Gareth's Wedding at the Star Of the Sea Church Quilty and Doonbeg Golf Club

2010-05-03T13:03:00.003+01:00

All Flowers, Carpets, Chair Covers, Table cloths, glassware Lanterns, birdcages and candleabras etc, supplied by Mac's Flowers

Emma's Wedding at Doonbeg Golf Club, County Clare

2010-04-25T18:22:00.002+01:00

Preview of Emma's Wedding at Doonbeg

2010-04-23T19:28:00.002+01:00

Its all systems go as we get ready for the big day!

A busy day in Cork City!!

2010-04-18T10:57:00.001+01:00

Had to go to Cork today to do an event in the Clarion hotel,

hubby and the kids came with me, so once the work was out of the way (and you could not really call it work as it was so much fun!) we got on with the task of entertaining ourselves!!The clarion hotel was full for the event so we had booked ourselves into the Silver Springs hotel instead, so first on the agenda was swimming, after that dinner then we had a lovely evening at Funderland

we went on the ferris wheel

The kids went on the roundabouts

and my favourite the carousel!
Off to Foto Island now!!!

Celebrate!

2010-03-30T23:01:00.000+01:00

Preston Bailey Celebrations: Lush Flowers, Opulent Tables, Dramatic Spaces, and Other Inspirations for Entertaining
If you regularly read my blog you will already know that I am a great fan of the legendary Preston Bailey, florist to the stars, (my birthday is also coming up soon and a couple of people have asked me what I would like so heres a hint!!!!) Preston has just brought out his new book Celebrations, his books like his flowers are always works of art, if you are looking for some serious wedding flower eye candy check out his previous book But be warned you will need a big budget to recreate alot of his designs!!! Ah well a girl can dream! you can find fantasy weddings here: Preston Bailey's Fantasy Weddings, click on the link above for celebrations! Happy days!

Shabby Chic!

2010-03-23T00:05:00.003Z

if you are looking for another easy peasy and usefull wedding favour why not try something like this? Kind to the environment too.......
buy some packets of heart shaped cookie cutters then just tie on to the back of a chair, leave on a napkin, or if you are feeling rally creative bake a bag of cookies to go with this, decorate with some pretty ribon ....done!
Sometimes the simplest things can look so well, save up those cans instead of binning them, wrap a pretty ribbon around them and fill with some nicely open roses, to create that country feel, budget won't stretch to flowers?
Don't Panic!
Save the cans wash them out, fill with water and freeze. Arm yourself with a nail and a hammer and a teatowel. (mind your hands!)Punch the nail into the can to create holes -you can make a paper template if you need to, you can make hearts, stars, or just lots of small holes, dont forget to punch a hole at either side of the top of the can too, so that you can thread some pretty ribbon through to make a handle, pop a tealight inside and you have a pretty little lantern, use to line a pathway or as a focal point on your tables, these look really pretty at night and are very easy to make, my kids always make them at christmas with stars and they are so cute!

Cube it!

2010-03-21T20:54:00.005Z

Love this idea from big huge labs and thought it would make an original favor box and a nice keepsake for your guests, you can find all the instructions here http://bighugelabs.com/cube.php It's easy peasy, you just upload your pics, press create and print! Also make really good dice, if you have kids and if you are like us and alway end up losing it! (the dice that is!!!)

There is also a template for a c.d cover as well which could come in handy for brides and grooms who are hoping to make cd favors. you can find it here:http://bighugelabs.com/cd.php

Rain Rain Go away!

2010-03-18T22:08:00.002Z

Ladies you will be hoping the rain wont go away with these beautiful yet functional new Wedding Umbrellas, available to buy or hire, contact us for further details.

Belated Happy St. Patricks Day from Miltown Malbay!

2010-03-18T12:30:00.002Z

Eco Friendly Seed Favors!

2010-03-09T16:14:00.011Z

If you are looking for a cost effective, easy to make and eco friendly wedding favor then you've found it! These little seed packets are easy to make and also a lovely reminder of your wedding day for your family and friends to enjoy.

What you need:

You will need to collect the cardboard tubes from toilet rolls or rolls of kitchen paper ,

A few packets of seeds,

some stamps or ribbons, markers etc to decorate,

and a stapler.

How to Make:

for each paper towel roll you'll get three, about 3" wide seed packets. You can make them samller if you like, this will depend on your seeds and how much you are giving. Flatten the rolls, measure how big you want them and cut, then stamp to decorate and decorated in whichever way you prefer, staple one side, add your seeds then staple the other side.Bigger seeds such as sunflower seeds work best if you are just satpling or you could insert a full packet of small seeds if prefered. The seeds shown are Four O' Clock flower seed for a wedding that starts at four o clock!

New Webshop goes live!

2010-03-01T02:09:00.004Z

Our new webshop is finally up and running! I am sure that there are bound to be some teething problems and it will take me a while to stock it with all of the new products but check back regularly to see whats new! If there is anything that you would like to see please let me know as I may be able to source it for you - Maureen

Nice to See you.............. to see you nice!!!!!

2010-02-22T13:35:00.005Z

Thanks to everyone who visited our stands yesterday at Dooley's Hotel, Birr and also at the Bellbridge House Hotel, Spanish Point, It was nice to meet you all and we look forward to helping you plan your perfect wedding day.

Lovin This!

2010-02-20T23:54:00.003Z

This is where I go if I am looking for a bit of eye candy and some window shopping therapy!
If you fancy a peek you can take a look here: http://www.polyvore.com/ I love the way they put their mood boards together, I think they're just great! hmmmm...... must just remember to do the lottery!!!!!
Glitzy & Glamarous sparkles by Fashionmint(Catching up & Busy) featuring RM by Roland Mouret dresses

Items in this set:
Isa dress, $3,070
Report Signature Newbury 2 - Gold, $160
Stella mccartney bags, 665 GBP
Chanel Logo Earrings with Rhinestones
Alexis Bittar Amaryllis Flower Pin :: TWISTonline, $240

Spring into Action!

2010-02-18T15:10:00.005Z

Planning a Spring or Easter Wedding and looking for a theme? Why not use birds? For some great Diy tutorials and birdie cake topper ideas and paper crafts visit here: http://www.lalalaurie.com/these crafts are so cute!

Karen and Joe's Wedding at the Star of the Sea Church, Quilty, County Clare and the Armada Hotel, Spanish Point

2010-02-13T20:28:00.005Z

It was a beautiful day in Quilty, County Clare, Karen the bride, looked beautiful in her gown, which she made herself! She also made the bridesmaids dresses and the fabulous flower girl dress! and how cute is she! (the photos do not do any of these dresses justice!) Hopefully she was happy with her flowers! Then it was on to the Armada hotel in Spanish Point for the celebrations!

Congratulations to both Karen and Joe.

A touch of Vintage style!

2010-02-05T14:49:00.005Z

Anyone who regularly reads my blog will already know that I love anything that can be done with my glue gun! And the quicker the better! Well you wont find a much quicker or easier idea than this to add a touch of vintage style to your reception tables! This is a really great way to also use up some of your left over lace from your wedding dress or coat if you are having it made, and if you are only at the buying fabric stage get a couple of yards extra. If not try and get a bit of sale lace or if this is even outside the budget you could always buy a packet of doilies which would give the same effect. As for the glasses anything goes, try saving up some jam jars, baby food jars or sauce jars to add some shabby chic style to your tables!

So first of all get your lace or doilies and cut them into shapes around the flowers if required and to the required heights, then either paint them with some clear drying glue like pva glue or a paint on starch or spray them with a good quality starch to make it stand good and straight. Leave to dry.

Next simply get your glass container, wrap the lace around to fit and glue it on with the glue gun.

Add a candle or t light & voila! Beautiful yet inexpensive table centers for your tables.

And last but not least I just wanted to share this gorgeous cake picture with you, I think this is Class! You can still have your traditional white cake and surprise your guests when you cut into it with this truly modern twist! I am sure that most confectioners and cake makers could recreate this for you easily. Yum, it makes my mouth water!

Have Fun!

Maureen

Kinnitty Castle Wedding Fair 2010

2010-01-25T10:14:00.006Z

Thanks to everyone who visited our stand yesterday at Kinnitty Castle, There was a great turnout! It was such a lovely day too, and everyone enjoyed the beautiful Scenery around the Castle, and it was so nice to see the fires burning out around the grounds and thankfully I did int bump into the monk or his small apprentice!
Thanks also to Sarah and Denise for staying all day and helping me out!
If you missed the Kinnitty Castle Show you can see us at the Bellbridge House Hotel in Spanish Point, County Clare on the 24th of February or at Dooleys Hotel, Birr which is also on the 24th of Feb!

Come & visit us this weekend at the Kinnitty Castle Wedding Fair

2010-01-22T11:41:00.005Z

Hi Everyone!

Lots of you have been ringing me or e mailing me to find out whether we will be exhibiting at the Armada Hotel Wedding Fair this weekend, unfortunately due to a prior commitment, we will not be attending the armada this year, however if you are in the midland region we will have a stand at the Wedding Fair in Kinnitty Castle this weekend and would be delighted to meet with you and discuss your requirements. As for all of the Armada brides, I will be here in County Clare all day on Saturday and can still fit in a couple more consultations, so if you are going to be in the area for the weekend, please do give me a call and we can arrange to meet up on the Saturday.

Soory for any inconvience that this may cause, but as you know this is the silly season for wedding fairs and sometimes things get a little out of hand!!!

For all of you County Clare Brides who wish to meet up with us we will be exhibiting at the wedding fair in the Bellbridge House Hotel, which is happening on Feb.24th, so we would love to see you there, As always we can also do alot online and would be happy to go through your requirements by e mail or telephone if any of these do not suit.

Anyway where ever you end up, I hope that you have a really great weekend!

Maureen

DIY - Mass Scrolls instead of Mass Books!

2010-01-19T11:07:00.007Z

Sometimes the most simple things are the best, if you are struggling with trying to get your head around the traditional Mass Booklet then why not take a lead from the Americans, who are opting instead for a Mass Scroll! These are very easy to make yourself and can be colour co-ordinated to match your theme, also they would look really pretty in a basket with matching ribbons, here's some ideas for what you may like to include on them:
Your names,
Date, location and time of ceremony,
The order of events for the wedding ceremony, including titles of readings and songs,
The names of the wedding party,
Names of your parents, clergy, readers and musicians,
Thank-yous, dedications and remembrances.
Remember it's your day, so do it your way!
Maureen
On a slightly different note, a friend of mine has just launched his first album, so he is looking for hits on you tube, every hit counts so if you like this video please look for gravel poets on you tube! (or request a radio station to play them!!!!)If you live in the Dublin area and would like to come along and see them you can find the list of upcoming gigs on their website : http://gravelpoets.com/fr_index.cfm you can also buy this song or indeed the full album by clicking on the cd baby box on their site

Black and Cream mood board/Inspiration!

2010-01-18T10:29:00.003Z

Heres another mood board for all of you ladies who are thinking about having a black and cream or black and white themed wedding.

If you have a colour that you would like to see on a board please let me know and I will see if I can find one for you,

Maureen

The Wedding Journal Show

2010-01-17T21:25:00.008Z

The Fashion show was good, I loved the dancing & it seemed to be great fun for the models

"Ethnic Zone"

Loved this stand, think it should win the best stand award!

It was really nicely put together and I just loved the chandelier!

It was for the Hamlet Court Hotel

I went to the Wedding Journal Show in Dublin this weekend

Checking it out for all of you brides that couldn't make it!

Although the show itself was well laid out and the fashion show was great with a real buzz about it, I have to admit that I was so disappointed with the stands.

There seems to be no recession in Dublin is all that I can say as very few of the stands had any special offers worth talking about and the standard of alot of the products such as flowers and cakes wasn't really what I would have expected, but then I am very critical when it comes to flowers............

as you know!

I have to say that I tasted the most AMAZING Wedding cakes that I ever had, in yummy flavours such as lemon and chocolate made by a Dublin based company called Creative Cakes, their web address is: http://www.creativecakes.ie/ ,

If you are in the Dublin area you should definitely check this place out first, but be warned you will get fat!!!!!!

I loved the cake stands by jacqueline french: http://www.blogger.com/www.jacquelinefrenchireland.com these will definitely add a bit of bling to your wedding!

And the ice sculptures by Diamond Ice Sculptures http://www.diamondicesculptures.com/

were just stunning!

I also saw my old friends from the County arms hotel, who always do top class weddings :

http://www.countyarmshotel.com/wedding-hotel-birr

and I thought that the Vard sisters and celtic dancers were great!

As for the NEW Ethnic Zone, I was dying to see it but to be honest it was a little disappointing really nothing new, Oh and I thought the Wedding runners were just gorgeous as usual, if you are buying one please say we recommend you to qualify for your discount!

Anyway as for me I''m glad to be home with my feet up and a lovely cup of coffee!

Maureen

Feeling Blue?

2010-01-15T23:32:00.004Z

I have been busy this week making up some floral mood boards, for brides that have enquiries regarding different colours, I'm loving the colours of this one in particular and so I thought I would share it with you, I actually had this colour for my own wedding so I suppose it is a colour I have always liked, will show you another one during the week!
Maureen

Diy Personalised Wedding Favor Donation Cards

2010-01-15T11:05:00.006Z

Lots of couples are opting to give a donation to a charity in Lieu of Wedding Favors, and although some charities give a favor packet or scroll to say that the donation was given, I thought that this idea was a really neat and cost effective way to personalise it. You just go to : http://www.moo.com/en/ and click on mini cards, then use your own image and it will let you upload your own images, you can upload as many pics (from just 1 but up to 100 )as you like and they will print them out, then just use a puncher to make a hole and tie a ribbon through, they cost only £11.99 for 100 mini cards, but you can get reductions for the bigger amounts, they would also make really good save the date cards or an individual thank you (you could put wedding pics on these!) I'm loving this site right now, I made some of these as Christmas gift tags & just ordered some cool new mini cards to use as business cards!

Maureen

I spy.......a way to keep the kids occupied!

2010-01-12T16:17:00.008Z

I came across this idea on Martha Stewart you can find the full tutorial here: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/decoration-templates#slide_17

I thought it was a great way to keep some of the older kids and perhaps some of the younger ones! occupied during the wedding and is a great thing to add to a goodie bag etc if you are making them for the kids at your wedding, and as Marthas site says, you never know but one of them might even take the best shot of your big day!

Easy D.i.Y Favor boxes!

2010-01-03T17:02:00.003Z

I came across this tutorial on you tube recently while looking for a way to make a box for a small christmas present, I think it it so easy anyone can do it and it struck me that it would be a great way for someone on a budget to make their own favor boxes at only a fractio of the price! If you have a good art supplies shop near you you can buy some really pretty card stock or just get plain and print a pattern on it from your p.c, you can always pretty them up afterwards with some pretty ribbons and samll silk flowers etc, this tutorial makes a fairly big box for favors but when you get used to making them you can easily modify it to suit the size you need.

Have Fun! Moe

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T23:45:00.001Z

Best Wishes to all for 2010!

Candlelight Wedding in Parteen

2009-12-30T16:12:00.007Z

How Pretty is this Church in Parteen?

I did a candlelight package yesterday for a lovely bride Denise, the rain bucketed down and it was SO cold!!!!! but the bride was still smiling and Happy!
The Church looked beautiful in al of it's Christmas finery and as the wedding was at 3pm,
the lanterns looked lovely and welcoming

After all the rain and cold I was looking forward to getting home and putting my feet up in front of the fire but wasnt prepared for all of the snow that they had while I was gone! It was building all day so I was lucky to make it back as it was high and hard to travel on but I took my time and eventually got home to that lovely warm fire!

Don't Forget! Our Lantern Packages start at only €280!
Also if you book any Lantern Package you will qualify for the reduced rate on any chair cover bookings starting at only €2.00 per chair including bow, set up and free delivery in county clare.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T21:53:00.002Z

Hope all of our blog readers have a very merry and peacefull christmas and best wishes to you all for 2010!

Lovely Diy Pew ends for your wedding

2009-12-22T10:49:00.005Z

With their whispery petals and luminous silver centers, the tissue-paper flowers that bloom on this wintry wreath look as if they were plucked from a fairy tale. Perhaps more magical is the fact that this inexpensive pew decoration won't wilt or fade, so you can make as many as you need well ahead of time.
Tools and Materials:

Low-temperature hot-glue gun,

About 51/2 feet of 1-inch-wide silver double-faced satin ribbon

6-inchStyrofoam disk (1 inch thick)

White tissue paper 20mm and 30mm silver-ball floral ornaments

White floral tape
Wreath How To 1. Cut out center of disk, leaving 11/2-inch-wide ring. Hot-glue ribbon to inner and outer edges of ring.

2. Make flowers; you'll need about twenty for one wreath: For one flower, trace a round object on tissue paper to create three 3-inch circles; cut out. Stack circles; poke wire end of one or two floral ball ornaments through center. Slide circles up wire, ruffling them as you go, to shape petals. Wrap base of flower and wire with floral tape; trim stem to 11/2 inches.

3. To secure each flower to wreath, apply a dab of hot glue on ring, insert stem through glue into foam, and press flower base onto glue. Leave a 1-inch gap bare for hanging ribbon. Loop a 24-inch length of ribbon around wreath at gap; spread petals of adjacent flowers to cover (add flowers if needed). To hang, tie ribbon ends, and slip over removable self-adhesive hook placed upside down inside pew (check with church about restrictions first).

Ta Da!

all credits go to Martha Stewart which is where I found this great tutorial you can find it here:

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/portal/site/ww/menuitem.460039687ea4fc3df8aeef105173a0a0/?vgnextoid=b1dd74d30f783110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&backto=true
And of course as always if you love this idea but dont think that you could do it we would be happy to make them for you!

We are also adding a new online shop to our website at the moment where you will be able to purchase all of the things needed to make our Diy projects so check back in the new year!

D.I.Y Personalised Matchboxes

2009-12-17T16:39:00.006Z

This is a really great idea on how to make your own personalised match boxes that I saw on Style me pretty, So I had to share it with you, its so easy to make them and you could pretty them up with some really nice paper etc anyway here are the instructions:

Materials:
matchboxes,

kraft paper (or any color or decorative paper you plan to use)computer/printer (if you plan to print out your design),

ruler, Cutting Matscissors/razor, bladeglue stick such as pritt stick etc., (or tacky glue) pencil, cardstock

Step1:Design the front and back images and insert the images into a Word document and create a template. This takes some trial and error to make sure everything is aligned properly. You can use my Word template as a starting point.
Step 2: After the images are printed, use a ruler and razor blade to cut out the strips (leave a little more room width-wise to make sure there’s enough paper to cover the original matchbox cover). I also made a simple window template out of cardstock so I can measure the length of each strip. You may be able to create gridlines in your Word template but this is how we made ours.
Step 3: After your personalized matchbox cover is cut out, unfold the original matchbox cover (a hairdryer does help this process).
Step 4: Use a glue stick to apply adhesive to the original matchbox cover. Then, line up your personalized cover with the original cover (making sure to line up the top edge as close as you can).
Step 5: As each matchbox slightly varies in width, it’s important to leave a little more room when cutting out the strips. At this stage you can go back and cut out any additional paper visible.
Step 6: Apply glue using a glue stick or tacky glue to the bottom of the strip and glue back together the matchbox cover. (I used bobby pins to enforce the glue and let it sit over night.)
Step 7: After the glue has dried, insert the box of matches back into the cover and ta-da! Your very own personalized matchboxes!!

(I do love those Ta Da moments!!)

Come & Visit Us at Doonbeg Golf Club

2009-12-03T10:44:00.004Z

This Year on Saturday the 12th of December & Sunday the 13th of December, the Courtyard of the Lodge at Doonbeg Golf Club will be transformed into a Wonderful old World town square, a Christmas market following in the grand tradition of cities like Vienna, Munich & Prague, featuring stalls stocked with retail items ranging from fine wares to handmade crafts and Christmas treats. It is your chance to enjoy stress free shopping in a traditional festive environment.

We will be there with a wide range of festive wreaths, bouquets and table arrangements , so why not drop by and say Hello, we would love to see you. Admission is FREE and there will also be Carol Singers and of course the man himself will be there to keep the younger ones Happy!

The Market will be open from 10am - 8pm in Saturday the 12th of December

and from 10am - 6pm on Sunday the 13th.

Looking Forward to Seeing You!

Free Wedding Photographs Anyone?

2009-12-02T14:39:00.005Z

Yes that's right, I did say Free! Check out the beautiful images above, they are by a very talented Lady called Lindsey Power, I find it so hard to tell that the top one is a photograph it is almost like a painting! Her work is SO PRETTY and this very talented Lady also does the most amazing artwork! Lindsey is currently expanding her portfolio to include Bridal work and is offering her talents FREE to the next two Lucky Brides from county clare,(but she may go as far as galway or limerick!) who contact her, all that you will have to pay for are any photos that you choose, this is a really unbelieveable offer. To contact Lindsey or to check out some more of her work visit her website http://www.lindseypower.com/ and of course, don't forget to tell her that you heard of her here! So Ladies on your marks....................................!

Easy Christmas Bouquet Idea

2009-11-29T21:31:00.003Z

Recently, I have heard lots of Brides discussing the merits of having flowers for a Christmas Wedding and should they be silk or real as many florists seem to have problems supplying them. Personally I never had a problem with getting flowers at Christmas time, but when I came across this idea, I just had to share it with you as I think it is easy enough for most people to chance making themselves and can be made way in advance and you could even scent it if you are organised enough! I think it would only be enhanced by adding some flowers to it (silk or real) white roses, orchids or even carnations would be beautiful and of course you could colour co-ordinate the ribbons to match your colours. To scent the pine cones you would need to have them at least 8 weeks in advance of when you want to make the bouquets, put them into a shoe box lined with a roll of cotton wool and add some drops of essentail oil in the scent that you like, you can get a cinnamon scent, rose scent, pine etc. Cover them with some more cotton wool and leave in a hot press or somewhere warm, take out every couple of weeks and top up the scent, after a few weeks they will maintain the scent, these are also really good for christmas potpourri.
Then simply wire the pine cones and group together to make the bouquet, add some pretty lace and some ribbons and you're good to go! You could also have your florist make these up for you, any good florist should be able to do them. And of course you can keep them and use them as christmas decorations next year!

Easy Christmas Centerpiece

2009-11-27T23:39:00.004Z

Materials Required:

■Cylindrical vase or clean empty can
■Two sided tape (found at most hardware or scrapbooking stores)
■Rubber band
■Candy canes
■Wide ribbon (must be wider than rubber band)
■Roses
Instructions:

1.Wrap the two sided tape around the vase/can once approximately halfway down the vase/can. (The two sided tape will help keep the candy canes from sliding out from under the rubber band.)
2.Slide rubber band around the vase/can.
3.Begin inserting the candy cans behind the rubber band.
4.Tie the ribbon around the vase/can taking care to cover the rubber band with the ribbon.
5.Fill with water and arrange roses.
Another “Bride Idea”: Use mini candy canes and baby food jars or small fruit cup cans to create small individual vases which can serve as place cards. Just attach a label with your guests’ names to the ribbon

Chair covers, - why limit yourself to one colour?

2009-11-26T14:12:00.006Z

Pink & gold Organza
baby pink & black Satin

fushia pink & Black Satin

baby pink & chocolate brown organza

Coffee & Cream Satin

Cream & Mint

O.k. Ladies (& Lads!) It's time to step up to the Mark!

Why Limit yourself to just one colour when you can have two! (or three!)

Do every second chair or every second table with a different colour to give your venue a wow factor and match your colour scheme!

Having a Black & White Theme?

Why not alternate tables of black chair covers with white sashes and tables of white covers with black sashes .

The sky really is the limit!

We would be happy to suggest colour options for you that will work with your wedding flowers or wedding colours.

Easy Christmas Centerpiece and Place cards

2009-11-25T12:47:00.007Z

Here's another quick and easy centerpiece for all of you christmas brides out there

Buy some boxes of christmas baubles and use them for your christmas centerpieces,

you can get a colour to match your theme,

Or if you have a bigger budget get some clear baubles and some battery operated fairy lights,

and layer them in a bowl together for a great effect!

You could also add stars, pine cones or christmas sweets to the bowl,

or add a couple of small seasonal flowers or some mini roses,

and perhaps layer a little christmas pine underneath for a lovely christmas scent

First place some baubles in a pretty glass bowl.........
(they don't all have to be the same you could use "fishbowls"," brandy glasses", "Martini glasses" or "sweet dishes" Vary the heights

Layer the fairlights in between.......

add a couple of stars and ........Voila!

Of course you need place cards to match so why not liven up some plain baubles in contrasting colours(see instructions below!) and add a little tag with each persons name
Or if you have added pine cones to your display,

Glittery pinecones make wonderful wedding favours and/or place card holders at a christmas wedding or winter wedding.
This pinecone painted in icy winter colors with sparkling glitter accents is perfect for a wonderful favour for your holiday guests. Create one for each place setting at your holiday table, then insert a slip of paper with the guest's name in the leaves of the pinecone. At the end of the evening, everyone will have new ornaments to bring home and hang on their own trees. What a wonderful way to create long lasting memories of your wedding. (instructions also below)

For the bauble place card you will need:

• A baking sheet
• Kitchen aluminum foil
• 3-inch-diameter glass ball christmas ornamentwith removable metal cap
• 6-inch square Styrofoam block
• Drinking straw
• High-tack white glue
• Micro glitter in coordinating color

Directions
1. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil. Remove cap from glass christmas ball and set aside.
2. To facilitate decorating, place Styrofoam block on cookie sheet and stick straw in center. Insert cap end of glass christmas ball on straw.
3. Make swirl design or other desired design on surface of christmas ball with nozzle of glue bottle.
4. Sprinkle glitter over glued areas. Let dry completely. Shake off excess glitter. Replace cap.
You've now got customized Christmas Wedding place cards that double as wedding Favors!

You can also try getting glue "pens" and writing the name of the person on the bauble, sprinkle glitter over, leave to dry completly, then put the date on the other side, thus creating a lovely keepsake for your special day, (this would be very time consuming so may be a good idea to do for just the top table?)

For the Snowy pine cones

You need:
• Kraft paper
• Small pinecone
• Rubber gloves
• Spray primer in white
• Gloss spray paint in mint blue or green
• Spray adhesive
• Plastic winter snow
• Fine glitter in warm highlight
• 1/3 yard of thin silver twisted cording
• Scissors

Note: Always work in a well-ventilated area when using spray paint.
To make:
1. Cover clean, flat work surface with kraft paper. Place pinecone on paper.
2. Put on rubber gloves. Apply thin coat of spray primer to pinecone. Let dry completely. Apply one or two more coats of primer, as necessary. Let dry completely.
3. Apply thin coat of spray paint to pinecone. Let dry completely. Apply one to two more coats of paint, as necessary. Let dry completely.
4. Apply fine mist of spray adhesive to painted pinecone. Wait 5 minutes or until cone is tacky.
5. Lightly sprinkle plastic snow on pinecone until it sticks and desired effect is achieved. Take a pinch of glitter and sprinkle over pinecone. Let dry completely.
6. Make loop with silver cording and tie in double knot around top prong of pinecone. Trim ends.

These would look beautiful on top of crisp white or red napkins with
a little sprig of christmas holly or ivy.

(and don't forget the christmas crackers!!!)

D.I.Y - Floral Table Plan

2009-11-20T15:58:00.004Z

Another D.I.Y tip for all of you!

Click on the picture to enlarge,

You could also make this up using Ivy or fake Flowers, for a christmas wedding you could also stick on some pine cones or baubles,

For spring/summer some butterflys or little birds,

Could also embelish with sequins and glitter!

You can also get some really pretty hat pins (your florist should be able to get some for you!)

Or if you are lazy like me you could just use the glue gun and glue everything on!!

Whatever you choose - Have Fun!

Maureen

Centerpiece Idea

2009-11-19T09:52:00.004Z

The Painted PotsCovered Toilet Rolls!

The Finished Product!

Here's a quick and easy project for all of you D.I.Y. Brides!

It's also great when you consider that it is virtually free to make and using mostly recycled things thus helping the environment!

So What you will need is the following:

1 x Pot for each centerpiece,

Some Large Twigs From the Garden or ask for Mitsumata or contorted willow at your local florist

lots of old toilet rolls,

Some fabric or wallpaper to match your theme,

Some fringe, ribbon, feathers, boa, or beaded fringe (try hickeys)

Some crystals or Glass beads with holes in top,

Some Moss

Thin wire or see through thread(fisherman's thread)

Some Plaster of Paris (or a small bag of cement)

& Some Small Flowers to decorate (silk will work best here but you can use real if you have time the morning of the wedding!)

and a glue gun is also a great help!

Begin by painting your pots in colours to match your chosen theme,

You could spray paint the bottoms and just paint the collar by hand if wished
Pick out one two or three branches per pot depending on size of pot and size of branches,

Make up plaster of Paris (or cement) following the instructions on the packet,

And add to the pots, with the stick(s) inside, holding them in place until they set

Cover the old toilet rolls with the fabric or wallpaper, using the glue gun

(or failing that double sided sticky tape!)

& don't worry if it doesn't quite cover the ends as your ribbons etc will cover them anyway

When they are dry have fun sticking on your embellishments either end of the tubes, you could just put a simple strip of satin ribbon in a complimenting shade either side or whatever you wish

Make a couple of small holes in one end of the tubes and thread them with the invisible thread or wire which will be used to hang them

Hang them on your tree, along with the crystals or glass beads

Use the Moss to Cover the bottom bit where the plaster of Paris is and randomly glue on some small flowers to the tree

Stand Back and admire your work!

(Use your imagination for these trees, they can look so Fab, you can also try these ideas,

if you are having a Christmas wedding, how about adding a set of battery operated fairy lights to each tree (Dunne's have some fabulous one's at the moment with little stars on) Or buy them now and save them for your summer wedding if you just love the fairy light effect!

Use strings of Pearls if you are having a pearl themed wedding (you can also pick these up very easily at the moment look out for tree garlands)

You could hang small Christmas decorations from the branches

If you are having a spring or Summer wedding why not try adding butterfly's, lady birds or small birds to the branches

Hang strips of organza ribbons with diamante hearts or ovals from the branches

O.K that's enough from me, I hope I have helped, If you make one of these please e mail me a picture, & I will "showcase it here on my blog, I would love to hear your ideas too, or if you have something that you would like to share please e mail me!

Have Fun!

Maureen

Red Christmas Theme - Floral Mood board.

2009-11-18T10:17:00.005Z

As Promised here's not one but two red mood boards for your chrstmas theme! I love the idea of the little snowy christmas tree in the cloche for a table center, these would also make great gifts for aunties etc to take home at the end of the night. They can also be planted which makes a really great memento of your wedding and is also "green" and helping the environment. I love gold with red but you can just as easily use silver if that is your preference. For a red and gold theme think lots of candles in red and cream with gold bouillion wire wrapped around them, lots of gold baubles and red and gold ribbons, pine cones, and berries,(if you are not getting married untill next christmas start collecting in the jan. sales!) add a sprinkling of fairy lights but with gold accents instead of silver and again make use of christmas trees, if you can find mini ones real or fake they make great table centers, dont forget your tables accent them with pretty red and gold christmas crackers and red ribbons on crisp white napkins.................
And if you are brave enough to wear a red dress, check out the stunner above, it's by Ian Stuart, I so LOVE, LOVE, LOVE his creations, there is also a really fab hat that goes with this dress (and yes it also comes in white! & Ivory)You can find it here:http://www.ianstuart-bride.com/docs/5.param_dress_masquerade.html
I have also found a really great idea for table centers which I will share with you ..........................tomorrow!
See you then!
Maureen

Save Money on your Dream Dress while helping someone else

2009-11-18T00:12:00.004Z

If you are still searching for your dream dress do you know that some of the better known charity shops sell new and almost new Wedding dresses and actually have specialised Bridal shops of their own? Many of these dresses are sample dresses donated by designers or bridal shops at the end of the season to enable them to make way for new stock, dresses start from €70! You can check out Oxfams Wedding Boutiques here: http://www.oxfamireland.org/oxfambridal/contact.htm and also Barnardos here: http://www.barnardos.ie/our_shops/our-wedding-boutique.html
Happy Hunting!!!

Ferrero Rocher Place-Cards

2009-11-17T14:47:00.003Z

I recently did a post on how to make Ferrero Rocher trees, but just came across this idea, which I think is really great and easy to make, just print out your guests names onto some nice card stock and perhaps you could put something like "Our Wedding" or the date or your names on the other side Put a cocktail stick in the center and glue the two sides together. Once dried stick into a single ferrero rocher et voila! Sometime simple is best!

Winter Wonderland anyone?

2009-11-17T11:11:00.005Z

Ooooooh! O.K. so I admit, I love Christmas! and although I love the summer and the sunshine it's somehow nice to get back to crisp cold days with a lovely fire inside! (although I do hate the rain!!) But this time of year I get alot of brides asking about Christmas weddings and winter themes, what can we do to make it different? Well you can do alot! You can go for a lovely silver and blue theme as above or an equally beautiful red and gold theme (maybe I will do that tomorrow? Check back!) And although I think that the picture on the bottom left (with all the Christmas trees) is a little in the extreme, you could achieve something a bit more subtle by using the same idea. let your imagination run wild! Think Fog machines, and lighting effects with snowflake filters, beautiful iridesent snowflakes on the tables and lots of fairy lights. You can make beautiful and not very expensive table centers by using some of the plants that are available such as small christmas trees with snow or gittered finish and put lots of pincecones and t lights around the base of them, If they come in plain pots just spray paint them in a colour to match your scheme. Or how about some nice glass hurricane jars filled with baubles and fairylights? Put a cracker at each place setting and you could also pick up some inexpensive chocolates in the shape of christmas trees or snowmen (the type that you hang on trees) and tie one to each napkin with a piece of ribbon. Of course if it all seems like it's just too much work, we would be happy to do it for you! Check back tomorrow for the red and gold theme!

Preston you are an Inspiration!

2009-11-16T23:24:00.005Z

Any of you who know me or regularly read this blog, know that I spend alot of my spare time surfing the internet in search of inspiration and new ideas for wedding flowers! One of my all time favourite floral designers is Preston Bailey, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE his work! Check out these amazing floral sculptures that he created, they truly are a work of art!

Preston also recently designed the Wedding Flowers for the Wedding of Billionaire Heiress Ivanka Trump (daughter of Donald & Ivana Trump) & her long term boyfriend Jared Kushner
in a star studded ceremony in Trump National Golf Club in Bedminister New Jersey, as always the flowers were beautifully elegant & classical without being overpowering!, I can but dream that one day I will have an unlimited budget to work with!!!! Click on the pictures to enlarge - there is a SERIOUS amount of roses in that Chuppah!

Preston we are not worthy!!!!

Ivanka Trump with her husband Jared Kushner

The beautifully decorated golf club, where the ceremony took place

Preston with the Happy Couple

Hi to everyone that we met yeterday at The Falls Hotel Wedding Fair in Ennistymon!

2009-11-16T13:39:00.006Z

a big Hello to everyone who came along to see us at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon yesterday, it was great to get to meet you all in person! Please contact us if you would like additional quotes or if we can help in any way!

Friday the 13th! Jacintas Wedding at The Star Of The Sea Church Quilty, County Clare & Afterwards at the Armada hotel, Spanish Point

2009-11-13T21:56:00.007Z

O.K, I should have known when I took the booking for today Friday the 13th that Murphys Law would apply (anything that can go wrong..........!) but all is well that ends with a Happy Bride!(& Groom!)

Today was the Wedding of Jacinta & Dermot in the Star Of the Sea Church in Quilty, but a clerical error put a Funeral and the Wedding back to back, leaving a window of only 45 mins between the funeral and the wedding, which of course didint leave me with much time for floral arrangements! (No slacking today then!)

My long suffering husband offered to come & lend a hand but he woulding really have a clue what to do............Thankfully an Angel came to my rescue in the form of My friend Maeve (check out her fabulous handmade wedding invitations here: http://www.maevekeaveycreations.com/) She really was a Star, she tied on all the bows on the seats, lit all the candles and was a generally great help. So we got it done by the skin of our teeth! And the bride was delighted with the results! (Phew!!!) Next time there is a Friday the 13th I'm staying in bed!!! Hope your day was good!

And Hearty Congratulations to the Happy Couple! (who I'm sure had a great day!!!)

How to make sweet topiary trees

2009-11-09T16:35:00.009Z

I am often asked about Sweet topiary trees are they easy to make, I am happy to make them for you if you think that they are too time consuming or would be equally happy to supply th Oasis Balls so that you can make your own. The most popular types of topiary trees are probably the ferrero rocher trees and the strawberry trees, but you can make them out of any kind of sweets or even lollipops!

They are really easy to make you will need round oasis balls, or styofoam balls, wooden dowels or good quality natural twigs for support, and a pot for each tree, which you could decorate or paint or if you are good at decoupage you could put pictures of the bride and groom or names and the date.......(you get the idea!) you will also need a glue gun, some curling ribbon,some toothpicks, and a pretty organza bow to tie on the tree to decorate. You will also need a bag of plaster of Paris.

Firstly cover your ball with a couple of sheets of cellophane or a light crepe paper.Center the end of the wooden dowel at one end of the Styrofoam or Oasis ball. Push the dowel into the ball firmly. Do not push it all the way through, however push it far enough so that the weight of the sweets on the ball later will not cause it to fall off the dowel. You can also put some craft glue on the end of the dowel to ensure it stays in the Styrofoam ball.

Make up the bag of plaster of Paris according to instructions. Fill up your pots to 3/4 full and leave to set for a couple of minutes, center the other end of the dowel or stick into the plaster of paris and hold for a minute untill set, you now have your tree! Once the plaster of Paris is set you can cover it up with either some moss or some crushed cellophane or material or crepe paper.

Decorate by either sticking a toothpick into your sweet and then into your tree or by just using glue to hold them on if you are using a glue gun be carfeul as they get hot and you do not want to either burn yourself or melt the chocolates! Fill in any gaps with some curling ribbon or crushed crepe paper and tie on your pretty bow.

Yoou could also use strawberries which have to be attached with toothpicks but are really nice for a summer wedding, you could make variations on these by first of all dipping them in chocolate or white chocolate and or dipping them in sprinkles.

You could use toffees, fudges, roses, quality street, lollipops anything that you can get your hands on! There are so many Variations. Most of all have fun and dont eat all the goodies before they get to your tree! Also your tree does not have to be made of sweets (although that is my favourite kind!!!) you can use dried rose buds, try using small christmas tree ornaments at christmas, in different sizes and colours or pine cones, the possibilites are endless! The foam shapes also come in a tree shape so you can make little trees also. You could also have two or three balls on larger dowels but would need to secure these with a dollop of glue. And of course you can always add a bit of ivy along the stem if wished!

Have Fun!

2009-11-05T23:45:00.004Z

If you are looking for a really great band for your big day then you should check these guys out - they are SMOKIN! The Marvels are based in Cork but will travel, be warned though they book out Fast so if you want them book them NOW! You can also check out their website here: http://www.themarvels.ie/ giving your reception the WOW factor!

More Lovely Lanterns & Candle light Church Packages!

2009-10-25T22:49:00.004Z

Lovely new cutwork lanterns
And T light candle holders

New Packages on the website!

With Everything you need for your candle light wedding!

Just took a new shipment this week of (YET MORE!) Lanterns!

Packages have duly been created and added to the website.

Hadn't time to photograph them all yet but will add them soon as possible!

& Remember book ANY Candle light package or Wedding Flower Package and avail of our

Chair Cover Hire Package with whilte & white from only €1.50 per chair!

See Website for further details.

Eye Candy!

2009-10-18T23:28:00.004+01:00

I am always on the lookout for new ideas for bouquets and just came across these fabulous pics on this blog http://flowerwildevents.blogspot.com I love the traditional style of bouquet mixed up in this way with a modern mix of flowers and wonderful jewelled colours, it really is lovely to look at and because there are so many colours in it it will work on so many levels. So come on all you Brides for 2010 & 2011: Be inspired!

Vanessa's Wedding at Inagh Church County Clare & Burkes Armada Hotel

2009-10-17T12:52:00.010+01:00

A Close up of the brides bouquet and bridesmaids flowers Old fashioned lanterns but with a modern twist at the front of the church

Altar flower Arrangement

The windows were decorated with wrought iron candle holders & ribbons

Chair covers for the bride and groom

the Aisle was decorated with simple floral pew ends and organza bows

Vintage Style Rose Topiarys at the door

Vanessa looked Stunning and carried a bouquet of pink and ivory roses with both a modern touch in the form of diamantes in the rose heads & a vintage touch with a vintage type brooch attached to the handle

As promised here are some more pictures of yesterdays wedding in Inagh Church and the Armada hotel in Spanish Point. Vanessa was a really beautiful bride and seemed happy with the flowers that I created for her! Congratulations to both Vanessa and her husband!

Preview of Vanessa's Wedding at Inagh Church county clare & the Armada Hotel Spanish Point

2009-10-16T21:44:00.004+01:00

Full story tomorrow!

Sarah & Keith's Wedding at Spanish Point & The Armada Hotel

2009-10-09T21:49:00.009+01:00

Close up of brides bouquet of roses, freesias, gerberas and orchids
Corsage for mother of bride

Close up of bridesmaids bouquets

Family pic outside church with The Brides Mother & Bridesmaids

The Bridesmaids coming to meet the bride

Sarah & her Dad

Checking out the reg on the car!

!!!

The altar with t lights & Hurricane lamps

Tree Lanterns in porch.

The Christening Font

View from the middle of the church

(with front seats tied with string to keep seats for family members!)

Altar Arrangement

Pillar Arrangement

Close up of Candle Lanterns

A close up of Pedestal, because the bridesmaids were wearing deep purple, I used Purple Alliums and Liatris with lovely delphiniums & amaranthus

The Beautiful Church at Spanish Point

Candle Lanterns and Pedestal in Porch

Sarah & Keith
Congratulations to you both!

And the cleaning up afterward is never so bad when you have a bit of help!

Here is my helper Aoife outside during the tidy up!

Dreamy the Doormouse - Too Cute!

2009-10-05T22:24:00.003+01:00

I just came across this really cute story, about Dreamy the Doormouse! So if like me you love a little "cuteness" then you need to click here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1141364/Enjoying-nap-petal-Even-photo-shoot-doesnt-wake-Dreamy-dormouse.html To read Dreamy's True Story!!!

Another Great Wedding Offer!

2009-10-04T22:34:00.011+01:00

New for 2010!

Lovely new Range of Lanterns on Order!

Package Deals in the Process!

Sample Package:

A Pair Of Bay Trees Outside the Door,

12 x Candle-lit lanterns(dressed with Ivy),

2 X Lanterns for use in Hall or at end of Aisle,

Chair Covers for the Bride and Groom,

Complimentary Use of Organza Bows to use on the other Pews,

Tealights for your Altar Area,

All FOR ONLY €250!

This is a great Package deal that will have your church looking Really full and welcoming

This Package may be purchased alone or in Conjunction with a Floral Package,

Or to compliment another package such as our Wedding bouquet deal: http://macsflowers.blogspot.com/2009/09/wedding-bouquet-deal.html which includes all the flowers you need for your wedding party!

And you can also get the Chair Cover Special Offer in Conjunction with this offer!

We would be happy to create a bespoke Wedding Package for you at a cost that will suit you,

For your FREE Wedding Consultation call Maureen on 087-7825-176,

Or e mail us at info@macsflowers.com

This Offer is available in Counties Clare, Limerick, Galway, Offaly and Kildare and Kerry, set up is Free although delivery may incur an additional cost depending on location please call for further details.

Personalised Wedding Runners

2009-10-02T15:09:00.009+01:00

Fantastic New Range of Personalised Wedding Runners available to Order NOW!!

Can be made into a hall rug or Wall hanging after the Wedding to keep as a lasting memento!

Call Maureen now on 087-7825-176 for Further Details!

Please order in time to avoid Disappointment!

Ooooh So Excited!

2009-09-29T19:01:00.006+01:00

Just recieved shipment of lovely new black chair covers and also lovely range of new chair hoods and organza sashes. Ooooooh they are just gorgeous! I am espically loving the platnium satin bows with black chair covers, and the sequinned chair hoods with white chair covers, also am doing a really nice corporate party soon and the lady in question has chosen to go with a red and purple theme so we will do a combination sash, I love this colourway and also purple and red flowers, it will be absolutely stunning! Also Check out the pretty diamante heats on the white and sequinned chair they are so cute! and don't forget to check out our special offer for 2010, and book your wedding flowers now to qualify for really great discounts on our fabulous Chair Covers and accessories!

So what IS your style?

2009-09-29T12:09:00.003+01:00

Time and Time again, brides ask what to bring with them when coming to meet up with me to discuss their wedding flowers. But what kind of flowers should I choose? Is the question most often asked of me. Well What you should choose is what you Love! If you Love Sunflowers use Sunflowers! If you love a Vintage look, use old fashioned flowers like peonies and full blown roses! Everything is Possible and can be recreated, but first of all it is important for you to let your florist know what your personal style is. So Back to what should you bring! Well you should first of all arm yourself with some wedding magazines and a big envelope! Now go through those magazines and cut out any pictures that appeal to you, and equally if there is something that you totally hate cut that out too. Now Stuff that evnelope! the more that you can bring the easier it is for your florist to get an idea of flowers you love (and equally flowers you hate!) It is also important for your florist to get an idea of the style of your dresses and of course the colour, if you have chosen the colour it is helpfull to take along a small scrap of the colour of the bridesmaids material so that your florist can match the colour. Also if you are planning on having a theme it is important to discuss that too as your florst may be able to help or suggest items that you can use. So Now you have a slightly better idea of what you need! Ready, Set.........Go!

Budget Planner

2009-09-26T21:43:00.004+01:00

With the current monetary climate the way it is at the moment(we won't mention the R word!) We are doing our best to help you out by creating great offers that cant be missed! (don't forget to check out our great chair cover and fairylight backdrop deal!) So with all of this in mind we have also created a budget sheet for your use with a calculator attached, you can download it : by clicking here Hope you find it usefull! We are also working on guest trackers which will be available for you soon and will help you to keep a track of your guests and Pressie lists!

Very Special Offer on Chair Covers & Fairylight Backdrop!

2009-09-22T19:10:00.005+01:00

Special Offer For 2010! Get All your Chair Covers with a choice of any colour sash in organza, and Hire of Our Fairy light Backdrop with matching fairy light cake table and top table lights and 10 siver candleabras with Ivy, 10 x mirrored based and 30 t lights for bases all for an Incredible €995!

(a very small amount of terms and conditions apply, please ask for details)