THE PERFECT MARRIAGE

Family Style Food + Tons of Tiny Table Arrangements

Designing a functional wedding table that delivers on style goals

For the last few years, farm tables + family style dinner service have been at the top of most bride’s lists. Long farm tables create an elegant look in any venue, and the popularity of family style serving can be attributed to the fact that it isn’t as fussy as plated, but feels more elevated than a traditional buffet.

Despite the popularity of this combination, there are multiple design challenges that this pairing represents. Farm tables are usually longer than they are wide, while family style dining requires multiple large platters on the table at the same time, which eats up table real estate. While ordering larger farm tables is an option – this results in higher costs as larger farm tables aren’t standard at most venues or rental companies.

If you’re “married” to the idea of family style serving, traditional vase arrangements usually have to be made smaller in order to compensate for the number of dishes on the table or are sometimes removed altogether once food service begins. This is a major bummer for both the bride and the florist after all the time we’ve both spent working on the vision for the wedding.

At Ash + Oak, we’ve solved the family style conundrum – so you can have your (wedding) cake and eat it too. Multiple small arrangements dotted on the table provide visual impact and still allow space for plates, serving platters, and cutlery. On a long farm table, each cluster of guests can admire the unique arrangement placed in front of them – as well as be wowed by the sheer number of arrangements in the room.

Photos by The Allens Photography + Olivia Richards Photography

VOW RENEWAL

Nevada City Vendors

Two weeks ago we joined creative forces with 4 amazing women vendors Alyssa Keys Photography, Tin roof farmhouse, Sun House Video and Rebel Pioneer Bakery. We set out to Jackass Flats right outside of Nevada City for the prefect boho styled shoot turned to vowel renewal. The couple was so adorable, while they were standing at the altar they took a moment to renewed their vowels with tears and laughs. Plus the two missed out on cake cutting at their first wedding so this time around they had a blast with it. Check out our boho mustard yellow vibe wedding!

TIPS TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS

11 Tips and advice we recommend for saving money. Yes, there are ways to save money and no one will think your cheap.

1.Mix and match your centerpieces. Use a combo of small, medium, tall, garland and bud vases for your tables. If you want the extra large tall centerpieces but you don’t have the budget than mix and match. DON’T ask the florist to use the bridesmaids bouquets as centerpieces. If they suggest it, go with it. But a good florist knows it's not gonna look as good. Trust me your guest know what your doing. See below for my 5 TIPS on what NOT TO DO.

2. Keep your guest count under 150. It’s so easy to bust a $1,500 budget when you have over 150 guest. Reality is you’re going to spend about $100 a table at the bare minimum plus your bridal party and what not.

3. Use large blooms instead of filler flowers. Trust us we know ranunculus are the coolest flower ever but they don’t take up a lot of space in your bouquet or centerpiece, that’s why they are known as filler flower. Roses may seem boring to you but there are so many different types and man they are beautiful. What us floral designers will supply, are not those god awful grocery store super tight red roses. No, they are open and smell as they should.

4. FYI Garland is expensive. Want to know WHY.... It takes so much more time to make and it’s hard on our bodies. The average florist can make an arrangement within 30-45 minutes from start to finish. Your 6 ft of garland for one table can take anywhere from 1-3 hours. It’s not in water so it’s also time and weather sensitive. Add delivery and maybe a few flowers that's even more labor and more money. There goes your budget.

5. Keep your bridal party small. The average bridal party Ash + Oak had in 2018 was 7 on each side. See below how much you can save.

Bridesmaids 7x $95 = $665

Groomsmen 7x$20= 140

Total=$805

OR

Bridesmaids 4x$95=$380

Groomsmen 4x$20=$80

Total=$460

Saving= $355

Save even more and just pick one MOH and one groomsman and save hundreds. Can’t cut your party down then ask for bridesmaids crowns, hair combs, arm band, corsages instead of bouquets. Try something new and exciting but cheaper. If your wedding is on the casual side have the groomsmen just wear pocket squares.

Spend that extra money on the bigger installation, nicer linens, better booze or your honey moon. 

6. Get married on the off season. If you live in California like we do, we can get most flowers year around plus the weather is pretty perfect for most of the year. Trust me your flowers and guest would prefer a early spring outside wedding than sitting in the blistering sun in August. Also you can’t use delicate flowers if you have an outdoor wedding because the sun is melting everything including the guest and you in your makeup. The wedding below was on December 9th in Mendocino. The couple had a beautiful outdoor ceremony and indoor reception. Winter weddings can be just as beautiful.

7. Trust your florist to pick the best of the best flowers for your budget. Don’t put limits or restrictions on anything. The more flexible you are, the more they can do. The event below had a very very limited budget but they let us do what we do best. It ended up looking like they spent a ton of money because I got to make ex large centerpiece but with greenery and cheap seasonal flowers. Take a guess on how much this cost me to make?

8. Let the florist do what they can do best with ribbon. The current trend is extra long silk ribbons in two or three colors. If you don’t have to have it, ask for shorter ribbon for your bouquet and the bridesmaids. This may decrease a little cost, not always but it’s worth a try. Those long ribbons run us anywhere from $30-$45 for 2-3 ft which isn’t very long once you wrap it around the stems a few times. The couple below went with shorter ribbon to save a small amount of money.

9. Don’t pay for strike or clean up. Florist charge more because it isn’t fun waiting around for 6 hours after they have worked a 12 hour day that started at 4am to clean up after you and your guest. Find that one family member or friend that is dying to help but you don’t really want them to, to be in charge of taking everything down or returning the vases back to your florist. Sometime coordinators will offer this too and it maybe cheaper to get them to do it.

10. Aisle Chair decor or pew decor. Is a waste of money for a low impact. We do recommend adding something but make it a big impact or can at repurpose. Ask for arrangement in a vase or foam that can transfer the reception. Again ask a family member to handle this so you don’t have to pay us to move anything.

11. Flower girl crowns and petals. Trust us almost 75% of the time the little girl wont be wearing the crown you just spent $35 or will only toss one petal ($25-$30). If they are 6 years or older buy it otherwise, these kids are wasting your money. Yes it’s super cute but a waste. If you want petals down the aisle spend the big bucks and have us arrange them for you. This extra money can go to cocktail arrangements for cake flowers for your naked cake.  

Things to think about…..

Flowers cost money. Just like a caterer who has to buy food or your bartender who buys booze, your florist has to buy the flowers and they cost a pretty penny. Sometimes we have to ship them, and then we always have to clean them, treat them, and keep them cool over the 4-5 times they could be handled before they go into an arrangement before your wedding so there's a lot of heavy lifting and labor included in the cost. Plus the water to keep them fresh, the supplies like buckets, shears, tape, wire, vases and so much more. We aren’t coordinators that just need a computer for admin or photographers that pay for equipment for the year, we have to buy all our materials and supplies for each wedding. Are actually profit is much lower than most people think.

Delivery, handling and labor is expensive for us too. Minimum wage is $15 an hour in the Bay Area and the cost of living in the Bay is out of control. A small business like a floral designer can’t execute a 200 person wedding by oneself in the two hour window. Especially not if you want a ceremony backdrop, garland, and the world. We have to pay for our employees too and it take two to three people to make your day look flawless. Plus gas, I try to fit 20 pieces in my mini Mazda but it doesn’t work. We have to drive vans and the gas for those babies are high. Since we are in the bay we have tolls to get to and from the city that add up quickly.

We start building your wedding the Wednesday before a Saturday and work 12 hour days for 4 days on our feet. We have to get up as early as 4am to pick up flowers. This job is labor intensive, time sensitive, cold and wet. We aren’t reusing the same playlist like your DJ, we are just like your just like your caters. We only have a few days before things go bad and we can’t reuse your leftovers.

If one florist was way cheaper than the rest your are going to get what you paid for. Yes, everyone starts at the bottom and will give it all away for free to get experience. Do you want to risk that on your wedding day, the day you have been dreaming about for years or at least planning and taking up all your time this past year. NO . You want a florist that will spend the extra time, has great attention detail and will deliver best quality and service possible. You get what you pay for.  So…. here’s an example of what you should expect.

Below is an example of our average wedding with 150 guest wedding in 2018:

Simple Backdrop $750

Bridal Bouquet $275

Bridesmaids (3) $255

Groom bout $25

Groomsmen bout (3) $60

Centerpieces (15) $1875

Cocktail (4) $100

Welcome Table $175

Cake Flowers $25

Plus tax, delivery, handling, labor

=$4540

5 Tips we DON’T recommend for saving money. You think no one will notice but your guest will.

1. Using your bouquet and the bridesmaids for centerpieces. There are two main reasons. First your bridesmaids have been carrying them around for the photos and laying down whenever they can. They are not handling them with the correct care to keep them looking fresh. If you’re getting married in the hot summer the bouquet has been sitting out in the hot sun, out of water for at least an hour. The petals will start to wilt or look broken from getting placed on tables, chairs and the ground. Second there is no way the bouquets will match the look of the centerpieces. The guests sitting at the table with the bridesmaids bouquet will clearly know you didn’t pay for a centerpiece. Do use them in the bathrooms or dessert table where guest aren’t really looking and think it’s a nice additional touch.

2. DIY. No matter how much time you think you will have you don’t want to be stressing over flowers. These babies are time and weather sensitive. Your friends and family want to spend the morning with you, relaxing not building arrangements. Trust me, when I get married I will not be doing my own flowers. I will be hiring another company to work for me. I wouldn’t even put my assistant, who would be attending my wedding through that. It’s not fair to assume your friends don’t want to have time to get ready for your wedding. The last 5 weddings I was invited to attend after I designed their flower was not how I wanted to feel. I did not get the time to shower after running around all day in the hot sun. Had no time for makeup, hair or even brush the dirt of my nails. Don’t do that to your friends or family.

3. Don’t use fake or silk flowers. Yes, they last forever but they are more expensive than real flowers and what are you going to do with them? Also they are UGLY.

4. BUY your flowers from Whole foods. Yes, they offer weddings and if you want basic ugly flowers than be my guest but your not going to get your Instagram or Pinterest bouquet. No one working at Whole foods has training like a real florist. I know I started in a grocery store and I wouldn’t want the bouquets I would have made for you.

5. Don’t be sneaking and say you’re eloping to try and get a better deal on a bridal bouquet. It’s the same price. Plus we follow and are friends with photographers. We will find out you had your mom or another florist make the centerpieces, when it’s clearly stated in our contracts you can’t book another company. This is just rude.
   
   

That’s me on the right. You can’t tell but I have blood running down my legs because I broke a vase. That’s why I’m not wearing shoes, I had glass stuck in my heels and no time to get it out. My hands look like I have been gardening for days. I was too afraid to hug my best friend because I didn’t want to ruin her dress with my hands or my awful smell. Don’t do this to your friends and family. Hire a professional. BTW this is my last wedding I”ll ever do for a friend. I want to be a guest just like everyone else.

TIPS FOR CREATIVES IN BUSINESS

1. Find your brand and stay true to your brand. This wont happen right away but once you know, you will know. It’s like saying “yes to the dress”.

2. Community over competition. Working together will help you learn more and be inspired. Don’t copy others but talk with other creatives in your field. It feels great to share your experiences, and hear others. Find someone to mentor, this will help you develop your skills and make you feel great about yourself. I wish someone would have taking me in when I was starting.

3. Try new ideas and don’t hold back. Push yourself, it will only help you find your niche. If you don’t try it you wont know. But don’t try too many things you get are sinking.

4. Hire professional to do the things you don’t know how to do. At the begin you may not have money, so do it yourself. Once you have a little money outsource as much as you can. This will leave so much extra mental space in your life to focus on what makes you happy, creating.

5. Take breaks when you feel burned out. If you don’t you will run yourself into the ground. Pick a day, a few hours or a month to do something just for you. I take at least one vacation or a month off in January each year. At the end of the wedding season I live for my time off and turning my email on vacation mode.

6. Network. Duh, but it’s true. I am not a social person unless I am with my friends but once I went to a few events and pushed myself it slowly became easier and easier. Now I can walk into an event and socialize, maybe meet one client or at least be inspired by the others in the room.

7. Do not devalue your work. We need to make sure we are getting paid for all of our time. We often are quick to give a discount just to get a client but in reality we aren’t doing ourselves or our business justice. If another client comes your way and you know they can’t afford you (as I can’t afford myself) but you love them and really want to work with them, maybe give them a discount in exchange for total creative freedom or social media content. I suggest creating a budget for the year. Only offer so many discounts or a number of discounts. Once you hit your quota you are done for the year.

8. Timing. Do not get down on yourself if your plan is not going accord your timeline. Sometimes things happen over night but not always and not for everyone. We get lost and want everything to happen right away because Instagram lives seem so easy. Your business may not be going the way you want it but maybe your personal life is or vice versa. We can’t have it all.

9. Be good to your body. Most of us creatives we use our hands, our feet, and we stand or sit for long periods of time. We need to take breaks and stretch, replenish our bodies with food and water. Don’t wake up in 20 years, where you can’t lift a paint brush because of carpool tunnel. Stop and focus on what your body needs at all times.

10. Find something that always gets you in the grove. I listen to Bon Iver every time I am having a block, hungover or another rough day. As soon as I play Bon Iver the juices start flowing. It’s my starter song. Once I am in the mood I switch to electric dance for a wild colorful wedding or 70’s rock for a boho themed wedding, find your thing. If you don’t like music maybe it’s a cup of tea or 10 minutes of meditation. Find a go to, to keep you inspired.

Thanks for letting me share my tips for creatives. I hope this helps a few of you wild and out of the box thinkers.

RACHEL + ANDREW Cuffey's Cove Wedding

We are super excited to post about Rachel and Andrew's wedding. The two got married on a beautiful foggy day in August at Cuffey's Cove Ranch. The fog was perfect for their boho 1970's vibes. Rachel wore a boho crocheted long sleeved dress with a suede and fur coat. Andrew wore the prefect blue suit. They got married up on the hill of Cuffey's Cove under a Teepee tied off with brown leather and adorned with our flowers in the shades of orange, tans, brown and a toch of burnt red. 

The best part was the tea and lounge tent. They had two Glamping tents outside the barn. One for hot heat and lounging over pillows and blankets. The other was a large open air lounge tent with beautiful furniture and a bar. 

It was a lovely affair. 

Flowers by Us!

Venue Cuffey's Cove Ranch

Coordinator Fern Foot Events

Photography Sara Byrne

Linens La Tavola