Loretta Stagen Floral Designs

South Farms in Morris, Connecticut is a special venue for weddings and no wonder. Its setting and its historic farm buildings are quintessential New England, situated in one of the prettiest regions on the planet. It was perfect, in other words, for the wedding and reception of an American bride and Finnish groom, both outdoorsy types who love to sail and hike. The couple selected a “woodlands theme” for their wedding; they wanted the celebration to reflect their passions. It seemed right to choose flowers that would trumpet their happiness, and moss to conjure the magic of the forest. And so I got to work-- festooning the arch that would serve as the backdrop for their outdoor ceremony with one hundred white and green hydrangea, and assembling centerpieces of hydrangea, ranunculus, double lisianthus, and local dahlias for centerpieces to station along moss runners. Lady’s mantle, galax leaves, seeded eucalyptus and needlepoint ivy for did yeoman work as embellishment. The glas...

A bride’s gown seemingly spun from gossamer thread.   Linen dresses dipped in natural dyes for the attendants in the subtle rainbow of colors one encounters in the forest. A homemade carrot wedding cake and cupcakes and a Ceremony at Lemonade Lake. Talk about a storybook wedding. Because the bride’s favorite flower is ranunculus, I took varieties of them as my starting point, adding lisianthus, eucalyptus, and spring green Western ferns for an understated, but glorious, mix. These were ingredients that could be playfully repeated in the bridal bouquet, the bridesmaids’ bouquets and in the boutonnieres. For the centerpieces, I included an abundance of grey-green eucalyptus and forest green Italian Ruscus.   Using these same materials, I also created a 30-foot garland for the bridge railing that led guests to the Ceremonial area at water’s edge. The couple was married under a rustic arbor that looked as if it had been gathered from the nearby ...

What do palm, banana and monsters leaves, pine tips and pine cones have in common? For me at least, they bespoke of the favorite haunts of the two nature lovers who were about to tie the knot. It was my happy task to work these elements into large and elegant wedding at Manursing Island Club in Rye, NY, drawing upon a palette of white and green. And because the bride’s family splits its year between Rye and Bermuda, I had the mother of the bride’s white coral collection to draw upon as well. For the ceremony at the Church of the Resurrection, I had decorated the pews and altar with a variety of white flowers, lady’s mantle, seeded eucalyptus, grevillea and galax leaves. As the bridal party proceeded down the aisle, the bridesmaids’ deep navy dresses served as brilliant backdrops for the floral confections of white and green I’d made as bouquets. Shortly thereafter, as 285 guests gathered under a glistening tent, centerpieces of roses, lisianthus, freesia, hydrangeas, hyp...

August is the ideal time to enjoy life on Candlewood Lake. Last weekend hosts Greg and Laura invited their friends to a very special summer party. Laura had selected periwinkle blue and shades of white as the color palette. She loves hydrangeas, so I ordered periwinkle hydrangeas (imported from Holland) as the favorite flower to be included in all of the designs. Cocktails were enjoyed under the blue skies around the cocktail tables which were decorated with small centerpieces (similar to the ones on the dining tables). The guests then moved under the tent to savor the dishes prepared by Bonni Manning Catering while viewing the lush centerpieces which included hydrangeas, roses, mini calla lilies and scabiosa. The colors were set off by the shimmering pewter tablecloths.  Tall dramatic arrangements with similar flowers (and including periwinkle blue hybrid delpheniums) decorated the buffet table. The guests were very impressed with the location of the private ...

Nestled in the Pocantico Hills, New York, the former Rockefeller Barn is now the home of the Blue Hill Restaurant….a fabulous location for a wedding. Guests gathered in the courtyard under blue skies to witness the marriage, held under a dramatic archway covered with white spirea. The Bridal bouquet featured white Dutchess d”Amour peonies….created European- style with half of the peonies (the ones in the center) still in bud form (just about to open). The surrounding peonies were just beginning to open. The Bridesmaids’ Bouquet included green hydrangeas imported from Holland with white ranunculus and blue grape hyacinths (which perfectly matched the color of the dresses). All of the centerpieces were green and white (hydrangeas, freesia, ranunculus and phlox) arranged in very special baskets , handmade from small branches. With a mixture of both round and rectangular tables….the presentation was extraordinary….Very sophisticated country look.

Both the Ceremony and the Reception were held at the Greenwich Country Club. A beautiful Arch covered with masses of hydrangeas and roses was the focal point of the Ceremony. The Bride carried a bouquet of white roses and mini cal la lilies as did he r Bridesmaids ’ who wore magenta dresses. The flower girl was a happy member of the Bridal Party. She knew just how to please the guests. When the guests entered the ballroom they stepped into a room of romance featuring dramatic, tall centerpieces with hundreds of roses, Hawaiian dendrobium orchids and hydrangeas, sitting atop classic silver candelabras.

Loretta Stagen Floral Designs recently created special bridal designs for a wedding reception held at the Torrington Country Club. The guests were greeted by a large dramatic arrangement of Casa Blanca lilies, Hawaiian dendrobium orchids, roses and snapdragons. At the base of the classic grey urn were little pink boxes (filled with chocolates) labeled with guest’s names and table numbers. They matched the pink roses and snapdragons in the arrangement. The Bride’ dream was to carry just white phaleonopsis orchids. She loved her custom created bouquet and to make it extra special the stems of her bouquet were wrapped with a piece of lace from her mother’s veil. The Bride loves turquoise and so…the Bridesmaids’ dresses and the tablecloths/napkins were all her favorite color. The flowers she selected: green hydranges and shades of pink roses.