Loretta Stagen Floral Designs

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 ...

It had the makings of a storybook wedding: childhood sweethearts, and spectacular views of the golf course at The Waramaug Country Club and of Lake Waramaug’s sparkling waters. Photo by Keane Eye Photography at Lake Waramaug Country Club With such ingredients already in place, I turned to glorious, old-fashioned lavender and white flowers to make this bride and groom’s celebration all the more special. The result -- as sweet as the young couple –could have served as inspiration for a succession of Victorian-era valentines. Centerpieces of scabiosa, calla lily, larkspur and white veronica complemented the bride’s bouquet of lavender and baby’s breath and groom’s matching boutonniere. (I repeated the floral mix in the aisle chair décor.) Votive candles brought these lovely wooden tables to life as the sun began to set. Meanwhile the couple supplied joy and exuberance. It was simply a stunning event.

American Gold Cup Equestrian Event Old Salem Farm, North Salem, NY While it was basically a “first world problem,” and not the devastation and heartbreak that was unfolding as Hurricane Irma ripped north from the Caribbean to Florida, a portion of my flower order, the 500 Ecuadorian roses, was stuck in the Miami Airport. With the prestigious American Gold Cup competition at Old Salem Farm in North Salem three days away, I knew I’d have to scramble if I were going to guarantee delivery of 88 centerpieces on time. When snags like this happen, having contacts and experience really helps. My dear vendor, Chris, at Dutch Flower Line in the NYC flower market sprung to my aid -. voilà, this was the result. The roses were a hotter shade of orange than I’d ordered, but sometimes serendipitous outcomes turn out even better. These arrangements, placed in wooden cubes of various sizes, and in custom made grey wooden containers , served up scrumptious mélanges that includ...