Loretta Stagen Floral Designs

Destination weddings are usually a three-day event. Part I of this weekend was at the incredible rehearsal dinner held at Hidden Court, Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Guests were escorted through the courtyard to the room overlooking the Koi pond. There they found the escort table…where they looked for their seating cards which rested atop a bed of wheat grass: In the living room, this dramatic arrangement of roses and scabiosa pods sat on a sideboard. It was created in a large square glass container, lined with ti leaves. Bright oranges and shocking pinks were featured both in the house and in the tent. After enjoying cocktails on the back terrace … overlooking the endless meadow and the Atlantic ocean …on a “perfect” weather day….the guests walked to the tent where they were awed by the decorations on the French farm tables and the spectacular buffet table. The long centerpieces, which included an abundance o...

"Wedding season is here again, and Loretta Stagen, a transplant from the state's Gold Coast happily acclimated to western Connecticut, is fired up with enthusiasm and ideas. Yes, the recent royal wedding and the U.S. Color Council 's 2011 palette can't help but influence choices in style and color, and the average spending for one family's personal extravaganza could easily buy a mid-size car. Stagen has overseen flowers at weddings over the top as well as modest, and she believes beautiful bouquets and arrangements can go a very long way to setting a tone. On a recent Friday at her studio in New Preston, she was working on a wedding for a bride with only $1,400 to spend on flowers. The solution? A large arrangement that would be mounted on a pedestal for the service and a bouquet of double white freesia, snowy sweet peas, and purple lianthus and anemones. "This is going to be elegant and gorgeous," she declared, "and well within her...

Nestled in the Litchfield Hills, Winvian is the perfect location for a sophisticated country wedding! Alicia and Tim were married there in the gardens under a spectacular wooden arch, covered with an abundance of white bridal spirea and white mock orange branches. The cedar arch had a special meaning since it had been custom made by the bride’s father. All of the aisle chairs were accented with all white posies (white lisianthus, white bridal spirea and curly willow). These posies were enjoyed a second time at the reception, which was held in The Gordon Brown House, a newly renovated barn on the Winvian property. The beautiful bride wore a short white gown AND peacock blue shoes. Her white and lime green bouquet featured Polar Star roses, lisianthus, ranunculus, freesia, viburnum and Lady’s Mantle. The handle was wrapped with peacock blue ribbon – an exact color match of her shoes. After the Ceremony guests enjoyed cockta...

An event produced by Elegance in the Country, a special group of talented vendors, on Sunday, April 10, 2011. T he newly renovated barn at Candlelight Farms is the perfect party venue for the host/hostess who wants a beautiful country setting… with views of horses, fields, gardens and a lake. For last Sunday’s party, Sarah Pineault/All Seasons Rentals, selected earthy tones for the tablecloths: terra cotta and lime green. What a perfect palette to work with. To add a little zip, I complemented these colors with bright orange and purple. One of my designs featured orange parrot tulips and purple vanda orchids. Surprise details… notice the one vanda orchid glued onto the outside of the container. A second design was created in a “cutting edge” rectangular container and included orange pincushion flowers, fiddle neck ferns and one aubergine mini calla lily. The polished river stones at the base of the container were an important feature. Another design incorporated gr...

-- photo by Rich Pomerantz www.richportraits.com -- Bright colors are very popular this season. A combination of hot pink, apricot and orange with the textures of tulips and roses is very "cutting edge". Here the flowers are loosely arranged in four 4" glass cubes with swirls of soft stem green wire inside the container... placed .at the base of the tall arrangement (which was created atop a rectangular glass container 4" x 4" x 24". (see next photo) -- photo by Rich Pomerantz www.richportraits.com -- Using the same color scheme with tall flowers to create a dramatic centerpiece atop the tall glass containers ..flowers .included hot pink peonies, orange "Free Spirit" roses, pink hydrangeas, white French tulips and white dendrobium orchids. The matching spring green wire swirled inside the tall clear glass container. Every bride I talked to at the show was impressed with this color scheme. Note the white damask table cloth (Par...

The wedding was held at a private home located at the top of the Appalachian mountain range in Sharon, Connecticut . From the Ceremonial area, guests were awed by the beautiful view of hundreds of acres of trees…which were beginning to show their bright Fall colors. Photo: Jen Huang Photography The Bridal bouquet featured purple hydrangeas, purple lisianthus, aubergine calla lilies with accents of white: Polar Star roses, mini calla lilies and freesia. Credit: Jen Huang Photography After the Ceremony, the guests were bused to the wedding reception…also located in Sharon… in farm country. Cocktails were enjoyed outdoors, under the blue skies of this perfect autumn afternoon. When the guests entered the tent…they were greeted with elegant country décor: tall trees decorated the center poles (which were filled with tiny votive candles)…and lush floral arrangements (matching the colors of the Bridal bouquet) decorated the tables, sitting atop beautiful tablecloths. It was a very special ev...

If you could put all of the perfect ingredients together…. a beautiful beach setting on Block Island, perfect weather, a happy bridal party and guests, delicious food, amazing music and fabulous flowers…you have described “the” September destination wedding. A large bridal party (Bride and Groom, eight bridesmaids and seven groomsmen, all elegantly dressed…but wearing sandals as they walked the distance from the house to the beach. The Ceremony was held in front of a white trellis, covered with yards of white organiza fabric and decorated with seashells The Color scheme: sky blue and lime green!! The Bride selected a bouquet featuring blue hydrangeas and white mini calla lilies with a collar of lime green Lady’s Mantle…while the bridesmaids wore blue dresses and carried all lime green flowers: hydrangeas, green tea roses and lime green spider mums. After the Ceremony , the guests walked to the outdoor cocktail area…for summer drinks and hors d’oeuvres...Everyone happily gathered under ...