Loretta Stagen Floral Designs

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...

The stage set was a landscape worthy of a Connecticut Impressionist painting. The ceremony took place in the spectacular gardens of the groom’s grandparents overlooking acres of treetops. The focal point was a simple arch of birch limbs decorated with tendrils of gerber daisies cascading from the structure. During the ceremony the couple exchanged custom leis which matched the bride’s stunning sari. This was a wedding of two families celebrating love and culture and beauty, seemingly all at once. After vows were exchanged, the 150 guests moved inside a pristine tent, where colorful orange, hot pink and spring green centerpieces of roses, dahlias and ladies mantle were featured. The flowers were tucked into birch containers which complimented the beauty of the wooded hills beyond. Connecticut in summer is a sea of greens and on the very best of days, gently rustling breezes. I suspect this elegantly understated wedding was one guests and family will remember.

What makes a wedding special? Sometimes it’s as simple as using flowers from the mother of the bride’s cutting garden. I thought of this recently as I filled buckets with flowers for a bridal bouquet for a summer wedding at Great Hollow Preserve in New Fairfield. Photo by Anna Beeke As it turned out, zinnias of many varieties and colors, dahlias, phlox, daisies, Queen Anne’s lace and peegee hydrangeas – made for a sumptuous summer mélange that worked wonderfully in many combinations. I loved the way the Queen’s Anne Lace mirrored the lace in the bride’s lovely gown; and that simple birch branches, topped with a spray of delphinium, hydrangeas and snapdragons, was transformed into a ceremonial arch. Photo by Anna Beeke Photo by Anna Beeke Photo by Anna Beeke The bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnières, 108 centerpieces and large stand-alone arrangements drew similarly from this charming floral palette. Antiqued metal containers and long wooden farm tables completed...

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...

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 ...

The topic was trends in floral design, and I’d brought some amazing materials to work with. Roses, peonies, ladies mantle, cock’s comb, green and white hydrangea, lisianthus and Bella Donna delphinium were the undisputed stars of the afternoon. We played with a number of ideas, from container selection, to palettes of color and texture perfect for the season ahead. We created everything from a table centerpieces of varied white flowers that would be perfect at a summer wedding, or a fiery of orange and green mélange of flowers with tangerines as accents that seemed to cry out for the sounds of a Cuban bans. One again I reminded people that simple seasonal arrangements feels right at this time of year, whether it’s this ethereal delphinium arrangement with a collard of ladies mantle, or lush peonies grouped in glass containers of three. Hope I inspired everyone to be creative.