Timeless & Classic

Calla Lilies are a great flower because they are so simple and yet so elegant. They have such a clean line and simple shape to them that can be used in almost any type or style of arrangement.

Calla lilies come in the large open cut style (shown in picture above) and also in a smaller miniature size. Calla lilies also come in many different colors as well but usually only in the miniature size.

Do you love calla lilies? What is your favorite?

Yay!! It's wedding season!!

We are so excited to have so many incredible brides right now. What a fun time of the year!

When you come to Rachael West Designs for your wedding consultation, there are several things we recommend you bring.

~PICTURES!! if you have them, bring them!
~NUMBERS of tables, centerpieces, parents, grandparents, bridesmaids, groomsmen, and any other people participating in your day, numbers of pews/chairs are just the beginning.
~SWATCHES of your colors are very helpful.
~CONTACT INFO for your venues.

The more information you can provide, the better or clarity is for your vision. We look forward to meeting with you and can't wait to help make your fairy tale wedding come true!

To book a wedding consultation, please send and email to Rachael_West_Designs@yahoo.com or call 828.326.7100 and leave a detailed message.

Centerpieces

Here are some sweet and simple cube centerpieces we did for a wedding dinner.
The bride found a picture in a magazine of a similar arrangement
and we re-created it to fit her budget.

It was wonderful to take simple elements and create something so sweet.
A perfect February arrangement!

Q & A

Question: Will you travel to Charlotte to do a wedding?

Answer: YES! Of course!!

Over the past few years, we have been privileged to do projects in many of the surrounding areas to us. We have had clients from Boone, Lenoir, Hudson, Granite Falls, Lincolnton, Gastonia, and many more. We are thrilled to travel from Charlotte to Asheville and everything in between. Last month we even had a bride contact us about helping with her event in New Orleans!

So, yes, if you are looking for a florist who just loves to help make fairy-tale wedding dreams come true, give us a call. We are always thrilled and honored to participate in any special event.

We look forward to your call. 828.326.7100.

DIY Wedding Flowers

1. Keep it Simple: The last thing a bride needs, is to be worrying about wiring and taping flowers on her wedding day. Pick arrangements that create an impact, but require minimal labor and preparation time.
   
2. Be Organized: Make sure before you begin you have all of the materials and supplies you need. Check your vases carefully to make sure they are clean and any price tags have been removed. Create a plan for transporting your arrangements to and from your venue.
   
3. Classic Flowers: Pick flowers that are easy to acquire and even easier to work with. Roses and lilies are often times good choices.
   
4. Practice, Practice, Practice! The morning of your wedding is no time to be experimenting with new flower designs.
5. Have FUN!
   

Wedding Show

The wedding show at the Mosteller Mansion was so much fun!
A big thanks to all those who worked so hard to make it so special.
I personally met so many wonderful vendors that were really kind and generous. I look forward to working with them in the future to help create
truly wonderful and unique weddings here in Hickory.

Mosteller Mansion Wedding Show

This beautiful spring arrangement sits well over 4 feet tall.
The base below contains a sweet little bird sitting on a branch while up above 3 shades of tulips and snapdragons reach out to welcome any viewer. Rising up above are branches
with sweet spring blossoms
and little birds resting on them.

This weekend the Mosteller Mansion will be hosting a wedding show. The above arrangement has been made and will be featured at the Mosteller Mansion in the booth for Village Kitchen. I

We absolutely love Paula Shelley, owner of Village Kitchen, and her staff. She has a beautiful place located on 127 in Hickory. Not only do they serve breakfast and lunch, but she has art classes once or a month or so in the evenings along with dinner. If you have not yet tried Village Kitchen or have not yet met Paula Shelley, you are really missing out!!

Wedding

"Hi Rachael,

Just wanted to say thank you..everything turned out beautiful!!!!"

Wedding Flowers

(This picture was taken at a wedding show at the Hickory Convention Center.)

"What would a wedding be without flowers?"

Wedding season is upon us and it is just wonderful! There is nothing more special that being able to participate in the simple beauty of a wedding ceremony.

Our calendar is filling up fast between now and September. Please remember, we only take one wedding per week to ensure we give it our best attention and the quality it deserves.
If you would like to contact us for a free wedding consultation, we would love to hear from you.

Some important items to know and to bring to a wedding consultation are:

date and location of event, directions and contact info for venue locations,
number of bridesmaids, groomsmen,
age/size of flower girl and ring bearer, numbers in wedding party,
colors of clothing being worn,
number of tables for centerpieces, guidelines relating to decor at church,
and any swatches or pictures you may have.

Don't forget you can always bring a friend!!

Flower Care Tip

Gerber daisies are another flower that sometimes droop easily, and of course, it's always at the worst time! So, few tips to keep your gerber daisies looking great.

First, they are top heavy, so make sure to give them plenty of support.

Second, gerber daisy stems not only drink up like a straw but they absorb moisture from the sides of their stems. Often times a droopy daisy that looks like it needs water can actually be suffering from too much water. (They remind me of gold fish....don't know when to stop eating until it's too late!! )

Third, you can soak them in a very cool-lukewarm bathtub. Lying down, with a stem clipped on an angle, will allow the water to easily reach the flower head with a little less effort.

Last, keep the water clean, low, and the stems clipped on an angle. Do this daily and you should have beautiful gerber daisies for your special event.

Flower Care Tip

Hydrangeas are one of the few flowers that pull water not only up from their stem, but also from moisture coming in through their flower petals. Often times at weddings or other events one hydrangea blossom in an arrangement will wilt and make the whole arrangement look bad. Before you stress or rip the arrangement apart, take a spray bottle and mist the flower head with some cool water. Often times the flower will perk right up.

Weddings!

Well, we survived Valentines!! Even with a snow storm!! Thanks to all of our wonderful Hickory friends who placed orders with us this year and allowed us to help make a part of their weekend special.

So now, we start looking forward to spring time and to weddings!!

If you are a bride looking for a florist, we not only provide wedding floral services to those located in the Hickory area, but we are happy to travel to neighboring areas. So, if you are in Asheville, Charlotte, or anywhere in between, please do not hesitate to give us a call. We would love to hear from you and see how we can make your fairly tale wedding dreams come true!!

End of Year Special Extended!!

Due to the craziness of the holidays....
(and I am behind on my paperwork)
We have decided to extend our promotion to receive
a FREE toss bouquet
when you sign a contract and pay your deposit
before January 10, 2010

As always, if you have any questions, please contact us!
We would love to hear from you!

Wedding & Event Schedule Almost FULL

Can you believe it is almost 2010? It's truly amazing how time really does fly!

And believe it or not, our wedding and event schedule is filling up very quickly. We actually have some months we are already completely booked!!

If you are interested in our wedding floral services, please do contact us asap to get your wedding consultation scheduled. Also, please note, if you have had a consultation but have not yet paid your deposit, your date and our services are not guaranteed. Remember, we only take ONE wedding per week to guarantee our best possible service and attention to detail.

As always, if you have ANY questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Booking Wedding Consultations NOW!!

Can you believe it? It's almost "Wedding Season!!"

I know this because in the last 2 weeks we have had an overwhelming amount of phone calls for brides looking to book wedding appointments.

Please remember we only take ONE wedding a week and we are already have weddings booked for spring, summer, and already fall 2010.

If you are interested in booking a wedding consultation, please call soon or fill out our contact us page at Rachael West Designs.

Wedding Promotion

This is the 1st month we have ever offered a discount on our weddings. We know times are hard and every little bit helps, SO, if you book your wedding before November 30th, we will take off 10% your wedding. SIMPLE!!

Call 828.326.7100 to book your free wedding consultation now,
OR
Email me at Rachael_West_Designs@yahoo.com

Pretty pink

I really had no reason to post these pictures, I just liked all the vases lined up with the bright pink roses resting inside. They are actually just the bases for one of our weddings. The flower arrangements actually sat a top the vases and raised up 5-6 feet tall.

Marjorie and Jason Wedding

Jason and Marjorie had their rehearsal dinner at Market on Main the night before their big day. The room was decorate very simply, but it really made quite an impact. We incorporated the sculptural piece, already placed on and above the table, with the flowers. Overall, the whole piece was a success!

Upstairs for the reception dinner we placed cubes of small green kermit mums and balls of brightly colored carnations atop class cubes. Again, simple, yet a big impact for not a lot of money.

The altar arrangement at St. Luke's Methodist Church in Hickory followed in suit with the others. Simple, eye-catching, and beautiful. We placed a "rose box" arrangement full of white carnations, white fuji mums, and green kermits, tucked in a bed of greens.

June Bride at Mosteller Mansion

Rachael!

Adam and I just got back into the States late last night from our honeymoon... and I wanted to take a few minutes this morning to thank you for everything you did for our wedding! EVERYTHING turned out BEAUTIFUL!!! The design for the top & bottom ledge at the staircases was AWESOME! I couldn't believe how great it turned out.. those yellow callas were beautiful. The centerpieces were fabulous too! You guys did wonderful stretching out those flowers since we had to add extra tables, thank you so much!! We had a great many compliments from our guests on how beautiful the lemons looked with the orchids and callas! Also, our cake was pound cake with lemon filling so I think everything blended and turned out perfect!

I LOVED EVERYTHING!!

Also, you were a pleasure to work with... probably the best service we received from anyone during the whole year long planning.

Thank you so much.

Amy

New Brides

This past week we have been blessed by booking several weddings for September and October. If you are considering a fall wedding, please call and book your wedding consultation appointment soon.

We only take ONE WEDDING PER WEEKEND to ensure we give each of you the attention you deserve.

Also, if you have met with us, we only hold your date once we have received your deposit. We know that there may be some changes to your original estimate, and those numbers can be re-figured if necessary. Deposits are non-refundable and do go entirely to your final wedding total.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

~Rachael
828.455.3774