"You make people happy!"

A few years ago I delivered a flower arrangement to a gentleman. He had ordered them for his wife and had me deliver them to his office so he could surprise her with them. Just as I was walking out the door to leave he said, "You have the best job because you make people happy!"

He's right! I do have the best job because it not only makes other people happy, but it makes me happy!

I have written several times on the difference a flower can make on an individuals well-being because I have experienced that wonderful feeling on days when I was having a struggle.

Last week I was sitting in a doctors waiting room thumbing through a magazine. An article about this very topic was not only in the magazine, but they were quoting a study done at Harvard University which proved that having something as simple as a flower or two around you, especially first thing in the morning, really does improve your mood and spirit. It's certainly cheaper than anti-depressants and definitely better than eating a lot of chocolate!

Lead researcher Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. at Harvard University states: "Interestingly, when we placed a small bouquet of flowers into their morning routines, people perked up."

RWD offers weekly contracts so that you can have fresh flowers in your home or office on a schedule you choose. We would love to make you happy too!
828-455-3774
www.RachaelWestDesigns.com

Think Spring!

I have been watching for several weeks not the tips of my flower bulbs peeking up through the mulch as if they were peering out to see if it's time. Not yet...but it's so very close!!

There is just something almost magical about spring. It's so wonderful to have this new awakening to not only nature but to our own spirits within..... and then, to add all those wonderful colors.....greens, yellows, purples, pinks! I just LOVE it!

If you are stuck indoors, don't forget that spring is really easy to bring indoors! There are so many bushes and trees that are starting to bloom. Bring in a few branches and watch them open up with joyful color.

Don't forget the flower bulbs either! How absolutely gorgeous is a simple tulip in a vase on your desk? Or a handful of daffodils on your counter? Ohh, and if you want a wonderful spring smell....don't forget the hyacinths. Just one or two stems will make a room smell.....well, all "springy!!"

Don't forget!
We can custom design the PERFECT spring arrangement for your home or office!
They make wonderful gifts and will uplift someone's spirits!
828-455-3774
www.RachaelWestDesigns.com

Flowers for Men

This past week I heard a story in the media that stated men do not like to get flowers for Valentines Day or for any other occasion. It shocked me because in the floral industry we are seeing a steady climb in the number of men who like to receive flowers....the trick as we have mentioned before is that it has to be done in a way that it is not fluffy and smelly.

The California Cut Flowers Association has a great article with some great ideas for flowers for men. And remember, a good florist will know how to incorporate natural elements, plants, grasses, moss, and even create arrangements in fun containers......ever thought of using a sports ball for a vase, a golf bag, adding golf tees to an arrangement, soda cans?

We suggest you give it a try....give us a call. Together we can design the perfect arrangement for your the favorite man in your life.

Rachael West Designs
828.455.3774

Testimonial

Rachel,

I'm soooo very happy about the invoice!!! I can't believe how beautiful it will all be at such an amazing price! Thank you so much! I'll send you a check for the total price this week. I've also found some examples of the colors in a magazine. Let me know when you're available to meet and show you. I can't wait to see it all come together.

Thanks again,
T.C
Hickory
February 08

Proper Centerpiece Height

This week I have been working on designing with a bride the perfect centerpiece for her wedding.

The arrangement she dreamed up is over-budget so we have been trying to re-design it to fit with-in her budget. Normally, that does not pose any trouble, but for some reason, this time it has been very complicated to find the right vase at the right price that also matches all the other needed components of the design.

We finally created a smaller version that fit all the parameters we had hoped, but then were presented with a new problem......now smaller, it would block the view of the seated dinner guests making dinner conversation very difficult.

SO, what is a good height for a tall table centerpiece?

Well, it's a great question, because even I, who have researched it out numerous times, found many different answers.

One tip I have used....and it's not scientifically proven, documented, or anything else---it's just easy for me to do, is this:

Sit up to the table. Place you elbows on the table, bring them together, as well as clasp your hands together. Rest your chin on the knuckles of your hands while sitting up nice and tall.

For a high arrangement, you do not want to go under your eye level. This usually tends to be a minimum of 18 inches and averages out around 22.

Again, this is just to give a general guideline and hopefully will help eliminate some of those awkward moments at a table.

Your flowers should be the accent of the table, not the biggest distraction.

We LOVE questions! Please feel free to send in yours and we will get them answered for you.
Rachael West Designs
828.455.3774
www.RachaelWestDesgins.com

Breathe Easy!

Have you ever wondered what it is that we are actually breathing each day?

It's no wonder that with all of the pollutants and chemicals in our world that we have so many individuals with unexplainable and confusing health problems.

A team of scientist along with NASA put together a list of household plants that not only look great in your home decor, but actually help make the air you breathe safer.

Benzene	Inks, oils, paints, plastics, rubber, dyes, detergents, gasoline, pharmaceutical, tobacco smoke, synthetic fibers	English Ivy, Dracaena marginata, Janet Craig, Warneckei, Chrysanthemum, Gerbera Daisy, Peace lily
Formaldehyde	Foam insulation, plywood, pressed-wood products, grocery bags, waxed paper, fire retardants, adhesive binders in floor coverings, cigarette smoke, natural gas	Azalea, Philodendron, Spider plant, Golden Pothos, Bamboo palm, Corn plant, Chrysanthemum, Mother-in-law's tongue
Trichloroethylene	Primarily used in the metal degreasing and dry cleaning industries; also in printing inks, paints, lacquers, varnishes, adhesives	Gerbera Daisy, Chrysanthemum, Peace lily, Warneckei, Dracaena marginata

(NASA researchers recommend using at least 1 potted plant per 100 square feet of home or office space to achieve better air quality).

Let us help you breathe a little easier!

We incorporate plants in many of our floral designs.

www.RachaelWestDesigns.com

828-455-3774

What should I bring to my wedding consultation?

If you are one of those brides who has had her wedding day planned since she was about 9 years old, please bring all of your photos, drawings, magazines, sketches, and any color swatches you may have that would help us envision your dream wedding perfectly.

However, many brides come to us for their wedding consultation not having a clue in the world what they would like for their wedding day. Not a problem!

In this situation, we will start with what you don't like. Most people, may not know exactly what they do like, but they definitely know what they don't like and that too helps us narrow things down a little bit. We also have plenty of photos, magazines, and ideas on hand to help out!

If you have specific questions or would like to book a wedding consultation, please call 828.455.3774 or fill out our contact us form located on our website.

Client testimonial

Thanks Rachael!
The flowers look beautiful and my sister loved them!

Thanks for sending the pictures.
~AnnM. Pennsylvania
January 08

Client testimonial

Dear Rachael,
Thank You So Much for the Beautiful Flowers! My husband's aunt has already told him there was a plant in there she can plant! They were just Beautiful! You are officially my Hickory,N.C. florist! You have been SO Sweet & did such beautiful & timely work!
Thank you so much! I Love Flowers & decorating! I'm trying to get some things changed around in my house. I might have to email you some pictures! I have a feeling we might have both made a new friend! Take Care. God Bless You!
Much Love, Joy
Alabama
January 08

the Perfect gifts!

Maybe coming up with the perfect gift is hard for you, or your just busy, and instead of the day being special, well, it's now a stress. So, this just isn't your thing.......well, it's ours!

So, let us help!! and you can take all the credit!

Need some ideas?
Here are some of the romantic surprises we have helped our clients with...

Pure Romance: Let us come decorate your home, bedroom, or hotel room with her favorite flowers. Roses petals, candles, chocolates, and a little bubbly are included in this package.

Pricing begins at $125.00, gifts, flowers and other add-on's additional.

Favorite Things: A perfect gift for someone who likes presents! We custom design a gift which incorporates her favorite things (you can provide the items or we can help) and fresh flowers in a fun and romantic fashion.

Basic gift packages begins at $75.00

All Wrapped Up: Take the perfect gift (you can provide the gift or we can help) and custom wrapped it using fresh flowers either in a box or a gift bag depending on gift. This is one of the hottest trends right now in the celebrity world. It has been featured on Oprah numerous times, so, if you want to make someone feel extra special by giving an extra gift within a gift, this is definitely the way to go. After all, you only get one chance to make a first impression!

Pricing varies based on gift. However, if you provide the gift, we can wrap it all up for as little as $14.99. This includes all wrapping materials, ribbon, and fresh flowers.

Sensual Spa: All the items you need to create a romantic spa night for your sweetie! Choose from lotions, oils, aromatherapy, candles, sea sponges, scrubs, and bubble bath. Flowers or rose petals included.

Basic gift package starting at $75.00.

Daddy's Little Girl*: Even the littlest girl needs a Valentine. We create a whimsical floral arrangement loaded up with bright colors, a soft and snuggly stuffed animal, and a vase full of candies. Perfect for a daddy to give to his little sweetheart.
*This package can be designed for teens or anyone who has a youthful heart!

Basic gift starts at $25.00+ Add a fun colored floral light for some extra fun and drama!

Theme Night*: Pick a theme, a location, and we'll completely transform the space into a magical retreat. We provide and set-up the food, dessert, decorations, fabrics, coordinating florals, and anything else that would help you create the perfect romantic evening. This night will definitely be one to be remembered!

*This package must be booked a minimum of 2 week before the date. Pricing determined based on scale of project.

All Flowers: Do you have someone with a favorite flower, color, style? Let us create that perfect floral arrangement designed just for you to give to someone special. Don't forget when you call to place your order to share with us some of her favorite things.....butterflies, "bling" like diamonds or pearls, and of course her style (simple yet elegant, over-the-top, adventurous, spicy) so that we can create the only flower arrangement she'll remember the rest of her life!

Pricing: Each of our packages is custom designed and completely unique. There truly are no 2 gifts or flower arrangements exactly a like. This is what sets us apart from traditional floral shops----we don't just mass produce. The advantage for you is that we design that perfect gift completely within your budget. This leaves no room for last minute "sticker shock!!" Generally pricing listed is a guideline to help you as a buyer create the best choice for you. Please feel to call us with any questions regarding our pricing.

Please note: We choose to limit our Valentine orders so that we are not just "mass producing" hundreds of orders. We go out of our way to personalize every single order so that it is special, one of a kind, and is made just for that special someone. Please place your orders early. We do not accept last minute orders.

Call Rachael West Designs, 828.455.3774 to place your order.
*Call for all the complete details. Our package orders are limited and fill up fast!
www.RachaelWestDesigns.com

Symbolism of Flowers

Here are a few of our favorites
to help you send the perfect message:

ROSES:

Red: I love you, unconscious beauty
Yellow: joy, gladness, friendship
White: spiritual love, purity
Orange: fascinated, enthusiastic
Pink: grace, gentility, perfect happiness


ALSTROMERIA: friendship, devotion
ASTER: charming, patience
BEGONIA: a fanciful nature
BELLS OF IRELAND: good luck, whimsy
CALLA LILY: sophistication, beauty
CARNATIONS: fascination, devoted love
CHRYSANTHEMUM: cheerfulness, innocence
DAFFODIL: regards
DAHLIA: dignity, elegance
FORGET ME KNOTS: true love
IRIS: faith, hope, wisdom
LILIES: purity, faith
LISIANTHUS: outgoing
ORCHIDS: seduction, preciousness
PRIMROSE: young love
SNAPDRAGONS: desire, strength
SUNFLOWERS: adoration, sunshine
TUBEROSE: dangerous pleasure
TULIPS: perfect lover, fame
VIOLET: simplicity

Travel Photos!

Here are some of the photos I have recently collected on my trips. Several are in Vegas and some in Nashville. Here is a sampling!! Collecting photos of arrangements whether it be online, photographs, or magazines is a great way to find inspiration for your own new and exciting works of floral art.

Detail of photo below

Bellagio Hotel Lobby

Hotel Preston Lobby

Wynn Hotel Entrance

Bellagio Conservatory
(House, trees, and snow, and all other details made completely with florals)

Details of above

Wynn Hotel
(Wall of single anthurium in bud vase)

Wynn Hotel

Wynn South Pool Garden

Corsages and Boutonnieres

A Hot Pink Wedding!

Even though this wedding was small and certainly not high-end, it worked!
By using a strong accent color like hot pink a little will go along way.

Let us be the accent of your special event.
www.RachaelWestDesigns.com

More Bridal Bouquets!

Bridal Bouquets!

Fall Sunflowers!

Tis Always the Season of Giving!

We make gifts FUN!

If you are in need of a traditional gift basket, we would be happy to fulfill your order.

If you are in need of a completely unique gift that is custom created to match the personality and tastes of the person receiving it, then we would LOVE to help!!


(don't forget....all of our packages can be adapted to fit your special event!)

A Composite?

A composite flower is very a simply a flower that is taken apart piece by piece and then reassembled.

So, why would we do that?

Simple!

It's art!

It's the ability to take one item and recreate it into something else.

Example: I could take one yellow rose and one orange rose, disassemble them, and put all the petals back together creating one large yellow and orange rose.

Example: I could take several flowers that are all the same, disassemble them, and then assemble one larger version of the original flower. The photo above shows this example.

We took several lilies, all the same, disassembled them, and then reassembled the petals to create one much larger and very stunning flower.

This is a perfect option for a bride who wants to make a simple and yet "wow" statement with her bouquet. She could carry one single flower or add a few composites to her bouquet. It creates the opportunity for each bride to truly have a one-of-a-kind bridal bouquet.

Rachael West Designs, creating fairy-tale weddings, one blossom at a time!
828.455.3774

Welcome Little One!

We recently had the privilege of creating a trendy bright pink and lime green arrangement for the arrival of a little baby girl.

This tall arrangement was so bright and fun. What a great celebration piece any new mother would be proud to have in her hospital room.


Small gifts are common when sending flowers to a new mom and her baby. We can customize any arrangement to include stuffed animals, baby rattles, bibs, books, or even fuzzy socks and Bath and Body Lotion for mom.

Arrangements come in all sizes and can be delivered to you or the hospital front desk. Free delivery to Frye Hospital in Hickory, NC.

Please call Rachael West Designs at 828.455.3774 with questions or to place an order.

"random acts of kindness can help change the world"

I sent a follow-up email to the unnamed soldier making sure he knew his flowers had been delivered. Here is his reply (For privacy, I have edited out his personal information--yes, I do now know his name!)

"Hi, i really appreciate you delivering those flowers for me i wanted her to feel special cause it was her day it was a little late but i did the best i could. I read your blog and yes i'm in irag i'll be here for 15 months only 10 left, but hopefully that small token of my love made her day just a little better than it was. Thanks again and hopefully you'll continue you are doing because random acts of kindness can help change the world. Well at least thats what i think. i hope you have a wonderful week."

"Love your Solider"

Well, it's not a great photo, but it is a great story!

I recently received a phone call from a gentleman who asked me if I could create an arrangement for his girlfriend here in town. I could not understand or hear most of what he said because of the "wind" in the background.

Turns out, he was a soldier (I think in Iraq), who had to stop talking every few moments because of the noise of helicopters. I never got his name and I barely got enough information to fill the order, but somehow it all worked out.

I delivered the flowers to his girlfriend this evening at her work as he requested. She was so cute and was so excited. She even started to tear up.

I always feel so privileged to be part of personal moments in someone's life, but this one was truly a special honor.

We would love to help celebrate your special moments.
828-455-3774
Rachael West Designs

Funerals

Words do not describe the heartache that can come with the passing of a loved one. We have felt it too...




We do everything we can to make the details easy for you.....you share with us some of your loved ones favorite colors, personality, travels, accomplishments, hobbies, and why you love them. We create a perfect arrangement and deliver it for you allowing you to ponder on the more important things.

If we can help honor your loved one, please give us a call. 828-455.3774

FAQ's for Weddings

Q: Will you travel to do a floral design project?

A: Of course! If you have a destination in mind, whether it be an hour away or a plane ride away, please feel free to contact us with the details and we will be happy to look at your individual situation. We would be honored to be a part of your special day.

Q: Is there a delivery fee for my wedding flowers?

A: All of our brides receive free delivery to one in town location. Multiple locations, great distances, or other unusual circumstances will be determined on a case by case basis.

Q: Do you charge for a wedding consultation?

A: We offer a 45 minute wedding consultation for no cost.

Meetings that run really long may be billed a $50.00 consultation fee. The reason for this is that this is our time, time which is irreplaceable. We work only with serious brides and we custom design each invoice as per the bride's requests. This also take a great amount of time. The fee will then be applied to the bride's invoice and go completely towards her wedding if in fact she does approve the invoice and sign our contract for wedding floral services. Brides who choose not to use RWD, after a consultation and requesting an invoice be prepared, will be charged for time.

Q: I am on a tight budget? Are my options limited?

A: You would be surprised at how many fairy-tale weddings we have created on a budget. With a little planning and a whole lot of creativity we can come up with something that you will be excited about.....and your budget!

Q: Do you take credit cards?

A: Currently we can only accept credit cards via Paypal, but with our upcoming expansion that will be changing. We appreciate your patience with this. (There are no additional fees to our customers for this service.)

Q: Why don't you maintain a store front?

A: Simple---cost! It takes a lot of time and money to run a shop and that's not where and how I want to spent my time and money. Running a business is not my strength, but doing flowers---that's my passion! By not having a store front, I can serve each of my clients better, focus on creating wonderful floral designs, and having fun doing it.

Q: Do you rent vases?

A: YES! It is one of the small things we do to set ourselves apart from other florists. If we don't have the perfect something you are looking for, tell us! We just might be able to get it and add it to our collection. Please note: we do NOT ship vases.
Q: My cake baker wants to put the flowers on the cake herself. Is that ok?

A: We have worked with many bakers who want to put the finishing touches on their design, and yes, we would be happy to supply the coordinating flowers for them to do that. We also have had the opportunity of placing the flowers on a countless number of cakes and would be honored to assist in this if needed.

Q: How can I cut costs and still create the look I want?

A: Let us help you come up with a plan where we can use many of the arrangements twice in the day....for example: use the ceremony arrangements at the reception, use the toss bouquet at the sign-in book, and in a major pinch...well, you could use your bridesmaids bouquets in vases at the reception. They will need water by then anyway, right?!!

Q: The flowers I want are not in season, can you still get them?

A: Most of the time the answer is yes. Most of the flowers used today in the wedding floral industry comes out of greenhouses and farms, so, getting your perfect flowers should not be a problem.

Q: Have your own question?

A: Contact www.RachaelWestDesigns.com with your question. We will get it answered for you.

just a few of our brides!

Simple!






red gerbers
simple bow




Tropical!



anthirium, glads,
irises, seashells,
tropical leaves,
plumeria




Simple elegance!



long white callas






Fun!



white roses, a touch of greens,
custom colored orange callas

a summer wedding

The flowers for this bouquet
were just a simple accent for
this stunning bride.

Her bouquet consisted of white
lilies just getting ready to burst open
and share their amazing fragrance,
white orchids, mini callas and a little
bit of trailing ivy.





A canopy over an outdoor deck
created a perfect place to accent
with flowers.









The main table under the reception tent
showcased a very large floral arrangement
complete with white lilies, white orchids,
trailing ivy, mini callas, and curly willow.

We also placed a smaller version of this arrangement
on the guest tables, and a similar, but slightly taller
version on the cocktail tables.


The actual ceremony took place just above
the large boulders. The officiant stood between
2 large urn arrangements. A beautiful accent
for this site.




Timeless, classic, and beautiful are the perfect words for this outdoor wedding.

Visit RachaelWestDesigns.com to see how we can create a fairy-tale dream wedding for you!