Last March, I had the honor of decorating for a dear friend’s wedding at “Old Ranch Country Club” in Seal Beach, CA.
The ceremony was outside underneath this beautiful gazebo. It is not too difficult to make something that looks this beautiful into something FABULOUS!
Inside the reception. I also created the rose topiary trees for the center pieces. Simple, yet elegant! The gazebo’s flowers were removed and set up at the Bride and Groom’s Sweetheart table. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of the table (I am going to have to track some down!).
Do you want in on a little secret? Shhhhh, lean in really close so no one else will hear. Ok, close enough…
The flowers are not real!
The bride was very conscious of her budget and we wanted a “big budget” look but without spending “big money”. Now, I know some people may turn their noses up the at the revelation that I used silk. (You shouldn’t!!!) Honestly, no one could tell at the wedding. Could you tell from the pictures? And let’s be honest, after a wedding all you have left are the pictures! I had guests ask me how I was able to assemble everything and have it stay so fresh!
Let me tell you the pros of using silk flowers~
- The flowers are always in perfect bloom
- The flowers can be assembled in advance (WAY in advance!)
- No worries about people with allergies (like my bride!)
- If the wedding and/or reception is outside, no worries with delicate blooms not withstanding the elements
- A LOT less expensive
- And my favorite? You are able to re-use the blooms over and over and over…(We actually used the topiaries at the Bridal shower. No one knew they were the same flowers once they were set up at the reception.)
I know you have heard me say that the fantastic weddings and parties that I drool over on Pinterest ALWAYS make me ask, “What in the world was their budget?!?!” So are you wondering how much was spent on this wedding’s flowers? Well, I will not divulge the exact amount (most brides want you to think they had an unlimited budget!), however, I can tell you we purchased the flowers for less than $400!!!
It was such a special day for me to be a part of. Nothing makes me happier than being able to create a beautiful day for a Bride and Groom! And as guests, Mr. Cabana and I had a great time with dear family friends and family celebrating a long-awaited event!!!
Happy 1st Anniversary Erin and Jeff!!!
Until next time,
Butterscotch Lady
********I would love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and let me know ~ Real vs. Artificial?********
Butterscotch Lady 
Wendy,
You ROCK! I could never have done my wedding without you. You were the first one there with me on my wedding day, and Paul drove us to our hotel after the reception that night…because my dress wouldn’t fit into any of our cars. 🙂 Not only did you do an amazing job, but you thought of everything. We wanted an Irish theme, pink roses, and silver for the guys who didn’t want to be so girly. We could never have had such beautiful table arrangements had we gone for real. NO FLORIST wanted to deal with real shamrocks, because they were so delicate, and they were all afraid they would die even if they did them the day of the wedding. This way the artificial shamrocks were incorporated on the top of our cake, the girls’ and my bouquets, and the guys’ boutonnieres. You did a fabulous job on everything and made my day so special.
Love you,
Erin Nash-Jones, The Bride 😉
Thanks Erin! So happy I was able to be part of your day!
Absolutely Beautiful! I am sure the lucky couple and all of the guests thought so too! Thanks for sharing your secret . I won’t tell :,)
Leslie