Spring Blossom Shower Brides - New York, New York #2

We're in love with spring.

It is literally raining spring blossom in New York's Central Park at the moment, and while we were busy strolling through its glades looking up at the beautiful and constant shower of petals raining down on us (and being grateful we don't suffer from hayfever) we came across two couples making the most of this spectacular backdrop for their wedding photos.

If you're dreaming of a wedding featuring the romance of spring blossom, get thee to a calender and map [or organise a wedding in Manhattan in mid to late April, we'd be very, very, very happy to help you make it happen ;-) ].

Over the years we've had many a bride disappointed to discover that blossom is not in season in December or March or June.

Branches of spring blossom start making their appearance at the Sydney flower markets in late August, early September, and are usually over by mid October.

But a warm winter can bring them on early. Or a bitterly cold one delay them. This is one bloom growers have no control over - they happen when they happen.

If you are wanting an outdoor ceremony with a tree blossom background, head to the southern highlands region two hours out of Sydney to find a location, and aim for a September/October spring wedding.

The lower reaches of the Blue Mountains (as well as its peaks) will also offer the possibility of a blossom wedding, as will Melbourne's city parks, and that city's beautiful hinterland regions.

Want to stay local? Keep your eyes peeled in spring, and take notice of where the blossom trees in your own neighbourhood may be - even if you don't end up with a blossom ceremony, there's no reason you can't have some images taken under the beautiful tree of an obliging neighbour.

Now Form Over Function will happily venue scout for you, and do the local, on the ground research to find you the photographic backdrop of your dreams, but if you are a do-it-yourself bride, make sure you take the time to speak to locals with an intimate knowledge of the area's floral seasons, and who know which tree is which, so there is no let down for you on the day when what you thought was a cherry blossom tree turns out to be a blossom-free Japanese maple.

Till soon

Alicia x

Flowers to go. Super size me. New York, New York #1

Ok, we've all heard about the super size meals, the bottomless cups of alleged coffee (sorry but we'll take espresso every time), but our visit to the Manhattan flower markets on 28th street between 6th and 7th Avenues had me doing a double take on more than one occasion.

You want your flowers big?

This was a case of blooms on steroids.

I have never seen roses, hyacinth, phallaenopsis orchids, hypericum berry, ranunculus, blossom or peony roses this large (and there was more, much more).

See for yourselves, this caramel coloured rose below - the combo rose - is an Israel import. Measure across the top of the open rose and it was more than 12cm across.
Most of the large headed roses in Australia are Colombian imports, and they would struggle to compete either size or beauty wise with this specimen.
















We came across the combo rose in Soho's Adore Me florist, and it took a lot of self control not to ask one of its lovely designers , Sarah, if we could jump across the counter and get to work pairing them with chocolate coloured succulents, aged lotus pods, some pale coffee coloured gingers (not that either of the last two were on the floor to be able to work with!).

We're looking forward to hassling our suppliers to see if they can start to bring this beauty to our shores too.

This is Adore Me on the left, and we spent a bit of time chatting with Sarah about bridal flower trends in Manhattan.

It's shifted from magenta and lime green with a touch of blue, to all reds and a move to the use of more interesting pieces to create more textured arrangements and bouquets, incorporating for example, pods and succulents.

Sounds like our kind of trend. Only we can report this has been at work in Australia for some time: Form Over Function, and other Sydney floral designers whose work we love, like Saskia from Grandiflora, were incorporating succulents, pods and husks into bouquets and arrangements at least a decade ago.

But wandering the flower district I can understand why New Yorkers and Martha Stewart Inc have been reluctant to let go of the softer, prettier arrangements that are a hallmark of this city's top floral designers.

There is an abundance of choice of blooms here that would spoil anyone. A direct result of a mass population that is there, ever eager to buy whatever is put out on the floor, and a case of the more is more.
















On the plus side for Sydneysiders, many of our best flowers are grown just kilometres from the markets. It does not get any fresher than David Austen roses picked off the bush late on Thursday afternoon and at the markets by midnight, ready for us to buy at 5am on Friday morning.

It also allows florists such as ourselves to have a very personal relationship with our growers - we've had some of Form Over Function's growers of choice hold back on harvesting blue hydrangeas just for us so we would have enough for a booked event, or plant a special stash of callas to ensure we would have what we needed for a particular date.

The New York flower markets have shrunk in the name of progress to a very large block, pushed back by the space hungry needs of this constantly evolving city taking over its warehouses to turn into apartments and office space.

Unlike the Sydney flower markets, which are done and dusted by 9am at the latest six days a week, and really only have the best suppliers there Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the markets here are open seven days a week, all day, and instead of one large warehouse, there are dozens of massive stores crammed with flowers, plants, trees (amazing what will grow on a rooftop here), as well as tools of the trade.

We're looking forward to sharing more images of the world's biggest cut flowers soon - but this city waits for no-one and we're outta here for now to go forth and seek inspiration.

Alicia x