Will just doing Greenery at my Reception be cheaper?

You're getting married, and you've come to the sad conclusion that your Floral visions and your Floral budget are far apart. Someone suggested to you..."why not just have Greenery, or just Babies' Breath? They have babies breath at the Grocery!" Florists will shudder when they hear this. Do click on the following link and read this super post on choosing Greenery for your wedding florals. 

 https://www.quillandoak.ca/1045-2/

Photo via Pinterest. Stylemepretty.com

Photo via Pinterest. FloraGrubb.com

   If your wedding is in the Summer, you may think of growing your own Flowers and foilages, which is a big job, time-consuming, and weather-dependent. If you are a Gardener, this is an option. Pinch your plants so that they bush out and you get thinner stems with lots of blooms. Floret Farms is a great resource if you want to grow your own. https://www.facebook.com/floretflowers/

You can DIY you own Wedding bouquets with silk greenery...here at  The Camellia, we hold DIY Wedding Flower classes. 

Of course, you may be tempted to raid the nearest Tree, but, and this is a big BUT... You must do some research on conditioning the stems and proper storage, otherwise your stems will wilt and your Bouquets will be all floppy. 

Stop by our store, The Camellia, and talk to Camille about your Wedding Floral visions. 

Open Wednesday through Sunday at 30, Hacquoil Rd. Slate River, On.

p. 807-475-3551

www.thecamellia.com

Royal Wedding Bouquet, Prince Harry & Meghan Markle.

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Photo via Pinterest: My Domaine.co

Just over a week ago, the world was eagerly awaiting the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Most of us are fascinated with the Royal Family, and Great Britain used to own many countries in the Commonwealth. Guyana was a British colony, at one point, it used to be called British Guiana. My parents entertained the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in Guyana, and I vaguely remember an autographed photo of them, which they presented to my parents, in Guyana. 

Photo via Pinterest- how to be a Duchess. 

Florists all around the world speculated about what her flowers her bouquet would contain, I thought David Austen roses, for sure. It was as bridal bouquets go, quite small, and simple. Every flower has a meaning, dating back to the reign of Queen Victoria.  

And for those who are wondering:

ASTILBE: Meaning 'I will be waiting for you' or 'I'll still be waiting', symbolizing patience and dedication

LILY OF THE VALLEY Latin name- Convallaria. Symbolises sweetness and the return of happiness. It is also the birth flower of May.

ASTRANTIA: Symbolises strength, courage and protection.

Forget-me-nots: Diana's favourite flower

MYRTLE: A royal custom going back to the reign of Victoria

SWEET PEAS: Meaning 'delicate or blissful pleasure'

Click on this link  to This is Glamourous, for  a full account of the Royal wedding. 

http://www.thisisglamorous.com/2018/05/a-royal-wedding-prince-harry-meghan-markle-19-05-18/#section27

Are you getting married, and you would like to use similar flowers in your Bouquet? Lily of the Valley smell wonderful, the blooms last a day, the same with forget-me-nots. These would have to be picked just before the bouquet is made, which is not practical for most of us. You can substitute silk lily-of-the-valley, and silk forget-me-nots. 

 Come see us here at the Camellia, for beautiful wedding flowers. 

We are at 30/32 Hacquoil Rd. Slate River, Ontario. Open Wednesday through Sunday, you can also call us at 807-475-3551 and make an appointment. 

www.lakesuperiorweddings.ca

www.thecamellia.com

How to make A Boho Cascade Wedding Bouquet, The Camellia, Thunder Bay

Getting married in 2018? Having a Boho themed wedding? If you are thinking about designing your own Wedding Flowers, do have a look at the video below. A Boho themed Bouquet has a very loose structure and is quite free-flowing, and spirited. Cascading vines and foilage play an important role in a Boho Cascade bouquet. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hv9_5noif0

Photo from Oasis Floral 

Need some more Ideas for Wedding Flowers? Check out Oasis Floral https://oasisfloralproducts.com/Ideas/wedding-floral-design-style-photo-galleries/

Stop in and visit us at The Camellia to discuss your Wedding Flower needs. We are located at 30, Hacquoil Rd. Slate River, Ontario. 

p (807)475-3551

www.lakesuperiorweddings.ca

Wildflower wedding bouquets - what to grow in Northern Ontario's climate for Wedding bouquets, The Camellia.

Are you getting married during the Summer and have visions of growing your own flowers to be used in your Wedding Bouquets? However, you live in Northern Ontario, where the Summers are a bit iffy as far as warm weather goes. Zinnias are a nice flower, last lasting and they come in all colours. 

Don't forget to plant some grasses, and hops ( on the right)  look beautiful trailing out of a Bridal bouquet. 

Sweet Peas are another favourite, but quite difficult to grow in Northern Ontario, except in a greenhouse. They smell heavenly, and come in all colours. 

Glads can be grown here, but it takes all Summer to have blooms reach maturity. It may be easier to order Glads from a florist. If you are having a Fall Wedding, you can try growing Glads. 

Dahlias have showy blooms, but again are a late Summer thing in Northern Ontario. 

You will need to prep you Flower bed, and then mulch ( to keep weeds down) and also to keep you Flowers clean. ( i.e. no mud on blooms). Do not start anything from seed, our growing season is far too short here in Northern Ontario. Buy Bedding-out plants from Paulusma's Greenhouses, My Blooming Business, Creekside Nursuries, etc. 

Plan on spending a lot of time, washing and debugging your blooms. They will need to be properly hydrated, and be kept cool until the day of the Wedding. Once your bouquets are arranged, spray them with Fresh flower sealant ( Crowning Glory)  to keep them looking their best. 

If you are on a Budget, Ferns can make beautiful centrepieces. 

Here's a bouquet of our Garden flowers, mixed with blooms from a florist.

Always have a Plan B, if your blooms do not materialise, due to too cool weather, too much rain, not enough rain, and so on. Order your blooms from a Florist, at least a month ahead of your big day. If you are in #ThunderBay, you can check with Brule Creek Farms ( they may  grow Sunflowers, https://www.facebook.com/brulecreekfarms/), and Moss Cottage  www.theurbanfarmchick.blogspot.com, and of course, you can contact us at #TheCamellia. We offer DIY make-your-own-flower-bouquet Classes. 

The Camellia, 30/32 Hacquoil Rd. Slate River, On 

p (807)475-3551

Open Wednesday through Sunday. 

www.thecamellia.com

www.lakesuperiorweddings.ca

How do you know he or she is the Right one for you? The Camellia, Thunder Bay wedding florist.

Sometimes you get cold feet in the weeks leading up to your Wedding, "What am I doing, what if this is a huge mistake? " Some of you may have known each other since you were in High School, some of you may have met on the Internet, while some of you may be embarking on a second marriage. The truth is, we don't know. Marriage is a huge leap of faith, we don't have a crystal ball to look into the future. You do the best that you can, and trust that it will all be ok. Great advice can be found in this link: http://allgroanup.com/relationshipped/the-secret-to-finding-and-marrying-the-right-person/

We all want the same thing - to lead a Happy Life, free of drama and turmoil. 

We want someone to share Life with, it's no fun sitting on that bench by yourself. 

Someone to spend lazy Sunday mornings with. 

Someone to stop and smell the Icelandic Poppies with. 

Getting Married? Stop into our store, The Camellia, to get help with Wedding Flowers and Event decor. Get your Wedding party together and make your own bouquets, or we can do it for you. 

www.thecamellia.com

30/32 Hacquoil Rd. Slate River, Ontario

p(807)475-3551

Open Wednesday through to Sunday. 

Monotasking instead of Multitasking - how do you get it all done sans Wedding stress, the Camellia

Getting married soon? Is a bit of Panic starting, and you are wondering how will you get it all done? 

Read this article which talks about the value of NOT trying to multi-task. 

https://qz.com/985821/personal-kanban-a-life-changing-time-management-system-that-explodes-the-myth-of-multitasking/?utm_source=parIC&%3Futm_source=parIC&cid=sf01002&sr_share=facebook

Take a deep breath and imagine you are here, driving along on the Californian coast. Beautiful scenery, waves crashing on the shore, and you, taking some deep breaths. Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in the details, that we forget to savour the Journey. You might think, " I can't wait for this Wedding to be over...! " 

Maybe you had envisioned your Wedding in a #NapaValleyWinery. And that isn't possible, given your Budget constraints. It's OK, ask your decorator to source out some old Oak barrels from wineries in #Niagara, and plan your decor along a Napa Valley theme. 

You may have dreamt of having your Reception at an old chateau, however, your reality is a Banquet Hall in your hometown. So maybe you can go to the Chateau in #Napa for your #Honeymoon. It's amazing what you can accomplish if you concentrate on just 1 thing, rather than freaking out over 10 different To-Dos. 

When things get too much, take yourself back to this Coastline, and Breathe. Don't snap at those around you, they are only trying to help!

When you head off in the Car to somewhere new, you use Google Maps , so you don't get lost. The same principle applies to your Wedding, plan every step, and make sure those around you, know what the Plan is. Don't hang onto everything, and then scream at them because they are of no help. 

If you need help in Wedding decor and Wedding Flowers, Visit us at The Camellia, at 30, Hacquoil Rd. Thunder Bay, On. 

p-(807)475-3551

www.lakesuperiorweddings.ca

Container Planting Hack, The Camellia, Thunder Bay, On

What does Container Gardening have to be with Wedding Decor? If you are having a Summer Wedding, planting up some containers is a great, budget conscious way to have that lush, Garden look at your Wedding. Pick annuals or grasses close to your Ceremony colours, and you can also start shopping for the right colour of containers. Head to your local Garden centres and Greenhouses. Start preparing your pots with a mixture of potting soil, peat moss, and fertilizer or cow manure. Make sure there is drainage at the bottom of your pots. 

If your containers are large and already in place, add new dirt and fertilizer and compost to your pots. This is the boring part, but it's very important if you want a lush display of flowers. 

A great Gardening hack is on this video,  https://youtu.be/gSbh03sSphU . Watch as he puts the empty pots into place and then builds up the dirt in between the pots. It works! All these years we have been Gardening, and never thought of planting like this! 

Have fun planting your containers and visit your local Garden centres for inspiration. You can use Antique buckets for a Vintage Wedding.

There are many shapes and sizes and colours of pots and containers.

These containers will be quite heavy once they are filled with dirt and plants, so they will be more difficult to transport from venue to another venue. 

Container Gardens are perfect for your Wedding! Start planting now! Visit us at #TheCamellia for faux Wedding flowers, Wedding favours and purses. 

The Camellia, 30, Hacquoil Rd. Thunder Bay, On. Open Wednesday through Sunday. 

p(807)475-3551

www.thecamellia.com

A Lavender themed Wedding, The Camellia, Thunder Bay, Ontario

It can be difficult trying to figure out what colour your Wedding should be. You pore over images on Pinterest, get advice from all of your friends, and just get more confused and indecisive. You've set a Date and need to make some colour choices now! 

What about Lavender and Purple? Lavender goes together perfectly with grey suits, and there are many lavender & purple flowers to choose from. 

Here is a beautiful Lavender & Purple Bridal bouquet we designed for a Bride with faux flowers. 

Fresh Lavender Blooms in the Garden, only possible if your Wedding is around the same time that the Lavender plants are blooming. This is a possibility in Napa Valley, or in southern Ontario, or on Vancouver Island. Not in Thunder Bay. Here at The Camellia, we use dried Lavender to make Bouquets. 

There will be some Lavender buds falling because the bouquets are dried. Here is one of the Bridesmaid bouquets. 

And the Bride's Bouquet, with dried Lavender and faux roses. 

Here is another Wedding with Purple and Lavender Flowers, with a picked-from-the-field-Wildflower-look. Again, we used all faux flowers, yet these bouquets look fresh. Why use faux flowers? They can be designed ahead of time, will not wilt, will not freeze or die if it's too hot, and you can keep them as decor in your Home long after your Wedding day. 

Click on this link to read more about a Lavender themed Wedding. 

http://www.weddingchicks.com/blog/enough-with-the-pink-and-gold-lets-play-around-with-lavender-l-14226-l-11.html

Visit The Camellia at 30, Hacquoil Rd. for Wedding Flowers, Purses, and Bridal Registry for Bedding & Linens. 

www.thecamellia.com

www.lakesuperiorweddings.ca

Co- Habitation agreements

Ah the joy of Modern day living arrangements! It is quite common for couples today to live together without getting married, thus creating a whole slew of grey areas as far as Property and Assets, Pensions and so on. 

He may own a Castle. He's worried she will now own half of it. 

She may have worked really hard and built up a Business, and is worried that he will take half of it, and all of her hard work. No-one wants to bring up the subject of a co-habitation agreement, However with over half of all Marriages/co-habitation ending in divorce, both parties involved must think along these lines. Most people today get together when they are older  ( 27 for women and 29 for men), and by this time they both own property, have Homes, have Pensions, etc. 

She may be a Vegan, and his favourite show may be Man vs. Meat. All kinds of compromises to be made. 

Thinking of moving in with someone?  Look at a cohabitation agreement before you make that move, and of course, if you live in Canada, check into the laws of the Province you will both reside in. See a Lawyer for advice. Here is a good link, if you reside in Ontario, https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/family/familyla.html

Have we outgrown Marriage? Read Susan Gadoua's book , The New I do,

 https://www.amazon.com/New-Do-Reshaping-Marriage-Skeptics/dp/1580055451?SubscriptionId=AKIAIRKJRCRZW3TANMSA&tag=psychologytod-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&am

Come see us at The Camellia, for Wedding Flowers & event Planning! 

The Camellia, 30 Hacquoil Rd. Slate River, On

p(807)475-3551