I am delighted to begin our new season with Ariella Chezar as our first guest! Ariella has astounded clients and admirers around the globe with nature-inspired and seasonal relevant delicious designs. Along with this week's episode is an additonal segment with Ariella as we discuss business changes in the recent months. Ariella shares her inspirations, business tips, sustainability, and more.

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Weddings are an intimate celebration shared with family and friends. From the moment guests arrived, they enter the couple’s vision for their special day. From the selection of the venue, the carefully planned and executed decor, to the send off of the newly married couple, there is one moment that usually transcends all other wow moments…

The entrance of the bride is truly an iconic moment for any wedding. Smiles and emotions abounding, the bride captivates us with her joy, the perfectly chosen dress, and of course our floral senses are attracted to beautiful wedding bouquet.

I always love the classic white bridal bouquet. Ariella’s choice of florals for this piece truly give this classic look that something special we all are excited to see. This stunning design has two elements that I especially want to highlight. First, the purple accent from the Auriculas flowers which are actually plants that have been adapted for this bouquet. Not only a beautiful flower, but a great technique incorporating plants in bouquets, root ball and all. Secondly, the use of Eucharis, also known as Amazon Lily, throughout this elegant bouquet is pure white, reminding me of the shape of a daffodil, but has a hollow stem like an amaryllis. Usually they come with several buds that often will continue to open as the older flowers begin to fade. A very special flower, which is very white and unusual.

Gorgeous, Elegant, and I can’t stop gazing at this bouquet. At first glance, this bouquet is a gorgeous collection of white’s, pinks, and greens creating a soft pastel color combination. With the stunning gown as a backdrop to this bouquet, the flower palette echoes the beauty of summer florals. From the Dahlia’s and the Zinnia’s to the blushest of Snowberry and Autumn Clematis, there are so many elements that have been orchestrated in this stunning creation both feminine and graceful. Don’t miss the use of Carnations, Nerines, and Japanese Anemones.

Don’t let the casual manner in which this bouquet is being held fool you. It’s a work of art like all of the bouquets by Ariella. I especially love the use of a couple of varieties of Fritillaria, mixed with the spring bulbs like hyacinth and tulips. It can be difficult to work with branches in a bouquet because of their size and rigidity, however, by using the tips of the crabapple you can see the white of the blossom, along with the blush daintiness in the bud. And that dogwood, is so wonderful too! There are so many things about this bouquet that makes it seem traditional, yet is unlike anything that you would grow to expect in a bridal bouquet.

Why does yellow get such a bad rap? We often find ourselves drawn to these flowers, especially in the spring, but may seldom have the opportunity to work with them because of traditional wedding color stories. This bouquet, I hope, will make us think twice before we ditch the ideas of yellow as a wedding color. I love the use of Yellow Parrot Tulips with the mix of Creamy Fringed Tulips. What makes this bouquet so special is the hidden treasures within the masterpiece, like the Fritillaria, Dicentra(Bleeding Heart), Gloriosa, Daffodils, Clematis, Spirea, and yes, Lily of the Valley.

I’ve been asked many times over the years about cut Azaleas in design work. I know that it’s great for weddings and events especially, but the vase life depends on the cut stage. I’ve seen it open in the vase and shine with all of it’s glory, but in this bouquet I especially love the use of the White Azalea in the bud form. The flowers are so white and the cluster of buds adds lovely texture. The wispy, thin, flowering branches are Cotoneaster, a wonderful foliage with a very small white flower and silver-grey leaf that’s lighter on the underside. In addition, Sweet Peas, Columbine, Fritillaria, Ranunculus, Anemones, Gloriosa, Leucocoryne, Parrot Tulips, Hellebores, Garden Roses, and Lilac.

From Roses to Ranunculus, this bouquet takes us on a color journey. From the palest of Peach Roses, to the darkest of Coral Ranunculus, this bouquet is the perfect image of the amalgamation of fabulous colors. In several of the bouquets in the post, you’ll see Hellebores, Carnations, and Eleagnus, a foraged greenery. Add the perfect combination of color to bridge the palest of colors to the richest of colors and you have another masterpiece. Mix in the White Muscari and White Fritillaria, with the Salmon Parrots and the eye continues its journey of vibrant colors. This bouquet has the feel of freshly harvested flowers during a morning stroll in the garden.

So many different flowers all working together like each one was made for this moment and this moment alone. There are two flowers in this bouquet that I want to mention…the Orchids and the Ranunculus. Even though you might not have thought they belong together, their similar spotting or markings bring them together perfectly. By adding just the smallest amount of Acacia or Mimosa, the soft yellow texture creates an airiness among the more bold additional elements like the yellow Ranunculus and spray roses. One of the tips that I saw from a designer was to edit the Acasia stems by removing just a few of the yellow blooms. The abundance of yellow can sometime be overpowering and take away from the overall aesthetic, but used in this manner works wonderfully. In addition, this bouquet contains, Paper White Narcissus, Seeded Eucalyptus, and Hellebore.

I love exploring these amazing bouquets by Ariella Chezar! Each bouquet is perfectly unique and invites us to participate in this floral bouquet journey . It’s easy to take a look and say, “Wow!”, but when you start to really examine the sophisticated collection in each of these designs, I encourage you to take a moment and reflect what makes them so magical. I’m often asked how does one stand out in such a strong community of talent. THIS is how you stand out, you dig deeply into floral varieties and explore the wonder of the flowers of the season and find sources that provide brilliant options. Explore, Create, Embrace Challenges, and dare to be adventurous with flowers….this can and will set you apart. Flowers will never disappoint!

All the Best, Scott

Listen to Ariella’s floral journey below or visit our webpage to learn more about Ariella and her amazing designs.

What a pleasure to begin our new season with Ariella Chezar. I love this portion of her bio, "Whether it is collaborating on a spectacular event, teaching a room full of flower lovers, planting thousands of tulips or styling a photo shoot, I consider myself lucky to love every aspect of my color filled world."