The power of peonies

There's just something about peonies, isn't there?That tight little bud of petal perfection that opens before your eyes revealing layer after layer of beauty that we can't get enough of. Despite being only seasonally available in May and June, peonies are one of the most sort-after blooms for brides and flower-lovers alike. With this in mind, we thought we'd celebrate this fabulous bloom with a few peony-inspired bouquets and arrangements we've made.

A little something to keep in mind if you are a peony-loving bride. Peonies can be imported at various times throughout the year when they are not in season locally. However, there is no guarantee of availability and you will have to pay the higher price of having them sourced internationally. If this is the position you find yourself in, consider substituting peonies for garden roses. Garden roses (different to standard roses) have an incredibly beautiful fragrance and the same multi-layered petals that are so loved about the peony.

Many of the above images have a combination of peonies and garden roses. Can you spot the difference?

If you had to ask us to pick our favorite occasion in which we used peonies, it would be a very tough call, but we couldn't go past our 2012 Creme de la Creme floral display. Peonies alongside garden roses and Ecuadorian roses, ranunculus, anemones and ferns. Bliss.

If this floral eye candy wasn't enough, you can catch plenty more by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. You will find all the links at the top left of our website.

Nature meets revelry

When bespoke wedding and events collective All & Sundry approached us to collaborate on a styled shoot, it was an opportunity we couldn't resist. With a passion for all things natural, sustainable and ethically-sourced, All & Sundry have made a name for themselves in the wedding industry as cultivators of uniquely-designed celebrations.

Presented with a design brief requesting "simple elegance with a warm color palette", we were given plenty of room to flex our creative muscle and had a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding time doing so.

As is the case with all flowers used by Celsia Florist, all floral product for the shoot was either locally grown or sourced from fair-trade farms, providing us with a stunning array of blooms from hyacinth, lisianthus, peonies and roses to the star attraction - our hellebores which were purchased from a local nursery.

Thank you to Mikaela Ruth for photographing the scene so perfectly and to our talented fellow collaborators who made it all possible.

You can see the full shoot on Ruffled Blog.

A classic color pairing

There are few color combinations as timeless and classic as white and green.It has the ability to lend itself to any occasion, mood or style of design and best of all, it's a color palette you can use year-round when it comes to florals. Here's just a handful of examples of white and green arrangements we've designed at Celsia Florist across the Winter and Spring months.

The Great Gatsby experience

Today's the day! Finally, the release of Baz Luhrmann's much talked about screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous tale of America in the 1920s, The Great Gatsby. To celebrate the release we bring you the glamour, elegance and opulence of this era through a Roaring 20s-inspired editorial we worked on with Kailey Michelle Events for Bride.ca

Photographed beautifully by Matt Kennedy at Vancouver's iconic Teahouse at Stanley Park, this shoot was the epitome of luxury. From Bisou Bridal's exquisite Jenny Packham and Monique Lhullier gowns to the gorgeous garden roses and gold sequinned linen lining the table, the abundance and affluence synonymous with this bygone era was truly on show.

And we couldn't get enough of it. Every girl should have an opportunity to dine at a table with sequinned linens, right?

Enjoy the images and Happy Gatsby Friday!

(Don't forget to place your Mother's Day order for Sunday!)

You can see more images and the full editorial feature at Bride.ca

Mother's Day Meanings

If you follow along on our Facebook page you may be familiar with a little post we do each week called Monday Meanings. Each Monday we share with you a picture of one of our arrangements along with the meaning behind a featured bloom. It's only a small post but it is undoubtedly one of our favorites. Together we have learnt the meaning of so many flowers and discovered a sweet new little language , The Language of Flowers. (There are many books by this name that would make a beautiful Mother's Day gift. We recommend the novel by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.)

Considering Mother's Day is on Sunday, we thought we'd bring you an extended Monday Meanings today based on a garden-inspired arrangement we created with Spread Love Events for a recent shoot.

Now to deconstruct.....

The meanings behind some of the featured blooms: Tulip - declaration of love, Stock - you will always be beautiful to me, Matricaria/Chamomile - energy in adversity, Ranunculus - you are radiant with charms, Eucalyptus - protection, Pale pink rose - Grace.

If you would like to learn more of our Monday Meanings, like us on Facebook.

Huge thank you to Gucio Photography for the images and Spread Love Events for the styling. You can see more images from this shoot on Spread Love's blog and see how, with some thoughtful details, you too can prepare a special Mother's Day Brunch for the special person in your life.

Remember you can place your Mother's Day orders at our online store now.