noa + rob

One of my favorite weddings, ever, was that of Noa and Rob. They got married last October at Terraces winery. They couple gave me a lot of leeway and had one instruction. Color! As you can see from photos by Leah McCormick we had a great time using seasonal flowers and fruit to make this wedding beautiful and festive.

Want to see more of this wedding? Check out the posting on Snippet and Ink here!

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Spring Dreaming

It feels like Spring! We’re getting April showers and the flowers are fragrant and memory inducing. Lilac, bunny tail and Lady Bates roses remind us to appreciate the bounty that this special time of year brings us. David Austin roses and jasmine remind us that Summer will be here before we know it. May your April be filled with sweet scent and blooms abound.

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easter is here

At Natalie Bowen Designs it is a requirement that you love Easter. Luckily, this hasn’t posed too much of an issue. It’s a time of Spring flowers (ranunculus, tulips, lilac, hello!), my mother’s sweet Hungarian Yeast Bread and Easter bonnet’s. We’ll be celebrating at my mum’s annual garden Easter party and egg hunt which will be in it’s 39th year.

Lilacs are a memory inducing flower for so many people. The scent is intoxicating and a reminder that spring is here. Below we used parrot tulips, ranunculus and a personal favorite, bunny tail! I loved this grass so much I used it in my bridal bouquet. No matter what your tradition is, may you be surrounded  by the sweetness of the season on this fun holiday.

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Still Life

This stunning photograph blows my mind. Jenny took it of a pile of parrot tulips and I keep thinking it looks just like a still life painting. In the Seventeenth century the Dutch impressionist painters were known to start painting flowers and fruit that was starting to spoil to remind one that such pleasures were short lasting ones. I am often reminded of this, myself, when we are taking apart beautiful arrangements that are just a day past their prime.

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simply bay

We absolutely loved this wedding. The couple had a simple vision, however precisely executed it was full of impact. We used air plants, succulents, scabiosa pods and other non-floral elements to compliment the bay foliage theme.

We simply set the tables with bows of bay down the center which seemed almost under-done in concept but was so beautiful and perfect in person.

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Bouquets to Art 2012

It’s that time of year again. “Bouquets to Art” is showing at the de Young Museum and we’re proud to be exhibiting in the show. This year we decided to stray away from our normal modern art selection and applied for “Lady in Black with Spanish Scarf”  by Robert Henri as our first of five possible pieces. We were given our first choice and the pressure was on! We used steel bar, steel plate, calla lilies and t-leaves to compliment this regal and striking piece.

The painting we were assigned was also used in the collateral for the museum, so we hoped to live up to it’s presence. As the poster behind the ticket booth says, we were both inspired and challenged. Please see what we have done in previous years by looking here and here.

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