Inventory Blow Out!

End of wedding season inventory blow out sale! Vases (many different sizes & styles), branches (manzanita & birch), candleholders, etc. Drop us a line to find out what's available and in what quantities - petalsstemsandleaves@rogers.com

How to Hold Your Bouquet

Holding your bouquet in the correct fashion not only makes you more comfortable, it shows off your dress as well as looks perfectly put together for photos.



Photo Courtesy of Jason Curtis

Here are a few tips...



1)  Holding your bouquet, bring your arms up to a 90 degree angle, then relax and let the weight of your bouquet drop your arms down until your forearms are almost resting on your hips.  Not only is this a much more comfortable position to be in, but the weight is lower and you'll be able to last for longer holder your bouquet.

2)  Make sure everyone can see the front of the bouquet, not the side.  I normally put a row of pearl pins down the back of my handles so that everyone knows which is the front and which is the back of the bouquet.



3)  Lightly grip the bouquet handle in the middle of the handle and don't interlock your fingers.  We don't want any numb fingers or a tense body!

4)  If you are holding the bouquet one handed, drop your arm all the way down so that the bouquet is below your hip height and tip it slightly upwards.

Remember...relax, smile and have a great time!



My Top 10 Wedding & Event Venues in Toronto

Over the span of my career I have been lucky enough to work at many fabulous venues...and some not so fabulous ones.  My top 10 venues aren't necessarily unique nor are they new, but they have fabulous service, their food is amazing (or the food is amazing from the group of caterers that are preferred there) and finally I love not only how they treat my clients, but other vendors - including me!  Please note that these venues are not listed in any particular order or any particular order of preference.                       

1) The Burroughes
Located on Queen Street just east of Bathurst, this building has been around for ages, despite the modern updates to it's outside.  With restored elevators, original wood floors and wood accents, exposed brick walls, along with a roof top terrace that has the most beautiful view of the city, it's an amazing raw space where you can host an event.  The 6th floor space itself is divided into 2 separate areas, which is great for a dinner vs. dancing area. http://www.theburroughes.com/

2)  Estates of Sunnybrook
Tucked behind Sunnybrook Hospital is the Estates of Sunnybrook - the Estates are composed of 3 different buildings that can be rented (Vaughan Estate, McLean House and the Coach House).  The gardens are beautifully tended and landscaped and remind me of the English countryside.  Along with being perfect a perfect place to take photos, they also have numerous locations to have outdoor ceremonies.  The buildings have stunning views onto the property, grand stone fireplaces and curving staircases.  The food and service are both excellent, having been there for numerous weddings, corporate events and even my own wedding.  The thing though that I love the most about the Estates is that all revenue generated from events held here go back into funding resesarch at the hospital.  http://www.estatesofsunnybrook.com/

3) Fermenting Cellar
Located in the Distillery District, this is a beautiful and raw industrial space that can be turned into whatever your heart desires.  It's great for creative set-ups that can play off it's 35' foot vaulted ceiling and the wood trusses.  The food is top-notch and the menus especially creative.  The service is excellent and they even have parking.  Just keep in mind that you need to bring in everything here, so rentals can cost quite a lot.  http://www.fermentingcellar.ca/

4)  Jamie Kennedy Restaurant
Located on the 3rd floor of the Gardiner Museum, the restaurant and event space has a modern, open and warm feel with lots of natural light.  The ceilings are wonderfully tall and there is a beautiful wrap around porch with absolutely great views of the city.  The food here is an experience, with wonderful pairings of wine with local, seasonal produce.  http://www.jamiekennedy.ca/
5)  King Valley Golf Club
One of the most beautiful golf courses I work at!  The club house is set amidst not only a beautiful landscape, but beautifully tended gardens.  The club house itself is absolutely stunning with huge windows and great views of the course and landscape.  An outdoor patio serves well for both outdoor ceremonies and cocktail receptions.  The food and service are both wonderful.  Even the walk from the free parking lot to the clubhouse is through part of their gardens.  http://www.clublink.ca/

6)  Le Meridian King Edward
A beautiful old luxury hotel full of character and class!  It has 3 spectacular ballrooms (Vanity Fair, Sovereign & Windsor) with Vanity Fair being one of the last traditional ballrooms in the city.  The Vanity Fair Ballroom has 12' ceilings with a stunning arched dome, gorgeous crystal tear-drop chandeliers and can hold up to 280 guests for a seated reception.  The Sovereign Ballroom has 24' ceilings, floor to ceiling windows and beautiful crown mouldings.   The food is incredible and the staff always go above and beyond.  If you are looking for that princess feel, this is definitely the place to go.  www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/property/meetings/index.html?propertyID=1912

7)  Miller Lash House

Miller Lash House is located on the University of Toronto's Scarborough Campus in Highland Creek.  The Arts and Crafts architectural style of the building is a beautiful contrast to the sprawling lawns and peony filled gardens.  Multiple rooms are available inside, but only one is large enough for a very small reception.  During summer large groups can host their receptions outside under the newly renovated clearspan tent.  Multiple locations for wedding ceremonies make this a great all-in-one location.  The list of caterers associated with the venue is amazing, so you can't go wrong with food and service.  http://www.millerlashhouse.ca/

8)  Toronto Hunt Club
Located in Scarborough, this is one of the most beautiful locations for events and weddings.  Once you turn onto the driveway you won't even know how close you honestly are to downtown Toronto!  The property borders onto the bluffs and has a beautiful ceremony location on the edge of a pine forest with arbours overlooking the lake.  The historic main building reminds me of being at an old country club and is surrounded by lush gardens.  The main reception room has been tastefully itself has a very neutral colour palette with can be paired off with anything that an engaged couple or corporate client could want.  The food and service are exceptional.  One thing to note, non-members who want to host a event here need to be sponsored by an existing member of the Club who also needs to attend the event.  http://www.torontohunt.com/

9)  Westin Prince Toronto

After undergoing massive renovations, this North Toronto hotel has truly become a gem.  They have 30,000 sq. ft. of event space including the massive Prince Ballroom with it's 18' high ceilings, beautiful shaded chandeliers, neutral colour palette, private foyer and separate ballroom entrance.  The sprawling 15 acres of parkland surrounding the hotel include a wonderful green space surrounded by trees where you could hold an outdoor ceremony.  The banquet staff are excellent, from each server right up to the director of catering, and the food excellent.  http://www.westinprincetoronto.com/ 

10)  Wychwood Barns
Built in 1915, this building was originally a streetcar repair facility for the TTC.  The main space, the Covered Barn, is perfect for a funky wedding.  At 7,680 sq. ft., it's a very large space suitable for any kind of function.  With it's concrete floors, cinder block walls, 22' tall ceilings and a room long skylight, the airy atmostphere is remarkable - perfect for anyone looking for industrial chic!  They have their own in-house catering team, Artscape Catering, who do very creative menus with local ingredients.  But they also have a list of preferred caterers who are amazing.  www.artscapeeventservices.ca/event-venues/artscape-wychwood-barns/

And remember...popular venues (including some of the ones I've listed above) are booked way in advance with Saturdays and long weekend dates going first.  Before you set your wedding date, it's probably advisable to call the venue that's your first choice to check and see if they have that date available.   

Petals, Stems & Leaves has a new web-site!

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Petals, Stems & Leaves is excited to announce the launch of our new web-site, which went live on Valentine's Day.  Our new site has been designed with a fresh new logo, a fresh new look and lots of new photos! 
Explore the site and please take the time to tell us what you think!
Cheers,
Nicole North

WedLuxe blog feature

We were lucky to be part of a wedding where the bride not only travelled to Kleinfeld to pick out her dress, but was part of the show "Say Yes to the Dress".  Have a look at the WedLuxe blog to see what myself as well as the other amazing vendors put together!  http://tinyurl.com/6myo694

Magazine Feature - French Twist

I'm so happy to share with you one of our features in the Summer/Fall 2011 issue of WedLuxe magazine.  This shoot was alot of fun to do, and we got to work with some really amazing people!  Enjoy!

Royal Wedding Inspired Photo Shoot - Part 2 (Bouquet Flowers)

Designing what could be done inside Buckingham Palace came easily for me.  I sat and thought about Kate's bouquet for almost a week before I knew what I wanted to do. 

Since I think Kate will be wearing a very classic, elegant and full sleeved gown (for the ceremony at Westminster anyways) without a long train (she is travelling in a car to get to Westminster), I wanted her bouquet to be simple, yet beautiful enough to stand out on it's own.  A biedermeier bouquet is perfect for this!  This style of bouquet is european-inspired and has very dramatic circular rings of flowers that are each tightly packed and carefully arranged.  The geometry and contrast of a biedermeier is unsurpassed by any kind of bouquet and would suit Kate's style perfectly.  As for colour, it must be white.  Even with her blue engagement ring, Kate reminds me of a modern day Jackie O and I don't think a coloured bouquet is her style.   

The centre point flower had to be a scented one as well as dainty, so gardenias were perfect.  I then surrounded it by ranunculus and finally freesia.  Underneath the freesia I placed a few stems of purple lavender, which is a royal british wedding tradition.
The ribbon work on the handle had to complement the bouquet as well as be fashionable.  I didn't want to go over the top, so I used 2 different kinds of ribbon.  The base ribbon to make it look like a pleated and layered skirt, and the top ribbon to be a more dainty, and feathery as an accent.  A great complement to a simple and stunning bouquet!

Credits:
Floral and Tabletop Design: Petals, Stems & Leaves
Photography: Deborah Schauer