Jazz Fest For All

This year's Montreal International Jazz Festival has begun. The tons of free concerts and activities are great for a family day out.

The Flower Pot has not been idle. We've created a gorgeous and jazzy flower arrangement that will remind you of those smooth songs you enjoyed so much. We're including a Jazz fest program so you can stay on top of all the concerts you want to attend.

Can you keep up with Montreal's summer nightlife? The game is on!

Visit us, your friendly Montreal florist located in Griffintown at 1340 Notre Dame Ouest. We can help you choose a great gift over the phone too, 514-938-1234. Check out our online offerings for great personalized gifts and other special treats.

Wedding Flowers Part 4: The Wedding Decorations

In planning the flowers for your wedding decorations, make the task more manageable by thinking in two categories: flowers for the ceremony and flowers for the reception.

For a ceremony in a church, consider large arrangements near the altar, podium, or lectern. You may also want smaller floral arrangements or bows to decorate the pews down the aisle or the stair rails at the church’s entrance. A single rose in a vase next to the guest book is always an elegant touch.

For a Jewish wedding, the chuppah can be decorated with greenery and bows, or with elaborate floral arrangements. For an outdoor wedding, whether religious or non-denominational, the bride and groom may choose to exchange vows under a floral archway or canopy.

Some couples prefer to have the wedding reception flowers match those of the ceremony in colour and style. But it’s good to know that there is no hard-and-fast rule to follow here. For example, many couples choose white for the ceremony flowers and decide to brighten up the reception venue with more colourful arrangements.

When preparing for your consultation with the florist, there are a few questions to keep in mind:

• What kind of party will the reception be? Is it a cocktail party or a formal sit-down dinner with several courses – or perhaps even both?
• Where is the head table located? Is it a round table or long and rectangular?
• If a meal is being served, is it buffet style or will food be served at the tables?
• Will there be a dance floor? What kind of entertainment are you planning for the evening (DJ, live band, etc.)?

Knowing as much as possible about the ceremony and reception will help your florist create a plan that suits your needs and budget that may include:

• centerpieces for the head table, buffet, and individual tables
• freestanding arrangements near the head table, entrance, and dance floor (sometimes transported from the ceremony)
• flowers at the card table
• single flowers on the back of the covered chairs or napkins, for a touch of luxury

Votive candles are an inexpensive way to bring magic to any venue, but be sure to check if they are permitted by the establishment. Even a small detail – like a simple vase in the restroom – shows that you’ve really thought of everything.

Wedding Flowers Part 3: The Bridal Bouquet

The bride’s bouquet is the central floral arrangement of a wedding, and for this reason you’ll spend a good deal of time researching the bouquet and discussing what you have in mind during your consultation. The bride’s flowers should complement her dress, but should also reflect her personality and sense of style, as well as the wedding’s overall theme, colours, and mood.

Several styles of bridal bouquets are continually in fashion, no matter what the season. The following bouquets each have a timeless elegance that allows the natural beauty of the flowers to shine through:

• Cascade. The cascading bouquet flows downwards from the handle. This traditional arrangement is true focal point, and often includes large flowers such as orchids and roses.
  

• Round Biedermeier. The flowers in this round arrangement are tightly clustered and often include roses. Add tulle or silk ribbons for a modern, elegant bouquet.
  

• Hand-tied bouquet. This natural arrangement is made to look as if the flowers were freshly picked from the garden. The stems can be left visible, or covered with material to match the wedding dress. Tip: have a vase on the head table at the reception so that your flowers last the entire evening.

You may also consider a separate bouquet to toss to the bridesmaids and female guests. The toss bouquet is more affordable than the primary bouquet, and is a great option for the bride who wants to keep her bouquet as a memento.

When planning the bridal bouquet, you’ll also want to consider the groom’s boutonnière. Most flowers from the bouquet will also work in the boutonnière, except any kind of lily. The goal here is to create harmony, as a common flower is one of the first things the couple will share as husband and wife.

For the bridesmaids’ flowers, you may choose a smaller version of the bride’s bouquet. If you’re opting for a different arrangement, the bridesmaids’ dresses are a good starting point for choosing colours to match or complement. But remember, the bride’s bouquet should be the largest and most elaborate. It is, after all, her special day.

Coming up ... Part 4: The Wedding Decorations

Wedding Flowers Part 2: The Consultation

Once you’ve done some preliminary research about wedding flowers, you’re ready to book your first consultation with a local florist. This meeting usually happens anywhere from a year to six months before the wedding date, and you can expect the appointment to run for at least an hour. If you’re planning a summer wedding, it’s best to book your consultation well in advance since this is peak wedding season.

The initial consultation is all about establishing communication and trust between the florist and the couple. You’ll want to bring your portfolio with all your research – whether it’s saved on a laptop, tablet, smartphone, or printed out in hard copy.

Some other things to prepare for the consultation are:

• pictures and fabric samples of the wedding dress and attire of those in the wedding party;
• a breakdown of the wedding’s theme (vintage, modern, nautical, western), colour scheme, and the overall mood (romantic, formal or informal, etc.);
• complete list of who is in the wedding party (maid of honour, bridesmaids, best man, groomsmen, flower girl, ring bearer, etc.) and anyone else who might require a corsage or boutonnière (mother/father of the bride, etc.)
• rough layout of the venues for the ceremony and reception and what furniture is available for the wedding flower decorations
• a breakdown of your budget for both the wedding party flowers and decorations.

Even with a budget in mind, the consultation will help you firm up the amount and establish what you can afford within that budget. Depending on the season and what’s in stock that day, you can also expect to see some flowers and sample arrangements in person during your consultation.

Coming up … Part 3: The Bridal Bouquet

Father’s day up ahead!

Father’s Day is celebrated all over the planet at different times of the year. In our little corner of the world your dad’s holiday is coming up this weekend, on the 17^th of June.

Fathers often don’t get the credit they deserve, so this year it’s time to change that. There’s nothing sweeter to them then spending time with their kids and knowing their children appreciate them.

Dad can be hard to buy for, but if you think you’ll never find a gift for him, think again. The Flower Pot has tons of daddy-oriented gift options he’s sure to love.

What dad doesn’t appreciate good craftsmanship? The highly glossed Wooden Bird Sculpture comes in different sizes and is handmade out of oak by Pierre Alarie, a Québec artist.

Flowers aren’t only for girls. Your father is sure to love the visually interesting Jazz bouquet with its tropical flowers and particular design and shape. You can even choose to send it with a box of tasty chocolates.

If you don’t think these two products are for your dad then we also have a huge selection of customozable gifts: t-shirts, mugs, balloons…

Come by and visit your friendly Downtown Montreal florist located in Griffintown to browse through all our gift options. If you're looking for a more personalized gift, visit our website, call us at 514-938-1234, or stop by our Griffintown shop (1340 Notre-Dame Ouest) for more recommendations and to place your order.

Out of CLASSE with class

This hectic school year has made graduation and prom confusing for some of us young Montrealers. Does it count if we haven’t been to class since February?

Political power plays notwithstanding, it’s always nice to look forward to the end of classes and the look on your parents’ face as you walk up to the podium to receive your diploma.

The Flower Pot is with you every step of the way. Check out the corsages, lovely gifts, and stunning wristlets on the dedicated graduation and convocation page.

Gentlemen, the rose boutonnière is particularly beautiful with its soft white petals and young flower buds. Ladies will love the mini cymbidium orchid wristlet that comes in pink, white, and green. Parents looking for a meaningful and timeless gift for their young graduate will love the rose-filled Graduation bouquet.

Come by and visit your friendly Downtown Montreal florist located in Griffintown to browse through all our gift options. If you're looking for a more personalized gift, visit our website, call us at 514-938-1234, or stop by our Griffintown shop (1340 Notre-Dame Ouest) for more recommendations and to place your order.

Wedding Flowers Part 1: The Research

Last year's wedding planning blog was very popular so why fix something that isn't broken? Here's our planning series, Wedding Flowers.

Planning a wedding is a lot of work, and the flowers are just one small piece of the puzzle. One of the most exciting stages happens at the beginning: the research. This is the fun part because it entails looking at a lot (we mean a lot!) of beautiful pictures and choosing what flowers, colours, styles, and moods suit your taste and fit within the wedding's overall concept and budget. At this point one of the most important things to remember is to be open minded. Flagging what you don't like is also a good idea; if there is a flower that you don't want in sight in your bouquet or decorations, your florist will need to know.

This is a good time to start thinking about what colours you will want to incorporate into the wedding bouquets, corsages, boutonnières, and decorations. What colours are the dresses and suits of the people in the bridal party? Do you have a theme colour for the wedding? What are some complimentary colours that could highlight your theme colour? These are some questions to consider that can help guide your research.

As you look through various sources, you can also start to think about the mood you want to capture for the day. Do you want your wedding flowers to convey dramatic and energetic or elegant and romantic? Or how about casual yet sophisticated? You should also research which flowers are in season for the time of the wedding. Choosing flowers that are rare, out of season, or exotic could end up with a higher price tag or be difficult for your florist to find. Your florist can help provide this information as well.

Here is a list of sources to help you get started with your research:

• your local flower store
• florists' websites (most will have a bridal section)
• blogs
• bridal magazines
• books
• wedding trade shows

One way to keep track of your research is to create a portfolio. This will make it easier to visualize what flowers and arrangements you want for the wedding (and keep track of what you don't want!). These visuals will be a useful tool when the time comes to meet with the florist, as you can show them flowers and arrangements that you might not know by name.

Coming up … Part 2: The Consultation