simple blooms

I'll be honest: I didn't have a large flower/decor budget when I was planning our wedding.  My then-fiance & I chose to prioritize & spend the most on our venue/food, photography & music.  As such, the pennies were pretty tight in other areas.  I went really simple with the flowers.*

So it's truly warmed my heart to see more & more reception centerpieces that don't break the bank, yet look quite lovely.  I know it's frustrating when your limited budget doesn't fit your big dreams.  Oh, my dears, there is hope.  Let's admire some affordable, beautiful centerpieces & fuel that hope!

A grouping of cheerful yellow flowers in different vases make for sweet centerpieces:

 Mix lots of greenery with a pop of bright color in a mason jar for a nature-inspired feel:

The small detail of green glass elevates this simple, single bloom & few branches centerpiece:

A fresh-picked centerpiece is just darling in a cute container:

Cherry on top: most of these centerpieces could easily be DIY projects!  As always, I beg you to recruit buddies or hire a day-of wedding planner to transport & set-up the centerpieces should you go the DIY route.  You want to spend your wedding day enjoying every moment with your loved ones, not playing with flowers. 

Are/Were flowers & decor a priority for your wedding?  Do you have any inspiring, budget-friendly decorating tips to share?  

(* I feel like a broken record but I promise more photos of our wedding are coming soon!  There are a few HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE & HERE TOO if you feel like scouring the entire blog.  I mean, I'm sure you have the free time.)

Photo 1 A & A Photography via Photo 2 via Photo 3 Kelli Hunt Photography via Photo 4 The Wedding Artists Collective via

Spring Flowers

Goodbye, Winter & Hello, Spring!

Spring may not officially start until March 20 but I'm declaring it Spring at Koru Wedding Style.  Winter was disappointing- in so many ways, not just the lack of snow.  I'm ready to move forward & embrace the new beginnings of Spring.  Let's get this Spring party started with with some gorgeous Spring bridal bouquet eye candy.

My favorite Spring flowers are delicate, beautiful tulips:

Peonies are quite lovely too, especially in this loose, garden-style bouquet:

Anemones are daring & modern with their black centers & they look perfect in this small, sweet bouquet:

Did I say tulips were my favorite Spring flower?  I lied.  Or maybe it's simply a tie with graceful, stunning calla lilies:

What is your favorite Spring flower?  Or, like me, do you find it too hard to choose?

Photo 1 Aquario Studio via Photo 2 Grazier Photography via Photo 3 Caroline Tran via Photo 4 Joielala Photography via

Irish Wedding Bells

Maybe it's because I'm Irish.  Perhaps it's because I love green.  Or just because.  But I love Bells of Ireland!  Those perfect lime green bells have my heart.


I don't spot them much in the wedding world so I was absolutely delighted (I may have squealed!) when I stumbled upon not one but two, DIY bridal bouquets that included Bells of Ireland.  I did what any decent blogger would do & pinned my heart out so I could share them with you.  


This stunning beauty is a combination of orchids, beach grass & Bells of Ireland just perfect for a beach wedding in Maine:

Photo by One Love Photo 

via

& the sweetest part?  The Groom's Dad made the Bride's bouquet!


For a Fall wedding, this lovely is a combination of snapdragons & Bells of Ireland that is unexpected yet just right:

Photo by Cassandra Eldridge Photography

via

& that beauty?  The Groom's Dad was taking a snooze on his duties so the Bride & Bridesmaids made it!

The cherry on top of the stylish Bells of Ireland is that they are known as a symbol of good luck.  What Bride doesn't want to carry a little good luck down the aisle as she get married?!

Tell me, what are your favorite flowers?  Does their meaning play into your choices for your wedding? 

Koru Kate Finds: Carnation Glory

I've said it before & I'll say it again: I like carnations.  Carnations come in a gorgeous rainbow of colors, don't cost a fortune & easily last from getting ready to the last dance- yup, I'm a fan.  I did lots & lots of research on chic carnation arrangements when I was planning my wedding.  Almost one year later, I'm pleased to run across new wedding inspiration for carnation-lovers.  Today's post is dedicated to those Brides who share the carnation love with me.

The Carnation Topiaries would look beautiful in any color to match your wedding decor:

  Image via Luxe Finds

I can envision these pretties lining the aisle, decorating cocktail tables or, with a few at varying heights, serving as a reception centerpiece.

This Carnation Cake would add a simple, sweet look to any wedding reception:

Image via Luxe Finds

I believe this cake would look quite lovely in any carnation shade.  Plus add more tiers, square tiers &/or a patterned linen for more pizazz!

For more fabulous carnation inspiration, please visit Luxe Finds.

What do you think about using carnations for a wedding? Yes or no?

Beautiful in Pink

Happy Mr. & Mrs. + Gorgeous Bouquet

How pretty!

Pink isn't my color but it's definitely my best friend's color. She & pink are best buds. It came as no surprise when she chose bright, vibrant pink as her color for her Summer wedding. Now this was no Blush & Bashful pink situation like "Steel Magnolias." Pink was the accent color used thoughtfully here & there, like pink bridesmaid dresses, pink & white bridesmaid bouquets & pink & white centerpieces.

What had my heart was her bridal bouquet of bright pink roses. This bouquet was a classic look of open pink roses tightly massed with no greenery. So simple, yet absolutely stunning. The bouquet was beautiful in person, even more striking in photos.

Beyond that, a bright, happy pink bridal bouquet was so perfectly her, a gorgeous accent for a beautiful Bride!

The Look

The Look of Our Winter Wedding
Ivory Linens, White Flowers, Glowing Candlelight
(Photo by Friend)

There are countless ways to approach the design of your wedding. We took the venue-driven route. We chose venues that, among other things, were so stunning they require little to no decor. We wanted to keep things simple & elegant to enhance, rather than distract from, the venues' true beauty. Simple & elegant became our wedding mantra. If the idea didn't fit simple & elegant, it didn't belong at our wedding.

The snapshot of our sweetheart table & wedding cake best showcases our wedding look. The simple, bunched carnation bouquets with ivory swirl ribbon. My long, sleek calla lily bouquet with ivory swirl ribbon. Striped ivory linens with simple white napkins. Votive candles glowing. Magnolia menu cards with peony purple backers & matching shades of peony purple ink, including our swirl motif. Our pretty purple toasting flutes. Our square, white wedding cake with orchids spilling down the side. All set against the glittering backdrop of Manhattan. Simply elegant!

Now I realize some of the things I'm describing, you can't see well in the photo above. I'm working with guest snapshots to tell our wedding story; later, I'll go into every last design detail with TGP's crisp, beautiful photos. But you get the idea hopefully.

The Manhattan Ballroom took my breath away when I saw it for the first time. I was so happy to see our design ideas come to life so beautifully. But in the end, it wasn't the flowers or the linens or the menu cards that mattered. Our friends & families who celebrated with us made our wedding shine!

The View

The glittering, glorious skyline of Manhattan was the shining star of our winter wedding.


This was carefully planned. RZ & I are lucky enough to enjoy stunning views of Manhattan from our beloved hometown of Hoboken & we wanted to share this experience with our guests. So the Manhattan Ballroom at Hyatt on the Hudson, with its fabulous skyline views, was booked. The flowers & decor were kept simple & elegant. The prayers to the Weather God were made for a clear evening.


On January 15, everything fell into place & the Manhattan skyline lit up in full glory.



Imagine dining on delicious food with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. Imagine dancing to a fun song with the bright lights of Manhattan surrounding you. Imagine celebrating a joyous occasion among the ultimate backdrop of Manhattan. So beautiful, so romantic. You're imagining the very night of our wedding!


It was a dream come true to treat our wedding guests to the dramatic Manhattan views. In my mind, the skyline was the star of the show & she's never shined brighter or more beautifully!

(Skyline Photos from Our Wedding
Taken by Wedding Guests)

For Hire

Via Wedding Industry Jobs

Oh, this is big. This is very, very BIG: Wedding Industry Jobs, a website dedicated to wedding jobs! Whether you are looking for a career in the wedding world or you have a spot to fill in your wedding business, this website is a dream come true!

I can remember my start in wedding planning & it wasn't easy. I had to do a lot of research to find local wedding planners, then spend a lot of time contacting them & hoping one of them would give me a chance. It was hard work! Thankfully, it paid off & I wouldn't change one moment. But now, my dears, things are easier & better than ever with Wedding Industry Jobs!!

Bridesmaid sales consultant! Graphic Design Intern! Associate Wedding Planner! There is truly something for everyone who is interested in a wedding career. Seasoned professionals & fresh newbies alike can use this as a job source. What are you interested in? Wedding Planning, Stationery, Floral Design, Cake Decorating are just a few options available. Pick your passion & find your dream job!

Guess what? Even I have my eye on something ☺

Floral Hint

Carnation photo via Hey Gorgeous!

To be honest, it's very, very difficult for me not to share every last detail of our winter wedding with you. I'd love to post a photo of my wedding dress, our wedding invitations, our cake, etc. It's so tempting! Then I remember it's most important for our treasured wedding guests to be surprised & delighted at our wedding. After our quickly-approaching wedding, I will have plenty of time to share with you. Reason wins.

Mostly.

Except for the flowers. Planning & creating our modern, winter white wedding look with my fabulous florist Liz has been one of the most enjoyable parts of wedding planning. Then to not be able to share any of the details . . . so unfair! I have been bursting to show you our perfect, sample centerpiece ever since I laid my eyes on it. But I resist.

Then I stumbled upon the above photo of a simple, white carnation bouquet on Hey Gorgeous! yesterday. I couldn't resist the golden opportunity. After all, I have written about my love for underrated carnations & my plan to use carnations for our wedding so I can say a little more. Right? This isn't an outright sneak peek, it's more like a sneak hint. Our wedding will feature flowers similar to the photo above from the bouquets to the ceremony to the reception. Sweet & romantic.

That's all I can write & show you for now!

More Carnation Loving!

Lovely DIY carnation centerpiece
Image via 100 Layer Cake

Remember way back when I declared my love for carnations?! Indeed, I did choose carnations as our main flower for our wedding. I've been having a blast bringing my vision together with my talented florist, Liz. Tons of white carnations will be clustered together with no greens for a modern, romantic look that is affordable. Liz made us a gorgeous sample of our reception centerpieces that I contemplated sharing on the blog but, in the end, I'd like the end result to be a surprise for our wedding guests. Until then, you'll have to imagine! Trust me, the flowers will be spectacular!


Yesterday, I spied this fabulous, DIY carnation centerpiece on 100 Layer Cake. Wow. The look is so delicate & pretty. So many people count carnations out but this clearly proves they pack quite a punch.

For one, brief moment, I contemplated revising my entire floral look. Then I gazed at our sample centerpiece photo & reminded myself how much I love them. I'm going to stick with the original plan.

Flower Time

FUN research on wedding flowers!
A selected few books from my wedding library

I found the most inspiration for flowers from this book

Anything that caught my eye was tagged for future reference

While my Mom was visiting from California, I made plans for us to tackle fun, wedding-related tasks. Our first task was meeting with our florist, Liz of Elizabeth Koleto Designs. I have known Liz for many years & while she has a regular 9 to 5 job, she is a florist too. She did a beautiful, amazing job for our three friends' weddings & when she offered to put on her florist cap for the wedding, I was sold. I know many talented florists but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to work with a friend.

In preparation for our initial meeting, I went through my wedding magazines & books for inspiration. Let me tell you, this is no small feat. I have dozens of books & hundreds of magazines! I tagged everything I liked with my wedding post-its (unfortunately, a discontinued item) & I started to realize I was drawn to different variations of one look that fit well with my modern winter white theme. Working with that look, I created ideas for the personals, ceremony, cocktail & reception florals. However, I knew it was simply a starting point & Liz would be key in truly defining the florals.

My Mom & I had a wonderful time meeting with Liz & delving into the creative side of the wedding. Liz asked the key wedding questions about the bridal party, the venues & the theme. Then she patiently looked through all of my photos to get an idea of what I was thinking for flowers. As I expected, Liz had great comments & ideas that I never would have thought of on my own. Flowers are her passion!

I left the meeting with complete confidence that the wedding flowers are going to be beautiful thanks to Liz. We came up with some definitive ideas & left some things open-ended to decide in the future. I hadn't bought my wedding gown yet (now DONE- read about it tomorrow) or bridesmaids dresses yet. As we get more things done, it will be easier to finalize the details.

Our next steps are seeing a sample centerpiece, talking budget & nailing down the exact details. I look forward to Liz helping me with every step & I will share all of it with you here. I count myself very lucky to be working with a fabulous florist who is also a friend!

Celebration Time

Celebrations!
Image via Real Simple

Celebration time!

I'm having a lot of fun inspiring & celebrating our wedding this week! On Monday, my Mom & I met with our wonderful florist, Liz, of Elizabeth Koleto Designs & discussed wedding flowers. I loved the opportunity to dig into the creative side of our wedding! On Tuesday, my Mom & I visited our reception venue, Hyatt Regency Jersey City. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Vu Restaurant overlooking the Hudson River, then we took a short tour of the Manhattan Ballroom Foyer & Manhattan Ballroom. It was the first time my Mom was able to see our venue. On Wednesday, we went to the amazing Lovely Bride & found my wedding gown!!! Yipee! Oh, what a day!! Sounds like a fabulous week, right?

The awesome thing is we still have good times ahead. Friday is my birthday. Saturday is our engagement party. Sunday is the Fourth of July. Fun, fun & more fun!

Of course, I have tons to share with you! But right now, it's really important for me to live in the moment & savor the celebrations as they happen. I'm filing away the memories & taking tons of photos so this blog will be chock full of my wedding stories next week. Until then, take care~