Behind the Scenes

OK, all who know me know my disdain for the summer heat.  Here on the gulf coast of Florida the temperature and the humidity numbers often seem to share the same digits.

In the business of designing non-wilting florals for beach weddings and for residential customers the months of May through October are quiet.  Beach weddings are few and the weekend art festivals and markets close.

So, I thought I'd give you a peek at what goes on when there is little "going on".  Time during the summer creating and storing new items, meeting wedding planners, visiting venues and designing marketing materials is how days are spent.  It's been hot, but productive so far!

Take one beachy basket, add goodies...surprise a friend!

Beachy baskets are one of the new items I am designing. Do you think they will be a hit? 

Giving a gift should be fun!  The beachy wine basket.

Marketing my business is always enjoyable.  The wedding collection is also new and beach weddings occur in the hundreds during the months of October through April.  Couples can now connect with Beachy Wreaths by Annie Gray by clicking:  http://www.weddingwire.com  and on http://www.marthastewartweddings.com  

Marketing packets ready to go out for Beachy Wreaths, The Wedding Collection. 

 I'd love to hear from you about what you think I should design next.  Just make it a beachy idea! I'll  include your suggestions and post photos of what I make.

Bridal Bouquets that Never Wilt

Brides that like to have a forever keepsake from their wedding find a bouquet made from silk flowers, seagrasses and shells to be just the thing.  A fresh idea that never wilts or goes out of style.  

I design for weddings held on the beach in the Tampa/St Petersburg/Sarasota area of Florida. 
The temperature along the coast can be hot and humid during the summer months of May through the end of September.  When planning an outdoor ceremony it is wise to avoid a bouquet that wilts and droops.  

 This is the the bouquet I carried at my outdoor wedding in 1977.  Yes, it is 33 years old.  It has not been preserved in any way.  I had it made in Germany and brought it on the plane with me, along with a basket filled with similar dried flowers for my maid of honor to carry.   And yes, that is a photo of me with my husband and son, Chance. 

The syles and shapes for a bridal bouquet are endless.  Make it a keepsake!

Martha and Me

This week I came thisclose to Martha.  Of course, that Martha. Beachy Wreaths by Annie Gray is now gone "live" on Martha Stewart Weddings (www.marthastewartweddings.com)  and on the Wedding Wire (www.weddingwire.com). Very exciting!

Each week I visit the catering executives at three hotels or country clubs in my area.  It is the primary way to view the sites that host beach weddings.  Couples that plan a ceremony on the sand bring brilliant ideas to me for what they want the venue to look like.  Sometimes the wedding party is made up of a few people, sometimes guests number in the hundreds.  Some receptions are formal, many are informal and held on a patio with the sun setting slowly.  It's truly a magical gathering.

                                                                    The Don Cesar Beach Resort   St Pete Beach, Florida

This coming week will be half work and half play. I will be designing bridal bouquets of shells and silk flowers for a future bridal show held in Sarasota, Florida.  By mid-week I will be in my hometown, St Louis.  

                                                                                Summer at the Beachy Wreaths studio...

My next post will share the bouquets with you all.  Enjoy your week!

Movin' On

Many readers know that I am a transplant from St Louis to the west coast of Florida. No, oil is not on our pristine beaches. Keep your fingers crossed and the prayers going!

The move is a daily adjustment.  Friends constantly ask, "So, Annie, how do you like living in Florida?". My response is always, "Well, it is different."  Daily life now is lived in a beach community not a Midwest urban/suburban setting.  Water is e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e.  Feet from my patio is the intracoastal waterway, walk a bit and the Gulf of Mexico is at my disposal. Not a bad gig, eh?

To show myself that I am trying to fit into the beach life, a suitable alternate form of transportation was finally found.  A few clicks on Craigslist, $40 in cash, a thirty minute drive to find Dale at his double-wide and I was back in the saddle again.  The beach bike was mine.

I am now living at the beach and back on the exact type of bike I learned to ride on Christmas Eve, circa 1957.  I don't do gears, I don't need hand brakes.  I did luck out and get white walls in the deal, though.

All  that was needed was to "beach it up" a bit.

With a wicker basket made in New Hampshire and a cool small turquoise color bell for the handlebar (needed to alert tourists strolling the boardwalk), the bike was looking quite appropriate. (Look closely on the right handle bar for the said bell.)

But, oh nooooooooooooooooooooooooo, it was too plain for this writer/rider.  The basket needed the Beachy Wreaths touch.  With a cluster of shells, silk sea grasses glued to a plastic margarine tub lid tied through the weave with ribbon the basket got it's beach personality.

Now that I have found a literal way to keep myself movin' via the bicycle I am also committed to finding people, activities and ideas to push myself forward emotionally.  Pedal, pedal, pedal.

The bike may be metaphoric. Gee, do ya think??
Life at the beach continues. Stay tuned.

Wedding jitters...

Kelly & Paul 6.5.10
It was the second wedding for the bride, but the first wedding for Beachy Wreaths by Annie Gray. What faith!

The bride was beautiful, the groom was handsome and the guests were soaking up the total experience of being on the beach. Heat and humidity were abundant, but more so was the sheer happiness of all who attended.

A bride who is as organized, creative and gracious as Kelly made my design work a breeze. Shells, star fish, sand dollars and silk sea grasses hold up in heat, wind or beach rain showers. Luckily, this wedding had only one of nature's "gifts" to contend with!

Let there be chair caps
Wedding jitters behind, brides and beaches ahead! Thank you and best wishes to you, Kelly and Paul!