Tuesday, July 5, 2011

We're Growing!

Over the last 2 years, The Exotic Green Garden has done over 100 weddings!  This year, we have almost 80 weddings booked already and are still getting phone calls on a regular basis.  We successfully planned our first annual bridal show at the beautiful Pierpont Inn in Ventura, CA in April.  We have all 5 star ratings on Wedding Wire and were voted #4 best of shopping on Yelp.

I take great pride in our work and as experienced as we are, I have made an executive decision!  We will now be offering full wedding coordination and day of coordinating packages.  I have worked with some of the best vendors in the industry... and others that I hope I never have to work with again.  There are some spectacular venues I would have never found if it wasn't for my brides. 

With our experience, and outstretched referral lists, I am confident our brides will be able to find whatever it is they need to plan the perfect wedding.  Whether a client needs help from beginning to end, or they are a DIY-er looking for additional help the day of the wedding, The Exotic Green Garden will now be able to accommodate all your wedding needs!  Email or call with any questions!

The Exotic Green Garden
705 Lakefield Rd. unit G
Westlake Village, CA.  91361
(805) 494-5300
ExoticGreenGarden@gmail.com

Saturday, March 12, 2011

FREE Upcoming Bridal Show

So I'm doing something I've never done before.  I'm hosting a bridal show!  I am very excited to see how it turns out.  For any wedding vendors that have never done a bridal show before, but have wanted to, this is a great opportunity.  Booth prices are a fraction of what they normally are.  I hope to fill up the ballroom at The Pierpont Inn.

Brides that are looking for a more spread out, less overwhelming show, please come!  It's FREE for everyone.  I have a great schedule of events for the day.  Some include:

Fashion show
Cake dig - $300 prize!
Free dance lessons
Free food and drinks
Tours of the venue
Spa and beauty demonstrations
Plus so much more!

The show will take place Sunday April 10
11 am - 4 pm
550 Sanjon Rd.
Ventura, CA.  93001 

Check out the website for more details:

www.PierpontInnBridalShow.com

I am constantly updating it as vendors sign on and events are added.  Please email or call me if you have any questions.  Thanks and hope to see you all very soon!

The Exotic Green Garden


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Love is in the air....

Getting married on Valentine's Day is very romantic, but also very expensive.  Unfortunately I don't dictate the price of flowers on this crazy holiday, but if I did, I would make everything less expensive so no guy would have an excuse to not get flowers for his wife or girlfriend.  Girls love getting flowers!

Valentine's Day and Mother's Day weekend are two very expensive times of the year to get married.  On Valentine's Day, the cost of red roses almost triples.  Mother's Day, pink roses are the flower of choice.  Keep that in mind when you're planning your wedding. 

This was actually the first year I had a wedding booked on Valentine's Day.  The ceremony was held at South Coast Botanical Gardens  in Palos Verdes Peninsula.  And the reception was at the beautiful Portofino Yacht Club in Redondo Beach.  The venue has full panoramic views of the ocean with an outdoor area right over the water for cocktail hours.  If I didn't forget my camera at home, I would have had better pictures.  I guess a camera phone is better than nothing...



Arch arrangement consisted of red freedom roses, burgundy carnations, red gerbera daisies, white spider mums and white wax flowers.  The centerpieces matched the same floral scheme but were accented with black feathers.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Valentine's Day

For the guys....

If you plan on getting your wife/ girlfriend flowers for Valentine's Day, have them delivered to her work on Monday.  Girls feel so special when they receive flowers in front of a group of people.  I don't believe girls when they say they don't like the attention.  Who doesn't like to get their co-workers a little jealous and be able to brag about their man.  I know I do!  But that is because he IS the best  =)

So guys... I've made it really easy for you.  Call or email, tell me how much you want to spend and what address you want it delivered to, and she will have a gorgeous flower arrangement delivered on Valentine's Day. 

For those who may be on a budget, arrangements will start at $10 and local delivery will only be $5.  In all honesty... it doesn't matter whether the arrangement is big or small... she will appreciate the fact that you planned something special for her.  Do something better than picking up a card and balloon at the supermarket on your way home from work.






Sunday, January 16, 2011

1st Wedding of the Year

January is always an iffy month for weddings.  But if you happen to be as lucky as Lisa and Daniel, you'll get a blue sky, 80 degree day in between 2 weeks of rain and cold.  The wedding today took place at Wood Ranch Country Club.  All the rain had turned the grounds green.  Bright green!  The gazebo over looked the golf course.  And the reception had full panoramic views of the venue.  It was an absolutely gorgeous setting, and day, for a wedding.
 

  

Arch arrangement consisted of gerber daisies, china mums, dendrobium orchids, bells of Ireland, snaps and roses.


 The bridal bouquet was made of hydrangea, roses and lisianthus.


 Bridesmaid's bouquets - hydrangea and roses.


 1/2 the centerpieces were hydrangea and roses in 5"x5" glass cube vases. For a classic, clean look!


 1/2 the centerpieces were manzanita trees.  Cymbidium and dendrobium orchids were scattered throughout the branches.  Hanging candles were lit during the reception.

Manzanita centerpiece w/ the bridal bouquet.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Wedding Venues & Helpful Hints

Every wedding venue is unique.  Before choosing the perfect site to have your wedding, there are tons of little details to consider.  For example:

Planning an outdoor wedding?  Make sure the ceremony site is on a flat surface.  Uneven ground causes crooked arches or slanted chuppahs.  Knollwood Country Club & Golf Course, Granada Hills provides a great outdoor setting on flat land.  One of my favorite wedding set ups was there.


The Castaway, Burbank is a large venue that offers a variety of sites.  They can accommodate small to large parties and everything in between.  I've done about 8 weddings at The Castaway, each one different and unique.




Before booking a venue, find out what kind of day of, event coordinating the venue offers.  It is so important to have a day of coordinator.  I hate watching brides trying to do everything themselves the day of their wedding.  The day of, a bride should be getting her hair done, getting her make up done, relaxing with her girls and being excited about getting married!  I have to give a very honorable mention to Pam, the event coordinator at The Pierpont Inn , Ventura.  The day of the wedding, it was pouring rain.  Of course the ceremony was supposed to take place outside.  After doing a quick walk through of the property with Pam, we decided to relocate the ceremony indoors.  She directed her crew to set up chairs and placed the band in a central area.  This wedding would have been a complete disaster without a day of coordinator. 

Most venues provide a day of coordinator with a wedding package, pay the extra money to have one.  If you're renting a venue and doing everything yourself, ask me about event coordinators.  I can recommend some great ones for you!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Inn of the Seventh Ray -- December 11

Busy busy busy...

A couple weeks ago, I did wedding flowers at Inn of the Seventh Ray on Old Topanga Road...If I had to describe the flowers the bride wanted, I'd have to say vintage, chic and fabulous.  Take a look at some of my work, but I definitely can't take all the credit.  The bride collected tins and carefully pieced together button jars and spoon table holders to complete her vintage wedding look.

Boutonniere
The beautiful bride with her bouquet.  And me!

Roses, spray roses and lisianthus
Lisianthus, roses, spray roses, and hydrangea
Vintage tins, button jars, spoon table numbers, all surrounding lantern with candle.