Rachel and Phong; A March Wedding

Rachel and Phong were married back on March 20, 2011 at the Baughman Center and had their reception at the Best Western Gateway Grand. I love Rachel's bouquet, which was made up of white calla lillies with red roses inside. The bouquet was accented with some silver as well.
Her bridesmaids bouquets, which are also shown below, were made up of hand-tied roses. I'm loving all the red--so beautiful!



At their reception, Rachel and Phong's centerpieces were made up of three cylinder vases filled with floating red tulips, red orchids and red roses. I love the variety each vase brings to the table. Did you know these vases are available for rental? Contact us for more information!


Our friends at Platinum Digital Video also posted a blog about Rachel and Phong's Wedding! You can see it by and watch a video teaser by clicking here!! They posted this beautiful photo collage of the wedding and reception and we had to share it with you!

Photo posted on Platinum Digital Video's blog

Congratulations Rachel and Phong! We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness. Thank you for letting The Plant Shoppe be part of your special day!


Ceremony: The Baughman Center
Reception: The Best Western Gateway Grand
Florist: The Plant Shoppe
Cake: The Flour Pot
Videographer: Platinum Digital Video

Andrew visits The SWAMP

When Abbey was a baby we found all kinds of cute places/ways to take pictures. So that Andrew doesn't become the typical "second child" I came up with a fabulous idea for a fun picture. So we loaded up the family and headed up to the stadium.

Andrew at 10 weeks & 2 days took his first trip to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Going up there we looked like the typical family visiting where mom & dad went to college and hanging out at the stadium to take pictures. Little did all the people staring at us know, that we live 1.5 miles from the stadium.

Katie and Michael, Part II

Hello and happy Friday! As a follow up to yesterday's post, we wanted to show you some of Jimmy Ho's photos from the event. You can see more of Katie and Michael's wedding on Jimmy's blog by clicking here.

Katie's bouquet was made up of beautiful mini purple calla lilies that were hand tied with fabric from her dress.

Here's another great shot of her bouquet...

Katie's bridesmaids had a similar look, except they carried bouquets of white mini callas. You can also see Michael's boutonniere, which was a purple calla lily, while his groomsmen wore white ones.

Congratulations Katie and Michael!! We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness. Thank you for letting The Plant Shoppe be a part of your big day!

Ceremony: Queen of Peace
Reception: Sweetwater Branch Inn
Photographer: Jimmy Ho Photography
Florist: The Plant Shoppe
Cake: Publix

Katie and Michael: Part I

Katie and Michael were married back in February at Queen of Peace Catholic Church and had their ceremony at Sweetwater Branch Inn. This first post is going to showcase their reception decor.

The centerpieces at the event were made up of six white milk glasses vases, filled with a mix of purple flowers. Below is an example of two different tables.


Up next, on the appetizer table for their cocktail hour, we have a beautiful arrangement with curly willow accented with some purple orchids.



And finally, I love this picture of the guest book table. Not only can you really see the white vases and flowers, but you also can see a sneak peek of the gardens at Sweetwater - so beautiful!





Be sure and check back for our next post, showcasing the bridal party's bouquets! :)

Ceremony: Queen of Peace Catholic Church
Reception: Sweetwater Branch Inn
Photographer: Jimmy Ho Photography
Florist: The Plant Shoppe
Cake: Publix

We're Back!!!

Have you missed our frequent blog posts? It's no secret that we haven't posted in a while, but that's because we have been busy little bees at The Plant Shoppe. Lots of things have been happening around the shop in the last few weeks. Baby Andrew is growing and a little over 2 months old, Abbey is about to be SEVEN and Whitney (that's me!) got married! So.... we apologize that we have been a little absent on the blog, but get ready, we have lots in store to share.

So, be sure and follow along as we update and share all the exciting things we have been doing. Also, be sure you are following us on Facebook for contests, updates, and exciting things that are coming!

In the meantime, check out what we can make... isn't this perfect for a summer surprise!?!?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

Happy 4th of July! The Plant Shoppe hopes that you have a great day with family and friends, enjoying a cookout, fireworks and hopefully a day off from work, while celebrating this great holiday!! :)





To all of those who have served or are currently serving in our Armed Forces, thank you for your service to our country. Have a great holiday everyone!!

Happy June!

Can you believe that the year is almost half way over? 2011 is definitely flying by. While June is usually a nice summer month filled with family vacations, barbecues, weddings, pool days, etc, there's also quite an important holiday in June too: Father's Day!


It's never too early to place an order for that special dad or father-figure in your life. There's lots of options and many ways that The Plant Shoppe can help you make the perfect Father's Day gift. We can make a special arrangement, send a favorite plant, or send one of these....

A JUNK FOOD BASKET

That's right, we can take your dad's favorite junk food and make an arrangement just for him that's edible. I know my dad would want some Turtles, Whoppers, Peanuts... you get the idea. Why not combine a flower arrangement with some candy?!? We also also accent your order with Thornebrook Chocolate. Yumm!

Call us today to advance order your Father's Day gifts... after all, there's only 18 days left :)

Sarah and Chris: An April Wedding

Sarah and Chris tied the knot on April 3, 2011 at Haile Plantation Golf and Country Club. Jaime at Sweet Serendipity Photography was kind enough to share with us some pictures from the big day.


Here's a shot of the fabulous bride and her bridesmaids with their hand-tied bouquets of yellow tulips.

Check out some of the ceremony decor that we were able to provide. The above arbor is available for rent for any occasion and the best part is after your ceremony, the flowers at the top can be moved inside to serve as reception decor! It definitely makes a great backdrop for any event!



And, finally, take a look at their beautiful cake by KB's Kake Kreations. Now that looks yummy!


Thank you Sarah and Chris for letting us be a part of your big day! We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!!

Ceremony: Haile Plantation Golf and Country Club
Reception: Haile Plantation Golf and Country Club
Photographer: Sweet Serendipity Photography
Florist: The Plant Shoppe
Cake: KB's Kake Kreations

Happy Memorial Day

The Plant Shoppe would like to wish you a Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to the all those who have served, are serving or have given their life defending our country. Today we honor your sacrifice and dedication. Thank you for defending our great country and the many freedoms that we have. Happy Memorial Day!!!

Baby Andrew is Here!

The Plant Shoppe is pleased to announce the newest member of the Gardner Family:

Andrew Joseph

He was born at 4:33am this morning (May 17), 7lbs, 12 oz, 20 inch. Momma and Baby are doing well. Congratulations to Betsy, Terry and Big Sister Abbey! Yay!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

The Plant Shoppe would like to wish you a Happy Mother's Day! Whether you are a mom, mommy-to-be, aunt, grandmother or mother-in-law, we hope that you have a great day filled with lots of love, happiness, relaxation and, of course, flowers.

Oh Baby.... Our Blog/Facebook Contest

Did you know that The Plant Shoppe's family is about to get a little bit bigger? To celebrate Betsy and Terry's newest addition that is due this week, we are having a Blog/Facebook contest.

Can you guess Baby Andrew's actual birthday, actual weight, or actual time of birth?
All week long, you can either comment on this blog post or our Facebook page for a chance to win. The closest person to guess each category will win a $20 gift certificate to The Plant Shoppe.

Here's our contest rules:
1. One entry per person per category
2. A date, weight, or time can only be guessed once. Ex: If someone guesses he will arrive Friday, May 13, that day is no longer available for an entry. If a date/weight/time is entered twice, the entry will go to the person who submitted first.
3. Each person can win one category. If you guess all three correctly, you will win one gift certificate, the other two will go to the next closest guess.
4. Have fun and be creative!

Here's our only hint.... Betsy's actual due date is May 14.



We look forward to seeing your entries and hope you are as excited about this week as we are. Once Baby Andrew is here, we'll announce our winners (probably a day or two after).


GOOD LUCK!


Shower Cake: Ms. Debbie
Photo by Yume Photography

Holidays You Should Know About...

This is quite a busy holiday-filled week for us at The Plant Shoppe. Did you know that there are THREE, that's right THREE holidays this week?

Teacher Appreciation Week. Take some time this week to say thank you to your son or daughter's teacher. We know it's not easy to have almost twenty children in a classroom and educating them. It definitely takes someone special. Be sure and make sure your teacher knows you appreciate their hard work... and you can show it too! Here's a great example of what we can do (and deliver too) to that special educator.




Nurses Week. Nurses Week is celebrated May 6-12, however the actual holiday is May 6. Make sure that special nurse knows you appreciate them. After all, where would we be without them? It takes a special person to work with the sick. Wouldn't they love this?!? I know I would!



Mother's Day. Just a reminder, Mother's Day is this coming Sunday. Be sure and contact The Plant Shoppe (early too) to place your order. We will be delivering all week... but we are CLOSED on Sunday! After all, we have families too! Wouldn't your mom love this?



We look forward to hearing from you this week! :)

A Bouquet Fit For a Future Queen

It's no secret that the fairytale wedding happened last Friday. While I was very excited to see the dress... which turned out to be everything I was hoping, there was something else I was interested in. You guessed it, the bouquet.




Each one of her flowers had a beautiful symbolic representation. The bouquet was made up of lily of the valley, Sweet William flowers, hyacinths, ivy and myrtle. Lily of the valley represents the return of happiness, while Sweet Williams represent gallantry. Hyacinths symbolize consistency of love and ivy stands for fidelity, marriage, friendship and affection. Finally, the most symbolic for Royals was the myrtle. The specific myrtle in her bouquet was from the same bush that Queen Victoria planted in 1845. Queen Elizabeth even used it in her bouquet in 1947! Now that's some symbolic and classy history! Did Princess Catherine start a trend in wedding bouquets for the next few months? Only time will tell...

10 Things You Should Know About Mother's Day

Did you know Mother's Day is just around the corner? Here's 10 tips, suggestions and hints from The Plant Shoppe to make your Mother's Day gift a hit!


1. Mother's Day is Sunday, May 8. Yes, this is earlier than usual.

2. We are NOT open on the actual holiday (remember, we have families too!)

3. We suggest not delivering flowers on Sunday (aka Mother's Day). Why might you ask? Mom is not home! She's either at church, with family, at a restaurant, you name it... she's anywhere but home! You wouldn't want your beautiful arrangement to sit outside all alone, would you?

4. Mother's Day flowers can be sent all week long. We recommend sending flowers May 2-May 7. For example, my momma is going to be getting flowers on that Wednesday... totally unexpected, yet early enough for a surprise.

5. We do wire out services. Does your mom live in California? That's okay we can help! The Plant Shoppe can help you find a florist and wire your order to a nearby florist. Easy as pie!

6. Order early! Does your mum have a favorite flower or you have something specific you want to send? Place your order early to make sure we are able to accommodate your needs.

7. Spice up your order... add a balloon, chocolate (yum), stationery, and other goodies to your order.

8. What if my mom does not like flowers? Have no fear, we have plants. Again, order early to ensure we can accommodate your needs.

9. What if my mom lives in Gainesville? We can deliver... or you can stop by the shop and pick up the order and deliver it yourself... that's sweet! :)

10. Don't forget aunts, grandmothers, mother-in-laws, you wife (if she's a mom), expecting moms, etc. You can celebrate them with this holiday too!




Call The Plant Shoppe today and we'll work with you to create the perfect arrangement/gift for your mom!

Happy Easter!

The Plant Shoppe would like to wish you and your family a Happy Easter!

We hope that you enjoy the day with family and friends and your Easter is filled with lots of chocolate bunnies, stuffed Easter eggs and of course, flowers.

Also, as a reminder, don't forget that tomorrow starts Administrative Professional's Week! Be sure and place your order early!

Do You See What I See?: Advice For Brides

Are you a bride-to-be or a future bride to be? Or maybe even a new mom getting ready to decorate a baby's room and you need the perfect color combination? Either situation you have probably have had an experience like the one below:

You pick out the perfect color combination... maybe it's a sunflower and sky blue. Or maybe it is periwinkle and honeydew... and then this happens... you try and explain it to a man. They look at you clueless... they have no clue what you are talking about... and their next question is probably something along the lines of what about just yellow and blue or pink and purple?


That's where this awesome chart comes in....


This little chart says it all. The woman on the left sees so many different and interesting colors in the color scheme... however, the man sees the the colors of the rainbow... blue, yellow, green. That's it.

So brides, our advice... keep this in mind when dealing with your groom, hubby, or favorite man in your life. They can't help themselves... they just don't see it.

Calling All Bosses!

Did you know that Administrative Professional's Day is on the horizon? Don't worry... The Plant Shoppe is here to help you celebrate that special administrative professional in your life. We know you are busy with work, multitasking and keeping the office running smoothly... so let us help you say thank you to your amazing assistants!

Place your order early to guarantee delivery. You can also add a balloon, chocolates, stationary, or other gifts from the shop to make your arrangement say THANK YOU!

Administrative Professional's week will be celebrated April 24-30, 2011, however, the actual holiday is April 27. Below are just a few examples of arrangements perfect for that special employee.





Call The Plant Shoppe today or visit our website for more information and to confirm your orders!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail!

Happy Friday everyone! Did you know that Easter is NEXT WEEKEND? This holiday has definitely snuck up on me, but have no fear, The Plant Shoppe is here! Check out this awesome arrangements that we can do for that "somebunny" special in your life :)


This bunny arrangement is definitely perfect for ringing in the Easter holiday. I love, love, love the vase and the tulips! This definitely would bring a happy vibe to anyone at the office or even at home too!

We also have the featured arrangement below too! This is more of a traditional Easter arrangement with a cross in the middle.

And finally, if you are more of a plant lover, we have Easter lilies!

Be sure and contact The Plant Shoppe early so you are able to get the arrangement of your choice! Don't forget, we deliver too!

Erin and Luke, Part II

Okay, so we are a bit behind in the blogging world... but, that's because we have so many exciting things going on around the shop! After all, we have Easter, Mother's Day, Administrative Professional's Day all coming up....and of course weddings.

As you might remember, Erin and Luke were married March 19. This Part II in of their wedding, starting off with an awesome cake by Ms. Debbie!

That's right folks, this is a WATERMELON cake! How creative! We were able to add hydrangea accents to the cake, but just looking at this makes me hungry!


Up next is a peek at the groom's boutonniere, which is mainly made of cotton.

Here's another example of where mason jars were a part of the ceremony decor.




Here's a candid shot we were able to get of the bride with her bridesmaids and their bouquets! I love how the bride's bouquet matches the bridesmaid's dresses.

And finally, another one of our favorites, Erin's wedding favors: a variety of homemade jams in mason jars. Erin and Luke's engagement pictures are also on the tag of the jars!



Congratulations Erin and Luke and thank you for letting The Plant Shoppe be a part of your special day! We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!

Stay tuned... more wedding and holiday blogs to come in the next few days :)

Ceremony: Private Location
Reception: Private Location
Florist: The Plant Shoppe
Cake: Ms. Debbie