2013 – year of the fleur!

Happy New Year, everyone!

I’m proud to announce that Rachel Mercier Flowers is in full swing, and now has it’s own blog that you can access right here! 

I’m taking all my fun finds and will be posting them on my flower blog moving forward!  Mercier Beaucoup has been so fun, and my Rachel Mercier blog will merely be a continuation of all the good times – but connected to my flower website.  So please keep following me there!

When I started my blog at the beginning of 2011, I had no idea where it would take me.  Lots of twists and turns, but sure enough I have landed doing work I am passionate about.  So grateful.

A happy and healthy 2013 to everyone, and let’s stay in touch!

XO

Check out amazing photographs by Kari Herer right here!

I spy with my eye….

Something ranunculus.

For those who know me, it’s no secret my obsession with tone on tone.  Gasp!  I am especially digging the peachy, orange-y tones lately so put together this little ditty of stock, roses, dusty miller, basil, and ranunculus.  I think this will be a wedding go-to from now on.  More fleurs on my website!

Rachel Mercier Flowers web update

Hi guys!

I’m very excited to share with everyone that I have been working quite hard to update my Rachel Mercier Flowers site.  I have been working with so much love and enthusiasm over the past year in the floral industry.  From wedding shoots, to freelance floral design on advertising campaigns, to teaching classes, to weddings, to doing my own fleuring for fun.  This florista is officially ready to spread her wings and make some beautiful weddings and events happen.  Please take a look at my newly updated website, http://www.rachelmercier.com, and floral blog, and PLEASE pass me along to any brides and grooms-to-be!

Flowers and more flowers

You can see where the blog is headed this fall.  I have gotten my hands more into flowers this summer, and am doing some freelance floral and event design in NYC.  Yippeee! I have been lucky enough to join the Hatch Creative Studio team and am getting involved in all kinds of floral design and event styling.  It’s fun, and SO much hard work.  Major kudos to my fellow fleur-istas out there.  It is no joke, my friends.  Brides and grooms to be – your florist is probably working for every penny you pay them so be kind.

I picked up some flowers at The River Garden at the Union Square Greenmarket yesterday for a $15 flowers post.  I was having a really hard time choosing my favorites so I increased my budget slightly for this edition.  So here you have $40 flowers.  You will see just how far your money can stretch using different sized vases and vessels and dabbling with different types of arrangements and groupings.  I picked up some sunflowers, butterfly weed, cosmos, and snapdragons for the perfect end of summer white and yellow flower-a-palooza.

{The whole lot of flowers stripped and cleaned}

{I couldn’t resist the cosmos! Aren’t they amazing?!}

{I made three large arrangements with a mix of all the flowers}

{I then layered in individual flower types into smaller containers to give a real shout out to each of the fleurs – and to justify my over-the-top collection of vessels :-)}

{All the flowers as arrangements! I hope you enjoyed}

$15 Flowers – Pastel Yarrow & Dahlias

Holy blogging hiatus! Summer is just so footloose and fancy free that it’s really hard for me to sit down on my computer and write when there’s so much to be done outdoors.

Last week I was on Martha’s Vineyard with a group of lady friends.  I was reminded that I need to get back to doing my $15 bouquets on the blog.  Today I headed down to the Union Square Greenmarket and was pulled into the force-field of The River Garden’s gorgeous blooms.  In particular, they have had this FABULOUS pastel yarrow this past week begging me to bring it home and mix it up with some friendly fleurs.  I was also delighted to see that dahlias are coming in hot!  You know it’s pre-fall when the jewel-toned dahlia’s show their lioness faces.  Naturally I grabbed a bunch of each.

I have tons of glass and crystal vases at home, but yarrow and dahlia require a bit more of a casual vessel.  I scouted around my kitchen and finally in an “aha” moment, dumped all my kitchen spoons out of my huge ceramic utensil container and used it to arrange my flowers. The red ceramic is the perfect non-fussy compliment to the beautiful red blooms and wildflower yarrow.  Check out photos below!

{Here’s what two bunches for a total of $15 looked like before arranging (so many flowers!)}

{Yummy lioness Dahlia}

{Voila! One large arrangement/bouquet with leftovers for smaller vessels}

{Closeup of ceramic utensil container with large arrangement/bouquet – would be perfect for a rustic wedding!}

{How gorgeous are these pastel yarrow?! Pretty sherbet colors.}

{One last one!}

100 Layer Cake

Hi Friends!

I’m so excited to share with you my floral debut on the 100 Layer Cake blog today.  Remember that gorgeous wedding collaboration I did last month with Tory Williams and Brita Olsen?  Well, 100 Layer Cake liked it enough to blog about it.  Check out the feature here!

 

 

Wedding Concept: Upbeat Brights!

Hope everyone had a glorious weekend. One last concept to share with all ya’ll from my favorite collab. yet with Tory Williams Photography and Brita Olsen Creative.  I’m getting my freelance flowers on these days, so if you know anyone in New England or the New York area looking for some gorgeous flowers for a wedding or event, shoot them my way (rachelmercierflowers@gmail.com)!

The last concept is a more casual/picnic vibe and is envisioned by Brita for either a wedding or a birthday party!  LOVING the bright colors making their way into the summer season, so we fully embraced bright pinks, oranges, reds and yellows.  Perfect styling and photography thanks to the Miss’ tag team. Fleurs by yours truly.  For this arrangement, I used a low container perfect for a buffet setup or kids table.  Peonies, parrot tulips, golden rod, roses, anenomes, oh my!  Whose mouth is watering for a lobster roll?!!!

Styling by Brita Olsen, Photography by Tory Williams, Flowers by Rachel Mercier

Hi Frida!

Wedding Concept: Spring Elegance

Happy Friday, and super excited to share the second concept from my wedding collaboration last week with Brita Olsen and Tory Williams!

The second concept Brita designed and styled is called Spring Elegance.  A more traditional and pretty wedding feel, perfect for a daytime wedding, or a more romantic garden wedding.  I imagine lots of twinkly lights in the trees around these beautiful tables.

I was inspired to use blushy ballet pinks and creams, accented with dusty greens for the flowers.  The gorgeous milk glass pedestal, crystal tableware, and antique Queensware Wedgewood plates (my most recent Brimfield purchase) make this table sophisticated, with a vintage touch! LOVING the individual pots of fleurs designed in mini teacups at each setting – thanks to Tory!  Take a peek at Tory’s gorgeous photos below.

Styling by Brita Olsen, Photography by Tory Williams, Flowers by Rachel Mercier

More more concept coming on Monday!  Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wedding Concept: Exotic Traveler

As promised, I’m thrilled to share with you a very special collaboration I was so lucky to be a part of with two of the most talented ladies in all the wedding industry – wedding planner and stylist Brita of Brita Olsen Creative and wedding photographer extraordinaire Tory of Tory Williams Photography.  I had such a blast working off of Brita’s amazing wedding concepts to design flowers for this inspired shoot.  So let’s cut right to the chase, shall we?

The first concept Brita dreamed up is called “Exotic Traveler.” The concept weaves sunset oranges, with cobalt blues in the most elegant Morocco meets Tuscany way.  I absolutely love the accents of gold, and was inspired to create a wild yet refined flower design for this table.  Along with my flower partner in crime Tory Williams (yup, she moonlights as a flower-ista as well), we wove in beautiful parrot tulips, sahara roses, and protea for an unexpected and modern twist to a traditional English Garden look.  Please feast your eyes on Tory’s gorgeous photos below – for more intense flower photos, check out my new floral blog, (www.rachelmercier.com).

Styling by Brita Olsen, Photographs by Tory Williams, Flowers by Rachel Mercier

Can’t wait to share another concept with you tomorrow!

Wedding Shoot Preview

I am beyond excited to start sharing with you a very special wedding collaboration I did with Brita Olsen Creative and Tory Williams Photography last week.  As you all know, I’ve been dabbling in fleurs, and have had the opportunity to put my skills to good use in recent weeks!  So much so, that I’ve decided to take my show on the road and book weddings and events.  More on that in the coming days…….

I was honored to be asked by wedding planner/stylista Brita to work with her, and my favorite Tory Williams, on a wedding shoot as the floral designer.  A real dream come true and SUCH a great team to work with.  Such talented and fun-loving ladies – it was such a pleasure.

Here are a few shots from the day taken my moi on my iPhone.  Professional photos from Tory to start rolling in tomorrow on the blog.  Can’t wait to share!

Arrangement #1

Tory and Brita shooting “Exotic Traveler”

Frida looking fabulous

Low arrangement for “Upbeat Brights” concept

So many snail models!

Belly rub reward from Tory!