Dream Design Weddings & Events - Tiffany Nieves-Cook

Tiffany Nieves-Cook a Celebrity Wedding Planner, Designer, and Artist who transforms every day ideas into spectacular multi-dimensional events.

Tiffany Nieves-Cook now Tiffany Cook of Dream Design Weddings was honored to plan & design the wedding of former NFL QB for the Steelers, Kordell Stewart and Porsha Williams the granddaughter of civil rights activist, Hosea Williams in Atlanta. The wedding is featured in the  2012 winter edition of Inside Weddings Magazine.

7 Insider Tricks for Creating Amazing Wedding Flowers According to Martha Stewart

 

 Photo: Johnny Miller

            Create a Major Bouquet

Your bride's posy is the first part of her ensemble guests see, so it should be nothing short of jaw-dropping. Just have her pick a favorite color, then load up on seasonal flowers in different varieties. Here, roses, lilies, amaryllis, anemones, ranunculus, and dahlias make an impact. All but the amaryllis are available year-round. Sub in Asiatic lilies in spring or summer.

                                                                                

  Photo: Johnny Miller

Simplify Your Centerpieces

Take the mantra “less is more” to heart and let a single flower shine. Choose a captivating but affordable bloom from the bouquet, like these ‘Showmaster’ amaryllis, then cluster the stems in various-size vessels strewn across your tables. You’ll find that there’s beauty in minimalism -- and repetition.

Calligraphy by Masako Inkyo (masako-inkyo.com).

                                                                                         Photo: Johnny Miller

Accent with Foliage

Mixed greens -- in this case, sprays of exploding grass, leaves, and ferns -- are a florist’s secret weapon. Not only do they offer lushness and volume without adding to her bottom line, but they also provide amazing contrast. Dahlias, hellebores, and ‘Casablanca’ and eucharis lilies shine here, though you’ll get the same effect with any pale blossoms.

  

                                           Go to Great Heights

Photo: Johnny Miller

Bursts of ‘Casablanca’ and eucharis lilies, clematis, and magnolia leaves bring loads of drama -- the good kind -- to your reception tables. When sending your flowers skyward, use tall vessels (these soar to almost two feet) that taper at eye level and keep the bulk of the arrangements well above guests’ sight line. Otherwise, they’ll impede conversation

Awe with Ombre                                              Photo: Johnny Miller

There’s nothing more romantic than your bride walking towards her groom on a gradient carpet of rose petals. They’re sold  every color (ours are from Harvest Wholesale Floral, harvestwholesale.com);  order four to five shades, spread them out, and blur the lines by hand where the colors meet. To ensure the bride and her maids are the first to set foot on them, seat guests from the sides.

  

     Bring Your Brides Look to Life

Two lush blooms plus two hairpins equals one alluring accessory -- think of it as a fresh-picked fascinator. Garden roses like these are well suited for the task: They’re extremely long lasting, lie flat against the head.

Photo: Johnny Miller 

FLORAL DESIGNER QUOTES

"I realized how much flowers can affect a person. They're part of every stage of life - birth, death, weddings, funerals, memories, romance. And I saw how good designs make a stronger impact. Suddenly, I wanted to be part of that. I saw floral design as a way to help people renew, recover, express sympathy, fall in love, and share friendship. And in doing that, I understood that I could actually make a good living, doing something I love, while adding beauty and flair to events that touch people's lives."   

Mike Gaffney

World renowned floral designer Michael Gaffney teaches flower design from the ground up. Learn from the master and you, too, could become a designer. Want an artistic, creative life that adds emotional significance to nearly any experience? Then consider American Floral Design Schools.
Once upon a time, Michael Gaffney worked away in a cubicle on Wall Street. Overworked and uninspired, he didn't really know how unsatisfied he was until one day, on a visit to his Midwest hometown, he stepped into a flower shop.

Michael's floral designs have graced a wide spectrum of occasions, from a simple first date bouquet to grand wedding arrangements; from movie sets to haute couture fashion shows, and everything in between. "I came to see myself as an artist for people's emotions. I made a good living, yes, but my art made other people happy. It was remarkably satisfying. And flowers, of course, grow and bloom, but they don't last forever. They disappear. It's a medium that's both dynamic and ethereal. You're always being called on to create something new, but it won't last either. And that's okay. That's what makes every bouquet, every event special. It's like working every single day with the best things in life - flowers, certainly, together with energy, creativity, reinvention, renewal."

Floral Designer Quotes - Judith Blacklock 3/8/2012

Where should I begin my flower arrangement?

"Before you start, really think about where you want to position your flowers and the mood you're trying to evoke. If it's a grand room with high ceilings, a lone rose in a slender bottle will be swamped; while a huge stone urn with billowing hydrangeas and foliage would overpower a table laid for a simple lunch. This may sound obvious, but one of the most common mistakes is to ignore scale and proportion. "

Judith Blacklock

Judith Blacklock is the author of nine bestselling books on floral design, has taught worldwide and has arranged the flowers at Kensington Palace on a regular basis. She has designed and arranged medal winning exhibits at the Chelsea Flower Show and has created arrangements for the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and many famous celebrities. She also acts as consultant to many companies such as Topshop, Channel 4 and BT providing training and team building.

She is the owner and founder of the Judith Blacklock Flower School which is the only private flower arranging and floristry school in the UK which is accredited by the British Accreditation Council for achieving the high standards required by this organisation.

Floral Designer Quotes - Paula Pryke

"These are challenging times but I believe if you are passionate about something, offer a good service and try to make sure that you give every opportunity your best effort, you will succeed."

Paula Pryke

 

Paula Pryke is arguably Britain’s best known floral designer with an enviable ‘A’ list clientele.  Her reputation for cutting edge innovative floral designs has brought international attention to her work.

Her awards and accolades include ‘Most brilliant Florist’ (Evening Standard), ‘Best Florist in London’ (Tatler) and ‘Ambassador for the Florist Industry’ (NFU). Her bestselling books, including her latest ‘Classic Paula Pryke’, ‘Wreathes & Bouquets’ and ‘Table Flowers’. 2009 will see the release of her eagerly anticipated book, Simply Pink.  Her international teaching means that Paula is in demand for demonstrations and TV appearances worldwide.

Floral Designer Quotes - Preston Baily

“Creating an entrance is the most important thing of a party. You want to get their (the guests) attention.”

Preston Baily

Preston Bailey was born and raised in the tropical paradise of Panamá. Moving to New York City in 1968, he began his career in the design world as a fashion model at the age of 19.

Ultimately, Preston’s innate talent for design and dramatic sensibilities led him to the event industry. After 30 years in the business, Preston Bailey has become renowned for his gift for completely transforming raw, ordinary spaces into sumptuous, theatrical environments.

Because of Preston’s unique ability to create breathtaking, memorable events, he has developed a client base that includes royalty, socialites, business moguls and celebrities such as Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Joan Rivers, Donna Karan, Liza Minnelli, Laurence Fishburne, Bill Cosby, Matt Lauer, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Uma Thurman, Donny Deustch, Jennifer Hudson and Ivanka Trump, among others.

Adding another dimension to his remarkable portfolio, Preston has been tapped for endorsements, launch events and licensing deals by major brands, including Sandals Resorts, Godiva, Hewlett-Packard, 1-800-Flowers, and more. His art installations have been commissioned to draw in consumers at prominent locations across the globe, such as London’s Covent Garden and Hong Kong’s fashionable Landmark Mall. In addition, he is the author of four best-selling books, Design for Entertaining, Fantasy Weddings, Inspirations, and Celebrations. His newest book, Flowers, hit shelves at the beginning of October 2011.

Most recently, Preston partnered with The Wedding Planning Institute to offer a first-of-its-kind wedding and event planning course that is available at nearly 2,000 accredited colleges and universities in the United State, as well as online.

Preston is also much sought after both as a television guest and public speaker. His numerous national television appearances include The Oprah Winfrey Show, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, CBS’s The Early Show, and NBC’s Today Show.  He regularly appears in dozens of publications including Town & Country, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle Décor, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and New York Post.