Shannon and Joe’s Botanical Dream

May 25, 2019

Set at the exact same place they met six years earlier, the wedding of Shannon and Joe was a garden party dream.

Shannon, a pediatric doctor stationed with the military in Okinawa, is a hero to Lana. Her hard work and dedication to our country and children are remarkable, making this opportunity for Lana to serve her wedding floral needs an honor.

Their special day started with a regal ceremony at St. James Cathedral Church. Shannon carried a bouquet of white florals and Joe donned a matching boutonniere. Although they chose to forgo a bridal party, adorable ring bearers were pulled in a white wagon dressed with garden vines - such a sweet touch!

For the design of the day, Shannon and Joe truly brought the feel of a garden party to their reception at The Country Club of Orlando.

Botanicals of bright green vines and muted dusty miller paired perfectly with delicate florals of white peonies and light peach garden roses.

Reception centerpieces varied between tall gold stands holding candles amongst vines and roses as well as lush, low arrangements with gold and crystal containers. It all blended beautifully for a garden like party, with the design masterpiece of the day being the head table trellis dripping with greens, floral, and hanging candles. We especially love the accent of golds throughout the room as well as the string lights - both of which provided an extra touch of sparkle to the night!

At the end of the evening, guests rang bells as the newlyweds made their grand exit.

It was all romance at its finest!

Lana and the Fairbanks Florist team was honored to work with Shannon and Joe and thank Shannon for her service to our country. In appreciation, Lana always provides a 10% discount to all military service members.

Wedding Professionals: St. James Cathedral Church, The Country Club of Orlando, Taylor Curington with Blush by Brandee Gaar, Fairbanks Florist, Sara and Ben Photography, About Face Design Team, Isabella Talya, Betsey Johnson, Something New Bridal Boutique, Matt Winter Band

Eugene and Emily’s English Garden Elegance: A Waldorf Astoria Wedding

May 25, 2019

One of the most profound compliments Lana can receive is the gift of a referral.  Knowing that a past client was so pleased with her work that he or she refers Fairbanks Florist to others puts another feather in Lana’s cap - and she doesn’t take that lightly.

“Referrals put a sparkle in my eye.  They make me work even harder to give each wedding or event a distinctly unique look.” - Lana Faulkner

Such was the case with Eugene and Emily’s English garden affair at the Waldorf-Astoria Orlando.

Emily, along with two other college classmates, was referred to Fairbanks Florist from a fellow friend who loved her experience working with Lana on her own wedding.  

Understanding that former brides typically love to share their story with others who are engaged, Lana was elated to work with the entire group of friends over the course of a few years.

Working with closely with Emily, the indoor ballroom wedding took on a delicate garden look full of bountiful color.  Flowers consisted of lisianthus, coral charm peonies, Sarah Bernhardt roses, David Austin Juliette garden roses, peach roses, yellow roses, spray roses, antique green and white hydrangea, and pink stock.  The combination took on a charming look that was almost outdone by the beautiful fragrance!

For the ceremony altar, Lana placed full arrangements on either side and drenched a circular arch in the appointed floral that stood in the middle - all of it in front of a luxurious wall of drapery. The stunning circular altar piece was later transferred to the reception room where it framed the wedding cake and sweetheart table.  It was a most gorgeous focal point while tall centerpieces complemented the feature throughout the room.

The blending of the lush garden floral paired with the vibrant color scheme, all celebrating the love of Eugene and Emily made for a spring wedding soiree at its finest. Lana will always fondly remember the day and holds sincere gratitude for the referrals she received for the wonderful experiences amongst the friends.

Wedding Professionals: Waldorf Astoria Orlando, Weddings Unique, Fairbanks Florist, Francine and Lionel Photography, Ricci Ocampos Films, Beautiful Music, Phase 5 Band, Swag Decor, A Chair Affair, Couture Cakes, Kristy’s Artistry Design Team

Photo Shoot Flair: Romance and Whimsy at Sunny Acres Lodge

What happens when you bring some of Orlando’s best wedding professionals together to design, create, and shoot concepts they are dreaming of?

Scenes and pictures that wow even the most seasoned of us.

This was the goal for the Wed Talks photo shoot at Sunny Acres Lodge in Polk City, Florida and it was certainly achieved.

With A-list vendors: 

Heather Parks and Cathlee Tomkow from Sunny Acres Lodge, Perfect Wedding Guide, Lana and Art Faulkner and Marelize Dingman with Fairbanks Florist, Erica Brilliant Trunk with Solutions Bridal Designer House, Tab McCausland with Tab McClausand Photography, Lisa Stoner with Lisa Stoner Events, Angela Desveaux from WedLuxe Magazine, Designer Weddings by Carly Rose, Brie and Brie Hair and Makeup, Over the Top Linens, Cut the Cake, Andi Mejia, A Chair Affair, Marin Makeup, and Fyerfly Productions

it’s no wonder brides and the industry alike are finding awe in the following pictures!

These vendors were brought together by Wed Talks to provide insightful guidance and inspiration for Florida wedding photographers. Each photographer was able to take advice from the speakers and shoot the created designs before them in which the winning photographer would be awarded the cover of the June/July issue for Perfect Wedding Guide (check it out here!).

Working together to create bridal vignettes inclusive of bride and groom models, attire, hair and makeup, floral, stationary, cake, linens and rentals, a variety of scenes were presented to the photographers from these vendors.

For the floral aspect of the photo shoot, Lana’s vision was to create an elegant look within a rustic atmosphere. She exceeded all expectations.  After attending a site visit headed up by Carly Rose with Designer Weddings, she was provided the linen selection for the day and then began devising her looks from there.

Lana began by creating a floral chandelier over the long indulgent reception table as well as a lush ceremony structure dripping with greenery and flowers.  She suspended the wedding cake from the ceiling of an old pole barn (look closely at the picture!), hung a gorgeous chandelier arrangement from a tree and even accented the Lodge’s rowboat in romantic blooms.  

She used a variety of flowers and elements, including lavender wisteria and jasmine - some of her favorites to work with - and structured the bouquets from what was left over from the larger pieces of the day. Her creations were the perfect tone of romance and whimsy (which paired beautifully with the farm animals!) for this delightful day.

It was quite the dream look for photographers to shoot and it was enthralling to watch each work diligently to capture the day. The winning photographer was Amanda Turner of For the Moment Photography and we are thrilled to share her pictures below!

A Royal Affair: Esther and Damola’s Opulent Loews’ Portofino Bay Wedding

March 29, 2019

Not a petal out of place, not a color overdone, and certainly no question of the love between Esther and Damola.

If there is one word to describe Esther and Damola’s dream day, it would be illustrious. From the attire to the location to the furniture to the flowers - every ounce of detail was astoundingly exquisite. And we were honored to be a part of it all.

Working with Andrea Pavone of Pavone Events, Lana knew this wedding (to be held at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel) would be as majestic as the inspiration boards conveyed. Esther and Damola didn’t just create a logo for their wedding - but rather a family crest that was the foundation for the regality of the overall look. It would be absolutely enchanting for them and their guests - traveling from the Northeast for this Tuscan-inspired wedding.

Because of this grandiose conceptualization, floral design planning started with endless ideas of how to bring it all to life. But throughout the process, the floral motif became more defined, complementing additional peripheral elements such as unique gold chairs, a gobo and uplighting, a covered dance floor, sparkling linens, and a delicately adorned cake.

On the day of the wedding, Esther carried a cascading bouquet of peonies, garden roses, spray roses, and greenery stock; her bridesmaids held matching hand-tied arrangements. And in a beautiful twist, rather than wearing a traditional boutonniere, Damola opted for a dazzling brooch!

Their ceremony, which took place in the Citrus Piazza, was adorned with large arrangements of hydrangeas, roses, and greenery flowing out of the perfect garden-inspired urns on top of matching pedestals. The low aisle flowers were a perfect addition to bring together the look and were later used at the reception.

And speaking of reception - it was stunning! The looks on their faces when they saw the room says it all!

The outdoor designs were brought indoors for a beautiful transition to the evening and a faux boxwood hedge wall made for a gorgeous photo booth in the room.

In addition, Lana and her team accented the room with mercury glass, tall glass vases, and hanging crystals. To add to the glimmer, loose crystals were also placed on the sweetheart table for extra sparkle!

But at the end of the night, it was clear Esther and Damola didn’t need any extra panache. The love they have for each other shines bright - which made it a true pleasure to work with them in creating a day that communicated this love.

Wedding Professionals: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Pavone Events, Cricket’s Photo and Cinema, Fairbanks Florist - including staff Lauren, Anna, Samantha, Jeff and Joanna, Soundwave Entertainment, Beautiful Music, Letz Dance On It, Swag Decor, Sprinkles Custom Cakes, Bridal Gown Designer Eddie K with BHLDN, Jo Michelle Pro Makeup, Nuage Designs, Orlando Wedding and Party Rentals, Bubble Event Rental Furnishing, Groom’s Attire from Christian Louboutin, Bride’s Shoes from Manolo Blanhik, Love Couture Bridal

A Garden Fantasy: Jenna and Lee’s Romantic Day

January 13, 2019

One may think that designing a gorgeous wedding day must consist of interviewing a variety of floral designers, scheduling a plethora of meetings throughout the planning process, looking over multiple mock-ups, and then selecting the exact flowers and look for the day.

Sometimes, that is true.

And sometimes, it is not.

When it came to planning the floral romance and swagger of Jenna and Lee’s most special day at Bella Collina, it was anything but conventional. And it made all the difference.

After receiving a rave referral from a friend, browsing over top reviews, and loving the pictures online, the sister of the groom called Fairbanks Florist and booked Lana and her team without Jenna and Lee even meeting her!

Throughout the planning process, Jenna sent Lana inspirational concepts via photos and Lana then interpreted the concepts into a unique look just for them - without meeting or speaking with each other until the week before the wedding.

It may seem surprising to some not to meet with your wedding florist until the day of your wedding, but because Jenna and Lee trusted Lana to select the best quality flowers available and create a design that was inspired by their likes, but yet distinctly their own, Lana was able to make exquisite floral arrangements that exceeded all their expectations.

The bridal and bridesmaid bouquets consisted of white anemones with rich navy hued middles, burgundy scabiosa, seeded eucalyptus, smilax, Brazilian berries, and roses. They were whimsical garden bouquets with delicate pops of stunning color. The groom and groomsmen donned white rose boutonnieres.

For the ceremony, two large garden arrangements consisting of antique green hydrangea, smilax, roses, lisianthus, Italian ruscus, eucalyptus, and dusty miller created a beautiful altar area.

A variety of round and rectangular reception tables held lush garlands of greens with white roses interlaced throughout and the sweetheart table was absolutely breathtaking with the ceremony arrangements on either side, dripping garland on the table, candlelight and gold accents. Complementing the bridal bouquet, the cake showcased delicate decor. The reception simply glowed throughout the garden as guests dined among the candlelight. It was a night to remember.

This wedding was the epitome of romance and to imagine…not one in-person meeting to make it all happen! We think that adds to the magic of it all.

Wedding Professionals: Bella Collina, Jamie Adams with Blush by Brandee Gar, Fairbanks Florist, Stephanie with Kristen Weaver Photography, Our DJ Rocks, Get Lit Productions, Sugar Sugar Cake Boutique, Over The Top Linens