Washington County Fairgrounds Wedding Show

Despite the frigid temperature, we had a great turn out at the Washington County Fair Wedding Show.  Thank you to all the brides that came out to see Sam and Krista and all of our beautiful flowers. 

Our dates are slowly starting to fill up for this year, so call today to schedule a consultation!  We look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Washington County Bridal Fair

THIS WEEKEND- 14th Annual Bridal Fair in Washington County!!

Engaged, or know someone who is?!  
Come on out to see our beautiful bouquets!  
Here is a sneak peak of some of our bouquets that will be at the show!  

When:  January 26th, Sunday 11am-3pm
Where:  Washington County Fair Park 
              3000 Pleasant Valley Rd             West Bend

Hope to see you there!!!!

Tulip Sale!

Tulips are universally known as a symbol of spring and will inspire thoughts of a warm season just around the corner.  The tulip's bright, upright blooms make a statement in any kind of arrangement and they are easy to design with.  All you need to do is cut the tip off the bottom of each stem and pop into water!  One or two bunches of tulips are all you need to make a statement.  No greens needed!  

At Bank of Memories & Flowers, we carry a cooler full of every color tulip imaginable!!  This week they are on special for $9.98 for a 10 stem bunch.  No need to wait until Spring!!

Care for Cinerarias

Cinerarias Just Arrived!!!!

One of the prettiest plants Bank of Memories & Flowers carries in the winter is the cineraria. It's a very good plant for this time of year because it likes cooler temperatures.  I like that the blossoms form a perfect globe around any pot, creating a bouquet effect. The brightly colored, daisy-like flowers that cover the cineraria make it a popular gift.  Cineraria come in heart meltingly gorgeous colors, the most popular being blue. How many plants come in blue?!  They also can be white, purple or pink.

They require bright light and prefer moist soil.  If your cineraria's leaves are pale and limp, it is getting too much sun. If your plant is not blooming fully, check to see if the soil is too wet.  These plants have a life span of several weeks, which will take you through these tough, cold winter weeks with some color by your side. Whether it's a cheerful centerpiece or a thoughtful hostess gift, cineraria won't disappoint!

In Lieu of Flowers

"In Lieu of" does not mean "Do Not"

In many of today's obituaries there is a phrase added to the bottom, "In Lieu of Flowers donations to insert charity here are appreciated".  This statement tends to confuse many people as to what the family prefers as a tribute to the deceased.  We have had many people ask if it is appropriate to send flowers if the family has asked for a donation.  Yes, it is.



Flowers are an outward expression of emotion, a living memorial to those that have passed. It has been shown through scientific studies that flowers sent in honor of someone has a positive effect on the grieving process for both the sender and the the family of the departed.  When placed in  the church or funeral home flowers and plants help create a caring and loving environment. "In Lieu of Flowers" gives a negative connotation to sending flowers.


We are not saying do not follow the wishes of the family,  please remember the positive impact that flowers have.  Perhaps when part of a group designate a portion of your memorial for donation and a portion for flowers. That way you are honoring the deceased with a visual expression of love and following the wishes of the family to support a worthy charity.


When a loved one has died it is very traumatic for all involved and wording for any obituary is not at the top of the list of priorities.  The website inlieuofflowers.info offers these following suggestions for the family when writing the obituary:

 "Choosing one of the suggested alternative phrases which simply eliminates the expression "in lieu of flowers", achieves three important goals. It honors the family request for a charity, meets the high standards for a charity, meets the high standards of good taste and decorum insisted upon by most funeral directors and does not dictate to friends the manner in which they express their sympathy.

These Phrases are Suggested:

• The family suggests memorial contributions be sent to....
• Should friends desire, contributions may be sent to....
• Memorials may be made to the charity of your choice.
• The .... Memorial has been established for those wishing to contribute.
• As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be sent to....
• The family has designated the .... for memorial contributions.
• Remembrances may be made in the form desired by friends.
• Memorial contributions may be made to....
• Flowers are welcome Contributions may be sent to...

The staff at Bank of Memories & Flowers are always available to help you choose an appropriate living memorial through flowers and plants to be sent to the home or to the service on your behalf. 

Quick Floral Wedding Tips

Are looking for some easy wedding tips that are so quick that you can do on your lunch break?  Bank of Memories & Flowers owner Melissa Maas wanted to share these following tips that will help you whittle away at your wedding "to do" list in no time.

Colors

Having a hard time picking your wedding colors?  Not sure what flower colors will look best with your bridesmaid dresses? Run to your nearest hardware store and pick up a few paint color swatches.  This will give you a mini inspirational color pallet to work off of. 

Time Line

Just like a busy bride on her wedding day running from her hair appointment to making it on time to her wedding, flowers need a schedule too!  When should the flowers be picked up or delivered?  Who will pin on the flowers?  Who will set up the ceremony and reception? Who will be responsible to clean up all the centerpieces at the end of the night?  Write a time line of when and where you will need your flowers. Check with your florist how they can accommodate and customize where you will need them. 

At Bank of Memories & Flowers we have day of coordinating packages and customized services to help with all the details.

Pin It

Pinterst is a great tool for your florist.  It is a way to gather pictures that inspire you.  Don't get hung up on types of flowers just "pin" color combinations and textures that you love.  Your florist will be able to get a feel of your taste after just a few of your pictures and can guide you on what types of flowers will be in season.

Vender Info

Type up a list of all your venders with contact name and phone numbers on one sheet. Make lots of copies!  This information is great to pass on to all your venders.  They are all connected in some way; like the cake might need to have flowers placed on it, the DJ might need to have a contact at your venue or your photographer needs plan out their route from hotel to church. 

Make a List

Jot down all the people who will need flowers, everyone from Mother of the Bride to your readers.  This will make sure you do not forget anyone during your floral consultation.  Think about your ceremony site, where will you need flowers? At the reception, how many people will be sitting at a table? Have an idea how many tables will you need centerpieces for.

Here is a complete list of wedding flowers

Our Floral Designer Ashley

Meet  Ashley, our gifted floral designer at our Pewaukee location. She found her way into the floral industry after being unhappy with her previous jobs that consisted of working in an office cube all day. She needed a job where She could interact with people, use her creativity and move around. Ashley has always loved having flowers around her and putting arrangements together.

One morning Ashley caught a segment on a local TV station about a floral design school in Milwaukee which sparked her interest.  Knowing someone who had attended this school and now had a job as a floral designer, she felt confident in enrolling. This was the best decision she had made career wise. She loved every minute of the 8-week class. She spent days off from class making floral arrangements and building up her portfolio.

After a few job offers Ashley found the perfect fit at Bank of Memories & Flowers. "It's so nice to be surrounded by people who love what they do and take pride in their work.

Everyone at Bank of Memories & Flowers has been instrumental in the further development of my skills as a designer. Now I actually enjoy going to work each day and creating beautiful arrangements. What job could be better than bringing a smile to people's faces through flowers:-)"

46th Annual Wonderful World of Weddings

We hope to see you at the show this weekend. You will see everything you need to plan the wedding of your dreams!  With over 175 exhibitors, there is a lot of ground to cover!!!  Mix and match flowers, colors, and shapes as shown in this bouquet. It's one of my favorites that we are showing this year. The brighter the better to make the wedding pop!  For a color explosion use these beautiful lime green dianthus and red pin cushion proteas for texture. Wowza!!  Looks so yummy I could just eat it!

Where:  Wisconsin State Fair Park Exposition
When:    Saturday, January 4  10-4:30
                Sunday, January 5    10-4:30

Stop by our booth to see our beautiful bouquets and arrangement ideas!!!  

2014 Color of the Year

In 2013 we welcomed the royal baby to the world, learned what “twerking” meant, and seriously questioned what the fox says. We said Walter White’s name, the government shut down, we had lights out at the Superbowl, and saw a lot of emerald color in home décor and clothing. 

Every year a company called Pantone picks out a color they think will triumph over all for that year. This year the color we will be seeing a lot of is RADIANT ORCHID! This vibrant purple color can be found while buying your prom dress, decorating your house, and even planning your wedding. Companies take this color into account when planning their advertisements and products. 

At Bank of Memories & Flowers, we can’t wait to see what kind of color combinations our bride’s come up with this year, and we are so excited that this bright purple color will be all over this year! 

Happy Holidays everyone, and have a colorful new year!