Keeping Flowers and Plants Safe in the Cold

     Brrrrrr! When temperatures drop to single digits and below 0, most people are happy to stay indoors! Of course, being florists, everyone here at Crow River Floral is accustomed to braving whatever weather is out there to deliver you flowers!  In this cold weather, it is important to wrap flowers and plants whenever you go outside, even if you are travelling a very short distance (like from our shop to your car)!  We usually wrap our plants and flowers in plastic bags because you can trap warmer air in with it for the journey.  As far as knowing when to wrap flowers/plants for outdoor transportation, a good rule of thumb is 36 degrees or cooler is dangerous.  Once you reach 40 degrees, they are usually safe to transport without insulation.
     For indoor plants, make sure that you move them out of any cold drafts and also that no leaves are touching window panes.  Otherwise, they can get frostbitten, and the leaves will turn brown.  We all hope for warmer weather, but until then, taking these precautions should keep your flowers and plants looking beautiful!

The History of Bridal Bouquets

Every bride dreams of walking down the aisle in a stunning gown, a radiant smile, and of course, a lovely bridal bouquet.  When did this tradition of carrying delicate blossoms down the aisle start, and how does it affect what current brides choose to accompany them down the aisle on their dream day? 

The earliest records of bridal bouquets are dated all the back to ancient Greece and Rome.  These antiquated cultures were steeped in superstitions and myths.  It was believed that certain flora and fauna were blessed by the gods and were used in rituals for protecting or cursing.  On the most important day in the life of a Grecian or Roman, the bride would carry garlands of herbs and spices, not flowers, down the aisle to ward off evil spirits.  Even grooms would be subject to donning the strong-smelling herbs.   

             Centuries later, Queen Victoria began a new trend when she used a mixture of herbs and flowers as she married Prince Albert.  After that, the Victorian age was full of brides mixing local flowers in with the traditional herbs.  Slowly, the herbs were replaced by lovely blossoms.  A new fad had begun during the Victorian age, the exchange of flowers between lovers.  Every flower held a special meaning, so secret love messages could be sent from one person to another through a “flower language”.  This was carried into weddings when brides chose specific flowers to convey personal messages. 

Later, floral bouquets became popular in the USA when early Hollywood starlets began using them.  Another tradition began during this time when brides tossed their bouquets after the wedding to their bridesmaids.  This symbolized the bride passing from being unmarried to being married. Now, in modern times, flowers are still used to symbolically communicate messages;  they are used to show the bride’s personal taste and wedding theme.  Whatever flowers are chosen for the big day, every bride wants them to add beauty to the celebration and convey the love that she and her soon-to-be-husband share.

Why We Do, What We Do!

Today, we received an order for a Blue and Purple bouquet to be delivered to a couple who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.  We designed the arrangement, and then proceeded to deliver it.  When I got to their house, the wife answered the door with the biggest smile on her face; she was thrilled to be receiving flowers!  Her husband came up behind her and said that he was just glad to have been able to spend 50 years with her, and that they didn't want a big fuss, just more time together.  This is why we do, what we do!  I am so blessed to to have been able to meet such a lovely couple!- Kathleen, florist

Getting To Know Us A Little

What separates Crow River Floral and Gifts from other Florists?  Our business motto that we operate by is that we promise to deliver a more personal touch to your floral needs.  Whatever you order, we give it our utmost attention, and make sure to add all the little details that let your loved one know how much you care! 

We are a local small-business florist located in Hutchinson MN.  As such, we are free to be as unique and creative as we want!  Community is very important to all of the employees here at Crow River Floral, and we are always excited to support other small local businesses with donations of flowers for their events! 

   Crow River Floral is a unique business because the building that we are located in, is actually a historic landmark.  One of the oldest houses in Hutchinson, it was declared a historic structure over 30 years ago and precautions were taken to ensure its survival.  It has been ruled that for preservation's sake, it can not be lived in.  The family who originally owned the house, decided to lease it for businesses under the strict instructions that no changes be made to the structure.

 Soon after the house was on the market for leasing, a floral business moved in: Cindy's House of Floral Design.  Cindy used the house as a business for roughly 20 years.  The great thing about life is that nothing ever stays quite the same, and so after years of owning the business, Cindy decided that it was time to move on to new things.

 This brings us to Jan 15, 2008.  Jeanne Schealler, a florist formerly of Ohio, had been running her business out of her home for roughly 20 years.  Just like Cindy, she was looking at opening a new chapter in her life.  the two of them met, and the business was transferred.  Since Cindy was no longer the owner, it made little sense to keep the old name.  Cindy's House of Floral Design became Crow River Floral and Gifts.  We still carry on the tradition of  creative floral arrangements and unique giftware.  We have added new elements such as wedding and event decor including backdrops, ceiling lights, and table linens.  We have become famous for our angel-themed giftware, stepping stones, various figurines.  The most important thing though, is that our customers, old and new, trust us with creating gorgeously creative arrangements for them and that we strive to make all of our customer's special moments perfect. 

2013 wedding flower trends!

As the winter snow begins to melt, and spring once again, warms the landscape, Crow River Floral's thoughts turn toward the upcoming weddings that we will have the privilege to be a part of.  Many of our 2013 brides will have started planning their wedding months before, but many brides will be just starting to consider their possibilities for 2013 or perhaps even 2014.  One of the questions that we get asked often is the current trends in color, flower variety, and style.  Well, to help you answer these questions, here is the 2013 floral style guide!

 

This year, a lot of attention has been paid to celebrities, and what they have chosen for their weddings.  One of the most influential weddings in 2012 as far as color was Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel.  When she walked down the aisle dressed in a pink gown, Critics and fashion experts quickly began predicting a future demand for the color.  They were correct!  In 2013, one of the predominant color schemes will be a soft, blush pink. 

Along with the blush color, has come a predominant style: Vintage Glam!  Adding white tones and glittering brooches, rhinestones, shiny pearls, or other eye-catching accents will be a theme in many 2013 weddings.  Who can blame us for being excited about this trend?  Blush is such a soft, romantic color, that it is simply perfect for any wedding, and who could ever say "no" to unique, glamorous accents?

    

 What else is popular in 2013?  Going green!  Kelly green Orchids are becoming wildly popular because they can be used for any season, theme, and are naturally elegant!  Other green flowers such as Hydrangea, lilly pods, and berries can also be used to bring out a green theme.  Also, adding small white accent flowers such as mini white Dandrubian Orchids will bring out the green color.

                                

Finally, going along with the vintage theme, are "BLING BOUQUETS"!  These bouquets look retro and are made completely out of jewelry.  They can be made out of any type of jewelry and color.  What a fun accent for your wedding day!

 

 

So there you have it.  Blush, Green, Vintage, and Bling!  All ingredients for an amazing wedding look.  The most important thing to remember though is that your wedding day is going to be one of the most important days of your life, and it should reflect your personal style and taste.  So if Vintage isn't quite your thing, or you prefer natural to blingy, go for it!  Crow River Floral will be here to assist you in planning the most personalized beautiful flowers and decorations for your wedding!

2013 Hutchinson Bridal Fair!

          There is never a dull moment at Crow River Floral!  We are always busy with some new project or preparing for a big upcoming event.  This January is no different as we are planning and preparing for one of our favorite days of the year: The Hutchinson Bridal Fair!  It is hosted by KDUZ/KARP radio and will be held at the Hutchinson Event center on Hwy 15 on January 27th.  The Fair starts at noon and will end at 4:00pm.  Brides can pre-register by contacting KDUZ or the Event center.  Brides and grooms attend for free, everyone else will be charged a $5.00 fee at the door.
          We are so excited to be planning for this day because we have been asked, once again, to decorated the runway stage!  For the past few years, we have had the honor of decorating this stage and try to do something new for each year.  Last year, we hung vertical lights, Illusion Gossimer fabric and Chocolate silk fabric to make a gorgeous backdrop.  We also designed an elegant victorian-styled centerpiece to grace the stage and to add interest to the backdrop.  What will we do this year?  You  just might have to attend the fair, to find out! 
          In addition to decorating the fair, Crow River Floral will also have a booth filled with stunning wedding bouquet examples and various other beautiful artistic floral decor.  Right now, all of the Crow River Floral employees are collaborating an just what that all might be.  I can't give away too much of the surprise, but what I can say is that purple is absolutly a must for at least one of the sample bouquets, and a lot of unique touches will be added to all of the sample bridal bouquets!  This of course means bling, feathers, beads, brooches, and much more!  By request, we will also be mixing the sizes of the bouquets up to include both bridal and bridesmaid samples.  From past years, many brides have seen what the size of thier bouquet will be, but have had difficulty visualizing what thier bridesmaids will be walking down the aisle with.  Well, no more! 

          What else can you expect to see at the Crow River Floral booth?  Well, as of 2012, FTD has given us the honor of being one of the few carriers of the brand new Vera Wang Floral line!  This is so very exciting for us because only florists with a very high FTD customer satisfaction rating can be nominated to carry this line.  We are very grateful to our cusomers for giving FTD this positive feedback and will continue to strive for excellence in floral design in the future!  So, since we have been blessed with this new line. we will of course, be showing it off at the bridal fair!  The Vera Wang line includes high-styled ellegant bridal bouquets and wedding decor.  So we will be sharing some of the crystal centerpiece vases, bridal bouquets, and pamphlets for that! 
          Of course accesories are always fun for a wedding, such as corsages, boutiniers, garters, cake decorations, candlabras, unity candles, and hair pieces!  We love detail work, so we will be sure to bring tons of samples for that! 

          There is so much that we are looking forward to showing you, and it can't all fit in one post, so be sure to attend January 27th for all of the fun!  If you have ideas for your wedding that you would like to see in person, such as a certain type of bouquet or decoration, let us know so that we can include a samlple of it at our booth. We all look forward to meeting and getting to know you at the 2013 Hutchinson Bridal Fair!

Here We Go...

Hello!  This is Crow River Floral and Gift's very first blog!  The purpose of creating this page is because we love our custumers and want them to know that they are a vital part of our business.  Everyone likes going "behined the scenes" and seeing the inner workings of a company, and with this blog, we plan to do just that.  We will show you the soul of the business, introduce you to the employees and owner who strive to make all of your celebrations, big or small, perfect, and show you new and exciting things that are in store for Crow River Floral.  We invite you to follow us on this exciting, beautiful journey, and look forward to getting to know all of our valued customers better!