FiftyFlowers Blog

Specialty Items!

In addition to an enormous variety of flowers on our website, please don’t forget to check out our specialty items that we have available as well.

Star Lites – Decorate your flower arrangements or glassware with sparkly lights that add a magical and enchanting effect. They come in gold or silver. In the event that you want them free standing, we also have an option for you to add a rod to hang the lights on.

Chocolate – Did you know that we sell truffles? At Fiftyflowers.com you can order beautiful truffle gift boxes to hand out to family, friends, or guests. You can also have them monogrammed. Check out some of our beautiful boxes like Chocolate Wedding Truffles Box with Charms or Chocolate Wedding Truffles Rose Box. We also recommend that you place your order today for our delicious and unforgettable sparkle chocolate truffles. You won’t be disappointed.

DIY Vases – We have a wide variety of vases available on our website in glass and various colors. You can cardboard vases that come in various colors like brown, pink, blue, and green. You can also select glass flower arrangers ranging in sizes from 4-10 inches.

Make sure you take a look at all our specialty items where we have DIY books to help you brainstorm and colorful leis to hand out to your guests on your special day.

Fiftyflowers.com has so many products available in addition to our beautiful flowers. Shop online now or call us for assistance at 877-50ROSES.

Proms… A Tradition Worldwide

A tradition in the United States and Canada, high school proms have become one of the most important events in a teenager’s life. In some countries it is just a party to celebrate a graduation from high school or even college; while in other countries it can be the most stressful event for a young person, intensifying the pressure over issues of inclusion and exclusion. Whatever the situation may be it, is a celebration that is expanding worldwide.

The word “prom“ was used for the first time in 1890 as a short version of the word “promenade“ that referred to formal dances. In the United States, parents and teachers believed that a prom would be a good way to teach social skills to the students. In the 1920s, the first proms took place and a decade later they were popular across the country. In the beginning proms were pretty modest, held in the school gymnasium and decorated with crepe-paper. From the 1960s and until our days proms are more formal events with boys wearing tuxedos and girls in designer dresses arriving in limousines hired exclusively for that special night. As part of the attire girls wear a corsage, generally a wrist corsage, given to them by their dates and girls give boys matching boutonnieres.

The tradition has been exported to several countries around the world that now have their own version of the high school prom. Some of them kept the same elements as the Prom in the United States and others made their own.

• Canada: Most schools have the same traditions as Prom in the United States, except it is strictly a ceremony celebrating the graduation from high school.
• Brazil: Proms are usual at the end of high school and at college graduation. Evening gowns and suits are required.
• Argentina: Proms are for students finishing their last year of high school. A big party in a local disco and school leavers usually wear a costume to be identified.
• United Kingdom: Proms were unheard of until the late 1990s. It was believed to start in Cambridge where every school in the area had a special “School ball.”
• France: Some schools or universities hold “gala” which are held as social event each year gathering newly graduates and newly entering students.
• Germany: Students celebrate their graduation from high school with an “Abi-Party” or an “Abi-Ball”. They are not compelled to wear tuxedos or dresses.
• Italy: The equivalent is known as “Mak ? 100″ because it takes place 100 days before the students’ graduation in high school. It is not a formal event, and the students will often perform shows making a parody of their teachers.
• India: The equivalent is a farewell party. Students are given a warm send-off by the junior students with souvenirs and outstanding students are given awards.
• South Africa: The equivalent is the Matric Dance. It takes place during the final year of high school. It usually takes the form of a formal dinner and dance. In most schools the 11th grade class is responsible for arranging the event.

If you are organizing a prom, now you know that you are not alone in that task. Thousands of people around the world are doing the same with clear cultural differences. But what is certain is that if we talk about a formal event we will for sure need to talk about decoration as well. Flowers, as in any other event today, have become increasingly important for decoration and even as part of the attire. The days of crepe-paper are over so the venue has to be decorated accordingly and what can be better than flowers to do the job!

Flowers for Wedding Consultants and Businesses

Are you consistently buying fresh flowers for your company? Are you a wedding consultant who plans numerous weddings per year? Are you stressed trying to find the time to travel and purchase your flowers? If you meet these criteria, then you should consider purchasing your flowers from Fiftyflowers.com.

Fiftyflowers.com has an extensive variety of top quality fresh flowers that includes over 2000 flowers. Due to our partner farms being located around the world, we are able to offer a diverse product line year round and available for delivery to your door 95% of the time. Fiftyflowers.com guarantees 100% our fresh flowers and we have competitive wholesale pricing.

Take a look at our website Fiftyflowers.com and let us know how we can begin sending you flowers for all your events and special occasions on a regular basis. Our friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives are always to assist you in ordering your flowers.

August – Month of the Gladiolus

As we enter into August of 2009, don’t forget that it is the birth month of the Gladiolus flower. Gladiolus is a Latin term and a prevalent figure in Greek mythology. In August this flower is used for celebrating Friendship Day on the first Sunday, Sisters Day on August 5, and Senior Citizen’s Day on August 8th. It signifies the strength of a person’s character, passion, and recollection.

Place your order with Fiftyflowers.com for the beautiful gladiolus flower available in a variety of colors: green, pink, purple, orange, red, white, or yellow. We have premium gladiolus available year round and super premium available from May through December. These flowers will add a romantic touch to any flower arrangement and amaze you with their piercing beauty, so place your order today at Fiftyflowers.com.

Rose petals: an endless list of uses!

In weddings all over the world rose petals have become almost a tradition. The little flower girl throwing petals announcing the bride’s arrival is the most widespread use for them. However, there are many other different uses you can give to your rose petals, not only related to decoration, but also to romance! Here some ideas:

• Instead of the traditional rice toss at the end of the wedding, you could have rose petals that would give a sweet end to a beautiful ceremony.
  
• Cooking is also a potential use for rose petals. In this case it would be really important to make sure that they have are organic rose petals, which means that no pesticides or preservatives had been used when the roses were being grown. For you wedding, you could use them as decoration for the cake or even for the entrees themselves if you are a rose fan!
• Rose petals have the tendency to float. So if you have a pool or even for the centerpieces themselves you could have some rose petals floating along with some flowers that are good for floating too such as orchids! Fiftyflowers offers loose blooms for the brides willing to experience this creative decoration themselves.
• Aromatherapy is another area where rose petals have gained popularity. After all the stress of the wedding arrangements every bride needs some relaxing time. A bath with lots of rose petals could be a really good way to do it.
• After the wedding, you could use your rose petals to decorate your honeymoon’s bed. You could try the traditional heart shape or using your imagination for something more creative to give the room a more romantic environment.
• Decorating tables is also one of the most popular uses for rose petals today. For your wedding, you could have them around the centerpieces to give a more delicate look to your tables. How about a romantic dinner during your honeymoon with your better half with a table covered with some pretty red rose petals?

I am sure you can come up with many more unique ways to use your rose petals. Just a little imagination and you’ll be giving a romantic touch to your life. Organic rose petals can be found at www.Fiftyflowers.com

Wedding hairstyles for your special day

Wear your hair down, curly or straight, for your wedding. Prepare a head piece with light orange and white spray roses or colors of your choosing to accentuate your natural beauty. The head piece can be easily pinned on top of your hair.

Pull your hair back into a wavy braid that falls onto your open back. Intertwine greenery such as the silver dollar eucalyptus flower into the braid to add a dramatic and earthy look to your hairstyle.

Secure your hair into an organized but natural up-do near the center of the top of your head. Pull down simple bangs to highlight your face. In the center of your up-do, carefully pin a delicate but elegant bloom like garden rose bicolor white and pink Jahr or garden rose light pink Miranda.

An alternative to pulling your hair completely up on top of your head would be to place it to the side and accent it with beautiful elegant, yet simple flowers such as yellow or white daffodils. Carefully pin a few flowers from your ear in a half circle line towards the center of the back of your hair.

As you already know, there are so many different ways to style your hair for your wedding. Don’t forget that fiftyflowers.com has a variety of flowers available to accent any aspect of your wedding, including your hairstyle.

Wedding: DO’S and DON’TS for Brides

DO’S:

• Do make a wedding budget and stick to it.
• Do plan early and avoid procrastination as this will cause less stress.
• Do work with the Groom during the planning of the wedding as their input is just as important.
• Do delegate responsibilities to family members or friends so you don’t feel overwhelmed
• Do order your flowers from fiftyflowers.com three weeks before the date you need them delivered. Pay close attention to the recommended delivery dates to ensure your flowers are beautiful for your wedding.
• Do send out save the date cards along with wedding invitations as soon as possible so your friends and family have ample notice.
• Do realize that everything will not be perfect and that is ok. Enjoy your day and new life with your partner.

DON’TS

• Don’t get pressured into buying things for your wedding that you do not love.
• Don’t resist help from others as you can probably think of a million things that have to be done.
• Don’t go overboard with your bridal registry. Ensure that there are items that vary in price, so everyone is able to purchase you a beautiful gift.
• Don’t sit quarreling family member together during the wedding or reception. Be sensitive to other people’s needs when organizing seating arrangements.
• Don’t forget to send thank you notes to all your guests.
• Don’t celebrate too hard the night before your wedding as you want to look as radiant as possible for your wedding.
• Don’t forget that fiftyflowers.com is always available to answer your questions as we are here to ensure that you can cross the stress off your list when it comes to flowers.

Summer wedding receptions

Consider the following in planning your wedding reception during the summer.

Time of Day:

During the summer, the days are longer with beautiful sunsets and this alone enhances outdoor wedding receptions. Plan your reception to commence between 5-7 p.m. in the evening.

Reception Location:

Consider renting white canopy’s or tents for your guest to enjoy your reception outside. If it is a little cooler, place a few heat lamps in various locations. Strategically place Chinese hanging lights throughout your tent area to illuminate your reception area and guests as the evening grows darker.

Flowers:

Centerpieces – Purchase bright summer flowers to decorate your tables with beautiful centerpieces consisting of white carnations, golden yellow calla lilies, and volkenfrieden delphinium.

Walkway to Reception Area – Lightly scattering hot pink colored of rose petals along the walkway to your reception area will add an elegant touch as the guests enter to celebrate your marriage.

Tent Corners – Purchase super gerbera daisies white with pink and arrange them in all corners of your tent areas. As guests glance at your beautiful bright table centerpieces they will also notice the vibrant colors of the gerbera daisies off in the not too far distance.

Wherever you choose to have your reception and no matter what colors your use for decorations, please remember that Fiftyflowers.com offers a wide variety and selection to meet all your needs.

The history of Wedding Flowers

Flowers, herbs and spices have been used in weddings for centuries. Today, the main purpose they have is to decorate our venues or complement formal clothing. However, in ancient times their use was more spiritually oriented. The bride carried aromatic bunches of garlic, herbs and spices to keep evil spirits away. Strong smells were related to protection from evil forces and mysticism. In ancient Greece and Rome, both the bride and groom wore a garland made out of strong-smelling herbs and spices around their necks. The garland was a symbol of love and happiness. Ancient Greeks also used flowers and plants to make a crown for the bride to wear and were considered a gift from nature. Although some cultures and religions still use herbs to celebrate marriages, they have lost their place in modern weddings and flowers are becoming increasingly important.

In some countries, the history and role wedding flowers have remained until our days and many practices continue to be performed. Here are some of traditions that are still important elements of every wedding, and not only in the countries where they originally appeared. Some of them are also the base of traditions we currently follow worldwide.

• Germany: both the bride and groom hold candles with flowers and ribbons tied to them during the ceremony.

• Sweden: the bridesmaids carry little bouquets of aromatic herbs.

• Austria: the brides crown their veils with the flowers of life.

• England: the bride and her bridesmaids walk to the church together. A little girl would lead them to the church while sprinkling flowers along the path. This tradition prevails in modern weddings with the “flower girls”.

• India: the groom’s brother sprinkles flower rose petals over the bride and groom at the end of the wedding ceremony to help ward of any evil spirits.

Starting in the form of herbs and spices, flowers have always been an important element to weddings. Not only for their undeniable beauty but also for the historical significance they have and their symbolic meanings. No matter how “non-traditionalistic” we consider ourselves we would love to have a wedding full of roses, orchids, tulips, peonies, hydrangeas, ranunculus, freesias, dahlias or any other type of flower we like.

Flowers and Charleston, South Carolina

In 1690, Charleston, South Carolina was founded. Today, over 100,000 people live in this charming city that is situated virtually on the Atlantic coast between North Carolina and Georgia. Charleston is known for its historic downtown market, beautiful beaches, and unbelievable hospitality to visitors. If you have not picked a location for your wedding, consider the following venues in Charleston, South Carolina:

· The Mills House Hotel

· The Garden at The Thomas Elfe House

· Legare Waring House

· Drayton Hall

Plan a trip to Charleston, South Carolina, and walk across the amazing Ravenel Bridge, take a walk on the Isle of Palms beach, or enjoy a stroll down Market Street. You will surely fall in love with this city and choose it as your wedding location.

Shop online at Fiftyflowers.com for your wedding flowers and have them sent to your venue in Charleston, South Carolina. Take a look at what some people in Charleston and the surrounding area have to say about their favorite flowers:

“I think of my mother Frances when I see and or smell fresh beautiful roses because she loved them and grew a whole yard full of roses when she was alive and would also have them freshly cut in her home when I visited so certainly, any color of roses makes me remember my mom”

Faye McMichael, Charleston, SC

“Tulips are my favorite! and fresh flowers in a vase always make me think of the roses my date got me for the 8th grade homecoming dance”

Dicy Ann Elizabeth Saylor, Athens, GA

“My favorite uncut has got to be gardenia; absolutely heavenly.”

David Verdugo, Mount Pleasant, SC

“Gardenias…smell so wonderful. They are intoxicating to me.”

Janice Barrett, Goose Creek, SC

“Roses are my favorite. they make me think of fresh air….i smell love and warmth and when i look at them I see happiness and pain free”

Zoya Burkhart, Mount Pleasant, SC

“Definitely gardenias, too! My grandfather brought my grandmother gardenias on their first date; this is one of my favorite stories and my favorite flowers!”

Kendra Wilson, Ladson, SC

If you love roses and gardenias like Charleston or you are looking for your favorite flower, shop online now at Fiftyflowers.com.