I know some designers won't admit to this, but occasionally I find myself in a pinch, in need of more greens for my arrangements and do not want to make the trek into the city. Where I live, it is like a forest so a fast solution is to ask a neighbor to cut some of their branches and I will gladly pay it forward with an arrangement. On one such occasion, I came across more than a few branches. While I was driving home from dropping off my daughter to school, for the millionth time I drove under this gigantic silver eucalyptus tree. It was so overgrown, the branches actually brushed my car as I drove underneath. Well, I was in one of those "in need" situations so I stopped when I noticed the door to the owner's home opened. Crossing my fingers that the owners might consider letting me cut some of those branches off, I went for it and asked. To my surprise, she hesitated. She mentioned she might be needing those branches in a month as she was coordinating do-it-yourself flowers for her son's upcoming wedding. Well, could have this been a more perfect moment as there stood before her a local florist with advice that the mother of the groom should be enjoying the wedding not designing it.

The wedding took place at The Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley, a hidden gem behind trailing ivy covered gates in downtown Mill Valley. For city folks looking for a lush, intimate indoor/outdoor venue, here's your place. While The Outdoor Art Club is a historic venue with a craftsman feel and dark wood and all, we decided to lighten it up with an all ivory design. We used some of the classical wedding flowers including gorgeous Casablanca liies, roses, lisianthus and queen anne's lace, but added some new mixes including silver brunia berries, lamb's ear, lemon scented geraniums, manzanita branches, and of course, eucalyptus greens. I was fortunate to be asked to collaborate with this artist mom, and as they say, the rest was history.

http://www.outdoorartclub.org/