Behind the Blooms
Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Tiger Lily Chuppah: The Final Product




It was a windy beach side day on Sunday, as the Tiger Lily team worked setting up the anticipated chuppah on The Sanctuary's Grand Lawn, on Kiawah Island. With tropical storm Beryl's 30mph sustained wind and gusts of 45mph, this was no small challenge. Modifications had to be made to ensure that the structure would provide a beautiful backdrop for the couples vows. Roughly a hundred guests watched from their balconies as the Tiger Lily team put the piece together. Be redesigning on the fly the team was able to create an alternative to the original plan, that remained standing firm and provided the same aesthetic quality as the original. Everything went smoothly and the ceremony was perfect.

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Our wedding planner Gayla frequently receives thank you cards from happy brides. Way to go, Gayla!

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Chuppah Project Update



The chuppah is coming together! Manny and Clara attatched the crossbeams this morning, making sure the entire structure is strong and steady.




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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Tiger Lily Chuppah: A  New Take On An Old Tradition





Tiger Lily weddings caters to couples of many different backgrounds. A traditional Jewish wedding is full of symbolism and rituals. The chuppah, a canopy under which the bride and groom stand as they say their vows, is an essential part of the ceremony. These large bamboo are the support for one Charleston couples chuppah. The bamboo comes all the way from northern California. While the bamboo only weighs about 8 or 10 pounds, for the first time we used concrete for the base. Forty pounds of concrete on each bamboo tree should help keep the chuppah from blowing away at the seaside nuptials. Moss, flowers and other camouflage will keep the concrete bases from being seen. We never want the mechanics behind the beautiful things we create to be visible. This chuppah will perform without revealing any secrets.

The bamboo it is made of is also great to work with. Bamboo is a great because it is light, strong, easy to cut, grows in many places, renewable, and of course, looks good. There are hundreds of arrangements and projects you can create with bamboo, see http://www.calibamboo.com/, for a few. We've certainly grown an appreciation for it at Tiger Lily. Keep an eye out for pictures of the completed chuppah!


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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Thursday, May 17, 2012


Making Clients Happy

It means a lot to us that our clients are happy. We know we did our job well, when they take the time to let us know. Here are two cards we recently received, from Rachel at Planters Inn, and bride Lucy McEwen.







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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

How do you eat an elephant?



The answer is one bite at a time and this is exactly how our crew of eight saw the task of creating 898 rose bouquets and 444 boutonnieres for College of Charleston graduation. When the 7000 roses arrived the matter of business seemed daunting, but bit by bit the flowers came together. What contributed most to the completion of this task was the positive attitude exhibited by the eight people who worked on it. Not one person was without a smile all week and friendly banter and encouragement kept the pace. Though the work was tedious every one at Tiger Lily was proud when local news coverage of graduation was filled with smiling grad faces and perfectly placed bouquets and boutonnieres. A big thanks to every one who helped with the project!

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Tiger Lily Goes Global


It's a destination wedding! On May 20th lovely couple India and Matt will wed on the picturesque Paradisus Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic. Below is a picture of the resort, just look how blue that water is! Our wedding planner extraordinaire, Lindsey, will accompany the couple to make sure everything runs smoothly and India, Matt, family, and friends can relax and enjoy the three day event which will include plenty of salsa dancing and beach lounging.

http://www.paradisus-puntacana.com/photo-gallery.php#

Though the wedding takes place a little further from home, as always, local businesses were heavily used in the planning. Local paper goods and accessories boutique, mac & murphy, designed the custom wedding invitations, pictures to come!

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Finding Inspiration Through Client J. Herman Blake



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Don Rothman (left) and J. Herman Blake (right), image found on http://news.ucsc.edu/2012/04/herman-blake-don-rothman-2012.html
At Tiger Lily our goal is to be the Best In Charleston every day.   We definitely have The Best Customer's in Charleston!  We have a parade of great folks walking into our shops.  Some are well-know celebrities, some are under the radar, all are awesome.  We often find inspiration in our customers and their stories, but were particularly moved when MUSC professor J. Herman Blake (above, right) came in for a boutonniere last year. 

It was a Tuesday morning, a strange time for a boutonniere.  "Is it for a special occasion?" I asked.  He explained that he is a professor at MUSC, and wears a boutonniere everytime he makes a presentation.  He vaguely said that he does it as a salute to someone he admires.  He pinned it on and, you know, it really did add that special zing to his whole persona.
Since then, Dr. Blake comes in often for a boutonniere.  He gets the best rose we have, often in a unique color.  We have a brief conversation, and he always give me some things to think about.  He's just a real smart person with a wealth of life experiences.  Above all, he's an optimist with a natural ability to inspire.

Recently Dr. Blake mentioned he was on the west coast for a little presentation.  I could tell there was more to the story, asked him for more information.  He forwarded this link.  After doing a little research on the professor we discovered he has inspired many, many people over the years.  In the presentation above, several audience members were moved to tears when relaying what Dr. Blake meant to them.  Please click on the link  for an inspiring perspective of a man we are proud to call a customer and a friend.  You'll also discover just why Dr Blake wears a boutonniere.  Dr. Blake is the real deal. http://news.ucsc.edu/2012/04/herman-blake-don-rothman-2012.html.

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Monday, May 14, 2012

Mother's Day 2012

For the largest florist in South Carolina, Mother's day is no small affair! With an array of special Mother's Day arrangements on our floral menu and custom orders, the team had  their work cut out for them. We are happy to say Mother's Day was a success, with hundreds of bouquets delivered to Mom's all over the Charleston area.


Floral Designer, Beth, hard at work on a custom arrangement

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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 College of Charleston Graduation



The Tiger Lily Graduation Team unpacking 7,000 roses
 The past week was the busiest in Tiger Lily history, preparing for Mother's Day and College of Charleston graduation. Graduation totals? 898 bouquets and 444 boutonnieres were created. While mayhem and madness was the expectation, the task was completed with positive attitude and lots of chatter. Busy hands unpacked and transformed more than 7,000 roses into the traditional College of Charleston red rose and baby's breath bouquets and boutonnieres. You can see pictures of the graduates and flowers on the College of Charleston Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/collegeofcharleston. One of the busiest weeks of the year, and it went great!


This is the first time Fed Ex has ever brought enough roses to need a pallet!






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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Shout Out to Charleston's Premier Cake Designer: Rock Star Cakes


Dinosaur Egg Birthday Cake
It's never a party without the cake, and cakes have become increasingly elaborate on television shows, such as Cake Boss or Ace of Cakes, and in real life too. We have our very own sculptured cake shop here in Charleston, Rock Star Cake. From 3D Spider Man to a custom nurses uniform you could practically wear, Rock Star Cake designs look like something straight out of a reality show contest. In fact, we're hoping some one here at Tiger Lily has a birthday coming up so we can get one.....

Find them on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/RockStar-Cake/167226446643156

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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When Google Called Us...I Thought It Was A Joke
Monday, May 7, 2012

When Google called us...I thought it was a joke.  They called from San Francisco and said something like, "We've been following Tiger Lily, and the way you use Google business apps, and would like to shoot a video of your story."  I responded with "Listen, we're really busy, so if this is scam or advertising pitch, your'e wasting your time". 
Well, it was legit, and Google sent a production team of 11 people down from Boston for 4 days.  Cameras, lighting, boom mics, even make-up! We told our Google Business Apps story, and it was then that I realized how much Google Business Apps is part of our daily operation.  Everything from emails to schedules to daily reports are all driven by Google Business Apps, often times remotely!  Most importantly, we SHARE that info in real time with our key staff members.  Now all of our goals are top of mind for the entire staff, as well as the results.  And the results have been amazing.  By following sound business principles, we're having a great year.  But it's Google Business Apps that makes following those principles so much easier! 
People often say "It must be a blast working with flowers all day."  Clara and I do feel we have a great profession, but the flowers are just part of it.  It's where the "art" of flower design meets the "business" of  ownership that makes it a blast.  Like we often say, "I'ts never been easy but its mostly been fun."  Being part of Google's Business Apps story has certainly been a blast!

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Tiger Lily Partners with Charleston Center for Women

Tiger Lily is proud to partner with the Charleston Center for Women, in honor of Mother's Day, on the 12th. This year, when you order the "Charleston Center for Women" arrangement for your mom, $10 will be donated to the center. This elegant arrangement incorporates casablanca lilies, lavender roses, and lisianthus.

The Charleston Center for Women is a nonprofit organization working in the lowcountry helping women build success in their personal and professional lives. The Charleston Center for Women coordinates events and works closely with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, My Sister's House, Darkness to Light, Carolina Youth Development Center, and more. You can find out more about The Charleston Center for Women and the Mother's Day Special event at http://www.c4women.org/enews_120501.html.

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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Find Tiger Lily On Pinterest


As Pinterest has grown in popularity over the past year, for many it has provided the perfect place to find ideas and inspiration in fashion, DIY, wedding planning, home decor and more. We began using Pinterest over a year ago. For us, it has given a way to easily share pictures of the work we have created here in Charleston. Have a look at our wedding and floral boards at http://pinterest.com/tigerlilyweds/ , and if a walk down the isle is in your near future you can get a full dose of inspiration from our wedding gallery at http://www.tigerlilyweddings.com/

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Posted by Manny Gonzales
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