Meet Marsala! This rich and romantic hue is Pantone’s Color of the Year and its intensity runs deep within my wedding flowers. According to Pantone, the earthy red wine color enriches the mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability. My floral color palette is actually a combination of Marsala and Radiant Orchid, a color known for creativity and imagination, and Pantone’s pick in 2014.

Marsala is massive and by that I mean it can range from a vibrant cranberry to a smoky burgundy. The color embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal, while its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated aura, Pantone explained in a press release. “This hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing and translates easily to fashion, beauty, design, home furnishings and interiors.”

Designed by the creative professionals at Stoneblossom, my flowers were a true testament to my vision. Well, “our” vision to be exact. I can’t leave Mr. Chat out in the cold. We longed for an old-world opulence blended with a modern-day romance and we captured this aura by way of royal tones such as gold, magenta, ruby and emerald. This was a look and feel Sherry Scott, event manager and designer at the Rhode Island-based florist, forged against the already-lush and well-manicured landscape at The Chanler at CliffWalk.

One of the most precious items I carried on my wedding day was my bouquet. Also known as the Polly bouquet, the custom-made creation carried (and still does since I’ve had it professionally preserved) a tremendous amount of history and sentiment that it’s difficult to know where to begin with its enchanting story.

If you ask me, the Polly bouquet is a work of art and way more beautiful than I had initially envisioned. It was crafted of the finest O’hara garden roses, amnesia roses, dahlias, ranunculus and seeded eucalyptus. The finishing touch, and what actually gives the arrangement its name, is its emerald toned tail feathers. Never heard the name Polly mentioned on the blog before? Well, he’s a parrot. One day, 30 years ago, my father brought him home from Panama and that tale, my friends, is for my autobiography…or another blog post. 

Today, Polly lives with a new family. I mean a girl (or parrot for that matter) could not ask for more wonderful parents than the couple who adopted Polly nearly two years ago. Polly had been shedding his tail feathers since he arrived at his new home (something very natural that he also did when I was growing up). Coincidentally, his parents had been saving the feathers (in a parrot jar no less) for no particular reason. As a matter of fact, the couple joked with their friends about what they should do with the mounting collection. Last summer, I called Polly’s parents to inquire about the possibility of incorporating some of his feathers into my bouquet (if in fact he’d shed any) and the rest is history. 

My bouquet’s stem was wrapped in silk champagne remnants from my wedding gown and dressed with brass buttons from my father’s U.S. Army coat. As a tribute to my late father’s memory and the bird he loved so very much (I love Polly too), I incorporated this intimacy as a way to keep them both close to my heart. Here’s a look at more stunning pieces designed for us on our special day.

Matron of Honor bouquet :: amnesia roses, dahlias, lace flowers and seeded eucalyptus

Centerpieces :: antique local hydrangeas, South American hydrangeas, chocolate Queen Anne’s lace, amnesia roses, dahlias, sea oats, cymbidium orchids, steel berries, ranunculus, astilbes & seeded eucalyptus