Mother’s Day is a holiday celebrated world-wide to honor our Mothers. The dates may differ in different countries, but the idea behind the special celebration is universal — and that is to show our deepest love and appreciation to our Moms.

Cayman Islands celebrates Mother’s Day on the 2nd Sunday of the month of May, same day that it is observed in the United States and in most parts of the world.

Even though there is no gift that could equal the gifts that our mothers blessed us with — the gift of life and the gift of unconditional love — flowers are always the best way to convey our utmost appreciation for all that they’ve done for us.

Traditionally, carnations are given to mothers to commemorate this holiday. However, in the recent years, the choices of flowers have now become wide and varied. Here’s a few that we would recommend:

Hydrangeas- means perseverance

Our Happy Hydrangeas  is a simple collection of lilac hydrangeas — a  true testament to Mom’s persevering spirit!

Calla Lilies – represent feminine beauty, regal

A perfect example is this beautiful floral arrangement called Exquisite Beauty. With the Calla Lilies standing gracefully above the peonies, vanda orchids, tulips, purple roses, freesias, stargazers, this bouquet is truly a celebration of Mom’s beauty.

Roses – means love

With our Peach Perfect bouquet, we celebrate Mom with the love that she truly deserves! A perfect gathering of peach roses in a vintage trunk will surely let Mom know how much you love her.

With all the gorgeous blooms of spring available for your picking and with the creativity that Celebrations floral artistes are well-known for, choosing the perfect Mother’s Day bouquet is going to be a breeze!

Click here to view our entire 2013 Mother’s Day Gift Collection and let us know which one you like the most!

We just LOVE events that engage our creativity! Cayman Islands Law School Gala dinner was that type of event. From the initial meeting, our client was sure they wanted their annual event to be stylized as a get-away to Wonderland. What a beautiful theme to get lost in! Let the pictures tell you the story.

The tablescape was a whimsical array of teapots, teacups, flowers, votive candles, toad stools, bright linens, doilies and a lot of bright colours!

Brightly coloured lanterns were strung all over the room.

While giant flowers were also scattered on the tables and in random areas too.

Custom painted Alice in Wonderland favorite characters and details were used to accentuate  the stage. We also couldn’t resist throwing in a black and white dance floor.

A “Drink Me” bar? Why not!!!!

All these fun and whimsical event styling elements made for an event to remember!

Here are some design inspiration  for 2013 as forecasted by IFD, a consortium of floral distributors based in the US.

1. Personality Palette – Showcase your inner playful self with these bright, happy and  eccentric mixture of flowers, colours and textures. Warm hues from tangerine to turquoise and some neutral or earthy taupe are used  to support the bold colours. It is a reflection of ones personal taste as inspired by  old world fairs and carnivals. Containers can be mixed and matched with bright hues. Recommended linens are a whimsical mixture of texture and prints.

2. Enchanted – inspired by whimsical fairy tales and the gorgeous hues of a peacock’s plumes. Jewel tones like royal violet, teal, plum and sapphire are the main colours.  This design encourages the use of  intensely colored glass containers, exotic mosaics, and chromatic metallic vases as vessels. Accents may include mercury glass votives, sparkling creatures, and peacock feathers.

3. Heirloom – antique chic, vintage, timeless classic. Muted tones of pinks, peach, sage, moss and with some charcoal grey. Nostalgic embellishments, cameos, brooches are added for special touches. Vessels used  reflect the past and present, like hobnail, vintage colored glasses and silver vases.

4. Eco-chic – modern contemporary and organic materials. This trend is in line with the current trend of going green and organic. This palette is composed of hues in stark contrast from dark to bright to muted. Classic white, black and platinum with apple green. Containers recommended are glass vases, ceramics, contemporary vessels, apothecary jars.

Judging from these 4 gorgeous trends, 2013 would be a great year to explore your creativity!!!

Over the past couple of years, we’ve observed the increase in the number of couples choosing to quietly tie the knot at an exotic location instead of going the traditional route. A smaller destination wedding is so much more intimate and can create the best remembered memories.

Planning a small destination wedding does not mean compromising your dream wedding. It just means a smaller guest list. With lesser guests as compared to a traditional wedding at home, your budget would be a bit more flexible to allow you special touches on décor and unique details, elements that can make your wedding one-of-a-kind.

A perfect example of a couple with the same mindset is one of our recent newlyweds, Lizzy and Brian. The lovely couple tied the knot on the idyllic Seven Mile Beach and later on proceeded to Grand Old House for a star-lit reception.

Upon entrance, guests were welcomed with a custom made message, “In you I’ve found the love of my life, and my closest, truest friend”. How romantic!

A beautiful bamboo arch structure, accented with willows, soft pink and ivory toned flowers and adorned with swags of crystal and miniature crystal chandeliers created the focal piece of the wedding.

The Grand Old House gazebo was transformed into a crystal wonderland, including crystal curtains, crystal chandelier and crystal candle holders. A very special part of the décor was the memory chair for the Father of the Groom.

No matter how small a wedding, the special touches and stunning décor are well worth it. This couple definitely proved to us that less means more!

Congratulations Lizzy and Brian and thank you for giving us the opportunity to be a part of your small yet stylish celebration!

Photo credits: Aaron Rebarchek and Rebecca Davidson both from Picture This

If you’re looking at saving some money when hosting your next party without compromising the attention to details, look no further because we have put together some of the most fab DIY ideas we’ve come across!

1. 3D numbers and letters. These could be used as table numbers or as great addition to any decor tableau. It’s very cheap and so easy  to make!  Learn how here.  You can totally customize these by adding textures, fabric or even glitter!

2. Fab desserts in a snap!  These are not only easy on the eye, but they definitely will fulfill any sweet cravings! Perfect for any occasion.

Marshmallows, chocolates and candy sprinkles spell eye candy! DIY instructions here.

How about these wonderful Jello fruit slices. Click here for the step-by-step instructions. 

3. Dare to be bold with neon colors!!!

Don’t you love these spring-inspired neon vases ? We do! In fact, we adore them. Learn how to do these yourselves.

Check out how to do the graphic neon vase here.

4. Glittered mason jars! From rustic to elegant, this DIY project will take your ordinary jars (or bottles) another notch by adding some glitter! Perfect for ambient lighting or as vessels for your floral arrangements.

5. 3d paper balls. These are so chic and could go well with any events, birthdays, showers or even weddings. Here’s the DIY tutorial. 

6. Glow sticks inside balloons. What a groovy idea!

Try out some (if not all) of these fab DIY projects and let us know how it turned out! Go ahead and explore your inner designer diva!

Chris Martin & Gwyneth Paltrow, Harrison Ford & Calista Flockhart, Orlando Bloom & Victoria’s secret top model Miranda Kerr, Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos and Mariah Carey with Nick Canon. What do these couples share in common besides their celebrity status? They all eloped!

With all these celebrities starting the trend, over the past couple of years, we’ve observed that there has been a huge surge in the number of couples choosing to quietly tie the knot instead of going the traditional route. The most common reasons that couples choose to elope is to take the pressure away from the planning and allow the couple to better enjoy the sentiment of the ceremony. Not only does it ease responsibilities, it can also cost a whole lot less!

Why elope to the Cayman Islands? Besides the fact that it is a truly beautiful island blessed with the best beaches and warmest people and perfect weather almost all year round, it is also very accessible from all major US international airports. Check out the requirements for tying the knot in Cayman!

Despite being a small group of islands in the Caribbean, Cayman offers a wide spectrum of venue choices, from world famous Seven Mile Beach, botanical gardens, luxury resorts and private villas. Boasting a huge array of talented vendors, ranging from photographers to musicians, the possibilities are endless.

The choices don’t stop there! We’ve come up with a list of the top attractions and experiences that make the Caymans the place to say “I Do”.

1. Special tasting menus at restaurants. Read more on the culinary feast that are available to you here in Cayman here.

or even get VIP treatment by hiring a personal chef to cater to your gustatory desires!

2. Helicopter rides for two, private jaunts over to Little Cayman for a private meal on a private beach

3. Couple dives, parasailing, kite boarding, paddle boarding and  hiking (for the outdoorsy couple). Find out more activity ideas while here in Cayman!

4. Experience the surreal  at Cayman Ka’si bio-luminescence tour

5.  Luxury spa services at top resorts and hotels

6. Take a piece of Cayman home. From tax-free shopping, to local Caymanite jewelry, there’s something here for everyone.

With all these options open to you and your husband, eloping in Cayman might just be the best decision you make as a couple!

Cayman Islands  doesn’t only allow couples to save money, it offers couples the opportunity to extend their celebrations. We predict many more couples to take the approach of Marry Now, Party Later in 2013 and focus more on the romance of marrying, just the two of you. Combining traditional values with at-home celebrations following the vows.

The Special Event Show 2013 was special indeed. Not only was it my first time leading a session, within which I got to speak about the subject nearest and dearest to my heart (destination events), but it was also a chance to catch up with great friends and be inspired by the hottest new trends in event planning.

I will be sharing the highlights of my presentation with you soon, focusing on “Destination Events and Weddings of the Future: What is the New Niche?”

Here are My Favourite Things: TSE 2013 Edition