Recently, we had the opportunity to create so much colorful beauty that covered the long reception tables at the venue, as well as the ceremony space and even on the walls and Brick fireplace in the main room.
Take a look at some of the beautiful color that the couple requested for their wedding and reception. The flowers paired nicely with their table setting gifts and menus. Photos by Allison Stoddard
]]>Come learn from The Sustainable Flower School's THE FLOWER BIZ session on March 14th and 15th, 2024.
]]>Come learn from The Sustainable Flower School's THE FLOWER BIZ session on March 14th and 15th, 2024.
This is an in-person session over two days in Oakland, California.
We will be digging deep into sustainable thinking, methods and steps in floral design and business and of course, practice with flowers and plants!
Lunch is provided each day, and it's not only a great opportunity to focus on your work and knowledge, but to also make connections with others who want to do the same.
G&G and The Sustainable Flower School
Pilar Zuniga, the Lead educator and owner of Gorgeous and Green will be sharing all that she has learned over 15 years as a Sustainable Florist and Business woman.
]]>I love Spring. Not only is the weather getting warmer, the days getting longer and we're getting more clear skies, but SPRING flowers are in bloom! All our favorites that can be grown right in the soil and in the rain! Narcissus, tulips, peonies and more!
The most sustainable option when it comes to flowers is buying locally grown and seasonal flowers that are grown in the ground. When they are local they need to burn less petroleum (and emit less CO2) to get to you. They also burn less petroleum because they don't need as much refrigeration (maybe a day from field to florist, rather than a week). And when they are grown in the ground and not heated during their growing, they emit even less CO2.
What is even more sustainable? Using containers and mechanics that are not made from plastic and that are either compostable or reusable. Like glass and ceramic vases, naked chicken wire, oshun pouches and agrawool bricks.
We did just that for this gorgeous wedding at the Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club. And, not only did we use gorgeous local and seasonal flowers, but we also used fruit, which had a second life with the guests of the wedding to fill their tummies!
All Photos by Gretchen Gause.
]]>
The Sustainable Flower School is proud to announce that we are supported by in-kind sponsors who provide the school with some of the materials and tools students need to learn how to design in a more sustainable and eco-friendly manner. This support allows us to offer scholarships to students for each course.
Figone Nursery is a Family owned farm in Half Moon Bay, California and has been in horticulture for a few decades. They provide seasonal foliage, branches and blooms to the SF Flower Market, that are grown in the open air of the South Bay. From ranunculus and dahlias to bouquet eucalyptptus, their product is some of the most beautiful we've had the pleasure to design with.
The sponsor support we receive from Figone Nursery and our other sponsors allows the school to offer partial and full scholarships to students for each course provided.
Please reach out to us (shop@gorgeousandgreen.com) if you are interested in sponsoring this work of educating the community of florists! Both In-Kind and financial awards are accepted and appreciated!
All Workshops, Parties and Educational Sessions are 20% off with code:
From one-on-one workshop sessions to two-day Sustainable Floristry education covering Installs, Vase arrangements, Personals or the Sustainable Business, this code is good for any and all education into the 2024 year.
We look forward to sharing all the things we've learned over the past 15 years as a sustainable florist and business!
]]>
Students perusing the product available during the Vase Course of The Sustainable Flower School.
]]>Students starting to create meadow vase arrangements in sustainable mechanics using local grown flowers and foliage and product from Santana Farms.Gorgeous foliage and flowers for The Sustainable Flower School students to use in their designs.
We at Gorgeous and Green have been purchasing from New Age for some time and love their products, and quick turnaround.
All students who go to The Sustainable Flower School sessions receive a starter kit from New Age Floral, the ability to practice with the product during the session and a discount on future purchases.
As we strive to reduce our waste, reduce plastic usage, reduce micro plastics and avoid harmful chemicals the products that New Age Floral sells are a refreshing support in our efforts.
The sponsor support we receive from New Age Floral and our other sponsors allows the school to offer partial and full scholarships to students for each course provided.
Please reach out to us (shop@gorgeousandgreen.com) if you are interested in sponsoring this work of educating the community of florists! Both In-Kind and financial awards are accepted and appreciated!
Pilar demonstrating how to use an oshun pouch in a low vessel to mimic a meadow arrangement.
A collection of beautiful flowers and textures for students to choose from during the Vase course of The Sustainable Flower School.
]]>
Did you happen to see Pilar's Interview on the Mornings with Mayesh show?
Pilar shares some background on how she got started, what her sustainable philosophy includes and how her work and business has developed and grown over the years.
Pilar talks about going beyond no-floral foam and the steps she takes in reducing waste. She is very frank about getting past the anger she felt about the misuse and degradation of the environment, and how meeting people in the middle with solutions seems to be the easiest road to healing the planet.
Take a look!
]]>
Take a look at her sustainable technique and the beautiful design she creates using "naked wire" and NO floral tape or glue!
Full Video available here on Youtube:
]]>Courses are available starting this fall! These courses have been developed for new and current floral designers looking to learn sustainable floristry techniques and methodology. There are 4 sessions available: Personals, Vase Arrangements, Installs and The Flower Biz.
Each session is comprised of two days of educational sessions. Materials and tools provided along with handouts and plenty of practice time and opportunity for feedback. The courses are taught by Pilar Zuniga, a sustainable florist for 15 years and the owner of Gorgeous and Green. Pilar is a well practiced public speaker and educator and will download as many tips and tricks she's developed over the years to students.
Each two day session will take place at the Gorgeous and Green shipping container studio and garden as well as the posh Mama Dog Studios photo studio and Soundstage. Along with coursework, each session will include plenty of snacks, lunch and a final cocktail hour after the completion of the session.
Visit the Education section of our website to learn more about the courses available and to sign up.
]]>
Take a look at the video here via the Mayesh website.
or follow the link here to see it on youtube.
Here is a list of the ingredients I used for the boutonniere:
flowers:
mini calla lily in white
strawflowers in peach
freesia in blue
Hopseed foliage in purple
Jubilee leucadendron
tools:
organic natural dried moss
cotton or hand dyed silk ribbon
copper wire small gauge
aluminum wire small gauge
needle nose pliers
clippers
water vase
Keep your eyes peeled for the third video in this series on Sustainable Hair pieces!
If you haven't seen it yet, check out Pilar's first Video on Sustainable Installations at the Mayesh site.
In Green Beauty,
G&G
]]>As part of the Mayesh Design Star Video Series, Pilar offers some background on her sustainable design approach and her methods for creating flower beauty in a sustainable way. Watch and learn and gain a few tips from Pilar as she creates an on-site installation using sustainable mechanics and materials with branches, flowers, a vase and some beeswaxed twine and paper wire. No plastics, tubes or even chicken wire were used during the install.
]]>
This year Mayesh is focusing on sustainability in floral design, and with 15 years experience as a sustainable florist, Pilar has a lot of insight and methods to offer any florist looking to be more sustainable in their practice.
Take a look at the Mayesh blog that gives some background to Pilar's stance and methods for sustainability. And keep an eye out for some video tutorials by Pilar that give some great tips and tricks she has learned over the years for how to keep designs simple and sustainable.
]]>
Here's a link to the online magazine.
We've had the opportunity to help decorate so many beautiful events over the past 15 years, and we've had a plethora of amazing weddings these past two years since the Covid lockdown. We are always challenging ourselves to make our sustainable floristry methods and flowers work harder every year, and this year was no exception!
Here are just a few snapshots of designs we've created for weddings over the years.
We have worked at venues all over the Bay Area and Beyond and look forward to continue to work at these venues and more in the future. Here's a list of some of our favorites and what they have to offer:
Sarah's bridal bouquet was like a sweet bowl sherbet, swirling with raspberry, lemon, and peach hues. We balanced the thick, many-petaled textures of roses, ranunculus, and dahlias with touches of sleek tropical foliage and anthuriums. Trailing honey-colored ribbons heightened the romantic vibe and matched the quality of the light.
Heart-shaped anthurium complimented the ruffled texture of fragrant garden roses, accented with scabiosa and stock flowers. Each bud vase was unique, creating a tablescape with interest and variety.
Rambling muslin runners that Gorgeous and Green dyed and provided as part of the table decor, bud vases, candles, and colorful glassware festooned the family style tables; while larger, lush centerpieces graced the round tables. Creamy linens on the rounds provided soft contrast for the warm tones of the centerpieces. The natural wood of the long tables set the tone for that special Napa mood.
It was an especially hot day with temperatures climbing to 110 degrees, but the flowers and the wedding party made a valiant effort to look splendid and beautiful.
Here's the first installment of the beautiful photos we received from that special day. Enjoy.
Florals by Gorgeous and Green
Photography by Nadia Vysotskaya Photography
Event Planning, Design by Le Muse Events
Makeup and Hair by Yi Bridal
Rentals by One True Love Vintage
Cake by Old Town Danville Bakery
Suit by Giorgio Armani
Gown by Pronovias At Romance
Shoes by Rene Caovilla
DJ by iMobile DJ's
Videography by Ethan The Moment
For Jen and Jordan, we combined sherbert tones with a sweet selection of fruit on the tablescapes. Palm frond table settings combined with the nautical surroundings of Fort Mason's General's residence to set the vibe for a sumptuous evening of love and fun with a tiki vibe.
We worked with one of our event planning pals, Kellyne of Hand and Heart Events. Between her great planning credentials and our eye for bright details, it was another wedding success.
Check out the pics!
]]>
This discount is good for purchases of gift cards, local gift and flower deliveries, workshops and even small event orders including birthdays, weddings, corporate events, funerals and memorials.
We look forward to a year full of sustainable flower design, local grown flowers, supporting local business and artists and teaching novice, new and seasoned florists how to be more sustainable in their floral design work.
]]>
Julia and Paras hosted a multi-day feté to pay homage to their combined diverse cultures. Western/American, Japanese and Indian cultures were taken into consideration in choosing food, ceremony and decor.
The 3 day event took place at The Holly Farm. Filled with lush gardens, crushed granite pathways, garden nooks and plenty of natural beauty and peace. Our floral, plant and fruit designs matched perfectly; but also stood out in the most flavorful way.
All photos by the talented Laurken Kendall
The couple during the ceremony under the Gorgeous and Green mandap decor.
The couple had two ceremonies, the first was an Indian ceremony that took place on the lawn at Holly Farm. The second was a western ceremony that took place in the grotto by the oak tree.
The couple with the bride's bouquet by Gorgeous and Green featuring fall sugarbush protea, local grown hanging amaranth, celosia, spider gerbera, gladiola and foliage.
And a beautiful shot of a table piece with some mango, persimmon and palm fruit for extra texture and the feeling of abundance.
Planning: Lily Spruce
Catering: La Créme Monterey
]]>We're inviting people back to the lovely Gorgeous and Green flower studios in Oakland this April for an In Person workshop experience.
The Spring workshop on April 22nd, 2023 will be an in-person workshop at our Gorgeous and Green flower studios and the photo studios of Mama Dog Studios (for beauty shots of everyone's designs).
This workshop will include head garland making, with avante-garde techniques that are more sustainable and eco-friendly. We will also cover hand constructed posies using spring blooms.
All in person workshops will take place at our lovely outdoor/indoor garden studios and include an array of beautiful foliage, flowers and textures that are locally and sustainably sourced for students to use in their designs.
To SIgn up for the Spring Workshop click HERE.
We Look forward to seeing you at our Oakland Flower Studios!
Pilar Zuniga has taught flower workshops for 14 years, and has been teaching and writing curricula for the past 22 years. As a seasoned instructor with a lot of experience in flower design, she has a lot of insight and tools to offer the novice and seasoned flower designer.
This one is for flower lovers near and far! 2023 brings some new opportunity for learning sustainable flower design techniques from Gorgeous and Green with local grown and organic flowers and foliage. This first installation in the workshop series is virtual, so students can learn here in the Bay Area, the East Coast and abroad.
Join us January 29th for a class focusing on flower frogs as support structure for centerpiece and statement designs. The class will be virtual on zoom and is for locals and non-locals alike! Locals have the opportunity to pickup materials from our studio in Oakland that will include: flowers, foliage, a container and a flower frog as well as directions on how to process their materials.
A beautiful centerpiece design for the table with a frog as the initial support structure. This allowed for a overflowing and low to the table effect.
Pilar Zuniga is the owner of Gorgeous and Green. She teaches the workshops and classes and has taught many groups both large and small throughout the bay area, including at the SF Flower and Garden Show shown above. That container is actually a shallow plate/bowl with a ceramic flower frog laid in the middle.
To Sign up for the Winter Workshop click HERE.
]]>The Small Event online ordering system is a great way for clients to control the pricing and budgets of their flower orders. Our minimum is just $800 for these small orders. As with all of our designs, we will create beauty using what's available seasonally and locally, and use sustainable and eco friendly design and business methods. Local Delivery is available or schedule a pick up from our studio, to save a little more budget.
Gorgeous and Green offers floral design services for weddings and events on a budget as well as large scale events with larger budgets. We put the same amount of skill into our designs, no matter. If you are interested in learning more about our full service event design services or small event ordering, please contact us via our contact form.
]]>"It's always been about keeping the next 7 generations in mind. That idea comes from a Native proverb, and being of native blood and of conscious human blood, it greatly resonates with my and my business. Every business decision I make will affect this planet, the people on it, and for generations to come. From the compost to the business cards, the flower mechanics to where the flowers come from, the transportation, reusing and even how long designs can last, I'm always thinking "How can I make this even more sustainable?"
Pilar has created a presence online with a healthy following on Instagram for her vibrant, artsy and bountiful yet sustainable flower designs. But what most don't know is that she is also a professional speaker and educator. Apart from teaching Gorgeous and Green's workshops and sustainable flower school, she has spoken in the local community for garden clubs, tech companies and the local grown-flower community at large. She's spoken at events put on by the University of Illinois, UC Berkeley Cesar Chavez Student Center, CB2, West Elm, the Wedding Industry Professional Association, The Slow Flowers Summit, The Piedmont Garden Club, The Orinda Garden Club and The SF Flower and Garden Show, to name a few.
Here are some lovely photos from a talk and demonstration at the Slow Flowers Summit in 2021 at Filoli Garden.
Sharing the G&G history and experience as a flower shop turned studio
Designing without floral foam with locally grown and home grown flowers and foliage.
Taking a pose in front of her designs at the Slow Flowers Summit
The 15 minute design of local grown beauty.
Photo by Jenny Diaz
Click Here for more information about Pilar and Gorgeous and Green's sustainable floral design workshops and courses.
All photos (other than last one) by Missy Palacol
]]>
It was a special challenge for us to work solely in white (plus a little something blue), but we rose to the occasion and the results speak for themselves. Many-petaled roses, larkspur, and peonies created a layered, cloudlike effect that was the frosting on the cake of this heavenly occasion.
Photos by the very talented Over Power Production
Wedding Coordinator: Le Muse Events
Venue: San Jose Corinthian Grand Ballroom
Makeup and Hair: Christina Li Makeup & Beauty
Videographer: The Moment
Catering: Phu Lam Chinese Restaurant
Bakery: Jen's Cake
For us here at Gorgeous & Green, this approach was an absolute delight! We used emerald green monstera leaves, silvery fan palms, local lime green hanging amaranth, along with a symphony of other tropical foliage to craft decor for the mandap, a flat-lay tablescape, and clouds of greenery suspended from the heavens.
Take a stroll through this viridian vision in the gallery below!
All photos by the excellent: James Moes Photography
Beautiful and contemporary wedding venue with a bit of a desert twist in San Jose | @blancourbanvenue
One of our favorite wedding planners and coordinators here in the Bay area | @handheartevents
Beautiful wedding photography | @jamesmoesweddings
And we did the florals | @gorgeousandgreen
Disco lighting + sound | @joesquaredproductions
Plant rentals that really went well with our designs | @theplantlibrary
dj | @djusaevents
Beautiful rentals that went with the theme and space| @standardeventrentals @foundrentalco @luxeventrentals
Linens | @bbj_latavola
signage | @theblushingboxwood
Cool guestbook that was a phone! have to see it to believe | @fetefone
Amazing bridal mehndi | @ritualbydesign
]]>This workshop will focus on how to: put together a vase arrangement, incorporate branches and bulb flowers in your design, use a floral frog, employ eco-friendly tactics, and care for your cut blooms in a way that extends the life of your bouquet.
How it works:
We believe that flowers are a thread that tie us to the natural world and remind us of the sheer delight that can be found there.
The small work that we practice in floristry is a way to enlarge the meaning found when we hold a single stem to encompass our regard for the environment as a whole. This work helps us remember that we are all stewards for the earth.
]]>From passionate elopements, to drastically pared-down pandemic guest lists, love always finds a way. Gorgeous & Green offers a Small Event Order option as a more economic choice for those seeking an intimate ceremony without sacrificing the romance of fresh flowers.
Bite sized wedding ceremonies can provide a special level of sweetness. Whittling your guest list has a cascading effect on the total budget for your wedding day.
A smaller venue, fewer plates of food, and fewer overall flowers gives you extra funds to put toward increasing the quality of your experience. Extra care can be spent on luxurious blooms for the bride, a decadent menu, or live entertainment. Your connection with your guests is also deepened, and you may even get to (gasp!) hang out with everyone!