Blog

Your wedding day is the most important event in your life. You want to remember it forever - the flowers, the dress, the wedding cake… and for the modern bride we have a modern option. Anyone can hire a wedding photographer, but why have 1 photographer when you can have 100? The advantage of posting your wedding photos on Instagram For those who live in a remote part of the world (or just don’t get on with smartphones!), Instagram is a social network that allows you to edit and share photos and videos from your phone. The application is fun, practical and extremely addictive. But how can it be used for weddings? Instantaneousness: a wedding is a unique moment and Instagram can capture it all. Grab that smartphone, open the app and you can share the best moments of the day. Instagram, a social network: by definition, Instagram is about sharing. By creating a special wedding hashtag (ie: #mariage2021depierreetvanessa), you can create a unique wedding album with photos taken by all the guests. The advantage: a diverse variety of shots. Every guest has their own aesthetic and point of view. Simplicity: you can retrieve the photos taken by your guests in just a few clicks. Instagram's Layout function: this is an extension that allows you to create original compositions of up to 9 photos, in a collage style. They are"Photo Booth" style photos, for a spontaneous side, a little retro and a lot of fun! Geolocation: By adding a geotag, Instagram can pin exactly where and when your picture was taken Synchronization with other social networks: easily share your photos with different social networks by connecting your different accounts. Publish your Instagram photos directly to Facebook by linking platforms. The basic rules for beautiful Instagram photos Follow the tips below to make the most of your Insta photos: Go for natural lighting. The flash tends to freeze an image, while an ambient light enhances color. Natural light can provide so many different dimensions. From the morning sun that will illuminate the throwing of peony confetti when leaving the church, to a window for a portrait shot of the bride. The ‘Golden Hour’ is a popular moment of the day for the bride and groom photograhy. Who doesn’t love the romance of candlelight to make your dressed table covered in flower petals look even more enchanting? Capture the key moments. Encourage your guests to capture the special moments of your wedding. With their help you can get the perfect photos of the unusual, the entertaining and the touching. Change the angle. We often just take pictures at eye level, but it is often more interesting and creative to take wedding photos from different levels - a high point (by the window, at the top of a staircase) or from the ground. Edit photos as needed. Beware of excessive retouching which can make the photos look unnatural. Use Instagram tools to enhance your wedding photos. You can add subtle filters to soften, cropping according to the rule of thirds, zooming the photo to emphasize a scene, playing on contrasts to emphasize the colors of your flowers, an outfit or a dish. The essential ingredients for successful wedding photos Some final tips: The setting: take advantage of your wedding location. If the party is being held on a farm, capture the rural setting in the background. Add depth by taking photos of guests with a drystone wall behind him, the horizon and the sky dotted with fluffy clouds. The decoration: show the wedding decorations in your photos. It allows you to capture forever the effort you have made to create the perfect space for you and your guests and it provides a perfect backdrop for the photos: married under a floral arch, children playing with balloons, grandparents sitting on benches, guests throwing our peony petals ... The range of textures, materials and colors: don’t forget that a close-up of your wedding décor can also create stunning wedding photos. Instagram allows you to make "macros" from certain decorative elements. For example, if you opt for a country wedding, take pictures of the bridal bouquet placed on an old wooden chair, of the bare feet of children running in the grass, or of a beautiful table decorated with flower petals (our peony confetti have vibrant colors, making them especially good for photos!). With the above you should have all the tools you need to create wonderful Instagram photos... Who knows, maybe you will be the creator of the #photooftheday ?

We all strive for perfection when planning a wedding but, what does perfection actually mean? Is there such a thing as a perfect event? Instead of trying to do the impossible, we at Pétales de Provence, are all about concentrating on the details that we can actually control. We love the power of an event that has a cohesive theme, within which all different elements are tied together. Perfection is an impossible goal but with the tips in this article, we can help you get a little closer Create your own universe via a mood board First of all, it is important that the wedding is representative of your relationship – who you are together. We love a mood board to help translate the foundation of your identity. The board is a collage of images, texts and objects that reflect the desire, taste and choices of its creator for a particular event. Initially created by marketing experts to help plan their campaigns, mood boards have now become an essential tool for all brides to be. It is simple to create your own mood board. You can either choose to use a physical version or a digital one. A physical mood board can just be a large board which can be covered with photos, fabric samples, materials, dried flowers; any detail that embodies your wedding. The digital version draws its inspiration from the internet. Simply save the images to your computer and add them to your digital board. No matter your choice of board, each will allow you to collect as much inspiration as you can imagine and help determine the common thread of your wedding. Determine the conductive line Once your mood board is done and all your ideas have come together, identify three main elements. First, the style of your wedding. This will determine the mood of the day. Of course, the options are endless: rustic, sophisticated, chic, minimalistic etc. It is important that the style matches your personality and that all the elements of the wedding are consistent with this style. For example, a rustic wedding will go perfectly with a rural setting (old barn, old farmhouse) and the presence of dried flowers (rose, peonie or wildflower petals), while a chic and refined wedding can take place in a beautiful reception room, decorated with fresh white flowers (lily, white rose, freesia). Next, your mood board should help you determine a theme – the world you would like to transport yourself and your guests to. It can be as much about an era (roaring twenties, seventies), a value ( eco-responsibility , food), a symbol (flowers, birds), a country or a hobby (cinema, travel). Depending on the theme, you can organize the event, and even suggest activities based around it. For example, if you love the Orient, you can create an oriental inspired weddings: the music, shimmering colors, warmly spiced dishes. The same for an eco-responsible wedding (check out our tips for the organization of an eco-friendly wedding ): you can concentrate on reusable or biodegradable materials, natural decorative elements (dried flower petals, branches, plant arches), and a 100% organic meal. Finally, we have the pièce de resistance. It is an object, a color or a pattern that will repeat itself discretly during the different moments of the event. The key detail must of course be sit within the style and theme of the wedding. For example, if you have chosen for a seaside wedding, with a summer theme, what could be better than our Coral Sunset peony confetti? Their coral pink color, similar to a sunset over the sea, could perfectly accompany the unfolding of the event. Throwing dried petals out of the church or town hall, petal paths guiding the guests to the place of the party, peony confetti adorning the reception table ... Similarly, for a more classic wedding, in a chic setting our Command Performance confetti, in a beautiful passion red, and Duchesse de Nemours , in such a delicate ivory white, can subtly accompany the event. Petals slipped into each wedding invitation, filling beautiful translucent vases or lining the dance floor. And don’t forget to enjoy the moment! As the plans develop, update your mood board as needed. Share your mood board with your wedding planner, if you have chosen to work with one, and it may also be useful for other wedding partners, like your florist. Remember that the purpose of your mood board is to inspire and represent the way you want the day to look, feel and unfold – so, some ideas will work be perfect and some you may abandon. Embrace the challenge and stay true to yourselves… perfection is in the love you and your partner share and that is what your guests will remember.

Eco-responsible weddings are rapidly increasing in popularity and it isn’t difficult to understand why. Couples save thousands on decorations and they can reduce their carbon footprint at the same time. Are you looking to embark upon a sustainable wedding journey? We have some great tips to get you started. The location, the first element of decoration Location, location, location. It is where every wedding related decision begins. The right choice can set you miles ahead in your wedding shenanigans. A wedding location in a beautiful natural setting like a park, next to a river or in the mountains, will need fewer decorative elements. When the location speaks for itself, it means a lot less hassle for you and a big tick of your eco-responsible wedding to do list. It’s also a good idea to ask potential wedding locations if they have decorative elements available for you to use. This is a great way to save on all those decoration costs and it’s reassuring to know that you are working with a wedding location that has the same eco-responsible priorities as you. Are you thinking of organizing your destination wedding in Provence? A winery for example, can put tables, chairs and large barrels at your disposition. All you need to appropriate these elements are some beautiful, dried flower petals and vine leaves. There are so many options: classic rose petals, a mix of wildflower confetti and our dried peony petals. We love the peony petals for their extra-large size and their rich shades, a perfect match for wood and foliage. It’s a fantastic way to give your wedding an original vibe. Decorative elements from nature A sustainable wedding is all about nature. There are many ways you can integrate nature into your wedding decorations: It’s all about wood. Unprocessed wood, raw wood, driftwood. Pick your favourite and use them as stools or coffee tables at your wedding. Eco-conscious wedding linens. Our favourite wedding fabrics, linen and cotton, are perfect for your tablecloths and napkins. They are made of natural fibres and provide an authentic and pure touch to your wedding. You can also check for fabrics that are produced responsibly or perhaps you can recycle fabrics from thrift shops or family members. We can’t help it. We love nature and plants are a wonderful way to decorate your wedding location. Hang lanterns filled with dried petals, from wooden branches for example. We love our Paula Fay peony petals, a dazzling pink, for all of the sweet, romantic vibes. Looking to make a statement? Pick our deep red Karl Rosenfeld petals. Your table setting can also be eco-responsible. Opt for terracotta, bamboo or palm leaf tableware (disposable but also biodegradable). We also recommend using beeswax candles, leaves and dried flower petals (rose, peony, hydrangea, iris etc.) for your table decoration. Play with textures and colours. Silvery green olive branches combine perfectly with the soft pink of our Sarah Bernhardt confetti. The large size of our petals and their rich colours are great for decorating big tables. Vintage and second hand Eco-responsible wedding decorations can also involve recycling old objects and furniture. Give them a second life and transform them. They will give your wedding loads of character! The attic of your family home can be a real treasure. Look for antique iron chairs, a pair of armchairs that will look fabulous for a photoshoot or even old lace that’s destined to be reused. For the destination wedding brides, a flea market or thrift store in the surroundings of your wedding location is the perfect place to source unusual objects like: Old school benches, perfect for a large wedding table Lanterns and candlesticks, to brighten up the evening Screen doors, which can be renovated and decorated with flowers and dried leaves Old fashioned porcelain, perfect for your wedding tableware and a good match with our Duchesse de Nemour confetti Long transparent vases, which you can fill with dried petals (just have a look at our different colors). What about the outfits? Yes, even the dress code can have a sustainable impact and it can be just as important as the decorations. You can decide to make your wedding outfit yourself if you have been blessed with the sewing gene or you can entrust a local professional seamstress. This is a great way of supporting local craftsmen who have really suffered from the global pandemic. You can also buy your wedding outfits second hand on sites like Vestiare Collective or Vinted. They have a beautiful selection of pieces and choosing the right designer piece means you can wear your wedding outfit more than once. At Pétales de Provence we love upcycling. Diving into the closet of a family member and appropriating their pieces to your style is a beautiful way of adding a sentimental touch to your wedding and keeping your conscious eco-clear.

We would like to congratulate you on getting married this year in spite of the current circumstances surrounding the pandemic. In order to help you with your final preparations, it is with pleasure that we would like to share the 2021 wedding trends.

On February 14th, we celebrate all lovers. Discover our tips for a romantic Valentine's Day at home using our gorgeous peony petals! All about the peony vibes Decorations are an essential component of every Valentine’s day and can be used to set the mood at the dinner table or in the bedroom. Impress your partner by using our peony petals to create the perfect sexy set up. Keep it sophisticated at the dinner table, with the use of an elegant white tablecloth, delicate ivory tableware, crystal glasses, a few candles… and most importantly, a sprinkle of our Sarah Bernhardt petals , subtly placed around the table. In the bedroom, tantalize your senses with the use of beautiful sheets, carefully selected in structured fabrics like cotton, linen or satin. Keep it esthetic with some scarlet cushions and use some candles to create warmth. For the finishing touch, place our peony petals in a heart shape on the bed. We love to keep it sexy with our stunning dark red peony petals, Karl Rosenfeld and our elegant cream petals Duchesse de Nemours . A romantic dinner for two Valentine's Day is meant to be an ode to the senses, so let’s not forget our taste buds! We all know and love our ingredients with their aphrodisiac properties like chocolate, spices (ginger for example) truffles, vanilla and seafood, and Valentine’s day is the perfect excuse to indulge. Lacking inspiration? We love this tasty recipe that will go perfectly with the subtle colours of our dried Sarah Bernhardt petals. You will need the following: • 4 large scallops (without their coral) • 1 vanilla bean • 1 pomegranate • 1 organic lime • 4 tbsp. of virgin olive oil • Fleur de sel • A few pink berries The preparation could not be simpler : • Place the scallops in the freezer so that they firm up a bit. • Scrape the vanilla pod to extract the seeds, which you will place in a bowl. Add the oil, mix and set aside. • After 30 minutes, take out the scallops. Cut them into slices and arrange them in equal parts on each of the plates. • Wash the lime and finely grate to retrieve some zest. Sprinkle the zest on the slices of Saint-Jacques. • Take some pomegranate seeds and place them on your carpaccio. • Add a few pink berries, then the vanilla oil. • Film the plates and place them in the refrigerator for half an hour. • Before serving, add a little fleur de sel to enhance the flavour of your dish. • Finally, decorate the rim of each plate with some delicate petals, for a romantic Valentine's Day plate. • Seduce your better half with this fragrant entry! Our special Valentine's Day playlist Picking the right soundtrack to your romantic evening is crucial to any Valentine’s day organization. It can set the pace to your evening, give you all the sexy vibes or help you go down memory lane. Find our 100% LOVE playlist on Spotify, perfect for an evening between lovers. Elixir of love... Toast to love with a daring cocktail that has a hint of flowers. Our dried flower confetti is perfect for the preparation of floral ice cubes! And they are so easy to make... Just put some peony petals in each compartment of your ice cube tray and add water. You can even match the peony shade to the drink you will be serving. Match your peony shade to a shade to match the drink you will be serving! Can’t think of the right cocktail to serve? We’ve got your back. Use our recipe for the Rosato Pink cocktail, accompanied by floral ice cubes, made with our Coral Sunset peony petals: their coral tone will match the pink shades of the cocktail perfectly. To make the Rosato Pink cocktail, you will need: • 1 bottle of Martini Rosato • Fresh mint leaves • Organic lime • Brown sugar • Sparkling water For the preparation : • Cut two slices of lime, which you will then divide into small pieces. • Place the lime pieces in two glasses. • Add mint and brown sugar. Crush with a pestle to extract all the juices. • Add a few centiliters of Martini Rosato. • Fill the glass some sparkling water and garnish with some floral ice cubes. • Enjoy this delicious beverage of Valentine's Day with your lover! A bath of confetti Finish the evening with a peony bath for two. Use a few drops of peony oil, mixed with Epsom salt and diffuse in hot bath water. Add some colour with some Command Performance dried flower confetti and tune into our 100% LOVE playlist on Spotify. All you need now is some candles. We are all about the romance! Happy Valentine's Day! For more inspiration, follow us and do not hesitate to subscribe to our Instagram account.

We will not let it get us down, the peonies are still growing and there is lots of planning to be done for your big day. We will wait until Brides and Grooms around the world have made decisions for their dates and confetti is in their minds again. The flower industry took a nosedive at the beginning of the Pandemic. It was a difficult flower season globally for everyone in the business, but we have all manage to adapt. Unaware of the troubles we have all endured, the flowers are all growing well. Marcel has worked his magic. The Peony Season here in France only lasts 6 weeks, starting in mid-April until the end of May, but the growing goes on 24/7. All our peonies are grown outside in the Provencal sunshine. Peonies need a lot of sun and water. Our confetti business is only Peony Petals. To enable you to enjoy Peonies all year round. If y our wedding is out of Peony season, it is the perfect choice for you. For the last three years I have been collecting these beautiful petals. Handpicking, Hand drying, sorting, and boxing them all up. I have put together all the packaging, designing the website and the labels. Crafting every single item with love all put together ready for your special day. This website is brand new, but Marcel has been growing Peonies for 20+ years. Over the next 12 months, we will be sharing our love of petals and our social media will be reaching out to all. So tell your friends all about us. Your confetti moment lasts 5 minutes. Our year-long daily life creates your confetti moment and memories. We'd love to share it with you. With love, Debbie

Calling all anthophiles! (Yes, that means flower lovers... who knew?) With something as compelling as a flower, taking a fantastic photo is relatively easy. And with the superb cameras found on just about every phone these days, it’s safe to say you have all the tech you need, right there in your purse or pocket. But whether you’re going for Instagram gold or just enjoying the pleasure of the process...whether you’re shooting the elegant arrangements at your friend’s wedding or trying to capture a field ablaze with color...certain tricks can definitely transform your images from good to downright glorious. To kick off this series, we asked Paris-based photographer Carla Coulson to share some tips. Her photo here (above left) is called “On My Way”; to see more of Carla’s work check out her website and Instagram . And read on for approach to photographing flowers, which she does magnificently... Carla says: “I’m not an expert in photographing flowers but I am a devoted flower lover so for me it’s pure pleasure! I’ve come to approach photographing flowers in the same way I photograph people. I’ve realised there are many ways you can photograph the same subject so what I do is treat my flowers as though they’re people. I study them, I move them just a couple of millimetres to the left or to the right, I get down low or try to see what they look like from above. I'm always searching to make a beautiful shape or see something in the flower that I haven’t seen before or that isn’t necessarily obvious or the way everyone sees the flower. “I’ve also learned that you can shoot any subject in any light and it can be interesting and fun. The important thing is that you like the light as it adds a totally different message to your image. In my series “Young Girl in Bloom,” I chose to use an even, soft light (except for one image) to convey a feeling of peace and quiet. Whilst I have been at home during the past couple of months I’ve photographed flowers from the day they arrive fresh till the flowers are simply petals that have fallen apart. I’ve enjoyed the whole process of seeing them change shape, colour and mood, and I’ve been looking for at what stage they’re most interesting to me. “So I guess my advice is simply to treat your flowers like something you love and when you’re photographing them, pay attention, look at them, move them, change the light until something lights up within you... and then snap!!” Julie Mautner - Resident Blogger ProvencePost.com WhatToDoInProvence.com