Mokara Floral Design

Rustic Chic Krippendorf Lodge Wedding

2014-09-08T11:15:00.000-04:00

Tyra and Ryan got married at the charming Krippendorf Lodge. Thanks to Matthew Andrews Photography for capturing the day perfectly!

Tyra was one of the craftiest brides I have had yet! From painted skids with the menu to the wooden "T", "R" and table numbers; Tyra's attention to detail helped create the rustic chic atmosphere that enhanced the Krippendorf to a place Tyra and Ryan could call their own. A guest of the lodge would have easily thought the space was an old family cabin as photos of the couple were splashed throughout.

Read Tyra's Review of our work HERE

Krippendorf mantel with mason jars, candles, flowers, and Mr. and Mrs. sign

Krippendorf Lodge wedding ceremony

Rustic Chic wedding at the Krippendorf Lodge

Tyra created a table number board out of a room divider embellished with faux flowers

Dessert table at the Krippendorf Lodge

Simple piping on a two tiered wedding cake with flower accents

Simple flower accents on a two tiered cake

Roses, seeded eucalyptus, gomphrena, hypericum, cake flowers

Bottles and bud vases with fever few, cone flower, sedum, and dahlias placed on a burlap and lace table runner

Bottles and bud vases with fever few, spray roses, celosia, and gomphrena placed on a burlap and lace table runner

Rustic chic bridal bouquet in a lace and burlap mason jar

Bridal bouquet with roses, sedum, hypericum, cone flower, astilbe, wax flower, lisianthus, ranunculus, and smoke bush

Garden compact bouquet in white, ivory, orange and green

Rustic chic bridal bouquet with orange ranunculus

Rustic bridal bouquet with gomphrena, roses, astilbe, and hypericum

Textured rustic bridal bouquet

Compact garden bridal bouquet in creams, greens, and oranges

First Dance at the Krippendorf Lodge

black white and yellow wedding

2014-07-21T19:46:00.000-04:00

Monica and Garrett's classic black and white wedding was brighten up by wonderful yellows. A special thank you to Masterworks Photography for sharing their work.

yellow and white bridesmaids bouquets with black dresses and pearl necklaces

Her bridesmaids carried a small bouquet of hydrangea, fever few, billy balls, solidago, mums, and garden roses. With 10 bridesmaids bouquets on hand, I used a number of greens to create a base for some of the reception tables. At the cocktail hour, the bridesmaids placed their bouquets in the vases which hid the handle, and created a full table centerpiece! A BIG thank you to as well as Receptions for hosting a great party (as always).

Billy ball boutonniere

Yellow and white bouquet

Monica's bouquet was designed with garden roses, ranunculus, billy balls, fever few, hydrangea, spray roses, and Billy balls were featured as well as a buttery soft garden rose.

Garden rose, billy ball yellow and white bouquet

Yellow and white bridal bouquet

Yellow and white compact round bridal bouquet

Yellow mum flower girl pomander balls

billy ball boutonniere yellow and white bridal bouquet

Submerged Gladiola Centerpiece

Billy balls, garden roses, ranunculus, hydrangea and spray roses

Best of Cincinnati 2014

2014-04-09T11:26:00.000-04:00

named Mokara Floral Design as 2014's Best Florist!

Thank you to all of my past clients, current brides, friends and family for this honor.

As a thank you for Cincinnati, all brides that 'Like' Mokara on our Facebook page and mention the Best of Cincinnati will receive $10 off their total!

Last Day to Vote for us!

2014-03-23T08:51:00.005-04:00

Today is the final day of voting for Best of Cincinnati by the Cincinnati A-List. Here is the link: http://ctvr.us/mokarafloral

I encourage you to support us as we are in the Best Wedding Florist category.

We truly appreciate all the support we get and look forward to designing our 2014 brides flowers.

Here is a teaser for our next post (photos by Dolce Vita Photography)

Purple, Pink and Green Bridal Bouquet

Pink Calla Lily Boutonniere

Purple, Orange, and Pink Wedding

2014-03-10T09:59:00.000-04:00

Erica and Etienne had a mission for bright, colorful flowers to go with their classic modern wedding. I had no idea they had the colorful kicks to go with their attire. The personality and uniqueness to this wedding shined through their photos. Enjoy :)

A big thank you to Red Photo Fusion for their beautiful shots!

Also, a shameless plug to please like us on Facebook :)

Colorful bouquet in orange and purple sneakers

Colorful bridal bouquet and matching flower girl (i.e. mini bride!)

Gray bridesmaids dresses with colorful bouquets or purple, orange, and pink

Purple Hydrangea, orange roses, pink roses, and fuchsia stock bridesmaids bouquet

These colorful bouquets stood out and worked well with the gray bridesmaids dresses. The bridal bouquet is a wonderful example of what brides who want to incorporate white should do it! With the trend to be minimal to no greens, an all white bridal bouquet can get lost in photos. Erica wanted a lot of color in her bouquet, with an equal amount of white incorporated.

Colorful bridal bouquet of orange, purple, fuchsia, pink and white. Purple hydrangea, orange and pink roses, purple freesia, white ranunculus and polo roses

Square monogramed and rhinestone lined wedding cake

Purple Hydrangea, orange roses, pink roses, pink limonium and fuchsia stock bridesmaids bouquet

Colorful bridesmaids bouquets

Colorful bridal bouquet and white ranunculus boutonniere

White ranunculus boutonniere

Bridal party photo at The Banks in downtown Cincinnati

Cincinnati swing bridesmaids photo with colorful bouquets

bride and groom matching sneakers!

Rustic Berry Wedding

2014-02-22T09:59:00.002-05:00

Amy and Adam's wedding featured a wonderful range of Fall colors that included, billy ball yellow, light pink, gray, berry pink, and blue. Amy is a dear friend with impeccable style and the confidence to take some risks in what she believed to create the perfect rustic chic Cincinnati Wedding! See for yourself how she pulled it off.

Bride and bridesmaids bouquets with burgundy dahlias, billy balls, and thistle

Enjoy this wonderful narrative through photos by the wonderful Tracy Doyle Photography. The reception was held at Erlanger Receptions and the dresses were from Fabulous-Bridal in Covington, KY.

Enjoy the photos!

Brides bouquet close up with burgundy dahlias, billy balls, yellow billy balls, spray roses and limonium

Gray Nina Shoes

Burgundy Dahlias bridesmaids bouquets

Billy ball boutonniere with hypericum berries and pink limonium wrapped in twine

Bride and Groom photos at Cincinnati Roebling Bride

Billy ball boutonniere with hypericum berries and pink limonium wrapped in twine

Great groomsmen photo. Billy ball boutonnieres wrapped in twine

Bridal bouquet with burgundy dahlias, brunia berries, billy balls, scabiosa pods, yellow spray roses, and white hydrangea

Yarn wrapped wooden box centerpieces with burgundy dahlias, thistle, yarrow, billy balls, and limonium

The low centerpiece is a smaller version of this Wedding Chicks centerpiece found by the bride :)

tall centerpiece white and yellow snapdragons with sticks

LOVE cake topper with flowers with burgundy dahlias, billy balls, thistle and brunia berries

The cake was inspired by this Style me Pretty cake :)

Anthropology coffee mugs with flowers for head table

Radiant Orchid, Periwinkle, and Chartreuse Wedding

2014-02-14T09:23:00.002-05:00

purple hydrangea, fuchsia stock, white berries, lisianthus, white spray roses, Picasso calla lilies, and white polo roses

Sarah and Derek's wedding had perfect weather on their Fall wedding day. Radiant orchid just so happens to be Pantone's 2014 wedding color of the year, so Sarah was ahead of the game!

A big thank you to Dolce Vita Photography for the wonderful work! The cake was from Jeana's Great Cakes, and the Reception was held at the Fairfield Receptions.

White bridal bouquet with Picasso calla lilies and lady's mantel

Aborigine floor length bridesmaids dresses with purple and green bouquets

She loved the purple Picasso calla lilies that peaked through her all ivory/white bouquet. By using a soft vibrant greenery, lady's mantel and lambs ear, the bouquets gave a garden whimsy look.

white bridal bouquet with Picasso calla lilies, lady's mantel, and lambs ear

The floor length bridesmaids dresses were accented by flowers with a radiant orchid, and chartreuse to really make eye catching.

Purple bridesmaids dresses with purple and white bouquets

Cake with white roses, Picasso calla lilies and purple lisianthus

University of Michigan: Azure and White wedding

2014-02-10T17:06:00.000-05:00

Ashli and Zach's wedding featured a color palate of navy and white. Her love of grosgrain ribbon, galvanized buckets, babies breath and hydrangea created an elegant, chic wedding. Ashli's grandmothers Michigan pin was a perfect personal accent. Nick and Chelsea Photography did a fantastic job! Enjoy the photos.

White bouquets with navy striped grosgrain ribbon

Bridal bouquet with grosgrain navy bow with Michigan pin

Navy bridesmaids dresses with white bouquets

Ceremony flower bouquets

Babies breath lined ceremony aisle

White peony and navy ribbon wrapped cake

White bridal bouquet and white freesia boutonniere

white and tangerine

2014-02-04T16:00:00.000-05:00

This lovely couple was married at Drees Pavilion, home to downtown Cincinnati's best view! Maggie was such a great bride to design for. She was open to ideas, even when choosing her wedding colors :)

A special thank you to Ron Sculler for the photos! Enjoy!

White bouquet with calla lilies, roses, hydrangea, wax flower and pom poms

White bridal bouquet and tangerine, pink and yellow bridesmaids bouquets

White bridal hydrangea, roses, calla lilies, veronica, roses, pom poms

Bouquet wrapped in extra fabric from bridesmaids competes this look

Bridesmaids bouquets include tangerine carnations, yellow pom poms, hot pink roses, wax flower and china berries

Colorful cake topper

gun metal gray and aubergine

2014-01-30T21:38:00.004-05:00

Some of these photos may look a bit familiar. That is because I designed this wedding in Oct 2012. Because so many brides have come to me wanting this bridal bouquet, I have decided to show you more of what this wedding looked like.

Shelby Street did a fantastic job of creating the sleek modern look Michelle was after.

The Naked Karate Girls get a shout out as well. I was a guest at this wedding, and they were very entertaining :)

Enjoy!

purple carnations, stock, lisianthus and bear grass wrapping

Purple Bouquets Gray Bridesmaids dresses

Purple Bridal bouquet

Submerged Calla Lilies

Royal Blue, Violet, and Canary

2014-01-15T09:15:00.000-05:00

Fate is what many believe to be the beginning of a love story. It also happens to be the reason I became Brooke and Josh's florist. You see, Josh happens to be a sheriff who came to my rescue when there was some curious people lingering my neighborhood. After learning about his upcoming wedding, I quickly became their florist!

This wedding has vintage looks with Brooke's birdcage veil and their baby blue cadillac, a classic look with the bridesmaids dresses and tuxes, and a modern feel from the brides dress and of course, the flowers!

Enjoy these wonderful photos from The Married Photogs.

Beautiful modern bride and groom photo

Purple, Blue and Yellow brides and bridesmaids bouquets

Purple stock, purple lisianthus, fuchsia mokara orchids, and yellow spray roses

Groom in yellow spray rose boutonniere and groomsmen in fuchsia mokara orchids with blue vests

Yellow Spray Rose boutonniere

Cascading flowers around cake.

Let them eat cake.

Love their 'getaway' car!

Purple and green centerpiece with yellow rose petals scattered

Yarn ball centerpiece with purple flower clusters and mokara orchids

Bouquet toss. I love Brooke's face :)

Vibrant Jeweled Toned Lovelies

2014-01-10T08:57:00.001-05:00

purple dahlias, orange spray roses, green kermit poms, green hypericum berries, and purple sea foam statice

Congratulations to Jamie and Nick on their destination Saint Lucian wedding. The reception was held at Tonic on Fourth in downtown Cincinnati. Her reception flowers included jewel toned sparkling burgundy, quartz purple, mandarine orange, and lime.

Enjoy the photos!

purple, orange and burgundy centerpiece with framed table number

purple dahlias, orange spray roses, green kermit poms, green hypericum berries, and purple sea foam statice

Scarlett Wedding

2014-01-07T09:38:00.000-05:00

Red compact bridal bouquet with roses

This gorgeous bride and groom had an intimate berry and antique red wedding. Her bouquet consisted of a variety and sizes of red roses to create more depth than a more traditional all red rose bouquet. The end result is a more dense compact look, which is exactly what she wanted! Even though the shades weren't entirely the same, you can see the photo shows the bouquet being a single hue.

A special thank you to Michael Bambino who always does a fantastic job photographing, and the Metropolitan Club where the reception was held.

Enjoy the photos..

Tall centerpiece with antique hydrangea, with faux berries in ti leaf lined vases

Antique hydrangea with red berries tall centerpiece

Red spray roses with antique hydrangea, sunset safari and salal accents in a leaf lined vase

Speakeasy Soriee of Metallic and Soft Pastels

2013-11-11T18:03:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to my college friends Stevi and Patrick! These two met while at the University of Cincinnati. I was beyond thrilled when Stevi contacted me regarding her florals. Her fashion sense (and degree from DAAP) led to an amazing metallic vintage speakeasy soriee (Stevi gets all the credit for her theme).

The ceremony and reception were held at the gorgeous Cincinnati Masonic Center, the photos were taken by the very talented Carly Short Photography.

The photos speak for themselves, so without further adieu...

Vibrant Colorful Compact Wedding

2013-10-24T08:45:00.002-04:00

Mandy's vison for her wedding were simple: COLORFUL and COMPACT! This beautiful wedding was complete with 3 little brides (as Mandy called her daughters). The ceremony was held at the gorgeous lake of the Izaac Walton League in Colerain township. Jeanne Johnson Photography did a wonderful job capturing the love this family shares. 90 proof twang comes highly recommended by Mandy, and I am sure the guests danced the night away at this party. Congratulations Jimmy and Mandy!

Family friends were gracious enough to host the dinner for the evening, and after a great conversation, found they were entrepreneurs with a online business. Now, I have never been deer hunting, and probably never will, BUT here is what looks like a handy tool to have!

Enjoy the photos!

Colorful ceremony flowers around arch

Compact colorful bridal purple hydrangea, pink rose, pink ranunculus, freesia and orange tulips

Compact colorful bridal bouquet includes purple hydrangea, pink roses, pink ranunculus, freesia, orange tulips

Colorful small flower girl bouquets including purple hydrangea, pink roses and orange tulips

Ivory and Aubergine heaven

2013-03-25T12:03:00.000-04:00

first dance wedding photo

Congratulations to the beautiful couple Christine and Alex. Their wedding was set on a gorgeous November day, as they wed at the stunning St. Francis de Sales church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Michael Bambino and Co. worked captured the grace and love Christine and Alex had for each other in this 'first dance' shot.

Enjoy browsing the photos!

St. Francis de Sales

Picasso Calla Lily, White hydrangea, Purple lisianthus, White Lisianthus Bridal Bouquet

Aubergine bridesmaids dresses and bouquets

Purple calla lily bridal bouquet

Christine's bouquet featured the gorgeous Picasso calla lily alongside white hydrangea, white spray roses, white lisianthus, purple lisianthus and white astilbe accents.

Aubergine and Ivory bouquets

Purple bouquets with purple hydrangea, purple lisianthus and iris

Christine and Alex chose the gorgeous Drees Pavilion as their reception venue. The site, located in Covington, Kentucky, has the most spectacular views of Cincinnati has to offer.

Fresh take of cake photo

This is one of my favorite photos! I love the fresh take on the wedding cake. Michael caught a wonderful moment of love from both Alex and the guests!

Lime wedding centerpiece with white flowers

Wedding portrait table of past family members

Showcasing the bride and grooms family wedding photos is a great way to honor those who may not physically their to celebrate as well as show guests how it all was made possible!

Blush and Bashful Inspiration Board

2013-03-23T22:00:00.000-04:00

When it comes to creating a chic wedding, using roses and soft petaled flowers like peony are a staple. Trends have been showing a navy or blue dress being a top choice for bridesmaids, but an ever growing neutral color palette is moving to center stage.

Another top charting trend is using metallics throughout. Gold (shown below) creates a wonderful compliment to the flowing flower arrangements. Using it unexpectedly as a cake icing (below) is a 'wow' moment for any wedding.

Blush and Bashful inspiration board

Gold vase creates a fun/classy take on a centerpiece. The round compact bouquet stands strong as most popular bouquet shape. Create a fun photo bridal party moment that is magazine spread worthy. Simple rose petals and vases designed in a modern way. Detailed and elegant invitations set the tone and anticipation for what is to come for guests!

peony, hydrangea, and neutral toned bridesmaids dresses

Keeping the dresses at the same length and similar material is enough to create a stylish and cohesive bridal party

Metallic gold cake with flowers

This gold cake is a show stopper! Guests won't miss the cake table with this glowing beauty.

The flowers at the center instead of the top is a modern take that will also help that top tier stay perfectly neat for you and your groom at your year anniversary tasting (IF people still do that).

Photos courtesy of AdreinneBeth Photography, The Wedding Chicks, Style me Pretty, and Ruffled

Spring is here

2013-03-21T09:52:00.001-04:00

We had the privilege over the weekend to arrange for the University of Notre Dame. The large Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily) is in a modern concrete pot and mossed. This plant was blooming like you would not believe. I would love to see it in the next week or two!

Spath in mossed pot and white centerpiece

In front is a compact white arrangement in a leaf lined clear class cylinder. White spray roses, hydrangea, ranunculus, parrot tulips, lambs ear, and wax flower are included. The ranunculus and parrot tulips created the perfect Spring touch. What I was most excited about though was the hybrid white wax flower. What do you think?

Compact White Centerpiece

Onewed instead...

2013-03-10T21:46:00.002-04:00

With all the wonderful inspiration websites and blogs, it is hard to narrow down which to be a loyal fan of. Being a wedding vendor, the fun of planning a wedding seems to live on (and on and on and...

After countless hours of 'research', I found Onewed! Not only do they have fresh ideas to be inspired by, their new Ipad app that is easy, accessible, and simply aamazing :)

Here are a few of my favorites about Onewed:

Each page offers great photos complete with links to articles that correspond or to the owner of the design making things simple and organized
Speaking of organized: Onewed has done it right. When browsing a page, they have crossed and recrossed organized your search to meet your needs whether you are focused on price, wedding theme or season
Planning Guide: articles that are worth reading! From dresses for your body type to the Grooms ring 101 (you made them do their homework, now it's your turn)
Inspiration with education: since I am a florist, I totally dig these flower ideas for the style of bride and wedding you envision!
You can search local vendors (like a wonderful cincinnati florist)

So, download their new Ipad app and start your 'research' today

Lemon Yellow and Garden Rock Gray Wedding

2013-01-29T13:56:00.001-05:00

Mary was a wonderful bride to work with, and having a wedding planner as great as Jen (from Your Wedding by Jen) made everything run seamlessly. Congratulations Mary and Ryan!

Modern Yellow and Gray bridal bouquet

Mary's bouquet included using yellow and gray. The flowers included, spray roses, anemones, ranunculus, berries, lambs ear, hydrangea, billy balls, and succulents. Using highly textured details such as billy balls and succulents with soft lambs ear, and hydrangea creates a sleek look for a trendsetting bride.

Enjoy!

Bright, bold, highly textured, modern, chic all describe this amazing wedding held at Cincinnati's gorgeous Horizon Community Church. Mary used yellow carnation/mum pomander balls for her pew flowers. This added a touch of color through the wonderfully white chapel.

Unity candle flowers don't have to be ornate or even in a container. These flowers were placed around the candles to create a sleek simple touch of color. A great way to allow for splurging on flowers in other areas.

The boutonnieres were made from billy balls and lambs ear. They were masculine and soft at the same time, lending to both the bride and grooms taste.

Incorporating lemons with the centerpieces creates a fresh look that doubles as a color filler for the tables. Mary chose all white flowers to complete her color choices. Jen did a fantastic job with these!

A special thank you to Your wedding by Jen, Horizon Community Church,

Aubergine and Plum Wedding

2012-11-08T14:46:00.001-05:00

There were too many great photos to post of Shannon and Nashid's wedding! A lot of brides are asking for variety in centerpieces. Keeping in mind the height of the table, so guests can see one another. Here are some examples of centerpieces that offer a great modern look:

Dahlias, mokara orchids, and stock with petals, hydrangea and orchid bits surrounding

Hydrangea, calla lilies, lisianthus, mokara orchids and chocolate cosmos on top

Arial view of large centerpiece

Table surrounded by votives and petals create a lush look

Hydrangea, lisianthus, picasso calla lilies and trachelium

Ti Leaf lined centerpieces for a modern look

Aubergine, Fuchsia, and Plum Wedding

2012-11-08T14:08:00.002-05:00

I posted a sneak peek video from Shannon and Nashid's wedding, but after receiving the fantastic images from Mike Bresnen Photography the other day I couldn't wait another minute to show you all Shannon's gorgeous wedding!

Shannon and Nashid

Ceremony at the Manor House

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

Mokara Orchid Cake with modern ribbon accents (Spoon Fulla Sugar)

Sister love

Fuchsia mokara orchid boutonniere

Purple stock, hydrangea, trachelium, calla lilies, mokara orchids, dahlias, and roses

Dahlias, hydrangea, roses, call lilies, trachelium, and mokara orchids

Stunning Bride

Happy Couple

A special thank you to Mike Bresnen Photography

Gun Metal Gray and Aubergine Wedding

2012-11-02T18:14:00.000-04:00

Michelle and Dave was not only a great client, but an excellent host, as I was honored to be a guest at their wedding as well as their florist. The modern gun metal gray dresses and aubergine was the perfect color combination, especially since purple happens to be the brides favorite color.

The flowers of the bouquets included, the deepest purple calla lilies, deep purple carnations, purple lisianthus, bits of purple hydrangea and a few deep purple orchid blooms for accent.

More photos to come! Special thanks to Shelby Street for the stunning shots.

Salmon, Cream, and Sunshine Wedding

2012-11-02T16:49:00.000-04:00

Krippendorf Lodge wedding : first kiss

Samantha and Jimmy are a beautiful couple that were amazing and happy clients! I wish them all the best in their adventures ahead.

Colorful flower wreath with zinnias, roses, and berries

The Krippendorf Lodge is an excellent venue on the east side of Cincinnati. There were a pair of the wreaths (above) on either side of the columns leading to the front doors of the venue. The fresh flower wreaths were made with roses, zinnias and hypericum for accent.

Bridal bouquet of rockstar roses, peach hypericum berries, white lisianthus, yellow solodago, white spray roses, and orange tulips with yellow tips.

A great way to accent your bouquet is to wrap a handkerchief around the stems.

Coral, beige, and chartreuse wedding party photo

Choosing flower colors that differ from the dress color will help them stand out and become more of an accent for photos.

Rustic wedding bridal photo

Samantha also choose to add hair flowers that were pinned on the right side of her hair. A simple way to carry your flowers throughout the evening.

Bride with orange bouquet at Krippendorf Lodge in Cincinnati

A special thank you to Joe Payne for the fabulous photos

Cerulean and Cymbidium Wedding

2012-10-31T12:46:00.002-04:00

Heather and Jonathan were a great couple to work with. The bride envisioned using orchids for her wedding. Congratulations to the happy couple!

The bridesmaids carried a stems of white dendrobium orchids with lilly grass looped accents. The bouquets were pageant style. The white and green along side their teal dresses created a timeless look that I loved!

Heathers bridal bouquet was created using white hydrangea, white phalaenopsis orchids, and white dendrobium orchids.

Heather wanted to recreate a wedding cake she saw (left) using fondant orchids. We used fresh white phalaenopsis orchids with pink centers (right).

The wedding was held at the gorgeous Saint Monica Saint George Church in the Clifton area Cincinnati, Ohio. The cake was made by SweetWater Bakehouse off of Reading Rd also in Cincinnati, Ohio