I have been planning my anniversary party for four years. The Bavarian Inn Restaurant Alpine Room in Frankenmuth, Michigan, decorated with antlers and alphorns, was the perfect setting as my husband and I have enjoyed many weeks in the alpine landscapes of Germany and Switzerland. I have been looking at the Fifty Flower website for two years and changed my flower plans several times. I saw a review of agapanthus used to decorate a wedding cake and that became my final inspiration for my arrangements. I had flower recipes written but because of two mix-ups with flowers (one with another company I used as I wanted fewer numbers of some items but they sent me 40 stems of two varieties of flowers I didn't order and then the next day the 14 stems of a variety I did order) I ended up with more stems than I had plans to use. So I never really used the recipes but kept the original inspiration picture up on my computer during the arranging time. I had vases for 80 arrangements (plus some shot glasses for mini arrangements which we never used). My husband and I processed all the flowers ourselves. The day we received 10 boxes of flowers it took us 3 hours to process. The other two days we received flowers took us much less time. We used 17 buckets of various sizes depending upon the stem length of the flowers. I followed the flower care instructions to the letter. I did dip the stems in Quick Dip upon cutting when processing and again when cutting to put into arrangements. Since I knew I would have lots of help making arrangements I made signs to go above the buckets and arranged the buckets around the room this order greenery, focal flowers, accent flowers, filler flowers. My helpers ranged in age from 7 to 84 and included family and friends. They all had fun making beautiful masterpieces. We put 100 stems in 3" flower tubes to set around here and there in the room. At the end of the party guests were each encouraged to take an arrangement home. The rest of the flowers a friend took to the main restaurant and the street of this tourist town and gave them away in random acts of kindness. I was very pleased with my flowers and greenery. All stayed fresh and beautiful throughout the party those I took home are still beautiful today four days after the party. The guests all commented on how beautiful the flowers were and how abundant. The arrangements turned out just as I had hoped and planned. Thank You Fifty Flowers for making our party so special. Please note: I made no bridesmaids or bridal bouquets, corsages or boutonnieres but I can't get the program to let me change it from "1" for each category.
