Wednesday, January 19, 2011

René van Rems' Master Symposium on Bridal Bouquets

Where do I begin?  I just returned from nine information-packed days, working side by side with 24 other designers + René at his studio in Vista, California.  The studio was buzzing with the 26 designers, the film/camera crew who recorded our every move, the still photographer, Pat and his assistant Dominic who captured the essence of the bouquets carried by beautiful models who were styled by Cindy, the art director, and the whirl of the bridal gowns as they glided in and out of the dressing room.
The purpose of this symposium was to "discover 25 styles and techniques of fashion-forward bridal bouquets and floral accessories; learn to work with designer wedding gowns; floral styling with live models; study high-end floral studio photography; learn to work in a professional 'on camera' environment; be included in the floral TV pilot production and be part of the design team for the book, René's  Bouquets for Brides."

 The studio the day before.




The pages on the wall show the different bouquet styles with the different gowns.
 Cathy Brinks and Tony Alvarez going over binders to be passed out.

Ribbon wall and chairs set up for the first day










As the studio started coming together, the flowers were able to come out as well.  The entryway was filled with white flowers and natural colored botanicals.













 













Greeting the participants






On the first day we had a fun teambuilding and communication workshop with Milo Shapiro but since I was participating, I didn't have a chance to shoot any photos.  It was a great chance to "break the ice" and to get to know each other.  The designers came from all over the US and Canada.  There were several transplants from Japan and three and a half of us from Hawaii!!

 Rene informing the class about what to expect in the coming days.


Pat Beamer, the photographer for the models, explaining what he would be doing for the next three days.

René with pictures of some different styles of wedding bouquets.  The maile lei was given to him by Erica Rasmussen AIFD of Haleakala Florist, Kula, Maui.  The boutonniere was made by Tony Alvarez AIFD of Floral Phenomenon in Ventura, California.


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