Ricardo's Blog

3 minutes and counting...

2012-01-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

The artists hard at work on site!

At a previous appointment the blushing bride and I were having a ball connecting and seeing the same type of design and flowers!

From the beginning the budget had been established and at the end I had come right under the numbers. Feeling good about my connection with the bride I began to show them what their bouquets and boutonnieres would sort of look like.

Unfortunately at that time the MOB (Mother of the Bride) asked me why at $20 a piece was the boutonniere so expensive!!!

Since I had taken all of 3 minutes to put it together she felt that for the time it took to create it, it was not worth the $$$.

Jamilla with PLE hard at work!

I remembered a story about how Picasso, the painter, valued his work; so I reluctantly explained to the MOB that it might have taken me 3 minutes to create a boutonniere, but more importantly it had taken me almost a decade, more than 10 employees and over 758 weddings to create that boutonniere in just 3 minutes!

The value of my creativity is not measured by the time it takes me to create it but rather by the time I took learning how to do it right!

Needless to say, I am not sure if we are going to book that event but I did want to take the opportunity to express that sometimes us vendors make the mistake to make it look easy. To borrow a line from The Djay Company, "In the end... it's results that separate the good, from the best!"

We love what we do and the result is a lifetime amount of happy brides!

Justine and Joe @ the Hilton Ontario CA.

2012-01-25T12:18:00.000-08:00

2011-12-27T12:19:00.000-08:00

As new members of THE KNOT we are excited of all the new brides in contact with us now!

Here is a sample of some of our past reviews.

We are ready for the 2012 wedding season and welcome all inquiries.

Please contact us at 909-944-1661 or via email at sales@irisesdesigns.com.

Happy planning!

conniehafker
Wedding: 8/13/2011
Member Since: 12/16/2010

Our Dream Wedding!!!

posted 11/1/2011 (updated 11/1/2011)

Ricardo and the team were absolutely amazing! He was so good at listening to what we were envisioning and then making it happen. He blew us away with every detail. We loved the colors and flower choices he chose. He definitely knows how to make your dream come to life. We were also so thankful for how punctual and professional he was. He went above and beyond to truly make us feel special and we couldn't have been more blessed. If you want someone who is creative, artistic, professional and fun to work with then you are in the right place. Thank you Irises Designs you're the...

soccerjam323
Wedding: 8/6/2011
Member Since: 4/27/2010

Amazing Florist!!

posted 8/23/2011 (updated 8/23/2011)

I found Irises Designs online and met with Ricardo. After interviewing several florists, I knew Ricardo was the one because of his personality and his ideas. I was a very easygoing Bride with no set ideas at all as to what flower types or color schemes that I wanted. I had sent him some pictures of bouquets that I liked, and during our first meeting, he had some samples for me, which NO other florist had done. This helped tremendously as I am a very visual person and this helped me decide on what flowers I wanted. Ricardo was full of ideas and truly loves what he does. He is also SUPER nice, and took notes on EVERYTHING, which I loved, being a very organized person. He was extremely responsive to phone calls and emails, and was totally flexible with some last minute things that the Venue had not previously told us about. I would HIGHLY recommend Irises Designs to any couple as they will DEFINITELY make your day go smoothly and the flowers were absolutely GORGEOUS!!...

redsmolka99
Wedding: 11/13/2010
Member Since: 8/15/2009

Blooms of Brilliance

posted 12/20/2010 (updated 12/20/2010)

Ricardo and his team were great! They were super easy to work with and gave us fantastic pricing for our wedding. We made some changes towards the end (e.g. numbers, extra corsages, etc.) and they were very flexible. They also worked very hard the day of the wedding to move flowers from our ceremony to reception area. I would gladly recommend them to...

10/21/11 Cheryl Mcloughlin @ Padua Hills, Claremont, Ca.

2011-12-27T11:25:00.000-08:00

9/18/11 Jessica Ecker @ Padua Hill Theater

2011-10-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

9/4/11 Sarah @ Padua Hills, Claremont

2011-09-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

7/23/11 Kate and Daniel @ Rancho del Diablo Dormido in Agoura Hills

2011-07-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Amazing shot from a great team of photographers @ Kevin Wynn photography!

Beautiful!

This is the shot that I cannot get out of my head! Great job!

7/3/11 Jordan and Allegra @ Calamigos in Burbank

2011-07-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Mi and Mo Photography for their beautiful work!

6/11/11 Euridici @ Sierra Lakes Country Club

2011-06-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

9/21/10 Photo Shoot in Pasadena

2010-09-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

8/28/10 Heather and Travis

2010-08-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

8/14/10 Deleena and Art @ The Vellano Country Club!

2010-08-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

7/30/10 Los Olivos, CA.

2010-07-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

7/25/10 Taylor and Matt Camergo, a Coco Palm wedding!

2010-07-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

07/11/10 Erin and Rob @ Sheraton Fairplex

2010-07-11T00:44:00.000-07:00

7/2/10 Kristen and Enrique @ Etiwanda Gardens

2010-07-02T00:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the people at Etiwanda Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, we are lucky to be a part of many weddings. As far as I can remember, none was as memorable as Kristen and Enrique. The nicest down to earth people whom I enjoyed working for very much. Enrique had a vision that was reinforced by Kristen and together they channeled me to come up with our contribution to their amazing set up. We used hydrangeas, roses, curly willow with losts of votives and sparkling jewels!

These are amazing shots from Erin J Saldana Photography. Great stuff!

Please feel free to look at our facebook page for more pics.

6/25/10 Shannon Andrews @ Strawberry Farm in Irvine

2010-06-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

I have done backyard weddings and shotgun weddings but never a "barn" wedding! Thanks to Cathy Brouthers from Smooth Wedding Day we got the opportunity to do a very modern floral design in a not so modern location. The Strawberry Farm in Irvine is definitely one of a kind, a golf course and picturesque reception site made for a unique wedding and a fun experience.

6/4/10 wedding

2010-06-09T23:31:00.000-07:00

Just a few very rough shots of a great new and unique wedding. More professional shots to come but I couldn't wait to show a preview. :)

5/15/10 Kimberly and Scott @ etiwanda gardens

2010-05-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

5/1/10 Robin and Ken @ Highland Springs Resort in Cherry Valley, CA.

2010-05-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

Robin is a canadian botanist who thanks to Ladawn from Platinum Lining Events came to us with some of the most original ideas for her special day.

With her centerpiece we used blooming kumquats, succulents, eucalyptus leaves, lavenders and specific anemones, spray roses and ranunculus. All sitting in a vintage silver plated urn that resembled a 17th century still painting!

As always we would like to thanks the talented team at Desi Baytan photography. Desi and Connie are the talented duo behind these amazing shots!

To accent we used curly willow napking rings and loose succulents and organic green moss in her cocktail hour decorations.

Her bouquet was a simple large posie with lots of green deco including lavender, eucalyptus, lemon leaves and gardenia leaves that represented her botanist background and finished off with cherry brandy, freedom ecuadorean roses and pink peonies to give it a pretty wedding feel.

Celia Thomas @ Padua Hills, Claremont 4/25/10

2010-04-27T00:49:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy Sunday weddings the most because I feel everyone is more relaxed. This event was a stunning set up. These are just some shots we took, WE will post the pro shots as soon as we get them.

The centerpieces included, hydrangea, stargazer lilies, roses, gerbera daisies, dendrobium orchids and bells of ireland.

4/10/10 Clarissa and Rolando @ Los Angeles River Center and Gardens

2010-04-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

Donna and Monika were kind to introduce us to Rolando and Clarissa and from the start I knew that this wedding was not going to be a run of the mill affair. From the taqueros to the Bentley, this couple was eclectic and fun. This bride gave us ideas on what she had in mind and then gave us full control.

Desi (as always) made sure to find the soul in every picture!

Thanks to Rolando and Clarissa for including us in your special day, the team at Your Day 2 Remember for making it all happen and the beautiful work of Connie and Desi at Desi Baytan photography.

Carmel and Jorge @ Victoria Gardens

2010-04-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

A beautiful bride and an all-around great guy. Jorge and Carmel were a pleasure to work with. They traveled all the way from New York to get married here at the Victoria Gardens. Great site and thanks to April from April Smith & Co. Photography, great pics!

Flowers used: Lavender stock, vendela roses, cymbidium white orchids and mix flora.

Valentine's Day wedding 2010!

2010-03-10T08:35:00.000-08:00

These are some great shots from Ryan Bethke. He is a member of the California Wedding Association and I was very lucky to have him photograph this sweet weeding!

Flowers used: Phelanopsus orchid blooms, eggplant mini calla lilies, black magic roses and mix flora.

Erin J. Saldana Photography - Photo shoot!

2010-02-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

Erin says:

"...This image is just a little teaser from my own personal mini wedding “workshop” with some friends yesterday at The Pacific Palms. (Along with some wonderful flowers provided by Irises Designs) I asked some friends to model for me, and I love how the images came out. They looked beautiful and I can’t wait to share. In the mean time…enjoy this sneak peak. ...

1/30/10 Part 2 Ed McNair can throw a party!

2010-02-03T20:45:00.000-08:00

One of our regular clients had his annual bash at the Sheraton Fairplex in Pomona and this year decided to really do something different with tall designs.

Using pedestal glass vases we accented with crystal strips and hanging votives to drape from the flower tops. The phelanopsus orchids gave it a great accent.

I want to thank the Sheraton staff for letting me crowd their space with my boxes and mess all over the place.

They always go above and beyond!

1/30/10 Part 1 Jesse and Adriana in Rancho Cucamonga

2010-02-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

Oh boy! We are in full swing now! No more winter break. On January 30th we ran three separate events all with a particular style and look.

Our first featured event is the wedding of Adriana Tabares and Jesse Ramirez at the beautiful Etiwanda Gardens.

A very intimate affair that celebrated this great couple and I am very thankful to have been part of. Her bouquet was a mid size hand tied consisting of mini calla lilies, hydrangea, roses and accenting stephanotis blooms.

The rest of the flowers were mainly there to accent the already beautiful surroundings.

Thanks to RC Photography for their great work!

1/30/10 Lars and Gerladine @ Newport Beach

2010-01-30T13:46:00.000-08:00

As promised here are the amazing shots from Desi Baytan Photography. We used oriental lilies, Latina (ecuadorean) roses, cymbidium orchids, tulips and mini calla lilies all in a yellow palette! Yellow is the color this season. Enjoy!

1/10/10 Maxine and Terry at the Beverly Hilton Hotel

2010-01-11T23:54:00.000-08:00

What a way to begin 2010!

Maxine and Terry were married on 1/10/10 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and what a wedding! A great venue with a band, piano, feathers, brass candelabras and the whole nine yards. Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day!

The staff was great and even though they were hurrying us because they had to prep for a little event called "the Golden Globes?" ;)

12/04/09 Priscilla Velasco wedding @ Etiwanda Gardens RC.

2009-12-10T00:18:00.000-08:00

Definitely a good use of design and flowers. Combining manzanita stems with black magic roses and carnations we were able to make a very distinctive styled centerpiece at an incredibly low price!

12/05/09 San Antonio Community Hospital Xmas Party

2009-12-10T00:06:00.000-08:00

We had the great opportunity to be creative with this annual party held at the Avalon inside the Pomona Fairgrounds.

We had two style of centerpieces using cymbidium orchids, ecuadorean roses and casablanca lilies to give it an elegant christmas feel. Thanks to SACH for choosing us again to be part of this event!

Adie Gutierrez and Corey Smiths 11/14/09 wedding @ Etiwanda Gardens

2009-11-15T12:51:00.000-08:00

RC Photography

Etiwanda Gardens

CWA's October event!

2009-11-02T09:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from the California Wedding Association's October event at the New Chaffey College Community Center in Chino, CA.

More to come!

Kamps wedding @ the Hyatt in Huntington Beach!

2009-10-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

Just a few pics from this beautiful event for Cathy @ Smooth Wedding Day. Beach theme weddings are always a tall order but the easy going bride and Cathy made it fun and allowed us to create a classy but relaxed beach theme floral centerpieces.

Thanks for everything Cathy!

Sample centerpieces

2009-08-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to show a preview of an upcoming wedding in 2010. Fabian from Beverly Hills Dj and myself met with our beautiful bride, fiancee, friend and equally beautiful mother at the Sheraton Fairplex Pomona to go over the floral centerpiece approval.

The reason why Fabian and myself were working together was in order to give our customer the best way to envision their special day. Fabian brought his lighting equipment and I brought 2 centerpieces for our bride to choose.

Thanks to Nathan from nathan trujillo photography we were able to capture the difference lighting makes in an event. Which style do you like best? simple lighting or spot lighting??

Jennifer Medrano wedding 7/25/09 @ Marriott-Ontario

2009-07-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

Now, I couldn't wait to post these blackberry "quickshots". I know that the professional shots from Eric Perez photography will be a million times better, but I wanted to post a little preview of this fun event that had me and the girls running from table to table to finish this highly detailed reception.

I will forever remember Jennifer because from day one she brought a drawing of the centerpiece she had dreamed of and left it up to myself and my staff to make it a reality. I hope we got close!

Thanks to Jamaya Ocampo and Juan Leon from the Ontario-Marriott Hotel who were patient as always and made sure Jennifer and Rene were taken care of.

I will post the pro pics as soon as I get them!

Previous weddings!

2009-07-26T20:24:00.001-07:00

Just going through past weddings. Some professional shots, some blackberry "quickshots". Enjoy!

Araujo/Romero wedding 7/4/09 @ Sheraton-Pomona

2009-07-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

Lesley was the perfect bride for us floral designers! She was open to new ideas and was even into funky designs that we suggested. Her bouquet was one of a kind and was definitely one of our favorites.

Her reception took place at the Sheraton-Pomona where Annie King made sure no detail was missed.

The music was provided by Charles Fletcher from Boogie Down productions and even before the party started Charles and his staff will get you in the mood for dancing.

These photographs are from RC Photography in Rancho Cucamonga and are only a glimpse into their talent.

Congrats Lesley and Jason!

2009-06-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Annette from Sweet Addictions Bakery!!!!!

One of our newest member of the CWA (California Wedding Association) has been recognized and featured in the myfoxla's website.

She was just nominated for myfoxla"s Hot List best of the Inland Empire Bakery!!

Click here to check out her website

Click here to vote for her!!

Well done! You deserve it!

Irises Designs is recognized as Bride's Choice 2009!!

2009-06-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

"...In its inaugural year, the Bride's Choice Awards recognizes vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride's Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through surveys and reviews. Our winning vendors have set the bar high for this competition, demonstrating excellent service and expertise in their industry..."

Click here to see what other vendors made the cut:

http://www.weddingwire.com/brides-choice-awards

05.02.09 Karen and Carlos @ Luminarias Restaurant in Monterey Park

2009-06-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite brides! Karen was a happy bride that knew what she wanted from the start and thankfully we were able to translate her upbeat personality with a colorful palette of flowers. I borrowed this link to her slideshow from Desi Baytan of desibaytan photography. A true artist in his own right.

Click and enjoy! BTW, don't miss her monogrammed runner which we provided at an obscenely cheap price!

desibaytan.com/karencarloswedding

11.08.08 Monique and Yahmin @ the Universal Sheraton

2009-06-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

A beautiful bride and a charismatic groom being lead by the amazing event planner La Dawn Williams from Platinum Lining Events (plug!) The beautiful Sheraton in Universal City hosted this wedding on their rooof top garden room. The evening was kept upbeat with lots of energy by the musically yours Fabian from Beverly Hills Dj and made beautiful of course by the cool manzanita tree branches by yours truly. You will see in the pics that her accent flowers were these great chocolate cymbidium orchids that sat atop black magic roses. Beautiful!

PS. CHECK OUT THAT CAKE!

A coco palm wedding

2009-06-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

I am posting some new pics from a wedding we did about a month ago at the beautiful CocoPalms restaurant in Pomona, CA.

It was an intimate affair but nonetheless elegant and tropical without being overly colorful. The bride insisted she wanted green hydrangea throughout but a bit of a muted brown tone. It looked amazing and I am looking forward for the professional photos.

CWA baby!

2009-06-15T23:38:00.000-07:00

Irises Designs is a proud member of the California Wedding Association and we are looking forward to meeting new vendors and venues to connect with and support. For brides this is a great opportunity to really see the talent pool of our industry. All CWA members go through a very thorough screening before being accepted into the association. It is a way to keep the quality of vendors high for brides and other clients to benefit from.

Thanks to the organization and we are excited and energized to make things happen.