Miniature Christmas Trees!!

Here are a few photos from a recent party at the Balboa Cafe. San Francisco regulars all know the Balboa Cafe for its timeless style and fantastic hamburger! One of our favorite clients has a Christmas party at the Balboa Cafe every year. This year decor and favors were miniature Christmas trees. Let's just say the trees were a huge hit.









Merry Christmas!!

Wedding Wording Wizard

Here is a fun internet utility for wedding wording. It was emailed to us by one of our readers planning her wedding. Its a great place for brides to start putting ideas together.


A little bit about the Wedding Wording Wizard (that's what it's called).

* mini questionnaire about bridal style, personality, reception plans etc.

* it allows you to customize the invite. it makes sure you don't leave out any

one or any important details (woops!)

* then it gives u the most fitting invitation wording to match the bride

Michael Daigian Design loves contributions from readers and helping spread the joy of planning your wedding. Or at least we hope we make it just a little bit less overwhelming. Thanks for reading and we hope you're having a wonderful holiday season.

PS. Stay tuned for a wedding feature from a recent event!


FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR THE WEDDING WORDING WIZARD

Holiday Decorations!

Hello Loyal MDD fans, we apologize for being tardy with our updates recently. As most floral enthusiasts know, the fall into the holiday season is every florists rush. And since Thanksgiving is only a few days away, you can bet we have been installing holiday decorations in our important accounts. Here are few pictures from Bistro Boudin to wet your appetite...

New Review From a Recent Bride and a New Tile Logo!

Glowing review from recent Michael Daigian Design bride Jill S. Thanks Jill, we hope you enjoyed your wedding experience and are pleased that we were able to meet your expectations.

Review

My expectations were far exceeded.

A professional event planner recommended Michael Daigian when I inquired about a florist for my wedding (I was married on October 10th at the Mark Hopkins hotel). My mom was in the corporate events industry for 25 years and we took this recommendation rather seriously.

I was absolutely thrilled with the amount of attention I received from Michael and Jana throughout the entire process. Their company is held in very high regard in the SF Bay area. They do not (as far as I understand) deliver flowers to consumers. As a B2B business, their focus on on events of great scale. Unlike other florists, they do not get bogged down with individual residential orders.

Not only did they provide the florals (which far exceeded my expectations) but they constructed a wedding canopy, topped with flowers, that was the most beautiful I have ever seen. It was stunning. They also provided up-lighting, which transformed the room into an elegant, ambient ballroom. Last, they decorated each table with candles and set up table luminaries.

They are more of a private events company rather than just a florist. No florist could possible compete with Daigian.

Jill S.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________


We would also like to introduce our new Michael Daigian Design tile logo!

Here Comes the Guide - San Francisco

Here Come the Guide is one of the premier wedding listing sites and services. Vendors go through a rigorous acceptance process that includes photo selection and verifying reviews from past clients. That way when you choose a vendor from Here Comes the Guide they are certified so to speak. Michael Daigian Design is proud to be back on Here Comes the Guide after a brief hiatus.

Please visit our Here Come the Guide listing where you will be able to read more testimonials and get an insight into Michael Daigian's design and work ethic. Please click through on the Here Comes the Guide image in the wedding section of the Michael Daigian Design San Francisco Flower Blog!

Michael Daigian Design Wedding Feature!

Michael Daigian Design wedding flowers have been featured on Geoff White's photography blog. Geoff White is an extremely talented wedding photographer that comes highly recommended. Check out his website here and thanks for looking!

Michael Daigian Design team invited to Bouquets to Art 2010

Michael Daigian Design is pleased to announce that part of our design team, Jennifer Ortega-Lato, Nixon Tran, and Sonja Morsella have been invited to the 2010 Bouquets to Art show. Michael Daigian Design always looks forward to Bouquets to Art because of all the creative designs showcasing talented Bay Area Florists. Stay tuned for Bouquets to Art updates through the new year!

FireFly Bachelor & Bachelorette Parties

Michael Daigian Design has been featured on the FireFly Bachelor & Bachelorette Parties blog. Thanks so much to the team at FireFly events for their posting. We look forward to working with you in the near future. And anyone who needs help with amazing themes bachelor and bachelorette parties should really check out their website!


Thanks,

Michael Daigian

Flowers Everywhere; A Beautiful Event!

Occasionally, we'll produce an event where creativity trumps budgeting. And on those occasions, it would be a travesty to not document and display the work for our loyal clients and fans. Here are a few images from a beautiful function from September.











This fall has been extremely busy but as exciting events continue rolling in, we will be documenting them and posting a healthy amount of pictures on our blog. We also hope to be featured on other sites in the near future so keep posted. Thanks, Michael Daigian.

Flowers in the Shop Part II

We have been really busy with events this week with a private party and another event for the new NBC show Trauma. I was able to find some time to snap some photos of the studio and all the fresh flowers waiting to become floral arrangements. Hope you enjoy!

Picking Flowers, MD doing what he does best...


In the Shop...


More Flowers...


The Studio from Above...

Accounts

We love our accounts! Not only do they serve delicious food or provide great hair cuts and colorings, they also allow our designers to come up with beautiful and creative pieces every week! Here are a few examples of our account work this past week. Hope you enjoy!

La Mar


Ozumo




diPietro Todd


Harris'


Harris'

Wedding Flower Advice

The second installment of Michael Daigian Design wedding planning articles…

There have been requests for a wedding planning article specific to wedding flowers, and since that is our expertise, here is your guide…

Wedding flowers can be an especially tricky part of planning a wedding. There are so many uncertainties from flower availability to scheduling issues and florist or design choices that options may seem overwhelming. There is also the do-it-yourself ethos that has become especially popular though often associated with anxiety and disaster.

As we discussed in our initial wedding guide, planning is the most important step. Collect ideas and images that relate to your expectations about wedding flowers. Compare your ideas with potential vendors and start to compile a list of florists to request quotes or proposals from, and even set up consultations with.

Since weddings are so important and particular, your vendor should be working with you and your budget to assure that the floral décor is what you hope for and deserve. As finances are tight these days, Michael Daigian Design event planners regularly spend hours working on proposals for our clients so that the decor is what our clients dream of on their special day.

Often wedding parties have higher expectations that what budgets will ultimately allow. Michael Daigian Design dedicates extra time to working with our clients to assure that each item is absolutely necessary. The right vendor will work with you on your event and cut out extraneous items so that your budget will be focused on the important design elements that leave lasting impressions.

Sadly an increasingly consistent clientele has been the ‘save our wedding’ parties. Many individuals are choosing to rely on friends or garage floral enthusiast for their wedding floral décor. While we certainly do not suggest these ideas be ignored, having to bail your friend out on your wedding day is an awkward and usually costly experience.

Weddings are typically one of the most important days of a person’s life. We do no recommend leaving anything up to chance, especially something as important as wedding décor. Most individuals and some wedding planners do not realize how important floral décor is in event design and flowers are often the first item to be cut. Fortunately, many excellent florists, including Michael Daigian Design have flexible pricing options to assure that professional floral décor for your dream wedding is available at a reasonable price.

Ideas to Shave Costs on Wedding Flowers:

-Pickup and setup on your own: Eliminate delivery and installations fees by having a friend of family member pick up the floral décor.

-Work with florist to choose seasonal flowers to cut supply costs.

-Consider locations that need less additional décor to enhance the ambience. Outdoor wedding generally need less floral décor than a sterile banquet hall.

-Consider options for table centerpieces that will accommodate smaller arrangements. Florists are great with additional décor that is not costly fresh cut flowers.

-Opt for sustainable designs and materials that are reused or recycled.

-Work with your florist endlessly on the look and style of your wedding. At this point, florists are experts at shaving costs so rely on their experience and expertise.

“Play With Your Own Marbles”

UPDATE

Last night was the art opening and it was a huge success! The pieces are beautiful, especially those by Karl Haendel who happened to be at the show last night. Here are images from a few pieces in the gallery. The show runs until October 3rd and is wonderfully put together.

Walead Beshty




Karl Haendel








A friend is curating a show at Noma Gallery in San Francisco!!!



Walead Beshty, Karl Haendel & Patrick Hill

Opens September 3, 2009

At NOMA GALLERY, San Francisco


San Francisco, CA, August 24th 2009: Curated by Betty Nguyen, Creative Director of First Person Magazine, NOMA GALLERY's “Play With Your Own Marbles” is a bold attempt to challenge the viewer's usual access points into an artwork. In “Play With Your Own Marbles,” Nguyen brings together three contemporary Los Angeles-based artists who examine the finite moment when a work becomes defined as finished or in progress. In their common concerns and motifs, these artists exemplify a shift from the indulgence of art back to a more humble, raw approach to conceptualizing and crafting art. The narratives of artistic and curatorial process are not only foregrounded in the content of the works – crafted with raw materials, portraying utilitarian tools, and addressing everyday apparatus – but additionally, the temporality, disposability, and pervasiveness of “art” is addressed. Whether it be a piece purposefully conceived as art or an everyday commodity that, through its re-contextualization, incites appreciation of craftsmanship, and triggers some form of critical evaluation, the works chosen are in a continuous state of flux. Decoding the artist’s surfaces and content, the participant begins to process the sublimation of art as a part of life, one that is as rich in semiotics as it is in aesthetics.


Image by Patrick Hill, "Fabric and Piss"



First Person Magazine


Noma Gallery

A few pictures to hold you over for the weekend!!

Small sustainable arrangement...

Michael Daigian Design: Sustainable Floral Art

Sustainability and low carbon footprints are one the topics of intense discussion. In small business, individuals are constantly working on ways to increase the use of sustainable materials and reduce our carbon footprint. They are also working to find ways to market and introduce these ideas to the consumer.

MD Design has implemented quite a few steps to reduce our carbon footprint. We have stopped sending paper invoices to our clients, unless they specifically request one. We find that emailing invoices not only saves paper and costs, our clients welcome the ideas as it keeps their desks from becoming cluttered! We have also stopped sending out paper marketing materials in exchange for customizable emailed documents and our wonderful blog!

But some business practices have carbon footprints that are much harder to reduce or contain. MD Design is still waiting for the first hybrid delivery van. In exchange, we improve efficiency by carefully planning our delivery routes and constantly checking the mechanics of our vans and air pressure in the tires.

In the argument regarding sustainability, carbon footprint, global warming, eco-conscoiusness and all the other nomenclature surrounding the global warming debate, too little importance is placed on reduction. This video from National Geographic demonstrates the impacts of small changes on a national or global level.




If all automobiles increased efficiency by 5 mpg, the reduction of fossil fuel emissions would be tremendous. (examples) Cutting our impact on the environment and carbon dioxide drastically. Small changes on massive scale might be our only chance in having a profound impact in cutting our carbon footprint. While a lot of this is wishful thinking, MD Design is considering bringing these ideas into our floral design ethics.

MD Design would like to introduce our slant on the sustainable floral arrangement.





This arrangement features sustainably grown Dahlias and Curly Willow. Both relatively low impact floral goods, grown using minimal watering and no heat.

The succulents are hybrid Echeverias. These are quite common and when the flowers in our arrangement have died (we are still working on this one) pull the Echeverias out and plant them in your garden, planter, or pot on a windowsill.

Last but not least, the square vase is made from recycled glass and can be reused for other flower arrangements, potpourri, or any other eco-conscious idea...

Bouquets to Art 2010!!

This post might be more than a little in advance, but Bouquets to Art is one of the most important San Francisco floral functions. San Francisco designers are given the chance to interpret works of art at the de Young Museum using their arrangements.

MD Design would like to announce that three of our designers, Nixon Tran, Jennifer Ortega-Lato, and Sunghi sonia Morsella have applied to show their work along side MD design owner and head designer, Michael Daigian.



MD Design strongly supports and hopes that Nixon, Jennifer, and Sonia are accepted into the 2010 Bouquets to Art show. Nixon, Jennifer, and Sonia are all extremely strong designers with wonderful vision and creativity. Their floral fashion accessory pieces for the 2009 Bouquets to Art Yves saint Laurent show was a huge sensation!!!

Needless to say, MD design is extremely excited for Bouquets to Art 2010, even though it may be in the distant future.

Here are some examples of the designs Nixon Tran and Jennifer Ortega-Lato created...

"Wow Factor" AIFD 2009 Symposium

"Wow Factor" program by Jenny Tabarracci (AIFD and CCSF faculty) and Leighsa Montrose (AIFD and Branch Out Floral and Event Design) was a resounding success. Design support staff included students and alumni from CCSF (City College of San Francisco) Floristry Department. Designers from Michael Daigian Design include Jennifer Lato (AES candidate) and Nixon Tran (student competition 2nd place overall)...

Michael Daigian Design would like to thank the designers and AIFD for all the hard work and woderful ideas that were discussed during the Symposium.

Here is a picture of the "Wow Factor" demonstration...

AIFD Kansas City Floral Symposium

Michael Daigian, Nixon Tran, Jennifer Lato of Michael Daigian Design recently returned from the AIFD annual floral symposium. The AIFD gathering is a collection of floral designers from across the United States for educational and training purposes. The designers are granted certification and certain designers, like Nixon Tran of Michael Daigian Design, win awards for their unique and beautiful floral arrangements.

This year, the Kansas City Star posted a video interview of Michael Daigian and close friend Jenny Tabarracci. There is also a shot of Nixon Tran working on a lovely dark red arrangement. Then Michael Daigian is interviewed followed by another shot of Michael Daigian and Jenny Tabarracci working together. Follow the link bellow to view the video from the Kansas City Star.



AIFD SYMPOSIUM VIDEO

Floral Fashion

To all floral enthusiasts,

Flowers give off a wonderful aroma and arrangements ought to appeal to your more architectural sensibilities; but COLOR is without a doubt the most intriguing aspect of floral design.

Color is a wonderful but often confusing and challenging aspect or tool in design work. Here are a couple insights on how color trends shift and evolve as our world quickly changes. I am, and suspect most are, heavily influenced by seasonal changes. This is an entirely personal sensibility. Some do not shift their pallets as much as others with the cycles of the seasons.

Certainly there are colors that are beyond seasonal trends; white, black, certain grays.

And in that same vein, color requests cannot and should not be ignored...after all, this is the service industry.

But keeping an eye out, suspecting and trying to gauge changes while attempting to be unique and individual is why designers are constantly drawn to this variable. In the past few years there has been an interesting shift towards muted and earthy, skin like, blended, or washed out colors.

The digital revolution has shifted the color palette trends from the sharp contrast of bold colors and put a very tangible and real feel on images and creations. The attempt to actualize or bring to life digital images has lead to the toning down of colors in the interest of believability.

This is not meant at all as a dismissal of digital media. Rather a beautiful and very neutral pallet of fashionable colors have perpetrated the market. Art, fashion, and floral design reimburses this trend and our work looks wonderful and blends easily.

Trends in color we employ are washed out acid neon. Muted grays and blacks are a personal favorite. Earthy and tonal primary colors (yellow, red, blue).

Light browns and skin tones are a huge plus. They blend so well and are so tangible. While muted colors are the trend do not forget to throw a little color in to break things up.

Following the trends is not an easy process. It takes time, dedication, and a general interest. Keeping in touch with fashion and art is extremely important. Fashion moe than any other design process establishes and develops the tones that are so important but subtle in the development.

Thanks for reading...

keep posted of images or other visual samples



Written by Michael Daigian and Adam Iscoff - Daigian

Wedding Planning Advice

12 to 24 Month Prior

The most important part of the wedding process is. Be sure to give yourself more than a full year. Planning without that having to rush and being able to work out every last detail will provide peace of mind. Start by choosing a wedding date and announce your engagement to close friends and family (don’t be afraid to ask for help and some might offer)

• Choose a wedding date
• Scout and choose a location for the ceremony and reception
• Consider hiring a wedding planner or consultant
• Establish a budget for the wedding and start compiling a to do list

At this point, consider and compile thoughts about your upcoming wedding. Having the ideas down on paper will help you keep focus as you plan your occasion. Once you have settled on a location, book the venues. Remember that popular sites and vendors might book up to two years ahead. So if you plan on holding the engagement at a popular location, make the reservation at least 18 month ahead of time.

Once the ceremony and reception sites have been booked, seek out potential vendors. This is where having some of your thoughts compiled will come in handy. It will be easier to sort through the vendors if you have some of our own concepts already outlined. Consider which vendors understand your mentality and will help realize your concepts and wishes within your budget. Remember that wedding vendors are there to help you secure and realize your dream wedding. They should be helpful, flexible, reliable, and engaging.

• Book ceremony and reception locations
• Start compiling ideas, examples, thoughts, and desires for your wedding day
• Compile a list of potential vendors and contact them inquiring about their services
• Begin shopping wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses

6-12 Month Prior

Once your vendors have been secured, its time to start sorting out the details. This is where the real work begins. We suggest starting by developing a rough guest a. The next step is to shop wedding accessories like invitations, dresses, or wedding favors.

This part of the process can be especially overwhelming so it pays off to allow plenty of time and stay organized.

Another excellent tip for staying on top of planning the wedding and keeping your friends and family in the loop is to set up a wedding website. Blogging is a free and easy way to host a site with plenty of options and no obligations.

• Compile guest list
• Create wedding website if desired
• Order wedding invitations, envelopes and thank you cards
• Register at one or more bridal gift centers
• Start planning the honeymoon!!
• Purchase wedding favors if desired
• Book accommodations for out-of-town guests and compile a list of things to do
• Finalize guest list and send out save the date cards
• Reserve transportation for wedding party or guests
• Book officiant for ceremony

2 – 6 Months Prior

Hopefully by now, much of your wedding has been planned and your vendors are in the process of guiding you through the final steps. Now you can get ready to send out invitations! Most send invites 8 – 12 weeks before the date. Depending on the time of year, you might want to give your guests a little extra time to plan for the event. Especially if it’s a destination wedding or there are lots of out of town guests.

Other important tasks are ordering the wedding cake from your selected bakery and reserving any tables or chairs from your desired party rental company.

• Send out invitations
• Order wedding cake
• Reserve party rental items
• Select wedding readings
• Meet with officiant to discuss ceremony details
• Meet with caterer to discuss menu and wine list
• Organize rehearsal dinner details

2 Weeks – 2 Months prior

Congratulations, you are now in the home stretch of planning your wedding. Pretty soon you will be able to enjoy all your hard work. Now is the time for sorting out last minute details, purchase wedding accessories and put together your seating list.

These tasks may seem overwhelming but remember to stay calm and ask for help when needed. Your vendors, family, and close friends are wonderful resources not to be overlooked.

• Put together seating arrangements
• Create place or name cards
• Purchase wedding accessories like guest book, toasting glasses, cake knife, wedding ring pillow
• Continue to update wedding website if necessary
• Choose stylist
• Book final gown, tux, and bridesmaid fitting
• Meet with all vendors to finalize details
• Pick up wedding bands and any other made to order accessories
• Confirm ALL reservations from ceremony sites to accommodations and transportation services

1-Week Prior

Try to relax and prepare for your big day. Hopefully everything will have come together smoothly since the whole process was planned perfectly from the begging! Tie up any last minute details or changes.

One day Prior

Greet guests or family that have arrived in town for the wedding. Most importantly make sure to get ample rest for your big day. And finally, enjoy it, your wedding day is here and everything is perfect; congratulations…

Thanks for reading. We hope you found this helpful.

Best wishes,

Michael Daigian Design

Stay tuned for updates including more advice, ideas, vendors and more

Bonjour events

Bounjour Events is a great website for meeting and event planners or anyone looking to plan an event. There is tons of helpful information without all the invasive spam normally associated with the internet.

We are proud to have been added to their Hot Vendor list

check out some of these great articles...

charity events

weddings

Bonjour events is also featured on the Martha Stewart blog list.

Testimonials

“Michael Daigian Design is phenomenal, creative, responsible, on the ball, and reasonably priced. I planned my wedding long-distance and was so impressed by the great communication and fast email responses. The floral arrangements on my wedding day were beyond expectation. I think they are the best.”

“They completely understood what I wanted despite the fact that I couldn’t really articulate it. My bouquet was EXACTLY what I had envisioned. They fit the design of space so perfectly and the little creative touches they provided were beautiful.”

“Michael’s work was a major part of the magic and beauty of our wedding. I had a clear idea of what I wanted but Michael took my clarity to a higher level than I could have imagined.”

“Michael is extraordinarily creative PLUS he does not have a big ego that gets in the way. He listens very carefully (because he is not a prima donna) and then makes a budget AND sticks to it.”

“Michael Daigian Design constructed a wedding canopy topped with flowers that was the most beautiful I have ever seen. It was stunning. They also provided up-lighting, which transformed the room into an elegant, ambient ballroom. They are more of a private events company rather than just a florist.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

San Francisco Chronicle article on Southern Food and Pican...

I previously posted about the San Francisco restaurant Pican. As the article you're about to read mentions, southern food is not only delicious, it is also making a mark in San Francisco! We no longer have to travel to Texas or my favorite, Louisiana to partake in delicious recipes from our southern brethren.

"There's something exciting happening with Southern food in the Bay Area, and a lot of that excitement is encapsulated at Picán in Oakland. Dean Dupuis, who was chef at South City Kitchen in Atlanta for many years, has relocated west and is giving a California twist to traditional dishes."

read article at SF Gate...





If you eat at Pican, let us know what you think of the Michael Daigian Design flowers!

Cocktails at Spruce Restaurant

Spruce is a delicious restaurant on Sacramento street in San Francisco. Though we do not have the flower account at Spruce, we recently did flowers for their wonderful front cocktail room. This was a college graduation party. Here are some pictures, enjoy!