Stunning New Year's Eve Wedding

Heather Wood Glasscock did something so utterly romantic for her wedding that we were left speechless: She held it at midnight on New Year's Eve!  The very intimate affair at the Wynn House could not have been more beautiful, and neither could Heather! 

Heather chose icy winter whites with textural touches. Mayumi's creation for Heather's wedding included soft garden roses, berries and succulents. Tall white branches and sparkling accents graced the arrangements. So elegant, so simple....and the overall effect was completely remarkable! 

Enjoy! 

Don't you just love the girl's dresses? Yeah....we thought so! 

Congratulations, Heather! 

Read more »

2014, A Look Back...

There's only a few hours left of 2014; and while we are super excited to begin a new year and a new season, we're also taking a look back over this past year at some of our favorite bouquets. There were some hard choices, but we've got it narrowed down to our top ten. So here they are! 

These bouquets went with a Mexican Fiesta themed wedding! Yes, it was just as awesome as it sounds! 

This Casablanca Lilly bouquet was so stunning! It was one of the best surprises of 2014!

Soft, sweet pinks and touches of warm reds and corals made this bouquet a winner.

Baby's Breath combined with Japanese Ranunculus...you just don't see that every day. 

Hot corals and reds gave this late summer bouquet a bright, bold pop of color. 

This was an oh-so-sweet anemone and rose bouquet. So feminine! 

 Early autumn brought out the textural greenery and soft, blousy blooms.

 This spring bouquet boasted of an exotic addition: Japanese Spirea! 

We can't close out the list without a winter white bouquet! This one was roses and white lace!

Thanks for following Designs by Mayumi in 2014! May the coming year be filled with joy and prosperity for you all! 

Read more »

To The Newly Engaged Bride

Did you unwrap something sparkly this Christmas? We know you are over the moon about it! We are, too; and we also know that you're ready to get that wedding planned ASAP! And by ASAP, you mean planned by next  Tuesday. We get it, we really do. So, we thought we'd put together a little list for you, the newly engaged bride, to help you get started. 

Gather Ideas- Mayumi has what she calls Inspiration Boards. This is where she puts ideas and collections together as a visual starting point. A visual starting point is simply a gathering of your ideas and things that catch your eye. It doesn't have to be perfect, or even be realistic. It just gets your mind going in a to a place that, hopefully, makes your heart start singing.  Some are old-school magazine clippings and photos; but since this is the modern age, she also has a Pinterest page with several sets of Inspiration Boards denoted to season, color, and even one that is an eclectic mix. You can follow her Pinterest boards at www.pinterest.com/designsbymayumi. You'll learn a great deal about yourself and what you truly enjoy versus whatever trend is going around at the time. Speaking of trends...

Trends- We love a good trend, don't get us wrong, but we want you to be true to yourself. We also don't want your wedding photos to be dated in a few years. So, ladies, we recommend exposing yourself to all kinds of design ideas and feel what resonates with you before consigning yourself to a trend as an entire theme. What's an expression of you? The more you explore, the more you will know. 

Establish a Budget- This is not the most fun part, but it is the most important. Budgets are where many decisions get made, and that's not a bad thing. Vendors can work within a reasonable budget very well. As businesspeople, we do this daily. We'd never want you to spend outside of your budget and look back on your special day with regret. So having a very real conversation about your budget with your family (if they are helping finance your wedding) and your future spouse, gives us the parameters to make your wedding come to life. 

So there you have it; a few items to jump-start your wedding brainstorming session! As always, we can't wait to hear from you! Call us at (706) 587-1100 to schedule a consultation! Feel free to follow us on Facebook for all the latest news! 

Read more »

Home for the Holidays

Mayumi has lived most of her adult life far from the place where she was born. It takes an adventurous spirit to leave your birthplace behind and embark on a new life in a country very different from your own. However, there's always a place in your heart that never truly leaves. You carry that little piece of home with you in your heart across the miles of oceans, mountains and rivers. In the trying times, you retreat back to it, even for just a few solitary moments. In a world that is ever-changing, and growing both larger and smaller at the same time, the word "home" takes on a new meaning.

For this week, Mayumi is in that place called home. She's with her family and childhood friends, walking on the streets she knows by heart. She's seeing how everything and nothing has changed all at the same time. She's in constant contact with both worlds at once. Mayumi will come back with her bags full of gifts and wonders from Japan, and her

heart filled to the brim with the wonderful times she's had. Her creative mind will be racing with new ideas and a fresh outlook on design. 

Until then, we wish you and yours the best during this holiday season. May you be surrounded by warmth, love and joy! 

Blessings to you all!

Read more »

Traditional Winter Weddings

I love holiday weddings! I think that it's because we are already full of the holiday spirit, but winter weddings are always full of warmth and romance to me. (It could be the candlelight, too. Just saying!)

All jokes aside, winter weddings are special to me. I love the new rustic trends that use a plethora of mason jars and tress branches grouped together. I love the icy blue and crisp whites that we saw all over the runways this season. But I might, just might, be partial to the traditional red rose on deep winter greens. It's a look that translates into any modern scene and never fails to take my breath away. 

But while I'm looking back in my mind over all the winter weddings, I also remember a particularly stunning affair with red roses and white orchids. Tall candelabras filled the room with the soft glow of candlelight... oh, it was stunning! 

However, there is still a very, very exquisite beauty in the simplicity of winter white. Gathered white roses with bouquet pins, hydrangeas like snow drifts, or stately white peonies; there's so many forms to choose!

So as the first frost covers the ground, I'm looking forward to all the romance and beauty this season can give!

Read more »

Art, Inspiration, and Creativity

Mayumi in the Museum of Contemporary Art,  La Jolla, California.

Mayumi has a theory that art inspires art. For Mayumi, art inspires her own creativity in her chosen medium - flowers. At least a few times a year, Mayumi will travel to museums and theaters to experience the work of other artists firsthand. Paintings, dance performances, visual arts...it doesn't matter; Mayumi is there to be inspired by another artist's vision. She finds it therapeutic to remove herself from her daily routine, and even from her own handiwork to break herself out of a pattern. While we all love repetition and routine, it is the change in that routine that inspires us to our greater good. We all find comfort in our patterns, but they hold us to form. So it is always advisable according to Mayumi to set out for a small adventure, to remind us of what the world has to offer.

It is when we step out into the larger world and into a sensory experience that we begin to open our minds to other's perceptions of the world. We begin to see a view that is processed and translated into an expression and understanding, with an undercurrent of oneness that courses through human existence. Mayumi says we take it back with us in the memories of it, and there we draw on that experience and let it enrich our lives. From that expression, another is born into existence, and another, and another...and the cycle begins again.
Art inspires art, creativity inspires people, and people inspire each other. Let us all be an inspiration to one another!

Read more »

When is it enough?

“He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.”
                                                            ― Lao Tzu

  This will be an unusual blog post, especially coming from a woman who has built a career in the wedding industry. I've seen the most lavish weddings, and I've seen the most humble; and I've designed them both. Being a creative person driven by a love of beauty in all things, I can see the miracles in the natural world that play about before us. I see the symmetry of an orchid, the majesty of a peony in full bloom, and the perfection of a poppy growing in a field. 

   In my daily life, I stop to acknowledge these things. I let them wash over me and replenish my spirit. I am reminded of the oneness of this world, and of the greatness and the smallness of all things. I do this because I am no stranger to becoming overwhelmed with modern society. Televisions, phones, traffic, the internet..even pop-up ads are draining to me. So much of day-to-day living has become so complicated that it seems like it takes an entire staff to manage it all. But where I see it the most is in the eyes of some of my clients. 

  The wedding industry has always been known for opulence in all things, but recently it's taken a turn down an even darker path. Weddings have now become a theatrical event, complete with overarching themes (as if marriage itself wasn't enough...) and sometimes captive audiences. Magazines, TV shows, and social media sites have really put the pressure on brides to go above and beyond what weddings even 10 years ago would have ever done.

   Ladies, let me just say this one thing to you: You are already perfect. Just the way you are, no matching napkins to aisle runners necessary. Your wedding is a celebration of a commitment to a life partner that will walk with you through the rest of your lives together. That's it. It's not about throwing a 300 person party. It's not about emulating the latest trendy thing going on right now. It's about you making a public pledge to love your spouse through the best of times, and through the worst.

  So when you're planning your wedding and you start to feel frazzled and hassled, take a step back and breathe. Remember what brought you to this point and don't be afraid to keep the word "enough" at the top of your mind. What makes the most beautiful weddings are the ones where love takes center stage. Love in it's purest, simple form. And that is enough. The rest will fall perfectly into place.

Read more »

Floral Design Classes with Mayumi

"When I design an arrangement, I put myself in a peaceful and beautiful location. The allows me to tap into the creativity and design side of my mind."
                                    - Mayumi Hashiyama 


As the holiday season approaches, many of us find ourselves hosting family gatherings and social events in our homes. Our menus are set, the linens are pressed, and the good china adorns the table; and the centerpieces.... well, they are pre-made from the local grocery store. 
Floristry, even for the home, is an art. Why not go ahead a make a statement? You can learn the floral design for your home that incorporates elements of Japanese Ikebana and modern floristry to create beautiful arrangements from your own surroundings. Nature expresses itself through flowers; through each branch, each leaf, and each bloom. Floral arrangement is learning the language of nature to bring the beauty and wonder of the natural world into your home. 
Mayumi offers both Western-style floral arranging classes, and also Japanese Ikebana instruction. She can teach you the basics of design and florsitry, giving you a good foundation to allow you to practice your artistic abilities fluently. Mayumi teaches privately, for a one-on-one learning experience. Mayumi also offers group sessions, which are always fun for groups of 10 or more that wish to to learn holiday decorating. These classes are always fun and insightful for everyone from beginners to advanced florists wishing to further their skill sets. 

To schedule your classes, call Mayumi at (706) 587-1100.

Read more »