Weddingbee PRO

In the continuing Real Groom series by Danny Lai, I am grateful that Danny is tackling a very helpful subject - flowers and the florist selection process.

Danny gives his male perspective on what he feels are great questions to ask a florist and what to look for. For a change, it's nice to have a client tell me what they want to know instead of me telling all of you what I think. You'll be surprised to find out that Danny and I share many of the same insights.

I can't thank Danny enough for his frank and candid post. Hope you enjoy!

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Floral arrangements play a major role in unifying any wedding theme, as you see them everywhere at a wedding — on the wedding party, altar, seats, and on the reception tables. When choosing a floral designer, it's important to choose someone who understands your style and vision (Nancy interjects….”amen to that”), and can make it real while keeping within your budget. When interviewing your prospective floral designer, make sure you've covered the following points:

Budget

Ask the difficult questions first. Ask your floral designer about his/her past weddings of similar size and venue, and get a rough estimate of the floral costs for those weddings. This should give you a ballpark range for your expected floral costs. Some floral designers produce unforgettable art using only the most expensive elements, while others produce art across a broader spectrum of elements and prices. Make sure your potential floral designer has worked within your budget before.

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In her previous career Judy was a teacher. These days she continues to care for delicate little ones helping them reach maximum potential, too… but these don't talk back.

Judy is one of Maine's most brilliant floral designers. I had the pleasure of meeting her three years ago at a Grace Ormonde luncheon at the Retreat at French's Point, an elaborate industry event Judy designed. I've been lucky to work with Judy at many weddings since, always excited to capture the visual variety of her wedding bouquets and tablescapes. She works hard to capture each of her couple's taste and personality, all with a trademark Judy smile and spunk.

Many florists have their flowers shipped to them directly, but Judy prefers to visit the Boston Flower Exchange each week to personally pick the stems needed for each upcoming weekend affair. Hearing stories of the scene, I thought it might be fun to join her with my camera and show you the process.

I met Judy at 4a.m. to begin our adventure. This meant waking up at 3a.m., just two hours after my typical bedtime. Oy. Thank goodness for 24/7 Tim Horton's.

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It’s such a pleasure to blog along with some of my favorite wedding vendors!  I have been reading Weddingbee PRO from day one, so I was thrilled when Bee invited me to join the team and share with all of you some of my wedding creations and floral tidbits. I’m amazed that The Treasured Petal has flourished the way it has in just two short years.  Here’s our story! 

I was kind of a loner as a kid (don’t feel too bad for me!) and spent most of my free time drawing and painting.  My favorite subjects to paint were my cat Cutie, mermaids, medieval princesses, and you guessed it - flowers!  I will never forget the first art contest I won in 2nd grade: I won a 50.00 savings bond and a picture in the newspaper for a painting of two butterflies and flowers against a sunset sky.  Cheesy, I know, but I was amazed to be rewarded for doing something that I truly loved doing.  I knew I had to be an artist someday! 

By the time college rolled around, I figured I should take the more “practical” route and headed to U.C. Berkeley to study Psychology.  During my studies at Berkeley, I decided to volunteer after class at a quaint little flower shop near campus.  I needed to be surrounded by color and beauty for at least a few hours a day.  My humble tasks included sweeping up stems, stripping rose thorns, and plucking the anthers out of lilies. It wasn’t glamorous and I was no Preston Bailey at the time, but what I learned at that shop was priceless: I learned to love and care for each and every flower. I also learned how to keep them alive for as long as possible, a talent that has served me well in this business.

I enjoyed studying Psychology immensely and was just about to apply to grad school to become a Marriage and Family Therapist, but decided that I needed to embrace my artistic roots and try out a career in floral design.  I began as an apprentice at two Orange County floral studios. I also attended some awesome classes at Goldenwest College in Huntington Beach to learn all the basics.  It is easy to “fake” a corsage or bouquet, but I really wanted to learn the correct technique before finding my own style and doing it “my way.”  You can’t break the rules until you know the rules, right? 
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