Local + Seasonal + Sustainable
What makes my floral design different?
I've chosen to use 100% locally grown flowers in my floral design!
​
This is different than traditional florists who order the majority of their flowers from wholesalers, who typically get their flowers from other countries, like Colombia and Ecuador. While these countries grow beautiful flowers, the chemicals used in growing, energy used to transport, and materials used in packaging are what I'm trying to avoid.
​
If y'all don't know, my parents own
and grow stunning flowers on the property where I grew up. Because of this, I have a unique opportunity to showcase the beauty of local flowers in wedding floral design.
Chemicals: Because flowers are not considered consumable, the amount of insecticides, pesticides, and fungicides used on them while growing is unlimited. In order to make it into the US, more chemicals can be applied, in order to kill any foreign fungi and insects and prevent infestation. The toxins on imported flowers are dangerous and can be absorbed through the skin while working with flowers.
Energy: Flowers are perishable and must be kept cool while being transported. This refrigeration requires lots of energy, not to mention the planes used to transport them!
​
Materials: Flowers are fragile! In order to transport them thousands of miles while keeping them fresh and intact, tons of cardboard, plastic, ice packs, and padding are used, most of which are strictly single-use.
What this means for you
Even though depending exclusively on local flowers has its challenges, I feel strongly about my calling: to show the world that beautiful wedding florals don't have to be imported. My background in sustainability and childhood surrounded by nature, paired with my stubbornness, has led me to call this my mission.
​
What you might miss out on:
Without the wholesaler, I don't have access to out of season flowers and flowers that don't grow well in our zone. For example, roses and carnations are popular flowers in traditional wedding design but not something we typically depend on. Most florists and Pinterest inspiration photos feature arrangements that include flowers that wouldn't be found growing in our field in the same season. Ranunculus bloom in the Spring and Dahlias in late summer to fall. This seasonality seems limiting, but forces a creativity that wouldn't be seen otherwise.
​
What you'll gain:
By choosing local blooms, you'll have wedding florals that are completely original. Seasonality challenges me to pair blooms that I otherwise wouldn't think about putting in the same design. I welcome this challenge and am confident in my ability to make beauty happen in any season. I depend on my mom's growing expertise at the farm, other local growers in the area, and my foraging skills.
​
Throughout my own creative journey, I've learned that trusting other artists is one of the most incredible and rewarding choices you can make. As someone who tends to like to have a lot of control in her life, relinquishing this control has been a hard lesson for me to learn. I can confidently say, I would not be where I am today without that lesson. Collaborating with other artists is powerful.
​
Hiring me for wedding floral design requires trust. I can't do mockups. I can't tell you every single bloom I'll use in your bridal bouquet or the total stem count for your wedding months ahead. But if we work together to build a relationship that fosters trust and transparency, hold space for each other's vision and ideas, and are patient and flexible throughout our journey, I promise you'll understand the magic of local flowers.
Resources to help you learn what's possible
I encourage you to look at the galleries, portfolio, and Instagram to get a feel for my design style and past work. You can also pay attention to dates (especially in my portfolio) to see what kind of flowers might be available around your wedding date.
​
I'm working on some infographics to help you know what flowers bloom when! In the meantime, google search unfamiliar flower names or ask me to send a picture!