FOCUS ON FLORIST

Belli Fiori

By Amy Zimmerman | Photos by White Klump Photography

We checked in with local fl oral designers to fi nd out how they survived quarantine, where they fi nd inspiration, and what they are most looking forward to in fl oral trends for the wedding season.

LISA MOLITOR

Owner and Principal Designer, Belli Fiori

What has been your most diffi cult challenge during quarantine?

Not being able to do the work that I love has been diffi cult. I thought about it the other day and I am never going to complain about working on a Saturday again. I miss delivering fl owers, seeing the looks on my clients’ faces, and participating in the joy of their day. Having to pivot and do things that aren’t our fi rst love is not as rewarding.

How do you describe your design style?

Personally, I really love classic design, the soft and romantic feel, with and without greenery. But any great designer should be able to work with clients to discover what they want without pushing our design preferences onto them. We can adapt to any kind of design if we’re really good.

What is your favorite fl ower?

I love tulips in the spring and sunfl owers in the fall.

Where do you look for inspiration?

I like to see what is happening on the east and west coasts. A lot of times that starts to trickle into our market one to two years later. I also like to see what is going on in home décor and jewelry. That often reveals which metallic and color palates are popular. There is a correlation between those industries and fl oral design.

What current trend in wedding fl owers do you appreciate?

I noticed color shifting with lavender making a little bit of a comeback. I’m not seeing a lot of it, but more than normal. The thing that I love is tints in fl orals, such as tinted baby’s breath and tinted greenery. As a fl orist, I love the look because it is so different and interesting. I used tinted baby’s breath in a design and the guests didn’t even know what it was. The fl owers were tinted lavender and people kept asking what kind of lilacs were in the arrangement. It’s not just purple tint but other interesting colors such as orange and pink.

What advice do you have for brides and grooms?

This pandemic is forcing us to look at things in a different way. Why not look at your wedding differently, too? Don’t be afraid to try something new like a brunch wedding or a smaller, more intimate wedding. We did two weddings last year on Wednesdays. Do a brunch wedding with more guests and a smaller, more intimate dinner with family and friends that night. It’s fun to try something different.

Roses & Mint Florals

KIRA MULVANY

Owner, Roses & Mint Florals

What has been your most difficult challenge during quarantine?

Our hearts are breaking for our couples who looked so forward to celebrating and starting their marriage on a certain date and they have to reimagine that. It is difficult to watch but they have been doing it with such grace. The process has been smooth, but it is heartbreaking.

Also, we miss having our entire team together. Our contractors are the heartbeat of our business. When they aren’t delivering flowers regularly we miss them.

How do you describe your design style?

The most important thing that we hold dear is that the flowers are allowed to follow their natural lines and movement. Our designs can be garden style or more tailored, but we allow the flowers to hold their natural loveliness. We avoid forcing flowers into shapes that aren’t natural.

What is your favorite flower?

Garden rose, hands down. I’m a garden rose girl. My maiden name is Rose so it comes naturally.

Where do you look for inspiration?

We love looking at fashion, architecture, art pieces, all of the art mediums, but we definitely are most inspired by our couples’ love stories, for sure.

What current trend in wedding flowers do you appreciate?

We are loving this flower-focused trend with minimal to no greenery. The design style is fashion-forward where the natural shape and movement of the flowers is highlighted in really interesting, modern shapes and lines. Bouquets are focused on flowers, with little greenery and artistic shapes. Modern minimalistic is another way to describe it.

We’ve had such a long season of everyone wanting greenery everywhere it is nice to see flowers come to the forefront again. Greenery is just as expensive, if not more expensive, than flowers which surprises some people. I think flowers give a lush, garden feel and look more expensive but actually may cost less.

What advice do you have for brides and grooms?

We have been telling our couples to stay focused on the main thing, their marriage and relationship. Everything else will fall into place. The details of planning, rescheduling, and reworking are difficult, but stay focused on yourselves because that is what it’s really all about.

Some of our couples may need to rethink the size of their wedding. If they are downsizing from a large event to a much smaller event, they may not need as many centerpieces, for example, but there are creative ways to use those flowers. We are helping our couples find artful ways to use those flowers as part of their celebration in statement pieces or installations.

Ayla's Floral Studio

AYLA ABBASSI

Owner, Ayla’s Floral Studio

What has been your most difficult challenge during quarantine?

It’s been difficult for my employees. Morale is down and there is a lot of uncertainty. Of course, the postponement of all the events and the uncertainty for the brides is awful. I’m offering refunds and postponement without fee but it is difficult for brides who plan all their lives for this day. It is hard to watch them struggle.

How do you describe your design style?

We are very organic and design-focused. We try to use florals that are not as mainstream as the workhorses of the industry. We don’t use carnations and Gerber daisies as much. Instead we use more unique flowers such as kangaroo pods and peony tulips. The brides set the style for us. We listen carefully to what they want and try not to impose our personal style on their ideas.

What is your favorite flower?

I haven’t met a flower I didn’t like! There are some crazy looking flowers such as orchids and blushing brides. Peonies are so short-lived and beautiful. I would say that is my favorite.

Where do you look for inspiration?

Most of my inspiration comes from nature and from overseas. In nature, I see inspiration in plants and animals. Nature is amazing to me. I am inspired by overseas designers because the flowers available to them are so different from ours but the color palate and style I am able to replicate with flowers available here. South America, Australia, Europe all feature floral designs much different from ours.

What current trend in wedding flowers do you appreciate?

I think the micro-wedding is going to be a big thing after this pandemic. We may see a new normal of 50 people or fewer attending a wedding. I see couples spending more on intimate details that make a smaller celebration amazing. I think we’ll see a lot more arbors, arches, hanging flowers, and elevated arrangements as micro-weddings become more popular and I think couples will see how much fun it is to plan a smaller, intimate event.

What advice do you have for brides and grooms?

I think brides and grooms should continue to choose vendors and partners that are not focused solely on the bottom line. They should work with people who understand the uncertainty and stay focused on the big day. Find joy in whatever size ceremony or type of celebration they end up having. The most important part is that two people love each other. Sometimes couples get hung up on the venue, or the types of flowers. It’s important to work with good people who are there to support them and focus on the big prize, which is everlasting love.

Wildflowers

SARAH WARD

Owner, Wildflowers

What has been your most difficult challenge during quarantine?

It is heartbreaking talking with brides who have to rethink and reschedule what should be the happiest day of their lives. Rescheduling and trying to make their plans work is difficult. It is heartbreaking to watch them pivot their dream into something else. Our studio manager is getting married and I’m her maid of honor so we’ve been walking through this from both sides.

How do you describe your design style?

We look at our design style for several different angles. We love really rich, beautiful, textured garden styles but we also love modern design.

What is your favorite flower?

It depends on the day! For Mother’s Day, my husband had my designer make me an arrangement with coral charm peonies and green viburnum and I’ve enjoyed it all week so today that is my favorite.

Where do you look for inspiration?

I love to go to the Botanical Garden and out for walks in nature among beautiful flowers. Another place I enjoy is the Art Museum. I especially enjoy modern and contemporary art pieces and learning the stories behind them. Recently I’ve been researching Ai Weiwei (Chinese contemporary artist) and his different structures.

What current trend in wedding flowers do you appreciate?

There are a couple of styles that I enjoy. One is the more bohemian, natural look with pampas grass. I also like the classical, romantic style with beautiful garden roses.

What advice do you have for brides and grooms?

My studio manager is going through this and I told her to take a deep breath. It’s ok to pause for a moment. You can’t control what is going on in the world, but you can control how you celebrate your wedding. One of our clients is choosing to have a small ceremony now and postpone the reception for nine months. Look at it as a year-long celebration with multiple small events. Whatever you choose, in the end you will be married. We are going to do whatever we can to make your wedding beautiful. Whether it is a ten-person ceremony now or a 200-person celebration in a year, we are going to use flowers to make it beautiful.

Sisters Floral Design Studio

EMILY TESTRAKE

Owner, Sisters Floral Design Studio

What has been your most difficult challenge during quarantine?

On the business side, the most challenging part has been staying positive for brides that have to move dates. We had dozens of postponed events and we were scrambling the first days after the announcement. Our priority was reassuring clients that we are still going to be their florist and changing the date isn’t going to cost them any more money. Logistically, trying to move everyone was a challenge. We had two people we had to move twice. I pride myself in remembering names and dates of my clients but now I don’t know anyone’s date. It is too much of a jumble in my brain.

Personally, the lack of physical contact is difficult for me. I am an affectionate, outgoing person. One of the reasons we keep this a small business is because we enjoy personal relationships with our clients

How do you describe your design style?

Our company doesn’t have a set design style. We’ve been doing this for 18 years and we don’t want to get stuck in a certain look. We strive to grow and change with the times. Just like with fashion, home décor, and cars, designs change and tastes change. We need to keep up with that and stay on top of trends. Our designs are all very customized to each client.

What is your favorite flower?

I don’t have a favorite flower. Whatever comes in that week is my favorite – I’m a flower geek. Shelly’s favorite is tulips. She’s been my manager and lead designer for more than 13 years and she loves tulips.

Where do you look for inspiration?

We look to the color palates from home décor as they often spill into floral design. We follow a lot of European and Asian designers on Instagram. Most trends start in Europe and Asia, move from there to New York and Los Angeles and the make their way to us. St. Louis is a little more conservative with change and design trends.

What current trend in wedding flowers do you appreciate?

Bringing back color! For years, everything was ivory, blush, and gold. It is very beautiful and timeless but as a floral designer, we appreciate color. Now brides are much more likely to use seasonal colors.

What advice do you have for brides and grooms?

Make sure you sit down with a budget for your whole wedding and allow enough for florals. Give your designer some samples that show your design style and tastes. Then allow your designer to present a design that fits within your budget rather than dictating exactly what you want. You will get a lot more bang for your buck if you let the designer run with it a little bit. Brides don’t typically know the pricing of individual flowers. But a designer does and you will get bigger, prettier arrangements if you allow the designer to be creative. One of our goals is that the perceived value of your florals is more than what you spent.

Also, as we get through this pandemic, keep your focus on the important stuff. You are just as married if you have 50 guests or 250 guests. Maybe this will help us get back to what is important. It’s fun to have a big party but keep the focus on the big picture and don’t worry so much about the details.

Fiesta

Weddings in the time of Covid19

BY JENNIFER C. FRAKES

Every wedding has a few hiccups and unforeseen circumstances. But getting married during a pandemic? No one could have predicted that. Imagine months of planning, working with dozens of vendors and anticipating seeing all your most cherished family and friends—then learning your big day will need to be much smaller. These four couples all forged ahead, getting married on their original wedding date, most with drastically altered plans. And each of them is so glad they did. Though it wasn’t what they pictured, these more intimate events turned out to be especially meaningful, relaxed and wonderful celebrations of the couple. Their St. Louis-area vendors were understanding and flexible and will be there for their second “bigger” day, scheduled later this year or in 2021.

LINDSEY CHAD

Home Sweet Home

May 16, 2020 WHITE-KLUMP PHOTOGRAPHY

Plan A for Lindsey and Chad’s big day was a ceremony and reception at Willow, in downtown St. Louis. Getting married in the attic of their South City home “was probably Plan E or F,” laughed Lindsey, but it turned out beautifully. Lindsey and Chad are both fans of older homes and Chad actually proposed to Lindsey in the candle-lit attic of the home they bought together three years ago. So the spot was sentimental, and large enough for the couple, officiant and his wife, maid of honor and best man (who introduced the couple) and the photographer. “It was very romantic,” Lindsey said. “But we also look forward to celebrating with our family and friends next May.” Lots of champagne was delivered to their doorstep by wellwishers, and the couple returned the favor by dropping off wedding cake for those that couldn’t be there.

DETAILS

VENUE:

COUPLES’ HOME

FLORIST:

PETAL PUSHERS STL

BRIDE'S DRESS:

JUNO BRIDAL

CAKE:

WEDDING WONDERLAND

OFFICIANT:

TYLER KIRK

DRESS DESIGNER:

ALYSSA KRISTIN

LAUREN CHAD

From the Heart Six Feet Apart

May 24 , 2020 MADDIE HALL, PHOTOGRAPHER

When Lauren and Chad realized they wouldn’t be able to have their planned wedding of 250 at 612 North in downtown St. Louis, it was Chad who said what mattered most was becoming husband and wife. Hosting 16 family members outdoors at St. Albans turned out to be a lovely and meaningful affair. Lauren’s grandparents, in their 90’s, were able to really share in the intimate ceremony, including witnessing the signing of the ketubah, the legal document in Jewish law that certifies the marriage. “Usually guests don’t see that part of the ceremony, but it was very special for those that were there to witness it,” Lauren said. Lauren also savored her relaxing morning that day, going for a run and having mimosas with her sister. Their initial wedding plans are still in place with their wonderful vendors for September of 2021.

DETAILS

VENUE:

THE INNS AT ST. ALBAN’S

FLORIST:

RUDY’S FLOWER TRUCK (BOUQUET), TRADER JOE’S FOR THE REST, DONE BY BRIDE’S MOM AND AUNT

BRIDE'S DRESS: BLOOMINGDALE’S CAKE:

CELEBRATING LIFE CAKE BOUTIQUE

MUSIC:

RUSS PRICHARD, RUSSELLVILLE MUSIC

BEAUTY:

JULIA MANEWITH

OFFICIANT:

RABBI CARNIE ROSE

Katie ERic

Just the Two of Us

April 3, 2020 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAIME NICOLE KRAUSE

Katie and Eric had planned on a small wedding, but not this small. The officiant, Carolyn Burke, the photographer and the property owners, Rita Dickherber and husband Kim Bradsher, were the only ones present. Dickherber Farms in Dardenne Prarie was their original chosen location, and it turned out to be a perfect place to be married during the pandemic. “We love farms, and it was a second marriage for both of us,” Katie said. “The day was just about us, and it turned out perfectly. The only thing I would have changed was to have been able to have my hair and make-up done professionally!” The Sobodas plan to host a small reception when it’s safe to do so.

DETAILS

VENUE:

DICKHERBER FARM

FLORIST:

SCHNUCKS FLORAL

BRIDE'S DRESS:

DAVID'S BRIDAL

OFFICIANT:

CAROLYN BURKE

Hayley sam

Locally Sourced

May 30 , 2020 PHOTOGRAPHY BY BTP BY ALISON

Reducing your guest list from 250 to nine people requires a major mental shift, but Sam and Hayley didn’t miss a beat. Originally, their wedding was to be at Mad Art Gallery, near where they live. Instead they married in nearby Benton Park, where Sam had proposed, and had an intimate gathering at Ernesto’s Wine Bar, a favorite neighborhood spot of theirs. The wine bar had been closed, but they rented the space and Ernesto’s provided wine, while the couple brought in local beers from Bluewood Brewing and Earthbound Beer. “It was a beautiful day and we spent most of the time on the patio, really visiting and enjoying our small group,” Sam said. “It was really relaxed.” Sam and Hayley are grateful to their vendors for their flexibility, and they have rescheduled with all of them for a celebration hopefully on August 28.

DETAILS

VENUE:

BENTON PARK, ERNESTO’S WINE BAR

CATERING:

SALT + SMOKE

FLORIST:

RILEY’S FLORIST

BRIDE'S DRESS:

LULU’S

CAKE:

BRITT’S BAKEHOUSE

OFFICIANT:

JIM ROCHE