Ashley and Kadin were infectiously happy on their wedding day. Maybe I shouldn’t call it their wedding day, because the two actually eloped a few weeks earlier. My parents eloped, so I have a special place in my heart for elopements. Too much love to wait.
When Ashley was in the process of inquiring with me, she told me her color palette was “all the colors,” which was very exciting to me. Here’s the thing. Girls dream up their weddings their whole lives and usually only get married once, so many brides make very traditional choices. Wearing a white dress, for example. I have seen models and the occasional bride in a non-white wedding dress, to which I think, “you go girl,” but I get why people don’t do it more often. You only get to wear the big white dress once. Even if you are the type of bougie (and blessed) girl who regularly attends formal events, it would be a little strange to show up in an all white gown. So if you don’t wear a white dress at your wedding, when will you? Once in a lifetime. For similar reasons, many brides choose white flowers. White, fluffy roses and deep greens. Brides choose this because it’s, you know, bridal. I get it. I did it. HOWEVER. As a florist, I am very involved in weddings. They aren’t really a once in a lifetime ordeal for me. More like once in a weekend. So I get a little tired of white. And I love color. Long story short, when Ashley told me she wanted ALL the colors, all my flower dreams came true.
On Ashley’s wedding day, I had a very short window to set up. I arrived at The Blake event space in Provo at 10 am, and it is a darling little venue. Highlights included the white walls, wood tables, and boxwood greenery wall where the couple hung a neon sign, which I have to say is a trend I am in love with. I immediately got to work on the swags (a flower installation made to be hung on a wall or arch) around the neon sign. I did this first because I knew this would be a photo op. The entire time I worked on that installation, I was obsessed with my work. This sounds very haughty but I don’t really care, because just look at these photos.
Ashley stressed that she didn’t want this to look traditional, and when describing her vision, said she wanted “flower bursts”. This was echoed in the welcome arrangements, where instead of vases, we used plastic trays with soaked foam to make it look like the flowers are just sprouting out of the ground or table. All the bridesmaids wore white (adorable) and their bouquets really stood out against the white fabric. I was also a big fan of the colorful paper cranes the bride folded and hung on one of the walls.
I ended up leaving the venue around 11:15 to drive up to Snowbird to assist at another wedding. I left Christian, my hunky husband, and my freelancer at the venue, and for the entire hour I was driving, sent Christian about 37 text messages via siri giving him instructions, all of which were entirely unnecessary as he is completely competent and really knows the drill at this point. He gave the bride her bouquet, instructed the girls on how to hold their bouquets, tied ribbons, finished hanging my swags for the neon sign, and made sure the welcome sign arrangement and floor piece were both stable. Family members of the bride who were at the venue during set up started calling him “the flower dude,” a title he has decided he will keep. It’s pretty cute, don’t you think?
Overall, it was a beautiful wedding. I love having Christian by my side in this business. There are times when I feel extremely overwhelmed and want to quit, and I realize it’s because I am taking on all of the burdens myself. I was watching a TV show and one of the characters spoke of this feeling as a business owner that “no one is coming.” No one is coming to save you, to bale you out, to fix things. That is terrifying. It’s heavy. At times, it feels kind of remarkable and exciting, that this business is all mine, and every success I enjoy will be because of the work that I have put into it. And that is partly true. But I have also had so much help. My dad helping me renovate the trailer. My twin sister doing all of my graphic design and branding. And my husband, running errands, charging the Jackery battery every night, and taking a Saturday to be The Flower Dude and my second pair of hands. When I have his help, it all feels less overwhelming. This is ultimately my business, but as my life partner, I know he will come when it feels like “no one is coming.”
I also really reflected on the tradition of wedding celebrations this week. I think the bright colors reminded me why we all gather together when a couple decides to join together in marriage. It is to celebrate them. To say, “Congratulations on finding your match!” and “Welcome to this new place in society!” and “We are here to support and love you as you transition into this part of your life”. People gather and are happy to see the people they love happy. And flowers are there to celebrate that.
Comentarios