Vendor Spotlight: Graceful Flowers by Patricia

We are excited to announce a new series of vendor interviews on here on the blog.  This week we had a chance to talk to Patricia Collet of Graceful Flowers by Patricia.

Tell me about your business.

I love beautiful things!  So it follows that I love to make things beautiful from rooms to outfits to floral design.  I started my studies in interior design then changed to floral design, who can resist the natural beauty of flowers!  I studied through the Floral Design Institute then took advanced courses to become and FDI Certified Wedding Specialist.

I design a wedding like I would design a room taking everything into account from the bride’s gown to her venue to the look and feel she is going for.  Every aspect of her wedding should flow and make visual sense.  I take into account how the flowers will look the day of the wedding and in her pictures.   Brides will look at their pictures for many years to come so visual presentation is very important.

You may wonder how  I have the time to pay attention to all these details.  The answer is simple, I take only one wedding a day.  I am with the bride and groom from the first consultation to set-up to removal of any rental items. Since I am there the day of the wedding I make sure the floral design is exactly as the bride envisioned.   I guess you could call me a boutique florist!

What do you enjoy most when working with a bridal couple?

I enjoy sharing the design process with the bridal couple and bringing their vision to life.  I love handing the bride her bouquet so I can see the look on her face .  I enjoy knowing that my beautiful floral designs will add to the bridal couples joy on their wedding day.

From where do you draw your inspiration?

I draw my inspiration from many areas.  The brides gown, the venue and the time of the wedding sets the tone for the bride’s bouquet.  An evening formal wedding with the bride wearing a ball gown will inspire a very different bouquet than an outdoor afternoon garden wedding with the bride in a casual flowing gown.

Once the level formality is established I have my brides look through books filled with bouquet ideas.  Sometimes a bride will bring pictures of flowers she likes, this helps me see what she sees.  Once all these design ideas are explored I listen to what the bride wants then I design her  bouquet.  The couple’s remaining wedding flowers flow from and coordinate with these design ideas.

I can also look at a gown and envision what type of bouquet would compliment it because of my training and experience.

The natural beauty and harmony found in nature is also a wonderful source of inspiration.

What advice to you have for brides and grooms who are in the throes of planning their wedding?

When planning your budget remember to keep your flowers in balance with the rest of your wedding.   A beautiful venue,  gorgeous wedding gown and sumptuous food all make for a wonderful wedding day.  As guests enter your reception, flowers are one of the first things they notice so it’s important to have them enhance your vision.  You don’t want your flowers to look like an afterthought! Since wedding consultants work with the bridal couple to help them establish a budget I believe they are an extremely valuable asset when planning a wedding.

Thanks Patricia!  For more information please visit http://www.gracefulflowers.net/.