Floral Art/Design

The Bridal GownWhen most people think of their local florist a simple bouquet of flowers are first to come to mind. Then if there is a holiday party on the schedule maybe a nice centerpiece is the item that encourages you to call or better yet visit your florist. What many people do not know is that today the world of floristry has grown and developed into a very professional industry. Most people choosing to become florist today will first attend a trade school. Florists who have been in the industry for years or generations return to the classroom for extensive training or better yet a college degree program in floral art and design. Today it is not enough to just prepare simple bouquets and nice centerpieces.

Handcrafted netting

Recently Condè Nast asked me and 3 other professional florists to create floral sculptures for their stand at a bridal fair. Yes, floral sculpture is part of our talents and becoming more often requested from our clients. Floral art and design is fast becoming a must in our industry.
I decided to create a bridal gown constructed of hand crafted wire netting. The support structure alone took 42 hours to construct. Then the entire structure was covered with sisal making sure to maintain transparency. The finishing touch included pearls, diamonte, crystals and finally flowers and greenery. This is truly floral art and design. Many thanks to master Gundensen from Norway for sharing this technique with me.

The bridal gown

Vase

Buffet table

My Stand

This technique can be used in various ways to create decorations for events and gift items. I have used it from creating lamps to decorating the brides home. Even my own stand at the bridal fair was decorated with hearts in his same technique.
Next time you have a decorating need be sure to check first with your florist….you might be in for a nice surprise.

Debra

The Bridal Fair - IoSposa

My stand at "IoSposa"



The ceiling design was all hand strung beads.

Organizing for a fair is so much work. Not only does it require that I find some creative idea that will capture the attention of thousands of tired fair goers but also to create something that will show my skills as a designer and florist. Then comes the managerial and marketing work. Even though I have people who handle these responsibilities, I believe it’s important that I am involved in the process.

This year I concentrated on WHITE and LIGHTS. All of the arrangements on the stand were white and had LED lights in and around everything. The overall effect was interesting.

The big news this year was that the national television channel asked me to do a brief interview on the trends in bridal bouquets. How odd that something I created just for my own pleasure was spotted by the reporter for the interview. This is exactly why I love my work.

That's it!!! Now it's time to wait for the results of so much hard work.....which will mean more hard work during the wedding season.

Maybe I'll rest for a moment.

Debra

Irish brides in Rome

Although only 15% of my bridal business comes from Irish couples getting married in Rome I must admit that designing for the Irish women who contact me about their wedding is one of the most enjoyable parts of my work.

Just this September I was asked to design for an Irish couple. The lovely bride was kind enough to send me a photo of the bouquets that I designed for her and her bridesmaid. I absolutely love these bouquets. I hope you do too.

Many thanks to the bride for sending me the photo.

Debra

"The colors of Baroque"

Professional florists make a point of fueling their inspiration. They make an effort to update themselves on new techniques and trends. This is one of the main reasons why I always suggest to my clients and friends too, to chose a professional florist just as you would any other professional for your needs. Honestly, would you chose a hairdresser or chef who hasn’t had any training in their field? Chose a professional florist.

Here I am in a city 85 km from home taking a course. The theme of this course is the “Colors of Baroque”. This may seem unnecessary to Americans but here in Rome I often find myself in churches or Villas that are decorated in this period style. Understanding the period assures that my designs will successfully enhance their surroundings.

Learning has been made especially inviting since the course is being held in one of Fiuggi’s five star hotels. Just take a look at what we are seeing while we are listening to the instructor and designing our works of Baroque floral art.

Ahhh!! It’s great to be a professional florist.

Gotta go. Class is about to begin.
Debra

Hearts and Flowers

Invitation

My last visit of the day at the October 2008 Bridal Fair was a mature and very friendly couple. After only a few minutes of conversation and I knew this was going to be a meeting that I would remember for a long time. Maria Grazia and I hit it off straight away. She loved my work and I loved her enthusiasm for planning her upcoming wedding.

Maria Grazia and her fiancé came to my shop where we talked for literally hours about her dreams for her wedding day. Even Walter had many questions and special requests for the designs and types of flowers. Their enthusiasm was contagious and I began to make simple drawings of the designs to make sure that we were all imagining the same concepts. Once we agreed it was time to take pencil and paper (still use those) and my calculator (yes, I still use that too). I put together my proposal and then printed the contract.

The months prior to the wedding passed very quickly. Maria Grazia and I met at intervals to discuss adding items to the church decorations. We even met at the reception location in order to verify that all our ideas were correct logistically as well as artistically.

Well, I underestimated my own creativity. The overall effect was stunning. I decided to call in a favor from my good friend Fabrizio who is a freelance photographer, to take photos of our work. These are the results of our hard work and Fabrizio’s photographic talent.

I hope you have enjoyed these as much as I have. Each time I look at the photos a smile comes to my face. First for realizing my designs so accurately and second for the wonderful friendship that developed between me and Maria Grazia during the process.

Enjoy!!

Debra

Passion

Bridal Bouquet

Passion is like a fireplace. It requires care to maintain a roaring fire.
Floral Design is my Passion but in order to maintain this very passionate relationship I know that I need to literally do something to keep it going. This past weekend I attended a Floral Design demonstration about 90 miles away. It was wonderful to sit in a garden atmosphere and listen to our dutch Floral design master, Pieter Landman talk about the new tends in wedding design and then bring these concepts to life with fresh flowers and plants….Yes! I did say plants. He showed us such beautiful ways to use plants in our floral designs for weddings and other grand events. He taught us new techniques in using plants that will really create awe for event guests.

Driving home was a challenge . I was so excited about all that I had seen and just couldn’t get to my shop fast enough to try out these new techniques and offer them on a smaller scale to my customers and better yet, to some very fashion forward bride.

The life of a florist is so very exciting.

with tons of passion,

Debra

Professional Florist

Decorated Rice Holder

In these times of economic challenges it is even more important than ever to carefully select the suppliers you need for your special events. How much something costs should be reviewed based on what you will receive from the floristin terms of product but also customer service. As a professional florist I’m often asked about my pricing. I carefully explain to the client the importance of evaluating more than the price. Dedicated service is also a part of the price that cannot always be measured.

Recently I was booked for a wedding in the center of Rome. During our designing session we decided that the trees outside the church looked fine as they were. On the actual day of the wedding I noticed that the tree vases were damaged. In a case like this there is no time to consult the client. It is the responsibility of the professional florist to make an intelligent decision without worrying about payment. We were prepared with the materials necessary to decorate the unsightly vase.

Choose a prfessional you can trust. Your special day can't be repeated.

all the best,

Debra