I Challenge You

Why do so many florist limit their design aesthetic to neutrals and earth tones? I get it, your bride wants the classic blush and white color palette for their wedding and the last thing you want to do is spend more money on flowers and more time designing. But Mother Earth provides so many beautiful colors, hues, tonal ranges, and subtle undertones and they are all at our fingertips, why not explore? Confining yourself to only a small space on the color wheel is not only limiting but it has always baffled me; maybe I am blessed to take this path in a slow methodical way, but by making time to slow down and play with color palettes all over the wheel I am beginning to find my voice…my niche.

I challenge you. Go to the flower market and choose one flower, or take a few minutes to snip a flower you are drawn to in your garden. Process it. Let it sit in a space that gets various lighting throughout the day and watch the flower for 24 hours, checking it a few times during the day to see what colors you can find inside the flower itself. Do you see orange undertones? Blue? Purple? Then go back to your market or outside and find flowers that will bring out those colors. They may be contrasting or maybe they are analogous. Whatever you see and feel uncomfortable designing with, do it! Put on some music that you can feel with your body, not your ears and allow the music to inspire your new color palette, or if you prefer silence, block out the noise, calm your mind and proceed.

I challenge you to use colors you don’t normally get to use while serving your brides. I challenge you to design with various shapes or ingredients that you’ve shied away from or simply don’t know how to use. It will be so empowering to know how these flowers, shapes, and colors work together or don’t and will build your confidence as your floral design evolves.

Tell me if you’re willing to accept the challenge, I’d love to hear from you.