StyleSchool

This week, Kate Holt, owner and lead designer of Flowerwild (flowerwild.com) in Los Angeles is sharing her flower know-how. This west coast florist, who grew up in a family of gardeners, also has a photography background which gives her arrangements stunning, artistic edge.

What is your design philosophy? My design philosophy is simple: let the flowers show off their natural beauty. Let them breath! Don’t try to enforce your will on them too much and the results will be stunning.

What inspires your designs? My materials often inspire my designs. I usually don’t have to go further than that, which is why it is so important to shop personally for your own materials rather than hire a shopper or have flowers shipped to you. Everything we use in our design is hand-picked by me. Once I have built my palette, the arrangements tend to make themselves.

How can brides make sure they get the most for their money when ordering flowers? Truth be told, you get what you pay for. That being said, make sure you have a good rapport with your florist. Ask them to show you an inspiration board and request a samples meeting to ensure everyone is on the same page. I am always fair with brides when bidding a job, but must maintain the integrity of our work. If I think we won’t be able to achieve the look a client is after within a certain budget, I will say so upfront. Find a vendor you trust and be honest about your budget constraints. A good vendor will be able to guide you through this and let you know when budget constraints begin to affect the look.

What is your favorite flower for weddings? I do not have one favorite flower as they all balance one another. Some of my favorite materials aren’t even flowers, they could be greens, vines or berries. Texture is a really an underestimated ingredient in design, so I like to find accents that add this dimension. A few things I like right now for their shapes are clematis vines, honeysuckle vine, flowering pieris, Abraham darby roses, hellebores, frittilaria, dahlias, sweet peas and lilac.

What should every bride know about flowers? She must know what she likes and what she doesn’t like. Nothing more. She should look at the flower portion of her wedding as something for pure enjoyment. If it becomes too stressful, she is probably over thinking it. Have fun!

What do you foresee as the next big trend in wedding flowers? “Green” or organic seems to be the key phrase right now, but trends come and go and flowers will be beautiful forever. If a bride is true to herself and her own sense of style, I hope her children will look back at her photos 20 years from now and just be impressed, rather than put off by the trendiness of the designs. I always say, “Indulge in beauty. That’s something that never goes out of style.”

-Randy Miller, Editorial Assistant

Emily Weaver Pinon, Founder and President of Chestnuts in the Tuileries (chestnutsnyc.com) in New York City is sharing her wedding expertise in the world of flowers this week. Fresh off designing the blooms for Renee Zellweger’s birthday party, Pinon followed in her parents’ footsteps when she opened her shop eight years ago.

What is your design philosophy? Our aesthetic is tailored, classic elegance. We believe that you begin by selecting a color palette, then build your design from there.

What inspires your designs, and why? There are so many things that inform our designs: client personalities, the gardens of France, designers like Carolina Herrera and artists like Monet. For us, it's all about texture, style and color. They key is pulling it all together to create a classic, stylized experience.

How can brides make sure they get the most impact for their money when ordering flowers? It is very important for brides to know their budget. Once a budget is stated we can guide clients in the proper direction to achieve gorgeous wedding arrangements.

What is your favorite flower for weddings? I love delicate novelty flowers. It is hard to pick one, but right now I love peonies, lilies of the valley and sweet peas.

What should every bride know about flowers? Each flower has its own opening and developing time, and brides should consider the peak of the flowers they like. Certain roses develop into 3-inch teacup size blooms, while others stay more closed looking. Using more opened flowers helps fill in the compositions really well.

What’s the big trend in wedding flowers? Right now, brides are loving the loose garden style with a lot of interesting elements— no roses, no calla lilies. We are using more sweet pea, hydrangea, lilac, renuncula, delphinium and peonies.

To learn more about Chestnuts in the Tuileries, visit chestnutsnyc.com.

What began as a hobby quickly became a profession for Garden State native Meredith Perez, owner of Belle Fleur (bellefleurny.com) in New York City. Her floral studio is the perfect synergy of her love of design and flowers and that’s what keeps their bouquets looking fresh and chic.

What is your design philosophy?
Belle Fleur’s style is most definitely a fusion of classic and modern design. Our signature style is tailored and elegant, focusing on the most luxurious flowers and designing them in keepsake vases. Our love for details is apparent in the extra finishing touches like calligraphic note cards and fragrant tissue paper.

What most inspires your designs?
On any given day something will trigger an inspiration ranging from the obscure to the most simplistic. It can literally come from a stroll through Central Park to a fabulous vintage ribbon—it’s the unexpected that’s so invaluable.

How can brides make sure they get the most impact for their money when buying flowers?
I think a bride should be upfront and realistic with her floral designer in regards to her budget. I find that once I know the brides financial parameters I can think freely and clearly. Design is limitless; some of the most beautiful concepts are actually very affordable.

What is your favorite flower for weddings?
Peonies, peonies and more peonies! Hands down, it’s the most beautiful flower in the world. Of course, sweetpeas are precious, orchids are sexy and gardenias smell heavenly. But for me, there is nothing like a peony—it’s simply divine.

What should every bride know about flowers?
That a bridal bouquet is an accessory to a bride’s wedding dress. It’s so important to be sure that the flowers relate seamlessly to its style. Often, the first thing I ask a bride for is a photo of her gown. It offers the most insight to her taste and really plays a role in deciding what the flower selection should be.

What do you foresee as the next big trend in wedding flowers?
Garden roses are most definitely the next big trend. There are so many new varieties that are breathtakingly gorgeous and in a spectrum of unbelievable hues.

—Randy Miller, Editorial Assistant

With spring around the corner, there couldn’t be a better time to launch our bi-weekly flower profile. Every other week, we’ll ask the best florists around the country your burning questions.

This week, we talked to Rori Pierpont, creative director of New York’s Castle & Pierpont (castlepierpont.com). Though she works with delicate and exotic stems these days, her background is in graphic and textile design and fashion illustration. Still, flowers were always calling her. While Castellano worked as a graphic designer, she recalls, “I was so fascinated with flowers that I worked in a flower shop on weekends, just to learn everything I could about them.” Here’s her best advice for brides-to-be:

What is Castle & Pierpont design philosophy? Our designs are informed by art, fashion, architecture, the seasons, the landscape, so many things inspire us. Above all else, we aim to keep it simple, or at least make it appear that way. Nothing should ever look overworked or over handled— even if it did take all day and night to create.

What should brides keep in mind when selecting their flowers? We believe flowers really can speak and tell a story, every wedding is a new adventure. Brides looking to save a little money on their arrangements should remember that an uncomplicated color palette and an open mind will ensure you get the most impact for your money.

What do you foresee as the next big trend in wedding flowers? Flowers are timeless, it’s the presentation that changes. Today, more flower farms are going green. For our part, we are producing more ecologically conscious designs, using innovations like less plastic and more recycled glass.

—Randy Miller, Editorial Assistant

Brides planning a New York wedding know that only the best will do. So what better place to select your arrangements than at the flower shop located in the iconic Plaza hotel? The newly-opened Stem by David Tutera, host of My Fair Wedding, offers celeb-worthy creations ranging from avant-garde showpieces to understated bundles.

So many modern, exotic arrangements fill the European-style flower mart, that you may want to consult Stem’s website (davidtuterastem.com) before ever stepping foot inside. Refer to the “seasonal stems” reference guide so you’ll know your Larkspurs from your Liatris.

You'll likely enjoy your bouquets so much that you’re inspired to keep fresh flowers in your home year round. Stem is happy to accommodate, and will deliver arrangements to your apartment door.

—Randy Miller, Editorial Assistant