We were able to ask some questions of Shannon with Flourish, a Dynamite Vendor, to get to know her better. We wanted to share her answers with you all. Enjoy!
I also like to create… paper crafts. I make a mean birthday card! I also have fun, when I can find the time, scrapbooking my family photos. I enjoy the textures and colors of the different papers and embellishments.
My first job ever was…a Soda Jerk for a fifties themed diner. I would go home after a long shift smelling like ice cream and soda. The restaurant gave out free Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum. That summer I got 7 cavities!
The biggest wedding I ever designed for… was an Indian wedding just this past March. There was 750 guests at the ceremony and 550 guests at the reception. It was overwhelming! The colors of the fabric and flowers we used were so beautiful. The bride and groom were gracious and totally appreciative of every wedding professional’s hard work.
My favorite flower is… Peonies. My husband and I had our wedding in May so I could carry peonies down the aisle. They are an amazing flower. In the bud stage they are the shape and size of a ping pong ball. When they burst into bloom they are a multi-petal heady scented floral extravaganza! Sarah Bernhardt and Red Charm are my favorite varieties of peonies.
The easiest item to incorporate into floral designs… beads, baubles and gems. Sparkly jewelry inspired items are so much fun to put into the bridal bouquet. I also love to personalize the bouquet by adding a piece of fabric from the bride’s dress.
Gardening at my house is… Almost non- existent. We have a huge yard and it is mostly empty. I am not great at growing plants. Most people think, because of what I do, I should be a great gardener. Not so! I have a tendency to forget to water my plants. Currently, I am growing some plants I can use for my designs. So far I have four different scented geraniums, hydrangeas, Lambs Ear and Needlepoint ivy growing pretty well. I am also growing tomatoes for the first time! Those are for eating, not designing.
When bringing a housewarming gift I usually bring… a plant or flowers. They can warm up even the most barren of places. You can put a gorgeous orchid on a moving box and suddenly it feels like home.
When I go to the wholesale market… I am always looking for something new and different. Most of my brides trust me to choose accent flowers that match their theme and give their designs something no one has ever seen before.
My first wedding was… about 20 years ago. The bride was my ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend’s step- sister. The bride had heard, through the grape vine, that I worked at a flower shop. Little did she know I was just a glorified bucket scrubber. I worked so hard on that wedding! I really didn’t know what I was doing so I caused myself a lot of double work. Everything went well in the end but I really sweated that event.
When I buy flowers for my home, I buy… flowers that make me happy. Sometimes it is a bunch of tulips that have a ruffled edge to their petals. I will grab a couple of bunches of tuberose because I can’t resist their fragrance. I love to pick-up some happy looking gerbera daisies during the gloomy season. In the fall who can say no to dinner plate sized dahlias and branches of colorful leaves?
If I wasn’t a florist, I would be… a photographer. I am in such awe of my photographer friends’ talent for capturing the little moments that make an event so special. I just bought my first “real” camera and I am loving it. When I catch a great action shot it is such a rush! I recently went along with one of my photographer friends to help shoot a wedding and I had a blast. About 30 of my images actually made the cut and went into the bride’s proof album.
Two items necessary for any floral design are…creativity and water.
My favorite movie is… “Singin’ in the Rain” I love this movie. Gene Kelly was an amazingly talented and gifted dancer. Debbie Reynolds was so cute and funny in this movie. I need to go watch it again!
If I could donate more time, I would… work more at my children’s school. My kids love it when I volunteer in their classes. Teachers need all the help they can get.
Something overrated in floral design concepts…is the DIY wedding flowers trend. Designing your own wedding flowers is a HUGE undertaking even for the most ambitious bride. I don’t think brides have a clear concept of how much time and effort goes into planning and executing wedding flowers. There are so many things to worry about on the wedding day, the bride and her family shouldn’t have to worry about the flowers too. Leave (ha!) the flowers to the professionals.
Photo courtesy of
True Love Photo
Congrats to all the amazing vendors that contributed to this stunning shoot!
