Spring is in the air! What could be more fitting for So This Is Love’s March feature series than to highlight some amazing floral artists?! Our first feature, checks in with Mariana of Flowerly Studio, right here in South Florida.
What inspired you to start your business?
One night I had the most amazing dream – I was in a flower shop making a beautiful bouquet! For many and many years, my childhood love for nature and flowers was kept at bay while I worked in the corporate world; however, my dream was so vivid that I woke up and knew I had to work with flowers. That dream and an old love for flowers from my childhood in naturally abundant Brazil was what made me want to start a floral business
What type of occasions do you love to design for?
I can say I love the thrill of meeting a bride for the first time and taking her from initial thoughts and floral dreams to final concept. Weddings are my absolute favorite occasion to design for and, I will be honest, I get even more excited if the bride comes to me because she is interested in creating something unique! Yay for brides who think outside of the “roses and ruscus” box!
What is most unique about your vision for designing?
My goal is to be the “road less traveled” of the flower world. I am an explorer of new techniques and a compulsive forager trying to find the most unique products for my designs. Flowerly is not the average florist that will use the same flowers, the same greens on every design.
I focus in the garden, freshly picked style and find inspiration in floral and botanical elements that are unusual… I love to use gorgeous seasonal blooms mixed with fruits, herbs, vegetables, branches, vines and even wild Florida foliage.
What is the most unique design request you’ve ever received & how did you make it come to life?
I had a bride who was a fruit and vegetable grower that had dreamt all of her life to have a wedding filled with fruits, tropical flowers and specific Florida greens; but that she knew she could never have that happen. She said she had consulted with other florists who told her that it would be too expensive for her budget and too difficult to create. She really touched me with her vision, and I knew I had to help her make her dream come true. I created centerpieces that had foraged greens, unusual tropical flowers and juicy fruits scattered around the table for guest to eat after the wedding reception! I had to find fruit wholesalers, forage massive amounts of greens in road sides and create a wood piece to attach the fruit in a way that it would not damage the white linens! Quite the challenge but so much fun!
Follow Mariana on Instagram @flowerlystudio
What is something more clients should be informed about when working with a floral designer?
I am a very candid person and, from my initial client consultation, I tell my clients that flowers are not a cheap part of an event. I always feel that clients consider that they must budget for everything and then fit flowers later on their costs. The most important thing is for clients to find and meet with a floral designer very early on their wedding or event planning process, so the designer can really help them be strategic about how to add florals to their budget in a way to make their floral dreams come true without breaking the bank.
What is one thing about yourself that you love to share with your clients?
I love to share with my clients who I am as I feel that you must have a true connection to be able to bring their floral dreams to reality. I get personal and tell them about growing up in Brazil, I explain what my path to the floral world has been, I share success stories and how I was able to help clients get what they wanted.
Flowerly studio is the embodiment of who I am. What I love about flowers is a working in progress dream of creating new and unique florals for each client. I have in the past worked with the most cool and unusual things in my creations… I have made centerpieces solely with juicy fruits, I have used draping pearls to make a wedding bouquet unique, I have foraged weeds to add a touch of whimsy to centerpieces and have added flowers to the coolest non-conventional vessels – think cigar boxes, books and kitchen glassware!
Looking to hire an amazing floral designer in the South Florida area?
Check out more of Mariana’s work, and drop her a line: www.flowerlystudio.com
Or
Find her on Facebook: facebook.com/flowerlyflorals
