Twiggs Floral Studio // April Flowers // Anne Mendenhall // Pancea // Petal Co.
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TWIGGS FLORAL STUDIO // Event Floral Design
Location: Danville/Bay Area (Northern California)
How did Twiggs start: In March of 2011 we had the opportunity of purchasing Twigss when its formal owner decided it was time to sell, within two weeks of playing around with the we had our very own floral design studio! Floral arranging has always been a hobby of Melissa’s although she has never had any formal training but the moment she gets her hands on a bunch of flowers the outcome is like magic. It’s like any form of art, you either got it or you don’t and she’s got it. Aside from Melissa the Twigss Crew includes a team of young girls who just love to design and create beautiful things. If you were to visit our studio you would most likely find, Stephanie sketching out a new type font or design to put on our signs and windows, Caitlyn busy making sure every aspect of our business runs smoothly while making it look effortless and Addison pulling props for a style shoot or creating a rockin window display. Twigss is a family owned business, a group of really gifted individuals who LOVE what they are doing, that’s what makes Twigss so special in our eyes.
Favorite flower & why: The girls at Twigss love us some big bad beautiful garden roses! They smell like heaven and turn a bad day into a good one, but really to choose a favorite flower…its not possible. Every season provides something new, we think that is one of the best parts of our job, we get to work with something new all the time!
Favorite part of the wedding day: Seeing the bride lay her eyes on her bouquet for the first time, we have all shed a tear or two.
What makes Twiggs unique & special? We are a family and we want to treat our clients like part of that family! We love to listen to your thoughts and dreams and help you make them a reality. It’s the details, that’s what matters to us.
Favorite floral wedding trend: Currently we are seeing many brides out hunting thrift stores, antique markets and their grandmother’s basements looking for vintage containers to adorn their reception tables. We LOVE vintage goods, so when brides bring us these treasures or ask us to collect them, we are overjoyed!
Least favorite floral wedding trend: The lack off flowers on your special day. True, flowers are expensive but we believe (and not because we are bias) that they can really make or break a wedding. They add the color and the overall style/theme of the wedding. I mean, when will you ever again have another good excuse to go crazy with flowers!?
Ideal couple: Two people who are over the moon in love! They are excited about their big day and not stressed! This should be the best party you have ever put on, every piece of it is a memory you are making together. Also we love it when our couples love flowers just as much as we do.
1 thing you hope you do or accomplish in your business this year: Last year we had the amazing pleasure of working with a couple that we instantly bonded with. The bride even came and interned with us this last March and we just adore her! We would love this year to again make a connection like that with one of your new brides. Of course we hope that every client we work with we connect on that level. There is just something so special about really understanding and being apart of one of the biggest days in someone’s life. You never forget it.
3 random facts about you:
- All the ladies at Twigss are originally from San Luis Obispo, California. So half of our hearts were left in that tiny but beautiful town.
- We are all slightly obsessed with Rachel Zoe.
- We also think we should have a reality show about our day to day lives in the studio. The things that happen to us are pretty comical and entertaining. Who wouldn’t want to watch a show about a bunch of silly girls causing a scene at flower mart, crying over how beautiful flowers look (like really crying) and having after hours dance parties in the studio. I mean really, it all makes for a good show!
Contact the Twigss girls:
http://www.twigss.com // 925.272.9334
Danielle’s experience with Twigss Floral Studio & why she recommends them:
Danielle says: The Twigss girls are so sweet! I got in contact with Addison from Twigss a few months back, thanks to a few mutual from we have from San Luis Obispo. Addison drove down to SLO from the Bay Area to styled Jenny & Roy’s engagement shoot where she did a fantastic job with the flowers and the decor. She had really thought it out!! And just recently, I drove up to the Bay Area to photograph a styled shoot that the Twigss girls put together in their backyard. It was so beautifully done, and you could tell how thought out everything was. These girls are going to make a big splash in the wedding industry, I just know it
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APRIL FLOWERS // Event Floral Design
Location: San Luis Obispo/Central Coast
Overview of your business and how did April Flowers start: So, you like our flowers and want to know our story. You want to know who we are, how we got started, and what we do? Well…
I’m April and my story is one of love for all things flowery, all things weddings and all things lovely. I started off as a Cal Poly SLO student studying event design and planning while working at a very sweet little flower shop. When I graduated and it was time to move on, I had an amazing opportunity to buy that sweet little flower shop and make it my own. My love for flowers was paired with my love for weddings and a business that has been better than I could have ever imagined was born. When it was time to start a family we sold our little shop so I could exclusively focus on crafting florals for weddings and events.
Our philosophy is simple: beautiful blooms, incredible quality and service worth writing home about. Our designs are distinctive, creative, and fresh. Our passion is to use unique and surprising blooms, textures and elements.
Favorite flower & why: Lupines (which are actually a wildflower are my all-time favorite!). They are my favorite because they are illusive, mysterious and one of the few flowers you can’t buy commercially which makes them that much more special.
Favorite part of the wedding day: My favorite part of the wedding day is having the extreme privilege of observing the very sweet moment exchanged between the bride+groom when they meet eyes for the first time. I experience this more as a guest than as my clients’ florist but it still reigns supreme!
What makes April Flowers unique & special? I love my clients and breathe so much passion into what I do. I have a serious obsession for weddings and all the details…not just florals. I want a client to hire me because they believe in my creativity and ability to bring their vision to reality.
Favorite floral wedding trend: Unbridled beauty. I adore the ‘un-perfectness’ attitude brides have towards florals these days. It allows for so much creativity!
Least favorite floral wedding trend: Mason jars. I love a rustic wedding don’t get me wrong, but there are plenty of other rustic types of containers out there that are way more striking and unique.
Ideal couple: I love working with couples who can trust me to take their vision and run with it! There’s so much more creative passion to be had when I’m not strapped into a rigid plan.
1 thing you hope you do or accomplish in your business this year: I would love to move our workshop into a larger space where I could meet clients as well as display all of our prop/decor rentals!
3 random facts about you:
1. I despise colored twinking Christmas lights.
2. My husband and I are high school sweet hearts.
3. I have a serious weakness for Velveeta cheese. Ew…I know but it’s the truth.
Price range: Our weddings start at $2,000 and go up from there depending on size, types of blooms, rentals, etc.
Contact April: 805.704.2669 // www.aprilflowersslo.com
Danielle’s experience with April Flowers & why she recommends her:
Danielle says: April did the flowers for Vanessa & Daniel’s wedding that I photographed last October. The bouquets were beautiful and you could tell they were exactly what the bride wanted!! After meeting April and exchanging multiple emails, I knew April was such a sweet and loving person, who cared about her clients and their happiness. April is super well known on the Central Coast for her floral designs and has many weddings published on Style Me Pretty!!
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ANNE MENDENHALL // Event Floral Design
Location: Bay Area (Northern California)
How did your business start: I had worked for several years in floral shops. Then had my own retail business as well as four kids at home. Shop too much with a family of four! However I did not want to stop creating flowers. So I started working out of my home on small weddings. That was 20 years ago. Now it’s wedding central and we do over 75 per year!
Favorite flower & why: Hands down gardenia. It has a scent that holds treasured memories of sweet times.
Favorite part of the wedding day: The floral install, seeing all the design work in the barn come to a magical reality at the wedding venue.
What makes Anne Mendenhall Flowers unique & special? Working within in the wedding industry is a talent that comes with passion and love. I love listening to my brides and gaining a sense of their style and taste. Then to help them create a floral story for their wedding day.
Favorite floral wedding trend: I love large family style tables with loads of candles and small eclectic collections of arrangements.
1 thing you hope you do or accomplish in your business this year: To be more cost effective and not spend all my profit over buying fresh flowers cuz I can not resist!
3 random facts about you: Easy going, reasonably priced and one darn good floral designer!
Contact info: anne@annemendenhallflowers.com // annemendenhallflowers.com
Anything else you want clients to know: “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” ~Confucius
Danielle’s experience with Anne Mendenhall Flowers & why she recommends her:
Danielle says: Anne did a FABULOUS job with Hayley & Scooter’s wedding flowers. She made hanging flower balls for all the bridesmaids which I thought so was so cool and unique!! I met her on the day of the wedding and she was just so friendly and happy to be doing what she loves. She really pulled Hayley’s vision together and produced awesome floral arrangements!!
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PANECEA // Event Floral Design
Location: San Luis Obispo/Central Coast
How did your business start: I worked in a floral shop through jr. high school & high school. I started out washing buckets and prepping and slowly got to design for the retail cooler and help with weddings. Through out college, friends would ask me to do flowers for their weddings – I was always confused as to why. After finishing college (with a marketing degree), I worked in that field for almost 12 years and one day hit the wall and felt I if I didn’t get back to doing something creative I would drown. I already knew the flowers – it just seemed obvious. As I got into it, I fell in love with weddings, brides and all things blooming and design.
Favorite flower & why: Not even a fair question! I’m mad about lilacs ~ my grandmother had rows of lilac bushes when I was a little girl and I played in them constantly. I LOVE peonies because my mother always doted on them in her garden (I come from a long rich history of wonderful women gardening).
Favorite part of the wedding day: Dusk ~ the lighting makes me absolutely crazy. Everything looks amazing and inviting.
What makes your business unique & special? We are passionate about beautiful weddings. Over the years, we have developed a design view point that is distinct and often published in the wedding industry. People hire us because they know they won’t get a cookie cutter wedding, we spend a great deal of time getting to know what our clients love so we can give them unique design details on their day, from custom linen, one of a kind containers and unlimited design concepts.
Favorite floral wedding trend: A return to classic beauty!
Least favorite floral wedding trend: diy
Ideal couple: Love to work with people that have traveled and have a unique story. I love to win their trust and then feel like they turn me loose to make wonderment happen.
1 thing you hope you do or accomplish in your business this year: Completely finish our new website, adding amazing resources for our brides & grooms for the planning of their weddings here on the Central Coast
3 random facts about you:
1. I’m a transplanted Canadian ~ moved to California for love and fell in love with California
2. I’m absolutely & madly in love with Paris.
3. I’m terrified of birds
Contact info: www.panaceaflowers.com // BloomDiva@mac.com
Danielle’s experience with Corinne & why she recommends her:
Danielle says: Corinne did a wonderful job with all of her floral arrangements and the bridal bouquet for our styled shoot at the Dana Powers House. She really pulled together elegant, light toned florals that fit perfectly!! She was so friendly from the very beginning and was just so excited to be part of this awesome shoot! I will be working with her again in September at a wedding and can’t wait to see what she comes up with then!!
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THE PETAL CO. // Event Floral Design
How did your business start:
I have always been a flower/plant lover, a total flower child! Throughout high school and college I worked in several floral shops and even worked for a landscape architecture company for a year. My parents always told me to do something I was passionate about so I decided that my goal was to do what I loved, work with flowers and design events. In 2009 I started The Petal Company and it has been the best decision I have ever made!
Favorite flower & why:
Favorite flower is such a tough question! Haha! I love and appreciate every flower but if I had to narrow it down to my top three I would say gardenias, garden roses, and peonies. But then I love poppies, anemones, and ranunculus. Oh and succulents, Protea pincushion, and Scabiosa pods. See it is very difficult!
Favorite part of the wedding day:
My favorite part of the wedding day as a designer is seeing everything in it’s place and ready for the bride and groom. As a bride or guest of a wedding my favorite part is the ceremony. It’s the whole purpose for the day. Seeing two people committing themselves to each other is just magical. I cry every time, except for at my own, I think I was in shock that it was happening since it took us 9 years to finally tie the knot!
What makes your business unique & special?
What makes The Petal Company different is the level of envolvement. It doesn’t matter what the budget, I always do site visits and send inspiration boards. I will spend countless hours and email as many times as needed to make sure my clients are happy with their design. I try to treat each of my clients as I would a close friend or family member and by the end of the process I consider them just that! I love that I still have a relationship with them and that we can grab coffee and catch up! I am truly blessed to work with such amazing people!
Favorite floral wedding trend:
I love working with fun textures and things that are unexpected. Lemons, oranges, pomegranates, kumquats, feathers, brooches etc. in bouquets or centerpieces. Also candles lots and lots of candles!
Ideal couple:
The ideal couple is someone willing to trust me and give me free reign! Give me a few ideas or color theme and let me run with it! But also give me any couple in love and I’m a happy foral designer too!
1 thing you hope you do or accomplish in your business this year:
I would love to get caught up on my website and blog! Things have been so busy with our new warehouse and all our fabulous events that we have neglected updating them! We have lots of prettiness to share!
3 random facts about you (not related to what you do):
1) I am married to the most amazingly wonderful man! We have been together since high school a total of 11+ years now and I love him more and more everyday!
2) I have an American Eskimo puppy named Juneau and he is the cutest little monster ever!
3) I’m totally obsessed with owls! Every time I see an owl anything I want it.
CONTACT: Jessica.dixon@thepetalco.com // 925.249.0008 // www.thepetalco.com