Best of Utah Wedding Vendors: Braided Briar Floral

[intro]Utah has so many wonderful wedding vendors. Each Wednesday we try to feature one of them. Today we have one of the most talented florists in Utah, Braided Briar Floral! They agreed to share their best tips and advice with our wedding couples. Check out what they had to say:[/intro]

Tell us a little about your business.

My sister, Renee, and I started a floral design business called R.A.B. Floral in 2012.  After a year of that, she decided to focus on her career as a Brand Design Producer, but I found I was just hitting my stride as a floral designer and business owner.  I love creating floral arrangements, working with brides and everything involved with owning my own business.  So, I decided to continue on by myself with Braided Briar Floral Studio.

My niche is as a boutique wedding business, which means that I don’t have a store and I work exclusively with brides to create flower arrangements for bridal photo-shoots and the wedding day.  I don’t get distracted by big floral holidays, which allows me to narrow my focus to weddings, while broadening my inspiration to include all different styles of floral design, depending on the bride’s aesthetic.  I love being able to provide very personal service in order to give the bride exactly what she wants for her wedding.  When I agree to take on a bride, I commit to doing whatever it takes to make my part of her wedding day exceed her expectations. 

How far in advance should a bride find a florist and when should she order her arrangements by? 

It really depends on the bride’s needs.  I don’t have to actually order flowers until  two or three weeks before the wedding.  However, booking early is really all about being able to secure a spot on the calendar of the florist that you love.  Even if you don’t know exactly what you want, I would still contact the florist who has great style for the right price and get them a deposit.  You can always figure out your exact needs later.  I recently read that October has unseated June as the number one month to get married.  So, if you are getting married during one of those months, book a florist as early as possible.  On average though, most of my clients book between three and six months out.      

What is the starting price of your bouquets and centerpieces? 

I really work with couples to stay within their budget.  This is almost never a problem as long as their budget and expectation match.  There are several tips and tricks that I can provide to couples to cut costs while maintaining the integrity of their vision.  I would say the standard price for a bridal bouquet is about $175, which goes up or down from there..  If a bride  wants a very simple bouquet, that would, obviously, be less expensive.  But if she is looking for a large and varied bouquet, the price goes up, especially if she has her heart set on particularly expensive flowers.. It’s common for brides to think that a “wildflower” bouquet would be inexpensive.  However, having a lot of variety in a bouquet can push the cost higher than you might think.

As far as centerpieces, a standard price is around $55, but, again, that can vary significantly.  I can make bigger centerpieces that would push the price up quite a bit, or I can do just a couple of stems in bud vases on each table to make a less expensive, but beautiful centerpiece.  One of the best things about Braided Briar, in particular, is that so far I don’t require a minimum order and I’m happy to assist with DIY brides or partial DIY weddings.

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What’s the most important thing to remember when selecting flowers for a wedding?

Pick flowers that are in season!  Pinterest is a great resource for brides planning their weddings.  I love seeing pictures my clients have pinned; it gives me a much better idea of their style than words can since it’s very common for people not to know specific flower names.  However, a bride that falls in love with a picture of a bouquet featuring dark berries and fall foliage with a wedding date in April is going to be disappointed!  Similarly, flowering branches flower in the spring, so I can’t have them for a July wedding.  Other times, flowers that you love are available, but at premium prices.  I see that a lot especially with peonies.  I can sometimes get them off-season, but at 5-6 times the cost of when they are in season, and they often look pitiful.

What trends do you see upcoming for floral arrangements in Spring 2015?

A fun bit of advice I heard from someone is to take inspiration from the luxury fashion brands.  They are usually ahead of the curve with color pallets, etc.  Fall was all about the berry colors, from dark to light and all shades in between.  I loved seeing figs and blackberries used on cakes and in the décor with coordinating flowers.  But now Spring is upon us and the color schemes have been lightening up considerably.  I also think it’s all about getting a natural, loose look.  I love when flowers are arranged to look effortless, which usually means it was anything but.     

Do you have custom options? (coordinating boutonnières, bridesmaid flowers, and centerpieces?)

I try to be very flexible and treat each wedding as a completely individual and unique situation.  This is one of the biggest perks of hiring me!  I don’t have any “packages” or standard orders because it’s always customized.  And since I work exclusively with brides and custom order flowers for each wedding, everything will coordinate by default. 

Do you have consultations where you make suggestions to coordinate with the wedding theme or venue?

Absolutely!  I offer free consultations.  I think consultations are vital to ensure that the bride and I are on the same page, as well as a good fit.  A beautiful wedding is a team effort and the bride needs to know that her team is assembled of people that share her vision.  I also encourage my clients to keep me updated throughout the planning process.  Maybe they found a picture of something that they like or a favorite flower that they just learned the name of. 

What’s the best way to take care of a bouquet after the wedding?

First of all, on your wedding day put your bouquet in a vase with water any time you don’t need to hold it.  Once the wedding is over, give all the stems a fresh cut of about 1/2”-1” and put it in water. 

Consider drying your bouquet.  There are professionals that can do it for you, or you can do it yourself.  I’ve been told you can place a bouquet in a vase with no water and leave it to dry naturally.  I usually just let the bouquet hang upside down to dry for several days.  I just did this with a bouquet I made and now it’s in a vase on my mantel at home. 

What’s your favorite flower lately and why?

I think my all-time favorite flower is a,ranunculus.  I’m just constantly amazed at how beautiful they can be.  However, right now, I’m loving scabiosa, especially white for spring.  They have such a feminine, lacy quality that I love. 

I also love garden roses, along with everyone else in the wedding industry right now!  They just add so much texture and dimension wherever they are added to bouquets and arrangements.

Any other tips you’d like to share with our brides?

Pick a florist whose style you like!  Don’t pick a florist with a specific style and then ask them for something totally different than you’ve seen them do.  Floral design is a creative process with a lot of variables.  The most important thing for me to know is the feel of a wedding.  The best arrangements and bouquets I’ve ever made were when I had a good idea of the bride’s overall vibe and personal style without all the little details being specified. 

How can you be contacted (provide your website, email, phone and address.)

Website:  www.braidedbriar.com
Email:  braidedbriar@gmail.com
Phone:  (801) 918-5173
I am located in the Murray/Cottonwood Heights area.

photos taken: Moxie Photography in Salt Lake City, UT