My mother started as the wedding coordinator at our church and eventually opened her own flower shop where she planned weddings. I soon became her designer. Early in my career I had the extreme good fortune to train under one of the most talented floral designers in Oklahoma City. With his expertise and my natural eye for style, the world of wedding flowers opened up to me. It was the first thing
in my young adult life that inspired me to make it my career. I used to always complain that I wasn't passionate about anything and designing flowers gave me that passion. I was very lucky because in my mom's shop I had absolute artistic freedom, which really gave me an outlet to turn wedding flowers into art. I continued designing until I was offered a job planning weddings at a design studio in the Arts District in downtown Oklahoma City. That was amazing because I worked on all aspects of very high end weddings. With that position, I also served as a sales person for a local flower shop, so while I didn't have my hands in the flowers, they were still my design and style. It was always my favorite part. When I was presented with the opportunity to go out on my own, I took it! I decided that I would rather have a flower shop specializing in wedding flowers than continue to plan weddings. I loved planning weddings, but my real passion still lies in flowers. My shop is special because my main focus is on wedding and event work. I believe that designing flowers for a wedding is completely different than designing day to day flowers. I think it is specific to each Bride and I approach it that way. I meet with my clients first to get a feel for their style. We flip through magazines, brainstorm and bounce ideas off of each other. Then, I create a custom proposal, keeping all of that in mind. When the time comes to design, I am involved in every aspect, from ordering flowers to final set-up. Nothing leaves my shop without my hands touching it. Some things you should know about me...My style is very free. While your flowers should reflect your unique style, it's inevitable that mine will come through too. I like to mix tradition with modern. I like to take design risks, with your permission of course! I can take inspiration from other designers' work, but I don't copy pictures. I prefer flowers to have a natural quality. If it looks like it's growing there, I think it's beautiful. I'm very detail oriented. I think the details are what create the overall look. I am also very nostalgic...I think your wedding should have some inspiration from your past. I have a very hard time with "generic" flowers that you see all the time. The best compliment you can give me is, "I've never seen anything like this before!". I'm so pleased that you're interested in allowing me to be a part of such a huge day in your life. I look forward to meeting you!
-Cole
