These ladies are so fun. I first met Whimsy Design when they reached out to me and just wanted to meet more people in the industry. Besides my unfortunate sense of direction to find the coffee shop we were going to meet at, we had a blast. From the start, we were cracking jokes the entire time! :–) It was destiny that we needed to do a collaboration! I’m so glad I got the opportunity to photograph these two in motion. They make a fantastic team and create the most amazing wedding bouquets. I mean really!
Tell me a little bit about you both and your business.
Emma and I are six years apart. We didn’t start out as best friend sisters because of our age difference, but definitely have become them! Emma has always had a knack for fine arts. She’s dabbled in everything from painting to pottery. I, on the other hand, was more into theater and choir in my upbringing, and was always very comfortable onstage and public speaking. These characteristics definitely shaped our roles in the business. Emma is more of the designer among us, and I am more of the business of the biz. We both do the floral together, but are guided by Emma’s eye for the creative.
How did you begin your journey towards being a Florist?
Our mother was a florist and owned her own floral design business when we were growing up. In addition, she is also an expert gardener, and has raised us with a deep love for flowers. We both grew up being her assistant, and were exposed to the wedding industry at a young age. We got a back door view of the wedding world at a young age that stuck with us for life. When we were older, we realized that we have the same knack for creative design that she had, and it was pretty easy to realize that we were destined to work in the same industry that we had come to love. We lived together for four years while we formulated and launched our business. Since then it has been about educating ourselves, becoming knowledgable about all aspects of the floral world(as vast as it is), and continuing to grow and change.
Our mother was a florist and owned her own floral design business when we were growing up. In addition, she is also an expert gardener, and has raised us with a deep love for flowers. We both grew up being her assistant, and were exposed to the wedding industry at a young age. We got a back door view of the wedding world at a young age that stuck with us for life. When we were older, we realized that we have the same knack for creative design that she had, and it was pretty easy to realize that we were destined to work in the same industry that we had come to love. We lived together for four years while we formulated and launched our business. Since then it has been about educating ourselves, becoming knowledgable about all aspects of the floral world(as vast as it is), and continuing to grow and change.
What is your favorite thing about being in your line of business?
We both agree that our favorite thing about what we do is being chosen by someone to make the most special day of their lives that much more special. There is something that can be said about the amount of gratitude you have to have towards your clients who choose YOU to represent them on their day. It’s pretty freaking awesome. And obviously making pretty things. Not everyone gets to go to their job to create beauty.
We both agree that our favorite thing about what we do is being chosen by someone to make the most special day of their lives that much more special. There is something that can be said about the amount of gratitude you have to have towards your clients who choose YOU to represent them on their day. It’s pretty freaking awesome. And obviously making pretty things. Not everyone gets to go to their job to create beauty.
How early should clients book you? And what is the process of working with Whimsy Design?
We take bookings anywhere from 6mo to a year plus at this point(though a good procrastinating bride shouldn’t count us out). We like to first gain some information from our clients to find out if we are a good fit for them. We love when our clients provide us with tons of inspiration. Colors, textures, and size reference are always helpful. Having a link to someone’s Pinterest page is like having a key into their brain. It really helps us define their style. Then we take a meeting to discuss their vision, draft up an estimate, and then plan a final design meeting.
You two are sisters, what is the best thing about working with family?
The best thing/worst thing about working with your family is the ability to be honest with one another. A lot of people in working relationships lack the ability to take a step back and tell the other person how they are thinking or feeling. With your sibling, it’s a little easier to tell them you don’t like something. You might face some immediate anger or frustration, but you always get over it. No matter what, you’re still family….you might hate each other for 20 minutes….but you’re still family:)
The best thing/worst thing about working with your family is the ability to be honest with one another. A lot of people in working relationships lack the ability to take a step back and tell the other person how they are thinking or feeling. With your sibling, it’s a little easier to tell them you don’t like something. You might face some immediate anger or frustration, but you always get over it. No matter what, you’re still family….you might hate each other for 20 minutes….but you’re still family:)
If you could make an arrangement for someone famous, who would that be?
Someone famous? Anyone famous at this point I think would make us happy:). Though Martha Stewart is still always the dream.
Someone famous? Anyone famous at this point I think would make us happy:). Though Martha Stewart is still always the dream.
