Spotlight Series: FLOWER MOXIE

A series of posts dedicated to the pillars of the event design world that spotlight talent and creativity.  Today we learn about the online resources available to DIY brides; and the secrets to creating top-of the line looking floral arrangements at accessible price points.  

It's not often that a personality POPS off a page, but perhaps with a name like Flower Moxie, we should have known!  Read up and cheers to you, Flower Moxie! 

Please describe your service in 3-5 sentences. 

Flower Moxie is an online business that sells wholesale flowers to DIY brides.  We make the process easy by providing step-by-step instructions, recipes, and plenty of mouth-breathing tutorials!

Favorite flower (to work with): Ranunculus!

Best describe your style:  Wild and Organic!  Or loose like Spring Break!
However, client's taste trumps all!  It’s her wedding, it’s her money, it’s her pictures.  If she wants a tight ball of daisies you better believe that I’ll make that bouquet so tight and round she could pop it in a bowling bag.  I can never understand why some professionals are snooty about their client’s preferences.

Champagne: Rose or Classic.  Gin, sweetheart. 

What trend are you happy to see in the past? What trend are you excited about?   I got really worn down by the mason jar, burlap, and lace trend because I did so many over the years. (we hear you!)

The trend I’m excited to see coming is tropicals!  Typically, tropical flowers were deemed too modern, Asian, or angular….not ‘soft’ or ‘romantic’ enough for a wedding.  However, floral artists over the world have been combining soft garden roses and peonies with anthurium and larger palms and it’s nothing if not swoon-worthy!  

What (if ever) is the most thoughtful or romantic gesture/surprise a client has planned for his/her spouse? 

One time I had a bride learn a song in sign language for her wife who was a teacher of deaf children.  Before she started down the aisle she signed their song and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.  

Have you ever had to say no or steer a client away from a crazy ambition? OR What is the wildest or most challenging event that you have ever been a part of? 

All. The. Time.  There are brave, vibrant souls among us and sometimes they feel their wedding is the opportune moment to bake a 5-tier wedding cake for the first time, or have their wedding/reception on a plot of land that has no facilities, electricity, shelter, and known-owner…”I’m sure it’ll be fine, no one will care!”

The most challenging event would be a wedding that was held in a city park...in July.  She had rented a band and sound equipment and had arranged for a friend to bring ample extension cords to reach a surrounding house for electricity.  The friend did not follow through, and there was no one home at the house. As the wedding planner, I had to make a mad dash to my mom’s house, borrow all of her extension cords, and knock on random houses to beg for an outlet. 

Why should people hire an event planner?  When shouldn’t they? 

The biggest misconception brides have is that other people will ‘handle it’.  However, nothing could be further from the truth. If there are questions or problems it will ALWAYS be directed at the bride or the mother of the bride when a wedding planner isn’t present.  A bride, or her family, does not want to work on a wedding day, therefore, it’s always best to hire a planner, even if it’s just day-of coordination.

The only time a wedding planner can be skipped is if a bride selects an all-inclusive venue that comes with an event coordinator to run the show.

Self-aggrandizing bonus question: When planning an outdoor wedding, how often do clients comment on the challenge of wearing heels in grass? Do you suggest Solemates Heel Protectors? 

Whether or not it’s an outdoor wedding, 99% of the time there will be photos taken outside.  Therefore, Solemates Heel Protectors are always relevant and needed.

Outdoor (wedding or any other celebration).  What are 3 things everyone planning an outdoor wedding should consider:

• Plan B.  Mother Nature is a mysterious force and couples should always have a back-up plan in the event of rain.
• Bugs, Sun, and Heat.  While outdoor weddings are lovely, the heat, sun, and pesky bugs should be considered.  I’ve seen guests get eaten alive with mosquitoes, endure sunburns, and leave early due to extreme heat.
• Natural sunlight makes for the best photos, however, the sun’s placement is crucial.  Most photographers agree that early morning or sunset is the best light to capture, therefore, it’s best to reconsider a noon outdoor ceremony.
• Electricity and bathroom facilities.  No explanation needed.

Indoor (hotel/event space). What are 3 things everyone planning an indoor wedding/event should be mindful of:

• Lighting.  Often overlooked, lighting is essential to a good ceremony and party.  I’ve worked venues that have extremely low lighted, which made for lackluster ceremony photos...and I’ve been in ballrooms that were so bright everyone felt too uncomfortable to dance and mingle.  
• Ceremony AND Reception Space.  Over the past 10 years, there has been an explosion of wedding venues crop up.  Anyone with a barn, warehouse, vineyard, or plane hanger has put out a wedding event sign.  For that reason, there are many venues that only have one space. While this is fine, it should be noted that the room will need to be ‘flipped’ after the ceremony, therefore, it’s important to know that caterers, DJ, and staff can easily accommodate this maneuver.
• A/C.  Due to the reasons mentioned above, I have often found many venues lacking in the HVAC department.  While it’s not an obvious question to ask, if you’re wedding is in the dead of summer, it should be established before booking the venue.  I have worked many weddings where the venue could not get the temperature below 85 degrees inside during the summer. The bride, groom, and all the guest were boiling and dancing was scarce.  The facility did not have strong enough HVAC systems to keep up with heat outside.

At home. What are the 3 things everyone planning a “simple wedding” at home should consider:

• Privacy.  Will you mind people wandering through your house?
• Bathrooms.  Do you have more that one bathroom folks can use?
• Parking.  This is the big one, do you have enough parking to accommodate more than 20 cars?

Destination (remote).  What are the 3 things everyone planning a destination wedding (in a hard to reach place; ie, not a major city), should consider?

• Vendors.  Can you find vendors to drive to the location, and how much extra expense will that be?
• Hotels.  Are there hotels nearby so your guests will have a place to stay?  While a cliffside in nowhere Colorado is beautiful, you may have a major decrease in attendance if your guests cannot get there easily, or have available accommodation.
• How laid-back are you?  Remote locations mean a lack of resources.  One cannot pop to the shop for an emergency sewing kit, therefore, you have to make due.  I don’t recommend remote destinations for my type-A, inflexible, or high-strung brides that cannot easily roll with the punches.

Favorite quote about celebrating or planning: The more a bride stays out of the details, the better time she’ll have at her wedding!

Find Amazing Amy and offer arsenal of fabulous floral (flora fabulousa in latin); using the links below: 

https://www.instagram.com/flowermoxie/

https://www.facebook.com/flowermoxie/

 https://flowermoxie.com/

Email: hello@flowermoxie.com

Credits for the images presented: