One of the the most prevalent obstacles I’ve encountered in my career as a Wedding and Event Florist has been communicating design concepts in a way that my clients could really understand and envision. While I would talk in descriptive, colorful language about a bouquet or a ceremony area or a table centerpiece, I would continue to get the statement, “Well, I am just not sure how it’s going to look.”

Using words and numbers never really seemed to paint the most complete design picture, and in the beginning of my business I struggled to get my floral ideas across. How could I show my clients what their arrangements would look like before I actually made their arrangements? I wanted my clients to feel confident that the designs I was proposing for their event were perfect for them. Finding a way to better communicate the images that resided in my head became almost a quest for me.

At the beginning of 2016 I bridged this gap through creating detailed digital drawings. I had realized that images have the ability to convey abstract and complex concepts, and that we humans are inherently visual thinkers. Plus, I have always enjoyed drawing, even though I thought my drawing skills were somewhat rudimentary. The more I drew, however, the better I got at it and now I almost enjoy the conceptual part of floral design almost more than the actual floral arranging itself. In that moment of taking your pen to paper there is so much artistic, creative possibility! I found that my drawings were quite effective (and often really accurate) in conveying the totality of a design. Sketching became one of my primary methods for communicating design concepts to my clients, which I still use today.

I am excited to share some of my past design concepts. It’s been so fun to look back at these concepts and compare them to the final, real-life designs. Sometimes they are pretty spot on!

Caitlin + Jon: Soft & Romantic Arch

Caitlin and Jon’s wedding was at an urban venue with a quasi-park feel. Their color palette was soft and muted, and they wanted their wedding to have a romantic feel. Using my birch arch we decide to drape sheer fabric over it to provide some soft movement – a stark contrast to the rigidness of the birch poles. And I added a lush asymmetric floral design in one corner of the arch. The image on the left is my sketch and the image on the right is courtesy of Sarah Hill Photography.

Tiffany + Gustavo: Oversized Holiday Wreath with Candles

Since they were tying the knot a week before Christmas, Tiffany and Gustavo decided to have a winter wedding with a Holiday feel. Tiffany envisioned an over-sized wreath on the fireplace mantle to take center stage at the ceremony. She wanted Holidays greens, berries, some flowers and lots and lots of candles. I think the shape and style of her initial vision is conveyed really well through the drawing on the left. The image on the right which showcases the illuminated essence is courtesy of Sunny Lee Photography.

Emily + Tyler: Colorful Floral Fence

Ski Tip Lodge in Colorado has an amazing ceremony backdrop overlooking a turquoise blue lake. Emily and Tyler wanted to use the structure that was already there, a wood fence, for their ceremony backdrop. We decided on a spilt, asymmetric and colorful design following the horizontal lines of the fence. The image on the left is my sketch and the picture on the right is courtesy of Kelsey Booth Photography.

Emily + Tyler: Rustic River Florals

Emily and Tyler had an outdoor wedding at one of my most favorite natural wedding venues in Colorado, Riverbend. To define the ceremony we used my birch arch and I proposed an asymmetric design with more volume of flowers/greenery in one corner, balanced by a smaller floral plume on the opposite side. The digital concept I drew is featured on the left and Emily and Tyler are seen just having been pronounced husband and wife on the right courtesy of Gretchen Foster Photography.

Kora + Casey: Lush Pergola With Mountain Views

Kora and Casey got married in Estes Park, one of my favorite places in Colorado. Their venue had this spectacular view overlooking a lake with a mountain backdrop. Since they would be married under the pergola, we decided to follow the shape of the pergola with their soft, rustic floral vision. My draft is on the left and the design that came to fruition is pictured on the right.

Kristin + Marcus: Indoor Urban Floral Flair

While I have a fondness for outdoor ceremonies, I love the fact that indoor ceremonies often provide a blank slate. Using their color palette of red, pink, and green we chose a square arch covered in greenery and blooms with more thickness on top and in the corners of the arch. My initial sketch of this vision is on the left and their wedding day is pictured on the right courtesy of Bellagala.