Welcome! Thanks so much for stopping by and for taking time to check out my blog. This is my very first published conversation as Holly Yee Floral Architecture. I chose the label of CONVERSATIONS instead of BLOG, as I hope you will be inspired to voice your thoughts in the comments area below. My goal is to use this platform to share floral ideas and inspiration, as well as useful knowledge about weddings and events in general, but my bigger hope is that conversation ensues as a result. I truly believe that dialogue uncovers treasures that normally would remain untouched. So, get ready for all the wonderful floral creativity to be showcased here! It’s going to be good!

In officially launching my new business website and blog, I wanted to take time to reflect on all that has happened. 2018 was a year of big changes (BIG ones!). But change is inevitable (right??) and it’s only through change that we can evolve as creatives, as professionals, and as people. Cheers to that!

 

Final Wedding as Love Letters Floral Design

I completed my very last wedding in Colorado as Love Letters Floral Design on December 15, 2018. Love Letters Floral Design first took shape in the spring of 2013 after my floral design business had previously been know by another name. Saying good-bye to something that I had literally thought about every day for the past five years was bittersweet. But at the same time I felt that the legacy of Love Letters Floral Design belonged in Colorado.

This wedding was definitely one for the books! Tiffany, the bride, and I had had been chatting about her and Gustavo’s big day for the past year and a half, so needless to say my hands were itching to make their arrangements. Waiting can be hard, especially when your couples have great taste! I absolutely loved all the textural elements we incorporated into Tiffany and Gustavo’s arrangements – the pine cones cones, the cotton pods, the berries! Oh my! And the fairy lights we added to the over-sized wreath that sat above the fireplace warmed my heart. It was a beautiful, beautiful winter wedding.

Tiffany and Gustavo’s wedding was held at Spruce Mountain Ranch, was coordinated by the lovely Ileen of Once Upon A Wedding Events, and was captured by the talented Sunny of Sunny Lee Photography, who graciously shared these gorgeous images:

 

Moving from Colorado to Washington

I first came to Colorado back in October of 2007 after leaving the island of Kauai. At that time in my life I was searching for a place to live that had more career opportunities and that had more people my age. Kauai is beautiful, but it’s quite small, and as a young adult I felt limited. I had never spent any time in Colorado prior to moving there, but Colorado had always seemed like a place of adventure. And boy-oh-boy was it! There’s a reason why Colorado is the fittest state in the country. The abundance of awesome outdoor activities to partake in was incredible and I definitely did my fair share of them! From hut trips, to snowshoeing, to camping, to biking, to white water rafting, I made the most of the majestic Colorado Rocky Mountains. Living there was absolutely amazing.

The opportunity to re-locate to the Seattle area came at a time that seemed to make sense for my husband and I, so even though we love Colorado and even though it took us five months to actually move forward with making our decision, ultimately, we decided to embrace a new chapter in our lives. We started the moving process in the spring of 2018 and didn’t finish moving until January of 2019. This move took a lot of energy. But, in looking back, I am thankful by how well everything worked out and proud of how thoughtfully we executed fulfilling our commitments in Colorado. It was also neat to see parts of the country from that road that we had never been to before. This photo was taken near Wapato, Washington, in the Yakima Valley:

Launching Holly Yee Floral Architecture, LLC

In (metaphorically) leaving Love Letters Floral Design back in Colorado, I decided to re-brand and use my own name for my floral event design business. It’s always been my heart and my soul behind everything I create, and it just felt right to use my name. I also embraced the term “floral architecture” instead of “floral design” when another Florist had told me once that I was “like an Architect.” Being that Architecture is in my family history and that I had considered it as a career path at one point in my life, this wording really resonated with me.

I am also excited to announce that as Holly Yee Floral Architecture I will be working out of my own official studio space! This has been a big, long-held dream of mine and I am still pinching myself to make sure that these four walls are in fact real. The transformation of my floral studio is almost complete. I will be writing up a lengthy blog post accompanied with pictures on what that process looked like and what the studio looks like now. If you are an Event Floral Designer and have any questions about transitioning from your home studio to a commercial studio, I would love to share what I know and have learned.

Here’s a peek into the studio before any of my floral supplies arrived. I had the back area of the studio where I will be doing the design work painted yellow to make the space bright and happy. My hope is to infuse even more joy into the arrangements that I create.

 

I am looking forward to being a part of some amazing weddings and events here in Washington state and to getting my hands on some locally-grown flowers! The flowers here in the Pacific Northwest will stop you in your tracks. So, if you are planning a wedding or other special event this year or in 2020, I would love to talk about flowers with you! Or if you are a Wedding and Event Professional in the Seattle area, let’s connect! I would love to meet you!!