Bella Fiori
Seattle Wedding Florist
Extraordinary design for chic weddings, distinctive events, intimate dinners & grand galas.
www.bellafiori.com
Tell us about YOU! How long have you been in business? How did you start your business?
I have a feeling my story will sound like many people who end up in a creative career. I hadn’t planned to become a floral designer, actually I had a career planned in the computer industry after college! But, I was climbing the walls because I wasn’t able to explore my creative/artistic side. So I started taking all kinds of art classes in the evenings and on the weekends to satiate the desire to be creative. I’d bring my floral designs to my office job during the week and set them on my desk so I’d have some pretty to look at, one thing led to another and before I knew it I was designing flowers for office mates’ weddings!
Eventually, even my boss said I had a calling and I need to go for it. She practically kicked me out the door and told me to get to it! Ha
I opened Bella Fiori in 2003 and had a wonderful business in Colorado. 2013 brought my husband and I to Washington state for his career.
How does your work & design process differ from other wedding florists?
My style is always evolving and I’ve had many different phases. There was a time where I was so drawn to contemporary designs. Then there was a phase of exploring the color red, a very opulent look. These days I’m very inspired by my cutting garden and the flowers and foliages that I’m growing. Just the other day I had another floral designer mention that my designs are a nice balance of the current garden style without being “too branchy”. Does that even make sense to anyone who isn’t a floral designer? Ha ha!
What are the most exciting decor and floral trends that you are seeing?
I’m very curious to see what evolves as a look this coming wedding season. For the past 4-5 wedding seasons the color palette has been very blush and cream. Will we see more color this year?? I seem to see more burgundies pulled into the color palette lately. I do believe the interest in cool foliage textures will continue.
What are the hot colors this year?
Blush, cream, green, burgundies, corals, and peaches.
What is the average wedding floral budget of your brides?
Brides who come to me do so because they love flowers, and floral décor is a very important element of their wedding. It’s hard to pinpoint an average as the range depends so much on how many flower arrangements are needed for the wedding.
What are the top ways couples can have gorgeous arrangements at their wedding without breaking their floral budget?
It’s very important to be flexible with the variety of flowers in the designs. Pinterest makes peonies, garden roses, and ranunculus look like normal wedding flowers, when in all reality they tend to be the more expensive flowers. In order to not break the bank, I would suggest a bride be open to flowers such as the more standard rose and dahlias. Trust that a floral designer wants your wedding to be gorgeous and they suggest a variety of flowers to help keep the cost in check.
Describe your ideal couple
My ideal couple LOVES flowers and feels that floral décor is an important element of their special day. I love to design lush, elegant, and timeless floral arrangements. I’m not a big fan of fads! Much better to be elegant and not have any regrets 10 years down the road when looking at wedding photographs.
