Wedding Flowers: A Q&A With the Lead Floral Designer at Farmside Gardens
From the dress to the décor, brides often have a unique vision for their special day. Wedding flowers are a key part of bringing that dream to life, and so at Farmside Florist, we take pride in making sure that brides are fully satisfied with their flowers on their wedding day.
Choosing a trusted wedding florist is key to helping brides have confidence in their wedding vision leading up to the special day. Get to know Anne Amels, the lead floral designer at Farmside Gardens, and learn how her totally customized approach to weddings gives brides full confidence that their vision will become a reality!
Tell us a little bit about your background in floral design.
Anne: The first time I ever stepped foot in a florist was when I was very young. I remember going over to Bouquets by Bobby (which was where Patrick’s is now in Sussex) to order a dozen red roses for my brother Chuck to give to Marge (his wife). It was my first ever experience at a florist, and at the time I didn’t realize florists did anything other than sell a dozen red roses!
We opened a flower shop here on the family farm in ‘87. I said, “Somebody in the family needs to learn how to design flowers,” so I went to SUNY Cobleskill to learn floral design. I ended up being one of the top two designers in the class, and when I came home from college, the other floral designer here left and I was handed the florist and challenged to run this part of the business. 34 years later, here I am!
Tell us about your approach to designing for weddings. What does the process look like?
Anne: Every single wedding is completely custom. When I meet with brides and design for their wedding, everything is uniquely theirs, it’s not mine. I want to design the wedding that they’re dreaming of. Because of that, nothing is cookie-cutter and everything is designed from the heart. I listen to the bride and see pictures of what she wants. Then, when I design, my eyes will spark and I will say, “Wow, this is what she’s dreaming of. I can see it. I can see her vision.”
What are some of the challenges of designing for weddings?
Anne: I love when a bride has creative ideas or when their request challenges me. The word “no” never comes out of my mouth and I want to make every bride happy. I have a wedding coming up where every table has a different centerpiece, so I will be making each one totally unique. I’m excited for the challenge and to be creative with it.
I’ve had brides request everything from floating flowers in pools to centerpieces with flowering branches and pinecones in bouquets. It’s fun being able to make their vision come to life. My brides inspire me to try new things!
What do you enjoy most about designing for weddings?
Anne: I love delivering the flowers to the bride on her wedding day. My favorite part is seeing how she reacts. Brides often tell us the flowers are amazing, beyond what they could imagine, just what they wanted, or everything they dreamed of. Sometimes, the brides cry. When they cry, you know you hit it.
If you could give one piece of advice to a bride searching for a wedding florist, what would it be?
Anne: You should not be stressed about your flowers! It’s the best part! Have fun and be creative. Ask your florist for what you want, and trust them to create the beautiful wedding you’re imagining. Brides often come in frazzled and unsure of what they want or worried about cost. Once a bride tells me exactly what they want and what their budget is, we find a way to make it work. Flowers are supposed to be fun! Find a florist you trust and let them make your dream a reality.
Are you searching for a florist for your wedding?
Contact Anne to learn more about Farmside Florist’s approach to weddings.
What our brides are saying…
“We wanted to reach out and thank you SO much for the absolutely beautiful flowers you provided for us yesterday. They were exactly what I had pictured in my head and more. They made the reception space look stunningly beautiful. We could not be more thrilled with how they turned out.”
“Thank you for accenting our wedding day perfectly! I’m having an artist paint my bouquet because I was that in love with it! You truly made the day over the top perfect. Thank you!”
“Thank you for all the beautiful work you did with the arbor and centerpieces for our wedding. The colors and flowers were exactly what we needed to bring our vision to life!”
“I got my flowers from Anne at Farmside for my wedding and they were absolutely stunning. She surpassed my expectations. Anne- thank you so much for accommodating me last minute request. I received many compliments! My bouquets and centerpieces were beautiful.”