The Event

Picture this. A Colorado ski lodge wedding in June. Clear skies and a panoramic view of the surrounding blue hills and mountain peaks. Warm, but not too hot because of the breeze. Ahh… It was the perfect day for my brother and his stunning bride to celebrate their love with family and friends. I flew out to Colorado from Seattle, Washington and spent three days preparing the wedding flowers. Then I got to deliver them to the mountaintop and set them up. It was wonderful to watch the photographer take shots of my work and see how delighted the bride was. The grand finale was getting to dance the night away surrounded by beautiful arrangements I had created!

 

The Challenges

Wedding guests got to see a five-months-pregnant lady, a mile above sea level, at the top of a ladder trying to get Bells of Ireland to stick into the hanging oasis on a windy warm day in June. It must have been quite a sight!
 
Preparing for the ceremony was quite an ordeal. My proudest moment was sourcing local greenery by driving around with pruning shears and taking hikes by the river. Getting to the event was also interesting. The switch-back drive up the mountain had points of sheer drop off, complete with folks radioing when the path was clear on the one way road, the AC was blasting to keep the flowers cool enough so they would last until the evening ceremony.

 

The Joy

Family mushy stuff aside, (because she is the best sister addition to the family I could have ever hoped for) Jess is intelligent, witty, and gives my brother a run for his money. My biggest joy of creating wedding flowers for this event was connecting with Gina K from Steamboat Floral & Gifts. Of the local florists I reached out to, for ordering flowers and borrowing a place to work, she was the one who said yes. This yes held so much more for me than I had asked for. She’s a 30-year veteran of the floral industry, uses only the most beautiful flowers in her creative arrangements, and when we met it was as if we had known each other for a long time. Working side by side with Gina and having her tell me I was a natural changed how I view my works. I am so grateful to know her!