Emma Lea Floral

Emma’s designs are lush and textural, with an emphasis on romantic movement, bold blooms, and thoughtful color schemes. She has a focus on sustainability within the flower industry, and inclusion in the broader wedding industry.

You can check out her site here.

And follow along with her on IG here.

How long have you been in business?
I started Emma Lea Floral in 2015 with a few weddings and have been slowly growing ever since. 

What made you start Emma Lea Floral?
I fell into floral design after college where I majored in art history. I was missing all of my art classes so I accepted an internship with a woman who had her own boutique design studio while I figured out my next steps. After a summer of working for her I realized that I found something special in flowers and never looked back. After a few years of working and learning from my mentor things started to shift and I began designing for friends weddings. From there Emma Lea Floral evolved naturally and slowly I began doing weddings for friends of friends and then eventually for strangers. 

What is your favorite part of owning your own business?
I love how every day can be different. There are definitely tasks I enjoy more than others but I like knowing that I won’t always be doing the same thing or working in the same place. Plus I love every chance I have to work at home with my dog and cat by my side. 

Who is your ideal client?  Who inspires you in your design?
Our ideal client loves flowers, color (subtle or bold!), and texture! We strive to create unique and beautiful arrangements that capture the couple’s vision for their wedding. There are so many great florists out there but I tend to be most inspired by the flowers themselves. Finding new ways to align color and texture is what drives my love for floral design.                                   
Describe the process of working with you.  What do couple’s need to know?
We get started by meeting and discussing the couple’s vision. I love to hear all of the little details that make each couple unique. Hearing what excites them most really helps to guide our planning. Once we meet we put together a design board and proposal so we can bring those ideas to life with visuals and descriptions. From there, we are available to our couples throughout the planning process to bounce ideas off of us, make updates, and make sure that their floral vision evolves with the rest of their planning. 

More than anything, we hope that our clients trust us to bring their vision to life! That trust is so important to have, especially when working with something as unpredictable as flowers. 

What trends are inspiring to you right now?
I love seeing clients and designers showing an interest in sustainability! The floral industry is traditionally full of waste and carries a heavy environmental footprint. We have a long way to go, but I am feeling inspired to move Emma Lea Floral in a more sustainable direction. We already recycle, compost, and support local farms, but I want to continue pushing our processes to do better. 

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Lemon custard ice cream from Bonnie Brae is my absolute favorite! 

Where would you most like to travel?
I haven’t every really traveled outside of the country! I dream of going to iconic places like  Paris, Greece, and Japan