In Conversation With Wedding Florist Bree of April & Fritz

Embark on the captivating journey of Bree, the creative force behind April & Fritz Design, as she unveils her transition from corporate life to an esteemed wedding florist. Inspired by cherished childhood memories and a profound love for nature, Bree’s floral arrangements epitomise personalised storytelling and eco-conscious practices. With dreams of nurturing a micro flower farm, Bree’s dedication to curating unforgettable wedding experiences blooms, promising a future where every bloom narrates a unique love tale.

“Finding a florist who shares your values, forms a meaningful connection, and approaches their work with intention can truly enrich your wedding flower experience.”

What inspired you to pursue a career in wedding floristry, and how did you get started in the industry?

I have vivid memories of spending time on my grandparents’ property as a child - some of the happiest times of my life, and where my love for flowers & nature began. I remember time spent climbing trees, playing with the dogs and chickens, and exploring their plant-filled garden and nursery. Their home was a place where our family would come together to celebrate all of life’s moments; big and small.

The birth of my brand, April & Fritz Floral Design, stemmed from a pivotal moment in my life. After working at a global technology company for 5 years (with a side hobby of floristry beginning to bloom), I was suddenly made redundant. I saw this as an opportunity to follow my dreams and start my own floral design business. As I sat down to start planning, I came back to one question: ‘why am I passionate about this?’. My memories brought me back to my grandparents’ property; the flower gardens; and the time spent with family. As I looked through old photo albums, reliving those memories, I came across a photo of my brother and me in our grandparents’ garden with our two dogs - April & Fritz. It was a moment of clarity, and just like that, the brand was born.

Can you share some of the key elements that make wedding floral arrangements unique compared to other types of floral design?

Weddings are not just ceremonies; they are love stories brought to life. This makes them incredibly unique and intimate, as it marks the beginning of a beautiful life together.

Each of our designs hold sentimental meaning, creating a bond that lasts a lifetime. As your wedding florist, we take the time to get to know you, your love, your unique love story, and how we can bring that life through carefully chosen seasonal florals.

Our goal is to create a design that you'll cherish not just on your wedding day, but for years to come. Every petal and bloom helps you relive the magic of your special day, allowing you to revisit those beautiful moments and emotions time and time again.

What are some current trends in wedding flowers, and how do you incorporate them into your designs while maintaining a timeless appeal?

Wedding trends are ever-evolving, offering couples so many choices. Some recent flower trends include bold colour palettes, the use of non-floral accents like bows, ribbons, and pearls, as well as the incorporation of fruits and produce into designs.

Our approach is to strike a balance between embracing trends consciously and infusing them with purpose. We work closely with our clients to understand their vision and intentions for their wedding. Instead of blindly adopting every trend, we encourage couples to choose elements that resonate with them on a deeper level. It's about finding the intention behind each trend and making it meaningful in your design.

Ultimately, your wedding day is a deeply personal and meaningful occasion, and you should feel empowered to shape it in a way that truly reflects you, your love, your values, and your unique story.

Weddings are deeply personal events. How do you work with couples to understand their vision and translate it into floral designs that reflect their style and story?

Our ethos of floral design centres around personalisation, emotional connection, and storytelling. We believe in creating floral arrangements that go beyond aesthetics and truly resonate with the couple's distinctive love story. To achieve this, we approach every consultation as a collaboration with clients.

During our time together, it's essential that the couple feels comfortable sharing their stories, personalities, preferences, and the emotions they wish to convey through the floral designs. We dive into their vision for the big day, exploring their desired colour palette, and go into any specific flowers or themes that hold special significance to them.

This collaborative process is at the core of our work, ensuring that the floral designs we create are not just beautiful but an authentic reflection of them. Every petal, every colour, and every element we incorporate is thoughtfully chosen to make their wedding day a truly personalized and unforgettable experience.

As a budding wedding florist, what moments or experiences have deeply inspired you on your journey so far, and how have they shaped your approach to floral design and business growth?

Every wedding I've been a part of has been an inspiration. Witnessing the joy, love, and gratitude of couples and their families during these pivotal moments is incredibly moving. These experiences have reinforced my commitment to creating designs that evoke emotions and capture the essence of each love story, whilst also shaping my approach to business by emphasizing the importance of focusing on the client.

Sustainability and eco-friendliness are becoming increasingly important in all industries. How do you integrate these principles into your business practices and floral designs?

Integrity is a core value of April & Fritz. We’re committed to ethical and sustainable floristry in everything we do. We source local, seasonal flowers when possible to reduce our carbon footprint, minimize waste through responsible disposal practices, and reuse different elements as much as we can. We also educate our clients on the importance of sustainable choices so they understand the impact and offer more sustainable alternatives, such as replacing traditional floral foam for Oshun Pouches or chicken wire for instance.

Can you walk us through your creative process when designing wedding floral arrangements, from conceptualization to execution?

Clients initiate our services by submitting an enquiry through our website to check availability. Once confirmed, we schedule an introductory video call. Meeting with our clients is non-negotiable because we believe in building a personal connection. We request them to complete a brief survey, providing us with essential event details in the lead up to the consultation.

During the 20 to 30-minute call, we explore our clients' inspirations, values, and unique qualities. One highlight of this call is diving into their vision board, where clients share images or inspiration that resonate with them, and we dissect these to understand what specific elements appeal to them.

After the call, we start our creative process, drawing inspiration from their story, their unique love, personalities, likes and dislikes, colours, the venue and other personal elements shared during our conversation.

Our design begins to take shape, leading to the creation of a comprehensive proposal. This proposal includes a colour palette, vision board or a mock-up of the design, coupled with a detailed quote and contract, serving as a blueprint for the design moving forward. Instead of fixating on specific flowers, we focus on the overall aesthetic and vibe.

We highly value collaboration and encourage feedback, as it’s a vital part of our process. Clients have the opportunity to provide input and make adjustments to ensure their vision aligns perfectly with our design.

We understand that visions may evolve over time and as the wedding approaches, clients' thoughts and inspirations may change. This is entirely natural and welcomed. We offer flexibility, allowing changes up to eight weeks before your wedding day to refine the design.

My favourite moment in this journey is stepping back on the wedding day and witnessing the design come to life. It's incredibly satisfying to see a vision transformed from our client's imagination into a tangible reality.

Every wedding is unique. How do you ensure that your floral designs align with the overall theme and ambience of each couple's celebration?

To ensure our floral designs harmonize perfectly with each couple's celebration, we prioritize a deep level of personalization. While personal connection and storytelling are the foundation of our work, we take a holistic approach to aligning our designs with the wedding's overall theme and ambience as this work cannot be done in isolation.

We work closely with your team of vendors to gain insights into other elements of your big day - for example: the venue's characteristics, signage, and more. By tailoring our floral creations to these specifics, we ensure that our arrangements not only complement but elevate the overall theme, creating a cohesive space.

What advice do you have for couples who are navigating the process of choosing their wedding flowers and selecting a florist?

Start by thinking about what truly matters to you and share your values with your florist. There's something special about connecting with a florist who shares your passions and values. For instance, some florists are deeply committed to ethical and sustainable practices. If their principles align with yours, your experience is sure to be enriched.

Look for more than just a transactional relationship and seek a meaningful connection with your florist. This way, you'll have a trusted collaborator who understands your style for all your significant life moments. Whether it's weddings, funerals, or those cherished moments in between, they'll be there to support you.

Seek out florists who genuinely understand your vision and are flexible in creating floral arrangements that align with you. By doing so, your flowers will not only look beautiful but will also feel like an accurate reflection of your personality and the essence of your wedding.

Finding a florist who shares your values, forms a meaningful connection, and approaches their work with intention can truly enrich your wedding flower experience.

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations and goals for your career as a wedding florist, and how do you plan to continue evolving and growing in the industry?

I intend to continue to create meaningful, memorable weddings for couples and expand our reach to serve even more love stories.

I also have big dreams for the future of April & Fritz. One of my ultimate goals is to establish my own micro flower farm, where I can cultivate flowers specifically for my couples. This farm-to-table approach would allow me to design, grow, and create floral arrangements from the ground up, working closely with couples to bring something that is truly unique and deeply personal to them. I envision a future where every flower in our arrangements is nurtured and handpicked with love, adding an extra layer of sentiment to each wedding we are privileged to be a part of. This dream represents my commitment to evolving and growing in the industry by offering even more personalised and sustainable options to couples in the years to come.

April & Fritz can be found online at www.aprilandfritz.com.au or on Instagram at @aprilandfritz

DISCLAIMER: We attempt to credit the original photographer/source of every image we use. However, in most circumstances, the images we use are provided by the brands spoken about, and we rely on them to inform us of the image source. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at info@theodoremagazine.com

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