Vendor Spotlight-Ode Floral Artistry
On this fine Tuesday we'll be checking out some beautiful floral work of the lovely Rickey Minder, owner of Ode Floral Artistry! How did you get into floral design?
My family owns a flower shop/greenhouse in Idaho, so when other kids chores consisted of cleaning their rooms and putting dishes away, mine was cleaning flowers. I actually remember splitting the chore with my brother and getting really smart as to know which flowers were the easiest to clean, so I would get to the shop before him, clean my half and leave the hard ones for him. :) I've been working at shops ever since. I put myself through college, coordinating the weddings and events for a wonderful florist in Bend, Oregon. Ode was always in the back of mind and after "opening" at the beginning of the year, has taken off quicker then I could have imagined.
Explain your process of working with a bride.
Each couple is so different, so the process really molds to suit our relationship. The logistics are there, consultation, lots of emails including details, working with budgets, etc...but each couple requires a little different process. Some brides I speak with a few times a week for months leading up to their wedding, some brides I see once and we are good to go. It's important to me that I feel just as comfortable with a couple as they do with me, so I really try to get to know them outside of their titles as bride and groom, I don't ever want them to feel like I am just another vendor, more of a friend who happens to know how to put flowers together. :)
What are your favorite flowers?
Hmm...is this a fair question?! I've been known to scream from the studio every time a flower comes in, THIS IS MY FAVORITE, then hold it up to my husbands face so he can get a good look, . But if I must choose, ranunculus always get me, always have, always will.
What makes you different from other florists?
I really think it's all about relationship. The brides I work with really "fit" me. A consultation for me is just as much about me feeling comfortable with the couple as it is for them to feel comfortable with me. If i don't feel like I can fulfill their vision and have fun doing it, I will send the bride elsewhere. I only take one event a week, no matter the size. It's important to me that whoever I'm working with gets all of my attention. I like to not be stressed out, so I've made decision about the way to run my business based off of that. I only take weddings I know I can handle without bringing in too much help, that way I can keep my overhead down, which means I can work with budgets easier. I'm also a bit of an artist:) Large weddings aren't my favorite, because it turns into production work, pulling off a huge weddings is an art in itself, but I'd rather do 4 beautiful meticulous crafted centerpieces, then 40 matching ones.
What's one thing you love to hear in consultation with a bride?
How thrilled they are to be marrying their groom. Really! A really wise photography said to me once that their are two types of brides, the ones who have dreamt their whole life about their wedding, and then the ones who met the guy and decided to get married. I like the latter. Being a part of a celebration of love and marriage that is more about what happens after the day, is so much cooler to me then being part of a party focused on everything being perfect.
We asked Rickey a few personal questions and here's what she told us:
Mac or PC? Mac baby!
Tea or Coffee? both at the same time :) Chai with a shot of espresso, woohoo!
iPhone or Blackberry? Call me old fashioned, I like my old school, plain jane phone. I get to hear my friends voices more, since they are forced to call me, even for the smallest of things! Sneaky:)!
Favorite song right now? I'm going to do a little shameless promotion of my hubbies album. "Better on The Other Side" Reed Thomas Lawrence. I get the at home acoustic version, so it's my fave. But we are going to the Madeleine Peyroux concert in a few weeks so I'm overloaded on her music right now.
Definitely check out Ode Floral Artistry to see more of Rickey's beautiful and intricate work!