Vendor Spotlight- Birchwood Creative

Today we are excited to share a floral design company that does much more than the typical florist. Alex Vaughan, of Birchwood Creative, focuses on "creating an atmosphere" for her clients! Her passion of floral and event design has allowed her to work in LA, New York City and now Nashville. Since 2004, she has worked with top event planners and florists and has the expertise to make your event exactly what you want. A client of Birchwood Creative that you may already know is the television show, Nashville! Birchwood Creative does all of the flowers on the show so make sure to notice the flowers next time you watch! Also, Alex teaches floral design classes. Check out her website and see about all of the different opportunities Birchwood Creative has in store for you! We asked Alex a few questions below about the business along with a few personal questions!

How did you get into floral design?

When I was 18 and going to school in Boston I had a simple job at a

tiny little flower shop. I'm from Miami originally, which doesn't have

seasons and is too hot to grow most flowers. So most of the flowers I

encountered were entirely new to me and I simply fell in love with

them. I had never seen a peony before and I just couldn't believe how

absolutely gorgeous and delicate it was. When I moved to Los Angeles I

decided that I would make flowers my career. I started at the bottom

at a very nice, high end shop in Beverly Hills and worked my way up,

learning all that I could from the master designers around me.

Explain your process of working with a bride.

I like to really get to know the particular style of a bride. Pinterest

has been massively helpful in this regard in the past couple years. I

do whole tablescapes and overall design as well as the flowers so I

like to see lots of photos of what the bride finds beautiful. Not just

flowers, but dresses, interior design, art, everything! The simplest

thing can give me just the right inspiration to design something truly

unique and exactly to the bride's personal style. Once I have a sense

of the bride's style and a clear picture of what she wants for her

wedding, I construct a detailed digital presentation complete with

photos, idea sketches and descriptions. I like my brides to know

exactly what they can expect on their big day and I love to see their

excitement when I show them the plans.

 What is your favorite flower?

I couldn't possibly choose just one! I'll have to break it down by

season. Spring: Peony. Summer: Garden roses and Dahlias. Fall:

Chocolate Cosmos. Winter: Anemone (the panda white variety).

What makes you different from other florist?

Everything!! Design, experience, professionalism. I've learned from

the best of the best and I'm bringing all I've learned to Nashville.

Each arrangement I create is at once a stand alone, carefully designed

and constructed piece as well as a part of a larger picture. It's just

as much about the pretty flowers as it is how they are designed.

You'll never see a flower out of place or a big hole in an

arrangement. Each piece is created to perfection. My 10 years of

experience working with the best in the events industry from LA to NYC

has made it possible for me to think outside of the box as well as a

keen eye for detail. I have done EVERYTHING! Flowers are my art and I

know my medium very well. I never do the same thing twice!

What's one thing you love to hear in consultation with a bride?

My favorite kind of bride is a bride that wants to wow her guests with

something new, something they haven't seen a thousand times. Nothing

radical, just unique.

Some personal questions:

Mac or PC: Mac! Unquestionably!

Tea or Coffee: I drink both frequently but I require coffee in the

morning before I can function properly.

Favorite Flower: See above.

Favorite Season for Flowers: Early spring or "branch season" when you

can find tons of different kinds of flowering branches such as Cherry

and Quince. I think I like it because it can't be forced. Most flowers

these days are grown in very controlled environments but branches are

still just the luck of the draw. Some years are totally bunk and you

just have to wait until next year, but others are amazing and it can

be so exciting when you get a good year!