Vendor Spotlight: Spiral Hand, Floral Designers

Leah Gagne and Rafael Campos of Spiral Hand joined forces in 2004 and haven’t looked back since. It was their mutual love of events, design and flowers that brought them together and weddings seem to mesh these elements perfectly to a T. They enjoy working intimately with couples, finding out who they are, their favorite things, colors, music, hobbies, etc. and attempt to create a totally unique event for them. And they pride themselves in not being a "cookie cutter" florist and by taking this approach, they’re able to expand their creativity to come up with unique floral designs and settings for each wedding.

One look at their work, we had to ask them what their inspirations are. Their list is long and you can see it. “Inspirations come from nature, taking walks on the beach, in the woods, urban settings. Fashion, music, and friends are all inspirations to us,” Leah tells us. “I think staying fresh comes from even walking through the flower market on a regular basis and seeing all the new stuff that comes through. Succulents, branches, fruits + vegetables and mosses…we love texture!” We have the best flower market in the States!” Indeed. The beauty of the Bay Area…


Why Spiral Hand? Besides the visually obvious, Leah and Rafael have a different perspective to design approach, wanting to create floral designs and weddings that are an extension of their perspective clients. It’s not just about the flowers per say: they look at the overall design of an event and enhance it with their magic spiral hands. We think they're pretty fab.

Vendor Spotlight: Pinon Design, Wedding Florist

Jun Pinon began Pinon Design a decade ago from the back of his pick-up truck and has since successfully established a reputable floral and event design business in San Francisco and Los Angeles. One look at Jun’s designs, you can tell that his pieces truly add to any occasion. In fact, that’s what he enjoys about creating pieces for weddings, “Because they can create a powerful ambiance for everyone to enjoy.”

And about his craft and business: “I believe flowers are meant to be shared and I have had the opportunity to showcase my work in many places but my main goal has been to inspire others with my live floral design presentations and hands-on floral design courses for various charities, venues, corporations and exclusive resorts throughout Hawaii and California.”

When you meet and consult with Jun, you won’t only be signing up with a passionate floral expert, but a friend as well. His warm personality is sure to reel you in, along with his gorgeous samples. Take a look at his beautiful designs at http://www.pinondesign.com/

Vendor Spotlight: Pat Gibbons, Floral Designer

A true seasoned professional, Pat Gibbons moved to the Bay Area from Cambridge, Mass in 1981 where she’d been working in the Events Department at the Museum of Science in Boston. Floral design was an easy career transition that combined many of her interests: flowers, art and gardening. All you have to do is look at her work to understand why! She’s even been invited to participate in the prestigious Bouquets to Art, held at the De Young Museum in San Francisco for the past 22 years.

“It’s my love of color, texture and bringing interesting elements together that keeps everything fresh,” she tells us. “Every season brings a whole new flower palette. I enjoy meeting people for consultations and hearing about their ideas and find it a fun process to develop innovative designs. Because I limit the number of weddings I do to one per weekend day, I offer personalized and detailed service and great value. On the day of the wedding, I’m always on-site for the delivery and setting up of the flowers.”

While everything starts with service and quality, Pat strives to bring ‘style-design-beauty’ to everything she does. She has a great reputation with both her clients and peers and is known for her artistry, service and the expertise that comes from designing for 29 years. And true to the Bay Area, Pat strives to be a green as possible; recycling, using local vendors and products. We think she’s divine and so will you.

View more of her beautiful work at: http://www.patgibbonsfloral.com/

Vendor Spotlight: Fleurs de France

For almost three decades, Fleurs de France, and owner Jessica Switala, has provided full-service wedding and event floral design studio services exclusively for Sonoma and Napa counties. They are known for their total dedication to giving brides and grooms a completely personalized experience from start-to-finish.

Jessica says: “I love weddings, events, and parties! I feel fortunate and extremely privileged to do what I love, create art and beauty with flowers, and being part of designing a once-in-a-lifetime day.” A true creative spirit, she is constantly searching for new textures, containers, color combinations, elements, fabrics, lace and embellishments to enhance to her work. She also adds, “I personally handpick every bloom, always looking for the extraordinary, the perfect elements to add.”

Whether you are hosting a small and intimate wedding or a large and lavish one, expect Jessica to bring your vision to fruition. Fleurs de France also specializes in destination weddings in the Northern California Wine Country, working with couples worldwide. Having been in business for so long, they work closely with each many wedding venues and all of your other vendors for a seamless execution.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so in addition to these beautiful photos posted here (by photographer Travis Hoehne), visit http://www.fleursfrance.com/ for a more complete idea of Jessica’s boundless talent.

Vendor Spotlight: Joanna Tao, Florist

Florist Joanna Tao saw an opportunity and pounced. She purchased an established florist in San Francisco and spent her first year learning floral design and business managemen, and now she runs Floral Ornament, a storefront and floral design studio in San Francisco’s Financial District.

The best part about her job: “It becomes more than a business transaction. I am genuinely interested in their big day, and I feel a weighty responsibility to be sure my portion of the wedding goes flawlessly. As for inspiration, sometimes two types of flowers that happen to be in the same bucket at my shop will ‘click’ in my head, like a photograph.” She never ceases to marvel at how diverse the palette of flower options are and how endless the combinations can be.

Besides from her exceptional quality and contemporary designs, her prices are considered “bargain basement” by San Francisco’s standards. But don’t be fooled; you will be getting beautiful pieces of art for your big day. Joanna simply has a knack for saving you pennies for peonies.


View her beautiful designs at:
http://www.floralornament.net/

Vendor Spotlight: Lidia Sadoun, Florist

Vendor Spotlight: Lidia Sadoun, Florist
http://www.lafleuriste.com/

Once you look at Lidia’s work, you’ll know why she’s as successful as she is. She’s worked in the floral industry for 13 years. She began working in a flower shop as a side job, just because she thought it would be “fun.” Well, she fell in love, and now she can’t imagine doing anything else.

Lidia loves creating floral arrangements for weddings, mostly because each one is always different. The colors change, the themes are varied, and each bride is unique. She has a sweet spot for making the actual bridal bouquets for a wedding: it’s the challenge of creating something that genuinely reflects the bride’s preferences and personality.

Last year La Fleuriste did the flowers for a truly unique wedding at a gorgeous ranch in the Carmel Valley. The theme was vintage chic and she accomplished this look by using certain elements and containers. Each centerpiece was different, and each design included a series of funky glass bottles/vessels – all fabulous flea market finds, including old French mason jars. The flowers included Garden Roses, Ranunculus, Blushing Bride, Chamomile and many other interesting elements. The arrangements were also complemented with lush greenery, including Mint and other herbs, Clematis foliage, and Passion vine. The overall look was rustic, yet elegant. It was one of her favorite weddings to date.

Lidia finds creative inspiration almost everywhere: “Nature, obviously. Just walking down the street, I am often stopped by the sight of trees or plants. It might be a color that catches my attention, or it might be the shape of a particular branch. These images then stay with me and when I’m working in the studio, they are translated into floral arrangements. And at a more local level, I sometimes let the flowers and vessels that I am working with guide me. Instead of forcing the elements to go this way or that way, I let them choose their path and the end result is often stunning.”

“People also play a part in this process,” she says, “In my commitment to making each event original it is sometimes the voice of the bride that I hear when deciding which direction to go.” All you have to do is look at her work to see how unique Lidia’s designs truly are.

Vendor Spotlight: Torryne Choate, Floral Designer

Torryne Choate, Floral Designer
www.birchsf.com

For Torryne Choate, weddings just never get old. “I tear up each and every time,” she sees the bride in her dress and her reaction to her bouquet. Torryne takes great pleasure in working with each client individually to create a one-of-a-kind look for their big day.

A florist for 19 years, Torryne began as an apprentice and quickly became a staff designer at a small florist in Los Altos, California. She told herself that as long as she enjoyed working with flowers, she would continue. To this day she loves her profession and now has her own company, Birch SF. Her storefront in Hayes Valley is beautiful and modern; design magazines stack the walls, as do unique plants and flowers and gifts. And her adorable Jack Russell terrier may even greet you with a ball if you’re lucky – he’s a ham.

In addition to her daughter, music, fashion, and her friends, what inspires Torryne: “I start each day at the flower market, selecting my product for the day. I liken this daily experience to choosing my paint colors for my work.” She’s a true artist – and you can tell by the way she describes the experience.

One of the most unique jobs she’s ever done happened for a bride that had an upscale farm stand. Torryne created fresh soil mounds running down the center line, adorned with farm-stand fruits, vegetables and rustic flowers. Aaah, the fruits of labor. Check out Torryne’s website for her most original creations.