Interview with Blue Barn Event Floral | Wedding Flowers in Fargo

This winter I had the pleasure of meeting Allison who is an incredible florist here in Fargo! We ended up talking over our coffee for almost 2 hours, everything from house projects to dogs to weddings. I asked her to do a blog interview because I feel like more brides NEED to hire this lady!!

** All images in this post were courtesy of Allison,  I will link the photographers (three of my good friends!) at the bottom of this post!! ** 

On to the interview:

I’m Allison Lunde, owner and leader designer at Blue Barn Event Floral. I love working in the floral industry, nothing is ever constant and I get to do something new every day! I love my zoo at home, my husband Jesse, and iced coffee.

 

What lead you to open your own business?

I wanted to start Blue Barn Event Floral because I love flowers, and I was seeing the same wedding flowers over and over again. I wanted to be able to move the trends, especially in the Fargo/Moorhead area. Flowers don’t have to be the same for every wedding, they need to be a reflection of the couple, and their day and not something they saw on Pinterest or it was the cheapest thing they could get. If you are investing in a gorgeous dress, and venue, why skimp on something that will be in all of the images from the day? I wanted to start my own business to show couples that their flowers are a huge part of the wedding day, not something to leave to the last minute.

What is your number one tip for Brides to consider with their florals?

The best tip I can give couples for their wedding florals, is to look on Pinterest as inspiration and trust your florist. There are so many gorgeous things on there, however each florist has their own style and way to put things together and there is no way for two different people to compose the same exact arrangement. I take the time to source each and every bloom, green and ribbon to make sure that each wedding is cohesive, I know what is in season and what is out of season and will cost more money.

What 2017 trend are you seeing that you absolutely adore?

I am love the Pantone color of the year. I love ALL green bouquets and other pieces, so much texture and it just so gorgeous. I love doing out of the box arrangements and I think that there are so many fun things that can be done with just a green palette.

If you could pick one flower to use in every bouquet what would it be?

Ranunculus are by far my favorite because they are always so sweet and adorable. I love all of their layers, and textures, they get better and better as they age!

What colors are the easiest or hardest to work with as a florist?

I know for a fact that un-natural colors are hard to work with, like tiffany blue, it’s a pretty color, but zero flowers grow that way. I think that if couples want to use an un-natural color like that, it needs to be done in the linens, vases, or candles, because dying flowers can cause problems on the wedding day. I think the easiest colors for me to work with are whites and greens, they work so effortlessly together and it is always elegant.

Each season brings a different vibe, what are some things to consider for each season when it comes to flowers?

Each and every season comes with a whole different set of flowers, and couples need to keep that in mind. Peonies are a hugely sought after wedding flower (which they should be because they are amazing!), but many people don’t realize that they are not in season all year. Sometimes the growers can stretch the growing times, or they grow in Alaska as well, but that usually means they are more expensive.

As far as colors go for flowers and seasons, I like to mix it up! I love seeing different color palettes during the different seasons, like why just do pastels in the spring? Bright and bold wedding in the winter against the snow would be so fun!

Why do you feel it is important to have gorgeous flowers on a wedding day?

I think it is so important to have flowers on your wedding day because they are in all of the pictures. They set the ambiance as well as the lighting, DJ, and venue. They maybe a perishable product, but they last well into the night if they are processed correctly. Brides and grooms spend money on the venues, DJ, dresses, and skimp on the flowers usually, but they are part of the all over package, they can make the space look grand and lush. I love going to weddings and feeling like the bride and groom really took the time to think about their flowers and the ambiance

 And finally what is one behind the scenes thing that you wish people knew about your job? 

There is a lot of cleaning! Cleaning of buckets, the floor, stems, vases! Every time I use a bucket, or vase they have to bleached and cleaned then put away.

Thank you so much for being open to an interview Allison! I can’t wait to get to work with your gorgeous flowers (2017-2018 brides please hire her!) and spend more time over coffee laughing about our dogs shenanigans! Take care and good luck with your wedding season. 😀

 Allison’s website: Blue Barn Events Floral

Head Shot image curtsy of: Abby Anderson Photographer.

Images of the Green and blush flowers: Penny Burns – Northern Stories

Images of Red flowers against the snow: Autumn Wilson Photography. 

More of my own work: Kris Kandel – Fargo Photographer