Featured originally on Southern Views Magazine
By Stephanie Reeves | Photos by S. Saxon
Flowers are an important part to making any special occasion or ceremony unique. The Wedding Day is one of the most important days of the bridal couple’s lives. On any wedding day, flowers are one of the most important elements, and indeed an integral part of any wedding ceremony across cultures.
From getting into the floral business at just 19 to taking over a well-established florist, Jenna Griggs of Denham’s Florist tells SVM how she got started working in the beautiful world of flowers. She also tells us what the latest trends are, and gives advice on selecting the right flowers to compliment your wedding and venue choice.
How did you get started in the floral business?
I interned with a family friend who previously owned Denham’s Florist. Otis and Janet Denham taught me floral design over a three-month period. After learning the various designs, which include, funeral work, weddings, and everyday arrangements, I opened my own floral business in Smiths Station, Al. I started A Perfect Petal Flowers & Gifts when I was 19 years old. After 6 years of being in Smiths Station, the Denhams were ready for retirement, which enabled me to purchase their well-established florist. While specializing in weddings here in the Columbus and surrounding areas our clientele has grown tremendously. We have recently relocated to 123 12th Street in Columbus to better serve our growing customer base.
Is there a specific style or arrangement your shop is best known for? Our florist is multifaceted from traditional to contemporary and everything in between. We pride ourselves in going above and beyond to meet our customer’s needs and offering exceptional value. Our designers are happy to help customers with the smallest budget as well as those with more extravagant budgets.
What advice do you give to brides when selecting their wedding flowers?
We always like the bride to have an idea of what all options and styles are available for their big day. Pinterest, bridal magazines, and wedding websites are all great tools to help a bride narrow down the choices of colors and styles. The choice of your flowers should always compliment your venue. For example, a rustic venue would call for flowers such as sunflowers, gerbera daisies, baby’s breath and many others. Whereas, an elegant venue would be more garden roses, peonies, orchids, and other high-end flowers. Communication is the key to a great relationship with your florist.
What are the floral trends for spring 2016 looking like?
Flower trends are constantly evolving. Free form bouquets and centerpieces full of a mixture of large and small blossoms are becoming popular. Tone on tone designs with three to five flower choices in the same shade with slight color variations create a romantic feel that is trending. The cascading shaped bouquet with flowy vine greenery is also making a comeback. Outdoor weddings with arches and arbors full of lush florals and greeneries are in demand this spring.
All florist do have a favorite flower, which one is yours and why?
Garden Roses are my favorite flower. Garden Roses are very fragrant and beautiful in any arrangement. They come in a variety of colors and they are larger than a regular rose. Garden roses are very popular in all of our weddings and events.
SVM
