Mar 05

Favorite Vendors Favorite Vendor Spotlight: Jeanne with White Poppy

I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented and personable vendors and wedding consultants in the wedding industry. I love to refer my clients to professionals I have worked with who I truly believe will do an amazing job for them. I have a blog post dedicated to my favorite vendors, but I wanted to also occasionally spotlight each of them more in depth. Today meet Jeanne Birmingham of White Poppy Floral. I first worked with Jeanne on an eco-friendly Fox News feature that talented planner Cicely Rocha-Miller of Life Design Events recruited us for. I was blown away by Jeanne's designs. Since then I've also gotten the chance to shoot her family portraits and get to know her a little more personally. I really relate to her because she clearly takes pride in what she does and gives 100% to everything she takes on. Here's some Q & A to help us get to know Jeanne better. Read her answers below each question: How long have you been a florist? I have been working as a florist for almost 10 years now. I started out working for a high-end flower shop in Scottsdale and was quickly introduced to the wonderful world of events. The owner of the shop kept wanting me to work on her weddings and I subsequently found that I had great passion for weddings. I went from bucket washer to manager in no time and knew that this career choice was the right one for me. It was after my experience there that I started White Poppy Floral. What got you interested in starting your business? I knew that I would be happiest doing something creative so this seemed a good fit. My degree is in Art History with an emphasis on Native American Art, and through college it was my dream to work at The Heard Museum. My dream came true but I was quickly disappointed that my job involved sitting behind a desk all day. I am a very tactile person who loves to work with my hands so I knew it wasn't a good choice for me. My sister and my very good friend were self-employed wedding florists at the time so I jumped right in with them. What do you feel sets you apart from other florists in the wedding industry? The quality of flowers that I use and how picky I am sets me apart. For example, my roses come from Eufloria, a small boutique grower in California who grows their roses hydroponically; they are the crème de la crème of roses. As far as me being picky, I am willing to go to the ends of the earth for my brides, from making an extra trip to a different wholesaler because a particular flower that I ordered came in a wrong shade or staying at the ceremony an extra hour to light candles later because it's a windy day. I treat my brides with extra special care, and I work by the "Golden Rule"; I take care of them how I would want to be taken care of on my wedding day. What kind of flowers did you use in your own wedding? Would you still make the same choice now if you were getting married today? I used Blue Bird roses which are a lavenderish pink. No, I would not use those today although I do love pink but I really love orchids because they come in so many exotic shapes sizes and colors. What do you enjoy most about working in the wedding industry? It's exciting! But mostly I feel that I have a happy job, brides are planning a joyous occation and their excitement is infectious. When meeting with brides who don't know much about flowers, what is the biggest tip you find yourself giving them? I ask them the question, "what kind of feeling do you want for your wedding? Casual, formal, classic, contemporary etc.," and we sort of launch from there. What current trend in wedding flowers do you most like personally? The color yellow, hand-tied bouquets, really casual weddings and weddings that have great personal touches. Any fun-facts that we should really know that would contribute even more to your coolness? I'm a closet disco lover, I love chocolate more than life, I can pick up a penny with my toes, I've always wanted a Vidal Sassoon perfectly straight bob (impossible with my curly hair!) and sometimes I kiss my pugs on the mouth.

Tweet

Contact Me   |   My Portfolio   |   Photographer Resources