Meet Nicole

Hey y'all! I'm Nicole & I capture authentic moments for classically elegant, unconventionally adventurous couples who believe in stylish simplicity. 

Vendor Spotlight | Vy’s Floral Design

Vendor Spotlight

Some of you may remember Vy’s Floral Design from our downtown Chicago bridal shoot a couple months ago. I had a chance to sit down with her and learn a bit more about her and her business and I’m excited to share it with you!

Tell Me A Bit About Yourself

My name is Vy (pronounced like the letter V!) and I am from Vietnam. My family and I used to live in California but moved to Chicago for my dad’s job. At first I did not like Chicago because of the cold weather but now I am loving it! I am a workaholic. Even if I am not working, I’m still working! I also have a thirst for knowledge and love to learn as much as I can. The floral industry is always evolving, so there’s always something new and fresh to learn. My goal for this next year is to attend McQueens, my dream school for floral design. They teach a lot of different techniques that I would love to learn and apply into my business.

I love to walk around downtown to look at display windows at retail stores and browse furniture stores to look at their home décor style. I love going to book stores with my favorite Starbucks summer drink (the mango black tea or very berry hibiscus!). I don’t really have a favorite restaurant because I love to try new food everyday. My favorite coffee shop is Vanille Patisserie. They have the most adorable desserts and so many cute colorful macarons!

What Services Does Vy’s Floral Design Offer?

Vy’s Floral Design used to offer only floral services but as we’re expanding now, we offer a full floral service. Flower and décor, rentals, pick up and deliveries. However, we don’t work with silk flowers at this time.

How Did You Get Started In This Industry?

My career goal after I graduated from high school was to become a nurse. After working in the health care industry for 5 years, I decided to take a break from my nursing job because I didn’t feel like it was what I wanted long-term. During my nursing break I started working at Mariano’s in the floral department. My manager there took me under her wings and taught me everything she knew about the floral industry. She advised me to go to floral school to learn the basics, so I attended a few floral schools while working at some small boutiques/retail stores. She later invited me to work for a few event companies and my floral journey really blossomed from there. I’m so grateful to all my mentors who taught me what they knew and helped me along the way!

What Is Your Favorite Part About The Work You Do?

My favorite part about floral design is that I get to work on new projects all the time. I hate routine work! Working in florals gives me the chance to be creative – I always have to come up with new styles and new color combos. You have to be able to think outside of the box (especially if something happens on site during set-up!).

What Has Been Your Favorite Project So Far?

Recently I took a trip to LA for a big destination wedding event. We worked around the clock everyday to finish that decor. It was tiring but also so rewarding when everything came together.

What Is Something Not Many People Would Know About The Work You Do?

I am a bit of a perfectionist! When it comes to floral work I focus heavily on the little details. Before I send out my work everything must be perfect, from personal flowers to reception flowers. The bridal bouquets should be wrapped tightly and the pin should be straight down! I always tell my brides to think about their flower choices and how those flowers will be photographed. Don’t just pick one type of flower, but choose a variety of flowers for a balanced look.

What Are Some Industry Trends You’re Loving Right Now?

I really love the whimsical look with tall curly willow branches and beautiful hanging greenery with a pop of neutral color, and lots of tropical foliage. The earthy color palette is always a classic.

If You Could Give One Piece Of Advice To Brides, What Would That Be?

I always offer tough love and advice to my brides and I am very honest with them when it comes to budget and color choice. I know weddings are expensive but that doesn’t mean you should underprice floral. When you are ordering wedding flowers, consider them as “Custom Art” tailored to your personal style and your event. And be realistic with your budget. Pinterest is a great reference for inspiration photos and ideas, BUT what brides don’t know is that most of the bridal bouquets on Pinterest can cost $250 – $900. It’s tough to hear, but you can’t expect your florist to give you a $400 value look for $50.

Thanks Vy for a fun afternoon! And for the bouquet arrangement lesson – I think I’ll leave that to the pros like you 😉

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