On this week’s edition of Calluna’s vendor spotlights we had the opportunity to sit down and catch up with the ever-so-talented Nora of Flora by Nora. She has a knack for designing the most stunning floral creations. She truly has such an artistic eye with each and every one of her arrangements and her outlook on what she does is inspiring! Read on to see why we feel so inspired by Miss Nora!
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Describe what you do.
The very first flower shop I worked at was called Fresh Art- and I think that is the perfect way to sum up what I do. Flowers are my medium, and I like to think of my arrangements as art pieces. I think there’s something about the fact that these arrangements are only here for a short period of time before the fade away that is really special.
What is your idea of a dream project?
Well, I love to travel. So a dream project for me would include traveling to some sort of beautiful destination and being filled with inspiration based on my location. Whether it be for a wedding or a styled shoot. In a city like Paris or a remote and beachy area. Being able to forage and utilize local materials and finding inspiration from the beauty around me.
What has been your favorite wedding or event you’ve ever worked/attended?
I’ve been apart of so many wonderful weddings it is hard to pick just one! One of my first jobs in the wedding industry was working for Cheree Berry Paper- a high end stationery company based in St Louis. Shortly after I started working there, Cheree got engaged and started planning her own wedding. As luck would have it, Cheree’s wedding was shot and featured in Martha Stewart. Her wedding was one of the first big weddings that I was apart of from start to finish- being able to be on location while the MS team was shooting for the feature was a really unique moment.
And yet sometimes the smaller events are truly the best. One of my favorite weddings from last year only had about a dozen guests. The bride and groom wanted to keep it very intimate, and rented out a suite at the Four Seasons to host their reception. You can get really creative with the tiniest details when you are hosting such a small group and it can be so much fun creating for those types of events- the florals really get a lot of attention in that type of setting.
What makes you excited to go to work in the morning?
Seasons! I love how things are always changing based on the season when you work with flowers. Just when you start to think – I never want to see another peony again, the season changes and all of a sudden you are up to your eyeballs in dahlias and zinnias and peonies are out of the picture until next year. You never know what you are going to find at the flower market, and being able to walk through the coolers and see what looks best and build my palettes and shape my vision around those materials is really inspiring.
What advice would you give a younger you?
Reach out to the people who you admire! I took me a really long time to get comfortable with that idea, that it’s okay to shoot out an email to someone who you might think of as untouchable. Everyone got there start somewhere, and nine times out of ten if you reach out to those in your field who you admire they will respond. I took this approach a few years back and was able to work with some very talented people in Brooklyn, it was a life changing experience to not only meet florists who I so admire but to be able to learn from them too.
What’s your favorite trend you are seeing in your industry?
I love that floral trends are starting to become more natural and organic in the shapes of the arrangements and the materials that are being used. I love a muted and moody color palette so it’s fun to see that become more and more popular.
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We loved getting to know Nora and what makes her and her company what it is today! If you liked what you read, check her out on her social media outlets and look into booking her for your wedding! After all wedding season is just around the corner!
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Stay tuned for more of our vendor spotlights! xx, Calluna
