Undeniably, the elaborate wedding and event productions have been replaced with more intimate small scale gatherings in recent months; nevertheless the style and substance of beautifully created floral bouquets have continued to be visions of love, hope, inspiration, and new beginnings.

I am not a forecaster of trends and quite honestly after researching for bouquet inspirations, I am quite confused. Numerous publications, insights by trendsetters and influencers, countless images with one just as different as the other, color palettes ranging from rich jewel tones to the purest white and styles from wild and whimsical to timeless and classic flood the internet. So where does inspiration for gorgeous wedding bouquets come from these days? After speaking to numerous guests of the podcast and years of serving my customers in floral wholesale, I believe bouquets are inspired by EVERYTHING! Designers of course, begin creating to fulfill their client’s dream but along the way the designer may be influenced by the organic movement of a flower, a unique structural component of a branch, nature inspired color palettes, a heart touching memory of the bride’s love story, a simple vessel….it truly is endless and encapsulates everything around us.

Florals by Max Owens/ Image by @imryanray

Florals by Blue Jasmine Floral / Image by @fineandfleurie

Florals by Sweet Root Village / Image by Abby Jiu Photography

I would like to share a lovely collection of wedding bouquets from guests of The Flower Podcast. Every stunning floral piece uniquely inspired and created by amazing talent and gifted designers. The wedding or event size may have changed and the landscape of wedding production may not be as glamorous but the language of a bridal bouquet is quietly spoken and well understood.

Florals by Amy Osaba/ Image by @tanya.menoni

Florals by Gabriela Salazar/ Image by Christina McNeill Photography

Florals by Velvet & Twine/ Image by @emmannephoto

Image by Mindy Rice/ Image by Jose Villa

Florals by Ariella Chezar/ Image by Corbin Gurkin

Florals by Amy Nicole Balsters/ Image by @rfrang

Florals by Sinclair and Moore/ Image by Kristen Marie Parker

Florals by Isha Foss

Florals by Sinclair and Moore/ Image by O’Malley Photographers

Florals by Mindy Rice/ Image by @abbyandlauren

I believe with their ancient origins symbolizing new beginnings or selected because of their fragrance or meaning, bridal flowers remain the crowning jewel and accentuating piece highlighting the center of attention, the bride. The bridal bouquet is a culmination of her vision for her special day brought to fruition through the creative talent of her floral designer. With the creation of each bouquet, the artist seeks inspiration through their own processes.

Over the seasons of The Flower Podcast, I continue to be inspired by the beauty created by such amazing individuals. Each image uniquely crafted to interpret the dreams of every bride and groom expressed through flowers. Our floral industry is an everlasting treasure trove of remarkable talent sharing in our forever love of flowers.

International Women's Day Instagram Post.png

A little change from the norm here. A blog post not by the voice of The Flower Podcast, Scot Shepherd, but from the only woman as part of the podcast team. Scott has mentioned our family several times and our involvement in the production of the podcast. It is definitely a family affair around here, but the rest of us are all happy to be in the role of the ‘behind-the-scenes team’.

As Scott and I were discussing what to do for International Women’s Day, it was clear….how do you choose just one thing. As I scrolled through our guests’ webpage, I couldn’t help but be continuously drawn back to the beautiful faces featured in each block and wanted to share a peak into just a few the ladies featured on The Flower Podcast.

So much diversity among these incredible women. Each share the common thread as a floral designer but these ladies also represent the vast professions in the floral industry….educator, author, entrepreneur, grower, and fashion designer.

Where to start? This year, we began our 6th season, and the realization of how many women have shared their lives with us was joyously overwhelming. I invite you to visit our website and YouTube channel and peruse all of the women featured on the podcast, blog, Instagram Lives, videos and more. I have chosen a few highlighting the diverse areas of the floral industry with many of the ladies wearing the proverbial multiple hats.

International Guests of The Flower Podcast

Being able to share the floral stories of women across the globe has been a highlight of The Flower Podcast. Flowers truly have no boundaries. What an honor to be heard around the world but even more to be honored by the conversations with these lovely women as they share their love of flowers in their current countries and throughout.

Françoise Weeks/Belgium

Paula Pryke/England

Debbie Weiss/Australia

Nicole Schenkel-Zureikat/Germany

Nia Bradley-Hobbs/England

Gabriela Salazar/Mexico

Hitomi Gilliam AIFD/Canada

Adrienne Ryser/France

Emily Avenson/Belgium

Constance Spry/ England

“Gardens and flowers have a way of bringing people together, drawing them from their homes.”

— Clare Ansberry

In the beginning…

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I must start with Sybil Sylvester of Wildflower Designs. Sybil was a client of Scott’s when he worked at Mayesh Atlanta (formerly Cut Flower Wholesale), but she truly has become like family. Referred to as Scott’s Flower Mom, Sybil was our first guest of the podcast and has always been a cornerstone of support and encouragement for Scott and our family. Two of our sons have even had the privilege of working with Sybil on location as she once again demonstrates her confidence and love of our family.

Scott is affectionally named ‘Flower Dad’ by the ladies of Amy Osaba Design. Another amazing team embracing Scott and on occasion our son, Ryan, to work together on location. From day one, Amy Osaba, Mary Wynn, and Enemies of the Average, Ginny Early, have been champions of the podcast and friends of our family. You have seen their familiar faces as guests of the podcast and featured in our blog “ A Summer Garden Party Celebration”. Strength, determination, kind, and most importantly loving moms and wife, Amy and Ginny are role models to women everywhere.

The Love of Growing Flowers

The beloved flower farmer has become an invaluable component in the floral industry. Especially with the shutdowns of florist and events, our flower growers were a blessing to communities across the country providing beauty, joy, and hope of better days. The flower farming community has been a tremendous segment of the podcast and from personal experience of growing our own flowers and vegetables, farming is a continuous job of sweat, apprehension, dirty laundry, etc. Yet, it is the love of nature, respect of the land, and a passion for sharing the bountiful beauty of flowers that inspires the farmer to press forward.

Erin Benzakein/ Image by Chris Benzakein

Lisa Mason-Ziegler/ The Gardner’s Workshop

Erin Benzakein has inspired countless women to take the courageous step to turn the first shovel of soil, have confidence to plant their first seed, and has in many ways brought elegance and motherhood to flower farming. Instrumental in growing the much needed area of Urban Farming, Jennie Love has embraced the concrete jungle and combines farming with her natural talent of floral designs and teaching sustainable methods. I feel as if I know Lisa Mason-Ziegler personally! She has been a guest of the podcast as well as sharing her time with Scott on Instagram Live. I believe her smile says it all. SHE LOVES GROWING! I have truly enjoyed her energy, her wealth of knowledge she brings to each conversation and of course let’s not forget what an incredible cheerleader this woman is to each grower. Whether you are just exploring the possibility of growing or you are a well- seasoned farmer, You are important to Lisa.

Passion and Purpose

I believe we all find our passion and purpose in life through many different paths and from personal experiences. In many ways, through the darkness of 2020, our world was given the opportunity to connect in ways we never imagined, extend a helping hand and embrace new hopes for a better tomorrow. We are honored to share the stories of women serving our floral community and forging new paths in the floral industry.

Deanna Kitchen
The Growing Kindness Project

Screen Shot 2021-03-07 at 7.26.13 PM.png — Ariella Chezar
Floral Teacher, Farmer, Author, and Mentor

Image by @corbingurkin

Sarah+Bagle+1.jpg — Susan Bagle

Creative Director
Accent Decor Global Workplace Equality

Debra Prinzing Slow Flower Movement

***image by (c) Missy Palacol Photography***

Image+1-12-20+at+7.04+PM+(4).jpg — Joy Proctor
BIPOC advocate and creator of
Say Their Name Memorial

Image by Kurt Boomer

Foam+Free+flowers+from+Whidbey+Flower+School+by+Tobey+Nelson+Events+image+by+Suzanne+Rothmeyer+Photography(1347).jpg — Tobey Nelson
Sustainable Floristry/No Foam

***image by Suzanne Rothmeyer Photography***

Voices of The Floral Community

I have had the pleasure of engaging with many of our guests and although my opportunities are mostly through email, I do occasionally have the privilege of in person meeting. Nevertheless, I feel certain connections with these ladies through the editing process and of course my conversations with Scott. In so many ways, we all share the same stories of love, perseverance, trials and triumphs yet our individual journeys make it possible to empathize with one another and encourage one another. I chose these ladies partly for personal reasons but also for their impact on this industry in multiple ways.

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Holly Chapple

The original “Flower Mama”! I have never met Holly but certainly feel as if I know her. Wife, Mother, Designer, Flower Grower, Entrepreneur, Inventor, Worldwide Teacher, Mentor….What else??? Holly has played an intricate role in the podcast. With late night heart to heart conversations, sometimes that needed nudge of encouragement (kick in the pants), or listening to the laughter behind-the-scenes, Holly and Scott are kindred spirits in sharing their voices with you. I look forward to sharing a table one day and joining in the laughter!

Laura Dowling

Former Chief Designer at The White House, author, and floral creative, Laura Dowling, touched my heart with her grace, elegance, and her passion for Floral Diplomacy. With a voice that I could listen to for hours, each interaction with Laura is heartfelt and personal as is the same feeling reflected in everyone of her designs.

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Amy Nicole Balsters

Another lady I look forward to meeting some day, Amy’s compassion for this industry is incredibly touching. The Floral Coach™ shares her love of flowers through teaching and mentoring through online courses and hands on workshops. Another kindred connection, Amy and Scott can chat openly with one another about truly anything. The world needs women like Amy clearing the path through their kindness, vulnerability, and acceptance of loving people where they are and encouraging them through gentle honesty.

The Family

Thank you for sharing your time as we celebrate a few of the wonderful, amazing women of The Flower Podcast. It has been quite the journey since Scott approached me about starting a podcast. Little did I know where this would take our family. Scott and I began our own journey almost 28 years when he walked into the flower shop where I was working. I didn’t pursue floral design as a career but as the years unfolded, floral design, growing flowers, and now podcasting keeps me surrounded by the calming invite of flowers.

My first love, family, will always have my heart. I truly love the wife and mom role and although our children are young adults, my passion is for building family community, safety and protection of children, and advocating for voices of the unheard. Life took an unexpected turn a few years ago when one of our children became extremely ill but thankfully as he improves, I am eager to be more involved in issues close to my heart.

It doesn’t happen often that I share about our family, but I thought you might enjoy a peak at the faces of the podcast. Each one of these amazing men have been involved in some way with The Flower Podcast. I hope that as women, each one of you have the felt the respect and admiration from Scott that he has insisted upon in our home from these young men. Happy International Women’s Day!

Catherine

Learn more about all of our guests