Being as close as we are to one of the biggest fresh flower markets in the world, it would be a crime to not get into Los Angeles from time to time and get hands on while picking our stock of flowers. Sure, there are wholesalers that ship gorgeous blooms straight to My Little Flower Shop for our wonderful parties and weddings, but there’s no substitute for getting in there and looking at the riot of color on offer in the Los Angeles Flower District. So Greg and Al make their way there at least once a week to stay in touch with what’s in season, the latest trends, and the best suppliers.
Greg at the LA Flower mart with a cartload of beautiful arrangements-to-be
When choosing wedding vendors, don’t forget to ask how each one keeps up with industry trends, and makes sure they are in touch with what inspires them. When it comes to your wedding, you want all the hands you can get – and you want people who are willing to get in there and get ’em dirty. If your designer is doing a lot of gesturing and pointing, but hasn’t laid a hand on anything organic, time to say “hands off my wedding!”
The Hollywood Farmer’s Market is a colorful place. With fruit and vegetable vendors, musicians and, well, Hollywood natives, there’s never a shortage of sights to see. But this past weekend, one flower stall stopped me in my tracks.
Silverlake Farms' display at the Hollywood Farmer's Market
Silverlake Farms’ ranunculus alone were priceless, but then there were the anemones, and all sorts of other wildflowers so bright and colorful they looked good enough to eat. Or at least good enough to randomly grab a bunch, tie it up in some ribbon, and send any high-end bride straight down the aisle.
But the best part came when I asked owner/urban farmer Tara Kolla if she sold wholesale. She asked if I was in the industry, and I explained I worked for a floral design studio in Palm Springs. “Oh yeah” she replied. “They were here last week.” Apparently Greg and Al had been at the market during their pre-Oscar delivery, and had the identical reaction to her deliciously beautiful flowers. And when I talked to Greg, he told me they would be working out an arrangement to get their hands on some of Tara’s blooms. “Weren’t those ranunculus amazing?” Greg asked. Great minds think alike!
