For our first Q&A with a Seattle wedding vendor, we have Anne Bradfield of Floressence. Cory Parris has worked with her multiple times and recommends her for her beautiful work and easy-going personality that makes her a joy to work with.

From the initial consultation to the moment you walk down the aisle, Floressence will focus on your specific needs and desires. Owner and designer Anne Bradfield brings creativity, an eye for detail, and outstanding floral design to each bride’s celebration. She takes pride in making sure that your personal style blossoms in the flowers she designs. Whether for a sublime bouquet or a magnificent event, you are invited to call for a complimentary consultation.

Q: How would you describe your style?
A: It’s important that my client’s style is reflected in my designs, so my style does vary to some degree. But I love to create elegant, understated arrangements with surprising textural elements. My favorite designs are those that look beautiful from a distance and then continue to offer up ooh- and aah-particulars the closer you get.

Q: What makes you different (and better) than your competition?
A: There are so many talented floral designers in the Seattle area – brides are lucky to be shopping in this market! Couples that work with me enjoy my attentiveness as well as my flexibility. I’m enthusiastic about my work, and that feeling tends to be contagious, making the floral aspect of wedding planning really enjoyable.

Q: What is your personality and how does that effect the way you work with the bridal couple working up to and on the day of the wedding?
A: I seem to have an even balance between being detail-oriented and easy-going. In the months leading up to the wedding, I am meticulous about recording the details most important to the couple and then – most importantly – making sure those details are present in their designs. But on the day of the wedding, I relax and really enjoy seeing everything come together, which seems to put the couple at ease, too.

Q: Do you have any accomplishments or association memberships I should know about?
Floressence designs have been featured in both Seattle Bride and the Knot Magazines, and Floressence will be listed in the West Coast Florists section of the Best of Weddings feature in the national Knot Magazine, due to come out in March 2007.

Q: What advice do you have for couples hiring a florist?
A: Don’t discount the importance of compatibility. Skill and talent are crucial, but they don’t surpass the value of being listened to. As you look at your potential florist’s portfolio, is he or she taking note of what your likes and dislikes are, and really listening to what you want? Beautiful designs are even more beautiful when they’re actually the ones you had in mind.

Q: What do you charge?
A: Prices vary depending on types of flowers used, scale of arrangements, time of year, and other factors. Floressence doesn’t offer packages, and all designs are custom. An in-person consultation with the bridal couple will provide me with the information needed to create an estimate.

Q: Who or what are the people and things that inspire you?
A: My background both in fine art and as a gardener working specifically with flowering gardens continues to provide me with inspiration. Looking at drawing and sculpture in particular always stirs up the urge to create and design. And I enjoy the awareness of flowers as natural materials that undergo their own transformations – including the inevitable wilting!

Q: What is your philosophy in this business?
A: I feel lucky to be able to work with my hands, to be creative, and to meet so many people with so many different ideas. Flowers are not a necessity in the way that food and shelter are, but they can bring so much expression to a moment. Working with that idea is a pleasure and a privilege!

Q: What do you do in your spare time? (tell us something that tells us about you, your personality to help brides and grooms connect with you)
I am a piano student, and I also enjoy swimming. I love to read, I love a good (or good-bad) TV show, and a competitive game of dice with friends is never a bad idea.

You can find out more about Anne and her floral design services on her website at www.floressencedesign.com.