Last week I had the supreme pleasure of speaking with Françoise Weeks, the owner of Françoise Weeks European Floral Design. Her accent alone made me swoon. Her warmth and charm drew me in as she conveyed her adoration and obsession with flowers. And as you can see from these photos, she is extraordinarily talented.
In addition to her floral work, Françoise also teaches classes in floral design. These classes are perfect for individuals as well as groups, and would be a lovely bridal shower activity or other pre-wedding celebration.
Francoise has owned her own floral studio for over 13 years, delivering flowers for weddings throughout the Portland metro area. She was named the Top Florist of 2009 on WeddingWire, and was listed as maintaining one of the best wedding blogs by Portland Style Unveiled. On Thursday, January 7th, Françoise will be part of the Art of Weddings show at Portland Center Stage. There you will have a chance to delight in her floral arrangements and speak to Françoise about the flowers you are coveting for your wedding.
Read on to learn more about Françoise's work with flowers.
How did you get started in floral design?
I grew up in Belgium, where flowers are part of everyday life. In my town, there were no supermarkets. Each family used the local butcher and baker, as well as florist. About once a week my mom would visit the florist, and I was her little helper. I played with flowers from the time I was quite small.
In my 20’s, I trained with our family florist. Our days would start at two or three in the morning, because they had so much work. They would inform me what the colors were for a wedding or event, and give me a general idea of what the customer wanted, then let me lose. This is where I learned a lot of the tricks of the trade. It was from them that I learned to use the foliage of house plants and incorporate them into arrangements. Now in my own studio I keep shelves of house plants which I clip each day for arrangements.
Tell me about your move to the United States and the opening of your floral studio.
I moved to Oregon 32 years ago. I opened my floral shop in June of 1996. I originally worked out of my basement. By 2000, I had completely taken over the basement and outgrown the space. So I built a full studio in my backyard.
Do you have a staff?
No. I enjoying working by myself. Rarely am I so booked I need to bring someone in. My husband and I deliver and set up all the flowers ourselves.
Let's talk about wedding flowers. What are the latest trends in wedding flowers?
The most popular colors are chocolate brown, blue, and pink. In 2009, the two most popular color palette was green and white.
How many weddings do you do flowers for per year?
I do flowers for about 60 weddings per year. Even during the high season, I will not take on more than two to three medium-sized weddings per weekend. I only take on as much work as I am comfortable handling.
Would you share a tip for picking good flowers?
I like to work with seasonal flowers. They are locally grown and usually cut the day before, so they are very fresh and less expensive. Plus, I like to give business to small business owners. From April until late October, that works really well. In wintertime, the overall selection is less, and flowers are more expensive.
How can brides keep flowers affordable for their wedding?
Buy local and seasonal flowers, as noted above. Keep in mind that the bulk of the flower budget usually goes to centerpieces, where price range is dramatic. So think about how much you want to spend for those. As for bouquets, most of my brides spend between $150-195 for their bridal bouquet.
Most of my clients do not know their floral budget, so I write up a personal proposal within 48 hours of our meeting. (Elizabeth's Note: most of the time I recommend spending between 8-12% of the overall wedding budget on flowers.) I have many photo books for couples to look though, and I encourage them to bring in pictures of what they like.
How soon should couples book a florist?
If you are tying the knot in the high season between July through September, I would recommend between six and nine months out.
Tell me about the Woodland Arrangements.
A few years ago I became very intrigued with woodland arrangements. In these arrangements, I use interesting textures such as herbs, berries, some fruits and vegetables. I do not use many flowers, but rather all textures. These arrangements became very popular. The first woodland arrangement I made was on top of a small log.
Earlier this year, I came up with a way with a way to create a bridal bouquet in the same style. I really enjoy making them and want to expand upon it. Below is an example of a bouquet woodland arrangement.
Surely you still adore flowers. What are your favorites?
Yes, of course. My favorite flowers are Poppies, Lilacs, and Lily of the Valley.
Photos for Photog. Wedding cake display for photographer Lauren Brooks taken by photographer Eric Cable.
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