MEET HOLLY CHAPPLE OF THE FULL BOUQUET
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Happy Monday Lovelies….hope you all had a wonderful weekend….we are opening the cafe with my floral buddy, Holly of Holly Heider Chapple Flowers and of The Full Bouquet…..I met Holly for the first time about four or five years ago…Holly came to visit me and we had such a great time chatting and doing our flower thing of course….Holly is an AMAZING floral designer and artist…she truly has a passion for her flowers and she ADORES her brides….Holly took a little time out of her very busy schedule to stop by the cafe and share a little of her world with us…let’s see what a day in the life of Holly is like and did I mention that Holly and her husband Evan have seven children…they are both AMAZING!….Enjoy!! |
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| TBC: What’s a typical day like for you?
HC: We have 7 kids so the day starts with packing lunches, and begging kids to wake up. I also try to get a blog written and posted for my blog The Full Bouquet before the day gets rolling. We get everyone on the bus and then we do a preschool run for our littlest Chapple. Mondays and Tuesdays are busy with consultations and design meetings. We answer emails, and more emails, and if all goes well, I get out into the garden just to breath. We do Taekwondo, soccer, or whatever the kids need in the afternoons. On Wednesdays, flowers arrive and the designers arrive. Our studio is home based and on Wednesdays our home/flower shop becomes a swirl of activity. Flowers are processed, recipes are sorted, and then designing begins. All day Thursday and Friday, four to five people are in the shop designing and preparing for Saturday and you know what happens on Saturday… Weddings!! TBC: Describe your design style. HC: My designs are super lush, highly textural, seriously built and they have a mega high stem count. My designs are also always inspired by my garden or local product.
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| TBC: Name one of your favorite “vendor” sources that you just can’t do without.
HC: Hyman Hendler Ribbon! I am obsessed with the ribbon and trim from this store and I love how their ribbon takes my bouquets to the next realm.
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| TBC: To date, what has been the highlight of your career?
HC: I would have to say I have two major highlights and they are equally important to me. One would be designing at the White House and the second would be the organization of wedding floral designers I started, called the Chapel Designers.TBC: What was your “big break”? HC: Social media opened endless doors for our studio. Via my blog, Twitter, and Facebook, I was able to increase my clientele and develop relationships with floral designers, editors, and publishers across the world. These relationships have infused a new level of excitement and passion into my designs. I would say my hunger for this career was reborn when I found social media. |
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| TBC: What advice would you give to upcoming floral designers?
HC: Be extremely flexible, roll with the punches because there will be a lot of them, and realize that your greatest payment will most certainly be a happy client. Above all else, you must please your clients. HC: I got a new BOSE stereo for my birthday and I love to crank that baby up. I love designing with Adele, Sam Cooke, Ella Fitzgerald, Bad Company, and the Lumineers. I would say my taste in music is full, lush, and textural.
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| TBC: What’s your favorite part about weddings when it comes to the florals?
HC: The bridal bouquet of course!!! TBC: Describe a “wedding weekend and how many additional staff do you hire?HC: We have 5-7 people working on most weekends but we have had as many as 14 people working on some of our weddings. |
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| TBC: Finish this statement: A bride’s bouquet should………. HC: Make the bride cry tears of joy.
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| TBC: What wedding trend would you like to see disappear?
HC: I am currently obsessed with ribbon but many of my brides are still on the no bow, no streamer trend. I won’t mention the particular jar that all floral designers want to boycott… TBC: Describe your client? HC: My clients appreciate creativity, they respect my ideas, and they come to me because they trust in our reputation and our quality.
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TBC: If you had to make a career change, what would you do? HC: I would be an Architect or oddly enough an auctioneer. I love listening to an auctioneer call. TBC: Where do you find inspiration? HC: Like most artists, I am inspired by so many things, an old door, vintage containers, rich fabrics, and I always find inspiration in my garden. My floral design business began in our garden. |
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| TBC: Just for fun…..Do you prefer tea or coffee?
HC: Coffee TBC: Do you prefer blogs or magazines? HC: I read blogs daily so Magazines are a real treat!! TBC: Chocolate or Vanilla?HC: Chocolate
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| TBC: And, I have to ask…what’s your favorite flower?
HC: No can do!!! I have thought about this a lot and if I had to make myself a bridal bouquet today, I would walk down the aisle with a huge basket full of every single type of flower. |
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| TBC: Describe your personal style…what are your favorite stores to shop at? Personal as in your fashion style or your home.
HC: I have a very eclectic fashion sense, I love cowboy boots in the winter because they protect my feet and my back, I love to wear long skirts and warm sweaters. I have fun signature pieces from Anthro, J. Crew, and I love Jones of New York. Because I am the mom of 7, I also have to do a bit of Target!!! Our house is cozy and welcoming, it has a very comfortable lived in feel. I enjoy displaying rustic elements, mixed with family antiques and I adore my wide plank cherry floors. |
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| Holly, thanks so much for stopping by the cafe today…we are excited to see what’s ahead for you…all great things ‘blooming’ of course!!…and thanks for sharing this beautiful image of you and the children…I can tell that they are all so proud of you…..xoxoxo
Floral Images 1 -2 courtesy of Adam Barnes |