MEET MEGAN GRAY OF HONEY AND POPPIES

H&P:  It varies quite a bit because I balance being a florist with my other business, which is designing and making block printed cards.  All of my days start off with trying to tackle emails, and from there I could be writing proposals, meeting clients, arranging flowers, printing cards, dropping off boxes at UPS, or even just drawing in my sketchbook.  I go back and forth between the two businesses all the time, every day.

H&P:  Not one specific trend so much as trendiness itself.  It bothers me when all weddings start to look the same because couples are so different.  I’d love to see more of the indiosyncrasies of couples come out.  Personal touches make for awesome weddings.  

TBC:  Describe your client? 

H&P:  Most of my clients are fun, creative, and down to earth.

H&P:  Nature, fine art, music, life…. Inspiration is everywhere! 

TBC:  Name one of your favorite “vendor” sources that you just can’t do without. 

H&P:  Local farms – I buy the majority of my flowers from small local growers and I absolutely love that I can do that.   It makes me so happy to be able to go to the flower market and buy flowers from the guy who lives on the land they were grown on and whose parents or grandparents started the farm.

H&P:  Lush but still simple. Joyful and organic.  I try to keep things looking effortless (which ironically takes a lot of effort). 

TBC:  To date, what has been the highlight of your career? 

H&C:  Ooh, there have been lots. I feel incredibly blessed to have been featured in so many magazines and blogs.  I’ve had thank you notes from couples so sweet that they made me cry and walk on air for days.  But respect from other designers I admire might be the best of all.  I’m a lucky lucky girl.

H&P:  Pay your dues and do your homework.  Learn your technique and how to care for your product.  There is just no substitute for practice and experience.  I feel like that’s kind of a bummer, but it’s true.  I get emails sometimes from young girls with no experience looking to start their own floral business and wanting advice.  I always tell them a) that flowers are for crazy people, and b) to get a job in a shop first.  This job is so physically demanding and difficult, but if you can put up with that, it’s incredibly rewarding.

H&P:  There’s such an incredible online community of florists I love that it’s so hard to pick just a few.  But my absolute favorites are the ones with unique style – the designers whose work you can spot without having to read the credit. And of those, my favorites are Denise Fasanello (whose fine art background really shines through in her composition), Kate Holt at Flowerwild (who manages to acquire flowers that look almost magical), Morgan Perrone at Valley Flower Company (she does playful and modern like nobody else), and Carissa Jones at JL Designs (whose event design has a sophistication that I totally aspire to).  Others?  Sarah Winward, McKenzie Powell, Studio Choo, Amy Merrick…. I could go on.

H&P:  I do my best designing when I’m totally alone and also rested.  Usually when I design the most important pieces (like bridal bouquets) I like to take a break first.  Maybe have dinner and a glass of wine or just some time to unwind so I don’t feel rushed.  I like to design when I feel most inspired, and sometimes that’s at night or early in the morning (a luxury of having a home studio!). 

TBC:  If you had to make a career change, what would you do? 

H&P:  I think often about giving up flowers to do cards full time.  My card business (ghost academy) is steadily growing and also creatively rewarding.  I’ve been a florist for 16 years now, and the physical aspect of it and early morning flower market trips are not as easy as they used to be.  Then again, I’m obsessed with flowers!  It would be so hard to give them up.

H&P:  Eclectic, casual, and vintagey.  I love flea markets and thrift stores.  My husband says our home looks like a set from a Wes Anderson movie.