THE WEDDING SERIES: How to Find the Perfect Wedding Florist

Welcome to the wedding series, where I interview brides, vendors, and venues to dive into the intricate world of wedding planning, vendor selection, and everything in between. The series continues with an interview with Cailla Quinn, a wildly talented and creative florist who started her floral design business, Ephemirus (how beautiful, right?), two years ago and hit the ground running. We talk about how she found herself in the industry, how to go about hiring a wedding florist, her dream project, an exciting upcoming venture. Read on to learn more about Cailla, Ephemirus, and how her floral designs can set the tone for your entire wedding day.

Turning A New Leaf (please bear with my flower puns throughout this post, I can’t help myself)

Cailla has always been a creative, long before starting Ephemirus. Having studied photography at Parsons, she always thought her career would focus around her lens. But after working as a gardener and landscaper for a local company for a few seasons where she managed perennial gardens on various Estates, she found that she loved working outside in the natural world with flowers, greenery, and other plants as her medium. With this new-found love and a passion for design, Cailla began planting seeds (again, sorry) with floral design industry leaders. “I met this woman Julie who's another wedding florist and she asked me to help her on a few jobs. So, I took over some of her jobs and then we just kind of stayed in touch. And then when the pandemic hit she posted something like ‘all my weddings got cancelled and I have all these flowers coming up in my greenhouse and I can't pay anyone to help me because I don't have any income now,’ so I just had this idea where I reached out to her and said if I come down and help you garden for free will you compensate me in buckets of flowers and some design knowledge and so we did that for several months. She took me under her wing and taught me a lot about floral design and then once wedding started picking up she asked me to help her on some weddings. So that was the real intro.”

A Name With Roots

I asked Cailla how she came up with her business name, Ephemirus, as I could not stop thinking about how beautiful and poetic it sounded to me. “It comes from the word ephemeral  which means transient, fleeting, which flowers are just that, right. And I've loved that word so much and I feel like it describes my design style so much, but I wanted it to feel a lot more powerful, a lot more grounded or feminine. So I had pages and pages of brainstorming names that I wanted and I'm going through all these names that I've just compiled, I want to say over the course of a year, and my mom, who's also an artist, was like ‘you know it might be worth looking at some things in their Latin root.’ So I started looking up words with their Latin root and I came across ‘ephemeris’ and I just loved it and it just felt like the right fit.”  And I think she nailed it. When you see Cailla’s designs, you can’t help but feel the feminine, powerful energy they exude. They are both strong and soft, full and airy, bright and moody, eternal and fleeting.

Sprouting Inspiration

As I was interviewing Cailla, I could see various images hanging on her studio wall behind her—images from differing sources, styles, timelines, and texts. While all of the wall-hangings were unique in their own right, they also seemed to fit beautifully with the Ephemirus brand and Cailla’s floral designs. She told me this was her version of a mood board where she posts images that catch her eye to pull from for upcoming projects. “I'm always pulling inspiration from, not only just gardens and the plant world, but from Old World paintings or ceramics or stained glass and things like that.” Feeling very intrigued and inspired by this answer, I followed up to ask how Cailla would describe her design style. “My work is definitely rooted in my background in gardening and landscaping and watching how flowers naturally grow and how plants look together in a space. For me, it's always important that the flowers can kind of stand on their own and speak on their own so they're not crammed into a design. There's a lot of airiness—I love negative space. I don't feel they need to have everything look the same or be polka dotted. I love my designs to really look like we literally pulled a bunch of flowers out of the garden and put them on your table or in a statement piece for a bar. I love texture and contrast and I love things that are moody.”

From Florist to Friend

If you’ve seen my earlier episodes of The Wedding Series, you know that Cailla is designing the floral arrangements for my friend’s wedding this upcoming fall. My friend could not stop raving about how her florist came out to her venue to spend the day with her and make sure she could bring her floral dream to life, all before my friend officially booked her. And after speaking with Cailla about her relationship with her clients, this interaction does not surprise me. “For me it's really important that I have really great connections with the people I work with. It's not just about business, you know, it's not just about an exchange of goods for money. I really love getting to know my brides. I really love grabbing a drink with them and catching up even after the weddings. I did a couple's wedding two years ago before I was even officially in business and I just met their baby for the first time. We went out to lunch and it was just really nice. The people I work with mean something to me, you know. They're part of my life and I was a part of part of their life. So yeah, I care a lot about personal connection with my clients.

Picking The Florist For You

I asked Cailla what her couples should know when they are looking to book with her. She said that first she wants to get a better idea of what they are looking for. “I usually ask upfront what is it that you know you want? I like for them to give me a list of deliverables. Deliverables could be ‘I know I want a bridal bouquet, eight bridesmaid bouquets, and I need 15 center pieces.’ Or ‘I want a traditional arbor.’ So I always trying to get a sense of kind of the scope of what they're looking for. And then I always ask for inspiration photos. This can be from Pinterest, it can be from something else too, but what that does is that helps me understand what they're drawn to in terms of design style, color, the feeling of the designs. It's especially helpful for people who are like ‘I don't know how to talk about florals’ which that's okay. I would never expect anyone who doesn't work in this like automatically know how to talk about florals. So that's why I find that the visual inspiration is helpful. And it's just as important for me to know what you don't like. I want to know if you're like ‘I actually don't like the color yellow’ or ‘I really don't like daisies, please don't use daisies in my wedding.’ That's just as important to me as knowing your favorite flower is a dahlia. So I usually start there get that information then we'll schedule a call and I'll get on the phone. I always kind of start the conversation with ‘how do you want to feel on your wedding day’ and ‘how do you want your guests to feel on your wedding day’ and ‘what's important to you, what's not important to you’ and then we kind of talk through everything they're thinking, logistics of the venue, budget, etc.”

A Blossoming Career

While Cailla loves designing for weddings, she is also involved in a variety of other floral projects, ranging from bar designs to her dream project, the Art in Bloom at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA. “I basically get to create this massive floral installation that's going to be in one of the main locations of the museum. A lot of what this is (referencing to her mood board behind her) is me just starting to brainstorm like okay what do I want to do for this and what do I want it to be inspired by and what shape do I want it to portray. So I'm just in the brainstorm period right now but it's been really fun to play around with that.” As this is only Cailla’s second season in business, you may have thought that I was surprised that she was asked to participate in such a prestigious, exclusive event. But after seeing her designs, I was not surprised at all—she is right where she deserves to be. But she is definitely excited for the opportunity: “I'm an art kid too, like I went to art college, so I can't help it, like I'm geeking out, because that was one of my dreams was to be in a major museum, and studied photo so I think you know when I was in school at Parsons I was thinking like ‘oh okay maybe I'll be in a museum for my photography’ and then here I am, I've totally pivoted careers, but I’ll get to be in a museum for my floral design.”

Whether you are looking for a florist for your wedding or simply want to check out Cailla’s gorgeous designs, you can find her on instagram at @Ephemirus or on her website at https://www.ephemirus.com/. The Art in Bloom installations go live at the MFA on Friday, April 26th, 2024—be sure to head over there to check out Cailla’s floral arrangements! You can also watch our full interview on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFIW8IQgGGo

*All photos from this post are courtesy of Cailla herself!

THE WEDDING SERIES: The McKenzie Wilderness Estate

Welcome to the wedding series, where I interview brides, vendors, and venues to dive into the intricate world of wedding planning, vendor selection, and everything in between. The series continues with an interview with my friend Jessi—a smart, funny, driven, nature-loving nurse who sought to spend more of her time outside than within the walls of a hospital. In that pursuit, she and her husband Sean packed their bags and moved on up to Lake Placid, NY where they bought 190-acres of undeveloped forest land with big dreams of turning it into a nature-inspired wedding venue of their dreams. Read on to learn about their adventures in creating The McKenzie Wilderness Estate, a breathtaking wedding venue tucked beautifully into the forests of Lake Placid.

Taking The Leap

Jessi and Sean's journey from the bustling streets of Boston to the serene wilderness of Lake Placid was fueled by a desire for change and a passion for the great outdoors. “We were living in Boston and we knew we wanted to make some sort of change. We weren't totally happy with our careers and we love to ski and hike and be outside so we really wanted to move somewhere. I'm from an hour away from Lake Placid so we were like that seems like a good spot.” While their love for adventure and the outdoors may have brought them to wilderness, it was their own engagement that spurred the inspiration to develop a wedding venue: “We were engaged, looking for wedding venues and really couldn't find anything that really spoke to us. There were a couple of things that we liked at one venue and a few others at another, but nowhere had it all. We were like okay, we can't be the only ones feeling like this.”

Unexpected Surprises

While Jessi endorses that this venture has been more fun than she and Sean could have imagined, it has not been without its challenges. When asked about how they started to develop the 190-acre property that was previously owned by a local golf course, Jessi stated “It was actually their junkyard. We were digging one day and we just dug up a car. A full car.” But despite these types of minor surprises and setbacks, she gushes that the whole process has been a wonderful experience. “Honestly everything is fun. Starting your own business is fun. I mean it's also really hard and there have been some challenges but at the same time, working with Sean every day, being able to create our own schedule, and just really making it a family thing has been so exciting. And learning something new. I thought I would always be in the medical world and my life would just be, not mundane but just you know normal, so this just feels like such a cool opportunity.”

Leading By Example

If you remember, Jessi and Sean were engaged when they purchased this beautiful land with dreams of turning it into a wedding venue. So, of course, they had to get married there! Jessi talked about how it was a race to the finish line getting the site ready before their big day, made possible only by the helping hands of their closest family. “It was a time crunch and a total family effort. Shout out to my parents and Sean's parents. They really put in some labor, manual labor, which they weren't really expecting. Thank God for them. It was a scramble but Sean really crushed it, I have to give it to him.” And even though it rained a seemingly record-breaking 5-inches on their big day, Jessi reports that their wedding was flawless. What’s more is that the experience gave them firsthand knowledge as to what else soon-to-be-married couples will need out of the venue to enhance their special day. “We knew that we needed to build a floor after that. We're like okay we really want flooring now, so we learned from that and we're building flooring starting this spring.” And next is a plan to build some readying and lodging accommodations for bridal parties and families. “We’re making a bridal readying suite which will have a room so it'll also serve as a honeymoon suite for the bride and groom after the wedding. That's in the near future. And then eventually we want to do cabins throughout the property for guests and families.”

A Truly Unique Space

What sets this venue apart is its seamless integration of natural beauty, adventure, and modern convenience. “The reason why we're calling it The McKenzie Wilderness Estate is because our property backs up to the McKenzie Wilderness which is a preserve of like 30,000 acres so no one could ever build around us which is a really cool feeling. And that's what you feel when you're there. You feel like you're immersed in nature. It is so unique because it feels like you're 20 miles away from any kind of civilization even though that's really not the case because we're five minutes away from downtown. But when you're there it just feels magical and special.”

Whether you're planning your dream wedding or simply seeking refuge from the chaos of everyday life, McKenzie Wilderness Estate beckons with open arms. “Just come see it for yourself. It is just so cool and special. Lake Placid is such a unique place. If you really like a ski town vibe but don’t want the prices of somewhere really fancy out west it does resemble those places. And we have flights from Boston that are so easy, it's like an hour and a half flight and it also comes from New York. So even just a small little getaway to Lake Placid is awesome. Come on our trails and check out the space because it really is a cool place.”

Jessi and Sean are already hosting weddings at their gorgeous venue this fall, and are readily taking on 2025 booking. To learn more about McKenzie Wilderness Estate and start planning your unforgettable event, visit their website www.mckenziewildernessestate.com and follow them on Instagram @mckenziewildernessestate. To watch my full interview with Jessi, visit my YouTube channel or click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-2vkEF_WBY&t=21s.

*Blog cover photo by Mary Dougherty Photography https://marydougherty.com

THE WEDDING SERIES: How to Find the Perfect Wedding Vendors

Welcome to the wedding series, where I interview brides, vendors, and venues to dive into the intricate world of wedding planning, vendor selection, and everything in between. My first interview in this series was with my beautiful friend Devyn, a bride-to-be with a marketing background that has allowed her to have a clear vision and a knack for detail when planning her wedding. Read on to learn about Devyn’s masterful skill in finding the perfect vendors for her September 2024 wedding in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

Building the Dream Team:

Devyn’s approach to vendor selection is a masterclass in thoroughness and creativity. Instead of thinking of each vendor in isolation and checking each one off a bulleted list, Devyn has thoughtfully hand-selected each vendor based upon how well they will complement the others: “I've enjoyed picking different vendors who I think will like really complement each other and create my ultimate vision.” I found this tactic to be genius. Imagine how many obstacles could be avoided if all of your vendors shared a vision and worked harmoniously with one another on your big day! Devyn goes on to say that she based her team of vendors around her photographer whose work she had been admiring for years. “I feel like [photography] is the one thing from your wedding you take away with you at the end of the day. Like the florals are going to die, your cake…I guess some people put that away for a year and just have frostbite on their anniversary…but [photography] is your constant reminder of that day that you had so it was really important to me to find a photographer that worked in an aesthetic that I really liked.” From there, each vendor was handpicked to align seamlessly with her aesthetic vision and her photographer’s style.

The Power of Social Media:

In today's digital age, social media plays a pivotal role in the wedding vendor selection process. Devyn’s experience is a testament to this. From perusing Instagram profiles to cross-referencing popular vendor directories, she left no stone unturned in her quest for the perfect vendors. Social media provided her with an authentic glimpse into each vendor's style and approach, helping her make informed decisions: “If I liked a vendor I would go directly to their social media because I feel like that's the most honest representation of their work.” As much as social media helped Devyn gain trust in some vendors’ work and professionalism, she also found that it deterred her from wanting to work with others: “If your social media isn't tight, if your website's not tight, if it's hard to search you, that's going to make it that much harder to establish trust before you even know the brand. I found a website and I was like this company is great but why is their contact me page broken? That's going to set up, in my head, a weird experience for initially working with them.”

Above and Beyond:

What sets certain vendors apart? It's the extra mile they're willing to go. Devyn describes how her florist went above and beyond to create a personal connection even before she officially booked her as a vendor: “Before I had even signed a contract with her she came out to Marblehead, went to our site, took a ride with me out on the boat…and that made me feel so good, like she was so invested in it and she saw the vision and I knew that she was going to do great but then that made it like oh she like is going to be great for ME.” This extra step placed this florist on a different playing field in Devyn’s mind and sealed the deal in the booking process.

The Human Connection:

While expertise and skill are essential, Devyn emphasizes the importance of connecting with vendors on a personal level. After all, these are the people who will be by your side on one of the most important days of your life. “The reality is that these people are going to be with you on [your wedding] day too. How annoying would it be if you can't get in contact with XYZ vendor or she didn't listen to what you want, or your photographer is super annoying. And then she's hanging out with you on your wedding day. No thank you. You need to make sure that your personalities match.” Finding vendors who not only understand your vision but also resonate with you as individuals can make all the difference.

Devyn’s Personal Touch:

Being the creative, aesthetically driven bride that she is, Devyn is seizing the opportunity to take a hand-on-approach in creating her English-garden inspired floral wedding décor. “I love English Gardens. I think they're so beautiful and whimsical and free but also they're English so they're like proper. So a lot of that's not necessarily flowers—it's a lot of plants that flower. And then I also feel like with plants you add a lot of different height so I am growing my own herbs and like fruit trees and things like that to mix in with my florals. I literally went to Ocean State Job Lot with my mom and I went in there and bought a bunch of terracotta pots that look like really beautiful imports from Italy and we're going to grow our herbs in there. We started growing them last summer and hopefully by this summer they’ll be big and bountiful and beautiful. I can mix them in with beautiful white and greenery. I'm just trying to make things seem really full and lush and that would be so expensive just to accomplish with flowers that you are purchasing from somebody.”

Final Thoughts:

As Devyn’s wedding day approaches, her meticulous planning and vendor selection have laid the foundation for an unforgettable celebration. I wish that I had heard about her planning process when I was planning my own wedding because DAMN the girl knows what she’s doing. I hope her journey serves as inspiration for both newly engaged couples and wedding vendors alike, as there are so many helpful nuggets of information in this interview that each party can take away for a more seamless, prosperous wedding planning experience. So, here's to Devyn, a kick-ass bride and my beautiful friend, and the vendors who are bringing her vision to life. Stay tuned on how this vision comes to life—I have no doubt it is going to be like the English garden of her dreams.

To watch my full interview with Devyn, visit my YouTube channel or click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjsN6jGRf2k