Don’t Look for the FTD Label - It’s Not At Chloe Vanessa Floral

By Martha Blanchfield

Owner Chloe Vanessa, perhaps Wine Country's most affable and voluptuous floral artist, is also a customer service maven determined to make her bride cry with tears of joy. Vanessa just settled into her brand new 1,200 square foot workspace at Cornerstone Festival of Gardens. The shop is a must stop destination – whether you are shopping for floral décor, splendid trinkets or just a touch of inspiration.

Up front she's arranged her retail area/display with care. Cut floral and potted live plants are tucked beside dried wreaths and branches. Making the most of a wide open barn-like atmosphere, Vanessa highlights her wonderful offerings of small impulse merchandise. True vintage and vintage-inspired jewelry and accessories line the tables. There are handcrafted table runners and assorted home décor pieces, alongside colorful ribbons. The back half of operations hum with activity as staff creates the designs for her bridal and special event clients.

Ikebana, Country Gardens, Modish Modern Influences

Her retail shop is open every day from 10am until 5pm, but the crux of her business comes from the custom arrangements that clients request – whether for elopement, wedding, birthday, holiday or special events.

“I tend to cluster my design influence into three categories – Ikebana, country garden and modern,” notes Vanessa. “My brides come from all over the United States, but I do see a lot of individuals coming up from the San Francisco area. My brides are creative and dramatic. They like the unusual and many are very eco-focused.”

“One of my main styles is Ikebana. Ikebana fuses graceful boughs and strong lines with singing color,” notes Vanessa. “The designs are graceful and spare, but each element has a definite purpose. The container design also plays a role in the overall effect.”

Vanessa's country gardens arrangements are full, colorful, romantic and sometimes contain quirky or unexpected touches. For inspiration and presentation, she'll raid her mother's cache of wonderful vintage ephemera – an old tin pan, worn out work boots, a wonderful bird statuette weathered by the elements (mom is a third generation antique dealer). These signature touches combine with her cut and live plant creations.

For a client whose outdoor summer wedding was held at Atwood Ranch in Glen Ellen, Vanessa took cues from her surroundings. A ‘Victorian greenhouse meets shabby chic' theme respected the history of the site and met the desires of the bride. Atwood Ranch is home to a wild bird sanctuary of nesting swallows and the staff supports sustainable/ nature friendly farming practices. The wedding was held outdoors and in the large barn.

Potted ferns with tiny birds nests, long natural branches, live plants and perky succulent plots dotted the setting. Vanessa designed and created container arrangements for 25 dining tables that set the mood.

“This was one of my most challenging projects because the raw materials were tough to track down, and I wanted to provide stand-out pieces while still honoring and blending in with the surroundings,” says Vanessa. “I loved working with the bride and making a harmonious fit that everyone remembered.”

Her third design style incorporates strong color and bold strokes with a modern feel: Think San Francisco loft or Napan Gordon Huether's artwork. Arrangements are strong and bold and definitely stand out for their simplicity. Vanessa sources exotic plants and floral and unique containers.

Working With Chloe Vanessa Floral

Chloe Vanessa Floral is a full service floral business, meaning she not only designs, sources and delivers, but will coordinate the acquisition and retrieval of special containers, props, rental plants and other required arrangement décor needed to make an event come together. For the most part, she is able to service clients within a 120-mile radius. Vanessa recommends contacting her a minimum of six months prior to a wedding or grand special event once a venue has been secured. She schedules appointments to meet with potential clients at their convenience. Once a client retains her, she requests a $150 booking fee to cover her cost for a venue visit, and to research and prepare a quote.

Working together, they will determine a theme, style for arrangement pieces, quantity and the most appropriate live and cut floral and greenery. She poses: “What are the dynamics of this event? Do table settings need to be high or low, full or spare? Has the bride's gown and attendant clothing been selected?” and most importantly, “What's the budget?” She suggests that a bride bring in color and fabric swatches, tear sheets from magazines, a sample of the invitation, anything that will help her pull together décor direction. “I also ask her to share her love story.”

A Greening of Trends

Over the years colors and styles come and go. At the present time Vanessa is seeing a tremendous amount of interest in green or eco-wedding influences – more live plants, native blossoms, grasses and branches, and of course floral and accent components minus the pesticides and residues so often prevalent with large scale commercial operations. “I like to work with plants, grasses and floral that are in season, and my brides too are requesting this,” she says. What's hot this season? Roses, peonies, dahlias and stephanotis.

Chloe Vanessa Floral
At Cornerstone Festival of Gardens
Store hours: 10am – 5pm seven days a week
23570 Hwy. 121
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 938-8780
www.chloevanessa.com

Martha Blanchfield is a contributing writer to NapaWeddingSource.com and is the owner/designer of Martha Blanchfield Custom Gowns in Napa, California. For more information visit www.marthablanchfield.com