Florals and greenery are one of the biggest focal points of any wedding from the bride’s beautiful bouquet, the complementing bridesmaid bouquets, the ceremony altar to the wow factor of the reception table centerpieces. They are truly what make the wedding atmosphere feel dreamy and celebratory all at the same time.
We thought it would be a great idea to chat with one of our favorite floral companies, Hana Floral! They have created stunning weddings under our tents over the years so we are giving you the chance to get to know the owner, Yumiko Fletcher a little better and show off how amazing and talented her and her team are. Seriously – they create the most dreamy florals.
“For me, Hana is something bigger than just doing wedding flowers. We are part of one of life’s momentous occasions, and to partake in that is extraordinary. It is my way of sharing something beautiful with the world and I am indeed grateful for it.”
How she got her start in the floral industry:
Yumiko got her start in the floral industry over 15 years ago after her mom passed away suddenly from cancer. She ended up taking a leave of absence from her NYC job and worked at a small flower shop that summer. Her boss at the flower shop told her that she was a natural and she then decided to take a few classes at the NY Botanical gardens as well. She continued to work with florals at another shop after she moved that focused on a lot of weddings and events and then in 2004, she decided to start Hana Floral officially. Before finding her love of florals she was a classically trained opera singer and wanted a way to get back into creativity in a new form that could also end up being her livelihood.
What she likes most about working in the wedding/event industry:
She loves meeting her clients and getting to be a part of one of the most important days of their lives. It’s still a thrill to her even after over 700 weddings!!
Her favorite wedding she has done with us and why it was so special:
She loved our Vermont wedding at the Hermitage Inn (photos below). She was fortunate to make a connection with the family and loved being a part of both of their daughter’s weddings.
Does she prefer working with greenery or florals for decor? BOTH
What she enjoys about designing florals for tents vs an indoor space and what are the major differences that clients would want to know:
She loves a tented wedding because it’s a blank slate. You can create your dream wedding without the walls of a ballroom confining you. She’s also just a huge fan of any weddings outdoors. Nature is your background and that is always beautiful.
The geographic areas she services:
Her and her team will go wherever their clients ask them to travel however, their general area is all of CT, NY, and New England.
Her favorite flowers to use for wedding bouquets/table centerpieces:
Without a doubt, she says she is a peony lover. She also really loves so many spring flowers, such as lilacs, hellebores, and ranunculus. (Us too Yumiko… us too.)
The process behind creating and designing floral décor for a wedding:
She likes to hear about the couple’s story and the reasoning behind the venue/location for their wedding to get a vision of the overall day. From there she goes into more detail with the couples about where the florals are going to be – whether its the bouquets, personal flowers, ceremony or reception. She always encourages brides to send her images of what they are envisioning or a Pinterest board full of ideas which then helps her and her team to pull common themes and colors for the florals.
For more incredible dreamy pictures go to their Instagram!
