We're chatting with Southern California florist OAK & AMBLE to kick start this week! Erin's style is lush, natural and romantic. She takes her cues from nature when designing and excels at utilising colour theory when selecting blooms. "By drawing out subtle hues in the veins of leaves starting to change with the seasons or even reflexing petals to show how a flower variegates from one shade to the next can help expand and elevate a simple colour palette to one with depth and dimension." Read on to learn more about her.
HOW DID YOU BECOME A FLORIST? I started out at a traditional flower shop just after college when I couldn’t get a job with my degree. I soon fell in love with flowers and knew it was my calling but really hated working in the shop. I really wanted to focus on weddings and making this one special day beautiful for couples. My twin sister wanted to learn how to design after seeing me play with flowers, I taught her the basics I knew and we started out first business together. She still grows with it in Michigan while I started my own business and follow around my Navy husband as we move across the country every few years.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? Lush, natural and romantic.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT WORKING WITH FLOWERS? Everything! I love the different varieties and being able to discover new ones no matter how long you’ve been designing.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE FLOWER? I couldn’t possibly pick one, it changes by the season and the colour palette. My favourite flower to work with are roses/garden roses because they come in so many colours which make them easy to fit into any design and colour palette.
WHICH SEASON DO YOU PREFER FOR FLOWERS? Spring is always the best time for most flowers, even if autumn is my favourite season!
CAN YOU RECALL YOUR FAVOURITE WEDDING EXPERIENCE? My favourite wedding experience was back when we were in DC. I was delivering a wedding in Baltimore, the bride trusted me completely and absolutely screamed when she saw her bouquet! It’s the best feeling when your bride is so happy she screams or cries when she sees her flowers. It makes all your hard work worth it!
ASIDE FROM FAMILY & FRIENDS, THREE THINGS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT? Flowers, pyjama pants and carbs.
WHERE WOULD WE FIND YOU ON A SUNDAY MORNING? We usually attend church but if it’s been a busy wedding weekend, you might just find me passed out on the couch recovering!
HOW WOULD YOU SPEND YOUR IDEAL DAY OFF? My ideal day off is being able to create something amazing with vendor friends. I truly only feel like I have a day off when I get to design something that I want and the kiddo is hanging out with my husband and out of my hair. Running your own business as a stay at home mom is no joke!
Southern California florist OAK & AMBLE has a style that is lush, natural and romantic. Owner Erin likes to take cues from nature when designing and she excels at utilising colour theory when selecting blooms. By drawing out subtle hues in the veins of leaves starting to change with the seasons or even reflexing petals to show how a flower variegates from one shade to the next, she can help expand and elevate a simple colour palette to one with depth and dimension. If you're a bride looking for a Southern California florist, check out more of her work in our VENDOR GUIDE.
