Day 14, Meet Francoise of Francoise Weeks; European Floral Design!

Champagne: When/why did you decide you wanted to be a florist?

Francoise Weeks: I grew up in Belgium where flowers are part of every day life; there were almost as many flower shops as there were bakeries where I lived! Every week Mom brought flowers home from the farmers market and from the time I was a little girl I remember having so much fun helping her arranging those treasures. For her birthday or anniversary or for no occasion at all, I liked to surprise her with a fabulous arrangement that I picked out at Hendricks Florist, a few blocks away from our home. It was a family owned business and when I was in my early twenties I trained with them for a few months. From then on my dream was to work in the flower industry; but it took a while before it became a reality. In 1996 I started my business specializing in weddings and events. My husband remodeled part of the basement; 4 years later the business outgrew the space and we had a fabulous studio built in the backyard - a true haven! What can I say but that flowers have always been magical ; they are like eye candy from Mother Nature and they feed my soul…

Photo by Joni Shimabukuro

Photo by Joni Shimabukuro

Champagne: What is the favorite part of your job?

Francoise Weeks: I love the creative process, from coming up with new ideas, to planning what to buy for an event, to figuring out the mechanics (with the help of my husband) of structural pieces. The flowers are such an intrinsic part of any celebration and they beautify and enliven any space! Being in this business has given me so many opportunities to meet wonderful clients and fabulous vendors in the wedding/event industry.

Photo by Nicole Wickens

Champagne: What should brides know when looking for a florist?

Francoise Weeks: Referrals from other vendors and friends, as well as some research on the web should be very helpful to narrow down the choices of florists to meet with. Often, the brides have only a vague idea of what they exactly want when it comes to flowers; finding someone who is comfortable exploring a variety of options and ideas, sets the tone to reach results the bride is happy with. It is helpful to bring images and color swatches (color strips from the paint store work great!) to convey ideas.

Photo by David Barss

Photo by David Barss

Champagne: What is your favorite flower?

Francoise Weeks: Impossible to narrow it down to one; some of my favorites are poppies, toad lilies, frittalarias, lilacs and lily-of-the-valley.

Photo by Jamie Bosworth Photography

Champagne: How would you describe your style?

Francoise Weeks: Very textural and natural looking . Mother Nature offers the best inspiration!
A few years ago a childhood memory triggered a whole new design direction: woodland arrangements.  It started with decorating logs with lots of texture (unusual foliage, lichen, berries, seedpods, small fruits very few, if any flowers…) and evolved into translating this concept for centerpieces and bridal bouquets.
Last year I had a lot of fun making flower purses and whimsical bouquets, incorporating elements such as feathers, colored wires and pearls.
Exploring new ideas keeps my work fun and interesting! And I am happy to work in any style that clients strive for.

Photo by Jamie Bosworth Photography

Photo by Jamie Bosworth Photography

Champagne: What do you do, when you’re not doing what you?

Gardening, weaving, reading, spending time at the beach or in the mountains

Photo by Soul Mates Photography

Photo by Soul Mates Photography

Champagne: Is there anything else you’d like brides to know?

Francoise Weeks: I have a teaching degree and all I can say is that teaching flower arrangements to adults is a lot more fun than teaching math and science to high school kids!
For more information about the seasonal flower arranging classes and wedding workshops, please visit my website.

Champagne: Thank you, Francoise [Francoise Weeks; European Floral Design], for telling us more about your company! Make sure to visit her website, become a fan on facebook and follow her on twitter!

Day 13 of 30: phresh catering
Day 12 of 30: Carroll Myers
Day 11 of 30: Ryan Ricketts Photography
Day 10 of 30: Floral Designs by Alicia
Day 9 of 30: Domaine Margelle
Day 8 of 30: Crave Catering
Day 7 of 30: Pro Djs Oregon
Day 6 of 30: O’Brien Event Rentals
Day 5 of 30: Lauren Brook Photography
Day 4 of 30: Fleur:ology Wedding + Event Floral Design
Day 3 of 30: Pure Space
Day 2 of 30: Celebrate Life Photography
Day 1 of 30: Paper Bloom
Last year’s 30 days of vendors
What is 30 days of Vendors?

We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! Thank you for stopping by our blog! Happy Planning!

Cheers,

Mandi, Rachelle & the Champagne team

P.S. Oregon Bride Magazine just opened up the voting for this years “Best Of” issue. Make sure to go vote for your favorite wedding vendors!! We appreciate you all helping us win “Best New Wedding Vendor” last year! We’d love to win best planner this year- one can dream! : )