Last week, the two Southern California best friends that make up Bloom Babes took over our Instagram feed! They filled it with bright, tropical blooms and beachy, laid back vibes. It was pretty awesome, and if you didn't catch any of it you can check it out here.
Now that we've seen their gorgeous work, let's get to know the dynamic duo a little bit better! Emily took some time to answer a few questions about their business and what the Bloom Babes are all about. (above photo: @reamazonas)
So to start out, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourselves, and how you found yourselves in the flower business!
I was going to college and Angie was working as a waitress, both of us not super stoked on our paths that were being laid out, I think we both knew there would be a better option for us. I grew up in a family with strong floral and artistic ties, so being a florist was always in the back of my mind; Angie grew up spending most of her free time in nature and also had an innately keen eye for design. With both of us having a main goal of surfing every morning, a conventional job was kind of out of the picture. So to piece these details together, we both ended up getting jobs at flower shops, from there we had several friends ask us to do their wedding flowers (free of cost), we happily agreed and we LOVED the work. Bloom Babes was born when we left the flower shops in 2014 and has just continued to grow from there!
Working with your best friend sounds totally awesome, but must come with its own set of challenges. What is your favorite part about working with your bestie, and what things do you have to work on to keep a good balance between being friends & business partners?
Working together is exactly like what I imagine a marriage to be like. We love each other enough to work through our differences; we have had to learn how each of us communicate so to create a better working environment. We are able to share our highest highs and our lowest lows, something that truly we are only able to understand together. I love having a support in difficult situations, I love having someone take over a bouquet that I am struggling with, I really can't imagine doing this job alone-- as we all know it is MUCH more difficult than anyone would give a florist credit for. Props to the ladies who are doing it by themselves!! We make sure to spend time as friends too to keep the work balance flow : we surf together and travel together often :)
How would you describe The Bloom Babe's style?
Ever evolving!! We like to be perfectly balanced in an unbalanced way, and we love playing with different styles!! We have been known to do the more modern tropical look, the bright fiesta look and lots of fun florals. But in our hearts we actually love plants as decor, and we love the old European garden style!!
Top photo: @meganwelker | Bottom photo: @heatherkincaidphoto
You seem to be inspired a lot by the ocean and nature - how do you think those elements show up in your work?
Maybe more in an abstract way; Angie and I have been personally affected by the combination of our two great loves (surfing and florals), in that the lessons we learn from both play off each other and have allowed us to grow in our skills. Failure is mandatory for growth in surfing and failure is mandatory for growth in floral design. Learning how to cope with our mistakes, and keep progressing despite the seemingly slow improvements is something that we have to learn in both realms, so the two skills don't seem so different when compared on this level. In terms of combining the two passions on a more physical level, we can say that our floral design vibe is much more relaxed and free flowing-- probably due to all of the salt water in our system :)
Photos: @kara.donovan
What trends do you see happening in flowers right now?
I know that the bigger the better has been on a high as of recently, however I think the trends will begin to taper down in size and style. I think we are going to be seeing a lot more minimalistic florals with smaller bouquets. Lot's of white and very muted colors!
Photo: @elysewhall
Let's talk tools - favorite florist tool, and favorite app you use in your business, be it social media or business organization? Instagram counts, but if there's anything else you're utilizing, we'd love to hear about it!
Favorite tool? Well how can I mention anything other than my trusty clippers? I don't leave my house without them, I carry them in my purse and keep a pair in my car, because you never know what you might come across while driving down the street!! Our favorite business organization has been Honeybook; they keep everything organized and without them we would have no idea what to do!! We use Instagram as our main outreach to our community, I can't believe how instrumental it has been for a "blooming" business.
What is your favorite or most memorable event or shoot you have been apart of?
Neither of us really expected Bloom Babes to be the business that it is today. The opportunities that have been presented to us have been crazy in very unexpected ways and we are so grateful and so stoked to have this life. I feel like we are in the right place at the right time with our business, and I couldn't feel more empowered by it. Specifically partnering with Billabong last year has been the highlight of our awesome surprises, probably because we got to experience a direct connection between our two passions.
What is one piece of advice you'd like to go back and tell yourselves during your first year collaborating and designing together?
Honestly, I can't imagine having it any other way than it was! I think we learned everything so organically and made all the mistakes when we needed to (and are continuing in this growth pattern) and thats how and why we have grown into the business that we are today! I don't think I would tell ourselves anything, I am more than happy to have had to figure this out on our own.