Your name: Anastasia Ehlers
Your Business name: Anastasia Ehlers Floral Design
Your Location: Eugene, Oregon
How did you start your business?
I’ve always known this is what I would do. As a kid, I used to alternate between answering “botanist” or “florist” whenever somebody asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. After pursuing botany in college, I learned I was way more interested in arranging and admiring flowers than classifying them (or counting thousands of their seeds, but that’s another story…), so I took a design class and worked at a local retail flower shop. I started taking on weddings on the side, and before I knew it, being in business for myself just made sense.
How many years have you been in business?
This is my second year.
What is your design aesthetic?
I like to think of it as contemporary, but approachable. My favorite arrangements have lots of different textures and a color palette that’s uncomplicated but not entirely expected.
How do you create your style and where do you draw your inspiration?
Color is certainly one of the main driving forces behind my designs. For clients, I always ask what sort of experience they want their guests to have, and that’s proven to be very insightful and important to the process as well. Last, I like to remember my roots in the scientific side of life. I can tell you which flowers are related, how they got so many delightful petals, and what their wildflower friends are up to. The knowledge keeps me grounded, grateful, and utterly in awe of the whole process.
What are the trends, flowers & colors that are unique to your region?
Oregon hosts a phenomenal landscape of natural beauty and that influence is hard to ignore. We do so love our ferns and moss around here. We’re also really lucky to have beautiful local product and people who care about taking advantage of that–in the summer, I could practically pick the flowers for a whole wedding myself at nearby farms. There’s something truly magical and meditative about that.
Are you a retail shop, studio/warehouse or home based?
Home-based for now.
Do you offer any services in addition to floral designs?
Couples love DIY, but flowers are a really scary project to tackle–we’ve all seen the results of DIY flowers gone horribly wrong. I offer a service to help couples throw a “flower party.” Together, we come up with a design plan, then I take care of the details and show up with all the flowers and materials to teach their most creative friends and family how to make the arrangements. It works really well for any repeating elements that aren’t too technically complicated, and anything aside from that I can still whip up. It’s such a blast to get to hang out with everybody!
Okay, so technically that’s still floral design. Oops.
How do you balance the desires of a modern bride when purse strings rest on the shoulders of traditional parents? Funny thing is, most of my couples seem to be paying for their own weddings. But if things are really at odds, nothing puts people at ease quite like pictures. Sketches, inspiration boards, or even just a board on Pinterest are great for communicating a vision, even for off-the-wall things.
What tool in your toolbox can’t you live without?
In my case it’s a hot pink tool belt instead of a box, but regardless, my super sharp ribbon shears win hands down. I’m ridiculously protective of those things and what I let them cut. It’s kind of a problem… 
What’s your favorite flower?
It will always be the lovely dahlia. When my husband and I had our own wedding, I knew I wanted our date to be in the height of the local dahlia season.
Anything else you’d like to share with Flirty Fleurs followers?
Just that I feel so incredibly fortunate to be able to do this. To be able to share my art with one of the most special moment’s of life is really a pretty great gig.
Your contact information:
541.968.4511
hello@anastasiaehlers.com
www.anastasiaehlers.com
www.anastasiafloral.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/anastasiafloral
Twitter: @anastasiafloral
