Our interview with Love Letters Floral Design, a wedding florist not afraid to bend the rules

Ron and I recently had the opportunity to work with a really wonderful couple. It was an honor for us to build one of our finest wedding suits for the groom, and it wasn’t long before we learned that his fiancee was a local florist! Holly Kerr is owner and operator of the Louisville-based floral boutique, Love Letters Floral Design. She specializes in floral arrangements for weddings, including the groom’s boutonniere.

If you follow this blog with any regularity you’ll know that I’m a naturally curious guy and love to learn about businesses and hear the founder’s story. So, it should come as no surprise that I interviewed Holly on her business!

1. [Ryan] Can you tell us a little about how Love Letters Floral got its start? Where did the name come from?

[Holly] My journey to owning my own wedding floral design company was a long one! I did floral design for my very first wedding in 1998 when my cousin got married and I created her arrangements. I had worked with flowers previously when I lived in Hawaii and took a lei-making workshop. I then sold corsages and boutonnieres to classmates for high school dances. After doing my first wedding, though, I was hooked on floral design for special events. I started my business in 2011, but didn’t really get it going until 2013. Building a business takes a lot of personal motivation, hard work, and grit. Sometimes it’s easy to get in your own way. But I am on the path to where I want to be. I specialize in weddings and absolutely love what I do. The name “Love Letters” came from a Google search of inspiration for a positive phrase that could be remembered well. It seemed to fit and it stuck. That was four years ago.

2. When designing your arrangements for a new couple, where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration from the couples I work with, first and foremost, if they have any favorite flowers or flowers that have certain significance to them or even things that are unique to them as couples. I also find inspiration from the internet, local flower farms, being outside, and just my crazy imagination! 🙂

3. You’ve obviously done quite a few weddings to date, is there one that really stands out for you from a floral perspective? And why?

There are flowers and colors that are very popular, like blush peonies, which I do agree are absolutely beautiful. But I like to journey off the beaten path and I tend to find myself being inspired by designs that are full of texture, designs that are unique, and designs that are unusual. Incorporating things like non-floral items can be really fun, such as cotton pods, berries, LED lights, crocheted flowers, cinnamon sticks, etc. While I also tend to gravitate towards bright and rich colors, I did a wedding last year where the bridal bouquet was a simple combination of grasses, astilbe (a white, feathery flower), curly willow, and greenery. It was so different from anything I had ever done or had ever seen and I absolutely loved it. That bouquet reminded me of my favorite firework – the one that shimmers and looks like a bursting willow tree. It was absolutely gorgeous.

4. How do you go about designing a boutonniere for a groom? Is it a reflection of his personality/style or is it always designed to match the bride’s bouquet?

I would say that most the time the groom’s boutonniere correlates with the bridal bouquet. I often suggest that to my couples, as I personally like when things are cohesive. But I also do like when design rules are broken. Sometimes I will have grooms that want to include a personal and more masculine element into their boutonniere, such as a fly fishing feather or a bottle cap. I think the boutonniere tends to be an underrated floral piece, but it can just add so much to a well dressed gentleman!

Love Letters Floral Design contact info:

Holly clearly knows her flowers and isn’t afraid to be a little innovative! Reach out to her via email at [email protected], or give her a ring directly at 303-746-7437.

And when you need a suit to match the boutonniere, you know where to find one!

Recommended reading

An overview on finding groom’s attire in Colorado.