John’s Story

Growing up, my mom and grandma would receive calls from other members in our catholic parish who had flowers to be cut for arrangements. We would drive around Saturday mornings and gather these donated flowers to be arranged for the church’s services that evening and Sunday’s services. Learning how to see each flower or greenery and its unique offerings was fun. I learned about contrasting colors. I learned about different types of arrangements (elliptical, vertical, horizontal, triangular, spray). I learned to fill the needed space with whatever type of flowers are available while trying to compliment each flower’s shape and color. Later on, my aunt retired from her full-time job in the corporate world. She started a floral business doing a lot of weddings, so asked my mom and grandmother to help. I enjoyed having both my aunts and my mom’s basements full of all kinds of ribbons, bows, pins and floral accessories you could think of. When the opportunity arose to ponder the purchase of Colette’s Flowers it almost seemed like a perfect opportunity to have some fun again.

Sherry’s Story

When John and I were in the early stages of our own relationship I said, “Let’s check out Costa Rica”.  It was as if Costa Rica picked us.  The pieces fell into place time and again, and each time we were left thinking, “Wow, I guess we really ARE doing this!”  We are continually amazed at the fact that This. Is. Our. Life. 

 Every time I do a floral event, I’m nearly sick with excitement.  It never gets old.  I listen for the delivery truck the way a kid listens for the ice cream truck!  “The flowers are here!” 

 The flowers, how they look, how they smell, how they bloom.  All for YOU and your event.  I watch them all, as they reveal their inner beauty.  Some flowers stay outside in the warm weather.  Some come inside into the chilly air conditioning.  All of them get trimmed and put in fresh water. 

 I set the most precious flowers aside for the ‘personals’, the bouquets and boutonnieres, and each special flower is picked by me.  Each one for its beautiful, perfect bud, the curve of its stem, the color of the petals.

I hold each wedding bouquet in my hands, in front of a mirror, and I imagine myself as the bride.  I look at every detail, from every angle.  And I think about how excited the bride is going to be, as she is holding her wedding bouquet in her hands. 

 It’s amazing to look at our business as the physical manifestation of our love for one another.  We get to relive our own wedding every time we make another wedding bouquet.  We get to live the second half of our lives doing exactly what we love to do, making flower arrangements for your special day!

 John came from a large family of floral designers, but floral design was new to me. I learned more about floral design by taking classes at the Floral Design Institute in Portland, Oregon. But honestly, the thing I learned is that the flowers guide you in your design. The individual flowers show you where they fit in your arrangements. I let the flowers show me what they want to do. It sounds silly, but it’s true.