WEDDING CODE
A flower extraordinaire, Ahna Han is New York City-based wedding florist who discovered a newfound love for flowers as a way to achieve creative freedom.
Flowers come in thousands of different shapes and colors - four hundred thousand to be more precise - which is why having an expert by your side to define the florals for your wedding is an absolute must. Ahna talks to us about her story, and how she encourages brides to use Pinterest as a source of inspiration (but not expectations) to help define their wedding's floral vision.
1
Tell us about your introduction to the world of flowers?
As a millennial does, I found my introduction to the world of flowers on Instagram. After finding profiles of florists who were paving their own purpose driven career path, I idolized the autonomy they had in their creativity. It is undeniable that flowers can make anyone happy which is what inspired me to begin my curious journey.
2
- What inspired you to start on this journey?
- At the time I was a designer, but in a different industry. To meet the demands of the role, I found the work that I was doing was caught in a cyclical cycle of rushed creativity. It felt vicious and I was burned out. It led me to wonder what it would feel like to work on more long-term projects with designed objects that had staying power - whether in the moment or in a distant memory.
3
If you had to pick just one flower, which one would it be? Why?
This is a question I ask on my client inquiry forms and I love reading each perspective clients answer. What they choose says a lot about who they are, unsurprisingly. If I could pick one flower, I’d pick a wild sweetpea. Sweetpea’s symbolize blissful pleasure. And what I’ve found on any occasion that requires flowers, it brings exactly that - blissful pleasure.
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It led me to wonder what it would feel like to work on more long-term projects with designed objects that had staying power - whether in the moment or in a distant memory.
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- Our homes are often a reflection of ourselves. How would you describe the style of your home?
- I just moved into my newly minted husband’s apartment, so at the moment the style of our home is at a crossroad. Eventually I’d love to curate our space to lean more mid-century with touches of preloved items.
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- Describe your ideal dinner party
- An ideal dinner party to me would take place outdoors, since having an outdoor space in New York City is such a commodity. A long row of rectangular tables would be pushed together dressed in linen, but decorated with cheeky placemats, dinner napkins, textured candle light ambiance and flowers, of course.
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- Tell us about your recent intimate wedding! We read you are also planning a larger party with family and friends soon? What is the concept behind it?
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Yes, I was recently married at City Hall in San Francisco. It is such a beautiful space and I feel so lucky to have shared that intimate moment with my sister-in-law as our witness and a close friend as our photographer. It was an occasion we had immaculately planned for when we were unsure of the commitment to have a larger celebration. Luckily we were able to finalize our September soiree and are planning an intimate occasion at Inness, which is in the Catskills, for 50 guests. The current concept behind our wedding is a country inspired retreat meets a Tuscan garden.
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Use Pinterest as a resource for inspiration, but not expectations. As florists, it is our job to deliver the vision, so we should be trusted to take part in defining it.
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- Could you share any tips for brides to define the floral direction for their weddings?
- Use Pinterest as a resource for inspiration, but not expectations. If you find a trusted floral designer, they’ll use aspects of your planned affair to curate a vision that feels unique to you and tells your distinctive story. As florists, it is our job to deliver the vision, so we should be trusted to take part in defining it.
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- What are your 4 favorite pieces from COLLECTO? What drew you to these products?
- I love the Lagrimas placemat, the Zurbano cocktail napkin, the Murano Red Oil Bottle and the Tellina White Stand. The intricate stitching details on the place mat and the cocktail napkin showcase so much intention behind the design and would paint such a lovely foundation for an outdoor dinner party. I’d imagine the Murano Red Oil Bottle to sit clustered amongst the table top decor to play a stark contrast with the painterly details it encompasses. To me, not everything needs to be overly decorated which is why I love the Tellina White Stand. It paves the way for introducing a fun cake!
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