Today (February 12th) is the last chance to get your preorder in for Valentine’s Day pickup. Don’t miss out on uniquely designed bouquets and arrangements that make a statement — with ranunculus, acacia mimosa, anemones, roses, local tulips, and more!
Valentine’s Day preordering ends tonight (Feb. 12th) at midnight.
See below for our studio’s pickup schedule — plus our retail partners’ pickup/pop-up info. We hope your holiday is filled with plenty of warmth and a whole lotta love.
Valentine’s Pickup Schedule at Violet Floral 4708 Harford Rd (Baltimore) Pick up your preordered flowers from our studio on: Monday (2/13): 11am-5pm Tuesday (2/14): 9am-3pm **no walk-ins this year**
Valentine’s Day Pickup & Pop-Up at Taken 740 Dulaney Valley Rd (Towson) Pick up your preordered bouquet, or shop last-minute gifts & bouquets for your Valentine or Galentine while supplies last. Tuesday (2/14): 10am-6pm or until sold out
Bouquets at Bramble Baking Co. 5414 Harford Rd (Baltimore) Grab sweet treats & bouquets before they sell like hot cakes. Tuesday (2/14): 8am-1pm or until sold out
Preordering for Valentine’s Day is now live on our shop page! Choose from a vibrant bouquet wrapped in decorative paper or an elegant vase arrangement featuring Maryland tulips and California sweet peas, ranunculus, anemones, and more. Select a bouquet with the extraordinary California protea if you’re feeling extra adventurous.
Our Valentine’s bouquets and arrangements are composed with majority American-grown flowers and are designer’s choice, making each one unique. And we’re offering a special discount through Saturday, February 4th.
Use coupon code FLOWERS for 10% off preorders of $75 or more — expires 12:01am on February 5th.
We’re doing preorders only this Valentine’s Day (no walk-ins) for pickup at our Harford Road studio, plus pop-up events at Taken — our retail partner in Towson — where you can also pick up your preorder or peruse an assortment of wrapped bouquets while supplies last. See the pickup and pop-up schedule below.
We’re honored to help you or your loved one feel cherished and appreciated this Valentine’s Day (our favorite holiday)!
Valentine’s Preorder Pickups at Violet Floral 4708 Harford Rd (Baltimore)
Monday, February 13th: 11am-5pm
Tuesday, February 14th: 9am–3pm **no walk-ins**
Valentine’s Pop-Ups at Taken 740 Dulaney Valley Rd (Towson)
Saturday, February 11th (Pop-Up Preview): 10am-6pm or until sold out
Tuesday, February 14th (Valentine’s Day Pop-Up): 10am-6pm or until sold out
Don’t miss out on our limited selection of gorgeous blooms at 10% off $75+ through Saturday, February 4th!Preorder herewith coupon code FLOWERS.
We’re bringing you another live bouquet bar — this time with the SoHa Street Market on Sunday, July 17th, 12-5 PM. We’ll have all local July favorites: summer field flowers, lisianthus, sunflowers, zinnias, and more.
You pick the summer flower combination that brings you joy. Then we’ll arrange and wrap a special bouquet you can keep for yourself or gift to a pal. Just stop by our studio at 4708 Harford Roadin Baltimore (21214) for a dose of floral sunshine.
Photo by Barbara O Photography
Our neighbors Tortuga and Milk & Ice Vintage are hosting this diverse market also featuring plenty of food, jewelry, clothing, handmade and vintage goods, records, and other fun stuff by this growing list of Hamilton-Lauraville businesses and artisans:
If you’re interested in custom floral design for your wedding, reach out to us at violetfloraldesigns@gmail.com, read more about our wedding services, or contact us through the Wedding Inquiry form.
Pre-order Mother’s Day flowers on our shop page! We’ll have lots of beautiful blooms from Butterbee Farm, Hillen Homestead, and Monocacy Valley Flower Co-Op. We’re offering size options of unique vase arrangements and wrapped bouquets of mostly local flowers for the moms in your life.
Please place your floral arrangement and bouquet order by Thursday, May 5th, at 5pm. Your flowers will be ready for pickup on Saturday, May 7th, at our studio in Baltimore or at Taken in Towson. We’re not offering delivery at this time.
Taken 740 Dulaney Valley Rd Towson, MD 21204 10am-4pm
We’re grateful to help you shower the flower-loving mothers in your life with specially designed color and joy. Thanks for choosing your neighborhood florist for Mother’s Day!
Place your Mother’s Day flower order here by May 5th.
Eager to fill your home with the scents and sights of spring? Visit our live bouquet bar at the Flower Power Pop-Up event on Sunday, April 24th, 12-3 PM. We’ll have local flowers for you from Hillen Homestead, Monocacy Valley Flower Co-Op, and more.
You choose the flowers. We’ll do the arranging and the wrapping. Just pop into our studio at 4708 Harford Road in Baltimore (21214) to get a fistful of seasonal beauty.
We’re thrilled to bring the blooms to this block-wide event, hosted by our neighbor Tortuga. (Check out their thoughtfully curated goods!)
Guess what else? The Pop-Up will also feature jewelry, pottery, vintage items, herbal remedies, and other fun stuff from these Baltimore boutiques and artisans:
If you’re interested in custom floral design for your wedding, reach out to us at violetfloraldesigns@gmail.com, read more about our wedding services, or contact us through the Wedding Inquiry form.
Happy New Year! I recently had the opportunity to share a little bit (okay, a lot!) about my journey as an entrepreneur and wedding florist in Voyage Baltimore. I’ve included some excerpts from the article below. I hope you enjoy reading!
–Mallory
Barbara O Photography
My First Floral Job: I got my start in the floral design world in my mid-twenties. I was a graduate student at Hollins University, in a rural part of Virginia with few jobs available, and for money I found myself working in the floral department of a Kroger grocery store while completing my MFA in creative writing.
Taking the Leap: I was bench trained, meaning I did not go to floral design school but instead learned from other florists on the job. But social media exposed me to new innovations in floral design and I saw a momentum that’s occurring to push this field into a more eco-friendly profession. Ultimately I realized I had an opportunity to build a career off of a passion for flowers, and with some encouragement from my now-husband, Joe, I launched Violet Floral in 2017, and it became my full-time job in 2018.
Kelci Elane Photography (as featured in The Knot MD/DC/VA)
Our Vision: Weddings are our primary focus at Violet Floral, and in our designs, we pursue a synergy between the style and personality of our couples and the particular moment in time in which their wedding is taking place, via seasonal flowers. I think of it as ambitious designs, grounded in the season. Seasonal flowers seem to be that magic element that elevates a design to that organic, breathing, alive place. So, for me as a designer, the season drives everything, and I’m constantly thinking about how to connect my clients’ wedding flowers with the local growing season in Baltimore in a way that elevates their designs into something that’s really special, and singular to their day.
Sustainability: Violet Floral is committed to becoming a leader in our local floral industry in the best practices for sustainable floral design. Our studio has a moratorium on floral foam, which is carcinogenic, doesn’t biodegrade or compost, and is totally unregulated in the US despite being a toxic substance comparable to home insulation in its chemical makeup. We are one of very few florists in our area who have eliminated floral foam, yet I believe that the future of floral design is foam-free, so I really hope to see more and more florists removing foam from their studios. But sustainable floral design also means reusing and repurposing, donating or responsibly disposing of flowers and natural materials, and avoiding single-use plastics, chemicals, paints, dyes, and aerosols whenever possible. And of course, purchasing from local flower growers whenever possible is a cornerstone of our pursuit of sustainability.
Sarah James Photography (As featured in Baltimore Weddings)
Inclusivity: We’re also committed to serving Baltimore area weddings in an inclusive way. Inclusive customer service, marketing, and imagery is extremely important to truly serving our community–not every wedding has a “bride and groom,” for example, so those terms are not an appropriate “catch-all” to use as a wedding vendor. As a white person, I have to take responsibility, in my own business and also how I engage with the wider wedding industry, for putting in the work of subverting the way whiteness and heteronormativity permeate the imagery and marketing that’s featured in vendor and product advertising and wedding planning materials. So, I hope that anyone who is in love and getting married can come work with us and feel celebrated, represented, and respected.
The Covid-19 Pandemic: At the start of the pandemic I operated out of a home studio like many event florists in our area, so I was fortunate not to have much overhead to cover throughout the pandemic compared to other small businesses who had rent to pay. Still this time was financially very scary for me and my husband; ultimately, we had to give up our apartment and stay with family members for several months until we both had an income again. This moving around meant that I found myself operating my business out of spaces which were increasingly less conducive to floral design. So, in early 2021 I moved into my first studio space in SoHa Studios on Harford Road. That leap of faith ended up being crucial for giving my business room to grow and prepare for the new demands of the event industry. Every day on my way to my studio in Northeast Baltimore, I drive past that old apartment where I used to run my business before the pandemic. As much as I miss our newlywed life in the “before times” and the simplicity of running a smaller business, I can’t deny that the challenge and struggle of the pandemic ultimately pushed me and my business to grow in a way I wouldn’t have imagined before.
Barbara O Photography
Advice for Creative Entrepreneurs and Aspiring Florists: When I started out, I did not charge enough for my designs, and this got me started on the wrong foot financially and slowed down the growth of my business at first. Another florist firmly told me that I instead needed to “start the way I mean to go on,” and as I became more educated on the industry standards in floral design and the true costs of operating a floral business, I learned that I needed to start charging more if I intended to keep going. So, I would encourage any creative entrepreneur to research their markets and charge what is needed to sustain their art and their livelihood–the clients that you want to work with will respect this. Additionally, be willing to learn from others in your industry who are ahead of you–in our local floral industry, there is a growing number of florists who care about mentoring, collaborating, and lifting each other up, so there’s no need to be a loner or think of these other businesses only as your competition – this spirit of community and generosity elevates our industry and makes it stronger.
For the first time ever, Violet Floral Designs will have a Valentine’s Day Pop-Up (aka a place where you can shop our flowers and pick up pre-orders), and we couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with our friends at Taken in Towson, Maryland. Taken’s AMAZING shop filled with the most charming Maryland-made gifts you’ve ever seen is located in Dulaney Plaza (the shopping center across the street from Towson Town Center, where Record + Tape Traders used to be), and we are lucky to collaborate with such an awesome business for Valentine’s Day (our very favorite flower holiday). The Pop-Up will take place on February 12th and 13th, and supplies are limited so please pre-order, or plan to get to Taken as early as you can during the Pop-Up.
There are lots of ways to get in on the fun happening at Taken next weekend:
1) Preorder a vday arrangement by February 11th latest, for pickup at Taken on 2.12 or 2.13, and while you’re there, be sure to check out the absolutely lovely gifts, cards and treats in the shop, all made by local businesses. Click here to view our Valentine’s Day collection and place your preorder!
2) If you don’t preorder, I hope you’ll still come see us at Taken! We’ll be there from 12-6 on Friday, 2.12 with lots of flowers and fun, and then on Saturday, 2.13 we’ll be hosting a Galentine’s Day bouquet bar from 10am-sell out.
3) Please, please note that we won’t have any deliveries or events on 2.14 (actual Valentine’s Day) at Taken or anywhere else so plan accordingly! We will be closed on Sunday, February 14th. All preorders must be picked up at Taken before 5pm on 2.13.
Masks and physical distancing are of course required at our pop up, even at our flower bar on 2.13 (which might be outdoors weather permitting), and we thank you in advance for being considerate of others at Taken’s beautiful space!
If you have any questions about our Pop-Up at Taken in Dulaney Plaza, please feel free to contact Mallory at violetfloraldesigns@gmail.com, or call Taken at (410) 337-6856. We are literally counting down the days to this exciting event, and can’t wait to see you there!
Details on our Bouquet Bar at Taken on Saturday, February 13th, 2021.
Reflecting on a wonderful year, I will have much to share about 2019’s weddings and other adventures; today I wanted to start by sharing some of my favorite cake designs. This year it hit me how much I love decorating cakes and it has actually become one of my favorite parts of designing wedding flowers. Rather than an afterthought (a rose here, a rose there, some eucalyptus here) cake flowers can be an easy opportunity to add beauty, color, and fun to one of the best parts of your wedding reception. I’m excited to share a little more about cakes I decorated this year, and what was involved in creating these designs.
Lindsey Paradiso Photography; Classically Cakes
This big, beautiful tiered cake by Classically Cakes for my friends Elise and Travis was decorated with spray roses, ranunculus, lisianthus, thistle, and Italian ruscus foliage. I co-decorated this cake with Classically Cakes during wedding setup, so it was a group effort! I loved that this was a “half-” naked cake, beautifully accented with gold foil.
Sugarbakers Cakes; Violet Floral Designs
Nobody does classic, gorgeous icing work like Sugar Bakers Cakes, so I kept the flowers simple with Abbie’s cake to accent their lace designs rather than cover them up. For this September wedding I used local dahlias and lisianthus; the cake also features burgundy orchids, eucalyptus, and roses.
Fluffy Thoughts Cakes; Violet Floral Designs
When Tehtena shared her vision for a whimsical, colorful floral design for her wedding cake, I almost flipped out from how excited I was to bring this unique concept to life. She ordered from Fluffy Thoughts Cakes (who, by the way, create their own absolutely stunning cake designs, sugar flowers, and more), and I decorated the cake with whimsical, seasonal summer flowers like zinnias, lisianthus, strawflower, and gomphrena, all grown by our friends at Two Boots Farm Another flower (not local) is the delicate waxflower, which was pressed into the middle illusion layer. It felt perfect for a secret garden-inspired outdoor reception at Strong Mansion.
For Taylor and Robert’s intimate Woodberry Kitchen wedding in Clipper Mill, Baltimore, the couple put so much thought into every detail. Taylor is the fiber artist behind Myth and Moss, and the lovely vision for her wedding was full of details she either created herself, by Dear Darling Weddings, or as part of their creative duo The Darling Myth. Taylor wanted a colorful, lush statement of a cake topper, and I enjoyed creating a crescent-shaped design with an ombre, or color-gradient, effect. It was all captured beautifully by L.A. Birdie Photography too.
This topper was created off-site in the studio and then the pre-made piece was placed on the cake (with a protective paper liner) during setup. This makes it easier for the caterer to cut and use the whole cake without contamination from flowers, or the hassle of pulling them out of the frosting–especially important in this case because it is a smaller cake.
Final thoughts about cake flowers:
–When you’re planning your cake decorations, you have a few options: 1) your baker will place fresh or sugar flowers on the cake and then deliver it 2) the baker will deliver the cake and then decorate it with flowers purchased from the florist or 3) the baker will deliver the cake and the florist will decorate it with fresh flowers. The cakes featured in this post were decorated by Violet Floral Designs.
–It’s easier to plan the flowers you’d like on your cake after having a cake size and design finalized, so during the initial process of planning and booking your flowers I’d recommend leaving cake flowers in your quote as a placeholder until closer to the big day. (Haven’t booked your 2020 wedding with us yet? Contact us here to get started!)
–Flowers should not be directly inserted into any portion of a cake that will be eaten, especially imported flowers or poisonous flowers (I’m looking at you, ranunculus). Typically I use straws, paper liners, and stem wraps to protect cakes from contamination.
Thanks for checking out this post about one of my favorite subjects: fresh cake flowers! To learn more about our wedding services at Violet Floral Designs, click here, or check out more of our work over in our Portfolio.
Photo by Lindsey Paradiso Photography – Inn at the Old Silk Mill; Fredericksburg, Virginia
Time to celebrate Elise and Travis, their wedding, and their new marriage!
Elise is a friend of mine from graduate school, and I was so excited to contribute flowers for her wedding to Travis. Because I know Elise it feels a little odd to jot down a glib synopsis of her wedding day: when I think about their beautiful relationship, and the joy of celebrating with them on their wedding day in March, I am still moved. When someone you care about chooses to spend their life with another person who loves them and treats them well, it’s no small thing! I’m so thankful for the relationship Elise and Travis have, and I’m excited to share a little glimpse into their wedding today, thanks to the beautiful work of Lindsey Paradiso Photography.
Elise and Travis were married at the Inn at the Old Silk Mill, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, a gorgeous wedding venue with a historic, natural feel. Lots of antique mirrors and exposed brick–I was LOVING the feel of this space, which reminded me a lot of the Mt. Washington Mill Dye House here at home in Baltimore. For the Jewish wedding ceremony, Travis built a beautiful birch chuppah and set it up himself the morning of the wedding. The vision for the ceremony design, which came about through discussions with Elise, was to create a design that felt organic and as if it were reaching into the whole ceremony space, connecting the guests to what was taking place. To achieve this feeling our team draped smilax vine all over the chuppah, on the fabric drape behind the ceremony area, on chairs in the front row, and on the floor near the ceremony. Smilax is one of my favorite foliages to use for installations like this at weddings, because it feels so airy but lush at the same time.
Elise chose bridesmaids’ dresses in a lovely “Chianti” color from David’s Bridal, and the flowers blended rich wine and oxblood colors with white, mauve, and blue. Elise’s spring bouquet featured mauve “pixie dust” ranunculus, white anemones, wine-colored lisianthus, astilbe, garden roses, thistles, tweedia, and muscari (or grape hyacinth). I loved the mixture of sweetness and mood that was at play in these flowers.
It was such a treat to think through the details of this wedding with Elise, who is so thoughtful and creative, with a great sense of style. I love talking through the vision for the wedding with my clients, because hearing the details of what is important to them and how they want their wedding to feel really allows me to bring that vision to life in the flowers. This is one of the joys of custom floral design, for me: engaging the thought and intention that goes into creating something that will speak to my clients and feel just right for their wedding.
I want to thank Elise and Travis for entrusting me with their wedding flowers and including me in their celebrations. And also, thanks to the other vendors at this wedding, who were absolutely amazing to work with:
If you are interested in custom floral design for your wedding from Violet Floral Designs, reach out to violetfloraldesigns@gmail.com, read more about our wedding services or contact us through the Wedding Inquiry form.
Today on the blog, I wanted to share a little more about the core values of Violet Floral Designs. This last week of June (Pride Month) also happens to be American Flowers Week, so it feels like a very appropriate time! So, if you will, here is our little manifesto:
VINTAGE VIBES:
While the floral designs for your wedding should feel unique and fresh, we want everything that goes out the door to feel timeless and romantic, too. Whether it’s a creamy garden rose that’s opening perfectly, a piece of lace from your mother’s wedding dress wrapped around your bouquet, a collection of amber glass bud vases, or a hint of antique lavender; we are all about those hints of timelessness. Our favorite vintage-y detail? A modern take on the cascading bridal bouquet.
LOVE FOR ALL:
Violet Floral Designs gladly works with and embraces all couples, and discrimination of any kind is not a thing around here. Weddings are for everyone who wants them, and you are welcomed and celebrated! This means we’re committed to making sure this business serves all couples well. It also means we only choose to participate in styled + editorial shoots which portray diverse couples and include wedding vendors with diverse backgrounds. (If you want to know why this is so important to us, please ask–happy to talk about it more!)
LOCAL BLOOMS:
Around here we love local flowers and local farms, and believe a commitment to sourcing as many flowers as possible from local growers is crucial to the future of cut flowers. So far in 2019, 47% of the flowers purchased for our designs were grown locally in Maryland, and we hope to grow that number in the future! And committing to stretch and educate ourselves on more sustainable floristry practices is a big part of this, too. We’re committing to using sustainable, reusable design tools, avoiding environmentally-unfriendly floral foam, and promoting the use and reuse of rental items at weddings.
Our core values are the heart of our business, and it’s important to us to serve our clients, our community, and our environment with integrity. We’d love to share more with you about why these values are important to us–feel free to reach out at violetfloraldesigns@gmail.com if you’d like to learn more about what we do and why. And if you have a wedding coming up, we’d love to talk to you! Find our inquiry form for weddings here.
