New Vendor Alert! Prema Floral Design & Styling

It’s time for another New Vendor Alert! This week we are featuring Frances Harjeet of Prema Floral Design & Styling. Her work is indescribable in it’s beauty and her unique style sets her apart. Keep reading to learn more about Prema and see more of Frances’ breathtaking work!

Kelly Karli Weddings & Events: Tell us a little about yourself and Prema!

Frances: I started Prema in October of 2014 after freelancing and working in flower shops and doing weddings for a few years here in Colorado. Prema means love in Sanskrit and it’s also my middle name. When I’m working on a wedding I always reflect on the fact that love is the very reason I am there, and so I try to instill my work with that significance and symbolism. 

My work is multi-faceted. It is very much an extension of who I am as a creative and dreamer. For me, creating a flower arrangement is no different than performing a dance or painting a portrait – it’s an art form and flowers are simply another medium for creating beauty. I was raised with a strong orientation towards aesthetics and an appreciation for gardens and museums – this definitely influences how I design and why I even chose this as a profession.

In my work, and in my life, I deeply value quality over quantity. I would rather do less weddings better, than be a production machine cranking out a zillion a year. It’s important to me to take the time to get to know my clients so that what I create for their wedding is individualized and highly personal. Just as no two couples are the same, no two weddings are the same. I love the challenge and fun of dreaming up specific installations and arrangements that truly reflect the style of the couple getting married and the environment in which they choose to do so.

My designs are classic and artful, often crafted in antique vessels that I’ve collected over the years. My flower arrangements are composed of seasonal blooms and natural foraged foliage creating organic lines, using delicate textures in harmony with a lush, abundant, and garden-like aesthetic. My grandmother used to say that a flower arrangement should have “space and grace so that a songbird could fly right through it.” A silly saying, but something I return to when designing to remind myself to allow the flowers to be naturally at ease, never forced or uptight! 

KKWE: When you’re working on an event, how do you usually interact with the other vendors? What is your experience working with wedding planners?

FH: I love the community of vendors here in Colorado. It’s a joy for me to work on weddings with such a wonderful group of creative and talented individuals. Some of my closest friends are other wedding vendors! I always ask my clients about the different vendors chosen for their event, as well as information about paper goods and fashion so that my work is cohesively styled with the other details and aspects of the event design. I actually contract out to a few wedding planners to help create design boards and concepts for their clients, which is a really fun part of my business! 

KKWE: How would you describe your style and aesthetic?

FH: My style is Victorian prim and proper meets unruly wild child! I love color, and lots of texture and movement. I am definitely a maximalist when it comes to art and design – more is more! I love vintage touches and feminine details. I am really influenced by high fashion and interior design. I often get my inspiration for color palettes by studying well-designed homes.

KKWE: Who (or what) inspires you in life and in your work?

FH: I am inspired by renegade badass pioneering female artists, writers, designers and musicians of the last century like Gertrude Stein, Janis Joplin, Constance Spry, Frida Kahlo, Edie Sedgewick, Georgia O’Keefe, Martha Graham, Nina Simone….the list goes on. I am also deeply inspired by the Art Nouveau movement and by Cecil Beaton’s photography!

KKWE: Do you have a specific creative process?

FH: My creative process involves a lot of lying awake at night dreaming, scheming and visualizing different elements brought together. I like to have a very precise plan and framework to begin with, but then the time and space to be wildly spontaneous so that I can be inspired by the flowers once they are actually in my hands.

KKWE: How do you like to unwind?

FH: I am a serious bath taker, especially in the winter time! I use all sorts of sea salts, essential oils and homemade facial masks for a fully indulgent experience. I tend to be very active (hyperactive probably!); I love to exercise and am always on the go, so taking a long hot bath is basically the only thing that makes me truly unwind!

KKWE: If you weren’t a floral designer, what would you want to do?

FH: If I weren’t a floral designer I would probably be a musician or an actress. For the first twenty years of my life, music and theatre were my main passions. 

Check out even more of Frances’ work on her website and Instagram!