Instragram Inspiration
““Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.” ”
In a previous post, I mentioned a few new points of inspiration I’ve explored over the last year, Instagram being one. Instagram, the kinder, gentler of the social media platforms, has had a well-established community of florists for close to a decade. The benefits I’ve gleaned from being regularly active on Instagram over the last year are two-fold. First, these florists of Instagram, often studio-based, have evolved, elevated, and in general, raised the bar of floral design. I find inspiration in both their work and their willingness to share in an honest and real way. Second, through the process of posting our own work, I’ve found that I’m continually examining, evaluating, and evolving our style, design, and aesthetic.
There are so many amazing florists posting on Instagram. There are endless hashtag rabbit holes to explore and discover unique work. But there are definite some floristry Instagram accounts that are highlights for me. These florists continual put out incredible designs and are open and honest about the work behind those designs.
@sweetrootvillage
Sweet Root Village in Alexandria, Virginia is a studio florist run by co-founders Lauren Anderson and Rachel Bridgwood. Though their Instagram posts are always on point, their Instagram Stories are phenomenal. They continuously post behind-the-scenes in studio and on location as they’re in the trenches of designing, installing, and consulting. The finished products of their hanging installs are always beautiful, but to see their process is really the inspiration of this working studio florist.
@hollychapple
Holly Heider Chapple is the matriarch of the wedding and event floristry community, and what she shares on Instagram is a reflection of that role. Her company, Holly Heider Chapple Flowers, is a Virginia-based event and wedding studio florist in the D.C. market. In addition to posting work from fabulous weddings and events, she uses Instagram to reach out to floral designers about education, business practices, and the importance of setting a foundation for a sustainable business.
@floressenceflowers
Eatherley Schultz is the founder of Floressence Flowers in Brevard, North Carolina. I’m in love with both Eatherley’s aesthetic and the scale of her floristry work. This is a pretty polished Instagram account, not a lot of behind-the-scenes or innerworkings, but there are some gems on their Instagram Stories highlights. The real highlight here is Floressence Flowers’ large-scale installations. The photography really captures the beauty, style, and scale of Eatherley’s designs.
@modernday.creative & @moderndaycollective
Modern Day Collective, founded by Jenn Ederer, is an expert in full-service event and wedding design located in Grand Rapids, Michigan (right where I live.) Living in the same city as Modern Day Collective is how I imagine it would be for a horse living in the same pasture as Pegasus. Now, I’m content being a horse, but I can’t help but to be in awe of Pegasus. I’m perfectly happy with four feet on the ground, but when there’s a Pegasus in your pasture, you do wonder what it must be like to fly.
The Modern Day brand has two Instagram accounts: @modernday.creative, where Jenn’s drive and passion really shines through, and @moderndaycollective, where the design work is the star of the show. Both accounts are inspiring and sometimes mind boggling.
In addition to this passive inspiration, Instagram also provides me with practical inspiration. It gives me an outlet to examine what our aesthetic and style is in that moment and a platform to curate the direction we will move in the future. It also has changed the way I photograph our work. The way I photograph for Instagram isn’t exactly how I photograph for our website. But more and more our product images are evolving to be more Instagram-esque. What I see on Instagram and what I post on Instagram have led me to strive for those environmental shots with no filters and no Photoshop manipulation, no matter if the image will be used on Instagram or our website.
My final note about Instagram is that in the past I’ve shied away from sharing work on any social media platform. The positive vibe and the nature of Instagram seemed like a safe place to start. That has turned out to be true. The platform is designed to be visually based, and floral design is a visual medium. I am definitely not a social-media expert, but I enjoy the process of sharing our current work and looking for new ways to frame future work.
Jennifer Schuitema
Co-Owner of Wyoming Stuyvesant Floral, Wyoming, Michigan
Third-generation florist working in the same location established by her grandparents. She’s worked in flower shops most of her life but only in earnest since 1998, when she graduated from Western Michigan University with a BBA. She lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
