No Old School Bouquets Here
"Bouquets' trademark unstructured natural floral arrangements with flourishes of unusual blossoms -- from agapanthus to anemones, kiwi to kale -- have been the standards in high-country floral design for more than a decade."
Owners BJ Dyer and Guenther Vogt are known worldwide for their floral artistry and home accessories collection (respectively). Together they manage a staff of seven floral designers and five sales associates at four locations in Colorado.
Bouquets was founded in 1985 in Denver. Bouquets has received many prestigious awards among them is SAF's Marketer of the Year 2002. And, also, SAF's Marketer of the Year 2009.
BJ talks about why Bouquets was selected as one of the most romantic florists by Bon Appétit Magazine and what the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) designation means to a wedding client.
BJ believes that the most important factors for the bride to consider when selecting a wedding florist is personality and trust. Flower colors and designs can be easily modified, but not the personality. BJ uses visual and verbal clues from the bride to understand her personal style and finds joy in being able to create the right look, even when the bride is uncertain in her description. BJ's advice to brides - don't worry about picking specific flowers. Floral professionals will select the right flowers based on your style, season and budget.
BJ gets his inspiration from different disciplines outside of floral design, such as architecture and contemporary art, travelling the world in search of cutting-edge creativity.
BJ recently traveled to China to share his innovative floral design ideas with thousands of Chinese Florists at the Annual Green Expo. BJ uses composite centerpieces to create a visually cohesive, yet separate look for the center of the table. With this technique, he incorporates different heights and textures without obstructing the guests' view.
One of BJ's innovations is the use of magnets to hold flowers together and affixing them to metal surfaces. BJ created a nest bouquet for a bride that treasured home and family, by using wire (see image above).
BJ's wedding words of wisdom: At every decision point, a bride can choose either a high-stress option or a low-stress option. Make decisions wisely - while the high-stress options are the ones that create a more personal and memorable event, you should minimize the number of high-stress elements in your wedding.
BJ Dyer and partner Guenther Vogt are owners of Bouquets, an award-winning Denver floral retailer and event decor company. Bouquets was included by Bon Appetit Magazine among their choice of America's top ten florists. Brides voted BJ as “Best of Weddings” in The Knot Magazine. Bouquets provides decor for showpiece galas, society weddings, debutante balls, including the world premiere gala for Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
The company was inducted into the Small Business Administration Hall of Fame. BJ and Guenther have been featured on covers of Floral Management Magazine. BJ has had work published as featured designer in Florists’ Review Magazine. Bouquets was runner up twice for WFFSA “Retail Florist of the Year.” BJ is currently on the board of directors of the American Institute of Floral Designers, has served as president of Teleflora’s Rocky Mountain Unit, and was a founding board member of Colorado Retail Florists Association. Bouquets won the 9th and 15th Annual SAF Marketer of the Year. BJ presents regularly to Garden Club of America chapters throughout the country, and has addressed sold-out audiences from Maryland to Hawaii. BJ recently represented the U.S. as a floral designer, presenting on stage at China’s international floral expo held in Zhengzhou.