I’m starting something a little bit different on the blog by highlighting a fellow vendor whose work I love and appreciate. First on the blog is Blooms and Paper! I met Ayame at the beginning of this year when we both participated in the Dare to Dream charity event last November 2016. Fast forward to last weekend where the 3rd Art! Vancouver just recently concluded and Ayame contacted me if I would be willing to document her first appearance at this event. It worked out perfectly because it’s been in my things to do to connect and feature fellow wedding vendors. With the help of Denise (writer), we attended the gala night where I got the opportunity to reconnect with Ayame.
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BUDGET IN BLOOM
It is an amazing feeling to be creative. Every individual has something inside them that stirs up the imagination; and when these ideas are transformed into creative action, the result is usually something utterly beautiful.
The best thing about creativity is that it can be expressed in a plethora of different forms and mediums. Ayame Villarroel, the owner and creator of Blooms and Paper, found her avenue in the most simple everyday material: Paper.
Ayame’s Blooms and Paper business offers enchanting and colorful Flower Wall rentals for various occasions. The eye-catching creations started in 2016 when Ayame had a need that could not be filled by anyone else.
As any mother would, Ayame wanted the best for her daughter’s first birthday party. “I really wanted to have a flower wall for her birthday. I started searching around here in Vancouver but some companies are expensive and I really can’t find the actual flower wall that I’m looking for,” shares Ayame. So she decided to make her own. Starting from April to July, her very first flower wall took her three months to finish. “It’s a lot of work,” Ayame says with a chuckle, but since then she has been making them faster and more efficiently.
At her daughter’s first birthday party, her flower wall was a hit. Ayame’s friends and family members were soon asking her if they could rent the flower wall. It was not long until she started taking orders for sets of flowers and began to get referrals.
Blooms and Paper’s flower walls are also growing their presence online. “Right now, most of my clients, I get from Instagram,” notes Ayame. “If I ask them, oh where did you find me, how did you hear about my business, they’ll be like, yeah [from] Instagram.”
Since the launch of the business, Ayame’s flower walls have graced the halls of corporate events, weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, and birthday parties. The great thing about the flower walls is that they can be used for any event. Blooms and Paper was also recently featured in Art! Vancouver, where its beautiful 8×16 foot flower wall stopped the tracks of almost everyone who passed by. One after another, visitors of the event took photos with the flower wall and adored its elegance.
Vancouver Event Photographer – Isabella of This Is It Studios documented the event’s opening night gala, where Ayame took a runway walk with a vibrantly hued sample of her creations.
“Every day that we value the artists of our country is a day that we are celebrating the fact that we are people that are not only here to live and to exist, but to create work that is going to change, transform, shift and move people,” said CBC Arts TV’s Amanda Parris, who hosted the gala.
Ayame’s artistry can be seen not only in her meticulous arrangement and brilliant choice of colors, but also in the up-close details of every flower in her wall. She claims that each artist has a personal touch, and hers can be found in the details that she passionately incorporates.
For more information on Blooms and Paper, email ayame@bloomsandpaper.com or visit www.bloomsandpaper.com.
– Denise
* * Denise is a Vancouver based freelance writer and editor. She first made a guest appearance in this blog during the last Fall for Local event.
