First Posted: 3/19/2015
Flowers and weddings go hand-in-hand.
Whether those pretty petals are real, silk or paper, they help love bloom on that special day. Regular Frills and A and M Floral Express are two flower shops in Wilkes-Barre that specialize in blossoms.
Regular Frills has a studio on Main Street and specializes in creating flowers from “plain-Jane materials like paper and fabric.” Designer and owner, Bridget Giunta Husted, brought her talent to light during her own wedding planning in 2010.
“I think I saw paper flowers in a magazine somewhere and decided to teach myself how to make them,” Husted said. “I learned from online tutorials and my creations became my centerpieces and ceiling decor. I found out how much I liked to create the flowers and decided I wanted to do the same thing for others.”
Husted’s business blossomed.
“I had my first client in 2011,” Husted said. “The flowers were very basic and I let my confidence build from there. I opened my Etsy shop in fall of 2013. It is crazy to see my creations pinned on Pinterest.”
Husted makes flowers from coffee filters that she paints and dyes, vintage book pages and even comic books.
“I had never thought of working with comic books until a client asked for it,” she said. “It was through my Etsy page. The bride sent the comic books pages, thank goodness. I had no idea the differences between comics and I made boutonnieres for the groomsmen.”
Anna and Mark Wadas, owners of A and M Floral Express, said a popular trend is mixing flowers, real with fake especially for bouquets and pins. The husband and wife duo have been in business for more than 17 years.
The flower shop has seen a surge in hydrangeas and a step toward the more simple, country chic wedding.
“It seems brides are moving away from the extravagant weddings because they can only afford so much,” Anna Wadas said.
Pinterest has boosted business for Regular Frills, but makes it more difficult for A and M. The store owners said couples come in with grandiose plans about bouquets they saw on the website only to find out how much they cost.
“They want the flowers for $50 not knowing it will cost them $500,” Wadas said. “It’s just not realistic.”
Though they are two different businesses, both of these flowers shops are ready to serve the brides of NEPA. They are willing to work with budgets and help make someone’s wedding day unforgettable.
