Unique everlasting wedding florals from Geek Chic Boutique in Rochester, New York.
Geek Chic Floral Boutique creates the most unique everlasting wedding florals. They combine balsa wood, recycled paper, and preserved greenery to create REALISTIC eco-friendly floral arrangements that will last forever! Their work ranges from weddings to home decor. The best part about their products? The floral arrangements last a lifetime and each creation is custom made for you. Owner and artist Anna Prouty shares an in depth look into her business!
How did you start your business?
It all started years ago when I realized that nature was not my friend. It seems like when I so much as breathe on a flower it wilt and die. We struggled with flowers in our own garden! My husband Zach knew it was time to find an alternative to fresh flowers.
The very first time I was gifted a wood flower bouquet I fell in love. I had been struggling with ideas for florals for my wedding, but I suddenly knew that these unique everlasting wedding florals were the perfect option. I am a bit of a sentimental junkie, so the thought of being able to display my wedding bouquet in the same condition as on my wedding day was the best news in the world.
After our wedding, Zach urged me to start my own business. My first couple sales were for interior home photos, and that is really how my business kicked off! I was going to stick with just home decor until I was asked to be a part of a wedding open house. Within 6 months, I had to quit my full time accounting job & opened up a retail store! Talk about a whirlwind!
Jill Photography (right)
Jill Studio Photography (left) | Larkin and Trevor Photography (right)
Why are you a small, locally owned business?
I didn’t really ever think I was going to be a small business owner. It kind of just happened and I am so thankful for many reasons. Mainly because I am more present for my son and family. I take my son to school every morning, and I am the first face he sees when he gets off the bus. I have created so many friendships these past 2.5 years with other small business owners and clients.
When I started my business, there was no one else in the area who was providing wood flower bouquets. It is such a fun experience bringing something so unique & different into the WNY wedding industry. I want them to feel comfortable enough being themselves. I’m a firm believer in love is love. I truly started my business by marrying the love of my life and I want to be a part of that for my clients regardless of who they love.
What are your specialized unique services or specialty products?
The fact that our bridal bouquets live forever is what makes us so unique. We combine wood flowers, paper flowers, and preserved greenery so that our bridal bouquets contain no fresh flowers! We make our flowers from soft balsa wood. In their natural state, they are an ivory color but I can dye them any color. They actually look very natural and feel quite soft. Since each flower is handmade, no two flowers are exactly the same and natural variation will occur. This makes each flower so unique and beautiful. With the right care these flowers will last a lifetime.
I have spent the past 3 years searching high and low for the highest quality materials for my arrangements. It is important to me that the materials hold up over time, as I want my bouquets to last forever for my brides. I also am always practicing new techniques in bouquet building, and my clients are able to see all of them when they walk into the consult room.
Cassi V Photography (left) | Lauren Ashley Photography (right)
Upstate Shooter Photography (right)
Birds of Passage Photography (left)
How do you provide your clients a one-of-a-kind experience?
I want my space to be a safe space for anyone and everyone. Many told me how I needed to fit a mold because “no one would want to shop at a store where the owner has crazy colored hair, covered in tattoos and wearing band tees and converse.” I needed to be that cookie cutter boutique owner. I thought to myself I don’t want to have to change to make people like me, and I don’t want anyone to feel like they have to change to walk through my doors, or even worse not feel comfortable enough to walk through my doors.
When a client & her entourage come in for a bridal consultation, we walk through all the details of their bouquet. I have had former clients call it “build a bouquet.” Brides are able to see all of the flowers I offer in person, and choose their favorite, then we choose their colors (I am able to dye the flowers any color imaginable), then we discuss greenery & how they would like the bouquet handle to look.
After an in depth consultation, I allow my brides to be a part of the entire building process. When it is their turn in line, I dye 7-10 flowers in their decided colors & send over photos to ensure the colors are perfect! Once the bride has approved the colors, I build a rough draft of her bouquet, a bridesmaid bouquet, a boutonniere, and a corsage. I then send over photos again just to make sure what I have created looks perfect. Each bride has up to 3 complimentary changes that they can use on any items in their order!
Connect with the brand!
To me it is very important that my brides love their bouquets. I mean they do get to keep them forever, so I want them to always look at their bouquet & remember one of the best days of their life. My couples are some of my most favorite people in the world, and I love that most of my brides turn into friends. My couples often tend to look for a more unique, out-of-the-box wedding and they feel that what I create falls in line with their vision. I am so thankful to my former clients and to my future clients, they make me feel like the coolest vendor in the world.
Reach out to Anna in her directory listing! Make sure you’re following along with us on the socials to stay inspired every day! If you’re a creative wedding vendor, join the party!
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