Behind the Blooms: A Week in the Studio at Yarrow & Spruce
At Yarrow & Spruce, every wedding is the result of months—sometimes even years—of thoughtful planning, intentional design, and detailed logistics. From the moment we first connect with a couple, we’re dreaming, sketching, sourcing, and building out a vision that reflects not only the beauty of their day but the spirit of their story.
But the real magic starts the week of the wedding.
Let’s take you inside what a typical wedding week looks like for us—specifically for a Saturday celebration in the Colorado mountains.
Monday: The Reset
We start the week with a clear mind and a checklist. I (Sheilan, owner and lead designer) double-check every flower order, cross-reference the budget, confirm transportation logistics, and make sure the van is clean and ready to go. It’s all about getting our house in order so the rest of the week can run smoothly.
Tuesday: Processing Begins
This is when flowers start arriving from growers across the country and the world. Our team carefully processes them—a meditative, essential task that involves unwrapping each bundle, trimming stems, stripping excess leaves and thorns, and giving the flowers a deep drink after their long journey. By lunchtime, we pause for a team meal and walk through the wedding design together: the color palette, the design style, the checklist, and any installations we’ll be doing on-site. Afterward, we prep vessels—lining compotes and vases with reusable or compostable mechanics, organizing candle decor, and doing a final count of each item.
Wednesday: Local Flowers & Mockups
Wednesday morning, I head to the Colorado Flower Collective for fresh, locally grown blooms. Back at the studio, the team processes those new arrivals while I design a sample arrangement that serves as a visual guide for the team. Then we begin creating centerpieces, bud vases, bar pieces, bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages—everything that can travel well. For large-scale pieces that won’t survive transportation (like aisle meadows or tall arrangements), we prep as much as we can, leaving space for final touches to be added on-site. Large installations like ceremony backdrop or hanging designs will be created completely onsite.
Thursday: Finishing Touches
The studio is in full swing. We finish designing what we can in-house, saving personal flowers—bouquets, boutonnieres, and flower crowns—for last to ensure freshness. We also check all completed arrangements to top off water levels (flowers are thirsty!).
Friday: Packing & The Road Trip
Friday is all about organization. We pack each arrangement in reusable bins, label every bucket by design or installation, and wrap bouquets in ribbon. There’s a science to packing floral arrangements in a van—everything must be secure, upright, and padded to prevent tipping or bruising. By late afternoon, the team hits the road for the mountains. Once we arrive, we either unload into a venue’s staging area or, if needed, bring flowers into our Airbnb for safekeeping overnight. (Picture a mountain cabin filled wall-to-wall with flowers—it’s as dreamy as it sounds.)
That evening, we gather for one last team meeting. I walk everyone through their tasks for the next day so we’re all aligned and ready to go.
Saturday: Wedding Day
We’re up early with coffee in hand, ready to bring the vision to life. Load-in can be a workout—especially at mountain venues where we encounter steep, dirt mountain roads, freight elevators, or even gondolas. We come prepared with wagons, carts, tarps, tools, and grit.
The team splits up to tackle different areas of the venue. Ceremony flowers, reception installs, personal flowers—each piece is placed with care and intention. When all is set and the space is transformed, we clean up, reset, and sometimes wait until the ceremony concludes to repurpose floral elements (like moving aisle flowers to the front of the band stage).
After setup, we take a well-earned break—often over a cold beer and a hot meal.
Then, late at night, we return for strike. Tear-down happens fast, but still takes finesse. We pack everything up carefully, reclaim reusable materials, and reload the van in reverse Tetris-mode (because a messy van at 1am is nobody’s friend).
Sunday: Back to Denver
After a short night of sleep, we make our way home. Back at the studio, we compost floral waste, clean out buckets, and tidy the van. Then, I unplug. Sunday afternoons are for my family—and maybe a nap.
There are no true days off during wedding season, especially when we have back-to-back events. But this work is deeply rewarding. Every petal placed and every moment of preparation leads to something greater: a couple walking into their wedding day surrounded by beauty, love, and thoughtful design.
It’s a labor of love—and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Read more…
