Skinner Jones

VENDOR LOVE // Skinner Jones

Abby of Skinner Jones headshotI love meeting new people, and I especially love meeting talented new people. A few years ago, I met a woman named Abby who made some GORGEOUS bouquets for one of my clients. I was absolutely blown away by her style. It was fun, refreshing and easy! After the wedding, I had to know a little more about her and I found out that she was officially starting her own floral business under the name Skinner Jones! Several of my clients over the years have now used Abby and her team and we are always over the moon with her arrangements! We caught up with Abby to talk her about what makes Skinner Jones so special!

 

Q. Abby, you create some stunning arrangements. What kind of resources did you use to gather inspiration for designing florals for your clients?

A. I draw inspiration from books that my grandmother handed down to me (an outstanding floral designer herself!), magazines, art, gardens, current fashion trends, and it cannot be denied for quick, of-the-moment trends - Pinterest!

Q.What were the first steps a could should consider when booking their florist?

A. A connection w/ the designer and also loving photos of their past work - Your big day is personal and your florals reflect you! If you like what you see and feel comfortable with/love the energy of the designer then I think you should feel confident that they will create something spectacular and perfectly you for your special day.

wedding floral bouquets

Q. How would you describe the style of Skinner Jones?

A. The style of Skinner Jones is clean, fresh, wild and abstract with classic nuances. I like classic and traditional looks but I also like to throw them off and make them a bit unexpected with strange or more edgy details or combinations. Those unexpected bits are very often a nod to the bride's style!

Q.You tend to go above and beyond as a florist. What is a unique piece you have made for a client?

A. I love my work, and I have a hand in each piece I create. So it only feels natural to go above and beyond for all of my clients. A piece that I loved creating was the bouquet for a photo shoot for Anna Kristin's latest lingerie line. She gave me an idea of the looks she liked and the look she was going for but left it up to me to pick the combination of flowers, look of the bouquet and color scheme. I love all the different textures, colors and shape of this bouquet. To me this bouquet is juicy and perfectly messy - my idea of a stunning bouquet.

Q. How does the venue choice and time of year effect the choice of flowers and design?

A. I think that the venue choice should play a huge part in what flowers you choose and what your centerpiece design is. Work with your base and accent that instead of working against it. Use the venue as a guide for the 'feel' of the arrangements but would make sure that they centerpieces also reflect the personality and style of the bride and groom and their other wedding day details.

Wedding Tablescapes

 Q.  What was your philosophy in investing in the florals / details of a wedding day (money wise)?

A. Each bride places a different value on the flowers. So many of my recent brides have done very minimal centerpieces or add DIY touches off their own but I always encourage them to make sure to spend enough money on the bouquets and personal flowers so that they are sure to love the look because those flowers are the ones that will show up in your photos for years to come.

Q. How many weddings to you do each year?

A. Totally depends on the year. I have done 12 - 15 some years, and I have done 5 so far this year because I have just recently had my second baby. I only take on weddings when I know I can fully devote myself!

Q. What are some hot trends for florals right now?

A. Hot trends right now: lots of texture, vintage feel, little greenery, succulents, and anemones and peonies always seem to be a fave.

Bride with floral bouquet on bed

Q. What advice do you have for brides who are planning a stylish wedding that incorporates so many details?

A. Be clear on what flowers, colors, looks you absolutely want/need to include. Then let your florist also run with it and guide you. I feel strongly that you should hire people who you trust and whose work you love. Remember that you are paying them to do what they do best. So let those vendors, or florist in particular, work their magic and give them a bit of creative freedom to come up with a most gorgeous combination that is uniquely yours.

You can also check out Skinner Jones on Facebook.

Location MINNeSHOP // Recap!

This past week, I had the pleasure of hosting another MINNeSHOP! The topic was all about shooting on location and teaching the students some tips and tricks on how to keep their work fresh while shooting in a new space - or an old one! I have to say, this was one AMAZING group of attendees! I enjoyed each and every one of them SO much and they really put themselves out there, during the shooting portion of the day to push their own comfort zones and creative limits! We started the day with a throwback lesson on the fundamentals of art. Simple principals like line, form, composition, symmetry and color were all things we talked about - and ultimately, how these basic ideas really make our images go from mediocre to greatness!

The MINNeSHOP took place at one of my favorite venues in the city, the Calhoun Beach Club. We had a stellar crew of models and some absolutely stunning floral arrangements, which were put together by the one-and-only Skinner Jones! Thank you to all of our models for taking the time to be a part of this, you were fabulous!

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Here are some blogs from the student's work from the day!

Emily Steffen Shelley Anderson Wing Ta Nichole Lee Robin Hohenstern Rachel Nadeau

Mr. and Mrs. Lund!!

Kristi and Ande had a SMASHIN' wedding day! That's right... a smashin', bangin' hootin' and hollerin' wedding day!! I suppose what I'm trying to say is that their entire day was simply SO much freakin' fun for absolutely everyone involved! I have personally been looking forward to this couple's wedding day for quite some time and it was just as fabulous as I had imagined!Their event took place at The Mill City Museum and I had the opportunity to work with one of my favorite florists in town, Skinner Jones! One of the things that I LOVED about their  wedding were the bridesmaid dresses! I know - usually they are hit and miss, but these dresses were a BIG hit! It was a one-size-fits-all-no-alterations-and-you-can-wear-them-a-million-different-ways-dress! Absolutely each and every one of Kristi's ladies looked FANTASTIC in these dresses! The other major high light for me was the music! Ande and Kristi actually met each other for the first time when they had roles in their highschool musical! Their love for music carried on over the years and they had THE best live band - The Soul Tight Committee at their reception! Seriously...they were jaw dropping good!

A HUUUGE congratulations goes out to Kristi and Ande on their amazingly-over-the-top-fun wedding! You are a couple that I admire very, very much! Thank you SO much for letting me be a part of your big day!

LOVEe

The Family Stone

It's the season for family photos! Everyone always wants to update their looks for the big holiday card, so the requests just keep coming in! However, I am going to be completely honest with you all...family photos are not really my thing. I only photograph a few families a year. I do these for people who I have met, formed a great relationship with in the past and truly have a connection to! I got a call from Abby of Skinner Jones a few weeks ago and the more we talked about her very-large-extended family shoot, the more I actually wanted to do it! I came to THE house. You know when you watch movies, especially holiday movies, and the entire family comes to one big house that is super cozy and the kitchen is always bustling, the fire is on and music is rockin' while all the chaos of the family ensues?

This was THAT house! I absolutely loved this family and really enjoyed photographing them! There were 22 people, total, so I broke everyone down into their respective families before the GRAND family photo! Here are some of my favorite images!

LOVEe

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Mr. and Mrs. Howe!!

Amy and Eric had a PHENOMENAL wedding! There really is nothing else to say! I have been looking forward to their wedding all season, because it was the grand finale to my wedding season this year! Their all-star-event took place at The Depot downtown Minneapolis and the setting couldn't have been more beautiful!

Here are the official stats: Dress: Monique Lhuillier Shoes: BCBG Bridesmaid Dresses: Vera Wang Makeup: Nan Fletcher Hair: Bella Salon Floral: Skinner Jones Programs: Anjenu Linens: BBJ Linens Chairs: Apres Cookies: Home made! ;0) Live Music: Synergy

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Congratulations to Amy and Eric on becoming newlyweds! The couple is honeymooning in Thailand...I'm SO jealous! Thank you SO much for allowing us to capture your big day!

LOVEe