When Mellissa Kosir sees the opportunity to get creative and try a new style or approach, she takes it. Her company, Blooms & Blossoms, is all about unique floral design and staying on budget. Mellissa says she loves the challenge of satisfying everyone's style, especially when it may not be the same as her own. She says that by listening to her client's ideas she’s able to share their vision and style from their perspective instead of just her own. This makes it easier for Mellissa to then create a floral design that best represents their style, needs and budget.

Having created bouquets of all styles and sizes, wearable arrangements, floral décor items for both the ceremony and reception, and so much more, it's not hard to see when looking through Mellissa's extensive portfolio that she treats her floral designs as works of art. And this, combined with her unique approach and use of materials other than flowers (like fruit and feathers), results in a simple, but stunning, style. We sat down with Mellissa to find out why she does what she does, and why brides are falling in love with Blooms & Blossoms. Here’s what we found...

Personally speaking...

It was Mellissa's own wedding that initially inspired her to enter the floral industry. She ended up designing her own arrangements out of silk; but it wasn't until a friend's wedding in 2007 that Mellissa was officially convinced to open up her own business, which she did in April of that year.

Since she began, and even before opening her own business, Mellissa has always focused her attention and designs on weddings so she's gained a lot of hands-on experience in the industry, having been a part of over fifty weddings in just three years. Mellissa also completed the Floral Techniques Certificate program with Honours at Mohawk College and continues to educate herself through other professionals in the industry and by attending seminars and workshops in the field.

Getting to know her brides

Mellissa says that offering friendly, personal service is what really wins the hearts of the brides who come through her doors - ultimately having them choosing Blooms & Blossoms over other florists in the community. And having interviewed both Mellissa and her brides, it looks like she knows her clients well.

Katie Cole-Sandford, who was married in September 2009 and had Blooms & Blossoms create all of her bridal party flowers, told us that Mellissa was a wonderful person to work with. "She has a very friendly personality and she felt more like a friend rather than someone that just wanted our money. She gets to know the people that she is doing work for and I thought that was an amazing quality."

Mellissa's friendly and warm nature is what sealed the deal for Laurel and Michael Curran when they were looking for a florist for their September 2008 wedding. "She was not pushy with her own ideas and offered input when asked, but built on my vision for the day," adds Laurel. She also told us that Blooms & Blossoms offered a personal touch that only a small business provides.

It's easy to see just by speaking with Mellissa that she truly cares about her clients and treats each one as if they were her only client. Katherine Hoang hired Blooms & Blossoms for her August 2010 flowers and says that the biggest reason she did is because of Mellissa's personality. "I had gone to a few other florists to get quotes before meeting with her, and I realized just how much she genuinely cares for her clients and tries to envision what the bride is looking for," she told us. We also found that Mellissa gets to know her brides in order to determine their style, ideas, wedding theme and budget. "I listen to their ideas first and advise them from there," Mellissa adds.

Sarah Bijelic was initially impressed with Blooms & Blossoms' creativity and willingness to work with what she had in mind for her October 2009 wedding flowers. "Once we began working with her, the prices were outstanding in comparison and her ingenuity for coming up with unique ideas convinced us that this was the right choice for us," adds Sarah. "She suggested so many unique combinations to accentuate the unique, elegant and classy fall themed wedding that I was striving for. She was eager to use the ideas I had while adding the perfect artistic touch to complete the effect."

When working with Blooms & Blossoms for all of her October 2007 wedding flowers, Melissa Werbowsky found that whatever she wanted, she could have. "Mellissa made suggestions, but more importantly, listened to what I wanted... to create exactly what I wanted, and all within my budget," she told us.

But brides aren't the only ones who agree that Mellissa really cares about getting to know her clients as Promotional Marketing professional, Tracy Avila, told us that Mellissa understands the needs and wants of her couples. "Even if you are not sure what you want, she will offer unique ideas that will fit your budget."

Mellissa recommends that brides come to consultations prepared with ideas and pictures of flowers they like to help her understand your style even better. "Bringing pictures and materials is invaluable to the florist and makes for a productive meeting," says Mellissa. "It enables the florist to get to know as much as they can about your style so that they may represent that in their work."

Blossoming your style with her own

Since Mellissa takes the time to get to know each of her brides, she knows that each one has a different style. "My couples vary, I get all kinds," she told us, adding that she likes the "challenge of satisfying everyone's style, especially when it may not be your own; but envisioning it from their perspective." It helps that Mellissa has a natural creativity and a willingness to try new things, which she combines with her approach of always creating floral arrangements that best represent her clients' style, needs and desires.

"Blooms & Blossoms' creative style is tailored to the customers they meet with," Sarah told us. "Mellissa was very easy to work with... she was very informative and was able to creatively help me design the perfect unique bouquet for my wedding day. She is very knowledgeable and passionate about her work and that definitely comes through in the finished product."

Mellissa prides herself in treating floral design as an art form, which she approaches with a unique and high level of artistic talent. And while her style can be combined and geared towards what the couple is looking for, she describes it as "simple and stunning." Laurel would add "Artistic, textured and exactly as I had imagined... but better!" when we asked her about Mellissa's creative style.

Photographer Jake Davies, who has worked with Mellissa before, told us that if he were getting married Blooms & Blossoms would be his first choice for a florist because with Mellissa he can tell that a lot of care is taken with everything she does. "She goes the extra mile when it comes to her arrangements," he adds. "Everything she does looks fantastic."

Katie told us that Mellissa had amazing ideas for designs and helped take what she had in mind and make it come to life. She was also flexible when it came to any changes Katie had during the planning process and was open to new ideas. "She also makes suggestions that other people would never think about... like what flowers would wilt faster than others," adds Katie.

From flowers to feathers

Between all of the many weddings Mellissa has created flower arrangements for, she's designed everything from bouquets to "wearables" (boutonnières, pocket squares and corsages), pomanders, basket designs and halos to décor items like cake flowers, ceremony pieces, head table arrangements, and centrepieces. And that's just the basic list of what Mellissa has created and is able to create. The list is endless, really, which was just the sentiment that Katherine had when trying to choose her wedding bouquets. "There is really no limit to what Mellissa has to offer as far as flowers," she says.

A trend that Mellissa is seeing in wedding flowers these days, and one she loves to incorporate, is the use of materials other than flowers. "Right now, feathers are big," she told us. "We can incorporate them into almost anything; bouquets, centrepieces, flowers for hair, boutonnières and corsages.

We also noticed when looking through Mellissa's portfolio, that incorporating fruit is becoming popular, and is something she has some experience with having created centrepieces out of fresh pumpkins, which has attracted a bit of attention, too. "Brides have approached me already having heard about them," Mellissa told us.

In fact, it was 2007 bride, Melissa (one "L") who came up with the pumpkin centrepiece idea, and she told us that Blooms & Blossoms was the only florist she visited who was not only thrilled with the idea, but who wholeheartedly embraced it. "She really took the idea and ran with it because she was just as excited at the idea as I was," she told us. "Not only is she kind, but she’s resourceful," adds Melissa.

Adam Gagne, Owner and Operator of Gourmet Catering, agrees that Mellissa is always positive, upbeat, and willing to go the extra mile for her clients. "Mellissa is a floral perfectionist, is always original in her designs, and pays attention to every detail in her arrangements," he adds. Not only does Adam recommend Blooms & Blossoms to clients; but he says that when he and his wife renew their wedding vows, Blooms & Blossoms will be their first and only choice for a florist.

Lights are also a big hit when it comes to flowers, and not just candles anymore. Mellissa has incorporated lights into centrepieces and fibre optics into boutonnières and corsages. She also likes to use different mechanics for boutonnières and corsages (instead of pins), like magnets, wristlets and bracelets.

While Mellissa specializes in fresh floral arrangements, she also creates incredible silk arrangements, which look surprisingly real. In fact, when we met with Mellissa, she showed us the silk bouquet she made for her own wedding (which was seven years ago) and we were amazed that it was not only intact, but looked real and brand new.

What Katie liked best about the options that Blooms & Blossoms offered was that she wasn't forced into using just one flower in her arrangement; there were a lot of flowers and styles to choose from.

Customized packages at prices you'll love

The Blooms & Blossoms website lists a package for a basic wedding, but since what they do is very customizable, Mellissa says they will customize a package that's based on your needs and budget.

All orders with Blooms & Blossoms come with a free initial and final consultation. If you require any other appointments (like to view churches, halls, etc.), there's a small fee of $35. "That being said, I'm always willing to answer phone and email questions and go over details that way as well without incurring extra costs to the bride," Mellissa told us.

"Whenever I had a crazy question or even spoke of budgets, Mellissa greeted every conversation/concern with the same smile," Melissa told us. "She’s so genuinely happy to help, and I believe she was just as excited as I was about my wedding."

Sarah felt that Blooms & Blossoms' prices were very competitive to others in the area and easily came in under her budget. "The value I received was worth twice what I paid," she says, adding that she would, without hesitation, recommend Blooms & Blossoms to other engaged couples. "They are such a budget friendly company that doesn't sacrifice quality; they are a bride's dream come true!"

The average bride spends about $500 on flowers for the bridal party at Blooms & Blossoms, and an extra $750 (or more) for ceremony and reception pieces. "The couple never sees another bill after the final consultation unless they have ordered something more," says Mellissa. "What I have quoted is what they pay, no hidden fees."

"I felt like I got a great price for the quality," Laurel told us. "Mellissa knew my budget and was able to give me options to choose from within that budget. She did not try to up sell me when I was fixed with my allotted dollars."

Walking you through it...

Mellissa recommends booking Blooms & Blossoms six to twelve months before your wedding, but she can turn around spontaneous, last minute weddings with ease if she's available. To make sure she is, email or phone her to set-up your initial consultation. During this meeting, Mellissa gets to know you and provides a quote based on your needs.

A non-refundable deposit of 50% of your order total is due to reserve your wedding date, and a contract is signed. About four weeks before the wedding, you'll meet with Mellissa again to go over details and pay the remaining order balance.

On the wedding day, Mellissa delivers and sets up as discussed, potentially with extra help depending on the size of your order. But rest assured, since Mellissa is the one who meets with her couples from the beginning, she's the one who's there on the wedding day. "I am the one who has taken all the notes and really gotten to know the bridal couple as much as I can that I need to be there for key tasks. I oversee all the floral needs for the day. Anyone else is just assisting as needed," she explained.

When we asked past bride Melissa why she would recommend Blooms & Blossoms to other brides, she told us that "They make your big day as stress-free as they possibly can – and you can’t put a price on that! With Blooms & Blossoms, you know you’re going to get beautiful arrangements, exactly the way you want them and for the price that you want, too."

Details, details, details

• Mellissa recommends phoning or emailing her 6 to 12 months before your wedding to discuss your floral needs.
• A 50% non-refundable deposit is required to book, with the remaining balance due 30 days before the wedding.
• Packages are customizable at Blooms & Blossoms; the average bride spends about $500 on bridal party flowers, and $750+ on décor pieces.
• Blooms & Blossoms also rents certain items, usually pertaining to centrepieces, at varying costs.
• Taxes are in addition to quoted prices.
• Travel fees may apply on some delivery orders, depending on the distance.