I’ve been wracking my brain about what I should include in my first blog post… What do clients need to know about this company? What makes it different? Finally, I decided that clients need to know…ME. Amy Wurster. I am Poppy Belle. And I am different. I am the owner/operator/floral designer. And you, as brides and grooms, need to get to know me and trust me. You will be trusting one of the most important days of your life to me! (And my trusty assistant on the day of, of course!)
As a side note, I produce many types of events, but for the sake of this blog, I will focus primarily on weddings, since weddings are the primary focus for me in the floral world. Now that’s outta the way, let’s move on…
As you may have read in the About Us section, I’ve been planning and designing weddings and other events off and on for over 10 years. But why? Why did I choose this career? Why be a wedding floral designer? Well, let’s go way back… Circa 1990… My family got a new house and I got the new pink bedroom that I’d been dreaming about! I kept that room immaculate. Every day when I came home from school, I organized and cleaned my room, BEFORE I did my homework or went outside to play. I did all the decorating and was so stinkin’ proud of myself! I also rearranged my furniture continuously. I required no help, I was a tough girl and could push that furniture anywhere I wanted it! I was constantly switching out decor, too. It was only a matter of a few years, and I changed the entire color scheme and redecorated it all, top to bottom. It was all an obsession to say the least. 😉 As an adult, I’ve moved more times than I can count and love the challenge of decorating a new space. Currently, I’m in a log cabin. LOVE!
So why didn’t I answer the calling to become an interior decorator? Right?! I grew up in a practical family, in a practical small town, went to a practical high school. Creative jobs supposedly didn’t pay the bills, ya know? So, when I went to college, I studied business and health services administration. Looking back, I am so very thankful that I never pursued becoming the CEO of a hospital. That job has a different kind of beauty than I seek in life! After college, I moved to Atlanta, where my love of design resurfaced in conversations with a good friend and fellow artisan. Together, we invented Belle Events. Problem was that we were both working in the software industry, being ya know, practical.
A few years later, in 2003, I got married with no wedding planner or coordinator. Can we say migraine?! I wanted a simple wedding with only my closest friends and family with us, but mothers and MILs, weren’t on board. LOL SO, we planned a wedding…in 6 weeks. It was simple yet beautiful and FUN, but boy was I stressed out. No one knew what was going on except me! I vowed to start my own business to help brides enjoy their weddings…migraine free!
Months later, we were living in Colorado and I got my first chance to plan and design someone else’s wedding. I was over the moon excited! That experience sealed the deal for me, I loved the satisfaction that came with the job. I loved standing back and looking at something I designed and saying “I did that!”. I loved how proud I was that the entire day went off without a hitch thanks to my organization. I loved making people happy. I loved the beauty of weddings. I loved watching the emotions of the couple as they began their journey. I loved. Poppy Belle was born.
After that, I planned many events. I have learned to love what the client loves because it makes her/him happy, and because so many things have beauty that is different than what we would pick personally. I hope to always have that ability, so that I don’t become pigeon holed into a specific style or design rut. I love to keep things changing (especially my hair)!
Recently, life has finally allowed me to quit the corporate world, and do what I love full time. Not to say that I regret my education or my work experience, because they are integral pieces of the puzzle. I have the knowledge and know-how to run a business! And that’s what I am doing, this is not just a hobby, this is a career, a passion, a life. I also gained the ability to prioritize, plan, and execute many projects in high stress situations. Wedding anyone? 😉
Speaking of education, in analyzing the market, I saw there are many wedding planners out there, but not many with a great foundation. I strongly believe in having a solid foundation of knowledge and credentials to prove I’m worthy of you! After much research, I chose to join the Association of Bridal Consultants. ABC is the most prestigious and oldest wedding vendors association. What’s so great about ABC? They aren’t a weekend, minimal hour, take your money and hand out a certificate kind of operation. They have a Professional Development Program that is intense and thorough. And to maintain membership, continuing education is required. As a member’s experience and education increase, membership level is changed to show it. But more on that in another blog post…
So, who is Poppy Belle? An intelligent, honest, dedicated, responsible, creative, passionate, loving, detail oriented, driven woman with a heck of a lot to offer! One of the best wedding designers in the Durham area that you will encounter.