Phoenix, AZ Florist // Andy Castano

I’m thrilled to be highlighting an INCREDIBLE florist and friend,
Andy Castano. Andy has a unique personality that will surely have you cracking up in laughter just moments into conversation. He’s witty, rock’s the man bun, and is a designer in every facet of his life.

Before I even met Andy, he designed a floral bouquet for me. In May of 2013, I nervously awaited the arrival of my date, my now husband, Mike. When I heard the door bell ring, I opened it to find Mike smiling and holding a GIANT bouquet of an amazing assortment of flowers and greenery. Mike later told me that as Andy pieced together my bouquet, he asked Mike questions about my personality, my character, and my quirks. And based on Mike’s answers, Andy designed a bouquet to reflect who I was. I mean, COME. ON.
Andy is the real deal, friends.

Andy’s floral designs have been featured in Junebug Weddings, an online wedding guide for brides. I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Andy at a San Diego beach wedding, which you can read about here, and a local styled shoot for Angelic Magazine, which you can read here.

I wanted to know more about what it’s like to be a florist, so I sat down and asked him a few questions. Friends, meet Phoenix wedding and event florist, Andy Castano.

How and when did you get started in the florist industry?

My passion for flowers sparked when I was just a little boy. I remember going to see my dad, who was sick in the hospital, and asked my mom if I could buy him some flowers.

Fascinated by how the sweet lady was putting my flowers together, my little heart melted when she handed me this two carnation masterpiece for my dad. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath at the scent, and knew I wanted flowers in my life forever!

Years later, I tried my hand at designing flowers at a small flower shop in my hometown. The shop girls were busy with a couple of weddings that weekend and I quickly realized this was my chance to kick some flower butt. And I apparently had the chops because I was still around for the next wedding. I never settled and pushed our little shop to its design limits! As the years went by, I moved away and grew into other opportunities. I had the privilege of creating designs for magazines, prestigious events, and celebrity homes.

If you could describe your style in 3 words, what would they be?

Tailored, Inspired and Dreamy.

Tell us a quirky fact about you!

I had a favorite pair of red pants that I pretty much wore every day in kindergarten. Oh the devastation was real when the finally wore out!

What’s your favorite part of being a florist?

I love capturing people’s love stories and combining them with flowers to express a unique art piece. You can find flowers anywhere and anyone can make a bouquet, but it’s more than just accessorizing with flowers. I love getting to know something special about my clients, and incorporating something unique to their design, it just brings soul to their bouquets! A bouquet with no soul is like an instrument with no sound. I love being a part of a beautiful day and working with photographers as they capture the expression for years to come!

What’s your favorite flower?

It’s difficult to choose a favorite. The scent of a simple carnation will always be nostalgic, because it reminds me of my dad. Orchids have a lot of personality on their own, I would probably find a way to have more of them in my life!

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned along the way?

Being a good fit is super important, both for myself and my brides. If you love each other’s style from the start, you’ll have the trust to rock a dream wedding!

What’s a typical wedding day look like?

It usually starts with centering myself after a long night of buttoning up details. I like to grab a coffee, channel my brides dream, and make sure I run my day of setup through that filter. I like to deliver my flowers personally because I can make sure everyone wears their flowers as designed, and I also share a little pep talk with each person as I’m getting them ready for pictures. Sometimes a pep talk can be just sharing a smile to calm nerves or sometimes it’s a short message reminding them of how honored the bride and groom are for them to wear these flowers on their special day. It’s cool to share a little light just in the time it takes to pin a flower.

Once the venue is set and all flowers have been placed, I usually wait for the remaining guests that will need their flowers (usually just grandparents corsage/boutonnieres). I like to greet them, honor their presence, and this pep talk usually includes something beautiful about their family that I learned as I was preparing the day. Sometimes fellow vendors need a little pep talk, a high five, or a good cup of coffee to get them through the day. I love sharing these little moments along the way with them too.

What’s the biggest challenge in the floral industry?

Good floral design takes skill and artistry. Sometimes flowers get a bad rep when a piece is lacking in either of these two areas. It saddens me when people make staples out of something that should be unique to you. Unfortunately, flowers have also become the area in a wedding where most brides give the least amount of attention or decide to cut costs.  I like to remind my brides of unique ways to have soul in your flowers without just wearing them as an accessory. You can still master this artistry without pinching off too many petals to save pennies.

Where do you look for inspiration?

Your art is only as good as what you put in your soul. I love to fill my soul with unique experiences and then think of cool ways that I can express those moments with flowers. Sometimes I check out photographers and see what textures and colors they like to capture. I love reading stylist blogs to see what fun trends they like to write about.  I like to create from the well of what has tasted good to my soul. Self care and connecting with things that I love usually provide the “AHA moments” when I need to pull a great idea.

If you could give a bride a few pieces of advice about their wedding day or choosing a florist, what would they be?

1) Stay focused on the relationship –
a wedding is a special day to celebrate your new found love!

Keeping in the theme of “relationships” is so important when hiring your vendors. As you choose vendors, it’s important to find and establish a connection with them. You will have a much better experience this way, rather than if you approach wedding planning as just purchasing products. I think this is the key to having a healthy and stress free wedding planning season.

2) Keep a broad view and let the details fall into place.
You’ve been dreaming of this day since you were a little girl and can’t wait to plan all the perfect looks and moments! Don’t be tempted to get lost in the excitement of details right out of the gate. In the early point of your planning, keep a broad view of your wedding, and find a good fit for each of your vendors. Once you have a relationship with these vendors, you can let the fun dreamy details begin!

When considering a good fit for your florist, ask yourself if you could go with anything that this vendor would create for you?

Does their style speak to your dream day? If the answer is yes, then you may have the best fit to help you create an expression that is unique to you!

3) Once you find a florist that you trust, just trust them.
You did your consult and you’ve established that you love each others style! Trust that your florist has immersed themselves into your dream wedding and give them space to rock it out! Trust is energizing to an artist and in those moments they will channel your dream wedding. We will go above and beyond by adding that special touch that we have been hanging on to for the perfect bride to come along to share it with.

All floral arrangements in this blog post were designed by Andy.
Isn’t he amazing?!

Andy’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/andycastanodesign
Andy’s Instagram: @andycastanodesign
Email: castano1andy@gmail.com