Q&A with Shawna of 'Flower Divas' in San Jose, CA

When you choose a wedding venue with sweeping views of the beautiful Almaden Valley as the backdrop, it's a natural choice to adorn it from head to toe with beautiful flowers. That's where Flower Divas comes into play, our premier floral design partner for Boulder Ridge in San Jose, CA. Flower Divas, led by the lovely Shawna Futagaki, is an award-winning floral design studio for weddings and corporate events. Get ready for an exciting Q&A with Shawna where we explore the art of floral design and creating beautiful weddings.

Welcome, Shawna! Will you tell us about your business?

Thank you for having me! With a B.A. in Clothing Design and Textiles, an MBA, and a love for flowers, I decided to combine the three and open a floral design business. Flower Divas officially began in 1990 as a retail flower shop here in the Silicon Valley area. After 10 years in business, we transitioned away from retail to focus on weddings, special events, and corporate events. This pivot allowed us to move into a production site and focus on the part of floral design that we really love making big, elaborate floral creations.

What's the most important advice that a newly engaged couple needs to hear when planning their wedding?

Don't stress over the minutiae. Most guests will never notice the little details, so it's not worth the added stress. Ultimately you, your spouse, and your guests will remember how the wedding and the beautiful decor made them feel. That's what you should focus on.

Do you have any wedding bloopers to share?

Once we were working at a wedding where the groom faced his worst fear: he forgot the rings! We quickly got to work, hand-making beautiful rings out of curly willow branches from the centerpieces. The crisis was quickly averted, and the temporary wedding rings will forever be a fun, whimsical part of their story.