Meet Marlena Curiel of Faithful Blooms

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marlena Curiel.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Marlena. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
There is a quote by Tony Gaskins that reads “If you don’t build your dreams, someone will hire you to help build theirs.” That quote really motivated me to make my dream a reality.

When I was seven years old, I was introduced to Claude Monet’s Masterpiece of Art. I had never laid eyes on something so beautiful, as Monet’s Water Lilies painting series. I was a little girl who was raised in the middle of street art. His paintings sparked something in me, only I couldn’t pin its exact purpose. I asked my mother to buy me a set of oil pastels, however, I quickly learned that painting was not my calling. I would, however, find later how that discovery as a 7-year-old child, would come full circle nearly 20 years later. In the words of Claude Monet, “I perhaps owe having become a florist to art”.

In the summer of 2012, I was set to get married on July 7th. As I had been dreaming of this big day as a little girl, I had a binder filled with ideas that I had collected throughout my life. I always knew I would stick to tradition and would wear the classic off-white dress, tulle veil, something old, something borrowed, and something blue. The one detail that would differ from tradition was my bouquet, allowing me to add that ‘something extra.’ I knew exactly what I wanted… every flower, every leaf, even down to the ribbon (Pantone color PMS 5425).

July 7th, 2012 was finally here. My make-up and hair were done, and I slipped into my wedding dress, jewelry, and shoes. The very last and (in my opinion) most important detail was placing the bouquet I had so carefully planned out, in my hands. My mother walked the bouquet over and placed in my hands. Every form of emotion came over me, but not the emotions I’d expect. Angry, shock, disappointed, etc. The flowers had been spray painted, none of the flowers or foliage I requested were used to make the bouquet. I could even smell the fresh flower paint.

My Pantone color PMS 5425 (blue-grey) ribbon was purple. It was too late to try to rectify the situation. I had to settle for the arrangement I had in my hands and make the most of my wedding day. When my honeymoon was over, I started reading about the floral industry and learned that a lot of brides had experienced that exact horrifying feeling I had on the morning of my wedding day. I was determined to make a difference. I took a floristry class to learn basic techniques and began making arrangements for my friends and family, and the rest is history. The art of floristry come very naturally. I have found my talent, and the best part is that it has made my dream of owning a business a reality!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been challenges along the way. There were moments where I thought I was never going to get any business outside of my friends and family. I was active on all social media outlets, and I was still having a hard time getting business. I was invited to several local pop-up shows and gained traction from customers purchasing my bouquets, but I wanted to shoot for something bigger.

Through social media, I met the very talented, Karina Murrillo from Diamond Events, who reached out to me inquiring on working together. She believed in me and began contracting Faithful Blooms for her special events. I am grateful to God and humbled for the doors He has opened for me in the past two years. I am extremely thankful for the love and support of my husband, children, and parents. My mom is also my floral assistant. She is my number one supporter (and my first employee). They have witnessed all the blood, sweat, and tears that has gone into building Faithful Blooms.

When challenges arise the motivation from your loved ones is key. A very good friend of mine, Olga Contreras, always reminded me never to give up regardless of what happens. My cousin Sandra Curiel always encouraged me to be a dreamer. When putting myself out there on social media, I had no clue where to begin as I didn’t even have any personal accounts. Enter, one of my oldest and dearest friends Angelina Ochoa, who helped me build my social media and the content that went along with it.

There are a lot of people who are a part of the struggles, highs/lows, and success of Faithful Blooms. But it is those who help you along the way, that make the highs so much more worthwhile.

Faithful Blooms – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Faithful Blooms is a Los Angeles based floral design company, and we specialize in custom floral designs for every event. We strive to deliver that ‘something extra’ in all of our designs.

Faithful Blooms has grown from its early days from selling hand-tied bouquets in pop-up shows to now designing custom florals for weddings and special events. I feel I am most proud of the fact that I have held onto the integrity of my brand. I listen to my clients and always go the extra few miles to guide them in the design process. Many times my clients have a small idea of what they want, whether it be ‘color’ or specific flowers.

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