Meet Sarah Coplen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Coplen.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I come from a family of creatives, and my mom had my sister, and I made something with our hands almost every day. I eventually fell in love with fashion design in high school (specifically wedding gowns) and went to Indiana University for Apparel Merchandising and later FIDM in Los Angeles for fashion design. I worked for a few years in the swimwear industry before coming back to my original love of weddings. I sort of “fell” into floral design and eventually wedding planning when friends started requesting my creative help with their wedding days. I was hooked. I love building relationships with my couples before the wedding day and being a part of their story. Seeing the brides reaction to her bouquet is definitely my favorite part of any wedding day. I feel so fortunate to have found a creative outlet where I can create something new every weekend and feel like I have made someones day just a little bit better.

Please tell us about your art.
I begin the process by talking through every aspect of the wedding day with the couple. We talk a lot about the overall aesthetic and get into the details such as linen color and favorite flowers. I provide the couple with a detailed proposal with images so that we have a solid plan in place for the wedding day. Up until the week of the wedding, my team and I are sourcing vases, ribbon and placing flower orders. The shopping process can feel just as creative as the creation of the arrangements. If you ever see me in the LA flower mart and I am staring off into the distance, I’m probably trying to picture how all of my ingredients are going to play together. We spend about 2-3 days creating the floral arrangements in our studio. I like to give us plenty of time so that each arrangement can be made thoughtfully. I like to create organic arrangements with movement and a bit of romance. Nothing should ever feel forced on a wedding day. As the planner, I want an easy flow for the first dance, and as the florist I want the centerpieces to look just as effortless.

As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
I believe that the definition of success should be different for every person. My definition of success seems to change every year depending on what I need life to look like in order to do my best work. In the beginning, success felt like booking a lot of events for the year. Now, fewer events but for the right clients feel right. I also think it’s important to not get too burnt out creatively. A quick weekend getaway in the middle of wedding season can be essential so that I can come back refreshed and inspired to tackle the next event.