Welcoming 2026: From the story of our first days to the anticipation of all that awaits.
The beginnings of Folklore Floral, as told by Natalia:
In late September of 2024 I called my friend Alina for help. My five year old son was going in for a surgery on the same day I was scheduled to deliver a new and important floral commission. I needed someone I trusted deeply to review the arrangement I had made, top up its water, and make any edits prior to the client's receipt.
After immediately agreeing to assist, Alina inquired about my recent wedding season. "How are you doing?" she asked, gently. "Not well," I admitted. I had just executed my biggest wedding season yet, out of a 100 square foot studio in my garden.
I was (and continue to be) very grateful for that studio, my garden, and for the cooler a friend expertly built for me the year prior. But the late nights working while concurrently parenting and having my family watch me from the deck, as my kids shouted at me to do bedtime, were not offering the work-life balance that I needed.
My studio had reached its capacity, and I was aching for more room to step back and review arrangements without knocking over the ten I'd just made.
"We need a shop," Alina said. "We need a shop," I agreed, surprised by my response.
In our morning conversations with the universe we asked for the perfect space to present itself, and it did. A little nook between a children's art studio and an electric bike shop that, despite its post-apocalyptic interior, Alina and I agreed had potential.
We learned quickly about bylaws and city permits. Of course, the unit we were leasing was ready to occupy a laundrette, not a retail store, and so began the lengthy process of changing the unit's occupancy.
One day after a particularly difficult conversation with the architect, I seriously started questioning our life choices. Already a month behind schedule with no opening date in sight, we joked (so we wouldn't cry) that when people say they put their blood, sweat, and tears into their small business, we understood what they meant.
Finally, in early July, we opened our doors.
With our incredible team's support, we executed over 40 events and were part of hundreds of your floral gestures, from birthdays to anniversaries to celebrations of life.
You, our community, have welcomed us with open arms and made our transition from private studio florists to shop florists the easiest and best decision we have ever made.
Thank you for allowing us into your beautiful lives and for including our flowers in your offerings of love to your favourite people. Creating for you is an honour that's not lost on us, and we are very, very grateful.
On behalf of our team at Folklore, we wish you a healthy, resilient New Year and look forward to seeing you in the shop.
Reflections from 2025 + Anticipations for 2026
A palette that took us by surprise yet immediately became a favourite:
Pomegranate and butter yellow (Natalia's still obsessed with this and won't stop talking about it - if you've been into the shop she probably tried to make you a bouquet in these colours).
Our favourite 2025 wedding palette that we think will still be a hit in 2026:
Crisp, chartreuse-y greens paired with burgundies and red hues.
Our most requested wedding palette of the 2025 season:
Summer pastels.
Our favourite weekly arrangement: The front pedestal arrangement in the Folklore window. Changed weekly and up lit at night. A mark of the season.
Our favourite event styling choice: When the flowers go together but don’t all match. Think different palettes for ceremony and reception, bouquets that don’t mirror the centerpieces, or celebrating a single flower in each arrangement.
Our favourite moment of 2025: Opening just for Mother’s Day weekend. We weren’t officially open yet, but had the best time meeting the community. Followed by getting our business license. And, we definitely cheered the first time someone ordered our flowers through Uber Eats.
An offering we are excited about in 2026: Our A La Carte wedding orders are right up there, as well as our flower subscriptions!
Trends we are excited about:
Fruit pyramids (we did one in 2025 with cherries and bows, and we will never forget it!), styling with textiles, interesting draping, using only local flowers, maximalist colour palettes.
A palette we are dying to do a wedding in: Purple paired with a bold colour. Think apple green (think Granny Smith) and purple, or red and purple.
Thank you to the incredible photographers featured in this edition.
Mary McNeill Knowles | Chelsea Warren