Meet Helena Brante | Floral Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Helena Brante and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Helena, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Long story short, I completely fell into a passion that became a career and, ultimately, a self-owned business back in college! After taking Floral Design for fun my first year, I ended up graduating from Mississippi State University in 2021 with a degree in Horticulture, concentrated in Floral Management. The track is set up to prepare students to operate their own business in the floral industry. I remember thinking “I’m not ready for that…maybe in 5-10 years?”. I think my friends and family knew this wouldn’t be the case, because they encouraged me to pursue it sooner.

So, I started HB Floral Design officially on paper in the spring of 2022. At the time, it would just be my little side-gig, doing event flowers for friends and family while having other jobs. I was actually scared to do too much, and only booked four weddings that year. I thought that the less I did, the less could be critiqued. It’s scary thinking of someone hating your work, so I stayed a little hidden. However, after each of those four weddings, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and a sense of accomplishment. Despite the fear and imposter syndrome, I craved more of those positive feelings and the knowledge that I gave someone something special. Towards the end of that year, I decided to finally take the leap and put my business first. I figured the worst case scenario was that I’d change my mind and find another job. It felt risky (honestly, still does sometimes), but I knew in my heart there would never be a ‘perfect’ moment for anything. 

So far, I can say this was the right decision! I completed my first full year with HB Floral Design (with freelancing here and there) in the Spring of 2023. Since then, I’ve more than doubled my bookings for the 2024 cycle, made connections I wasn’t expecting, and continue to grow in so many ways. The risk is great, but the reward is greater.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
To the average person, flowers are reserved for special occasions, and rarely much more. I see flowers daily in all shapes and forms, so I know they’re far beyond just that. Flowers are associated with emotions and memories. I’m most proud of the moments where I know my flowers just created a joyful, lasting memory for someone. In investing time to know my clients more closely, I’m able to carefully craft blooms that reflect their stories. I give so much thought to each and every project (weddings, events, bouquet bars, workshops and more), to the point where I will dream about them!

I got where I am partly from my education, but mostly by doing! A lot of floral designers probably have a similar story. Figuring out how to appropriately price your time and work. Reacting well in time-sensitive situations. Knowing what flowers are going to survive longer than others. All that good stuff. It’s hard, it takes time and patience, and I’ll never stop learning! I’m very thankful to have an awesome village of friends in the industry that are more than willing to share their knowledge along the way. 

I’ve put lots of hard work, patience, and heart into HB Floral Design, because I love what I do.  My wish is for my business to inspire others to embrace their passion and turn it into a career they love, too!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I spent some time living in Vinings, so I’d start with checking out some boutiques in Vinings Jubilee and dinner there at the Orient Express – who doesn’t love a restaurant inside of an old train car? Once the season starts, definitely go to a Braves game then out for drinks and live music at Park Bench. For a special occasion downtown, sit at the bar or a table at Livingston before going across the street for a show at the Fox Theatre!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to dedicate my shoutout to my family – our Brante Bunch! They love unconditionally and are my biggest fans. Some people advise against involving your family in your business; I’m lucky that mine not only want to be involved hands-on, they want to see my business thrive. I love them today, tomorrow and always.

I also have to give special recognition to my mom, Sheri. She was the first person I called when I decided to change my major and wondered if I was making the right choice. Busy as she always is, she keeps a calendar of my event dates so she can help me at each one. I love the time we get to spend onsite together, it’s become our special Mom-Helena thing. I jokingly and lovingly call her my momager for a reason!

Website: helenabrantefloraldesign.com

Instagram: hbfloraldesign

Image Credits
Hi-River Outfitters Complete Weddings + Events Lindsay Marie Photo Taylor Gaddy Photography Chinchilla Creative CO. Eady Beth Photography Christina Dianne Photography Madeline Bea Photo