In the Spotlight: Featured uBloomer, Brad Harrington

Brad Harrington hails from Manchester, NH and is currently working as Head Designer at Chalifours, an upscale florist in the Manchester area. He leads a team of seven other designers and oversees every aspect of the floral work at Chalifours.Floral BackgroundBrad has loved flowers ever since he was a kid and started his floral career as a teenager, driving a delivery truck for Boston MA florist, Winston Flowers. Soon he began training with the floral designers in the shop and having a natural knack for arranging, quickly became a designer himself. He served as Lead Designer for another NH florist before returning to Winston’s as their Customer Relations and Special Services expert. One of the services he performed was "in home" design work. Some of Winstons’ high-end clientele’ owned very large, expensive vases and urns that could not be moved; so Brad made "house calls" to fill the opulent vessels with huge bouquet’s of fresh cut flowers.Favorite Aspect of Floral DesignBrad loves to sit down with the brides who come to Chalifours to give them insight and idea’s into the options for their bouquet’s and other wedding flowers. He enjoys showing them all the wonderfully stylish possibilities and then carefully creates art-like, one of a kind pieces tailor made for his nuptial clients.An EXTREME-ly Wonderful OpportunityBrad and his staff got an unexpected surprise when the producers of "Extreme Home Makeover" came in to the shop to place an order. They needed eight, expertly crafted flower arrangements to decorate the house they were building for a local needy family. Recognizing what a great opportunity this was, Brad gave each member of his team the chance to personally create an arrangement for the "Extreme" home.Extreme Home Makeover hasn’t been Brad’s only famous client. His floral artistry adorned the venue used by the New England Patriots football team for their official ring ceremony.InspirationFor inspiration and idea’s, Brad looks to several designers in Boston, MA as well as designers in Holland. But the one person who inspires him the most is co-worker and fellow uBloomer, Seok Lee. "Her work is incredible. Seoks’ designs are always surprising and fresh." Brad said, gushing about his friends’ abilities. uBloom is another source Brad credits for additional inspiration and information. He is grateful for the many, helpful connections he has made with the knowledgeable people on this site. Brad is also never without the latest issue of "Bride and Bloom" magazine. He keeps it on hand to help him stay abreast of the current trends in floral wedding design.Favorite FlowerThe dense, round flowers of deep, deep blue are what make the Hydrangea Brad’s favorite flower. Brad fondly remembers how his grandparent’s garden was lavishly filled with large, leafy bushes loaded with the vibrant, floral orbs. Now, Brad tends to the hydrangea in his own garden and loves to fill his home with cuttings from his bushes.