The Perfect Arrangement

Shamay Andrich AIFD, floral artist featured in Fidalgo Living Lifestyle Magazine.

Perfect Arrangement

In the fast-paced world of event planning, creativity is just one aspect of success. It also requires the ability to thrive under pressure and collaborate as a team to pull off the perfect event. While Shamay Andrich has always had a creative eye, it wasn’t until her 30s that she would begin showcasing her flair with flowers. After years of building a foundation as a florist, while balancing a homelife, she eventually found her niche as a freelance travel floral designer. Utilizing not just her artistic abilities, but also her engineering and networking skills, Shamay has established herself as a sought-after talent in the world of luxury events.

Before Shamay spent her days jet-setting around the globe designing events for fortune 500 companies and high-profile clients, the UW graduate had goals of working in the hotel industry. “I began a career in sales and marketing, hoping to get in with a big company,” she says. Her plans would take a detour, shortly after getting married and having kids, when she found herself moving back to her hometown of Anacortes. With a lack of job options and a spouse fishing in Alaska, Shamay shifted her focus to her family. She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom, “With my husband gone for months on end, it was important for me to be able to be home for my kids.”

When her kids were growing up, Shamay didn’t pass up the chance to share her passion for traveling with them. While on a trip with her family, visiting a friend in Australia, she found her inspiration to become a florist. Shamay recalled the moment it started to click, "My friend was having a lot of dinner parties and giving me flowers to arrange bouquets. She kept saying, 'Do you realize how talented you are?

'" This experience planted the seed for Shamay to embark on her journey into the flower world. When she returned home, she began experimenting with floral arrangements creating bouquets for birthdays and holidays.
The next logical step for Shamay was to venture into weddings. “Many of us get our start in the wedding world,” she noted. “I spent a lot of time networking with brides, photographers, and venues, building my brand online with weddings being the base of my business.”

Weddings are known to be stressful for all involved, but Shamay enjoys being a part of her clients’ magical moments and values the joy that flowers can bring to an event. She elaborated on how she treats every wedding as if it was her own, “I really want the bride to be in love with her bouquet, to be proud to carry it walking down the aisle and to feel good about investing in flowers for their event.”
As life evolved on the home front, so did Shamay’s desire to grow into other aspects of floral design. With her kids grown, she started seeking ways to marry her craft with her desire to travel. When weddings in the valley were no longer feeding her soul, the business savvy florist took courses to expand her knowledge, “I became certified in large-scale design, such as flower walls, flower chandeliers, and large installations.” In 2016, Shamay would get the chance to put her skills to work when she caught her first big break landing an event with industry trendsetter, Preston Bailey. Working her networking magic through

Instagram, she landed a coveted spot on the team for a New York wedding, “This event just fell in my lap, and it was a monster one.” Very popular in the event industry, Bailey is known for his extravagant, grand displays of flowers, opening the door for Shamay into the luxury flower scene. “It gave me credibility because if I was able to work on this level of an event then I could take on other events,” she explained.

With her newfound connections, Shamay built on her experience becoming certified with the American Institute of Floral Design. During an AIFD conference, she fulfilled a long- time aspiration by connecting with a design team for the Rose Parade. “For a flower geek, this has been a dream come true,” she stated. The Rose Parade floats are an art form in itself with intricate craftsmanship using all organic materials. The design team spends the week meeting, prepping, creating, and installing to bring their float to life. Over the last five years, certain floats left a lasting impact on Shamay. During her participation on the Donate Life float design, she met families of organ donors being united with recipients. It was described by Shamay as a life-changing experience, “It humbles you and changes you. It’s one of the reasons I feel so fortunate for this floral journey and the opportunities it has opened.”

Now seven years into her freelance career, Shamay has created her own extensive network, traveling nationally and internationally, being recruited by some of the top names in the hospitality industry. Whether she is working on a million-dollar wedding or corporate launch party, she expresses that every event becomes her favorite, “You really want them to have a unique experience and transform the space into something they’ve never seen before.” Relying on her faith and passion to guide her, Shamay has never shied away from the physical and mental demands that event planning brings. She embraces not only the artistic aspects but also the engineering principles behind the designs. “The level of floral artistry I do is understanding how to make it structurally sound. If you don’t, things can go wrong very fast,” she reiterates. Sharing this knowledge with the younger generation of designers, Shamay enjoys watching their passion and ideas come to life, “It’s pretty exciting to give back and see what they can do with a little inspiration and direction.”

Reflecting on her own inspirations, Shamay credits her mom, Lielanie, as her biggest cheerleader in life. “I was so blessed to have an amazing mom. She was my rock, my encourager, my believer.” Lielanie was with her throughout her journey of building her business and navigating motherhood. She accompanied Shamay to events and even traveled to Napa to assist her at a wedding. It was shortly after her mom’s passing seven years ago, that Shamay would begin booking big events. Even though Lielanie was not there to share in the milestone, Shamay still feels her presence cheering her on. “I try and include her and honor her through my work by taking a piece of her to every big event with me,” she shares.

Spring is here!