Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Castaneda.
Andrea, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began pressing flowers after I received a beautiful Valentine’s Day bouquet from my boyfriend. I learned that his grandmother pressed flowers to preserve them and so I used the same process to preserve my own Valentine’s Day bouquet! I fell in love with the process and it quickly became my hobby.
I created pieces for my boyfriend, family members, and friends and before I knew it, I started receiving orders for custom pieces. Although the process required a lot of patience and attention to detail, it was exhilarating for me so I continued to create pieces and decided that I would take a chance and showcase my art at a local market.
The first local market to open their doors to me was The Boho Market. My first show was a huge success and the best part was that I got to share my art with others and hear about how much they appreciated their new artwork. I signed up for many different local markets around Dallas which helped me directly connect with my customers and build relationships with other local vendors. I also got my first order to preserve a bridal bouquet! The thought of that was both amazing and terrifying but I gave it a shot and realized that not only was it something I could do, it was also a different avenue worth exploring! It has since become my specialty.
Has it been a smooth road?
Venturing out on your own is never easy. For me, this whole journey has and continues to be a learning process. Towards the beginning, I was fully focused on creating art to sell at local markets. When the market season unexpectedly slowed down (a few months after I decided to quit my job and focus on my art full-time) I realized that I had to quickly shift my focus. My new strategy was to focus on bridal bouquet preservation. Doing so helped me grow my company from 1.5 team members to 6! I’m so glad that I took the chance because by the end of 2019, my team and I preserved over 400 bridal bouquets and turned them into art our newlyweds will cherish for many years to come.
Sometimes struggles come on the daily. It’s part of the process. What we’ve learned as a team is that anytime we face something tough, there is a lesson to be learned. At the end of each trial, we always end up building a better team and therefore a better company.
dbandrea – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Dbandrea specializes in preserving bridal bouquets! After a bride gets married, we take her bouquet and we press it for about 12 weeks to get rid of all moisture. Afterward, we color enhance the flowers so that they retain their vibrant colors and finally, we design and create a beautiful piece of artwork she can display in her home forever. We don’t just preserve wedding flowers. If you wish to preserve any flowers that are special to you, we can help.
What I believe sets us apart from others is that not only is this a unique form of art, but we’re also not just preserving flowers. We are preserving memories from such a special moment in our customers’ lives. We take pride in what we do which is why we will gladly spend many hours on a single bouquet. We want to create a perfect keepsake that will remain in the family for many years.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Dallas is such a great place to be for entrepreneurs! If you’re looking to start a business or have a great new idea, there are SO many people here willing to help you. Chances are, you will find community and opportunity if you welcome it.
There is also a large community of people who support new and local businesses and for that, I’m forever grateful. The Dallas community has received me and my business with open arms. I appreciate all of the local markets like, The Boho Market, Etsy Dallas and Fleastyle who have let us become a part of their marketplace, the local coffee shops that have invited me to display my art and all of the customers who have supported me through their purchase.
Besides traffic, there’s not really much I dislike.
Pricing:
- Preserved Bridal Bouquets and Keepsake Pieces- starting at $415
- Fine Art Prints – starting at $22
- Vinyl Stickers, Greeting Cards and Keychains – $3-$6.50
- Shot glasses – $6.99 Wine Glasses – $8
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dbandrea.com
- Phone: (833) 426-3732
- Email: hello@dbandrea.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/designs.by.andrea
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PressedFlowerCrafts/
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