Growing up, “I spent a lot of time in the forest collecting things,” she told Citizine. Her professional career started at Brandy Melville as a window-display artist, “but I was never really into fashion,” she continues. So, she asked herself what should come next.
“I interned for [wedding planning firm] Gather Events, and it helped me realize very quickly that I did not want to be a wedding planner.” But through her time at Gather, she was exposed to other florists and began gravitating towards them. “[I] started working for a few people, and getting my hands dirty. I thought, ‘yeah, this is it. This makes sense.’” Best Day Ever was born shortly thereafter.
Best Day Ever Floral Design Founder, Annie Armstrong, arranging Icelandic poppies
Ahead of Valentine’s Day, we caught up with Armstrong to ask about her favorite flowers (Icelandic poppies and Japanese ranunculus, to name a few), and where she recommends grabbing a bouquet and chocolates around the city. “Flowers and a cheeseburger actually sound way better to me,” she jokes. “Or flowers and a burrito.”
Annie Armstrong: My friend Felisa Funes takes orders for Valentine’s Day. She does really really cool sculptural work [with her arrangements]. She does painted flowers, and stuff that’s more interesting.
Individual Medley
Atwater Village
AA: Another designer, Yasmine Mei, usually does a pop-up at Individual Medley.
Compartes Chocolatier
Multiple Locations
AA: They have very cool and interesting flavors.
Twig & Twine
AA: East Hollywood
They have really cute gifts along with their flowers.
The Original Los Angeles Flower Market
DTLA
AA: The Flower Market [in DTLA] is incredible and so wonderful. It’s funny, even though I’m there all the time, I still get excited every time I go. [However,] this is more bulk, or wrapped, flowers, not actual arrangements.
BoxFox - Valentine's Pop Up
Century City
AA: It’s a really cool concept. It’s basically these really pretty boxes, and you can build your
own box, pick stuff you want to go inside of it [Sugarfina candies, Mast Brothers chocolates, etc.], or they have pre-made ones. They’re having a pop-up that I’m doing a big installation for at the Century City mall. It’s open for the week before Valentine’s Day.
WildFlora
Studio City
AA: I always drive by and it looks super cute. They do succulents, too.
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Oren Peleg breathes coffee, art, rooftops, and (if he can stay awake late enough) a low-lit bar or a hidden warehouse. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
Header image courtesy of Best Day Ever Floral Design