Keepsakes' business blooms as florist continues to evolve

KRISTEN HANKLA
The Post and Courier

Karen Spalviero, owner of Keepsakes Florist, arranges gladioluses in one of the shop’s coolers.

Amid vivid blue delphiniums, golden button mums and, these days, green hydrangea, you'll find Karen Spalviero.

The owner of Keepsakes Florist spends six or seven days a week in the Wappoo Drive shop, preparing fresh or silk flower arrangements to help people say a number of things including "I love you," "Congrats" and "My condolences."

And, of course, creating flowers for weddings, the bread-and- butter of her business and her favorite part.

"I love seeing it all come together," Spalviero said, from the time a future bride first walks in with a vision to handing her the bouquet on her wedding day and turning a plain ceremony or reception site into a place with ambience.

"It's their special day," she said. "To be part of it is an honor."

Keepsakes hasn't always done weddings, or even offered fresh flowers.

Spalviero's floral journey began nearly 20 years ago with a handful of sea lavender.

While visiting a farm on Wadmalaw Island, she was enthralled with the colorful flower, otherwise known as statice. The cost was $5 for as much as she could hold, and Spalviero left "with bunches."

She placed it in a basket in her James Island home, and it dried beautifully, she recalls. Soon she was reading everything about dried flowers she could get her hands on and learning by trial and error. She made wreaths, swags and scented dried arrangements.

"My poor husband finally built a back porch because he was tired of dried flowers in the dining room," Spalviero said.

Keepsakes began in her home, then moved to Folly Road when Spalviero opened Craft Cottage. Next was a stint across the road at Cheerful Expressions, and then 12 years in West Ashley's South Windermere Shopping Center.

Over time, the demand for dried flowers faded and she added silk flowers, fresh flowers and live plants to her shop. When she moved to her smaller current location two years ago, she abandoned the flower-drying aspect of her business.

In addition to being a full-service florist, Keepsakes now does six or seven weddings each month.

Brides' various desires, changing industry trends and Spalviero's own new ideas keep the job fresh, she said.

These days, she's using more hydrangeas, orchids and curly willows; creating bouquets with flowers' stems showing instead of hiding them in plastic holders; and filling vases with such things as limes or seashells.

"You don't have to do the same thing over and over," Spalviero said. "That keeps it interesting."

Reach Kristen Hankla at 937-5548 or khankla@postandcourier.com.