Hands down, Bonny Fraser is without a doubt the most talented and creative floral and event designer in the entire world. World-class! It might have something to do with her being a former Air Canada flight attendant who has traveled the world, but I’m more inclined to think there’s just something in the water here in Winnipeg. This town seems to be chock-full of world-class talents, and I am lucky enough to know several of them.

During Bonny’s 25-year career with Air Canada, she visited international flower and garden shows, met famous floral and garden designers, and studied at The Chelsea Physic Garden and Paula Pryke Flower School in London, England. My Secret Garden officially debuted at the Wonderful Wedding Show in 2004, and won the Best Booth Award in 2005 and 2008. Shortly after opening her flower shop in Winnipeg’s historic Exchange District, Bonny won The Exchange Biz Style Award.

The first time Bonny and I worked together on a project was planning the launch of Eco Luxe Event Design Group. Our goal was to showcase local businesses with eco-friendly and top quality offerings in the wedding and event industry. Bonny worked for months doing research and planning. She scouted out the most incredible location for our launch party, the recently renovated Birks store in The Exchange. She booked Chef Ben Kramer to prepare incredible organic appetizers for our guests, Banville & Jones  to provide organic wines, Crystal Dreams to carve an ice sculpture of a tap to dispense local tap water instead of using bottled water, all perfect compliments to the eco-friendly products and services offered by Eco Luxe.

Bonny has since designed the flowers for all the special events in my life, including the grand opening of my design studio, and the launch of my new Greenvites line at the Wonderful Wedding Show. When I created 12 life-sized, green paper brides for my wedding show booth, Bonny made 12 beautiful hand-tied bouquets for my display. I was extremely pleased with the outcome of all my hard work, but when Bonny added her flowers to the display, it brought those crazy, C-3PO paper droid-brides to life… and me to tears! The flowers were spectacular and smelled wonderful!

I won the Best Booth Award that year, and a tip of the hat goes to my good friends Bonnah Rachul and Lisa Johnston who worked like maniacs with me to get that booth set up. Bonny’s flowers were the finishing touch!

Thank you, Bonny, for all your beautiful work, for trusting me to design the branding and logos that represent you heart and soul, for inspiring me to set even higher standards for myself and my own work, and for allowing me to work alongside a world-class talent like you. You have also given my children the opportunity to learn how to appreciate the beauty in nature, and recognize extraordinary works of art when they see them.

Bonny Fraser, Owner and Principal Designer at My Secret Garden was featured in the Winnipeg Free Press, Saturday, February 11, 2012
Flower Power ~ Natural Beauty Appeals to the Senses