Our vision is a local, sustainable, and inclusive floral industry
Pup Tent is proud to offer artistic floral design for weddings and other events, as well as a full range of dried floral offerings, succulents, and cacti. We focus on being ecologically and socially responsible, minimizing our impact on the environment and embracing community.
Credit: Emily Skye Photography
Our Values
From its very beginnings, Pup Tent has been committed to values of sustainability, inclusion, and community. Our priorities include:
Sustainable practices:
Local sourcing
We source all our flowers locally, from within 100 miles of our studio in Portland, OR. Why does local matter? In addition to minimizing our environmental impact, working with small local farms fits in perfectly with our aim of building community. Local farming is often much more environmentally-friendly, minimizes chemicals used in large-scale imported florals, and is subject to local environmental and labor laws. Learn more about why local flowers are awesome here.
No floral foam!
Using floral foam is one of the most environmentally damaging practices in traditional floristry. Each block of green foam is equivalent to 10 plastic shopping bags, and is made of compressed microplastics. Floral foam breaks down and contaminates water and green waste, making composting floral waste impossible. Instead, we use "foam-free" practices, which include environmentally safe foam alternatives, chicken wire frameworks, sourcing the freshest, healthiest blooms, and getting creative with water sources to keep your floral art looking its best throughout your event. Learn more about why floral foam is so damaging here and here.
Responsible waste management
Composting and recycling as much as possible, including offering environmentally-conscious event tear-down to make sure the after-party for your flowers is as green as it can be. We also focus on reducing waste, avoiding single-use and new plastics and utilizing compostable alternatives.
Reusing objects already in the world
We believe that almost anything you could need already exists in the world, you just need to find it! We comb through second-hand sources to collect useful objects and supplies, minimizing our impact by diverting waste and reducing consumption of virgin materials. From our office supplies to the paper and twine around your bouquet, nothing is too small to consider. All our vessels and rental items are second hand, and we work with clients to reuse these items. This eliminates the need to buy new vessels for every event, and means that you don't have to worry about what to do with twenty vases after your party!
Inclusion:
Let's face it: the wedding industry is full of a whole lot of traditions that can feel heavy and at-odds with our lived experience. Pup Tent believes that any event should be a full-hearted expression of your and your loved ones. We prioritize learning your preferred terms (nearly-wed? spouse-to-be?) and what kind of experience you are aiming for. You get to define your story, and we want to support and facilitate that in whatever way we can.
While we have a thorough familiarity with historical wedding traditions, we love rewriting the book for each and every client. Need help bridging the gap between the expectations of your older family members and the things that feel genuine for you? We would love to help you navigate your planning to create an event that lets you float in your happiness with minimal stress. Pup Tent is a queer-owned business, and we strive to be always pro-actively learning and also receptive to feedback.
Credit: Emily Skye Photography
About Amarette
Amarette was born and raised in the Portland area, and loves all the beauty the Pacific Northwest has to offer. She lives and works in the Clinton neighborhood in SE, and enjoys being part of her local community. In addition to being a florist, Amarette loves creative endeavors of all types. She has a background in metalsmithing, fiber arts, and all kinds of crafty tomfoolery. If you have a weird creative project beyond the world of flowers you need help with... Give her a shout!!!