Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Ann.
Hi Victoria Ann, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart. Long before I knew what entrepreneurship meant, I was setting up little stands selling friendship bracelets at the end of my driveway and dreaming of owning my own creative business someday. As I got older, I started making handmade hair bows that eventually turned into an Etsy shop. Looking back, I think that entrepreneurial spirit was always there, I just didn’t know what it would eventually become.
After graduating with a degree in Communication, I began my career in marketing and event planning. While I enjoyed the work, I always found myself coming back to creating with my hands. In 2018, I discovered resin art and started making pieces like coasters, charcuterie boards, and floral keepsakes as a creative outlet. I spent countless hours teaching myself new techniques, experimenting through trial and error, never imagining it would one day become my career.
Everything changed in 2022 when one of my closest friends asked if I could preserve her wedding bouquet. Although I already had experience working with resin and incorporating pressed flowers into my artwork, I had never preserved an entire bouquet before. I remember telling her, “As long as you know this is my first one!” She trusted me anyway, giving me the confidence to take what I already knew and push it to the next level. I spent countless hours researching, experimenting, and refining my techniques with her bouquet, and in many ways, that one piece changed the course of my career.
When I shared the finished bouquet online, I was overwhelmed by the response. Friends, family, and eventually complete strangers began reaching out asking if I could preserve their flowers too. What started as one favor for a friend quickly grew into something much bigger.
Of course, it didn’t happen overnight. As the business grew, I continued working full-time while spending evenings, weekends, and just about every spare moment building Victoria Ann Studio. Eventually, I made the leap to work at Che Bella Bridal Boutique, taking a significant pay cut because I knew immersing myself in the wedding industry would help me better serve my clients while continuing to grow my business. Those years taught me so much, not only about weddings, but about relationships, customer experience, and what it truly means to serve people during one of the biggest moments of their lives.
Building this business has been one of the hardest and most rewarding experiences of my life. Behind every preserved bouquet are years of trial and error, long nights, learning new skills, wearing every hat imaginable, and making sacrifices that most people never see. There were plenty of moments when I questioned whether I could really make it work, but I never questioned how much I loved creating meaningful artwork or how deeply I believed in what I was building.
Earlier this year, after years of balancing multiple jobs while growing my business, I finally achieved a dream I’d had since I was that little girl selling friendship bracelets, I became a full-time artist and business owner.
One of my favorite parts of this journey has been realizing that I’m not simply preserving flowers, I’m preserving stories. Flowers are one of the few tangible pieces people have left after life’s biggest milestones. Whether they’re from a wedding, a memorial service, or another meaningful celebration, they’re filled with emotion and memories that deserve to be remembered. It’s an incredible privilege to transform something so fleeting into a timeless heirloom that families can display in their homes, cherish every day, and someday pass down to future generations.
Looking back, every chapter of my journey prepared me for this one. My childhood taught me to dream big, my communications background strengthened my marketing and storytelling, my corporate career taught me professionalism, my time in the bridal industry deepened my understanding of the wedding world, and my passion for creating gave me the courage to build something of my own. If there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s that the dreams you have as a little kid aren’t always as unrealistic as they seem. Sometimes they just take a little longer, and a lot more hard work, than you ever expected to become reality.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but looking back, I think every challenge has shaped both me as an artist and the business I’ve built.
One of the biggest challenges was learning a craft that doesn’t have a traditional roadmap. Bouquet preservation is a highly specialized niche, and when I started there weren’t many resources available. I invested countless hours researching, experimenting, and refining my techniques to create the level of quality I wanted my clients to receive. Even today, I’m always looking for ways to improve my processes because I believe true craftsmanship means never becoming complacent.
Another challenge was building the business while working full-time. For several years, my days were spent at another job, and my evenings, weekends, and just about every spare moment were dedicated to growing Victoria Ann Studio. It meant sacrificing a lot of free time, taking a significant pay cut to immerse myself in the wedding industry, and trusting that the long-term vision I had for my business would eventually pay off. Earlier this year, I was incredibly grateful to finally make the transition to running my business full-time.
One challenge that people don’t often think about is the responsibility that comes with preserving something that’s truly irreplaceable. Many of the flowers I receive represent one of the happiest days of someone’s life, while others come from deeply meaningful moments of remembrance. There isn’t a second chance with those flowers. Because of that, I don’t have the luxury of cutting corners. Every decision I make, from how flowers are dried to how they’re designed and finished, is made with the understanding that I’m caring for something someone can never replace. That responsibility has shaped the standards I hold myself to every single day.
Running a small business has also taught me to wear every hat imaginable. Beyond creating the artwork, I’m also the photographer, marketer, accountant, customer service representative, website manager, shipping department, and everything in between. It’s challenging at times, but it has also given me an incredible appreciation for everything that goes into building a business from the ground up.
I’ve also had to learn that perfection isn’t always possible in a handcrafted art form. Every bouquet dries differently because flowers are natural, and no two preservation pieces will ever be identical. Rather than chasing perfection, I’ve learned to embrace the beauty and uniqueness of each bouquet while holding myself to the highest standards possible. That balance has made me a better artist and has ultimately allowed me to create more meaningful work for my clients.
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned through it all, it’s that building something meaningful takes patience, resilience, and a willingness to keep showing up even when progress feels slow. Looking back now, I’m grateful I didn’t give up during those difficult seasons because every challenge has helped shape the business I have today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Victoria Ann Studio specializes in transforming meaningful flowers into timeless heirloom artwork through both resin and pressed floral preservation. While weddings are our primary focus, we also preserve flowers from memorial services, anniversaries, births, celebrations of life, and other meaningful milestones. We work with clients across the country to create one-of-a-kind pieces that allow those memories to live on long after the flowers themselves have faded.
What sets my business apart is that I don’t simply preserve flowers, I preserve the stories attached to them.
I believe every bouquet deserves an intentional approach because no two stories are the same. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all experience, I work closely with each client to thoughtfully design artwork that reflects their flowers, style, and memories. Whether that’s creating a modern resin display or an elegant pressed floral frame, every design is customized to showcase what makes that bouquet special.
Quality has always been at the heart of my business. Flowers are incredibly unpredictable, and preserving them is both an art and a science. I continually refine my techniques and invest in my processes because I believe the smallest details make the biggest difference. From the way flowers are dried and color is preserved to the final design and finishing touches, every decision is made with longevity and craftsmanship in mind.
One of the things I’m most proud of is the experience I’ve built around the artwork itself. Preserving wedding flowers can feel emotional because clients are trusting me with something they’ll never get back. I never take that responsibility lightly. I believe clear communication, transparency, education, and thoughtful design are just as important as the finished piece. My goal is for every client to feel confident throughout the entire process, knowing their memories are being cared for with the same attention I would give my own.
At the end of the day, I’m not just creating resin blocks or pressed frames. I’m creating future family heirlooms. There is something incredibly meaningful about taking flowers that were only meant to last a few days and transforming them into artwork that can be displayed in someone’s home, spark conversations, and eventually be passed down for generations. Knowing I get to play a small part in preserving some of life’s most meaningful moments is truly the greatest privilege.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that you don’t have to have everything figured out before you begin. If I had waited until I felt completely ready, I probably never would have started. My first bouquet preservation wasn’t perfect, but it represented years of experience working with resin, a willingness to learn, and the courage to take the next step. Sometimes you have to trust yourself enough to begin before you have all the answers.
I’d also encourage people to remember that building a business is rarely as quick or effortless as it can appear on social media. It’s easy to compare yourself to someone else’s highlight reel, but what you don’t see are the years of learning, long nights, setbacks, and sacrifices that happen behind the scenes. Success is usually the result of showing up consistently, even when no one is watching.
Another piece of advice is to never stop learning. Whether it’s improving your craft, strengthening your customer experience, or finding more efficient ways to run your business, there’s always an opportunity to grow. I don’t believe excellence comes from reaching a finish line, I think it comes from continually striving to do better than you did yesterday.
Finally, remember that people are choosing you just as much as they’re choosing your product or service. Invest in relationships, communicate well, be kind, and genuinely care about the people you serve. Skills can be learned over time, but integrity, consistency, and the way you make people feel are what build trust and create a business people want to support.
If there’s one thing I wish I had known from the beginning, it’s that progress is rarely linear. There will be seasons where it feels like nothing is happening and others where everything changes at once. Keep showing up anyway. You never know which small step today will become the turning point that changes your life tomorrow.
Pricing:
- Bouquet preservation investment begins at $349.
- Custom resin and pressed floral artwork is available in a variety of sizes and designs.
- Add-on keepsakes such as ornaments, ring holders, coasters, jewelry dishes and more are available with a main preservation piece.
- Nationwide shipping and local Minnesota drop-off are available.
- Each piece is completely custom designed and handcrafted using your own flowers, making every preservation as unique as the memories it represents.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://victoriaannstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoria_ann_studio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaAnnStudio
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@victoria_ann_studio
