Villaflores
FLORAL ART
2020 marks the 85th anniversary of Villaflores, the most important florist of San Sebastián. Over its long and prosperous history, this family company has had the chance to decorate big-name hotels such as the María Cristina and the Château de Brindos, the homes of members of high society who spend the summer in San Sebastián, and historic spaces and venues for holding events like Miramar Palace, Arteaga Castle, and Satrústegui Tower.
In a year like this, it is worth looking back at the history of this business: Villaflores was the name of a building located in the Marruchipi district where the same family that still owns the business today had its first greenhouses. The plants that decorated the most select spaces of the city were grown in those greenhouses. The family opened its first shop in 1954 in the Gros district. Eight years later, they opened a second boutique just behind the city hall. That shop, where they continue to serve their customers, has been dedicated to cutting-edge floral decorating and gardening since its opening. Years later, they opened another new shop in the Amara district - replacing the first establishment.
One of Villaflores’s main business areas is bridal flowers. In its 85 years of history, the family has decorated event spaces, churches, town halls, and country estates – adapting the latest trends in floral design to couples’ tastes and the aesthetics of each wedding. One of the ceremonies that most left its mark on the team at Villaflores was a Persian wedding that they did in 2018: the pre-wedding event was at the Mirador de Ulía restaurant, and the Sofreh Aghd ceremony was at the María Cristina Hotel. Persian wedding ceremonies are characterized by the presence of elements such as mirrors, candles, honey, fruit, eggs, and sugar cones, among others, which symbolize energy, the future, fertility, etc. The wedding was quite a challenge in terms of floral decoration, but it was also a real opportunity for intercultural learning.
Now it is Pilar Landa, the third generation of this family, who is in charge of keeping the company at the forefront of floral design. Tenderness, observation, creativity, functionality, the study of color, and a respect for nature are just some of the guidelines that Pilar uses as a basis for her daily work. Thanks to her dedication and meticulous thought process when combining colors and harmonizing spaces, dozens of couples from all over the Basque Country have been able to enjoy their weddings trusting that each and every bouquet and floral detail would be in its place to bring in a touch of color on their big day.