An Ocean's Blessing

An Afternoon with Amy Reed of Luna Moss
Photographs by Jenn Bakos and Ashley Herrin

One of the joys and most amazing aspects of running t.e.l.l. New England is having the opportunity to meet so many talented individuals who call New England home. Our small corner of the country is overflowing with makers, doers, and entrepreneurs who pump creativity and craft into our economy. And every opportunity to meet an individual who helps make New England so unique is an opportunity to be thankful for.

Luna Moss easily falls into this category. Owned and operated by Amy Reed, Luna Moss is a blossoming floral design studio, who, as Amy describes, puts the ""wild" back into flowers." A New England native, Amy spent the past eighteen years on the west coast. But now, she's back in New England and is ready to showcase her talents. Though she has been gone for so long, Amy's love for New England has unwavered. Her excitement to be back is evident, saying "I'm still really figuring New England out again, almost re-learning it a little bit, which is really cool."

Amy's talents have lent a hand to a multitude of weddings and events over the years. A self-proclaimed romantic, Amy emphasized her passion for making things look pretty. "What I'm most passionate about is creating a beautiful setting for love."

Though brides may request flowers based on certain colors, settings or themes, Amy's work typically relies on flowers that are in season. They are the freshest, and in-turn last longer, but also because she loves to support local growers. Now that she's back in the North Shore, Reed has found a friend in Aster B. Aster B is located in Essex, MA and is a chemical-free sustainable flower farm providing gorgeous, seasonal flowers to weddings and events across New England.

When we asked Amy what her favorite flower that's currently in season is, she was seemingly stumped — as you would assume a floral designer would be. "Every season, it's like "oh yeah, I forgot about anemones!" And every season I get so excited. Then I get sad to lose one, but then there's always a new one." Mentally sorting through all her favorite flowers currently in season, Reed touched upon grasses, especially bursting grass, Lily of the Valley, Poppies and Columbine. For Amy, it's hard to pick a favorite.

We met with Amy one Sunday in August at Fort Foster in Kittery Point, Maine. We spent the afternoon observing Amy as she delicately crafted some amazing bouquets and arrangements for this issue, pulling inspiration from the landscape as she went. Over the course of the afternoon, Amy created a sea-inspired tablescape, a beautiful ocean garland, and a floral bouquet for the Atlantic — a blessing of sorts. "The old tradition of the blessing of the sea really inspired me," Amy said. "I started thinking about how I wanted to get things that looked like sea creatures, and grasses. I came to the ocean a lot and looked (for inspiration)." Even the smallest things lent inspiration to Amy. "When I saw what Aster had popping up, even her type of Dahlias reminded me of a sea anemone and it kind of took off from there."

For many, the ocean has a sort of indescribable draw. It's infiniteness and vastness likely plays a roll, as well as the captivating rise-and-fall of the tides, the pounding of the waves and the soothing music it creates. For Amy, the ocean lent an inspiration to her work that few are able to capture. The artistry that went into each piece embodied the spirit and beauty of the Atlantic. For many, being able to master their trade with such effortless creativity is what most seem to strive for. For Amy, this was seemingly captured so effortlessly and with such ease but with a remarkable perfectness. To us, Amy Reed has mastered the art of creating magic with the flowers and plants that the soil has given us.

As we stood on the shore of Maine's coast and watched Amy weave flowers in and out of sea grasses, sea urchins and barnacles, we realized yet again, how thankful we are to have the opportunity to meet such an amazing individual — the talented force behind Luna Moss. And here, at the ocean's edge where strangers met only a few hours before and formed a bond from the roots of New England, we realized this was the blessing brought forth from the depths of the Atlantic.