The mother-daughter duo behind St. Louis-based Floral Preservation Co. is making its film debut in “The Wedding Hustler,” set for a Valentine’s Day release on Amazon Prime.
A romantic comedy about a groom who plans a surprise wedding in the middle of a pandemic, “The Wedding Hustler” features a preserved wedding bouquet by The Floral Preservation Co., which offers custom flower preservation and DIY floral preservation kits.
“Our DIY Floral Preservation Kit was featured in a scene where the ‘wedding hustler’ is showing the groom-to-be how to preserve flowers, specifically the bride’s favorite flower, [lavender], with our kit,” Teresa Rinne, chief executive officer of The Floral Preservation Co., explains.
Rinne – accompanied by her daughter Brooke Kuhn, the company’s vice president and executive designer – flew to the film set in San Diego to appear in a vendor scene with their kits and a sample preserved flower. There are both Licking residents.
“We knew when we agreed to be part of the film that we would be on set to help with our product placement, but what we didn’t know was that we would actually be cast as extras in the vendor scene,” Rinne says. “That was a fun surprise!”
One of their biggest contributions during the filming process was the actual preservation of the bride’s wedding bouquet. By using her Floral Preservation Kit, Rinne says the team was able to preserve a large, beautiful bouquet in less than 24 hours.
In the film’s emotional closing scene, the final preserved floral piece – a vividly colorful framed and pressed wedding bouquet – is presented to the bride from the groom.
Inspired by so much loss during the pandemic, the film pays special attention to preserving the keepsakes of loved ones. By the same token, bouquets can be saved as meaningful mementos. “You have these flowers for milestone life moments, then you toss them,” Rinne says. “[But] they can live on.”
Rinne and Kuhn also were invited to attend the recent red-carpet premiere of the film in California. Reflecting on their appearance in it, Rinne recalls her and her daughter’s memorable experience: “Being part of the film was extra-special because the crew that we worked with went out of their way to make us feel welcome and appreciated.”
The film’s cast includes Netflix’s “Bling Empire” star Kane Lim, as well as real-life couple Chris and Hillary Soriano. Watch the trailer now at theweddinghustler.com.