All in Articles
As a florist, it is essential that we spend our time wisely to be as productive and efficient as possible. Between prepping flowers, designing, and installing events, the tasks involved in the backend of our business start to pile up and so much falls between the cracks. Especially with couples of today, everything is fast paced. It can be a challenge to keep up and respond to things, and the odds of losing a sale are very high.
In August, ten sweet women from various locations, backgrounds, and careers became flower friends at the Team Flower Wedding Florals Workshop. Maybe it was the refreshing North Carolina mountainous atmosphere, or perhaps it was the power of flowers in bringing people together, or maybe it was their welcoming and open hearts. Honestly, it was probably all of the above - the perfect storm - and we watched in awe as these women not only received but also poured out. They came to one another’s aid when needed, offering advice with humility. They celebrated with each other when one overcame an obstacle, and they cheered one another on as they created one arrangement after another.
Our industry has a bit of a problem with originality, and it’s not entirely our fault. Conceptual design in weddings and florals can be a hard sell when working with clients and colleagues with less design experience. There is inspiration all around us waiting to be harnessed for our next project, but when the time comes to build that mood board, often the first stop is Pinterest to search.
Call me crazy, but I asked Jesse to save mean comments people have left me since I started Team Flower, and today (maybe even crazier!?) I'm sharing a few with you.
Seven sweet souls gathered in the North Carolina mountains in July to do just that. They sought to cultivate creativity and find rest in inspiration. They overcame obstacles, broke through norms, and increased their design knowledge. And oh the creations they made! They poured their hearts into these flowers, so as you scroll through and admire the beauty they made, may you also be inspired to tap into the ingenuity within yourself.
Have you ever wondered why a bride would choose fake over fresh flowers? I mean, let’s face it. It’s her big day, and most brides get married with the intent of forever, right? So why not invest in the best and get fresh? After creating Silk Real Touch bouquets for over 400 weddings across three continents, I’ve discovered why some brides choose this option over fresh blooms. Fake flowers offer brides advantages that cannot be found in fresh flowers. This is especially true for beach and destination weddings.
This year, I booked a wedding where the bride requested only greenery. I included a few blooms in her bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere, but other than that, there were no flowers. It turned out beautifully! The ingredients I chose were a compilation of items from a local farm, from a local wholesaler, and from my backyard. While it was much more difficult than I thought it would be to narrow down the ingredient list and choose shades of green that told a cohesive story, I enjoyed the challenge and would welcome it again!
We had a seemingly thriving business, but we were approaching burnout. After a while, each time I dropped off an order, I had a sinking feeling that the wholesale stem prices we were getting just weren’t enough to justify the amount of hard work, expense, and time we had put into growing them. It was time to re-evaluate our business model.
We need to be an everyday philanthropist in our local communities and world. One step at a time, we can accomplish big things. Teamwork makes a difference.
This creative journey began with delicious ice cream and sweet smiles in a cozy living room in Boone. The group of 7 ladies entered into a two-day bouquet designing spree with open hearts and laughter. They encouraged and challenged one another creatively, and they found great delight in one another's company. During the two days of the workshop, attendees created every style of bouquets: round, cascade, garden, hand-tied, pageant, etc. Their individual personalities shone beautifully as they arranged the farm-grown flowers into uniquely designed bouquets that any bride would be lucky to hold on their wedding day!
Arranging flowers can be a very methodical process. There’s a wonderful rhythm to it. You can develop muscle memory and go extremely quickly with excellent results. As a wedding florist, it’s an important part of the profit margin process. But to cultivate creativity…I think that might be different…slower…Today I’m sharing three ways you can cultivate creativity in your life.
As flower people, we are always on the lookout for fabulous containers to showcase our designs. Accent Decor is one of the leading companies in creating and providing compotes, urns, votives, and more for all of us in the floral industry. They've been kind enough to share their favorites with us! Take a look at what's hot at Accent Decor.
Companion planting for soil health and crop vigor has been done for centuries, and in the age of high producing monoculture farms, the basics of companion planting seem to have fallen by the wayside. However, just a few carefully chosen plantings can make a big difference in your cut flower garden. Companion planting is generally done for two reasons: pest control and soil health. In this article, I am going to share with you the amazing ability of flowers to improve nitrogen availability, decrease nematode destruction, and that dandelions should be your new favorite weed.
The ladies that attended the Team Flower Workshop in July were in for a shock when that sweet mountain breeze turned into a flat out wind, and the temperature didn't rise above 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Sweaters were shared, blankets became an essential clothing item, and the sunshine was sought out at all costs! The weather didn't stop the attendees from learning and creating beautiful arrangements full of color and farm-fresh flowers. May their work be a breath of refreshing mountain air in your dry and arid spaces.
As you work through this exercise, you will develop a sensitivity to sense the profound effects of the presence of negative space. Will you be drawn to it in your first arrangement? Like the way it appears? Maybe not and that's normal. Keep at it. New things can take a little time to adjust to.
I believe in the importance of finding the deeper colors and hidden rooms of your soul. One of the reasons why I fell in love with floral design is that it creates space for just that kind of work. It is kinesthetic, engaging your body with your mind and your senses. And because it is creative, it reveals preferences and beliefs you hold subconsciously and puts them on display in the piece you design.
“It’s ok to grow while others are blooming.” I don’t know if Kelly Perry knew just how much I needed to hear those words when she shared them at the Team Flower Conference in March. For me, the message was two-fold: part invitation to trust that we each grow and flourish at different rates and part cautionary reminder to beware of the slippery slope of comparison.
My favorite bouquets always start with a walk in the woods and end at a local flower farm. It’s there that I find ingredients that are not only unique and special like my brides, but these ingredients speak to the present moment. I think that’s really special. Here is a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into a bridal bouquet and the ingredients it calls for. I hope it inspires you as you plan your wedding!
Most florists know and understand that our clients almost never know much about flowers – their season, color varieties, how they hold up in and out of water, mechanics…the list goes on and on! So it’s no surprise that many of the inquiries we get from couples are asking for guidance from us straight off the bat. It can seem overwhelming as a florist when we receive those inquiries – where do we even begin to dig for more information from them?
When you are starting out in the floral design world, sourcing flowers can feel daunting without a resale license. However, you might be surprised by what you can get without one. In this article, Grace McDonald lists some ideas for where to source flowers before obtaining your resale license.
