Many of you know that I've been toying with the idea of starting my own business as of late. The business of floral arranging, mainly weddings, but I suppose I would encompass funerals, churches, etc. I had spent four years in college working at Oak Hill (Martha Berry's home) on the grounds crew, and was able to get lots of floral arranging experience under my belt. Every Friday we (and a lot, a LOT of Fridays it was just me) would put a fresh flower arrangement on Martha Berry's grave. We actually went, every Friday, to a wholesale dealer, picked the flowers, did the arrangement, and delivered it. I probably did a few hundred...four years of Fridays? Two hundred, easy.
Then, I started to "play" with making bouquets. My college roommate, Beth, thought they were gorgeous and I had a skill, so she actually hired me to do her wedding! By the time I graduated from Berry I had done five weddings. And since then, I've done four more and have been hired to do two this spring/summer. I've never taken a 'formal' class on arranging, it just so happens that God blessed me with this talent, and it happens to be one I truly enjoy. It's such a great feeling to be a part of somebody's wedding, to help create the moment and the memories. It's almost like I get to get married several times a year! In a way I get to re-create my own wedding, using somebody else's ideas :) I've done a tulip/lily wedding, a daffodil wedding, a fall wedding, rose weddings, gerbera daisy weddings...and am doing another rose wedding in July and a peony wedding in May.
So my question to y'all is, do you think I should do it, and do you think I'd be successful? I'm toying with the name "The Frugal Flower" as the business name. One of the big reasons I'd like to do this business is to give brides another, much less expensive option for flowers. I mean, do y'all REALIZE what the markup is on flowers? It's a total ripoff. At a wholesaler, florists buy bundles of 25 long-stem roses for around $24. Do you know what they charge for just 12 of those roses? Upwards of $40. And they charge thousands of dollars for weddings! Ridiculous! Should be a crime! In all of the weddings I've done, the most expensive one was around $450. Total. That same wedding (of about 400 gerbera daisies) would have cost easily a thousand dollars, as a conservative guess. So, my business plan would be to provide affordable, reasonable service in the wedding industry. Does the name "Frugal Flower" make more sense now? Do y'all like the name? Would anyone give me any referrals? I'd be happy to do any wedding, pretty much anywhere! My longest-distance wedding was Seattle!
Please, y'all, give me any advice, comments, encouragement you may have!
Disney Disaster
7 years ago
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3 comments:
I think that's a great idea Jenny!! I am always trying to think of something creative I could do on the side to make some extra cash. It sounds like you are really gifted, you enjoy it, it would help a bit with the finances, and it would give you a creative outlet. I say, go for it! I mean, it sounds like you're already doing it without the label. And I love the name! If I hear of anyone getting married I know I'll definitely pass your info on! And I think in this economy everyone is looking to save some money.
I think it's a great idea too! I like the name. I remember being so overwhelmed at how expensive flowers were when I was planning my wedding. I definitely would have used you! Like Jess, I'll be glad to pass on your name. Good luck!
I think you should do it! I wish I had known about your talents for my wedding. I would have totally hired you. I'd love to see your work. It is better to take the risk than live your life wondering what if. Good luck in making the decison.
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