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flower arrangements for weddings from home

20 years ago

hello

I am interested in starting a floral design business from home. I have taken floral design classes. If anyone's knows anything about this I would gladly appreciate

Thank you.

Comments (4)

sweet_pea10
20 years ago
The first thing you will want to do is check with your city clerk's office and find out the requirements about having a home-based business in your community. If you plan to have customers coming to your home, you may have to comply with certain regulations. Then, you need to do your market research to find out if there is a market for your business in your area. You will need to invest several thousand dollars for coolers, tables, advertising, etc. so you want to be sure that there is a market before you spend the money. If you do decide to open a business, you will want to spend a great deal of time networking with merchants in companion businesses who can send clients your way, such as caterers, wedding coordinators, bakers, and others.

Good luck.
scarlett2001
19 years ago
Entrepreneur (Gosh, did I spell that right?) Magazine offers "kits" that help you start up almost any type of business. It tells you the good and bad things about the kind of business you want to start, the costs, how much you can expect to make and a lot of other things. Hope this is helpful.
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Potted wedding flowers in August
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Comments (3)
Timing on these things is always an issue - too early and many annuals will have bloomed out and gotten lanky by August. Having done a number of wedding containers projects (including a few fast jobs only a week before the big day!), I'd recommend you wait a bit before planting, like around Mother's Day. This will give you time to start from seed if you wish or wait and get starts at the nursery. As to plants to include, you want to consider how they will fill in and and how long they will bloom. And you want a range of heights and textures, just as you would in any seasonal container planting. Million Bells (Calibrachoa) are very long bloomers, are self cleaning(don't need to be deadheaded) and come in a range of colors, including various shades of pink - they'd make a great filler plant. You might want to include cosmos, another very reliable annual, but stick to the compact forms - many will get too tall for your purposes. Geraniums are always good and will bloom until frost. And consider other colors besides pink - white is a great accent or pale blue or even a more intense magenta pink. Lobelia, salvia and petunias will all be in this color palatte and also offer a long period of bloom. And don't forget foliage effects - maybe coleus or creeping charlie or variegated ivy to trail over and soften the edge. If you get them now and pot them up in gallon containers, Stargazer or Casa Blanca lilies will typically bloom in August and will add fragrance and dramatic impact to your containers - just slip the lily, pot and all, into the center of your container and plant the fluffy stuff around them. And I recommend overplanting a bit to make sure your containers are full and lush - nothing looks worse than a stingy presentation. Use a quality, well draining potting soil, add some slow release fertilizer (osmocote) when you are potting and use a dilute liquid fertilizer frequently during the season. And keep up with the watering and grooming so they look their best for the big event. I've found that keeping these containers in only part sun will allow them to develop well and fill in fully without blooming too early. Then several weeks before the wedding, move them to where they receive full sun to prompt a full flush of bloom.
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White flowers for wedding next year
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Comments (11)
How about white tulips? White Tulip Bouquets Wedding tulip bouquets are the best. No matter if they are round, hand-tied or cascade shaped, white tulip bouquets for weddings are stylish and classy. White tulips may be used with bright yellow calla lilies, agapanthus, snapdragon, white stephanotis, lisianthus or red roses. The elegancy of a white tulip bouquet can always be given by a silk ribbon, tied in a bow. Also, for an out of the ordinary bride's white tulip bouquet, they may be mixed with white feathers. This glamorous element will give the bouquet quite a feminine touch and an elegant vibe. Here is a link that might be useful: A guide to white tulip bouquets and arrangements
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Flowers for end of June Wedding, 09
Q
Comments (18)
I've never grown in zone 5 - so can't help you there, but thinking that columbines are easy from seed and usually an "early" flower. Foxy foxglove - though short - is usually reliable first year from seed. MarthaStewart.com has a Gardening tab that has Browse Plants and under that you can choose to browse plants by bloom time (you may want to browse spring and summer). I'd definately check before you count on her list (they have a dahlia as spring - unless it's greenhouse grown wouldn't even be blooming for me in zone 9 in spring ..). List a tad tedious as lists different varieties - say of tulips in spring - but an easy enough browse. Keep a notepad and pen in the car and make notes this year of things you see in others gardens/parks in bloom in June that you like. Another GREAT resource is a book Container Gardening by Paul Williams - browse it at a borders or barnes. If you're into Netflix get Rebecca's gardening Container Gardening volume - really fantastic ideas from different places (denver botanic garden, this grower/designer/that one..). You may want to plan more textures/colors from leaves and such than flowers to have good looking containers no matter what. (see next comment). Consider using a lot of "house plants" in your containers as you can grow them larger indoors over the winter and June should be fine - coleus is one I wouldn't winter sow for the event (unless you're doing it now) - take cuttings to grow inside over the winter of 2008/2009. Easy plants like "wandering jew" can give you good greens for arrangements - you could give them a big cutback 6 weeks before - stick stems in water (they'll root - that easy) them trim the rooted water cuttings for table arrangements. Also for arrangements - think greens. Note what trees have leafed out that you can insert small branches of, which shrubs - which are variegated or have different colors. There's a variegated leaf weigela that should be "in leaf" if not bloom at that time that would be lovely. Go through a "what's the worst that could happen" exercise (this will help you approach the day more calmly - you DO want to enjoy it - as you'll have reconciled yourself to the thought that things may not go perfectly). Say Rain that day - then you have tents if needed. Crushing rain within the week prior - then you have torn up flowers of the ones that were in bloom - so plan that you can trim and - worst case - spread lots of bark mulch for a very neat look (know where's the best place for mulch ahead of time). Totally different winter next year than this - say it's much warmer earlier or very late cold snaps - all your timing's off. You've already figured out the best places you can pick up flats of annuals and bark mulch. And so forth. Have some $$ in the budget for last minute fixes. Trim all flowering buds off your plants through mid-late May (say roses I'd go to about 5 weeks before the date) - push the plant to bloom when you want where it's possible. Fertilize roses around 2nd/3RD week of May. Every now and again remind yourself you're not superwoman. Coordinating the reception will be huge - the garden only a piece of it. And, you want to have enough energy left to enjoy the day itself. Don't plan on too much last detail stuff for the garden (you mention this is your oldest daughter - siblings and friends of siblings who'd be cheap labor you can train this year on how to spread mulch? plant a flat of annuals? You WILL be busy! Keep us informed and in the loop as you go through your planning this summer (we all love this kind of post - it's so much fun!)
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yellow flowers for cutting for a May wedding
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Comments (2)
Do you have a greenhouse?
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Glitter53
19 years ago
Did that for years and loved it! What a happy business!

I agree with everything said here, except for the investment: I started with much less!

I started out with 8-10 approx. beautiful bouquets as samples, a design book that the gal can use to choose her bouquet, colour samples, etc, with accompanying floral chart (for your reference) detailed order form which I made on the computer (there may also be a sample of that in your design book)...mine was the "Inspirations of Love" design book..nice glossy pages, photos, and an accompanying marketing guide (you could probably google the name of the book), and MOST importantly, a reputable supplier of all your flowers, silk or fresh, and your mechanics (bouquet holders, wires, etc).

Print up your own business cards, book your craft shows (I did other floral crafts such as centre-pieces that were suitable to the show: ie: Christmas, Spring, etc) and display your bouquets and have a generous supply of cards available. Have a draw box offering free Groom/Groomsmen boutonnieres with a Bridal bouquet purchase (or whatever), and draw a name. With the other names, give them a call and ask if they'd like to have a floral consultation with you! I only had to do a few shows and bookings before all my weddings were word of mouth.

If you have a quality product and a sincere desire to chat with your brides and offer other suggestions about the wedding when they ask (and they will!), you'll have a very nice business. Be enthusiastic for them....if you love your work it'll show. I've had brides cry when they saw their beautiful bouquets, corsages, cake-toppers, etc collected together and displayed on my buffet. Nearly brought me to tears many times!

Oh! And don't make the mistake of OVER offering. I overheard one gal who was in my business saying to one bride that she'd order this or that flower or ribbon and show it to her for her approval, etc, etc, etc...NO. If you have a sample of the wedding colours, the flowers she wants, the ribbon type (sheer, wired, satin, width etc) that she requests, etc, as well as the shape of the bouquet (this is where the book comes in handy), assure her that she'll have the bouquets of her dreams, as well as all the corsages, etc....and deliver on your promises.

I never made those "cookie-cutter", 'colour-by-number' types of bouquets one sees in all the stores...be original....you'll gain a reputation and a loyal following!

Sorry I was so long-winded here....this still excites me! Wish my hands could work that magic, still.....

Enjoy and Good Luck!
morrisonsMYmuse
19 years ago
don't really have any words of advice for you, but Glitter sounds like she knows what she's talking about....so i'd advise you to follow the advice above and good luck with your business. it sounds like it would be alot of fun!

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