Today as I was reading through some of my floral sites on Facebook, I noticed a theme that sounded oh so familiar. Many of the florists were asking for help finding a solution to a problem they were having. Their problem was this: A customer had asked them to create arrangements for their banquet tables for only $10 each. The florist didn't want to turn down the order, however, it was nearly impossible to meet this budget and put out a memorable product. What could she do? She was asking for ideas from the group. I must say the we florists are a very creative group of individuals and we came up with several viable options that would "work" for the small budgeted amount. The only problem with this scenario is that her "creation" would be seen by many people in her hometown and that her shop name would be associated with the finished product. She didn't want people to think that her shop produced product that was below standard,just because the budget was minimal. She wanted to help her customer reach their goal without losing her reputation in the process. These scenarios go on every day in a flower shop and I wonder sometimes why it is that people put so little "value" on what we do. I often hear customers say "you are so lucky you get to play with flowers all day" and then I realize that our customers actually have no idea what goes into the making of an arrangement. Even when you come to a floral design class, we make it seem SO easy, but that's because all of the preparation has been done for you BEFORE you even get to the door. At Fuller's Floral we hold design classes for the enjoyment of those individuals that "like to play with flowers". It is a fun time usually permeated with wine, women, and song (straight from the CD player). With light refreshments, we go about the task of arranging a design for their homes as well as each customer having a "Girls Nite Out" to boot! But I digress...from point A to the point of walking out the door with an arrangement - MUCH is required from the florist. Even when someone is looking for a small arrangement there are decisions to be made, and the knowledge of a good florist is imperative. The colors, the choice of flowers, is a line flower needed, is it an angular design, is it a vase design or table piece...All of these questions have specific answers that the average joe just won't know. The reason that your florist KNOWS these answers is because of her many hours of training and countless hours of practice. These are the skill sets that they have acquired and yet the public feels that the florist should not charge what their skill set is really worth. At Fuller's Floral we are always attending classes and seminars to keep up with the trends and fresh new ideas. We are not the same cookie cutter florist that goes only by the book. Give us some creative license and a bit of a budget and we will stun you with show stopping arrangements. But, when you tie our hands with a budget that is less than a meal at Micky D's, then it becomes a much harder task to WOW your audience. Keep that in mind when you go "shopping" for flowers for your next event. Ta Ta For Now...
