March 2012

EXPRESSIONS OF FLOWERS®

ON TH E ED G ECELEBRITY PARTY PLANNER JES GORDONKEEPS ALL THE BURNERS GOING

BA C K TO BA SIC SUNIQ UE FLORAL DESIGNS FOR BRIDES

TREND STHE ‘KATE M IDDLETON EFFECT’ANDPROM OTING YOUR W EDDING BUSINESS

floriology

|March

2012

2

Mark Nance, AAFPresident, BloomNet

PUBLISHER

BloomNet, Inc.www.MyBloomNet.net

(866) 256-6663

SEN IOR ED IT OR

Lisa Carmichael

M A N A G IN G ED IT OR

Fred Russell

A SSOC IA T E ED IT ORS

Len V ermillion, Megan Sullivan

A RT D IREC T OR

Shane Hickey

C ON T RIBUT IN G W RIT ER

Mike Pucci

ED IT ORIA L C ON T RIBUTORS

T ed MarloweJerry Rosalia

floriology is p ub lished monthly b yBloomNet, Inc.

Printed in the U nited States, Cop y-right 20 1 2. All rights reserved. Nomaterial contained herein may b erep roduced without the consent ofthe p ub lisher or editor. Permission torep roduce p ortions of this p ub licationshould b e ob tained through Bloom-Net, Inc. Pub lications.

All statements are those of the p er-son making the statement or claim.T he p ub lisher does not adop t anystatement or claim as its own and anystatement or claim does not necessar-ily refl ect the op inion of the p ub lisher.

Although p ub lished material is intend-ed to b e accurate, neither floriology

nor any other p arty will assume liab il-ity for loss or damage as a result ofreliance on this material.

O p inions ex p ressed are not necessar-ily those of BloomNet, Inc.

Annual Sub scrip tion Rate is $ 7 1 .88 (p lusap p licab le tax ) in U .S. and Canada.

4 Industry InfoThe Special Event 2012 showcased event product and services, and

Floriology Institute elevates sales potential for florists.

5 By the StatsMany florists saw double-digit increases in V alentine’s Day sales this year.

6 Out & A bout3-Day Advanced W edding and 2-Day Party & Events courses at the

Floriology Institute.

7 BusinessShirley’s Flowers & Gifts shares top ways to market to brides.

8 design center:On the EdgeCelebrity party planner Jes Gordon keeps all the burners going at once.

10 Owner’s C ornerA mother-daughter team runs three shops in Clay County, Fla.

12 design center: Back to BasicsChristi B rown created unique bridal designs using techniques learned

at Floriology Institute.

14 TrendsW eddingW ire discusses ways to promote your wedding business.

15 M arketingEngagement parties and bridal showers get personal.

15 Innovative IdeasMiss Daisy’s Flowers & Gifts found an easy way to manage employees’

time clocks.

16 N eighborhood C ornerAll Saints Chapel Florist is a one-stop shop for weddings.

W H AT’S IN SID EVO L . 3 N O . 5 | M A R C H 2 0 1 2

COVER

PHOTOBY

:CHRIST

INEHAN

8

12

1015

3

U P FRONT

PA RTYTIM E!The comedian Robin Williams said, “Spring is nature’s way

of saying, ‘Let’s party!’”

Spring really is all about nature’s celebration of renewal, life

bursting forth, colors exploding and the promise of what is to

be. As professional florists, it is this time of year that we catch our

breath between Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, while preparing

for the onslaught of spring-fever-crazed consumers wanting every-

thing from vibrant flowers to exotic bedding plants.

Among the rites of spring are garden parties, Easter egg hunts and graduation parties...and

spring is also a prime season for bridal showers and engagement parties. Speaking of Easter

egg hunts, when we lived in Oklahoma City, our rite of spring was having a huge Easter egg

hunt at our home for all of our friends and their children. The hunt was broken into age groups

with the littlest children and the oldest adults being the most entertaining. You can only imag-

ine what was in the adults’ eggs. Too much fun!

Also included in these gatherings were great quantities of food, drinks and games for all

and, of course, there were flowers, lots of flowers. My lifelong florist friend always provided the

most inspiring spring arrangements and plants for the tables, the home, the barn and even the

bocce court (that’s another story). As parting gifts, we always gave the flowers and plants to our

friends and family, knowing that they would thoroughly enjoy them and be reminded of our

wonderful time together as well as the awakening of spring. I can still smell the fragrance of

the flowers during those cherished times with our dear friends and relatives.

Parties and events should be a significant part of a retail floral operation. As an industry, we

have allowed a number of party planners and consultants to take a substantial portion of this

highly profitable business. There are several reasons. Parties are a great deal of work and re-

quire a significant investment in time, labor and materials. Coordination is paramount, working

with a variety of caterers, rental companies and in particular, the customer, who wants so much

for so little. However, assisting customers with the planning and execution of their parties and

events can pay off handsomely—not only in immediate sales and profits but in repeat business

as customers look to you again and again for their ongoing party needs.

This month in floriology, we explore the many facets of profitable party planning, providing a

number of new ideas along with showing off some of your work!

Party On!

MarkNance, aaf | President

THE COFFEE POT

WHAT’S ON TAP

Dear floriology reader,

We value your opinions. What do

you like about the magazine? How

can we improve? We encourage

all feedback—our goal remains to

strengthen and build the community

within the floral industry. Please email

your thoughts to us at floriology@

bloomnet.net.

~ The floriology team

I am almost to our first year anniversary of owning

L e Fleur Florist. I look forward to your magazine; I’m

gathering quite a bit of information. I enjoyed the

article “Thinking Outside the Vase” with designer

Gerry Gregg. We as well live in an area where you

just carry the clippers just in case you see that spe-

cial clipping that will look good in that vase. Again

thanks for great informative information.

! JAMIE DENISE RUBIS

~ L a Fleur Florist, Placerville, Calif.

● Floriology Institute

Contemporary/

High Style

European Design*

March 19-21

Jacksonville, Fla.

● Dallas Gift Mart

March 22-25

Dallas, T exas

● Wisconsin & Upper

Michigan Annual

Convention

March 24-25

W aukesha, W is.

● Minnesota State

Florist Annual

Convention

March 24-25

Brooklyn Park, Minn.

● Good Friday

April 6

● Easter Sunday

April 8

● P rom Boot Camp

with Tim Huckabee

April 10

WEBINAR SERIES

G o to MyBloomnet.

net for more info!

● AIFD Southern

Chapter Meeting

April 13-15

Orlando, Fla.

● 3-Day Advanced

Sympathy Class*

April 18-20

Jacksonville, Fla.

● Earth Day

April 22

! For more information

e-mail floriology@

bloomnet.net

March

2012|flo

riology

floriology

|March

2012

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INDUSTRY INFO AWARDS, SHOWS, ADVOCACY

The course schedule at Floriology Institute for the

remainder of 2012 is as follows:

! Advanced Sympathy (April 18-20)

! Basic Principles and Elements of Design (June 11-15)

! Advanced Wedding Trends & Techniques (July 30-Aug.1).

EDU CATION

HIGHER EDU CATIONHIGHER PROFITSFlorists elevate sales potentialby taking courses at theFloriology Institute.

“Ilearned so many detailed techniques that I needed to

know how to do,” says Christi Brown in describing her

experience at the Floriology Institute in Jacksonville, Fla.

Christi, owner of Roses are Red in Indialantic, Fla., had

won a scholarship to the Institute during the recent Florida State

Florists’ Association convention. She attended the Advanced Wed-

ding Trends & Techniques and the Party & Events courses, held dur-

ing the week of Jan. 23, 2012, at Floriology Institute. Jackie Lacey,

AIFD, CFD, PFCI was the instructor.

During the Weddings course students gain tips and techniques

regarding the most current trends in colors, floral varieties,

products and supplies. Critical skills for dealing with vendors

such as rental companies, and time-saving ideas for increasing

florists’ profitability, are also on the course agenda.

The Weddings course began paying dividends for Christi

immediately after she returned to her shop. “I did a bridal

show using a lot of the things I learned at the course and I had

a phenomenal response...I had two brides in for consultations

and three others book consultations.”

The Party & Events course at the Floriology Institute provides

information florists can use to maximize the opportunities of wed-

dings, birthday celebrations, fundraisers and corporate events.

Specific topics include details about not only designing amazing

floral creations for an extensive variety of events, but also about

planning, consulting, and working with lighting and linens.

Scott Jackson, floral designer at Grace Flower Shop in High

Point, N.C., attended both the Wedding and Party & Events

courses at the Floriology Institute. “It opened my eyes, I learned a

lot of wonderful techniques,” Scott says. “Everybody needs to do

it, it’s that valuable. We’re coming back.”

The Floriology Institute was recently approved by the American

Institute of Floral Designers as an AIFD Professional Floral Design

Evaluation Pathway Provider. As such, the Institute provides the

educational curriculum and testing florists need to achieve the

status of Certified Floral Designer (CFD) and also become an ac-

credited AIFD member.

CONFERENCES

B OL DSTATEM ENTSThe Special Event 2012show cased thousands ofevent products and services.

From themed backdrops to LED lighting so-

lutions, event furnishings to fabric structures

and décor, The Special Event 2012 featured

thousands of event products and services

to inspire attendees. The conference was held at the

Tampa Convention Center in Florida Jan. 24-27.

The show offered more than 100

educational sessions, including how

to update event technology and

social media skills. Attendees

took away techniques, and

product and décor ideas.

The show confirmed for

Fred Bailys, director of

marketing for Napco, that

Napco’s new selection of

glass items is in line with

the latest trends. He noticed

that a number of exhibitors

used the same shapes or similar-

shaped glass containers.

Fred also noticed that everyone at the

show was using electric candles or special lighting.

“I don’t see that trend going away anytime soon.”

He saw a selection of centerpiece items made

in shiny white resin that looked like glass or ce-

ramic that he would consider sourcing in the future.

Another cool item he came across was Snow Real,

an instant decorative snow that’s ideal for holiday

displays, table centerpieces, and more.

Dan Fisher, owner of Fitz Design, noted that the

fabrics emphasized texture and there were a lot of

new styles for chair backs. In regards to color, he

saw frequent use of a softer, blush-pink shade that

will become more prevalent. One of Fitz Design’s

new items, Ocean of Diamonds, was featured in a

number of displays and confirms that it should be a

hot item for the company, Dan adds.

Fred stresses that not everything has to be jumbo

size. “Some tables had modest arrangements and

let the color be the big bold statement,” he says.

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March

2012|flo

riology

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SALES BY THE STATS

byMike Pucci

Heart ofthe M atterThe

POSITIV E ECONOMICINDICATORS UNDERSCORE ASUCCESSFUL V AL ENTINE’S D AY

!How was your V alentine’s Day and what is youroutlook for the remainder of the year? Email us

at floriology@bloomnet.net.

! 80% of florists reported sales up forV alentine’s Day 2012 versus 2011

! Average sales increases were 17%

! 27% of Americans bought fresh flowers orplants, an increase from 23% in 2011

SOURCE: Society of American Florists

Rosy Results

People appear to be feeling better about the economic climate

of the country and they’re demonstrating that feeling by reach-

ing into their wallets. Those are the underlying thoughts that

can be taken away from V alentine’s Day 2012, a holiday during

which many retail florists saw double-digit increases in sales.

To be sure, the mid-week holiday placement and unseason-

ably pleasant weather throughout much of the U.S. were

factors in helping to boost sales—but still,

the statistics are nonetheless impressive

(see box at right).

IM PR O V E M E N T S IN T H E

C O N S U M E R E C O N O M Y

W e all know that one of the biggest stumbling

blocks in the economy’s slow road to recovery has been

the loss of jobs. However, the job pic-

ture is brightening. In its most recent

report, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Sta-

tistics stated that the unemployment

rate had decreased to 8.3 percent and

the rate has fallen by 0.8 points since

August 2011. Interesting too is the

Bureau’s report that since December

2009, the retail sector in the United

States has added 390,000 jobs.

Furthermore, according to data

released by the Conference Board at

the end of January 2012, the percent-

age of people expecting more jobs in the months ahead increased

to 16.2 percent from 14 percent in December 2011.

The result of all of the above has been a favorable rise in con-

sumer confidence. In fact, according to the University of Michigan,

consumer sentiment rose to 75.3 in February 2012, the highest

reading in a year. This bodes well for a retail environment showing

signs of renewed vigor that could last well beyond V alentine’s Day

and continue to improve throughout this year.

S A L E S IN C R E A S E S , B U S Y S H O PS

“Sales were very good, we were really busy,” says Suzanne Smith,

describing V alentine’s Day 2012 at her shop, V iolets Florist and

Gifts in Hauppauge, N.Y. “Retail sales were up about 35 percent.”

Lori Gray Shipe, manager and floral designer for Brentwood

Flower Shoppe in Brentwood, Tenn., explains that the sales

increases in her shop compared to a year ago were clearly appar-

ent from a nearly nonstop stream of customer activity. “Normally,

it’s busy half the day and then by mid-day it tapers off,” says Lori.

“This year, people were walking in all day.”

Fata Pintol, who with her husband, Sejad, owns Flowers, Gifts ‘N

More in Houston, Texas, exclaims, “It was a really, really good holi-

day.” As expected, roses were the biggest sellers at each

shop contacted by floriology. But it’s important to also

point out that customers were buying other items

as well. “W e have a large gift shop, and there

was a big increase [in sales] there too,”

Fata says. Plush items carried very well,

which Fata upsold into a lot of gift baskets.

U PB E A T O U T L O O K F O R

T H E M O N T H S A H E A D

Complementing what could be termed as a

decidedly positive V alentine’s Day 2012 through-

out the industry, the majority of retail florists

are in a confident state of mind about what the

rest of the year looks like—especially

when you contrast how florists felt two

years ago. In its Fourth-Quarter 2011

Economic Outlook Survey conducted

in January 2012 and released in

mid-February, SAF reported that 80

percent of florists said business was

“OK,” “good” or “excellent.” At the

end of 2009, only 62 percent of florists

felt that way when surveyed by SAF.

Accompanying those findings, SAF’s

survey also found that more than half

(53 percent) of florists are optimistic

about 2012 overall...with 9 percent saying they are “very optimis-

tic” and less than 20 percent expressing pessimism.

“I think everything is going to be up,” says Keith W right, owner

of Snow’s Florist in Irving, Texas, when talking about what he

predicts sales-wise for the rest of the year at his shop. “I expect

Mother’s Day to be just like V alentine’s Day,” states Lori confident-

ly. And adds Fata, “W e believe only good is coming.”

floriology

|March

2012

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O U T A N D ABOUT BLOOMNET TAKES TO THE ROAD

3-DAYADVANCEDW ED D IN G

JAN. 23-25

2-DAYPARTY &EV EN TS

FloriologyInstituteIn late January over 24 studentscongregated at The FloriologyInstitute in Jacksonville, Fla., fortwo classes. The 3-Day AdvancedWedding class kicked off the week,followed by a 2-Day Party andEvents class. Jackie Lacey, AAF,AIFD, PFCI instructed the class on thelatest and greatest in floral trends,designs, colors and varieties, just toname a few. (Read more on Page 4of this issue of floriology.)

Upcoming Schedule

MARCH 19-21 ... 3-DayContemporary/High-Style/European Design

APRIL 18-20...... 3-DayAdvancedSympathy

JUNE 11-15...... 5-DayBasic Principles &Elements of Design

JULY 28............ Fresh Forum®

JULY 30-AUG. 1... 3-DayAdvancedWedding

AUG. 2-3.......... 2-DayParty & Events

For more information please emailngandini@bloomnet.net or callNicole at 516-237-7973.

Chris Hill (left), of Sarah’sCreation Florist in Durham, N.C.,gets one-on-one training fromJackie during the three-day course.

A group of students preparethe tabletop displays w ithchair accents and drapery.

Examples of arrangementscreated by the students.

D iane # om as of LadyBug Flow ers & Plants in

A lachua, Fla., show soff one of her w edding

bouquet arrangements.

Bob Tucker (left), Linda Racine(center) and Sean Johnson of M issDaisy’s Flow ers & G ifts in Leesburg,Fla., demonstrate new ribbontechniques.

March

2012|flo

riology

7

MARKETING BU SINESS

by M egan Sullivan

H ERE C O M ESTH E

BRIDETHE O WNERS O F SHIRLEY’S

FLOWERS & GIFTS SHARE TO PWAY S TO MARKET TO BRID ES

Jo Buttram and Shelby Shy, owners of Shirley’s Flowers

& Gifts in Rogers, Ark., share a few marketing tips from

their presentation “Here Comes the Bride,” which was

most recently heard by florists at Kentucky’s 5 5 th Annual

Convention in Frankfort in February and at the Michigan Great

L akes Floral Expo in Grand Rapids in March. Shirley’s Flowers &

Gifts was among the top finalists for the Arkansas Business of the

Y ear for 2 0 1 2 .

TESTIM ON IA LS

Word of mouth is golden, so it’s important that

florists post testimonies on their websites so brides

can read firsthand customer experiences. “That’s

the new word of mouth,” J o says. When customers

call or email to express their gratitude, J o suggests

asking if you can post their testimony to the shop’s

website and social media pages. Florists can also ask

brides to share their positive experiences on wed-

ding review websites, such as WeddingWire.

B RID A L SHOWS

Bridal fairs and shows are another huge way to market to brides.

To increase your exposure, ask the coordinators if your shop can

display an arrangement at the entryway of the exhibit hall, and

make sure to include signage. Participate in the bridal fashion

show, and design oversized bouquets so the details are more vis-

ible. Florists also can contact other vendors who are exhibiting and

offer to style their booths for additional advertising exposure.

Must haves in the booth include attractive brochures, busi-

ness cards, photo books, and a calendar to set up appointments.

Shirley’s Flowers & Gifts runs slideshows on a video screen of its

past weddings. Having a giveaway in the booth is a surefire way to

collect more email address for marketing.

V EN D OR REFERRA LS A N D C O-P ROM OTION S

Shirley’s Flowers & Gifts is part of a group of local vendors who

meet once a month to discuss what’s new in the industry and share

their new products. Getting referrals from wedding planners, cater-

ers, photographers, videographers, dress and tux shops, and other

vendors can go a long way.

M ED IA EX P OSU RE

Shelby says it’s important to contact bridal magazines or local

magazines with bridal issues. Ask if you can make a free bouquet

for a photo shoot, offer to create a tablescape, or submit photos

of weddings you have done. “If you get on the radar, they will

know you are expert in that field,” J o adds.

Shirley’s Flowers & Gifts participated in a wedding giveaway con-

test, KNWA Today Throws a Wedding, hosted by a local TV morning

news show. “ A variety of wedding vendors competed and viewers

voted on which products the special couple would use for their big

day. Shelby went on air to showcase different flowers and looks that

her shop had to offer, and Shirley’s Flowers & Gifts won in the floral

category. “We suggest to other florists to pitch the idea to their local

TV station if it doesn’t already do something like that,” J o says.

WEB SITE

O ne of the most important marketing tools is your shop’s website,

J o and Shelby agree. It’s imperative to show brides examples of your

work, and it’s best to have professional photos if possible. “Y ou have

to have a visual of something you’ve done,” Shelby says. J o recom-

mends having a wedding category broken out on the website, or a

separate site that links to

the main site. Testimo-

nies should appear here,

as well as videos and

slideshows of your work.

SOC IA L M ED IA

For social media,

Shirley’s Flowers & Gifts

concentrates on Face-

book, blogging and

Twitter. “It’s very impor-

tant to have a presence

in all three aspects of this,” Shelby says. O n Facebook, Shirley’s

showcases designs in photo albums, posts about recent wedding

jobs, and gives fans sneak previews of upcoming wedding designs.

If a bride posts a photo of a bouquet or centerpiece your shop

designed, make sure they tag you to draw more fans to your page.

Another great social media tool brides are using is Pinterest.

EM A IL A N D TEX T

Collecting email addresses is important for marketing campaigns.

In addition to collecting email address at bridal shows and at the

time of consultation, shops can also run contests on Facebook

that prompt brides to register with their email address in order to

win. After a bridal show, Shelby recommends sending an email to

brides to reintroduce the shop, and perhaps send a photo of the

booth to jog their memory.

Although their shop doesn’t use text messaging frequently

for marketing, J o and Shelby says it’s something that’s becom-

ing more popular that should be on florists’ radar. Shirley’s texted

during prom season to alert customers when their corsages and

boutonnieres were ready for pickup.

J

floriology

|March

2012

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D ESIGN CENTER ON THE EDGE

by Fred Russell

Jes Gordon first rocked the pages

of floriology last May offering readers

a unique insight into her saucy world

of celebrity party planning and event

management. Since May, Jes co-

starred in Bravo TV’s television series

“Rocco’s Dinner Party,” with famous

chef Rocco DiSpirito. She is also the

CEO and creative director for her own

design firm, jesGordon/properFUN,

and the author of “Party Like a Rock

Star: A Celebrity

Planner’s Tips and

Tricks for Throwing

an Unforgettable

Bash.”

Jes, coming off

one of her craziest

years, will again

be at the Macy’s

Flower Show

displaying some

of her work in one

of the window dis-

plays. The display

will be showcased

throughout the

Flower Show held at Macy’s on 3 4th

Street in Manhattan May 2 7 to April

10. Jes also had the honor of working

with the Mars candy company as they

introduced Ms. Brown, who you may

have seen on this year’s Super Bowl

commercial play list. Jes designed an

open house for Mars executives and

sightseers. She also sat down with

floriology to discuss to private events

she recently planned.

WOWFactor

S

t

The first was an interesting story. “W e got a call from Gotham

Hall in New Y ork City freaking out saying they had hired a

prominent, well known planner for a bat mitzvah and it just

wasn’t working out,” Jes says. It was tough for Jes to come in

mid-event, but as she says, “9 9 percent of what we do is client

services.”

“The first time we met, the mother had no concept. She want-

ed to have a supper-club theme, but she didn’t have the budget,

so I had to talk her out of it.”

As Jes explains, you have to be honest with your client and

make sure you’re both on the same page so you don’t give them

false expectations. “She kept saying white, she wants something

white, and I had no idea what she was trying to say, but I just kept

asking questions.”

Jes was able to find 5 00 luminaries she secured through a retail

store, which she hung from the ceiling to create a cityscape. “The

luminaries were the ‘wow’ factor and we were able to put what I

call an infinity theme,” Jes says. She beaded the curtains to give

refl ection and more light. They also added several refl ective sur-

faces on the tables and the tea lights gave another illuminating

effect. They added in very handsome monochromatic blues and

purples with linens and cymbidium, dendrobium and phalaenop-

sis orchids and anemones. “W hen the mother walked in after we

finished and saw the scene we created she just stood silent and

motionless until she just burst into tears.”

The second event is a wedding that was one of Jes’ favorites

and was done on a very low budget. “The couple, from south-

ern California, were very laid-back, but knew exactly what they

wanted,” Jes says. They wanted something very elegant, but

casual— something old world meets new world. “They had an old

filing card holder they used at the entrance for escort cards and

mixed in old books to bring in the old world essence.”

The couple actually created a wedding board on Pinterest

(pinterest.com) to convey their ideas to Jes. They also added

mix-matched cocktail tables and chairs that added a very eclec-

tic element. Mix-matched picture frames of friends and family

also added a nice personal touch and created nice conversation

pieces.

Celebrity party planner Jes G ordonkeeps allthe burners going atone tim e.

Designer:

Jes Gordon

Exposure/Achievem ents:

FTD master florist;Celebrations.comexpert; author of

“Party Like a RockStar;” appeared on

Bravo’s competi-tion series “Roc-

co’s Dinner Party”

March

2012|flo

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9

1

2

3

!Be sure to follow Jes on Twitter:@jesgordon for m ore inspirational ideas.

1

floriology

|March

2012

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FJacksonville florists giving back to the community.

For a shop in Northeastern Florida it’s been 24 years of

hard work, serving the community and providing customers

with great service. The mother-daughter team of Pamela

Wolbert and Michelle McCloud runs three stores covering all

643 square miles of Clay County, Fla., just outside of Jackson-

ville. With locations in Orange Park, Middleburg and Green

Cove, they service a population of over 200,000 people.

Pam has owned the business since 1988 and established

herself as the prevailing florist in one of the largest DMA’s

in the country. After working for a retail florist in the area for

about a year and a half, she decided to open her own shop.

“I decided if I was going to do the work I might as well do

it for myself,” Pam says. Within a few years she expanded

to six locations. After attending college, Pam’s

daughter Michelle chose to follow in her mother’s

footsteps. “I grew up working in the store with

my mom and couldn’t imagine doing anything

else,” Michelle says.

Over the last several years they’ve consolidated

down to three stores without sacrificing their de-

livery areas. “As the Internet grew and building a

solid website business we found that it just wasn’t

necessary to keep all six locations open,” Michelle

says. “Obviously we were able to cut back on

overhead and cut expenses by 50 percent without

giving up the revenue.” It also made managing

the stores more controllable. “We have great

employees, some of them who have been with us since the

beginning, who we can count on managing the day-to-day

business.” Pam and Michelle work out of the Orange Park lo-

cation and Michelle does weekly “surprise visits” to check in.

Pam and Michelle moved into the current Orange Park lo-

cation—a former oyster bar—nine years ago when they were

looking to increase square footage. “As soon as I walked in

I could totally visualize the bar as being a great workroom

area, where our designers could be on display doing their

amazing artwork,” Michelle says.

“I absolutely love what I do and my attitude from day one

was if I’m going to do this, I’m going to jump right in and do

it the right way,” Pam says. Take Valentine’s Day for example.

Pam and Michelle had 32 delivery drivers on the 13th and

14th, plus used two different delivery pools. “It was crazy,

but we got the job done and every customer was satisfied,”

Michelle says. They’ve been seeing a lot of indicators that

the economy is turning around. “We’ve seen a big increase

in walk-in traffic, people are spending more and opening up

their wallets more,” Pam adds.

Pam attributes her success to her community. “I believe

in what you put into the community is what you will get out

of the community,” says Pam, who supports dozens of local

charities. This kind of civic pride has paid off and leads to

great word of mouth business.

Both Pam and Michelle get a lot of their inspiration from

traveling. “Whether it’s going to Las Vegas, New York or over

to Europe, we’re always looking at the latest trends we can

bring back to Florida”, says Pam. “We know if we can repli-

cate those we feel will transfer to our market, we’ll be more

current on trends than any of our competitors”, says Pam.

PamM ichelle

O W N ER’S C O RNER DEMAND

by Fred Russell

Be Like

MIC H ELLE

PAM

March

2012|flo

riology

11

Park Avenue Florist in OrangePark, Fla., operates in a formeroyster bar. �e actual bar nowserves as the workroom station,where designers are able tointeract with customers.

Owner: Pam Wolbert

Future Owner:

Michelle McCloud

Locations:

Park A venue Florist,Orange Park, Fla.

G reen Cove FloristGreen Cove Spring, Fla.

Middleburg Florist,Middleburg, Fla.

Established: 1 9 8 8

Em ployees: 1 5

FA ST FACTS

P

floriology

|March

2012

12

D ESIGN CENTER BACK TO BASICS

by M egan Sullivan

Purple and green pomander bowls

hung from a large arch covered in

forsythia branches, beckoning brides-

to-be to Christi Brown’s booth at A

Sophisticated Bridal Showcase in Mel-

bourne, Fla., in January. Christi, who

bought Roses Are Red Florist in Indial-

antic, Fla., three years ago, displayed

three centerpiece collections.

The bridal show was held only a

couple of days after Christi returned

from her first Floriology Institute

classes—Advanced W edding Trends &

Techniques and P arty & E vents taught

by Jackie L acey, AIFD , CFD , P FCI. She used

techniques she learned in class to cre-

ate new designs that would turn heads.

Christi’s soft romantic collection fea-

tured pink roses and orchids. In class,

she learned how to properly make a

wire and tape cascade bouquet. So for

the bridal show, she created a cas-

cade bouquet with roses, waxflower

and Sweet W illiam, and paired it with

centerpieces in classic urn-shaped

containers. This style of design can

bring up the price point over some of

the basic hand-tied bouquets.

A more modern collection

highlighted a bouquet

with grass on the

handle, a big leaf and

a few flowers, with

TurningHeads

an asymmetrical look. “ I was feeling very inspired by the class to

do something totally different,” says Christi, who has a bachelor’s

degree from the University of Florida in landscape and nursery

management. The collection featured cube vases filled with green-

ery with gravel at the bottom. At the center, she showed a big

Manzanita piece with hanging crystals.

Christi’s party peacock collection showcased black callas twisted

around and submerged inside bowls with pink and turquoise

acrylic gems in the bottom. A cylinder vase featured a tall, skinny

arrangement with peacock colors—blue, purple, and lime green.

In Jackie’s class, she learned how to achieve a proper dome shape

for bouquets, and so she displayed a fairly simple mini black calla

bouquet. “ A lot of people took pictures of it,” she says. One bride

came in for a consultation specifically because of that bouquet.

Only a couple of weeks after the Sophisticated Bridal Showcase,

Christi had already seen a dozen brides for consultations and had

four brides sign contracts.

In terms of color, this year has been mostly about purple, Christi

says, but white and ivory have also been popular again. “ I think

all purple or all white have been the two biggest this year looking

forward,” she says. Jewels fell away when the economy tanked, but

she is seeing more glitz, glam and sparkle now. G arden roses are

the most popular for flower variety, but Christi says anything with a

strong and interesting texture, such as protea, is also big.

Christi is on the executive board of her local bridal association

and is active in the local chamber of commerce. She has devel-

oped relationships over the past few years with catering and sales

managers at area venues, and because of this appears on all pre-

ferred vendor lists. In addition to bridal shows, vendor referrals are

critical to her wedding business. So far, Roses Are Red Florist has

3 0 weddings confirmed for 2012. The shop did 3 0 total last year.

“ W e’ve doubled the number of weddings we do each year since

we bought the shop,” Christi says.

To attractm ore w edding business,C hristi Brow ncreated unique bridaldesigns using techniqueslearned atthe Floriology Institute.

Designer: Christi Brown Location: Indialantic, Fla.

Experiem nce: P ast project manager for landscaping at O neS ource L andscaping, and

former interiorscape maintenance department manager for G reenery P roductions before

becoming owner of Roses A re Red Florist three years ago.

the basic hand

A more

highlig

with

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DD

Ex

form

beco

March 2012 | f loriology

13

14

TRENDS WEDDINGS

The

REGALDetailsWEDDINGWIRE DISCUSSES THE “KATE MIDDLETON EFFECT”AND WAY S TO PRO M O TE Y O UR B USINESS

by M egan Sullivan

floriology

|March

2012

W edding trends for dresses, details

and décor in 2012 will refl ect what

some experts have coined as the

“Kate M iddleton Effect.” While em-

phasis was placed on traditional styles

and classic elegance with modern fl air

last year, this year many brides will

covet a Royal Wedding-worthy look.

“Y ou’ll see a lot of sheers, illusion

necklines and regal details that are

spinning off of the Royal Wedding last

April,” says Kate Hoffman, PR manag-

er for the popular wedding and event

website WeddingWire. In addition

to a lot of lace and art deco details,

including intricate beading, Kate says

there will also be a focus on red carpet

elegance and feathered details.

Florists should anticipate brides

moving back toward natural and

organic greens, whites and neutrals.

“That freshly-plucked look,” Kate says. Unfinished bouquets with a more organic,

less-prepared feel will trump last year’s hot designs. This will also overlap into

décor, as branches will continue to be popular for centerpieces. Lanterns, chan-

deliers and candelabras with a natural look will also be worked into those pieces.

Pantone’s color of the year for 2012, Tangerine Tango, will be prominent, as will

bright blocks of color against basic neutrals, blacks, nudes and whites, Kate says.

Social media has changed the way vendors do business, as there are many

more avenues of inspiration for brides right at their fingertips. In addition to

wedding blogs, Facebook and Twitter, brides are

also finding inspiration on Pinterest, a pinboard-

styled social photo sharing website. “It’s hard to

predict what people might come in asking for, but I

think brides are more empowered with the informa-

tion or inspiration to bring to a fl orist,” Kate says.

WeddingWire—the Y elp of weddings—offers

engaged couples the ability to search, compare

and book more than 100,000 wedding vendors that

have been reviewed by newlyweds. “It’s the best way

for vendors to market themselves to have as many

reviews from past clients as possible,” Kate says. “It’s

honest feedback from someone who has already

experienced working with that vendor.”

WeddingWire provides two review-based ac-

colades that vendors can share with future clients.

B ride’s Choice Awards recogniz es the best local

wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network

who demonstrate quality and service excellence

within the wedding industry. A WeddingWire Rated

distinction is based on the number of reviews and a vendor’s commitment to

collecting feedback.

Any wedding vendor can sign up for a free, basic listing with WeddingWire

to promote their business, but the company also offers upgraded accounts.

For example, WeddingWire can mobiliz e a vendor’s website, provide a social

media checklist, and offer touch-of-a-button access to sharing photos and re-

views on Facebook and Twitter. The recently-launched Promotion B uilder helps

vendors create a commercial for their website and social media purposes.

“With technology, it’s ever-changing,” Kate says. “There are always new and dif-

ferent ways to promote your business, and being mobile is really important.”

Through BloomNet, W eddingW ire can help you reach millions ofbrides per month. G o to wedding.bloomnet.net for more info!

March

2012|flo

riology

15

SavingTim eand M oneyAN EASY WAY TO MANAGE EMPLOYEES’ TIME CLOCKS

by Fred Russell

IN N O VATIV E ID EA S

PERSONALMaking it

ENGAGEMENT PARTIES AND BRIDAL SH OWERSTREND TOWARD MORE PERSONALIZ ATION

Of course, spring is the season when many florists’ thoughts

turn to weddings. But let’s not forget about another important

aspect of the bridal equation: parties leading up to the big

day. Chances are, customers will be asking for your expertise in

helping them plan the floral decorations and in many cases the

themes of engagement get-togethers and bridal showers.

So what’s hot this year? In a word: personalization. “People are trying

to brand their parties,” says Shawn Rabideau, Celebrations.

com event planning and design expert and owner of Shawn

Rabideau Events & Design, based in New York City. Shawn

explains that the emphasis is on “elements that bring

out the personalities of the bride and also the groom.”

With that in mind, increasing numbers of engage-

ment parties are underscoring specific aspects of

couples’ lives. For instance, according to Celebrations.

com, choosing color accents that match the bride’s and

groom’s college colors is very popular.

Also high on the engagement party

trend list is using a unifying theme that

enables guests to learn more about

the personalities of the bride and

groom. For example, the party might

include video games the couple enjoy

together, or the decorating scheme

might reflect a city they have visited

and loved.

As for bridal showers, the emphasis

now is on pampering the bride and

party guests. Celebrations.com reports

that spa parties are a favorite choice.

There are companies that specialize

in transforming a home or almost any

other location into a spa. Another

popular bridal shower trend includes

personalized scavenger hunts.

For florists, it means a way to pump

up sales by marketing added services

and products. “Don’t think one-

dimensionally in terms of just flowers,”

Shawn suggests. “Ask customers,

‘what makes you tick?’ and then bring

out those elements in helping them

plan parties that are memorable.”

PARTIES M A RK ETING

by M ike Pucci

to brand

com e

Rab

ex

o

c

For the last eight years, Bill Bobulinski of Miss Daisy’s Flowers & Gifts in Leesburg, Fla., has dili-

gently kept track of employee time cards by hand. With each pay period brought a process of

painstakingly calculating more than 10 employees’ work hours.

Leave it to Apple to develop a Time Clock application using an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad into a timekeep-

ing device for tracking and reporting multiple employees’ work hours. “It saves time and money,” Bill says.

The app is intended to be an easy and affordable alternative to other traditional time tracking sys-

tems. “Instead of going to the office supply store and spending $16 on a case of time cards, this app has

already saved me money.”

Bill says it took just seconds to set up and he had all employees using his iPad to check-in the very next day.

“It’s has a ton of reporting detail and I can either view on my iPad or in a browser on a separate work station.”

There is no network connection required for most operations and it has a growing list of expansion

packs to deliver additional functionality. It requires almost no training, but does have training videos to demonstrate how to use all the

features. For more information go to the Apple Store (www.apple.com).

# Look for more innovative ideas coming soon in floriology’s revamped “Innovator of the Month” program!

floriology

|March

2012

16

BLOOMNET IN THE COMMUNITY

PRESRT STD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

RIPON, WI

PERMIT NO. 100

O ne O ld C ountry RoadSuite 500C arle Place,N Y 11514

NEIG

HBORHOODCORNER

For more than 130 years, A ll S aints Chap el in Howell, Mic h., has b een the sc ene of thou sands of V ic torian-

sty le wedding s. In 1 9 9 5 , P enny My ers b ou g ht the c hap el and rec tory nex t door and op ened A ll S aints Chap el

F lorist. The fl orist was a nic e c om p anion to the c hap el, p rov iding one-stop shop p ing for b rides and wedding s.

Marily nn J ohnson, who b eg an work ing for A ll S aints Chap el F lorist in 2 003 as a

b ridal c onsu ltant, b ou g ht the b u siness in 2 005 when P enny dec ided to retire. S he

has tak en fl oral c lasses and sem inars throu g h the Mic hig an F loral A ssoc iation and at

c om m u nity c olleg es.

The b u siness attrac ts ab ou t 7 5 wedding s a y ear, with ab ou t 4 0 p erc ent of those

c ou p les u sing A ll S aints’ fl oral serv ic es. A nd there hav e b een instanc es where

c ou p les dec ide the c hap el is too sm all b u t still want to u se A ll S aints fl oral serv ic es

for their wedding . Marily nn estim ates that wedding s ac c ou nt for ab ou t 6 5 to 7 0

p erc ent of A ll S aints’ fl oral b u siness.

The c hap el c an seat u p to 1 3 0 g u ests, b u t Marily nn say s they

ty p ic ally host sm aller wedding s with ab ou t 4 0 to 5 0 p eop le in at-

tendanc e. W hile som e c ou p les p lan six m onths to a y ear ahead, A ll

S aints’ c u stom ers ty p ic ally p lan two or three m onths in adv anc e to

u se the c hap el, whic h has stained g lass lanc et windows, hardwood

fl oors, and a c irc u lar stairc ase. A fu ll-serv ic e wedding c onsu ltant

c an help c ou p les fi nd the resou rc es to m eet all of their needs, and

m inisters are av ailab le. Cou p les also hav e the op tion to selec t a

m inister of their c hoic e. A t the side of the c hap el there is a g az eb o

with a g arden for p hotos and sm all wedding s.

Marily nn is a m em b er of a loc al network ing g rou p of wedding

p rofessionals c alled The W edding S olu tion, whic h hosts two b ridal

shows a y ear at the Howell Op era Hou se ac ross the street from A ll S aints.

“ It’s im p ortant to network with other wedding p rofessionals,” she say s. D u ring

those two shows, Marily nn holds an op en hou se in the c hap el and shop to p ro-

m ote her b u siness. S he u su ally p artic ip ates in fou r to fi v e b ridal shows a y ear.

Marily nn b ec am e ordained as a m inister so there will alway s b e som eone on the

g rou nds who c an p erform a m arriag e c erem ony . The c hap el is only two b loc k s from

a c ou rthou se, so A ll S aints has had som e c ou p les c all u p and say they want to c om e

ov er rig ht away and g et m arried after they p ic k u p their m arriag e lic ense. S he also

b ec am e ordained in the c ase of em erg enc ies, when a sc hedu led m inister has to

c anc el last m inu te for p ersonal or other reasons. “ W e are fi nding a lot of p eop le are

hav ing fam ily m em b ers ordained and p erform ing c erem onies for them ,” Marily nn

adds. “ W e do hav e resident m inister b esides m y self, v isiting m inisters, and other

m inisters av ailab le, b u t som e b rides and g room s b ring in their own.”

One-Stop Shop

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