If you are a fan of opulent design, Then you will love today’s eye candy from Karen Tran!
For more information about Karen Tran and to see more of her beautiful work please check out her website and facebook page!
Workshop Announcement :: Growing Your Business
May 21, 2013 By 1 Comment
Join us July 16-18, 2013 at Holly Heider Chapple’s Studio in Virginia for an intimate workshop on how to Grow Your Floral Design Wedding Business!
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Join us for 3 exciting and educational days focused on the one question we all want answered,
“How do I grow my wedding business?”
Join Holly Chapple, owner of Holly Heider Chapple Flowers and the Founder of The Chapel Designers and Alicia Schwede, Owner of Bella Fiori Events, Author of Bella Bouquets Book, and Editor of The Flirty Fleurs Blog, to gain insightful answers to your wedding floral business questions.
We will discuss:
- Floral design recipes
- Organizing your purchasing
- Sourcing your blooms
- Discuss current and effective ways to market your business, with a focus on the latest trends with Rachel Merkle of Miss Merkle Design.
- Discuss how Social Media can help your business and answer any of your questions about getting started.
- We will design with flowers from Holly’s Garden and other local sources and unique blooms from abroad.
- A professional photographer will be available on our final day which will commence with a full photoshoot.
- Designers will be provided with images of their work with name credit given in the event the shoot is published.
- Each student will be offered a feature on the Flirty Fleurs Blog.
- Most importantly, this workshop will allow you to become an official member of the Chapel Designers. Once a member of the Chapel Designers, you will be entitled to exclusive discounts as well as access to the Chapel Designers forum. You will also be provided with the Chapel Designers logo for your website and blog.
Lunch will be provided daily. Students are responsible for transportation and lodging.
We highly recommend bringing a Laptop Computer as we will be working on Social Media.For more information and to reserve your space Visit Holly’s Website.
What is the per guest cost for this table? by Nancy Liu Chin
May 20, 2013 By 5 Comments
I’m so pleased to be writing another article for the Flirty Fleurs Blog. Alicia has been so inspiring to me as I await the new ideas, new flower tips, and behind the scenes stories from her perspective.
One of the things I often sense from clients today is that they have these fantasy inspiration boards through pinterest or lover.ly that to them should be achievable. After all, if it’s so easy to find all this wedding “eye candy”, it’s got to be fairly reachable for any budget, right?
Unlike when I was wedding planning in 1999, where the average bride would only see a handful of real weddings in magazines, today you can see plenty of new real weddings every day (actually – not just a handful in magazines but dozens upon dozens of real weddings on blogs, on line digital magazines as well as through pinterest, facebook, twitter and instagram), so there is no shortage of real weddings! What was once seen as special, unique, and one of kind, today with the oversaturation of “real weddings”, it would make anyone planning a wedding now to feel like all things are within their budgetary grasp.
But is it?
What is behind the cost for a real event, might just surprise you.
Let’s break down this Gatsby inspired Art Deco table featured in April 2013’s Grace Ormonde’s digital wedding issue.
This table photographed by Kevin Chin and designed by Charmed Events and NLC Designs.
For this 24 foot long table, let’s break down the costs – for 24 guests
3 8 feet table Black – $225 each
30 Louis Chair Black chair with Gold Cushion center – $17.50 Each
5 Black Acrylic Lamps – $45 each
1 Gold And Black Back Drop – $500
30 Gold King A. Dinner Fork – $1.20 each
30 Gold Dinner Knives -$1.20 each
90 Gold Salad Fork(30 for salad, 30 for 1st course, 30 for dessert)- $1.20 each
60 Gold Salad Knives – $1.20 each
30 Gold Teaspoon – $1.20 each
30 Black C. Napkin $2.25 each
30 Black Onyz Goblet – $1.56 each
30 Champagne Glass $- 1.46 each
30 Wine Glass -$1.46 each
30 Water Glass – $1.46 each
30 Black Charger – $3.15
30 Gothic Plate – $.1.00 each
90 Gothic Salad Plate(30 for salad, 30 for 1st plated course, 30 for cake) – $1.00 each
30 Cups – $1.00 each
30 Saucer – $1.00
30 Dinner Plate white with Gold – $.57 each
4 Chevron Runner – $30 each
20 gold logs – $5 each
4 gold arrangement with all white lisianthus – $70 each
3 gold arrangements with white irises – $55 each
12 narrow glass with white phalenopsis – $40 each
20 black succulent – $7.50 each
24 gold votives – $2.25 each
15 assorted Mercury Distressed Candlesticks – $10 each
15 Pillar candles – $12.50 each
3 oval gold arrangements with white cyclamen – $55 each
8 pieces of gold sand blasted grapevine – $25 each
4 cans of gold spray paint – $5.50 each
2 bunches of loose white phalenopsis orchid – $150 each
*setup, delivery, taxes and breakdown costs are not included.
What is the per guest cost for this table?
A: $170 per guest!
It’s sometimes hard to understand but a reception is not just about the flowers but it’s a combination of many parts.
This was a ballroom table so look forward to my next article will I will break down a farm/rustic table.
Contact Information:
Nancy Liu Chin Floral & Event Design
Thank you, Nancy, for this insightful article! As always, you are such an inspiring treasure in our floral industry!
Fleur Friday
May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment
How to Create a Floral Headdress by Jaclyn Gough
May 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Check out this “How Did You Do That” step-by-step post by Jaclyn Gough of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is a very passionate floral designer who loves to create unique and detailed headdresses of flowers.
Step 1: Cut less than a quarter block of Rainbow Foam and place on top of head. Secure foam by pulling a piece of hair from in front of head over the foam and secure with 2 bobby pins.
Step 2: Insert Springeri by angling upward from the bottom of foam so it lay’s and cascades nicely against hair to repeat the length of hair. Then choose a mass flower such as Green Trick and insert in front of foam so you are able to gain perspective of how the headdress will look.
Step 3: Insert filler flowers such as Yellow Spray Roses, Thistle, Wax Flower and Green Button Mums to fill around foam and to continue to form a balanced head piece. Once your foundation is just about complete, insert 3 Red or your color of choice Carnations as a focal point (the attention grabber).
Step 4: Pick up individual stems of Equisetum , insert stem by stem in the top of foam and bend at each node framing the outside of the headdress.
Step 5: FINAL PRODUCT 
There are countless ways to create a floral headdress and this is one of many. Most of my pieces are created on my head so I am able to see how it will form to the rest of my physique creating balance, unity and keeping it proportionate. When I was thinking how to create a headdress, I thought of the steps used in making an every day arrangement such as a basket or in a lomey dish. Most start with a piece of foam to fit the base, then foliage and flowers are inserted. So why not create a headdress the same?
My headdress took me less than 10 minutes to create and I let the flowers be my guide. If it feels and looks right and has meaning behind it then you’ve done a good job as an artist, in my opinion.
Contact Information for Vendors participating in the shoot:
Stylist/Floral Designer : Jaclyn Gough
www.theskinnyvase.com
Photographer : Michael D. Colanero
www.UNCOMMONstock.net
Make Up: Jody Du Priest
www.facethehearts.com
Also, Jaclyn created a Sea Nymph / Floral Mermaid design. Jaclyn shows such dedication to her floral craft! These are so creative:
Eye Candy; Jeff Leatham
May 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment
When it comes to mass floral design, Jeff Leatham is a master!
For more amazing designs from Jeff, check out his website and his facebook page.
Make More Money Doing What You Love by Alison Ellis
May 14, 2013 By 1 Comment
The quickest way to make more money in your floral business is to do more of what you love and less of what you don’t love. There is always going to be some aspect of running our business that we don’t love…some things we simply MUST do (either because it’s the law or because someone has to wash buckets!), but I’m pushing for a “more love, less ugh” direction.
Make More Money Doing What You Love
Do you know what aspects of your business make the most money? Is it weddings? Funerals? Walk-ins? Standing order with corporate clients? Is it split across 3 or 4 categories?
Whatever it is I hope you enjoy it because it’s where you should be focusing most of your energy and resources. Grow the parts of your business that already make you money and create work that you love, or like, or at the very least don’t mind so much. When you recognize the things your business is good at you can increase your sales and your happy factor at the same time with minimal effort.
Here’s your challenge: Identify the things that are dragging you down either financially or resource-wise or simply drain your spirit.
Is that inventory of ceramic “get well” soup bowls weighing on you? Is your attempt to display “one bucket of every possible flower” wearing you thin when it comes time to place an order with your supplier? Are you stuck in a rut doing things “the way you’ve always done them” just because…well, let’s be honest, you’re not sure why you do it that way in the first place?
Here are some more practical examples…
If you sell plants, but have a hard time selling them or keeping them alive STOP selling plants.
Worried about losing a sale? If someone calls to order a plant offer them a beautiful arrangement instead and tell them why it’s the perfect choice…Sunflowers just arrived fresh this morning; We have some beautiful two-toned roses that are very unique and open beautifully; Does the recipient love purple? We have some beautiful irises, delphinium and purple hydrangea that she will love. And honestly, she will love it. Certainly more than a dish garden.
If your wire-service is sucking the life out of you, then STOP it already. People can find you through this new thing called Google. All the kids are doing it.
If you want to sell more unique/exotic flowers, just start buying them and put them in your arrangements. Heck, make all orchid pieces and price them appropriately and see what happens. If you make it, they will come.
Concentrate your efforts on what makes your business unique and what makes money; forget about the stuff that you think you have to do just because…um, do you even know anymore?
Leave a comment below about what you LOVE about your floral business!…And…What’s dragging you down that you want to stop doing?
Contact information for Alison Ellis:
Floral Artistry by Alison Ellis
Thank you, Alison, for this helpful article!
Flower Focus :: Fritillaria
May 13, 2013 By 3 Comments
I have a flower crush and it’s on the Fritillaria. Such fascinating flowers, one that I never had the opportunity to see as a cut flower while living in Denver. Now that I’m back in Northern California I see this cool flower quite often!
What I want to know is if I can grow this flower in Zone 9 – so far I have not found a plant to place in the garden. The hunt continues…
As a cut flower it is quite fascinating, below the show & tell of Fritillaria varieties you’ll be treated to a selection of beautiful arrangements utilizing this beauty!
Check out these lovely Fritillarias:
Fritillaria Meleagris, aka Checkered Lily
Fritillaria Meleagris, aka Checkered Lily
Fritillaria Meleagris, aka Checkered Lily
Fritillaria Michailovskyi
Fritillaria Meleagris
Fritillaria Imperialis Rubra Maxima
Fritillaria Raddaeana
Fritillaria Persica
Fritillaria Imperialis Rubra Maxima
Fritillaria Imperialis Rubra Maxima
And now for the Eye Candy – check out how designers create arrangements with Fritillaria:
Designed by Oak & The Owl
Designed by Clare Day Flowers
Designed by Bows and Arrows
Designed by Botanique
OHHH.. the Passionflowers in this design, fantastic! Designed by Art With Nature
From the Swedish Magazine Hus & Hem (House & Homes)
What do you think about Fritillaria?
Do you use it in your designs?
Happy Mother’s Day
May 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Designed by Fiori, Seattle
We hope you all had a successful holiday at your flower shops!!
Fundraiser for The Rose Color Study
May 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Hey Flower Friends,
What’s your favorite rose?! Discover the names and colors of roses to use in your next floral design arrangement.
Ever since our first in depth rose study Flirty Fleurs readers have been requesting more. This series has proven to be incredibly useful and educational, helping those of us in the floral art community weed through hundreds of varieties of roses & narrow it down to the most voluptuous, intoxicatingly fragrant, long lasting, roses available for use in our masterpieces.
Our goal is to continue the scientific rose comparisons for each of the colors not yet tested but we need your help.
Each Rose Color Study runs in price from $200-300 to purchase the roses and needed materials. We want to finish the full color spectrum for available roses!
All of our flower studies are well documented and completely public. As the study unfolds you can stay up to date with us at FlirtyFleurs.com Our hope is that all of the information and insight gathered will benefit our entire florist community and anyone curious to learn. Please consider contributing and thank you in advance!!
I posted a fundraiser to help off-set the costs of The Rose Color Studies, one of the most popular posts on Flirty Fleurs.
I hope you can help us out, anything helps!
Click on this link:
http://www.gofundme.com/2vdcpg
Thank you, your help is appreciated!!
~Alicia
