2011 May Floriology

May 2011

E X P R ES S I O N S O F F LOW E R S ®

ON THE EDGEON THE EDGEEVENT PLANNER JES GORDON ROCKS

OWNER’S CORNEROWNER’S CORNERMANDY MAJERIK’S STUDIO

HAS SET THE INDUSTRY ON FIRE

MARKETINGMARKETINGCONNECTING WITH BRIDES

SPECIALROYALROYALWEDDINGWEDDINGCOVERAGE(p. 6)

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Mark Nance, AAFPresident, BloomNet

PUBLISHER

BloomNet, Inc.www.MyBloomNet.net

(866) 256-6663

SENIOR EDITOR

Lisa Carmichael

MANAGING EDITOR

Fred Russell

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Len Vermillion, Megan SullivanNicole Gandini

ART DIRECTOR

Shane Hickey

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Mike Pucci

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Ted MarloweJerry Rosalia

floriology is published monthly byBloomNet, Inc.

Printed in the United States, Copy-right 2011. All rights reserved. Nomaterial contained herein may bereproduced without the consent ofthe publisher or editor. Permission toreproduce portions of this publicationshould be obtained through Bloom-Net, Inc. Publications.

All statements are those of the per-son making the statement or claim.The publisher does not adopt anystatement or claim as its own and anystatement or claim does not necessar-ily reflect the opinion of the publisher.

Although published material is intend-ed to be accurate, neither floriologynor any other party will assume liabil-ity for loss or damage as a result ofreliance on this material.

Opinions expressed are not necessar-ily those of BloomNet, Inc.

Annual Subscription Rate is $71.88 (plusapplicable tax) in U.S. and Canada.

4 Industry Info1-800-Flowers is the best at sending arrangementsto consumers that most closely match the buyer’s intentions.

5 New ProductsTrends and news in fresh floral products.

SPECIAL ROYAL WEDDING COVERAGE

66 By the StatsExcitement of the Royal Wedding could pay dividends for florists.

8 design center: On the EdgeCelebrity event planner Jes Gordon has rock ‘n’ roll panache.

10 Owner’s CornerMandy Majerik, AIFD, PFCI, transformed a traditional family florist into atrendy studio focused on weddings and events.

12 design center: Back to BasicsBill Taylor, AIFD, explains fragrance and its role in floral beauty.

14 MarketingSonny Ganguly, chief marketing officer of the blog WeddingWire,shares how social media outlets help build wedding business.

15 MarketingConnecting with brides through targeted marketing.

15 InnovatorKelly Bellanca and Judy Fisher made a creative take off of1-800-FLOWERS.COM’s a-DOG-able™ arrangement.

16 Neighborhood CornerStein Your Florist Co. to make its silver screen debut.

WHAT’S INSIDEV O L . 2 N O . 7 | M A Y 2 0 1 1

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UP FRONT

BRANCHING OUTAs the economy continues to show improvement and, fromwhat we hear, walk-in business improves, now may be an ideal timeto expand the opportunities available to you through other saleschannels, if you’re not taking advantage of them.

For example, if you’re not currently involved with your customersin planning and implementing such events as family gatherings,parties, and other celebrations in their lives, those avenues couldbe well worth your time and effort, resulting in the potential forincreased revenues, new customers, and also more referrals. A great place to start is by visitingwww.celebrations.com, part of the 1-800-Flowers.com family of brands. Celebrations.com is apremier online destination for party tips where you’ll find wonderful ideas you can apply to justabout any event or occasion your customers have in mind.

Another area proven successful is corporate business. In light of the improved economicenvironment, many companies are regaining their willingness to pony up higher budgets forevents, including grand openings, holiday get-togethers, employee recognition and retire-ment observances. Of course, these events can be complemented not only by flowers, but alsoby your creative talents in providing decorative ideas and plants. Many florists provide plantrentals to companies generating needed monthly reoccurring revenue throughout the year.

Most of you already have relationships with local chambers of commerce and other munici-pal organizations, but are you taking full advantage of those relationships? Networking is stillone of the best avenues in leveraging relationships and generating more income.

The bottom line is, as a local florist able to adapt to almost any customer want or need, youcan gain a substantial edge on “big-box” stores and other competitors that don’t have the agilityand flexibility to take their businesses into new areas as quickly and efficiently as you can. What’smore, they cannot compete with you when it comes to the personal service you can deliver.

What’s the secret? How do florists secure this business? As Nike says, “Just Do It!” Others have andso can you! Read on…

I hope you enjoy this issue of floriology. As always, I’m confident you’ll find the articles on the fol-lowing pages to be informative and enlightening. In particular, I hope this month’s edition can inspireyou to “branch out” and build your business into new channels you might not have considered.

Mark Nance, aaf | President

THE COFFEE POT

WHAT’S ON TAP

“I loved the trees. It made the massive, formalchurch into a park-like setting. Brilliant! AlthoughI’m not a fan of oversized bouquets, I thought thatthis one was much too small for the scale of thedress and Kate’s size. It will be a challenge for grow-ers to produce affordable lily-of-the-valley. In theage of pervasive social networking, I wonder if thiswedding will have the same impact and influenceof Princess Diana’s? Everyone’s wedding can beposted online, and possibly go viral. Trends changeas quickly as the next posting, celebrity or not.”

❋ TED BRUEHL, AIFD ~ Design Manager forthe Chocolate Rose, Irving, Texas

“The natural, delicate and very ele-gant look spoke of Kate and William’spersonalities. The trees throughoutbrought an outdoor, simplistic feelingto the wedding. Using earthly flowers,trees and plants shows they’re conser-vative and thoughtful of what is goingon around them. It also shows...thatthe wedding was about their love, notwhat prince and princess they are.”

❋ LARONDA LAMBERT~ Country Creations Flowers & Gifts,

Marion, Ill.

“I thought that her wedding bouquetwas classy, elegant and it suited herdress and the ceremony extremelywell. But above all it really showedwho she is as a person and it isdefinitely a bouquet that our bridesof today are really going to want forthemselves. It’s a perfect complementto an age-old tradition.”

❋ DONALD YIM~ Creative Art Director at

West Van Florist, Vancouver, BC,and floriology instructor

● Memorial DayMay 30

● Florida State FloristAssociation AnnualConventionJune 10-12Jacksonville, Fla.

● Floriology Institute5 Day Principals &Elements ofDesign ClassJune 13-17Jacksonville, Fla.

● InternationalFloriculture ExpoJune 14-17Miami, Fla.

● SAF Growth SolutionsJune 22-23Dallas, Texas

● Dallas Total Home& Gift MarketJune 22-28Dallas, Texas

● Utah ProfessionalFlorist AssociationConventionJune 25-28Park City, Utah

● AIFD NationalSymposiumJuly 4-9San Francisco, Calif.

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ROYALROYALFEEDBACKFEEDBACK

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INDUSTRY INFO AWARDS, SHOWS, ADVOCACY

ACHIEVEMENTS

SPRINGTIME IN PARISSchaffer Designs wins top award atPhiladelphia International Flower Show.

STUDY

JUDGINGREALITYMagazine comparesflower arrangement adsto real bouquets.

Arecent study conducted byConsumer Reports found1-800-Flowers to be the best

at sending arrangements that mostclosely matched the buyers’ intentions.In the study, in which the magazine pur-chased arrangements from 1-800-Flow-ers, ProFlowers.com and FTD.com, 16judges compared flowers purchasedand sent to the magazine’s headquar-ters to the ads on the websites.

The judges also found the flowersmost likely to look the way they didon the websites to be tulips, rosesand orchids. Mixed bouquets hadmore substitutions than the rest, themagazine said.

Since local flower shops vary acrossthe nation, the magazine used threenational florists because they send atleast some of their orders through cen-tral locations, allowing them to controlquality. When the flowers were deliv-ered, the magazine took photos andthe judges compared the ads to thereality of the delivered arrangements.Judges solely looked at the arrange-ments in comparison to the ads, sothe attractiveness of the arrangementsdelivered were not taken into account.

The Philadelphia Internation-al Flower Show is the largestindoor flower show in theworld. When Bill Schaffer,AIFD, CFD, AAF, PFCI, heard the

theme for 2011 would be “Springtimein Paris,” an idea immediately poppedinto his head: An American in Paris.

The execution of that idea led Schaf-fer Designs to win “Best inShow,” among other topawards, for its floral dis-play garden at the FlowerShow, held March 6-13.

Along with KristineKratt, AIFD, CFD, Bill led ateam of nearly 30 nationaldesigners in creating adisplay with elements inmovement, over-scaleddesign, and color. Theteam interpreted fourscenes from the 1951 musical film, in-corporating old-fashioned televisions,original video and audio, a director’schair, faux cameras, lights, and powercords to make it appear like a live set.A table displaying new flower varietiesfrom Japan, Holland, South America,and California in single bud vases, ac-companied by their botanical names,garnered the team a lot of attention.

The display always had to look

“day-one fresh,” Bill says, which was achallenge, given a flower’s natural lifeexpectancy and the harsh environmentwith constant temperature fluctuations.By mid-week, the team changed overmore than 50 percent of the floral ele-ments. “It’s a lot more than setting up,walking away, and saying thank you,”says Bill, a design and studio director,

freelancer, consultant, and educator.Bill, who competed in the show

eight years with AIFD and five yearsindependently, says the educationalaspect and chance for designersto spread their wings is the reasonfor participating. “It’s greater thananything I’ve ever done in my career...You wait in line to become a part of it,and once you become a part of it, youdon’t ever want to leave.”

SHOW RECAP

HASSAM WINS INTERCONTINENTAL CUPAustralian florist takes top prize in Asian competition.

At the Intercontinental Cup Flower Design Competition, held March 19-27 at the EXPO Dome in Taipei, Taiwan, 26 topflorists from Asia, Europe, the U.S., and Australia competed. Australian florist Bart Hassam took home top honors in thecompetition, which is considered the most important floral design contest in Asia. The win adds to Hassam’s growing

list of competition titles. In 2009, he was named winner of the Interflora Australia Cup, in addition to numerous other titles inAustralian competitions. Among the competitors at this year’s event were American designer Joyce Mason-Monheim, SpaniardsFrancesc Porres and Alex Segura, and German Manuela Ostertag.

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COLOR, VARIETY AND TEXTURE NEW PRODUCTS

From imaginative use of fillers to striking ar-rangements featuring the previously hard-to-find phalaenopsis orchid, there aremany possibilities right now for creatingthe perfect floral item for every customer.

And what are the hot trends of the moment?Color variety for one. “When people think offoliage, they sometimes think just green,” saysJana Register, director of sales and marketing forFernTrust, Inc., a cooperative of growers supplyingcut foliage to the wholesaler market. “But there areso many shades of green. If you look at foliage fromthat standpoint, there’s a myriad of choices just likethere’s a myriad of rose varieties.”

Helping to make those choices even wider isadvanced foliage color technology such as Fern-Trust’s new ColorFresh® foliage sealer and applica-tion system that expands the color palette to nearendless limits. “Designers are looking for things tocomplement their flowers like never before...they’retired of baby’s breath and some of the other stan-dards of the filler industry. We can take tree fernor whatever foliage, apply color, and give it a verydifferent, high-style look.”

Jana goes on to explain that design minimaliza-tion is becoming more and more trendy with regardto foliage. “Instead of trying to group a bunch offoliages together or use a multitude of stems, de-signers are focusing on one or two select stems of avariety,” she says. “For example, there’s a leaf calledselloum. If you flip through any design magazine orarchitectural magazine, you’ll see a lot of times [on atable or piano] one single stem of this gorgeous leaf,and that’s all the designer felt they needed for that arrangement.”

Complementing the expanded array of color capabilities and theincreasingly popular use of minimal filler elements, texture is a vitaldesign consideration these days. “Currently, we continue to seea focus on interesting foliages and playful textures,” says CharityWeinshank, assistant sales manager for Mayesh Wholesale Florist,Inc., direct shipper and wholesale supplier of cut flowers.

“Right now, it seems that it’s not always about the focal flowerbut more about the funky fun textures,” continues Charity.Mayesh’s Umbrella Fern and Pieris Japonica are two examples oftexture-rich fillers that can add design emphasis.

Another newsworthy development that is likely to peak theinterest of floral designers is the availability in America of bluediamond orchids. This long-lasting orchid variety is a member ofthe phalaenopsis family and it was next to impossible to find herein the States...until just recently.

Now grown year round at Plainview Growers’ facility in Pomp-ton Plains, N.J., United States-produced blue diamond orchidsfeature a high bud count and a billowing flower. Making thisvariety truly special are the beautiful blue tones that cascadethroughout the flower, giving the appearance of color literallygrowing into the plant.

TRENDS AND NEWS IN FRESH FLORAL PRODUCTS

FreshAPPROACHES

by Mike Pucci


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BY THE STATS SPECIAL | ROYAL WEDDING COVERAGE

by Mike Pucci

Royalties?Royalties?EXCITEMENT OF ROYAL WEDDINGCOULD PAY DIVIDENDS FOR FLORISTS

“Kate’s engagement dress sold out within minutes of the photosgoing live, so there’s every chance anything else, including her wed-ding flowers, will be just as popular,” says Andrea Caldecourt, a flo-ral industry public relations specialist based in the United Kingdom.

The royal bouquet, according to official descriptions, “drewon the traditions of flowers of significance for both the Royal andMiddleton families.” Specifically, the bouquet was a shield-shapedwired design containing lily of the valley (which in the languageof flowers means return of happiness), sweet William (gallantry),

hyacinth (constancy of love), ivy (fidel-ity, marriage, affection), and myrtle(emblem of marriage and traditionstemming from Queen Victoria’s bridalbouquet in the 19th century). It shouldbe pointed out that Kate insistedU.K.-sourced flowers be used for thewedding wherever possible.

“It was a beautiful bouquet, verynatural looking and elegant,” com-ments Keith Royal, floral designer forThe Flower Cart in Dublin, Ga.

“I think [the Royal Wedding] will in-fluence brides in the flowers that theychoose, and the style in which theyare put together, whether that is asa direct copy of the bridal bouquet,budget permitting, or using it as aninspiration,” Andrea says.

REPLICATING THE LOOK AND STYLE

Among the more noticeable features ofKate’s bouquet was its size. “I thoughtthe bouquet was smaller than I expect-ed, but it fit her and it fit the dress and itfit the overall tone of the wedding verywell,” Loann says. “You could tell whenshe was carrying it that it was very light-

weight and easy for her to carry.” Another obvious feature of thebouquet was its shape. “I would term it a teardrop cascade, which isjust a shorter, smaller and simpler cascade,” Loann continues.

Recreating the size and shape of the royal bridal bouquet shouldbe a simple task for florists. However, utilizing the same floral va-rieties may present challenges, especially with regard to lily of thevalley—a seasonal spring bloom that can be hard to come by inother seasons. What’s more, it’s a delicate flower sensitive to heat,another factor to consider during hot summer months. Also, asyou know, lily of the valley can be costly.

As is the norm with any wedding, flowers were a focal point atthe April 29 nuptials of Prince William of Wales and his beautifulbride, Kate Middleton. Of course, there’s an important distinction:this was not just any wedding considering that William is second inthe line of succession to the British throne.With the eyes of an entire world uponher, Kate married her Prince Charmingand perhaps simultaneously gave a finan-cial shot in the arm to the floral industry.

The fact is, this wedding underscoredflowers unlike any other wedding inrecent memory. In planning the event,Kate worked closely with renownedLondon-based floral designer ShaneConnolly and together they created afloral theme that Kate described as pay-ing tribute to “the language of flowers.”

Here at floriology, we’re dedicatedto recapturing the joy of flowers andtheir ability to express feelings that canstir emotions. In speaking with floristsin America, many concur that Kate’semphasis on flowers beyond just theirbeauty could result in brides concen-trating more, and maybe spendingmore, on their bridal bouquets in aneffort to duplicate Kate’s choices.

“I fully expect that we’re going tosee more brides looking into the actualmeanings of the blooms,” says LoannBurke, who handles weddings andevents for Furst Florist in Dayton, Ohio.Loann goes on to explain that she has seen a trend in recent yearstoward brides requesting individual, personal touches in their bou-quets. “I think [Kate’s bouquet] reinforces that.”

TRADITION AND MEANING

In her relatively short time in the global spotlight leading up to thewedding and continuing today, Kate has been recognized for herpersonal style and applauded for her taste in fashion. Surely, retailflorists need to take note of the widespread influence her weddingdecisions could have.

Royal Wedding❋ Approximately 1,900 people were invited to

the service at Westminster Abbey*❋ 600 guests were invited to the reception**❋ An estimated 2 billion people watched

on TV**❋ The Royal Wedding cost British taxpayers

over $20 million**SOURCES: *CityTv (royalwedding.citytv.com) **America Online

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“If a bride is set on lily of the valley, a lot of times they’re notopposed to the price to bring it in. I’ve had brides say to me,we can skimp somewhere else and I want to spend money onmy bouquet,” Loann says. Still, there are ways to substitute ifbudget is an issue. Loann suggests bouvardia, which can evokea similar delicacy, and dendorbium with a comparable soft feel.Additional possibilities are veronica, freesia and gypsophila(baby’s breath).

SETTING TRENDS IN OTHER WAYS

It is expected that an event on the scale of the Royal Wedding,which was viewed by an audience of billions and was the most ex-pensive celebrity wedding of all time, will have a profound impacton the choices that brides make beyond just their bouquets.

Floral and horticultural accents are an example. For her wed-ding, Kate Middleton ordered more than 4 tons of foliage—in-cluding eight 20-foot high trees—to recreate the look of an Eng-lish country garden inside Westminster Abbey. Furthermore, theAbbey was filled with assortments of cream and white flowersincluding azaleas, rhododendrons, euphorbias, beech, wisteria,lilac and Chinese gooseberry (actinidia).

“Using the earthly flowers, trees and plants shows they areconservative and thoughtful of what is going on around themin the world today,” says LaRonda Lambert of Country Cre-ations Flowers & Gifts in Marion, Ill., in describing Kate’s andWilliam’s approach to floral decoration. “It also shows theirlove for each other and that the wedding was about their love,not what (princess and prince) they are.” Those are sentimentsthat should resonate with many brides-to-be in planning theirweddings.

BRINGING IT BACKTO YOUR SHOP

Whether brides here inthe U.S. become “starstruck” or simply a littleintrigued by the glam-our, pomp and circum-stance of last month’sRoyal Wedding, we canprobably all agree thatnearly every bride—atleast for this weddingseason—took notice ofthe bouquet Kate car-ried down the aisle andthe types and colors offlowers that adorned her and William’s ceremony.

Translation? There’s a very good chance that the brides you’llbe consulting with this spring may be looking to capture a pieceof what we all witnessed on April 29, generating increased salesand profit potential for your business.

❋Have any comments regarding the Royal Wedding andwhat it can mean for the floral industry? And are youplanning to offer a “Princess Kate Bouquet?” E-mail us [email protected].

Shane Connolly

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DESIGN CENTER ON THE EDGE

by Fred Russell

This celebrity event planner has all thetips and tricks to throw an unforgettable bash.

If you were to add Guns N’ Roses and a little Versace you would get JesGordon—the celebrity event planner with rock ’n’ roll panache. Her client listincludes Madonna, Mel Gibson, Nicolas Cage and Elton John, just to name afew. Jes released her first book last year, Party Like a Rock Star, featuring tips andtricks on how to throw an unforgettable bash.

Jes, who is an FTD master florist and celebrations.com expert, offers somegreat advice for florists who are trying to build their event business. “First off,you can’t have a big ego,” she says, meaning it’s OK if you don’t know every-thing. “Figure out what you do well and what yourstrengths and weaknesses are. My mother told mewhen I was young, ‘It’s not how smart you are, it’s howyou are smart.’” In other words, identify what you aregood at, then develop those skills and make it yourpassion. “It’s a soul searching thing; if you’re lookingto get into this as a business, I don’t think you’re go-ing to last that long, it has to be a lifestyle.”

And it’s probably not going to happen overnight.“I was a florist for almost 20 years before I becamean event planner—job experience is enormous,” Jescontinues. One of Jes’ biggest learning experienceswas working at New York’s famous Tavern on theGreen, where she was the youngest ever events anddécor director. “Through my experience I learned ev-erything from knowing the right amount of amps for aband to dealing with contracts and insurance.”

Furthermore, once you get to be where you wantto be you can’t stop. “You have to keep moving andstay progressive...you have to read the blogs andstay current,” Jes recommends. She keeps tabs onwhat’s hot by following her favorite artists on Twit-ter. Whether it’s a chef, photographer, musician or anyone else that inspires you,make sure you’re following them.

To remain a step ahead of the latest trends, Jes looks outside the industry. “Ilike to go into toy stores and children’s stores. I keep up with the hip-hop art-ists and popular singers like Katy Perry to stay on top of trends,” Jes says. Andkeeping up with technology is also key. “I go onto the hi-tech sites like gizmodo(www.gizmodo.com) to stay innovative,” she continues.

This celebrity event planner has all theROCKSROCKSJes Gordon

Floriology recently had thechance to meet Jes Gor-don at the Macy’s FlowerShow in New York City. Jeshad a striking 8-foot pinkskull sculpture with floralMohawk (left) on displaythat stopped everyone intheir tracks. Jes’ namesakecompany, jesGORDON/properFUN, providespersonal event design andmanagement. Last year shepublished her first book,Party Like a Rock Star,featuring tips and tricks onhow to throw an unforgetta-ble bash. She also is going tolend her fresh approach toBravo TV’s new competitionseries, Rocco’s Dinner Party,which will debut June 15

and feature celebrity chef Rocco DiSpir-ito. On the show, Jes aids the competingchefs in creating a memorable dinnerparty experience that goes beyond thekitchen. Look for more articles featuringJes in floriology in the future! Follow Jeson Twitter: @jesgordon.


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Jes considers herself an eclecticdesigner, so if she’s doing a whitewedding, for example, she’ll combinewith crystals or feathers and make it multi-textural. “I like using modern technology, Ilove doing new world meets old world, using LEDillumination and mixing it all together in harmony,” Jessays. She also tends to be monochromatic in color, especially ifthe client doesn’t know what they want. “We’ll take their favorite color and travel

the world with it from the lightest hue to the darkest and tell a story with color.”Jes finds out as much as possible about her clients and their vision topersonalize the event and make it all about them. “I ask them how their

house is decorated or what kind of clothes they wear or where they liketo shop,” Jes says. In addition, she takes clients to the flower marketand tries to educate them. “We all know it’s a lot of work. They don’trealize you get the flowers two days in advance and have to stripthe roses, conditioning the flowers and give them a glimpse intothe process,” Jes says. It’s also important to discuss budget earlyon. “This is a business—I have no problem telling them there is amark-up. You have to pay for the labor, the time, the delivery andthe talent.”

Jes also makes the point that in our industry you’re always creat-ing the dreams for someone else. “That’s why it is so important to

make sure everything you create has a piece of you in it. You will comeup with your signature style,” Jes says. “No matter what level you are,

we’re not all-knowing and it can be alienating work and exhaustive. But,my reward that keeps me coming back the next time is the three minutes

when the guests walk in the door and I hear the oohs and ahhs.”

gillumination ansays. She alsothe client doe

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❋For a bat mitzvah, Jes used vibrantlights to illuminate and create

patterns to give an underwater feel.

❋Jes had a vision of old Hollywoodglamour for a wedding set in the

canyons of Malibu overlooking theocean. Since it was two men gettingmarried, she used tortoise shell pat-terns and black mini calla lilies forsome masculinity.


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MMandy Majerik’s Birmingham design studio isthe ‘hottest’ thing in the floral business.

Mandy Majerik, AIFD, PFCI is consid-ered by many to be one of the mosttalented, up-and-coming designersin the floral community. Her business,Hothouse Design Studio in downtownBirmingham, Ala., has set the industryon fire since it opened in 2005. She is athird generation florist who combinesyouth and unique creativity. Mandy isthe youngest ever to win Alabama StateFlorist Association’s “Designer of theYear” and is the second person everto win the Association’s “Knud NielsonAlabama Cup” in the same year.

When Mandy inherited the familybusiness, she wanted to transform itfrom a traditional florist to a businessfocused on weddings and events. Shechanged the name from Bell Florist tothe more hip and trendy Hothouse Flo-ral Studio and moved from the burbs of

Birmingham into the heart of down-town. “We wanted a name that wouldattract a younger generation and moveto a place that would be more centrallylocated and would be good to attractcorporate clients,” Mandy says.

Her goal was to be the high-end, fullservice wedding and event provider inher market and beyond. Early on, Man-dy put her feet to the pavement andmet as many people as she possibly

could to start to network and get hername out there. Though she met withall vendors, like wedding planners andphotographers, she aims to connect tothose who are the best at what they do.“A colleague of mine once said, ‘luxurywants to associate with luxury,’” Mandysays. “When you’re doing high-endwork, you’re dealing with people whoknow what they want and are willing topay for it.” If you want to cater to thehigher echelon, you have provide asuperior service, which means you haveto have that elevated caliber of photog-raphers, caterers and other weddingproviders to keep a stellar reputation.They are also great referrals.

“I’ve seen a lot of people that wantthe one-stop-shopping experiencewhen planning their event and I canprovide them that,” Mandy says.“Flowers are a huge part of the wed-ding, but we can tie in draping, light-ing, linens and put together a cohesivefinal product. And that’s where you fallback on your other vendors and pulltogether an all-star team of profes-sionals.” Mandy charges a premiumfor pulling everything together, andrecommends covering all expenses. “Ifyou’re providing the service, make sureyou get paid,” she stresses.

Mandy likes to use large spaciousprops, such as oversized urns and ped-estal that she can accent the base withfloral décor and fill with flowers. “It’sall about creating an atmosphere, the

new generation loves to see flowersdisplayed with new intent—they wantthe unexpected,” says Mandy. Everyevent has a theme—from butterflies toMardi Gras, Mandy has done them all.“I try to get a distinct direction and vi-sion from my client in our initial consul-tation and I see my job is to help themtunnel their likes and design somethingpersonalized just for them.” Mandylikes to present them with magazineclippings, website links and other thingsto develop a concept. “The end resultis a reflection of the client—their voiceand my vision,” Mandy says.

OnFireOWNER’S CORNER WEDDINGS AND EVENTS

by Fred Russell

❋Be sure to follow Mandy on Twitter:@MandysHothouse


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Owner:Mandy Majerik,AIFD, PFCI

Shop:HotHouse Design StudioBirmingham, Ala.

Established: 2006

FAST FACTS

DANIEL TAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHY


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DESIGN CENTER BACK TO BASICS

by Bill Taylor, aifd

Fragrance and its role in floral beauty explained.

Certainly, on any number of occasions you’veheard the following refrain from customers visitingyour shop: “It smells great in here.” Indeed, justabout everyone loves the fragrance of flowers andas florists we have a responsibility not to disappointpeople who appreciate the sensory beauty thatfloral products can provide.

Before we get into some tips about how you canoptimize the undeniable appeal and uniquecharm of floral fragrance, here are acouple of interesting tidbits. Did youknow that fragrance in many variet-ies of flowers evolved as MotherNature’s way of attracting or re-pelling insects? And even thoughnot all flowers emit an aroma—for example, gladiola, chry-santhemum, gerbera and manyrose varieties offer no discernablefragrance—the flower-buying publicnonetheless expects flowers to have anenticing smell.

Yet, while rose “hybridizers” have been breedingfor fewer thorns, longer stems, greater disease resis-tance, repeat blooming, higher petal count, longevityof blooms and fabulous new colors, fragrance hasbeen somewhat neglected. That’s changing however.In recent years, there has been a renewed and grow-ing interest in the value of floral fragrance.

Among the more famous flowers known for theirfragrant beauty are Oriental lilies, tuberose, hya-cinth, lilac, freesia, carnations, narcissus and lily ofthe valley. Informed customers frequently request

the inclusion of these fragrant flowers in their ar-rangements.

Ideally, each and every floral product leaving aflower shop should include great floral smells, evendesigns that may not feature aromatic varieties. Thiscan be achieved in several ways. Adding a fragrantblossom to any mixed arrangement is one way.Putting a drop of fragrance oil on a stem or leaf, or

sprinkling scented oil on a design accessory,also does the trick. Other possibilities

include adding a nest filled with floral-scented potpourri or a fragrant

Yankee Candle to such products asmums and azalea plants.

Or course, it’s important toremember that there are excep-tions to maximizing the appeal

of fragrance. For instance, floraldesigns destined for medical

facilities or for recipients with knownallergies should be carefully created.

Imagine being trapped in a hospital roomfor an extended period of time with a pot of bloom-ing narcissus!

With those and some other exceptions aside, Ithink we can all agree that we work with perhaps themost beautiful product in the world. Complement-ing the visual splendor of flowers, very few prod-ucts also have the added attractiveness that floralfragrance delivers. Therefore, we need to utilize thepowers of fragrance as often as possible. It’s onemore way to “wow” the public, and increase sellingopportunities.

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1}BN62-11 “Kalanchoe GardenBasket,” a lovely and lively basket ofplants without inherent fragrance. Rem-edy: add a small amount of floral scentedfragrance oil to the Spanish moss nest.

2}BN69-21 “Wrapped in Love,” ahigh-style design showcasing roses andideally these are one of the naturallyscented lavender rose varieties. If not,remedy: lightly spray the design with arose scent spray (like the one produced byDesign Master, for use on fresh flowers).

3}BN32-11 “Lily Pond Pleasure,” anarrangement that offers both the sweetscent of the rubrum lilies, and the herbalscent of fresh yarrow, a feast for the eyes,and the nose.

4}BN49-11 “It’s My Pleasure,” a chichand-tied monochromatic bouquet, withthe subtle fragrance of green carnations.Remedy: add one stem of tuberose, orpaperwhite narcissus, to pump up thescent volume.

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MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA

All It Takes isPERSONALITY

LOOKING TO BUILD WEDDING BUSINESS?TRY ‘YOUTWITFACE’.

by Len Vermillion

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There are nearly 2 billionInternet users, and thesedays many of them areengaging in social media.In 2010, 25 billion “tweets”

were sent via Twitter, the social net-working website that lets users postcomments as mini-blogs. Even moreimpressive are the 600 million users ofFacebook, which, if it were so classified,would be one of the biggest countriesin the world. All of this activity means a

plethora of poten-tial for marketing,and businesses

have jumped on the opportunity.Floral shops are no exception, and

one area where business is booming inthe social networking realm is wed-dings. Sonny Ganguly, chief marketingofficer of the blog WeddingWire (blog.weddingwire.com), says when it comesto marketing wedding business, floristsshould take note of social media out-lets and add them to their practice.

“Social media doesn’t replace alot of other forms of marketing. You

still need an online presence in termsof sites that cater specifically to thewedding industry. You need traditionalforms of advertising,” he says. “But Ido think social media adds somethingin addition to that.”

Traditional forms of marketinggenerally cover aspects of the busi-ness such as services and contacts,Ganguly says, but it doesn’t showcasea small business owner’s personality.That’s where social media can come in

handy, particularly whentrying to reach potentialbrides and grooms. “Itgives you a chance toshow them that you’re areal person and not just abusiness,” Ganguly says.

GETTING ACQUAINTED

Social media presents adifferent way of commu-nicating with potentialcustomers, and bringingout your personality canbe tricky. “A lot of peopleare always asking me

what they should be doing,” he says.“I think taking pictures of the processas the arrangements come together, orat the wedding itself, is great contentto share, whether through a blog orwhat I call ‘YouTwitFace’—a referenceto the three major sites of social media,YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.”

Participating in social media doesn’tmean changing your routine, he says. Infact, the best methods involve leverag-ing what a florist already does.

He also says it’s also important toknow who you are connecting with onsocial media sites. While it may seem

logical to think that the goal in market-ing a wedding business online is toseek out potential brides and grooms,the fact is florists will end up marketingto a bevy of people, all with a uniqueimportance to building a business.

“I find on Twitter, actually, thatthere are a lot of business-to-businesscomponents,” he says. “If I look atour WeddingWire feeds many of theretweets are actually other businesses.So there are benefits on both sides,among the brides and grooms, but alsoamong businesses themselves. As aflorist, you may find yourself connect-ing with others in the wedding industry,such as photographers and caterers.”

And that can sometimes lead topartnerships and arrangements thatcan help each party gain business.

Social media isn’t about prices anddiscounts, it’s a push-pull mentality. “Ina lot of digital marketing you’re push-ing messages out,” he says. “Whatsocial media does is allow the pull ver-sion of marketing. There’s communica-tion happening in two directions.”

BIG BUSINESS

“When you look at the demographicsof the wedding space, YouTube, Twit-ter and Facebook fare very well,” Gan-guly says. “The number one demo-graphic for both Facebook and Twitteris women who are 18 to 34 years old. Ifyou think about who the customers arein the wedding industry, that is it.”

Ganguly also points out that profileson social media sites streamline thesearch for potential customers. Forexample, Facebook members oftenindicate if wedding bells are in thenear future. There are roughly 2.2 mil-lion weddings in the U.S. each year.On Facebook, there are roughly 1.6million women who say that they areengaged, leading to a gigantic pool ofpotential wedding business clients.

“All of these sites have grown tosuch a tremendous degree, that ouraudience within the wedding industryis definitely there,” Ganguly says.

And, with a little creativity and per-sonality, florists have one more outletin which to easily reach out to them.

❋For a FREE, Quickand easy-to-use toolto create your ownvideo with music, trywww.anamoto.com


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Owner Kelly Bellanca and Designer JudyFisher of Designs by Floral Imagesin Cleveland, Ohio, share “Inno-vator of the Month” honors with

a creative take off of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM’s a-DOG-able™ arrange-ment. They have been makingthe a-DOG-able™ arrangementsince it first came out last yearand it has been a huge hitwith their customers. Theweek before Easter theydecided to see if they couldreplicate it in the form of abunny. “We couldn’t evenget them into the cooler—assoon as we finished one, withinfive minutes it was sold” Kelly says. Theshop, located in a busy neighborhood onthe west side of Cleveland, has good walk-in traf-fic and Kelly and Judy couldn’t keep up with thedemand. In just a couple of days they sold over 20“a-bunnables” and have played around with mak-ing cats and monkeys. “We think it’s really importantto be aggressive and try new things, and the crosspromotion with BloomNet has helped,” Judy says.It was easy for them to recreate too. It was just likemaking the dog, but almost just turned over andinstead of feet they had ears. “We used white carna-tions of course for the body and used pink chenillefor the inside of the ears and nose then added a finefelt wire for the whiskers.” They have taken the a-DOG-able™ arrangements to local veterinarians andclinics to put on their front desk with business cards.“You have to market, market, market,” Judy says.“So if you have a product for dog lovers you might

as well put them where you know they’regoing to be.”

As Innovator of the Month,Kelly and Judy will receive a

$250 check, a designer’s kitand plaque. They will alsobe eligible for Innovatorof the Year and could wina Luxury Included® vaca-tion at a Sandals resort.

Send ideas to [email protected] today!

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INNOVATORMAY 2011

Hopping to It

Margaret Fleegal, owner of Twinbrook Floral Designs inFairfax, Va., knows a thing or two about attracting futurebrides and convincing them she’s the right wedding

florist to choose. Last year, Margaret handled 160 bridal consulta-tions, of which 130 resulted in wedding business. This year, she’soff to an even better start with 90 weddings already booked.

One of the keys to Margaret’s success is her emphasis on engag-ing brides-to-be on apersonal and individuallevel. “I don’t just doeverything on paper, Ishow them,” she states,in describing the effec-tiveness of her consulta-tions. “When we pre-qualify brides as they callin for their appointment,we ask them what theircolors are and what flow-ers they’re thinking about. Then we actually order those flowers intheir colors and have them available when the bride comes in.”

Another valuable tool for connecting with brides is to attend asmany bridal shows as possible. For Twinbrook Floral Designs, thatmeans between six and eight shows each year. However, simplymaking an appearance at a bridal event is not enough. “We havea whole marketing plan where we go to wedding shows and offerour own special: a chance to win $500 worth of free wedding flow-ers,” Margaret continues. “We also collect the names of brides,enter them into a database and contact them via iContact (www.icontact.com) within one week.”

Having a presence on WeddingWire (www.weddingwire.com)is also vital, as are the cross-marketing opportunities that such apresence provides. Case in point: Margaret has set up her own Weblanding page that brides can click onto directly from the Wedding-Wire site, bringing them straight to her wedding floral offering.

Other COGS in the wedding marketing equation involve per-sonalized follow-ups on a timely basis. One idea is to send hand-written thank-you notes within 24 hours after each consultation.It’s also a smart approach to re-contact the bride within 14 days.And let’s not forget that brides by nature are understandablyjittery, so always try to respond to her inquiries in a day or less.Last but certainly not least, send out a letter of congratulationsafter the wedding, and be sure to mention how much you wouldappreciate referrals.

Before theWeddingComes theENGAGEMENTCONNECTING WITH BRIDESTHROUGH TARGETED MARKETING

WEDDING BUSINESS

BUNNY SHAPED ARRANGEMENTWAS A HOT SELLER FOR EASTER


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BLOOMNET IN THE COMMUNITY

PRESRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDRIPON, WI

PERMIT NO. 100

One Old Country RoadSuite 500Carle Place, NY 11514

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Stein Your Florist Co., located in the Mayfair neighborhood of Philadelphia, will make its silverscreen debut with the 2012 release of Mancation, starring Danica McKellar of Wonder Years fameand ’N Sync’s Joey Fatone.

Flowers play an important role in the indie comedy—the plot includes a wedding, and the maincharacter’s love interest (McKellar) works at a flower shop. The producer of the film, who knows

Stein’s owner Patrick Kelly, asked for the shop’s help in providing a location and customized flower designs.The filmmakers, cast members, and crew came to Stein Your Florist on two dates in April to shoot a flower

show scene. “The movie has raised a lot of excitement for us here,” Patrick says. Patrick and his wife andtwo daughters, who also work at the shop, were allinvited to The Merion catering and events facility inCinnaminson, N.J., to be extras in Mancation’s wed-ding reception scenes.

Patrick has worked at this 124-year-old establish-ment since 1981, his family has been running the shopfor years. “I feel like we’re the caretakers of some-thing really wonderful,” he says, adding thatthe business has survived even after afire destroyed the store in 2001 andit had to be rebuilt. “It’s morethan just a flower shop. Peoplelove this place, there is so muchhistory surrounding it.”

Stein, which also has a locationin Burlington, N.J., is also offeringcustomers the “Stein Mancation MovieSpecial,” a bouquet of red roses accentedby sparkling crystals and surrounded by loops of lily grass. It’s styled after the bridal bouquet that was cre-ated specifically for Mancation by the shop’s designers.

In April, the shop also held a charity event to raise money for Alzheimer’s research. Entertainment includedpony rides, a string band, harpsichordists, and Easter egg hunt. Several raffles kicked off, with prizes includ-ing a Webkinz gift basket, silk arrangement, salon products, and cleaning services. The shop sold mixedbunches of flowers donated by several wholesalers, and also made sales from its own selection of flowers.

“We try to keep it exciting for ourselves, our customers, and employees,” Patrick says, stressing theimportance of staying active in the community. Nearly 500 people “like” the Stein Your Florist Co. Facebookpage, where customers can learn about the latest shop happenings. Next on the to do list, Patrick would liketo open an all-season arboretum at the New Jersey location, which has an attached greenhouse.

Star-Worthy Shop

>>>Stein Your Florist (above) is offering customers the “Manca-tion Movie Special” (left), which is styled after the bridalbouquet the shop’s desigers created specifically for the film.

by Megan Sullivan

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>>>Stetiobo

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