Time to Bloom! Introducing our Weddings Expert, Tracy Park
Known to all as "The Great Flower Lady," Tracy has been with uBloom since it’s early days in beta. From the start, Tracy has taken an active roll on uBloom by frequently posting in the Forums (where she has proven to be an enormous help and giver of wise advice), submitting pictures in the Photo Gallery and creating fun projects for uBloomers to enjoy. She is also a tremendous support to the uBloom staff and community, and eagerly spreads the word to everyone she meets about all the flower fun here on uBloom. It’s hard to imagine uBloom without Tracy!That is why it gives me such pleasure to introduce her as uBloom’s Weddings Expert! She is owner of Affordable Elegance, a weddings and events floral design studio in Battle Creek, MI.I was able to ask Tracy a few questions about being a professional in the wedding industry, and here is what she had to say.You managed a bridal shop for 16 years, talk about the experience you gained while overseeing the shop and how it prepared you for owning your own wedding business.I worked for a wonderful, smart lady who came into the wedding industry after working as a contractor for the government. She was a tremendous business woman, having gained excellent skills by traveling all over the country, negotiating contracts with generals and other high ranking officials. She had a head for business and really knew her stuff. I learned everything from her. She taught me how to conduct myself in a professional, yet, assertive way…how to hold my ground when things were not working out just right. And in the wedding dress business, things don’t always work out!Marketing and buying were very much a part of my job, and it had me traveling quite a bit for my company. Wedding dresses are a HUGE part of a bride’s day, and you had better know how to handle anything that is thrown at you! I enjoyed going to work everyday; surrounded by beautiful, luxury wedding attire and all the fun stuff that goes with it! I take all of that in to my work today as a floral designer.You began doing floral design as a hobby, which eventually turned into a full time career. How did you make the transition from hobbiest to professional?For as long as I can remember, weekends were filled with wedding work. I would work all week for the bridal shop and come home to design a wedding for the weekend. It was an integral part of me.When I reached my late 30s, I wanted to pursue my dream of freelancing. I had more children later in life and I wanted to be with them and not miss anything! So, my husband agreed that I should try to start designing at home and work it like a full time business. My husband is one of my best supporters and he has stood by me 110 percent. Quitting my 9-5 job was hard, however.The first 2 years were kind of slow because I no longer had connection in the wedding biz. I started to wonder if I had made the right move. I felt alone because I had no other friends in the floral business who could help me, and there was a stigma attached to me because I ran my business from my home. Then I began to reach out for myself and started to use resources such as the internet, social networking, and workshops. Wow, what a difference that made! I soon realized that there really were others out there like me who were willing to share their wisdom and give me as much help as I needed.Then, I took a look at what I needed to do to take myself and my designs to the next level. I went to workshops to update my skills and attended meeting at wholesalers who would have special guest speakers and demonstrations. Most important of all, I went to the Michigan Floral Association for the first time. It, along with a few other designers, changed my outlook on the way I ran my business and how I designed. Because of the connections, my customer base has grown and my name has really gotten out there. I invested in myself, and I have never looked back!What are some of the most effective marketing strategies for florists and wedding designers?For me, it has been networking, bridal shows and the INTERNET! The internet is where it’s at! YOU MUST have a website or blog to show people that you are out there. Without a web presence, you will have a difficult time advancing to the next level. Blogs are free and so are some build-it-yourself websites. Until you can afford to pay to have one built for you, take advantage of it!What do you consider to be "essential" items for any florist to have to be an effective wedding flower designer?Photos of your own work! Start your portfolio as soon as you can. It will be a great tool for you to use for showing brides all the wedding work you have done. I think it’s fun to look back at weddings I did 10 years ago…I can see how my skills have progressed and how styles have changed.Networking is another biggie. You need to look for inspiration in things and people around you. Then, when you gain more knowledge, SHARE what you know with others...it makes you feel good!Name the wedding trends you see emerging for 2009.Trends will vary in different areas all across the country. Here in Michigan, I am seeing a lot of "less is more." Today’s brides are opting for bold and interesting pairing of colors in their flowers and floral schemes. Not afraid of mixing purples and oranges, the post-millennium color palette is expanding.Mix it up a bit by incorporating produce. One of the hot trends in wedding flowers is arrangements featuring fruits, herbs and even veggies!What are some wedding design Myths and Facts that you think uBloomers need to be aware of?I read a fabulous article called "De-myth-tifying Cut Flower Care" written by Terril A. Nell, PhD, who actually runs a flower care research program. It is really interesting…I will share it in one of my upcoming articles.Name the top mistakes that wedding designers make when creating flowers for a wedding.
- Not hearing the bride! It’s her dream, not the designers. Make sure you see her vision and be careful not to replace it with yours.
- Under cutting ourselves financially. Our work is hard and there is a lot of prep in designing flowers. We tend to under cut ourselves in order to book the wedding, and then in the end, we actually lose profit.
Are there any flowers, colors or styles that you think are under used in weddings?I know I may get some grief for this, but the good ‘ol Carnation is really making a comeback after having been on the back burner for so long. It looks great in mass design, spheres, and makes a lovely, textural background for highlighting focal flowers in bridal bouquets. The great thing about carnations is that they are inexpensive, come in a huge array of colors and are very hardy.Name the top 3 products (or decor) you love using to give your wedding that WOW factor.
- Crystals: I love hanging them from branches, in vases…just about everywhere!
- Monogram Charms tied to the brides bouquet: As a spectator, you really don’t see it on the brides handle, it’s more of a personal statement for the bride herself. Nevertheless, I am doing more and more charms….sometimes using grandma’s collection of jewels from the brides jewelry box. Beautiful and sentimental, you gotta love that!
- Sunken Flowers: No matter where I take the tall vases filled with submerged flowers, They always gets a "WOW" and people are amazed that something so simple looks so fantastic!
Be on the lookout for exciting wedding flower articles from our Weddings expert...Tracy will also continue to share her knowledge of flower design and help answer wedding flower questions (posted in the forums) from uBloomers and brides.