Florists' Review Magazine® :: Your monthly magazine for operating a successful floral business

    When Carolyn Valenti began volunteering nearly 20 years ago to create floral décor for the events of various charities of which she was a member, she had no formal training in floral design—just a creative sense, an associate’s degree in business and some fashion design experience from her college days. “I emerged as ‘the creative one’ for these events,” she explains. “Then someone asked if I could do flowers for a wedding, and I thought, ‘What a concept to be paid for something I love to do,’ and it took off from there.”

    In 1992, Ms. Valenti’s event-floral business, Queen Anne’s Lace, was born. Today, the florist and her assistant of 13 years, Dorothy Troy, provide floral designs for about 35 weddings each year, averaging $3,000 each.

    As an event florist, Ms. Valenti has found that the best way for her to market to brides has been to establish relationships with several prestigious venues in picturesque Berkshire County. “It’s a nice area in which to be a florist because we have access to beautiful mansions,” she says. “I went in and introduced myself and brought photos of things I had done, and I got on vendors’ lists at some of the most exclusive resorts within a year.”

    Ms. Valenti relates that portfolios are essential for showing brides the various floral possibilities of their chosen venues, from aisle décor and centerpieces to floral “extras” that may not have occurred to them. “I also ask them to bring pictures of things they like from bridal magazines. From there, I can pick up on their tastes and make it work for their wedding venues.”

    Each wedding consultation at Queen Anne’s Lace lasts approximately two hours, and while many florists prefer to meet one-on-one with brides-to-be, Ms. Valenti encourages brides to bring friends and family members along. “It makes it more of a fun experience for them,” she explains. “And we think of it as a brainstorm. We put all the ideas on the table, and I write copious notes. I look through things the bride has brought, like a picture of her gown, and we look at all the possibilities I have in things like urns and pillars. It all flows once I get a feeling of who they are.”

    Ms. Valenti has a formula she tries to stick with when charging for weddings. One-third is the cost of the flowers, one-third is the cost of labor and supplies, and one-third is gross profit. She adds that she works with couples of all budgets and often suggests using flowers from the ceremony at the reception as well, to help create maximum floral impact while staying within couples’ budgets. Couples can provide their own transportation for double-duty floral arrangements or, if they prefer, Ms. Valenti will provide this service for a transportation fee starting at $50, depending on how far it is between the ceremony and reception venues.

    Ms. Valenti is part of a small community of florists who help each other out and share rental items for their wedding work. “It’s so expensive to buy candelabra or tall fluted vases, so I’ll buy 10, another florist will buy 10 and another florist will buy 10, and together we have 30,” she says. “And when we have more [work] than we can handle, we ask our friends to help out on that weekend and vice-versa.”

    Ms. Valenti says the most important thing when working with brides is to convey your passion as a florist. “That love for what you do is contagious to brides, and it gets them excited,” she explains. “They might have had all these things going on in their heads, with ideas flowing here and there, but I sit down with them with this list of questions, and it puts order in their minds and gives them the sense of happiness that they should feel about their weddings. I take it as such a compliment when brides tell me that working with me was the most calming part of their wedding planning.”

Ms. Valenti is currently in the process of launching a new Web site, www.carolynvalentiflowers.com.