I’ll let you into a little secret - I’ve always dreamt of being a florist, and recently I’ve decided to try and have a little go at it. For the next few weeks, I’ll be doing a ‘flowers on Friday’ post on WLDN – it may become a permanent fixture on this little corner of the internet so keep your eyes peeled.
Back in March, I went to New York for my best friend’s wedding. I offered to do her wedding flowers - mainly because she was getting quotes back from florists over there that were more than my rent! But also because it was a great opportunity to start my dream.
I was lucky enough to be staying at a hotel right next to the New York City Flower Market on 28th Street. Home to what feels like a tropical oasis in the middle of a hectic NYC, the flower district is offers beautiful blooms, plants, shrubbery and all things green. The streets are lined with tall plants and trees making you feel like you’re hundreds of miles away from where you actually are.
Here are a few tips I picked up along the way;
- Arrive early, the market actually opens at 5am but that is when many of the “big deal” event planners/ florists go
- Everything is sold in “bundles or wraps” we bought Ranunculus and Roses in bundles of 30 stems
- A few of the vendors require an account but most of them will sell to anyone
- Prices are pretty consistent, and don’t seem to vary too much
- Do your research prior - go with an idea of what you’d like. Otherwise you’ll get completely lost in the flowers!
- Don’t be shy…there are no prices on anything, so you must interact with those who work there.
- When it gets closer to 11am, try and do a little negotiating. The vendors may give you a reduced price on flowers that are close to their shelf life expiring
- It is totally self service, you walk in, see what you want, and there are these large metal shelves where you put your items as you shop, that is standard
- They will wrap them up in brown paper and off you go
A few ideas Sara had for her big day:
- Simple, yet chic
- English country garden
- Daisy's. Daffodils. Peonies. Green. Roses
We got there at around 8.30am, which we found was the perfect time to go as it wasn’t too busy. After a bit of browsing in a few stores we found one that would sell to us and off we went! We then headed to a shop called Jack's - sort of like a £1 shop but way better to pick up some tubs, and jars.
Then, I got to work in my hotel room, using the shower cubicle to store all the flowers in!
And the finished pieces I came up with are below.
Unnerving at first for any amateur, handpicking flowers with my best friend the day before her wedding (slightly jet-lagged) was a very magical experience and gave it that little bit more of a personal touch.
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