A new start in 2013!

Wow its been well over a year since I dipped my toes into blogging, I think so far I have managed to blog twice! The thing is with floristry what do we blog about? Do I blog about flowers, Because there is only so much the people will want to read, So what else do I blog about. Well I was speaking with one of the Dublin wholesalers today and we were chatting about business (as you do) and I was saddened to Learn that two of my local florists had closed down. One of which had been going a very long time :( 

I think that in this economic Climate the people eliminated all luxuries, such as flowers as they need their money for essentials. It seems as though 2012 was a bad year for the floristry business. I am lucky as my shop as a very loyal customer base, and some of my customers have become friends :) they recommend us to their friends and family and they too become loyal customers.

I'm hoping against hope that in 2013 that the fortunes of the small to medium business will turn around. 2012 was a better year for the large corporations but not so good for the small business owner, So guys i've decided that im going to shop local and keep it local where possible and to spend my very hard earned cash in supporting my local business person! 

But on a brighter note its only 4 weeks to valentines day and with any luck we will be totally rushed off our feet, so you guys all know where to go, Jennas Flowers

Where is the love gone?

As florists we all dread and yet look forward to Valentines day each year, You know you will run on about 10 hours sleep for a week, your hands will be ripped to shred's from thorns and cut from scissors, but over the last few years Valentines day has been on a decline, and I'm wondering, Where has the love gone???
Is it because of all the hard times, no one with money due to recession, is it because it falls on bad days of the week before payday or is it because people just don't feel the same about Valentines day? 

We have noticed that Mothers day is quickly becoming the new "peak" season. Does everyone love their mothers more than their partners, Or do we just like to show them our appreciation for all of the wonderful things they do for us during the year? I know in our house mum does a lot for us, minding children while we work, listening to problems, the normal "mammy" things, so maybe for this one day during the year she does need to be celebrated :)

What I do love about both of these times is the customers, when you are so tired from working that you want to cry, you always get one customer who will put the smile on your face, if that's the customer who comes in all year round because they like your work, or if its the one off customer that makes you laugh with silly jokes to cheer the gang up :) As a small business we know we are very lucky to be kept going through these very hard times, so we decided that we would help others out through these hard times by doing some fantastic deals, which we have all year around, even our peak times. We have teamed up with some other local businesses to try and get discounts off wedding and party services, so that's a little added bonus!

I am going to try and get a little more active on the blog, so if anyone has anything they would like blogged about let me know and ill try my best :)

Wedding madness

This is my first attempt to blog, so as I dip my toes into this unknown water, please bear with me :)
A very good friend has always told me I should blog about what I know, So hence the Jennas Flowers Journal, I will attempt to take you through some of the days of a Dublin Florist, And if I can I will share some tips with you.

So I thought as were were smack bang into wedding season, that we would start there. This last week has been wedding madness, Starting with the wedding Fair in Park Plaza Tyrellstown, it was a busy day with hundreds of brides to be, Normally reluctantly pulling along grooms to be, around to room to check out the wares. As everyone who has gotten married is aware, most brides want everything to be perfect, as a florist we strive that every bride will be very happy with the flowers that she gets on the morning of her wedding, and that she will be proud to have the flowers displayed in all of her photographs.

We also had some of our designs on the catwalk with the beautiful models in wedding gowns showing them off to perfection.

One of the models pictured with a mixed Gerbera bouquet, their traditional meaning for weddings is beauty and innocence

Our Most popular wedding is the rose hand tied, which is an elegant, beautiful bouquet. It can be changed by using different foliage, diamonds throughout or it is beautiful enough to be left without any adornment.

A typical Vandella rose bouquet, with a diamond wrap around the stems. The white/cream rose represents love, purity, innocence and new beginnings, and a wedding is the beginning of a new life together, what better flower to choose for your wedding day.

Finishing work last night at 11.45 pm, we put all of the large amount of flowers into out fantastic new cold room (which I was sadly very excited about getting), we felt sure that our lovely bride Lisa will be happy with her flowers and like them as much as we did. She followed the theme of her flowers through her whole wedding, With the cake being decorated with fresh flowers that matched the bouquets, and also her balloons supplied by Kevin at Bears and Balloons finished with silk flowers (the thorns would pop the balloons with real ones !!!!).
Lisa's wedding was the fourth of this week and we wish all of our brides and grooms a happy and prosperous life together .

So I think I will leave it here for today, As I don't want to bore you :)

Thank you for reading and hopefully there is more to come.
Carol x