I’m sure we have all heard the phrase, “It takes a village.” Although the origin of the popular saying is a mystery, some people believe the saying “originated in an ancient African proverb; others believe it came from a Native American Tribe.” according to the website, Quora.
As a sole proprietor of Blossoms by bev, that is, the owner and lone employee, generally speaking, this flower lady does it all – order, prep., design, deliver and set up. And I love it. That’s the only reason I do it. The work is way too hard to do if it’s not something I love. The hours are long and the physical labor is, well…labor! When I need an extra hand, my best friend and sweet husband Tim helps in the delivery department. But the day came when I needed more than an extra hand.
There are some things that are really important when working as a floral designer especially when specializing in weddings. Consultations are important so that we can fully understand the bride’s needs as well as her wants. I call it “getting in her head” and seeing what she sees. Planning is imperative and a lot of it. Timelines are important so that what has been entrusted to us arrives on time, in beautiful condition, bringing the bride’s floral vision to life for her special day.
We all have our villages – those people who will change their plans, drop what they are doing in a heartbeat and come to our aid – regardless of what that need is. This flower lady had an unexpected accident involving my back 4 1/2 weeks before a wedding that had been booked with Blossoms by bev for almost a year. I had thought about and planned the floral design of this wedding for many, many months. But now, surgery was scheduled 10 days before the wedding. If you have ever had a herniated disc, you know how painful and debilitating it can be. I knew what had to happen. I had to keep my commitment. I had to deliver as promised. I knew that I couldn’t call my bride and tell her that I wouldn’t be able to deliver the floral designs for her special day 4 weeks before her wedding. My initial thoughts were that I would just push through it, but as the wedding grew closer, the realization set in that pushing through was a physical impossibility. My body just couldn’t do it.
You know those times when your heart just grows so much that you feel like it’s going to burst? Well, that’s how my heart felt when my village came offering what they could. Not one of them was a professional floral designer but they all came ready and willing to help this flower lady. They were from all walks of life – teens on their summer vacation, a Speech Therapist, Stay-at-home Moms, an Exercise Instructor, an RN, Elementary School Teachers, and a Computer Salesperson and others that offered. My village overwhelmed my heart. They picked up flowers, prepped them and hydrated them, took direction in the designing part from me, then delivered and set it all up. The fact that this was new territory to all but one of them didn’t stop them from jumping in feet first. The best part was that the bride loved “every single thing” that was done! It just doesn’t get any better than that!
To my village who loved in such a big way – Rachel, Mikayla H., Amy, Angie, Robin, Gena, Melissa, Vera, Mikayla M., Jenny, Marilyn, Nathan, Becky, and my sweetie, Tim, I am forever grateful.
