Take advantage of flower crowns’ moment in pop culture by hosting a class in your shop.
On Monday, August 6, Vogue revealed the cover of its much-anticipated September issue. On it, superstar chanteuse Beyoncé wears a massive flower crown — a huge win for the floral industry, as the magazine, widely considered “the fashion Bible,” appears on literally millions of newsstands throughout the country.
The prominent and influential plug is sure to get customers excited about wearable flowers. Capitalize on that enthusiasm by hosting a flower crown workshop (or several) in your shop.
Try this:
- Target your advertising. Flower crowns will appeal to a lot of different demographics. You could pitch your workshop as a fun bachelorette party, a “Mommy and me” afternoon or a bonding activity for a sorority or local women’s organization, for instance.
- Shop wisely. Beyoncé’s headdress was chock full of high-end blooms including peonies, garden roses and anthuriums. A replication would be prohibitively expensive for most of your customers — not to mention way too complicated for novices to master. At Madeline’s Flowers in Edmond, Oklahoma, owners Lacee, Lenzee and Barbara Bilke create tons of crowns and other floral jewelry at various price points. To make a statement without spending a lot of money on fresh product, they reach for spray roses, waxflower, gerberas, alstroemeria, carnations, ruscus, seeded eucalyptus, bouvardia, cornflower, thistle, hypericum, Queen Anne’s lace and baby’s breath.
- Hone your technique. New to the art of wearable flowers? Go online for pointers from fellow SAF members. J Schwanke, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, has created some tutorials for uBloom.com, as has Leanne Kesler, AIFD, PFCI, FDI, for the Floral Design Institute.
- Price it right. Keep your margin top of mind. At Madeline’s Flowers, flower crown classes start at $60 a person. “If we’re creating large crowns with a few peonies, orchids or garden roses, the price jumps to $145 or up,” Lenzee Bilke said.
- Set the mood. Get attendees in a celebratory spirit by playing music (Beyoncé tunes seem apropos) and serving refreshments. Be sure to bring your camera to capture the fun atmosphere and the finished product in all its glory.
- Share, share, share. Be sure to share your party pics on social media and tag as many attendees as you can to increase your post’s visibility. These images will serve as a great recruitment tool for your next workshop.
Want to learn more about the art of wearable flowers, a hot category with youthful customers? Catch the Bilke sisters at SAF Palm Springs 2018, the Society of American Florists’ 134th annual convention Sept. 12-15 in Rancho Mirage, California. Click here for more details and to register.
