San Francisco City Hall | Lisa + Jess

We were asked to fly out to San Francisco this past March for the awaited wedding of Lisa and Jess. These two women are insanely remarkable. They dedicate their lives to the medical field, to their loving families and friends, and of course, to one another. We stayed with them for four days, and in that short amount of time, we were quickly welcomed in as part of the family (sort of). I mean, how often do the florists bunk up next to the sweet grandmother, or get to after-party with the bridal party? Almost never. So we were living it up.

We stayed in the coolest 4-storey, purple and pink house (like what one would imagine a gypsy princess to live in with her pet unicorn). It was seriously the best. Everyone was so excited, alive, giggly and genuinely enjoying each and every moment. San Franciso does that to people. There's just something in air (besides the smell of weed) that makes people happy to be there. It's S-A-N  F-R-A-N-C-I-S-C-O... no one ever complains about the city. And if they do, they are probably no fun. Congratulations, Lisa and Jess, on officially becoming Winton-Li. Yay!

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Pre-Wedding

“When I saw you I fell in love,
and you smiled because you knew. ”

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San Francisco City Hall

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THE AFTER PARTY

Photography: Cellar Door Photography ❖ Flowers: 1209 Creative  ❖ Venue: Tank 18 
Makeup: Artistry by Azure ❖ Hair Styling: Jaime Voelz

7 Ways to Not Lose Your Cool As a Small Business Owner

You tend to often hear about how owning your own business can be "awesome," "amazing," "the best thing ever" ...but business owners tend to not share what it can really be like. It's an extreme challenge, even when you are doing something you truly love.

Creating flower arrangements and working on events and weddings are not our only responsibilities behind 1209. We have part-time jobs (plural... jobs), on top of motherhood, personal obligations, random life events that come out of nowhere... all while juggling a very real and very important career path in this industry. I literally LOL if the term "work-life balance" is tossed our way. Work-life balance? Ha! Don't make us laugh. Learning to master that would just be another thing "to-do" on the already never-ending "to-do" list. 

Never-the-less, when you're a small business owner, you just gotta keep it together. Don't let the people see you sweat because no matter what, you got this. It's what you signed up for; it's what WE signed up for. No one told us it was going to be a cakewalk. And in all honesty, I don't think I fully thought it was going to be as difficult as it has been. I've learned that when you start something of your own, you don't get to pay yourself right away, and you work harder than you have ever worked, AND you most certainly do not have an abundance of free time for yourself. Did someone say vacation? Nope. I think they actually said overtime... all the time. 

Time is of the essence, and time is probably one of our most valued possessions. We do what we can in our time because after all, it's OUR time. It belongs to everyone, yet each individual has the choice to use it how he or she chooses. So here are 7 ways to use your time while running a business so that you can stay mostly sane and (almost) never lose your cool.

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7 Ways to Not Lose Your Cool As a Small Business Owner

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1. Creative Outlets: Do something creative when you have the chance. Bored? Build something, write something, draw something, cook something, plant something... DO SOMETHING. And whatever it is, make sure it's for fun. For example, when we're bored we tablescape and play with leftover flowers. We are humans and need to find healthy ways to express ourselves other than working. 
2. Keep Up on Communication: Ummmm... it's everything to us. It's what makes the world go round! Don't get behind on emails, follow-ups or phone calls with clients and colleagues. It will all catch up with you, and even if you hide under your bed, it's allllllllll still going to be there when you eventually crawl out. An email a day keeps the headaches away! Just sayin'.
3. Coffee Breaks: Caffeine? Foam? The smell of cinnamon and nutmeg wafting in the air? We're there... first in line. Oh, but have you tried spicey coldbrew?? If you haven't, you've been living under a ridiculously heavy rock... literally, in the depths of an undiscovered crater. You'll find this amazing bad habit at Be Coffee. Life is not the same without it.
4. Schedule In Finances: Ok, it's not exactly fun or glamorous, but "Finance Day" is the best day because once it's over, there's an over-sized glass of wine filled to the brim waiting for you... *clouds parting* and *rays of sunshine* happening. There's a light at the end of the tunnel... until the next month when it starts all over and you want to run away. Just keep up on your expenses, taxes and all things dollar bill related. It's important to get better at that boring stuff because you learn the ins-and-outs of what's going on within your own business. Organized spreadsheets will (may I repeat, WILL) become your besties.
5. Networking: Chances are there are people out there just like you... trying to make a dollar doing what they love. And chances are there is a possibility that you can work together and somehow help one another out. AND chances are they love alcohol as much as you do. So we say go out, have a drink and make sh*t happen!
6. Pet Therapy Sessions: At the end of the day, no matter what, hanging out with your pet is pretty chill. They don't judge, they don't talk back, and they think that you're the best ever. Don't have a pet? Go buy (or better yet, adopt) one. You'll have something to vent to 24/7, and they always think you're right. And the best part is you don't have to pay for them to listen (because you'll probably be broke for awhile being an entrepreneur). It's a win-win!
7. Netflix Binges: Sometimes we need to escape reality and give our overworked brains a rest... soooooo, what better way to do that other than to find a new show on Netflix to binge watch until 4am?! YAY! It's the only way to keep some sanity and partly escape dealing with the outside world. Shameless, Blacklist, Peaky Blinders, American Dad, Stranger Things... give us all of the shows!

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About the photos above: We did a styled photo shoot with BTS Event Management this past April (photos soon to come), but had a ton of leftover flowers from it. We hate to see flowers tossed away when they are still so beautiful, so we decided to do something with these super cool carnations. We will be the first to say that carnations definitely get a bad rap (seen as the sad grocery store flowers) BUT carnations are making a comeback. We've been seeing a variety of them coming in from our wholesalers in these amazing colors... plus, they last forever  and are easy to work with. As florists, we're into all of that. So for fun (and #1 on our list above) we chose to partake in a creative outlet and create a Southwest-inspired tablescape with these carnations, a vintage China and crystal set, Crate & Barrel napkins and silverware, copper mugs, and a few decorative pieces from our 1209 decor collection. Ta-da!

photos by Nicolas Alexander

El Chorro Reception | Hai + Shawn

This was a very special 2016 wedding for us. It signified the start of our very first spring-season. As time continues to pass by, and as we continue to learn and grow, we want to sincerely thank each and every bride and groom we have been able to work with, along with all of the amazing vendors. It's been way cool spreading our floral and design love all over these events and weddings! It's what we obsess over everyday, and it's what we are good at. We will continuing serving our 2017 bookings with so much heart, while staying true to the 1209 quality and style.

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Photography: Kym Ventola Photography ❖  Venue + Rentals: El Chorro ❖ Florals: 1209 Creative

Project Red :: Superstition Mountains

The styling, the model, the makeup + hair... the entire crew involved in this smokin' hot photo shoot did a crazy-amazing job. Although we played a small role in this shoot, it was still so refreshing to create some floral flair outside of our norm. We are so used to creating centerpieces, decorating tables or styling events. We look forward to exploring more of this kind of creativity with our fellow fashion friends.

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We couldn't pass up combining our love for fashion + flowers, especially knowing that Thomas Ingersoll was the photographer behind this shoot. I met Thomas through mutual friends a few years ago and modeled for a photography workshop he hosted with a colleague. Since then, we have worked together on a few other photo shoots building up my personal portfolio. He has also worked with some of my favorite Agency Arizona models, and we are all big, big fans of his work and creativity. Thomas is always sharing his knowledge of photography with others, He's such a down-to-earth person and pleasure to work with... and definitely easy on the eyes (just saying). He's an overall true professional at what he does.

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Mante, the Creative Director behind this shoot, is probably one of the coolest stylists in Phoenix (sadly soon to leave us for Austin *tear*). Her brain is constantly filled with ideas and inspiration, and it seamlessly translates into her work. We reached out to her last year to work with us on our 1209 holiday shoot, Sweetest Romance. My heart skipped a beat when she agreed to style the shoot... she delivered EXACTLY what we envisioned. We couldn't have pulled the shoot off without her insane eye for style. She has also worked on countless shoots with fellow Agency Arizona models. Mante knows what's up when it comes for creative direction and fashion.

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Photography: Thomas Ingersoll ❖ Creative Director: Mante Koliakinaite

Video : Jess Lawrie of The Good Vibe Media ❖  Floral Design: 1209 Creative

Model: Katie Flanigan of The Agency Arizona ❖  Makeup: Linda Wagner ❖ Hair: Sofia Verdugo

Dress: Alejandra Inzunza ❖ Suit: Rare Scarf Vintage

The True Cost of Wedding Flowers

Simon Nickell wrote the following post on his blog, and he took the words right out of our mouths. He touched base on topics that we have experienced several times, and it's super important that clients realize the amount of time that goes into design (on top of the actual cost of the flowers). Simon has been in the floral industry for 26 years, so his experience and knowledge of the business is something we look up to. Location also plays a big part in flower cost. I would like to add that we live in the middle of the desert. Flowers are sent here from all of the country (and the world), so extra care goes into obtaining them, as well as taking care of them as we're working to ensure they look their best come wedding day!

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UK Wedding Floristry Advice - The True Cost Of Wedding Flowers

by Simon Nickell

"This is a headline that I’d like to see splashed across the pages of a national newspaper! It is a subject that is very close to my heart, and one I don’t believe is addressed enough in the wedding industry. A lack of truthfulness about what wedding flowers actually cost can and does lead to a huge amount of frustration and misunderstanding for florists and clients alike.

The bridal press, blogs and social media are saturated with images of “luxury” flowers, flower walls and sumptuous hanging installations, which all makes great copy. They hunger for beautiful images of celebrity weddings and flower heavy photoshoots to fill their pages, which is perfectly understandable. A serious lack of information however for the client, about the work involved for a wedding florist to create these amazing displays, is not helped by the media and bridal press constantly telling couples that they can have it all on a budget of £500.

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When I first started as a florist 26 years ago there were no social media or blogs to inspire. Brides went to their local florist and chose arrangements from a catalogue of commercially produced styles. The designs and flowers available were very limited, and I would often hear a bride say “I’ll have that one, in peach”. Today everything has changed, and it is rare now for me to meet a bride who hasn’t found her inspiration on social media. Pinterest and Instagram seem to be taking over the world and brides bring THEIR Pinterest boards to ME!

I must admit I have a love, hate relationship with Pinterest! While it can be an incredibly useful tool it can also be very misleading. Much of its imagery features incredibly flower heavy American weddings which have been photographed in Californian vineyards or New England gardens and  this can lead to an enormous amount of confusion and disappointment when I tell couples that the flower heavy look they want will cost thousands rather than hundreds.

Let's face facts, apart from the cost of buying a home, the cost of a wedding is probably the biggest expense at one time that a couple will have in their lives. It is also a fact that American couples tend to spend more on wedding flowers than couples in this country, and photo shoots tend to focus on the lavish rather than the average.

There are many reasons why florists charge what they charge for providing wedding flowers. Firstly, flowers do cost money. We have all become so accustomed to seeing flowers in supermarkets at discount prices that we expect flowers to be cheap. Supermarket flowers are a completely different ball game and bear no resemblance to the industry I work in. Produced in colossal quantities for the mass market, they are sold with the marketing strategy of "pile it high, sell it cheap".

The vast majority of the flowers that wedding and event florists use are imported from Holland, with only 15% being grown in the UK. In Holland flowers are traded in euros, the exchange rate with the pound is against us, and fuel and transportation costs have rocketed in recent years. Inevitably this has seen an increase in wholesale costs, and florists have to pass these costs on to their customers. Unlike Asda, who can sell a bunch of spray carnations for £2.00 (which is what I used to sell them for in the flower shop where I first worked 26 years ago) we can't!

Of course being British, we’re often brought up to believe that it’s bad form to talk about money. Florists can become their own worst enemies when asking a prospective client about their floral budget, and I know from personal experience that there really is no shame asking a direct question. It can save a lot of time and embarrassment later on, believe me.

Any good wedding planner will advise their clients on how much money to allow for each element of their wedding. A rule of thumb for flowers is 10%. of the overall budget, depending on guest numbers, flowers used, the number of arrangements and work involved. For some couples this might seem an exorbitant amount of money to spend on flowers, to others no. It is however a useful figure to bear in mind.

Bear in mind that certain flowers of course are always more expensive, more elaborate designs are more labour intensive and additional costs such as hire items, transport, petrol and staff wages, and the dreaded VAT have to be factored in, and can increase the final cost dramatically. 

I spend many months preparing for a wedding, sometimes more than a year. The run up to a wedding can involve months of site visits, design meetings, quotes, re quotes, adjustments and mock ups of final designs. A wedding day for me can have a 4 a.m. start to prepare the bridal flowers, and a 1 a.m. clearance because the venue insists on everything being taken away at the end of the night. All this work has to be included into the final fee.

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To the uninitiated many people think that my work finishes when I deliver the bridal bouquet. If truth be told many people think that mine isn’t a proper job at all. Over the past 26 years I’ve come to realise that the people who do think that don’t respect my work, attach no value to it and therefore think they have the right to negotiate my prices down. I have also come to realise that I have the right to say no. 

Like everyone else, florists are in business to make money; so why should we feel embarrassed about charging what we charge? We work to earn a decent living, pay our bills and provide employment for the myriad of people involved in keeping our industry going. 

Every year I take on a limited number of weddings. I don’t work every weekend because enquiries, like buses tend to come along all at once. I often have to turn down work because I’m already booked, and when I’m not I don’t get anything! Such is the nature of the business.

Choosing the flowers for a wedding should be one of the most enjoyable parts of the planning process. Professional florists are highly experienced, skilled and creative individuals who deserve respect for what they do. We work incredibly hard (often behind the scenes) to make a couple’s day look amazing, and what we do is reflected as the true cost of wedding flowers."

photos by Nicolas Alexander