An Insight to Business Cost

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This week I gained valuable experience both on the farm and in the studio. I worked on watering plants during cooler parts of the day and helped plant sunflowers into beds, which was a rewarding hands-on task I thoroughly enjoyed. Being outside and working with the soil gave me a sense of purpose and satisfaction that I sometimes find lacking in more repetitive studio work. I also assisted with processing a flower order that arrived late, which required extra attention to care for and revive the blooms. Despite the delay, we were able to save most of the flowers through proper hydration and cooling, which reinforced the importance of flower maintenance and environmental control in floral work.

In addition to farm tasks, I was also involved in preparations for three weddings, two of which were DIY weddings, and one a full-service event where we handled all floral arrangements. This full wedding taught me a lot about time management, teamwork, and how much effort and coordination goes into pulling off a large-scale floral event. From arranging bouquets to boutonnieres and creating table centerpieces, each task had to be completed thoughtfully and efficiently. The color theme was sunset-inspired, and it was fulfilling to see everything come together beautifully.

One idea I found myself reflecting on this week is how tedious and mentally draining studio work can sometimes feel compared to more active farm work. While floral arranging is a creative process, it can become repetitive, especially when there’s uncertainty about what to do next or when there are long stretches of production without much variation. This contrast made me appreciate the diversity in farm tasks even more, as they tend to be more physically engaging and straightforward. I would challenge the assumption that studio work is always more desirable or prestigious. It’s equally important but not always more enjoyable.

Another concept I challenged this week was my understanding of pricing and the financial side of wedding florals. I had a conversation with my host about the cost of the wedding we worked on, which totaled around $12,000. I was surprised to learn that the final price included not only the cost of flowers and labor but also travel expenses like gas, hotel, and meals. I had previously underestimated how much logistical costs contribute to the overall pricing. This challenged my assumptions and gave me a more complete picture of how floral businesses remain profitable while covering all necessary expenses.

After this week, I’m still curious about how floral professionals accurately estimate the number of arrangements needed for large events, especially when it comes to table settings and installations like meadows. For example, we originally thought we needed 19 place settings, but the final count was only 14. I wonder what systems or communication practices can be put in place to avoid over- or under-producing florals for events.

I’m also interested in learning more about how professionals track labor hours and material costs on a per-project basis. Understanding how to estimate and break down these figures in advance, while leaving room for flexibility, seems like a crucial skill in event floral work. I’d like to eventually get more experience in the planning and quoting process, not just the hands-on design and setup.

Moving forward, I plan to be more proactive in learning the business and logistical side of event florals. I’ll keep asking questions about pricing, ordering, and planning so I can gain a better understanding of the full scope of what goes into large floral events. I’m also going to start paying closer attention to how we determine quantities for arrangements and setups, and how those decisions are communicated and finalized with clients.

On the farm side, I want to continue doing more hands-on fieldwork, especially tasks like planting and watering. I’ve learned that I thrive in outdoor environments and that these physical tasks help balance out the more repetitive aspects of studio design. As I move ahead in this internship, I want to be intentional about developing both skill sets, creative floral design and farm.

Submitted by: Courtney Robb
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team