Dinah

Trust Yourself To Pick A Florist You Trust

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I completely trust the guy who cuts my hair (Paul Norton at Warren Tricomi salon in West Hollywood – he’s AMAZING). I basically tell him, “make me gorgeous,” and he does his thing. And I end up – guess what – gorgeous!  Every bride should feel the same about her vendors – especially her floral designer.  While you may want to offer more guidance, if they are the right florist, you should trust them enough to say, “here’s my basic vision, the colors I like, now make it gorgeous.”

When My Little Flower Shop did our wedding, Stephen and I knew it would be beautiful.  We knew the overall feel we wanted, and the colors.  And then we told Greg and Al to make it gorgeous. There were no details discussed, but I knew from centerpieces to bouquets it would be perfect ( and it was. Check out our Pinterest board).

The huppah covered in roses, hydrangea, succulents, lisianthus, mums, and beautiful greenery

When Greg called me that morning to ask if it would be OK if he left the tulle off the top of our chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy/structure) because it looked great without it, I laughed.  “Of course – you didn’t even need to call.”

Are you feeling like the lead designer on your own wedding? Making too many decisions, and giving too much direction? Maybe you need to go in a new direction, and to a different florist. Trust yourself!

Be well, and love well.

-Dinah

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I’d Like to Thank My Agent, My Higher Power, My Friends, My Family, and My Parrot.

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THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Here’s a big ‘thank you’ to all who made our Mother’s Day Weekend a rip-roaring success!  We’re giving a shout-out to:

  • The A-Team of Valley floral designers that has occupied our back room for the last four days
  • our wonderful couples who got married on Saturday
  • Our friends who came to pitch in: answering phones, writing cards, cutting ribbons and keeping spirits up
  • The drivers who joined us – our regulars and our pinch hitters
  • Google Maps – a heaven sent blessing.
  • Max, our Parrot! Raspberries all week this week, buddy!
  • The event staff at the Miramonte Resort and Spa, (especially the kitchen staff for putting up with floral designers in the dishwashing area)and the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa.
  • The Coachella Valley’s many gas stations.  Couldn’t have done it without you!
  • Route 111 itself – love ya baby!
  • Pizza Hut! This engine runs on Cheesy Bites!

And last but certainly not least…

All the sons, daughters, husbands and friends who sent love in the form of flowers to the Moms in their lives enabling us to do what we do.  Thank You Palm Springs!!!

-Gregory & Alan

Mother’s Day arrangements carpeting the My Little Flower Shop floor

 

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The Mass Produced Floral Assembly Line (Why Not To Order Mass Produced Flowers For Mother’s Day)

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After graduating from the floral design program at SCROC (Southern California Regional Occupational Center), I pounded the pavement looking for paid work as a floral designer.  You don’t just sashay into a place like My Little Flower Shop and say “I’m here now, show me your centerpieces, teach me your aesthetic and I’ll revolutionize your tablescapes.” You have to pay your dues.  And pay I did.

My first gig was at a big national chain florist, in the run-up towards Valentine’s Day.  The kind with the “official” arrangements available everywhere. The shop I worked at is on a corner best known to hot-dog connossieurs as home to one of LA’s historic hot dog stands.  But my workspace wasn’t street facing.  It wasn’t anything facing.  It was a shipping container. One end was left open, and one side lined with tables.  There were five of us, who stood in the shipping container eight hours a day making “dozen reds” (a dozen red roses with baby’s breath and ferns).  We made them, and then walked them to another shipping container across the alley, filled with shelves.  This started 10 days before Valentine’s, and kept going right through that day. Dozen red after dozen red. Chili-dog smell upon chili-dog smell.

An arrangement for Mom with heart and soul!

When one of our My Little Flower Shop arrangements arrives somewhere, the recipient can see that we are passionate about what we do.  When a girl got a “dozen red” that had been wilting in a shipping containers for 8 days, what do you think she saw?  I haven’t gotten a chance to drive by and check, but I bet dollars to donuts that a shipping conatiner full of underemployed, depressed designers is out there knocking out “Mom Bokays.”  Is that what you want dropped off at your Mom’s house?  Didn’t think so.

So skip the cookie-cutter ProFlowers, FTD, Teleflora nonsense.  Go with a real business who will make a real, unique arrangement with real feeling.  And who would never put a designer in a shipping container.

Live well, and love well.

Dinah

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