If you want to pursue your love of flowers, what are you waiting for? Here are 5 careers in floral design that are waiting for you.
1. Teach about floral design
A floral design instructor is a very rewarding area of specialty. In a classroom environment, provide the tools for students to pursue their dreams of working with flowers.
There are many different course options to teach, from vocational to career-driven studies. Perhaps you focus on providing short 1-2 day courses for hobbyists or instead help prepare pupils to work in the industry by arming them with the necessary skills.
Postsecondary teaching involves showing others how to properly care for flowers and inspiring them creatively with arrangements. Among the places to teach are community colleges, private institutions specifically for floral careers, and vocational schools.
Another option is to become a researcher who specializes in gardening, plant breeding, or another area. You might even hold seminars online or in-person to share your knowledge.
2. Grow flowers: Another of the exciting careers in floral design
Are you looking for a job in floricutlure? If you’re all about studying and growing flowers and foliage then this field could be perfect for you!
As a flower farmer, you would grow fresh flowers for a range of vendors, including retail shops, florists, and wholesalers. In addition, you might start to dry flowers as an extra service to offer your customer base.
Another option is to extract essential oils and hydrosols from plants and herbs. You might find that you end up heading a lavender farm as you fall in love with its mix of farming, creativity, and marketing.
As part of harvesting flowers for commercial purposes, you’ll carry the responsibility of keeping the growing environment in the best condition possible. You’ll also have to understand:
- What’s in demand in the industry
- What grows best in the shade or other controlled environments
- Treatments after harvest if you’re in charge of the farm
Alternatively, specialize in one of those areas as an employee to focus on a particular task you love without any management pressures. You will likely find yourself in greenhouses sometimes too, where you would plant, cultivate and harvest flowers, as well as trees and other plants if desired.
This type of work really isn’t “work” when you enjoy being around colorful flowers and providing them commercially for resale on happy occasions, such as birthdays. Those blooms of yours will make someone’s day brighter!
3. Wedding and event designer
Getting married is one of the biggest events in a person’s lifetime and you can be a key part of the special day as a floral designer specifically for weddings. Enhance the ceremony and the reception by providing the blooms that the bride and groom are looking for or helping them decide what fits within their theme if they’re not sure yet what they want.
Along with the head table and guest table arrangements, flowers are traditionally part of bridal bouquets and boutonnieres. The cheerful environment is sure to motivate you and when it comes to the stress of the big day itself, keep your cool and deliver the arrangements as promised by planning ahead and having a team if needed.
You also might make your design services available for special events, such as proms. Hello corsage maker!
Not sure what to charge as fees for your services? Don’t cut yourself short when it comes to asking for what you’re worth and promoting yourself, ladies.
4. More careers in floral design: Own a flower shop
Buy flowers from suppliers to fill your store so your customers have a variety of blooms to choose from when they enter. Strongly consider creating a website to help get the word out about your products, flowers, and related accessories, and services, such as creating custom flower arrangements.
Your website could offer potential customers the opportunity to buy preset bouquets and also custom arrangements. You could also arrange delivery options for them locally.
Perhaps you provide ready-made bouquets for special occasions, including:
- Valentine’s Day
- Birthday
- Thank you
- Sympathy
- Anniversary
- Romantic gesture for no reason at all
To reach as many people as possible, offer options for a range of budgets. In addition, as the owner, you’ll also be responsible for several operational tasks, such as handling cash and accounts, responding to complaints, changing buckets and recutting flowers if not sold yet, hiring staff, delegating tasks to employees, and more.
But all of this work is well worth it to be around your beloved flowers and make a profit by doing so! There’s truly nothing better than doing what you love for work.
Plus, you’ll likely never have the exact same workday. There’s lots of variety in this profession, which keeps it from ever getting dull.
Furthermore, the blooms change by season so there will be a lot of different beauties around you as a floral business owner. You’ll also have endless opportunities for creativity as you put together new arrangements, tweak your personal style as a florist over time, and serve a range of customers, from someone who wants to send flowers to her friend to businesses who want to order banquet table centerpieces.
5. On-call for other florists
The final one on the list of careers in floral design is being a floral freelancer. Yes, just as I am a writer freelancer, there are also those who contract out in the flower industry.
A major benefit of freelancing is that you can work when you want, such as weekends only or only certain times of the year. Also, pick and choose who you collaborate with.
You can start building your career now by going to school for floral design to get the skills needed to succeed in this field. Watch for scholarships from Snap Blooms and others to provide the funding to support your career dream.
Of course, it’ll take time to build connections to get hired as a freelancer. To build your community, attend networking events where you have the opportunity to build relationships with those who might hire you in the near future or know people who can do so.
Also, volunteer at events or in stores to gain experience relating to the specialty area that you want to pursue as a freelancer. Do a great job and they just might take you on as a freelance designer or in another role.
The freelance option involves doing your homework if you want to be a success. For example, research companies before you work for them so that you know their specialties and get a sense of their style. Produce work that they like and they’re probably going to hire you again!
A few last words on careers in floral design
Ensure you get the proper education to prepare for your chosen path in the floral industry. Find a florist course that combines classroom and practical experience in areas of design and also caring for flowers to give you the best of both worlds.
Along with education, practice will be important. Hone in on your skills, whether your work is at weddings, as a flower shop owner, floral farmer, educator, or freelancer.
Lastly, find your floral style. It’s an artistic venture; you express yourself through flowers just as a fashion designer does so through clothes.
To find your style, ask yourself questions, such as:
- What blooms are you drawn to? These are likely ones you’ll want to showcase in your arrangements.
- Do you look up to certain floral designers? If so, what is their style? Don’t copy it but instead put your own spin on it; looking at what you admire in them will help you do so.
Have you ever thought about pursuing a position in the floral industry? Are you all about the flower power?