From Seed to Centerpiece: My First Year Building a Wedding Floral Business
Sixty-five-hour work weeks, a full-time non-profit job, and a “weed-induced mental breakdown” were not in my business plan!
As we enter 2026, I am reflecting on the year that was 2025. What a whirlwind! This past season marked my first full year of wedding floral design as a major part of my business. Though I had prior floral experience, dating back to 2011, when I created bouquets for the farmstand and market on the farm I worked for, and a few past weddings under my belt from 2023 & 2024, 2025 was a super intense experience! I was certainly happy to have experience with events from my years in restaurants and catering.
This year was about a few things: intentionally diving into possibility, blending my love for artistic creation and design with my life as a flower farmer, while still working full-time as a nonprofit leader. In the past, I had seen myself as a flower farmer who occasionally did weddings, but mostly sold subscription bouquets and flowers at farmers markets.
The 2025 season was one of immense growth, breathtaking beauty, and a few "weed-induced" mental breakdowns, but I wouldn't trade any of it for a moment. Not only did the weeds grow out of control, but fortunately so did my business, my business plan, and my own personal growth.
Three Hats
If I had to describe this year in one word, it would be "juggling." I wear three distinct hats:
· Floral designer for couples in love
· A flower farmer nurturing blooms from seed to design
· A dedicated executive director running a food justice non-profit.
The reality of this balance has been a challenge unlike any other. There were a few times of major crisis and peak chaos managing wedding logistics while simultaneously dealing with an urgent situation at my non-profit. Having experience in backcountry rescue, I got through moments like the one I am going to tell you about by saying to myself, “no one is going to die”. Except that one time someone could have. In November, life decided to really test my multitasking limits by simultaneously dropping the absolute heaviest and lightest crises imaginable onto my plate. While I was attempting to manage the very serious situation of a hatchet attack in my non-profit's parking lot—a genuine "are you kidding me?" moment—my wedding business simultaneously erupted its own specific brand of chaos: a broken-down U-Haul and a freelancer who called out 15 minutes before showtime. I vacillated between feeling attacked by the gods and being the reluctant star of a particularly absurd, high-stress reality show that forgot to include a commercial break.
But mostly, the sheer ongoing grind and volume of work often felt relentless. My weeks generally stretched to 65-80 hours, working seven days a week, a pace that left little room for much else. I think one week in September, Google Calendar shows 90 hours spent between the job and floral work! The mid-summer weed explosion in the fields felt symbolic of the chaos—nature asserting its will just as I was trying to manage intricate wedding schedules. Time for friends, mountain biking, or unwinding simply vanished. It was a trade-off, a steep learning curve in setting boundaries and managing expectations, both for my business and for myself. Honestly, my greatest challenge was just taking a breath and centering myself, and trying to find joy in the chaos.
A Season of Growth and Bloom
Despite the challenges, the rewards were abundant. I had the privilege of flowering
14 full-service weddings, collaborating closely with couples to bring their floral dreams to life.
A la Carte florals for three weddings
A baby shower
A retirement party
An engagement party
And more, each offering a unique creative outlet and the opportunity to meet amazing humans!
Seeing the joy my designs brought to these special moments fueled my passion. The magic of working with flowers—from the soil to the vase—is something I will never tire of. The creative process, the beauty of the blooms, and all the color palettes I get to work with—these are the things that make all the hard work worth it. I am completely in love with what I do.
The balancing act was real
Ultimately, the journey of juggling three hats proved that a chaotic path can still lead to business and immense personal growth, and my passion for food justice, farming, and floral design kept me from totally losing it, along the way, even when everything felt overwhelming and completely insane. Honestly, I wouldn't trade the struggle of last season for a moment, and I'm walking into the next year with more wisdom and clearer boundaries.
Are you planning a wedding? Or know someone who is? I’d be honored to bring your floral dreams to life. Visit my weddings page to learn more about full-service or à la carte options for your special day.
Stay tuned for more stories from the PQ Farm Flowers, and remember to take a breath wherever you are right now.
