07/07/2026
Confessions of a Florist: The Things We’d Never Normally Say Out Loud
Every job has its secrets. Floristry is no different.
After just over two years of running Flourish, we’ve learnt that flowers are actually only a small part of trying to get a business off the ground
So, in the interests of complete honesty, here are a few florist confessions we’d never normally say out loud…
“Can You Make It Look Like This?”
We’ve all had it. I’ve probably done myself at some point
A customer shows us a Pinterest photo containing flowers from three different seasons, five countries and what looks suspiciously like a £300 bouquet.
Then asks:
“Can you do this for £30?”
We’ll always do our best, but sometimes Pinterest exists in a slightly different reality to the rest of us…and don’t get me started on AI and artificial flower pictures. That said, inspiration photos are HUGELY helpful too …so we aren’t complaining..honestly
However….We Do Secretly Love It When You Say…
“Just make me something beautiful.”
Honestly, that’s florist heaven.
No colour charts.
Just trust us to do what we do best, with the beautiful flowers we can source that day.
Some of our favourite bouquets have started with those four words.
The Honesty Box Confession
If you’ve ever bought one of our honesty box bouquets from the drive-by flower stand, firstly, thank you.
Secondly…
Please keep it upright.
If we had a pound for every water-packed bouquet we’ve carefully prepared, only for somebody to immediately lay it flat on the passenger seat, we’d probably have paid off the flower truck by now.
The little water reservoir is designed to keep the flowers happy on their journey home.
When it’s upright, everything works perfectly.
When it’s laid flat, gravity gets involved and suddenly the flowers are a lot thirstier than we intended. And.. someone gets a wet bum later!
If you’ve ever wondered why we’re so keen to tell you to keep it upright… we’re not being fussy….I promise
The Definition of “Last Minute”
Florists and customers have very different definitions of what constitutes short notice.
We’ll get messages saying:
“Sorry it’s last minute, but I need flowers for next Tuesday.”
That’s not last minute.
That’s the dream.
Then at the opposite end of the scale, we occasionally get:
“I need something really special.”
The word special is usually repeated several times!!!
It’s for a very important person. A very important occasion.
They have a very specific vision.
And they need it ….approximately, 20 minutes ago!!!
We’ll always do our best, but there can be a slight mismatch between:
“This is the most important bouquet I’ve ever ordered.”
And:
“I only just remembered, as I drove past your house”
Not Everybody Is Excited To See A Florist
You’d think delivering flowers would always be met with delight.
Most of the time it is.
But every florist has arrived at a door expecting excitement and been greeted by somebody who looks like you’re there to read the gas meter.
To be fair, flowers often arrive during emotional times. Sometimes someone has lost a loved one and has honestly seen enough flowers to last a lifetime.
Other times it’s something completely different.
I once delivered a birthday bouquet to a lady who had been sent flowers as a surprise gift.
Instead of being delighted, she was fuming!!
As it turned out, she was going on holiday the next day…i think she even mouthed the letters “FFS” ha
Wedding Morning Reality Check
People often imagine that when we deliver wedding flowers, the bride spends ten minutes admiring every carefully chosen stem.
The reality is usually a little more chaotic.
There are hairdressers, make-up artists, photographers, bridesmaids and enough excitement to power a small town.
And quite rightly, the bride has about 147 other things on her mind.
This isn’t a criticism.
It’s one of the biggest days of her life.
Because of that, we try to have as little impact on the morning as possible.
That said, I do like to see the whites of the bride’s eyes before I leave.
I like to hand over the bouquet, make sure she’s happy, quickly explain the best way to hold it and make sure everything is exactly as she expected.
Then I’m gone.
I’ve noticed a trend on social media where florists film brides seeing their flowers for the first time. Everyone gasps in pleasure…
Personally, it’s not my thing.
Unless that’s something the bride has specifically asked for (and we do get asked), it feels a little indulgent to me.
That moment belongs to her, not the florist.
I’d rather quietly hand over the flowers, wish her the most wonderful day and leave her to enjoy it.
The Colour Description Challenge
Customers often know exactly what colour they’re looking for.
Explaining it is another matter.
“I want pink, but not pink pink.”
Or:
“Something natural.”
Natural like a meadow?
Natural like a sunset?
Natural like a mushroom?
Most of the time we get there eventually.
“I Trust You Completely…”
These are some of a florist’s favourite words.
Unfortunately, they’re occasionally followed by:
“Nothing orange.”
“Nothing yellow.”
“Nothing pink.”
“Nothing bright.”
“Nothing pale.”
At which point we’re left wondering what colours are still available.
“I haven’t Forgotten you”…but your order isn’t quite ready
Possibly means…I have forgotten you…but I can still rescue myself from this..if you’ll just give me ten minutes
The M&S Incident
If you follow us on social media, you might remember my little rant about this one.
A customer once asked for a large bouquet for £25.
I explained that £25 wouldn’t buy a large bouquet from us.
Not because we’re being difficult.
Simply because flowers, wrapping, sundries, VAT and all those other boring business expenses insist on existing.
Her response?
“Well, I’d be better going to M&S then.”
Yes…She probably would.
Not because M&S flowers are better.
And not because ours are better.
They’re just different.
What we do at Flourish is create bespoke bouquets by hand. We buy flowers specifically for orders, obsess over colours and spend an unhealthy amount of time worrying about whether a bouquet made it home safely (keep those Honesty’s upright).
One of the biggest things we’ve learnt in two years of business is that not everyone is your customer.
And that’s OK.
Speaking before I think (common occurrance)
True Story….a lady called saying she would like to arrange some funeral flowers
My response? “Amazing” …face palm moment
The Biggest Confession Of All
The flowers themselves are only half of the job.
The other half is people.
People celebrating birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, new babies and retirements.
People saying thank you.
People saying sorry.
People saying goodbye.
Some are organised months in advance.
Others need floral rescue services because they’ve remembered an important occasion at the very last minute.
And honestly?
We secretly love rescuing people.
Every customer is different.
Every day is different.
The work is challenging.
Sometimes exhausting.
Frequently unpredictable.
But that’s exactly why we love it.
So thank you for supporting our little business over the last two years.
Thank you for trusting us with your weddings, your birthdays, your celebrations and your goodbyes.
And thank you for giving us plenty of material for future florist confessions. We will be back with part 2, as we have barely scratched the sides on this one
We wouldn’t have it any other way. 🌸💚
Flourish of Sutton Weaver – real flowers, real people and occasionally a florist trying very hard not to roll her eyes when someone wants a luxury bouquet in twenty minutes ….for £25. 😄🌸
