Flowers Friday is here again!
Today I’m sharing some information from my sweet friend, Beth, of Beth Cranford Floral Design.
First off, Beth is an absolute sweetheart, and she’s so very talented! My first time to see her work was at my beautiful bride, Kayla’s bridal session.
The bridal session was in the evening in September and as all of you know, it’s still very hot in September here on the Coast! The bouquet held up beautifully though and it was gorgeous! Exactly what the bride wanted!
I hope you love reading all about Beth and seeing a few of Kayla’s beautiful session!
Background on Beth:
I grew up around the most beautiful flowers and plants. I guess you could say I come from a floral legacy. My great Uncle Robert owned a plant nursery in North Mississippi, he was my mother’s flower influence. While I was growing up, my mom worked in a grocery store floral department and in retail florists, before becoming an instructor in the Floral Management Program at Mississippi State. And that’s where my influence comes from, my mom was my instructor and mentor, while I was in college at MSU. Pretty neat, huh?
I found success and passion almost immediately when I entered the Floral Management program at Mississippi State University. The Floral Management curriculum at MSU consists of courses in plant science, business, art, cut floriculture, and advanced floral design. I was only half way through my first semester of basic floral design when I placed 2nd overall in my first design competition. In pursuit of my degree, I was a member of a student group (Student Chapter of the American Institute of Floral Designers–SAIFD) that allowed me to participate in many regional and national floral design competitions, hosted by the American Institute of Floral Designers. These competitions helped me think creatively, develop my skill, and build confidence in my aesthetic, all while receiving critiques from some of the best designers in the world. Upon completion of my coursework and internship at Baisch and Skinner Wholesale Florist in St. Louis, Missouri, I received a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture with an emphasis in Floral Management from MSU.
After working in Inside Sales and Retail Management for a few years, I found myself on the Mississippi Gulf Coast ready to put my degree, floral passion, and business skills to use. I started Beth Cranford Floral Designs, LLC in Spring 2016. I love what I do, my business provides floral designs for all of life’s special moments (weddings, funerals, and other events).
BCFD Wedding Design and Service:
First, I have my brides fill out a questionnaire. This questionnaire asks the most basic questions: “What, when, where, how many?” It also asks color scheme, flower likes-dislikes, etc. After the questionnaire, I like to meet with my brides and go over inspiration and design details. Often, brides will ask for pictures. I am so fortunate to be able to use social media as a marketing tool and a portfolio. However, I do tell my brides/clients: All my weddings and events are CUSTOM. No two bouquets look alike. Most of the time, I like for my clients to provide their own inspiration photos. I can take a collection of images or a Pinterest board and create a look for their wedding or event. Mostly, I use a bride’s inspiration images for color and form and then put my creative touch on it through flower selection and design. I am thoughtful in my selection of plant material for weddings. I enjoy utilizing locally-grown and regional products to enhance my designs, but also utilize wholesale resources in Europe, Central America, South America, and California that provide special order materials. My aesthetic allows for flowers to be presented in designs as they would appear in nature. It definitely helps having a horticulture degree during the flower selection process: identifying different varieties of flowers, knowing the colors and forms of flowers, how they bloom, their season and their longevity. I love when a bride gives me creative freedom in color, style, and flower selection. It’s so exciting to create a look that is new and unique.
The design, material selection, and creativity are not the only exciting parts to running a floral design business, building relationships and client interactions are so rewarding. Weddings and Events are service driven. The experience I received in my sales and retail management positions help me today with my own business. I value customer service and it is an important part of my job. I strive to leave a good impression; not only with my designs but my level of service.
I have over ten years of experience in Floral Design, Customer Service, and Retail Management. Still, I am always looking for ways to grow as a designer and business owner. In the wedding business, you have to stay current and be ahead on trends. In one of my design courses, my professor (Dr. Jim Delprince) would always remind us of the infamous saying: “When you’re green, you grow. When you’re ripe, you rot.” It’s a motto I’ve stuck to as I grow myself and my business.
Testimonies:
Beth made all my Pinterest wedding floral dreams come true! She took my vision and gave me exactly what I wanted and more! You could tell every detail was thoughtfully pieced together and she couldn’t have made it any more perfect! Not to mention she is the absolute sweetest person you’d ever want to work with! Thank you so much, Beth, for all your phenomenal work to make my wedding day so beautiful!
-J. Kelley
Beth had a beautiful vision and the execution of that vision resulted in our perfect wedding day. I could not have imagined a more perfect day for us! We cannot thank Beth enough for that gorgeous day. Trust me, you’d want Beth on your wedding dream team! My husband states that anyone on the Mississippi Gulf Coast who wishes for a dream wedding come true should seek out Beth’s expertise, immediately.
Thank you so incredibly much, Beth! You are truly amazing.
-E. Tan
Beth Is awesome! She has a passion for flowers and will deliver the best. Always reminds forgetful husbands/boyfriends of Valentines Day/ Anniversaries/Mothers day. Year after year!!! Thanks, Beth!!
-B.K. Breland
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