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Summer 2015 Floral Wedding Trends

FSN-Summer Wedding 2015

The season of weddings is upon us and that means summer brides are out in full force to take advantage of this year’s hottest styles. Take a look at what we believe will be the five most popular trends for brides’ 2015 summer affairs.

Large-Blossomed Flowers

To create a romantic and luxurious atmosphere, large-blossomed flowers will be trending. Blooms such as hydrangeas, peonies and garden roses will be used to make bold statements in a variety of wedding decor, from bouquets to the table centerpieces. Blossoms are versatile for many occasions and can fit right in with a variety of wedding styles.

Lush Greenery

Inspired by the natural essence of a garden, many are opting to bring in lush greenery, such as mixes of herbs or garlands often made from varieties of ferns or leafy foliage, to complement to center piece wedding day blooms. Herbs like rosemary and mint are used primarily for their shape and rich aromas, while ferns are taken for their lacy delicate textures. Consider bringing in greenery for a more natural feel to any wedding theme.

Cascading and Teardrop Bouquets

Cascading bouquets have a 100-year history. Seen as a very classic arrangement, the style has come and gone several times throughout the last century. The height of its popularity occurred when Princess Diana walked down the aisle with her own cascading bouquet, the teardrop bouquet is much more streamlined with its shorter drop. Both styles are perfect for the classic bride.

Heirloom Elegance

Another trend you can expect to see in summer 2015 will be heirloom and vintage incorporated into many bridal styles. “Bejeweled accents” will be strategically blended into bridal bouquets and on bouquet handles. Other approaches for adding “bling” into a wedding include family jewelry, such as earrings necklaces, crowns or brooches, which gives the event a personal touch and a twist of modern sophistication.

Re-purposed and Up-cycled

Suggested for weddings with a more rustic ambiance, re-purposed and up-cycled elements bring a simple, natural feel to a couple’s big day. Not only budget-friendly, wedding decor like centerpieces, signs and vases created to accentuate floral arrangements mix well into a natural atmosphere. Mix-and-match pieces also give the perfect “homey” feel to an intimate affair while maintaining a strong theme throughout the event.

Check back with the Bloomin’ Blog for more great wedding flower trends and ideas!

A Floral Milestone

In the flower shop business, it’s hard to lose sense of time. Each season brings in new decorations and new floral occasions, but sometimes one can realize out of the blue that time really goes by fast. This is the case with Bloomingtons Flower Shop in Universal City, Texas who are celebrating 10 years with Flower Shop Network this year.

Experience in Design

As a full service flower shop, Bloomingtons has experience in a variety of design types, but specializes in funeral flowers.

With 25 years of combined experience, this team has designed for weddings, special events, and has created wonderful works of art for sympathy tributes and funerals.

Their creative talents definitely show through their intricate memorial designs and this shop also carries a variety of gift options to pair with a bouquet.

A Shop To Count On

While their design is easy to admire from their many pictures on their website and Facebook page, what makes Bloomingtons really stand out is their phenomenal customer service and attention to delivery. One customer was amazed their flowers were delivered just in time for the holiday.

“This was the first year in a long time that a florist actually delivered, on time, what they promised. The arrangement was big and beautiful and full of excellent quality flowers. The driver actually called before delivery and was very polite. I could not have been more happy with the flowers that were delivered.”

With great service and a talent for design, Bloomingtons Flower Shop will continue to provide Universal City, Texas with quality arrangements for many years to come!

Shop Talk: Marketing On Wheels

Marketing is an important aspect of flower shop sales. It’s what gets your name out there as a business and what keeps customers coming in and remaining life-long friends. Lora’s Flowers and Gifts of Muenster, Texas has taken their marketing to the streets as a van wrap advertisement on their delivery truck.

Wrapped Delivery

Just as it is important to have your employees look presentable when delivering blooms, that should also go for the delivery truck. Making an impression and looking professional is also an important marketing tactic. The more a customer sees the business logo on the vehicle, the more excited they will be when it pulls up on their driveway for a special delivery.

Marketing To A Huge Audience

It’s no surprise that wrapping the delivery truck is an easy way to market your business. It makes deliveries look professional and everyone within sight of the van will see the business name and the phone number. Also, if you add your website URL, prospective customers will know where to find you easily from their phone. You can reach an enormous audience with a variety of ages and what’s more, they won’t be able to miss a beautiful bouquet during heavy traffic.

There are many different types of marketing and the limits are endless when you have a big surface to present your business name. Don’t hesitate to showcase your business on any and every surface. Check back with the Bloomin’ Blog for more great marketing tips and ideas!

5 Reasons To Send Flowers: June ’15

June is the sixth month of the year and the first month of summer–one of the most anticipated seasons! This month, not only do we celebrate the beginning of summer, but many other very special occasions too. Here is a list of five reasons to celebrate and send flowers in June!

1. Best Friends Day – June 8th

We all have friends but only a handful of those friends fit in the category of “best friends”. Our besties are always there to console us when we need it most. A yellow rose represents friendship and nothing surprises a friend more than a bouquet of yellow roses to represent such an incredible bond.

2. Red Rose Day – June 12th

A red rose is most known for representing love and romance, but also respect, courage and beauty. To this day, the red rose has kept its meaning and continues to delight us with its beautiful petals and aroma. A single-stemmed red rose is more than enough to remind the special people in your life how truly loved they are.

3. Smile Power Day – June 15th

A smile has the power to transform our day in just a matter of seconds. Sometimes a coworker or a friend needs a little pick-me-up. A bright bouquet of flowers, such as gerbers, are sure to turn any frown upside down!

4. Father’s Day – June 21st

Father’s day is an important holiday in June. It’s always meaningful to thank our father’s for all their hard work. We never really think about sending men flowers, but why not? Maybe not roses, but exotic flowers that are more masculine in a linear or natural design makes for a great gift. Not too sure about sending him flowers? Go for a plant such as a bonsai or bamboo–great for the office!

5.Hug Holiday Day – June 29th

This holiday was created by Hugs for Health Foundation to remind us of hugging those in need of cheer and love. Today, along with flowers, go to the nearest hospice, hospital or just walk down the street and give love to those in need.

If you are thinking about sending flowers, for any occasion, contact your local florist and ask for their professional advice. Don’t know what flowers to choose? A “designer’s choice” arrangement is always the best option. Your florist will make something beautiful for your loved one!

FSN May 2015 Newsletter

As we head into the summer season, we wanted to recap the best May 2015 posts that can make your summer one of the best! Check out these top posts from the Bloomin’ Blog!

Home Arrangement Guide

An arrangement can be part of your home decor or a beautiful piece of design for your Sunday brunch table. Check out this quick guide!
Read More


Instagram For Florists

You may be wondering  “what the heck is Instagram?”  and how can you market yourself through this platform when you aren’t much of a photographer? We have the answers and more!
Read More


Wedding Trends: Bridesmaid Bouquets 2015

When choosing the bridesmaids blooms, there are many options to choose from.
Here are some trending bridesmaid bouquets for 2015:

Rustic Garden– fairytale, hanging blooms.

Just Picked– wildflower look with mixed greens.

Bridal Mini– miniature version of bridal bouquet.

Single Stems– modern shapes with long stems.

Read More


Facebook Do’s and Don’ts

Facebook has become a universal social media platform for many flower shops. Here are the top Do’s and Don’ts for Facebook!
Read More


Flower Spotlight: Chamelacium

While single blooms are very popular, flower clusters make beautiful bouquets. Chamelaucium is a great example of these flowering shrubs!
Read More


To Look Forward To Next Month:

  • Card Messages
  • 5 Reasons To Send
  • Pinterest for Florists

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Love flowers? Follow us on the above Social Networks! We are always sharing the latest articles from our Bloomin’ Blog, as well as the most fascinating news on the net!

Help make Flower Shop Network‘s monthly newsletter even better! Got questions? Have an idea for a story? With your help, we can make the FSN newsletter just what you want and need. You can drop us a note in the comment section on the blog or email us at social@flowershopnetwork.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!

 

Top 3 Alternative Gift Bouquets

There are times where a loved needs a different sort of gift. Maybe the recipient is allergic to flowers, or it’s a special occasion and you want to do something a bit different. Well, your florist can help with that too! Here are 3 alternative gift bouquets.

Top 3 Alternative Gift Bouquets

Candy Basket

Perfect for a young one or a kid at heart, a candy basket gives that sweet tooth in your life a huge smile. Consider this bouquet for a graduation or a job well done for a student or coworker!

Spa Kit

After a long day at the office, make someone smile with a spa kit. Deliciously scented candles and soothing lotion is the perfect gift to sit down and relax after a hard day’s work.

Fruit Gift

Need a house warming gift? This fruit basket will fill a new kitchen for newlyweds or long-time friends. This basket also works as a great get well soon or just because gift.

Always check with your florist first for all your gifting needs. For more great ideas, visit the Bloomin’ Blog.

Guest Post: Email Marketing Tips

A successful marketing strategy wouldn’t be complete without emails. Our friends at FGmarket have some great tips to share on email marketing. Here are three tips from their post. Click here to read the full article.

Subject Lines

Your reader will only be scanning their email inbox, so it is important to make it clear what exactly they are opening. That means 1) don’t be ambiguous and 2) get to the point.

Social Links

Adding links to your social media accounts in the footer or header of every email you send out is a great way to get users connected to you online.

Spam

There’s nothing people hate more than seeing hundreds of spam emails cluttering up their inbox. Limit the number of emails you send out to a maximum of one per day.

Read the rest of these great tips at FGmarket’s Tips For Successful Email Marketing. Check back at the Bloomin’ Blog for more great marketing tips!

 

Flower Spotlight: Chamelacium

While single blooms are very popular, flower clusters make beautiful bouquets. Chamelaucium is a great example of these flowering shrubs!

Origins and Symbolism
Chamelaucium is a genus of about 30 species. This plant is native to the southwestern part of Australia and was first discovered by the French botanist René Louiche Desfontaines. This shrub produces blooms with waxy-feel petals and are commonly known as waxplants or waxflowers.

Waxplants are often associated with riches and enduring wealth. Their long lasting blooms make them a symbol of lasting success and often a sign of endless love or patience.

To Consider
Waxplants grow in any season and many are drought resistant. Over watering this plant may cause decay. This shrub grows in heathland areas on sand near the coast or inland in Australia. For warmer climates, well balanced sandy soil tends to give the best growth possible. If soil does not contain sand it can certainly be added. Chamelaucium is not toxic and safe to plant in any garden.

Availability
Waxfloweres come in a variety of different colors such as white, pink, lavender and even bi-color. The vase life of waxflowers when cut is 7-10 days and they make great fillers in hand tied bouquets, arrangements, boutonnieres, etc.

Head to your local florist and when asking for an arrangement tell them to use waxflowers as fillers. You will fall in love with these tiny, five-petaled blooms!

Facebook Do’s and Don’ts

 

Facebook has become a universal social media platform for many flower shops. While it is the perfect platform to find your target audience, there are rules to follow in order to maintain a successful business page. Here are the top Do’s and Don’ts for Facebook!

Pictures

Do
Make sure you brand your profile picture with your shop’s logo. This automatically tells your customers who you are. Also, make sure you use high quality images for your banner and that you update it regularly (at least once every three months).

Don’t
Don’t use inappropriate pictures or personal pictures that don’t relate to your business. Avoid low quality images and don’t use old logos if your logo has been updated.

Links

Do
Always link back your website or blog when you post. Make sure to use short links, like Bitly, instead of the long, complicated original link.

Don’t
Don’t use links that you haven’t checked first. You don’t want to post a link that can take a prospective customer to an error page (or worse, an inappropriate site) just because you didn’t copy the whole link.

Updates

Do
Update your Facebook page at least three times a week.  You want to keep your audience engaged so that you gain more followers.

Don’t
An inactive page, even for a few weeks, results in less followers, but you also don’t want to bombard them with a post every hour of the day.

Information

Do
Fill out your ‘About’ tab as much as possible so customers know all the information they need before calling your shop.

Don’t
Avoid writing your life story in the bio. Your customers want to know about your fabulous  shop, but they don’t need to know everything. Save a more detailed bio for your website.

It’s easy being a Facebook pro when following these easy steps! Check back with the Bloomin’ Blog for more great marketing tips and tricks!

Home Arrangement Guide

When most people think of flowers, they think of birthdays, Mother’s Day, and other gift holidays, but blooms don’t need an occasion! An arrangement can be part of your home decor or a beautiful piece of design for your Sunday brunch table. Here is a quick guide on home arrangements to beautify your space and give it a more natural look!

For The Home

Whether it’s an end table, a corner nook or a guest bedroom, there are many areas in your home that need that little something extra to give it a finishing touch. Consider statement pieces, like an orchid, for end tables or a dresser. Choose a tall house plant, like a basket of corn plants or a Norfolk island pine next to a seating area or in a hallway to complete the room.

For The Table

When hosting a dinner or just decorating your dining room, the table arrangement is the focal point for any style. A short arrangement, like fresh flowers in a cube vase, is perfect when having friends over for dinner, because it won’t obstruct the view of guests, while still looking beautiful among the food spread. If you are looking to just decorate a dining room when not in use, consider a tall arrangement. An elaborate vase with tall blooms, like hydrangeas, is perfect to set a neutral tone to your table.

For Outside

If you are looking to decorate your front door or the back porch, you want your greens and flowers to enhance your patio. Hanging baskets give a little extra to a simple front porch. If you want an arrangement for an outside table, consider a bromeliad or English ivy that can easily be moved when entertaining.

Make any room standout with a little flower accents. Head to your local florist and pick up a few blooms to make your next home entertaining event extra special!

 

Photo courtesy of http://www.weddingandpartynetwork.com/gallery/photo/14350/