Weddingbee PRO

Hi Nancy,

I have a question for you. I recently moved, and I'm not as familiar with the vendors in my new area. I really am trying to get a small wedding and event floral business going, and I was curious what advice you have for getting to know other vendors in the area, whether it's coordinators, caterers, photographers, etc. I know that referrals are such a big part of the this industry, and I would love to get my name out there, but want to do it in a really classy way.

Thanks in advance for you help,
Starting Small

I applaud you for your bold and sincere question. Weddingbee PROs and all other vendors -I think you all could really help Starting Small. If you have any feedback please comment.

The first thing I would say is this…

1) Ask yourself -what is your target market? Do you want to do high end, medium end, country club or society events?

2) Once you figure out what target market you'd like to serve, find like vendors. What I mean by that is, find vendors who have similar style, taste, design concepts, and market savvy. Call or email them. Take them out to lunch or meet with them. See if you can make a connection. Find the vendors in your area who do consistently great work. Read, research, and do some online investigative work. If you can't figure this out, start by meeting with venue managers.

I'll give you an example.

When I first started out, I went through the Here Comes The Guide book, a guide to wedding vendors in my area. I wrote on a piece of paper all the venues that I liked for their elegant decor, beautiful location, and unique space. I took 10 spaces and decided to contact the event/catering manager or director. I invited them to lunch. Many of them were so willing to have lunch and told me that so few florists ever called.

During the lunch, I refrained from trying to sell myself. I made sure that I was there to listen to their needs. I ask them what the venue was looking for. How was business? How I could help? I also sent them a large, unique arrangement with a hand written card. Don't type a note. Don't send an email. Write a card with a heartfelt note including your business card, media kit, or whatever information you have.

3) Ask these venue managers who's who in the industry. Find the gatekeeper. Find the people in the industry who are the most influential. Start by asking these experienced managers, who in the industry you should get to know. When a name keeps popping up or when you see someone in your area in magazines, blogs, etc. -perhaps that's a sign that they might be respected in the wedding community.

I feel very lucky that early in my business, Kevin pointed me to Linda Hylen, who is the current Director of Catering at Julia Morgan Ballroom. Till this day, every year I have a wonderful lunch with Linda Hylen, who is one of the most influential women in the wedding business. She recently hosted 50 Fabulous Babes which I had the delight of attending. That was one great event in which 50 of the Bay Area's female wedding owners/managers got to meet each other. Now, that's influence. (Photo above is of Linda at the 50 Fabulous Babes Luncheon)

Her opinion is one of the many opinions that matters to me because she is one of the greatest connectors in my field. Meeting a genuine connector is key. They help to point you to the right people, the right clients.

4) Find yourself a mentor. I'm completely honored that one of my mentors is Shawna of Flower Divas. I go to her for advice. The wealth of information that she has imparted to me surpasses all the books I've read, all the magazines I own, and certainly all the schooling that I've received. A good mentor is so valued, someone I respect for their ability, knowledge, and advice. Shawna is my floral mentor.

It's not enough to have just a mentor, find groups of other floral designers, floral owners, wholesalers that can point you to the right direction. In the beginning you need the help of other floral designers to get your business started but you need to be sensitive to their business needs. If you come off as “threatening” you won't be able to find a mentor and other floral friends. If you come off as a newbie who's eroding their bottom line, you might not be able to gain their respect. The point is, play nice. Don't undercut just to get jobs because you might find other florists, shops, designers, put off by this. As someone new in the area, you can only gain respect when you show respect.

The Bay Area is great - there are so many great people who share information, help each other, and aren't afraid to give advice. I can't even begin to list all the people that I adore but I'll try -Pat Gibbons, Linnae (of Asiel Designs), John Gomex (of Americana), Leighsa Montrose (of Branch Out), Suzy Hawk (from Americana), Sean (at Torchio Nursery), Orna (of Ornamento), Susan Groves (leader of the SF Flower Group and owner of In Full Bloom), Jessica S. (Fleur de France), Rhonda (of Grace Street), Arlene (of Violetta)…and the list could go on and on and on. When you are starting out, find a peer group. If you can't, then start your own.

I hope this helps you!