Tell me a little bit about your business!
Summer House Flower Co. is a local design company specializing in fine event florals. We grow lots of our bridal blooms – most notably, our beloved dahlias – ourselves in our private gardens, and we insist on exceeding the expectations of every couple who entrusts us with their wedding flowers. Our design principles are rooted in nature, and our aesthetic follows our gardens: organic, beautiful, and a little untamed. Our bouquets are lush and loose and naturally-gathered. Our corsages are fragrant and one-of-a-kind. We think of every arrangement as a work of art that will augment a particular and extraordinary moment in time, and we try always to achieve elegance and effortlessness, luxury and simplicity, personality and polish.
We are a team of ultra-fastidious, overachieving, unrelenting perfectionists, and we absolutely insist on getting it right every time. The enormous difference between sea foam and pistachio matters so much to us, and we obsess over even the tiniest details in order to deliver in reality the wedding florals a client has always imagined.
What makes your work unique?
We’re distinctive in that we offer a truly custom-tailored experience from top to bottom, often starting specially-requested or impossible-to-source flowers from seed (or bulb or tuber!) for a bride six months before her wedding. We’re also really committed to originality, so while we’re happy to have a look at inspiration pics, we promise that your wedding will be entirely unique and completely you.
What is your ideal client like?
Our perfect client loves flowers! She is thoughtful and imaginative, dynamic and discriminating. She would carry only the finest blooms, and she delights in their singular ability to elevate the occasion. Our ideal bride appreciates that many of her wedding flowers have been grown – with so much care and attention – just for her on her wedding day.
How do you work with couples to bring their floral dreams to life?
It’s unromantic, but we begin with numbers. No wedding is too big or too small for us, but we must establish at the outset the size and scope of any event. Couples often haven’t determined a solid floral budget when they reach out to us, and we want them to know what things might cost – at least approximately – from the start so we’re on the same page about what’s attainable. We begin with quantity-related questions (How many guests are expected? How many tables might require arrangements? How many attendants will wear or carry flowers?, etc.) and a rough price quote to help prospective clients settle on a budget that makes sense for them. Once we get through the math, we collaborate on the fun stuff, trading ideas and images, discussing vibe and style, and dreaming about installation possibilities. I draw up a proposal for the couple’s perusal, and when they’re happy with every detail, we proceed to the contract phase. Once we’ve formally agreed to work together, we keep in close touch as the wedding approaches, making adjustments or reworking concepts, and finalizing everything. I’m always available by phone, text, email, Zoom, or in-person when necessary, for venue visits or garden walk-throughs or dress fittings or coffee hangs! (My very favorite thing about the business has been that most of my brides make the jump from clients to actual friends, and we remain in touch long after the weddings are over.)
