How to Become a Florist
Firstly, there’s not one set pathway into working with flowers, but there are plenty of things that help!
Hopefully this handy and quick guide will help to point you in the right direction in the early days of your flower journey. This is based on my own personal experiences, and the list isn’t conclusive so do look for your own opportunities whenever you can.
Most people still have a different career or role whilst beginning with flowers, so don’t worry if it takes some time to feel confident and comfortable with your designs.
Training, courses & workshops
I personally feel that whilst a traditional collage course is helpful for some of your basic floristry skills, it won’t teach you everything you need to run a modern floral business.
Many of their syllabuses are dated, and not aligned with the current trends in floristry. They also do not put seasonality & sustainability first, so instead I would advise to work with florists who inspire you through selected 1-to-1s & independent workshops.
Some recommendations include Tallulah Rose Flower School, Bath Flower School, or Flourish Sussex (all of whom I have studied with).
Freelancing
The holy grail of getting your foot in the door.
My recommendation would be to freelance as much as you possibly can. Throw yourself in at the deep end and join in on event setups, or work in a flower shop during a peak time of year.
So many wonderful florists advertise vacancies directly on their Instagram stories (Bryonia included) so follow those close by that you admire.
You can even approach florists directly with your portfolio, availability and freelance rates. And there are subscription freelance floristry websites, although I’ve never used personally these so can’t comment on the type of vacancies listed.
Networking
Look to meet growers, florists, others in the industry. We are a small and personality filled group of wonderful minds.
Offer to buy someone a coffee for an hour of their time. Have a quick chat to see what they think of the industry, ask them your questions and look understand more about the flower world.
At Bryonia, I welcome these enquiries as I remember all too well how it feels to be on the outside looking in.
Build your portfolio
What do you like making? Where do you like working? And what don’t you like?
It’s these questions that will steer the type of floral designer you become. And one shoe doesn’t fit everyone!
Floristry is a diverse industry and we can’t be good at everything, so take some time to experiment and see what you enjoy.
A very small amount of flowers can be turned into an incredible portfolio piece that reflects your creativity and favourite designs.
Use your garden, neighbours gardens (with permission) and local growers to gather ingredients to create with. It doesn’t need to be a costly exercise, the natural world offers us so much for free.
And one last piece of advice
In this industry, there is a trend of free work being exploited from florist newbies. Full of enthusiasm and energy to get into flowers.
If you are contributing to a florist’s event or business, making their life easier, and creating floral pieces then this should be recognised. I want to urge you to ask for payment for any work you do.
Yes, you won’t earn the same amount as an established designer, but this should be at least minimum wage + travel costs.
