What Exactly Do Floral Designers Do?

The ladies who arranged the flowers

Because of their versatility, flowers may be given as housewarming gifts, decorations to liven up any space, tokens of love and support for a loved one, or even as a compassionate gesture for the ill and bereaved. So what is required to deal with the blossoms of nature?

We seized the opportunity to chat with Direct Funeral Services' in-house florists to learn more about what it's like to work with flowers on a daily basis and whether the industry is truly as gorgeous as we imagine.

Wei Wuan (age 34), Winnie (age 32), and Sophia (age 62) are our conversation partners; between them, they have over 20 years of expertise in the industry.

Why did you choose to work in this field?

S: Chuckles when struggling in school, I chose to study floristry when my father told me about a friend of his who was employed in the field.

Win: My interest in it evolved as I learned more about it as a result of my choice to enroll in a floristry school. It was first only a curiosity.

WW: About 14 years ago, my sister introduced me to this field of study. We stumbled into a firm that was seeking people without experience, even though at the time we had no idea this industry even existed, and we decided to give it a shot. I've stayed ever since because I love what I do!

Are there any prerequisites to becoming a florist?

Before becoming a fully-fledged florist, it is usually best to learn from a floral school, workshops, or on-the-job training, especially for arrangements for weddings and funerals.

Personally, I think it's better to work at a flower shop and study at the same time since you'll run into real-world problems that will challenge your problem-solving skills and expose you to a wider variety of floral arrangements. While schools are excellent as well, they do not give you the opportunity to experience or be exposed to a wider variety of arrangements and styles. Workshops frequently last between two and three weeks, whereas a regular course in a school can take between two and three months.

S: Having even a little prior experience is helpful. When I was younger, a seasoned florist who taught one-on-one home-based seminars instructed me. Learning wasn't as expensive back then because the supplies were all included and I could take them home with me after each lesson!

I took about ten classes before I started working at a flower shop. But, I did some independent research on books to learn the height, ratio, colors, shapes, and other specifics of box arrangements and congrats and sympathy stands. Remember that each flower shop has different standards if you decide to learn on the job; some are more flexible while others are harsher (e.g., how much ribbon, flowers, etc. can be used for each arrangement).

Win: I personally enrolled in a course at a floral school before starting a full-time profession as a florist. Even while my academic knowledge isn't quite as useful as what I've gained on the job, it's still clear that it may be put to use in daily life.

What distinguishes working as a florist in a retail setting from that of the funeral industry, and was it what you had in mind?

WW: There is a noticeable difference! Retail florists and those in the funeral industry both work comparable hours, but the obligations associated with their occupations are different. Customer service and hand flower arrangement are the main responsibilities of an employee in a normal store setting. Challenges facing funeral floristry include larger bouquets and frequent design revisions. Because the majority are made-to-order and have delivery deadlines, we also have less time to produce a number of arrangements. As we must balance orders from funerals with retail (such as walk-in clients, internet sales, and special-occasion sales like Valentine's Day), being a florist in funeral parlour singapore is consequently more difficult. But, we also learn more as a result of the increased amount of change.

They're both really different, S! When it comes to making funeral flowers, I particularly like making wreaths. Before visiting waking sites, I used to worry, but once there, I no longer felt terrified. When placing their flowers on-site, I would kindly request that they exercise caution and respect for them. Making funeral plans is more meaningful in my opinion.

Win: To be quite honest, I didn't think I'd be working with funeral flowers, therefore my expectations weren't that high. But now that I'm working with them, I can see that each of them has a unique contribution to make.

How are flower tributes for memorial services and weddings made? What considerations ought to be made when designing?

Overall, we consider the flowers' state of freshness, the length of time needed to make the arrangements, and whether or not they will be subjected to environmental factors like sun, wind, heat, and humidity. Also, the shapes that would work best in the setting where the arrangements will be used must be taken into account, as well as market trends. We base our designs for weddings and events on the client's requirements, taking into account whether such requirements match the location.

Since wakes are typically held outdoors in inclement weather, we consider the longevity of the flowers used for funerals as well as combining both modern and traditional features into each arrangement.

S: It's crucial to think about which blooms are more durable and long-lasting given our environment. In the past, it was easier to distinguish between wedding and funeral decorations because most weddings favored vivid reds while funerals tended to shy away from them. But as times and trends change, planning a wedding and a funeral are becoming more comparable (reds are seen in funeral flowers and weddings often sport an all white theme).

Which flowers are typically used at weddings and wakes? Which plants should not be used in funeral floral arrangements?

Chrysanthemums are frequently used at funerals throughout Asia. Given the local environment, funeral flowers in Singapore must be seasonally appropriate. Most European and American flowers are not recommended for Singapore due to their durability (need to be in an air-conditioned environment).

While baby's breath, leaves, and chrysanthemums are typically used in funeral floral arrangements because they are resilient enough to endure for a few days in our natural climate, phalaenopsis and hydrangea are frequently used in wedding floral arrangements.

Do you reuse the flowers from a funeral? When not? WW: The majority of Chinese people in Singapore are more superstitious. It is improper to reuse funeral flowers because they have already been given to the deceased. The weather affects the freshness of the flowers in addition to superstitions, and the majority are left in conditions that render them useless.

S: A handful of the prior companies where I worked recycled flowers that were still in good condition. Nevertheless, we don't do that at Flower Stories since we want to preserve a standard of freshness for all of our clients. Funeral flowers can be reused, however a lot depends on the boss' attitude and superstitious beliefs.

Why are wedding floral arrangements more expensive than those for other events?

It's interesting to note that funeral flowers and wedding flowers often cost the same amount. Flowers, however, may appear to be more expensive in the context of weddings since these events already incur large expenses and because flowers seem to be an extra luxury. On the other hand, a funeral is the last event in that person's life and family members could be more likely to buy something during this time.

Because better-quality flowers are used in them, wedding bouquets are more expensive than retail ones. This is because it's a big deal in your life. The majority of common hand flowers are given as gifts of appreciation. Naturally, we florists continue to have high standards for our works of art! Every flower must be presentable and fresh before leaving our home, chuckles.

S: Wedding floral arrangements cost a little bit more because they need to be the freshest of the lot. There will be many onlookers! laughs

What are a few of the challenges you've faced at work?

WW: Holidays like Valentine's Day would be a big problem. Effective time management is crucial. Time and resources are divided by a growth in walk-in orders, internet orders, and funeral orders. These orders come in at the same time, thus teamwork and communication are essential.

S: Since I want to work and learn new things, I don't think any challenges are very challenging. I can't stay at home; I have to be on the go constantly!

Win: I truly didn't think it would be this exhausting. The biggest challenge I currently face is the speed of things. I find it challenging to keep up with people who are more experienced in terms of pace because I am still very new. I haven't been informed directly that I'm progressing too slowly, but I still want to put in a lot of effort to catch up with them.