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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 47 beautiful, I don't want to accept the work because these events are so labor intensive." And let's be realistic. It's not only the bride who is wanting an Instagram moment. Florists want and deserve one, too, and they are enjoying working on projects that are professionally fun—and profi table—for them. "It makes me giggle when a bride comes in with a list a mile long, and they have a budget of $1,500," says Carrie Cassidy- Struble, who owns Pineville, N.C.'s popular e Flower Diva. "I say, 'Honey, that won't even cover the bouquets and corsages.' And when you go through the consult where every other question is about how much it's going to cost, it's a red fl ag, and I know not to put that much eff ort into the proposal." Because Cassidy-Struble's work is so customized, the clients of e Flower Diva now realize and appreciate the extra artistic eff ort she brings to their parties, as illustrated by a groom who loved superheroes and wanted them incorporated into the groomsmen's boutonnières. " ose took hours to design, and I had to be so careful that the fi gurines weren't damaged and 'hooked' to the fl owers," she says, noting the pleasure that she got from an appreciative client. Leatal Cohen, of Pic and Petal in Brooklyn, N.Y., says she used to take jobs that weren't her exact style—but not anymore. " ere have been many experiences where boundary setting needed to take place, sometimes with clients expecting answers via text right away and other times with planners changing my designs in the middle of installation day," she says. "When I started out as a fl orist, I didn't have the confi dence to turn down a client for that reason because I needed to build my portfolio. I feel lucky to be in a place where I can comfortably pick and choose the jobs that fulfi ll me the most. If it has color and whimsy, it's a go!" Cohen recently declined a client who gave her a picture board with all neutral colors because it didn't feed her creative soul, which embraces colorful blooms. And clients who complain that fl owers aren't worth the cost—especially since prices have increased due to supply-chain issues and a congestion of rescheduled weddings—are fi nding that fl orists don't have to take that lack of appreciation for their teams. Because of supply-chain issues, many fl orists are now having to charge clients 15 percent to 20 percent more than before. at is why many fl orists are not budging on pricing for their services and feel they can be as fi rm as a Hydrangea stem. "For a white 'Playa Blanca' rose, which I like using because they open like garden roses, the price has gone up from $1.97 to $2.97 per stem," explains veteran fl orist Carrie Wilcox, EMC, of Carrie Wilcox Floral Design in Milford, Conn. " e David Austin rose or a white 'Tibet' rose is even more expensive, and you need hundreds to make a memorable arch. e pandemic has created so much work for fl orists that it's easier for us to choose the type of clients we want. If a client just cares about the party and doesn't appreciate what fl owers and my artistry bring to the event, I know to take a pass." Although fl orists like Wilcox say they are willing to work with a client's budget—stretching design concepts with more inexpensive pampas grasses and Eucalyptus, fern and Ruscus foliage—they need to be respected for their artistic eff orts. Carrie Cassidy-Struble, The Flower Diva

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