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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 59 So, what else besides the traditional bouquets, corsages and boutonnières, and ceremony and reception flowers does a wedding customer need? What other types of décor elements can you provide? Nowadays, a flower shop can be a one-stop source for those planning a wedding. It's why many flower shop owners have expanded into balloon décor and prop rentals (candelabra, arches and chuppahs, flower walls, trees and hedges, etc.). But what about tenting, tables and chairs, linens, and furniture and seating, especially for outdoor events? If you don't have the financial resources, staff and storage space to get into these types of items, contact a party and event rental company and inquire about being a sales agent for them—for a percentage of each sale you make, of course! And what about items for specific religious wedding events? For example, maybe you could stock a small selection of kiddush wedding cups or fine pens for signing the ketubah marriage contracts at Jewish weddings. Or for Muslim weddings, on the wedding day, the groom will lead his family to his bride's home where the bride's sisters welcome the groom's party by gently hitting them with a stick wrapped in flowers. Is that something you could offer? Providing more than flowers is a keen way of ensuring your floral business is seen as more than "just" flowers. Many consumers prefer to do as much of their shopping in one place, and if you can help with that, it can and should result in more money in your pocket. Being a florist does not mean that you cannot provide more than just flowers to your customers. However, when exploring this pathway to generating additional sales, it's important to know your customer base's economics because you'll be able to charge only what your market will support. Also be aware that if you become a shop that provides added-value nonfloral extras, you are going to need a place to store the items and a way to safely transport them to and from locations. And don't forget about additional staffing that will likely be required with such an endeavor—as well as overtime wages that you may have to pay. Being able to provide wedding customers with more than just flowers can be a smart move for you, and it can save your customers headaches by having you be their one- stop shop. Bottom line, though: Make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew. NOTE: In hush-hush discussions with florists who provide additional options, especially rental items, many say that when they buy an object that can be reused, 100 percent of the purchase cost is passed along to the first customer, thereby recouping all of their outlay with the first rental. After that, each rental is pure profit! If that seems extreme, note that for that first customer, the item is completely new and unused. Following this initial use, future rentals can be priced accordingly— taking into account the time and effort required to retrieve the items from storage (as well as storage costs), to deliver and set up the items as well as to pick up, clean and return the items to storage following each event.

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