From Phone Call to Friendship: A Mother-of-the-Bride's Floral Journey

The best part of my job isn't the flowers—it's the people who become friends along the way. Several months ago, I received a nervous phone call from Katrina, a mother of the bride who'd never designed a floral bouquet in her life. She lived out of town, and her daughter Kaitlin had made a special request—would she design the wedding bouquets and use some of the flowers from her own garden? It was a beautiful gesture, but Katrina knew that she would need help from a local flower farmer to achieve the desired look for the wedding. After searching online, she found That Farmhouse Gardens and reached out for help. What started as guidance and instruction blossomed into something more—a genuine friendship. Together, we brought her daughter's floral dreams to life, and I gained a friend in the process. 💐

The Challenge: A Labor of Love

When she first called, I could hear both the excitement and the anxiety in her voice. Her daughter trusted her with one of the most visible, meaningful elements of the wedding day. What an honor—and what pressure! She wanted to create beautiful bridal bouquets and bridesmaid arrangements, plus provide DIY flower buckets so the family could design some of their own table décor. It was ambitious, especially for someone who'd never arranged wedding flowers before.

But here's what struck me most: her "why." This wasn't about saving money or checking off a task. This was about love. She wanted her daughter to walk down the aisle holding flowers arranged by her mother's hands. She wanted to be part of creating the beauty that would fill the room on one of the most important days of her daughter's life.

I was deeply honored that she chose That Farmhouse Gardens to help make this dream a reality. Being entrusted with such a meaningful part of someone's wedding is something I never take lightly.

The Learning Process: Growing Together

Over the next month, we shared numerous phone calls talking about the flowers and her vision, building a wonderful friendship and helping build her confidence. She arrived at my house on a Friday evening. My living room was full of flower buckets containing fresh cut from my garden, as well as extra flowers from another local cut flower farmer in Hickory, Still Water Farms and Gardens. Katrina walked in with some flowers she had grown and others she picked up at a local venue.

I began by talking to her about the fundamentals of bouquet design—how to clean the flowers and set them out on the table for easy arrangements, how to select flowers that complement each other, how to create structure and movement, and how to hold the flowers as she rotated the arrangement in her hands. We talked about color palettes, textures, and the daughter's vision for her special day.

We also prepared DIY flower buckets filled with fresh blooms that the family could use to create additional flower arrangements. This gave them flexibility and a personal touch—each arrangement would be unique, crafted with love by the people who knew the bride best.

What amazed me was watching her transformation. With each bouquet, she grew more confident. Her hands, once tentative, began moving with purpose. She started seeing flowers the way I do—not just as pretty stems, but as elements of art and emotion. She asked thoughtful questions. She experimented. She trusted herself.

The Friendship: More Than Business

There are moments in this work when you realize you're experiencing something special. Maybe it was laughing together over getting used to holding a lot of stems and learning the spiral technique. Maybe it was the conversations that wandered from flowers to family, from weddings to life. Maybe it was simply the shared joy of creating something beautiful together.

She wasn't just learning from me—I was learning from her. I was reminded why I started That Farmhouse Gardens in the first place: to connect people with the beauty of fresh flowers and to be part of their most treasured moments. Her dedication to her daughter, her willingness to step outside her comfort zone, her grace under pressure—all of it inspired me.

This is what I'm most grateful for in my work. Yes, I get to work with gorgeous blooms every day. But more importantly, I get to walk alongside people during some of the most meaningful seasons of their lives. I get to witness love in action—a mother's love for her daughter, expressed through every carefully placed petal.

The Big Day: Dreams Coming to Life

When the wedding day arrived, everything came together beautifully. The bouquets she created were stunning—elegant, romantic, and filled with the kind of love you simply can't buy. The DIY flower buckets allowed the family to add their own creative touches throughout the venue, making a personal expression of celebration.

After the wedding Katrina shared some of the wedding photos with me. She was so proud of how beautiful everything looked. I asked how Kaitlin liked the flowers and she said they were exactly what Kaitlin wanted. Katrina had brought her daughter’s vision to life with her own two hands. And her daughter got to carry flowers down the aisle that were truly, deeply meaningful.

I felt incredibly honored to have played a part in that moment. Being chosen to help guide someone through such an important creative journey is a responsibility I treasure. It's not just about teaching techniques—it's about empowering someone to create beauty and meaning for the people they love most.

Why I Love What I Do

Throughout this past year, I've had the privilege of collaborating with numerous brides who envisioned fresh cut flower bouquets alongside DIY flower buckets, empowering them to bring their dream weddings to life. But this particular experience reminded me of something essential: flowers are never just flowers. They're connections. They're memories. They're love made visible.

Every time someone chooses That Farmhouse Gardens to be part of their wedding journey—whether they want me to design everything or simply need guidance to create their own magic—I'm humbled. I'm grateful. And I'm reminded that this work is about so much more than beautiful blooms.

It's about the relationships we build. The confidence we nurture. The moments we help create. And sometimes, if we're really lucky, it's about finding unexpected friendships that bloom right alongside the flowers. 🥰

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Are you planning a wedding and dreaming
of fresh flowers with a personal touch?

Whether you'd like custom-designed bouquets or DIY flower buckets to create your own arrangements, I'd be honored to help bring your vision to life. Let's create something beautiful together.

Contact The Farmhouse Gardens today to start your floral journey.