On April 1, 2024, Farmer Bailey Hale hosted Scott and Jennifer Joray (Eastern River Farm, Maine) and Lennie Larkin (B-Side Farm, Oregon) for a live panel talk on creating a profitable wedding flower business.
Bailey, Lennie, Jennifer and Scott are veteran farmer-florists who share their decades of hard-earned insight in this 120-minute webinar.
Whether you are new to wedding work or have years of experience, their expert advice will help you optimize your profitability and sanity during the busy season, while avoiding costly or heartbreaking errors.
Watch the recording to learn how to build and execute a time-saving à la carte wedding menu, connect with the right clients, price your stems, and pack and deliver perfect full-service arrangements. This wide-ranging, honest discussion touches on everything from the best foliage for an arbor to using inclusive language in your written materials.
"We're doing this because we want to help other farmers make this profitable and not as stressful," says Jennifer. "That's probably the biggest piece. We will still get stressed out a little bit during the season, but it's nothing like it used to be because we have such good systems in place."
If you have a question that was not answered by the video and linked Resources, drop a note to the team at info@farmerbailey.com!
Explore farmerbailey.com for more free educational videos, blog posts, and Growing Guides created to support flower farmers of all sizes. Subscribe to the email newsletter to receive your invite to our next event, live on Zoom.
| Timestamp | Chapter | Resources |
| 00:00:00 | Welcome | farmerbailey.com |
| 00:00:20 | Introduction by Thomas McCurdy | |
| 00:00:42 | Questions? Email us! | info@farmerbailey.com |
| 00:00:55 | Jennifer and Scott Joray, farmer-florists and owners of Eastern River Farm, Maine | Eastern River Farm |
| 00:01:25 | Lennie Larkin, farmer-florist and owner of B-Side Farm, Oregon; author of Flower Farming for Profit | |
| 00:02:02 | Bailey Hale introduction & background | |
| 00:03:00 | Why Bailey Doesn't Do Weddings | |
| 00:05:32 | Agenda | |
| 00:06:57 | Eastern River Farm background | |
| 00:08:10 | A La Carte Wedding definition | |
| 00:09:03 | Set color palettes | |
| 00:09:53 | Standardized glassware | |
| 00:10:46 | Client benefits of a la carte | |
| 00:11:32 | Finding your ideal client | |
| 00:12:26 | Customer communication | |
| 00:14:16 | Communicating the benefits of local, seasonal flowers | |
| 00:17:31 | Not every customer is right for you | |
| 00:18:11 | Great photos are a must | |
| 00:19:40 | Creating your a la carte menu | |
| 00:22:00 | Only post designs you want to repeat | |
| 00:22:31 | Beating Creep | (a la carte is not a full service wedding!) |
| 00:23:11 | Maximizing impact on a budget | |
| 00:24:17 | Bailey's bucket bride story | |
| 00:25:18 | Bulk buckets | |
| 00:26:31 | Standard paperwork | lookbook with photos, prices & sizes; order form; contract |
| 00:27:14 | Realistic budget vs. wish list | |
| 00:27:43 | Advanced email scheduling | |
| 00:28:46 | Season-specific example photos | |
| 00:30:05 | Profitability = growing the right crops for your farm | Download Jennifer's list of crops that work for Eastern River Farm in Maine, zone 5. Their coldest temps in spring can be well below zero (oftentimes in the teens, F) and highest temps can climb to the low 90s, occasionally, in June. |
| 00:32:59 | Identifying gaps in your crop plan | |
| 00:35:15 | Lennie's new book | Flower Farming for Profit |
| 00:36:16 | B-Side Farm background | |
| 00:36:40 | Make profit a priority | |
| 00:37:21 | Lennie's celebrity wedding story | |
| 00:39:42 | B-Side Farm wedding business | |
| 00:40:38 | Drivers of success | |
| 00:41:23 | Inquiry forms | |
| 00:42:19 | Red flags and boundaries | |
| 00:43:29 | Inquiry form example | |
| 00:47:02 | Template email | |
| 00:47:44 | Using inclusive language | Examples of inclusive language include grand bouquet (vs. bridal bouquet); attendant bouquet (vs bridesmaid's bouquet); and wedding couple (vs. bride and groom). |
| 00:51:39 | Minimums | |
| 00:52:18 | Flower markup | |
| 00:52:40 | Pricing | |
| 00:53:05 | Budgeting | Download Lennie's free budget template |
| 00:54:16 | Buying flowers | |
| 00:56:51 | Proposal example | Lennie uses Canva.com to create proposals |
| 00:57:17 | Buying flowers | |
| 00:57:59 | What we've learned so far | |
| 00:59:51 | Arrangement recipes | |
| 01:03:26 | Planning labor and timing | |
| 01:04:08 | Wedding Essential: Flower Cooler |
Eastern River Farm has 2 coolers: harvest cooler: 14'x20' finished pieces cooler: 8'x12' |
| 01:05:03 | Standard arrangements | |
| 01:06:37 | Why Eastern River Farm doesn't sell buckets of stems | |
| 01:08:05 | Profitability: a la carte vs. full service weddings | |
| 01:09:59 | Reclaiming your weekends through a la carte weddings | |
| 01:11:03 | Work-life balance | |
| 01:11:48 | Packing flowers | |
| 01:12:20 | Designing for transport | |
| 01:13:46 | Boxes and packing materials | 50lb. kraft paper |
| 01:14:12 | Max vehicle height | |
| 01:15:01 | Pickup tips | |
| 01:17:36 | Scott's pickup horror story | |
| 01:18:33 | A La Carte Wedding definition | |
| 01:19:22 | Glassware |
rental vs. purchase; sourcing; no one has time to wash returned glassware. Sources: accentdecor.com; vasesource.com |
| 01:21:51 | Delivery logistics | |
| 01:23:26 | Island-specific delivery logistics | ferry vs. chartered boat |
| 01:24:57 | Delivery conditions | |
| 01:25:38 | Flower delivery system | Seminole Flower Delivery System (Florida) |
| 01:27:42 | Question & Answer Session begins | |
| 01:28:21 | Wedding Arbors a la carte | |
| 01:29:33 | Arbor pricing and installation | |
| 01:32:40 | Setting arbor expectations | |
| 01:34:07 | Best foliage for arbors | Forsythia and Lilac (post bloom, leafed out); Smilax; bush honeysuckle; conditioned Eucalyptus: foraged Bay; Oak. |
| 01:40:06 | Proposal revisions | |
| 01:40:50 | How to turn down a client or event with integrity | |
| 01:42:29 | How to create a proposal | |
| 01:46:30 | Why a flower cooler isn't optional | |
| 01:47:50 | Budgeting your own time | |
| 01:49:32 | Find seasonal wholesale flowers in your area | |
| 01:50:27 | Find design workshops | |
| 01:55:00 | The only thing left to do is begin | |
| 01:58:12 | Contact info |
jenniferjoray@easternriverfarm.com instagram.com/easternriverfarm
hello@flowerfarmingforprofit.com |
| 01:58:24 | Thank you and farewell |