Today we are highlighting Lauren Walloch of Garden Gate Florals as our Vendor of the Week. When Lauren participated in the 1st Orlando NotWedding, she was new-ish to the business and we remember her being endearingly timid and nervous as she joined The NotWedding team. She brought her A-game to the event though and it was obvious she was a floral superstar. It’s been such a joy to watch her business evolve, and we are so proud of all she has accomplished.

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578660_366080113464322_1615579446_n Photos by Blue Lane Studios

What is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job, hands down, is when I get to personally deliver the bouquet to the bride. There is no greater joy, in my business, than to see a bride’s face when she is delighted with her flowers. It’s at that moment that all the hard work was worth it!

Describe the perfect/ultimate bride.

When I think of the “perfect/ultimate” bride, the first thing that come to mind is a bride that is easy to communicate with. Not only should she answer emails and return phone calls, promptly, from her vendors, but it would also be helpful if she came to consultations with a good idea of what she wants her wedding day to look like. Also, as a floral designer, I appreciate a bride who is understanding and open-minded about what can happen in nature that we have no control over. Sometimes we have to go to “plan B” or even “plan C” for flower choices and a flexible, easy-going Bride is much appreciated!!

Describe a highlight or pivotal moment in your career.

Very recently I found out that a local wedding magazine put a “call” out to some of their “go-to” photographers for a specific bouquet picture. Little did I know, out of 20 or so photos, the editors chose a picture of one of my bouquets on a white fence and they made the picture a full page feature! I was amazed, shocked and honored. Soon after, the same magazine came to me, personally, and asked me to do the bouquet and boutonnieres for a fancy photo shoot for their up coming Summer/Fall issue! I am looking forward to receiving my issues of the magazine and to see how they photographed my work. Still feeling so honored.

What are 3 good decisions you made for your business?

*By far, one of the best decisions I’ve made for my business is to invest in a good web designer. When I first launched Garden Gate Florals, the best I could do, financially, was a do-it-yourself website that was terribly uninspiring. As soon as I saved a little bit of flower money I hired a reputable web designer and we worked together to create something I’m very proud of and has opened a lot of doors for my business.

*Another good decision helpful to me was when I changed wholesalers. Even though I had a good relationship with my initial wholesaler, as our business picked up, I found it necessary to find another company that I could trust to deliver good customer service, sufficient inventory and a strong floral product.

*As I look back over the history of our little business, saying “yes” to participating as a Preferred Vendor for The 1st Orlando NotWedding was a great decision. I gained a huge measure of experience, beautiful professional pictures for my website and other social media, some nice leads and the best part: lasting relationships with some very nice people.

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