Florists, or Floral Designers, arrange flowers into displays. Using live, dried or even silk flowers, they fashion them into bouquets, wreaths, corsages, and table centerpieces for different events and occasions such as weddings, holidays and funerals.
They may also use accessories like toys, candles, balloons, candies and other fancy items to enhance the design.
Nature of Work
Most florists can be found working for small independent flower shops that are engaged in designing customs floral arrangements usually for interior designers, caterers and wedding planners. They may be required to coordinate with clients to determine the occasion, the clients’ preferences for flowers and display designs, costs, schedule, and the place. Floral designers assist clients in setting up floral decorations, and may also help interior designers in conceptualizing floral displays for private residences, restaurants or hotels. In creating designs, florists trim the flowers using wires, pins, foam, trimmers and other suitable instruments. They use their knowledge of creative designing and properties of flowers and other materials they incorporate into the display. Basing their design concept clients’ specifications, they select the flowers and corresponding foliage for their arrangement, using different combinations to come up with new and novel display. Florists may also be involved in decorating or supervising the decoration of churches, convention halls, or other building and facilities where parties, reunions or other festive occasions are held. They may also create and modify floral displays in stores and shops to enhance their image.
Qualifications
Floral designers are not required to have formal post secondary training as most of them actually learn the needed skills while performing the functions of a florist. Most employers however, prefer candidates who are high school graduates of have GED, and are creative and resourceful. Those who want to become florists can get certificates in floral design from vocational schools, community colleges and private floral design schools where they can learn basic flower arrangement, cutting techniques, and proper care and handling of flowers. Those who want to put up their own flower arranging business may also enroll in additional classes for business, marketing and accounting.