a day in the life: flower shop girl

28Oct07

schleppin, originally uploaded by A.p.K..

8:30am – stop in at cafe across from flower shop for strong coffee and half hour of reading in a cozy corner

9am – meet other members of crew at flower shop, begin pulling Wedding #1 from walk-in cooler. Shiver, splash icy water down arm while pulling small glass square vases from top shelf. Carry all centerpieces, bridal party flowers, ceremony flowers, reception flowers to large table for the morning check before packing.

9:25am – notice large white Phalaenopsis blooms on central decorative piece for Wedding #2 are pathetically drooping. Urgently pow-wow with other members of crew, help more experienced crew setup large buckets to soak the long stems of blooms – flowers submerged too. Pray to the flower gods that they revive.

9:30am – begin checking off list for Wedding #1. Trim any bruised petals, check for cloudy water, mist arrangements with water. Carry by the armful (or boxful, or crateful etc.) to waiting delivery van. Strategically pack. Feel muscles wake up while hoisting loads that weigh 20-40 pounds on average. Take giant swigs of coffee.

10:05am – make final check of cooler for items belonging to Wedding #1. Pack “doctor bag” full of pins, green tape, floral tape, floral super-sticky putty, clippers scissors and knives, paper towels and windex, drying towels, fishing line, floral wire, ribbon in colors of wedding, ribbon scissors, shenaynays, glue gun, dust pan and brush, business cards, spray bottles, lighter etc.

10:15am – pull Wedding #2, carrying all centerpieces, hanging candles lanterns, bridal party flowers, reception flowers and pile of rocks, GIANT ceremony flower arrangements to shop tables. Check off list. Thank flower gods that bride’s bouquet, made from same batch of white Phalaenopsis, has held up beautifully in the cooler. Swig last of coffee. Pack second doctor bag. Load Wedding #2 into waiting delivery truck.

10:30am – pile in delivery van with two other members of crew and Wedding #1 product. Listen to water slosh and glass clink as we pull out onto road and up into the undulating valley to wedding site.

10:55am – pull down small windy road to wedding site. Park and recon setup. Note how venue operators and staff have tables arranged and linens down knowing we would need to place centerpieces by noon.

11:00am – deliver bridal party flowers to bridal suite. Note many glasses of champagne scattered around suite. Hear bride and bride’s mom ooh-and-ahh over especially fragrant garden roses in bouquets.

11:10am – with crew haul to reception site (across garden-like several-hundred-feet of venue) 19 small square glass centerpieces, 19 medium square glass centerpieces, and 19 large rectangular glass centerpieces all full of dahlias, roses, orchids and other flowers that seem intent on falling out. Keep close count. Get sloshed with more icy water.

11:25am – place centerpieces, wiping down with cloth to prevent water-spotting on linens. Check arrangements again, remove bruised or broken blooms, re-shaping arrangements that have shifted in transport. Spray every arrangement with more water, hope they will withstand the sun and last through dinner.

11:45am – rendezvous with other half of crew and delivery truck in town, eat quick lunch in parking lot. Chat with crew about illusion of romantic glamour the flower industry inspires in those who haven’t worked it. Thank flower gods there is something as fun and creative and physical (and lucrative) as flower industry.

noon – caravan down windy, treacherous, Hwy 1 to Big Sur and wedding location #2. Drop off 4 arrangements to fancy resort location for photo-shoot. Wish to stay and enjoy view from hot-tub…

1:00pm – arrive at location #2. Recon ceremony and reception sites. Note how venue operators and staff don’t have a clue what is going on and no tables or chairs are setup. Deliver bridal party flowers to bridal suite.

1:10pm – unload delivery truck, carry loads averaging 40 pounds through service entrance and down slippery, sloping path to site. Try to keep flowers in the shade while waiting for venue to setup. Pause to take in expansive view of ocean, smoke from SoCal fires still clinging to the horizon. Return to truck and repeat process approx. 15 times.

2:05pm – nag venue staff. Note some tables and umbrellas are being moved, and flowers are in blinding sun. Move flowers to safer place. Watch last of club members/diners leaving lunch on the terrace, move in as venue staff clears dishes and begin hanging lanterns and votives from beautiful, old, wisteria trellis over tables.

2:45pm – see chairs begin to be arranged at ceremony site. Wonder if venue staff understands concept of aisle-to-altar. Note rise in wind, wonder about fate of larger arrangements.

3:15pm – chairs finally arranged, begin tying chair bundles along aisle, placing altar-pieces, including 4.5 foot-tall very fragile glass vases full of shells and curly branches. Fill part-way with water, watch wind make vase wobble.

3:30pm – pow-wow with crew over diagram of river-rock arrangement. Try several versions, finally agree and complete. Dread hauling racks back uphill to truck after wedding.

3:40pm – notice tables are beginning to be arranged in reception area, linens are going down. After dishes, utensils, and 4 pieces of stemware are added, wonder how centerpieces are going to fit. Re-arrange place-settings to accommodate flowers. Check over arrangements, give one last spray of water.

3:55pm – place final pieces of altar-arrangement, using floral super-sticky putty to keep GIANT ceremony flower arrangements on top of water-filled vases. Pray to wind gods for mercy.

4:10pm – stand back, admire work, sun comes out from behind smoke and clouds, crew shares momentary sigh of satisfaction.

4:15pm – pull white Phalaenopsis blooms from soaking buckets, re-arrange central decorative piece and thank flower gods for the much revived blooms. Hear early wedding guests ooh-and-ahh at elegant orchid-curly branches-moss arrangement. Light candles.

4:30pm – haul empty boxes from site to truck, pile in, drive wearily back up coast.

5:30pm – get to shop, unload some boxes, leave other boxes and packing material in delivery van for pick-up from Wedding #2.

6pm – go home. eat dinner

7pm – nap

8pm – nap some more

9pm – drink caffeinated beverage, snack, bundle up.

10pm – pick up delivery van at shop, head back down coast. Enjoy full-moon gleaming off of ocean. Drink more caffeinated beverage.

11:05pm – arrive at Wedding #2 location. See drunk and happy guests stumbling out to courtesy shuttle.

11pm – midnight – break down everything we setup earlier. Pack in boxes and crates, haul back up slippery and sloping service path to delivery van.

11:25pm – while gathering last of reception decorations, have lights turned off by snooty venue staff and complete task in the dark. Grumble. Navigate sea of deck chairs venue staff has so kindly and haphazardly dragged back out onto terrace and arranged in one big pile between site and service route. Scowl.

11:35pm – while loading last of things into delivery van, see beautiful wedding guest in sparkling blue sequin dress and bare feet cross parking lot to van, and thank us profusely for the beautiful setup. Smile. Feel better about being up so late doing such tiring work, but still want to kick venue staff.

1am – Haul back into shop things that only a few hours ago were being loaded into van. Put any salvageable flowers in cooler. Pull an armful of long-stemmed chocolate brown/deep purple lilies and grasses to take home. Pile boxes. Check list. Lock up. Call it a night.

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Tags: florists, flowers, weddings, work