The life of a florist is never boring…a tad chaotic, but never boring. Recently, I had the grand opportunity of doing a destination wedding in Baja, Mexico in a small town outside of Cabo San Lucas. Easy, I thought! Cabo is huge…Costco, Walmart, Sams Club…all the usual suspects. Surely, there would be ample flowers to choose from – and there were. But…..always a but…..
The directive from the Father of the Bride – buy local, support the community. Of course, local was not Cabo. Local was the very tiny town of Pescadero.
Guidance from the local homeowner – don’t worry. You can pick anything you see along the road. Note….road is a very loosely defined term.
Wishes from the bride – I know it will be beautiful! Just do what ever you want.
Eek!!!!! Time to get to work! Did I mention, there was a hurricane the day before we arrived? Yes, the day before we arrived! “Roads” (notice the quotation marks) were flooded. Getting through was challenging to say the least….but, yes, there were flowers...just not everywhere!
Of course, nothing I recognized! How in the world to know if it would last? Just like I tell my students at FDI, it is time to do some research! Internet? Let’s say, weak at best. Time for actual, hands-on testing! Gather flowers and check them out. Wear them, enjoy them and find out the lasting quality. With thorough research, I now know I am allergic to plumeria.
The wedding site…on the beach at sunset. Décor…….rocks! Easier than it sounds. You try hauling rocks from point A to point B. Thanks to an accommodating Groom, (he is a saint) it worked. Two by two, rocks were hauled to the location to build the “grounding” ring of love to surround the couple.
The day of the wedding, flowers were gathered and time to pull everything together. The bridal bouquet, maid of honor, groom’s boutonniere and flowers for every guest, I had my work cut out for me. The bridal bouquet was a fabulous collection of local flowers. Most had been picked from their property.
For the guests, the roadsidia collected from our tours through the area fashioned into clip-ons. Most chose to wear them in the hair.
Just as planned, the sun set….the full moon rose… and the wedding ceremony was beautiful. The family expands to include one more. What an honor to be a part of the special day. Weddings are one of the true joys in a floral career.
