Part Two: Top Tips to be a Badass Floral Freelancer

Hi! So glad you found your way here. If you are just getting started, I recommend you pop over to Part One of this series focused on freelance florists: How to Get Started as a Freelance Florist.

Alright, so you’ve found a floral designer willing to take you on, you’ve treated them to a drink or lunch, you followed up, and now they’ve sent over a handful of dates that they need your help on! As an extroverted introvert, I know how hard it can be to put yourself out there like that, so kudos to taking those hard first steps. Any florist worth their weight will see that you’ve put a lot of effort into learning about them, their business, and that you’re familiar with their work (and hopefully that last blog post helped too…).

Freelancing is hands-down THE best way to get experience in any field of work, but particularly in scaled floral and event design. It’s easy to throw a few centerpieces together, or make a one-off bouquet for your cousin. But taking on full-service events, no matter the guest count, comes with a long and tricky logistics list that just isn’t everyone’s bread and butter.

Another benefit of freelancing is that you basically get all of the perks of floral design-experience, flowers, working with awesome people, and profit-without the overhead. Sure, you may need to invest in a toolbelt and a good pair of snips, but other than your mileage, gas, and snacks, you don’t have to worry about all of the other expenses that go into running a floral studio or shop. You get the profit without the pain (in-the-you-know-what).

Bonus benefit: Unless it’s a very slow year for a designer, once they’re established, they typically stop taking on every single event or couple that meander into their inbox. Freelancing is an incredible way to potentially build your client base because those more experienced florists will likely refer them to you! After a few events, assuming everything is going well, they know your style, work ethic, and would happily send smaller budget weddings your way.

My Top Eight Tips for Being the Best in the Biz

1.) Your Fit: Okay, I actually hate when people say that, but here we are trying to keep up with the youths.

• On design/processing/studio days:
  • Solid, close-toed shoes. My favorites: Blundstones, Hokas, OnCloud sneakers. And I always use Dr. Scholl’s inserts because all of those sick millennial dance moves from 2013 did not do me any favors.
  • Outfits that you don’t mind getting dirty: Think a comfy onesie, a worn pair of jeans, dark T-shirts/tops. Avoid lighter colors if you don’t want them getting dirty.
  • Layers: Floral studios can get very cold, between the air conditioning and walk-in coolers. Bring a sweatshirt just-in-case.
  • Dress for the weather: Bring a warm coat if it’s going to be cold, bring a raincoat if it’s going to rain. There’s no bad weather, just bad clothing. Prepare.
• On wedding/event install days:
  • Solid, close-toed shoes (see above).
  • Professional clothing. I typically ask my freelancers to wear all black, but I am likely going to change that because y’all are adults. Just avoid graphics, garish colors, and overly revealing outfits. Black will obviously hide stains better, but you’re welcome to wear a clean pair of trousers/jeans (as long as they don’t have rips/holes/dirt). I’ll also be getting my folks Blue Door garb for 2026, so that always helps identify my team.

2.) “I Don’t Want to Do Your Dirty Work” (But girl, you better): Your first few days in the studio, and sometimes more, are likely going to be spent doing the following:

• Prepping + filling vases/buckets
• Cleaning buckets/sinks
• Removing wax (more like…digging/scrubbing/brushing/melting it…) from hurricanes, pillar candle holders, and taper holders
• Stripping thorns + leaves from roses

As I said in the last post…there is nothing we dislike more than a freelance diva who walks into the studio expecting to be HBIC. You’re there to work. You’re there to learn. Even if you have a few years under your belt, it’s just like any other job. You’ll start where you’re needed, and if it’s a problem, the door is right there. Every single time I freelance, it doesn’t matter than I own my own successful luxury studio. I start where I’m needed, even if it means being the lowest on the totem pole.

3.) Ask Good Questions: Okay. I was a teacher for a long time. And I can promise you that yes, there ARE indeed bad questions. Asking what type of flower this or that is? Totally okay. I still don’t know the names of a lot of flowers. Asking that question while I’m in the middle of designing the bridal bouquet? Girl, read the room. No. Harkening back to the good ole days of teaching, I give you THINK. Before you ask a question, simply THINK:

• Is it True?
• Is it Helpful?
• Is it Inspiring?
• Is it Necessary?
• Is it Kind?

Asking yourself those five questions, especially if you aren’t sure, can help avoid a lot of miscommunication, and keeps things positive and constructive.

4.) Constructive Criticism: On that note, it’s important to be open to constructive criticism. Unless there is a truly unsafe situation—or someone is being harmful to me, my business, my clients, or others—I will never criticize overtly or unkindly. That said, it is quite literally my job to redirect, guide, or step in if something being done or said doesn’t align with what we’re trying to accomplish.

If you’ve earned your way into a design role at the table, your responsibility is to help bring the proposal and mood board to life. If we’re creating a garden-inspired centerpiece and you head in a completely different direction, I will stop you. Not because creativity isn’t valued—but because clarity and consistency matter.

My clients are my top priority. I care deeply about the freelancers I work with, and many of them are friends, but they are not the ones placing their trust (or their investment) in this business. My clients are. If they are expecting a specific outcome, we will deliver that outcome—and likely exceed it.

Please don’t take redirection personally. Don’t roll your eyes. Don’t question suggestions in the middle of production. If, after the event has come and gone, you still have questions about a decision or piece of feedback, I’m always open to a thoughtful conversation. What I can’t accommodate is stopping the momentum of a live event because an ego got bruised.

That may sound blunt—but it’s the reality of working at a professional level. Our job is to show up, execute beautifully, and serve the vision we promised.

5.) Imitate + Recreate: As you design, the goal is to imitate and recreate the designer’s work/style as closely as possible. We understand that it won’t be exact-we’re humans after all. But remember that you’re here to carry out their design, not to hone in on your own unique style.

6.) Rinse + Repeat: As with anything, reps matter. If you want to shoot three-pointers, you practice the same thing 100 times, 500 times, 10,000 times, until you have it. The same goes here. Your first few bud vases may look terrible-stems too long, too big, too little, leaves in the water (SHAME!). But with proper redirection, good questions on your part, and openness to feedback, you’ll get it.

6.) Yes, Manners Matter: I’m totally fine with you texting your kiddo to make sure they made it off the bus, or stepping out to give your vet a call because Snufflepups is acting funny. But keep the phone-checking to a minimum. If there’s something going on outside of work, I’d rather you take care of that business than to not be fully present on my time. And, for the love of all that is holy, please do not post things to your social media to promote your own business, or send emails, or make a TikTok for the people. It’s not the time, nor is it the place.

7.) Social Media/Posting: I love how all of these just flow one into the other! This one is very important, so listen up. Go above and beyond what is expected in terms of giving credit to the floral designer you’re working for. Personally, I only allow my freelancers to post to their Stories; no Reels, Posts, etc. It can be very misleading to potential clients (for both of us)! And definitely wait until after the event (we want everything to be a surprise for the couple!). Here’s a perfect way to credit on Instagram Stories: “Spent the day flowering for @bluedoorflowercompany in Stowe!” You get the idea! Those are their designs, their concepts, their months (and often years) of work coming to fruition. I love when my freelancers share their photos with me-it’s super fun to hear their perspective and what they loved most!

7.) Be Flexible: Whoa, Nelly. This one is so key. I won’t list the literal infinite reasons that you need to be flexible when it comes to wedding/event design work, but suffice to say there are many (and probably a bunch we haven’t even thought of). Every event, every week, every day will be different. Different vendors, venues, logistics, budgets, couples. If you commit to working a certain event, be a flexible thinker. That email I sent two weeks ago about the event? Yeah, the entire ceremony location just changed and the bride no longer has a wedding party. We don’t have time to communicate every change ahead of time, especially with back-to-back weeks or multiple event weekends. Sometimes, I don’t get timelines until the week of the wedding, so I might not know exactly what times I’ll need you! Go with the flow, be as chill as you can, and pad in some extra space in your schedule in case things change. Personally, I don’t expect my freelancers to change their plans on a whim, but if they have the space to stay a little longer than expected, it’s always very much appreciated.

8.) Pick Up a Broom: One of my favorite stories from a fellow designer is hearing the time he had to ask a freelancer to leave. Why? She legit DID NOT KNOW HOW TO USE A BROOM. She didn’t know how to sweep (Hi, Kendall Jenner with your cucumber cutting skills). Maybe she was a stellar designer, but she didn’t know how to sweep? Girl, bye. Any good ANYTHING starts from the ground up. Incredible chefs? They worked as dish pit workers. Artists? They were cleaning painter’s brushes with turpentine. Electricians? They were crawling underneath houses and feeding conduit into tiny tubes. Florists? Learn how to sweep. That’s it.

Alright, that’s it for Part Two: How to be a Badass Floral Freelancer. Is there anything I missed? What would you add? I’d love to hear your feedback on this as I develop this series! I genuinely do want you to be successful, confident, talented freelancers who are SOUGHT AFTER by floral companies. I hope my experiences can land even one of you your first gig! Love you.