New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day are two holidays that can easily turn into big letdowns. Both holidays often lead to disappointment when hopes are unfulfilled with unmet expectations. Jamie and I have decided that these holidays (and every day for that matter) will be what we decide to make them. So this year we decided to have a Valentine’s pop up flower shop. There is nothing more classic than chocolate and flowers on this holiday, so we joined forces with Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery, and set out to make the day special for whoever would stop by.
The thing with having a little pop up shop, is that you don’t really know what to expect, who will come, how many flowers to purchase. It is so different from wedding planning and design where everything is perfectly calculated and scheduled down to the minute. I pre-ordered a large amount of flowers, but the week of the event I panicked that I hadn’t ordered enough. So every morning at 5:00 I went to the flower market and purchased more garden roses, poppies, anemones, blackberries and other textures to make the bouquets unique.
By the end of the week I wasn’t worried about having enough product… my thoughts shifted to “what if nobody comes!?” Looking back, I had nothing to worry about. Our day was filled with a constant line of people that came to celebrate the holiday and get flowers for either their loved ones or themselves. We completely sold out by the end of the evening.
One of my favorite parts throughout the day was just connecting with people. It was encouraging to see guys wanting to pick out something perfect for their girlfriend or wife. It was amazing to meet people who loyally follow us on Instagram. We had the opportunity to reconnect with past clients who stopped by to say hi and show their support. Several kids brought us Valentine’s Day cards that they had specially made just for us. Even my own brother who I haven’t seen in several years surprised me and made the trip up to Seattle with his family. And… our little nephew, Jackson, came by and attempted to steal my Valentine away from me and win Jamie’s heart with some candy and a kiss. I didn’t have a chance once he showed up… no one can compete with how cute that little guy is.
As I stood on the sidewalk making bouquets I had the opportunity to talk with the different people that had stopped by. I realized halfway through the day that every bouquet represented a story. Some bouquets represented stories of love, and the flowers were going to be a component of a romantic evening. Some bouquets represented stories of courage, and people were getting flowers to take to loved ones fighting cancer or other illnesses. Some bouquets represented joy, and people wanted flower just to brighten someone’s day. Other bouquets represented stories of loneliness, and people shared with me that they didn’t have anyone to bring them flowers and so they were buying a bouquet for themselves.
It was a beautiful day filled with a lot of laughter. I can’t think of a better way to spend the holiday than working together with the one I love, creating something beautiful, serving people and spreading love throughout our community. We might have felt like kids playing store… but it really was our favorite Valentine’s Day we have ever had.
And a huge thanks to Katie Parra and Mitch from Cabfare Productions for spending the day with us and taking these photos and creating this film. We love your work and value our friendship with you both!