05/11/2020
Friends, I have an announcement for you.
Originally, I was planning to wait until I had completed the last of my 2020 weddings, but amidst this COVID-19 crisis and the many cancelled and rescheduled weddings, I’m delivering this news to you now so that rescheduling brides and my partner vendors have all of the information they need to do that successfully.
I am officially closing down this little floral adventure. This is not a result of the pandemic, but it has been sped-up by it.
One of the questions I receive from folks most often is, “How did you get into floristry?” And the truth is that I fell into it. I was unemployed and heartbroken after moving across the country and cancelling plans of my own wedding. I had quiet hours and did lots of praying and playing. I arranged a few flowers here and there because it felt like therapy. Social media did its part to pull in inquiries and I just followed the line of open doors until I was doing huge weddings and grand projects.
I have discovered so much about myself, about being a business owner & a strong woman, about how to honor people’s stories, think laterally, create with vision, and about the strength of a supportive community of entrepreneurial women through owning and running this beautiful gift. But if I’m 100% honest with myself, it isn't a dream that originated from inside of me. It came to me from the outside and I followed where it led.
We’re all driven by something deep in our stomachs that we can’t let go of. Floristry is that thing for some people. I am so thankful for my time in it, and I’m not tossing it aside to never pick it up again, but I am making room in my life to really give energy to the thing in my gut that does keep me up at night dreaming.
I am eternally grateful for the opportunities I had to be translator for many beautiful couples and experience the heart and talent of so many vendors. Some of you have quite literally changed me forever. I love you and am so humbled by your friendship.
If I had to find one word that summarized my time running Delaney Darling Florals, it would be bravery. ...I took a lot of risks, and even this move to close has taken some courage to decide on. To many it may appear like a failure to close. But the way I see it, I am saying yes to something greater in my bones regardless of the fact that it’s likely more glamorous to keep designing for luxury weddings, running my own business, and making pretty things. I hope that you are brave, that you follow every adventure, and know yourself well enough to prioritize well and prune when needed.
Thank you all for your belief in me and for all of your encouragement. You have truly blessed me in big, big ways. I’m going to leave you with the first photo I posted as a floral artist and this sentiment: please, be brave in all things. Xo, Delaney
