Floral Design, Student Ambassador
QC’s Floral Design Course: My Review of Unit A
Neena McConnell is a QC Event School graduate and Student Ambassador. The proud owner of Wallflower Events & Designs, Neena specializes in event and wedding planning, event decor, floral design, and so much more! Connect with her directly in QC’s Virtual Classroom on Facebook.
What is Floral Design?
To put it simply, floral design is art. It’s the art of arranging flowers and greenery to create a display that is pleasing to the eye. You can enhance any event with flowers – whether it be weddings, funerals, special occasions, holidays, or even “just because”.
Common job responsibilities of a professional floral designer include:
- Proper flower and plant care;
- Ordering products;
- Providing excellent customer service;
- Scheduling and receiving deliveries;
- Designing everything from an everyday bouquet, to bridal bouquets and large installations;
- And much, much more!
The Clients You’ll Work With
More often than not, your client will be anyone who’s looking for something more than just the “grab and go” bouquet you’d typically find in a grocery store or gas station. You might encounter a client who requests an arrangement for her recently engaged brother. Another may want a beautifully designed casket spray for her father’s funeral. Perhaps a couple will look to hire you in order to bring their wedding flower vision to life.
Although each client’s wants and needs will be different, they’ll all be choosing to turn to a professional who can properly execute their dream designs.
My Journey into Floral Design
One of my first jobs was in a grocery store flower shop. There, I started from the ground and worked my way up. Initially, I was scrubbing buckets, sweeping floors, and building my customer service experience. As I grew and gained more experience, however, I began to learn how to design everyday bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages. It was there that my passion for floral design began.
I continued to work in boutique shops throughout university and into my mid-twenties; always finding myself surrounded by flowers whenever possible. It was only after obtaining my International Event and Wedding Planning Professional™ certification through QC Event School that I realized event and wedding planning goes hand-in-hand with floristry! That’s when I decided to pursue my dream of owning my own business – one that offered not only wedding and event planning services, but professional floral design services as well.
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The Benefits of Floral Design Training
Floral design training (and experience in general) is an incredibly useful skill to have when working in the event industry. From color theory to design principles – learning a little can take you a long way. If a bouquet ribbon unravels, the arbor spray is off-balance, or the centerpieces need to be set up, you’ll be the one equipped with the necessary skills to fix the situation.
Furthermore, by adding a certification in floral design to your resume, you’ll attract and appeal to a wider range of clients. Many newly engaged couples love the idea of a “one-stop-shop” when it comes to coordinating and designing a wedding. After all, why seek out, deal with, and pay multiple vendors when you can get everything you want from one source?
Another reason why professional training is incredibly helpful is because artistic ability and creativity are often not enough. Luckily, QC Event School’s new Floral Design Course offers EVERYTHING you need to know about this unique area of the industry. From basic skills – such as wiring and taping – to planning and designing a wedding, this course touches on it all!
A Look Into the Course
QC’s Floral Design Course is taught by Renee Tucci, who has over 21 years of experience in floristry. She belongs to the American Institute of Floral Designers and is a member of the Professional Communicators International. It is through this course that she shares her passions and inspirations with her students; giving them the push they need to venture out into the world of floral design.
There are 7 units in this program. Once the course is completed (with a passing grade, of course), you receive your certification and officially become an International Floral Design Professional (IFDP)! While working through your course, you’ll also be able to find helpful information and tools to help you start your very own floral business. Such resources include a materials checklist, marketing tricks, and tips for working with clients and finding wholesalers.
There’s also a full unit devoted to business training! While this unit is optional, it’s highly recommended that you take it. After all, it’s a part of the course, so why not take full advantage of everything being offered to you?
My Honest Review of Unit A
I’m currently enrolled in this Floral Design Course and have recently completed the first Unit. My goal is to refresh my skill-set, build on the knowledge I already have, and ultimately expand my subject-matter expertise in the floral industry. I am delighted to share some of my thoughts and observations regarding this Unit, as well as the course as a whole.
Unit A not only introduces you to the world of floral design; it also educates you on common arrangements and the most popular flowers you’ll come across on a day-to-day basis. This first Unit focuses on 3 main topics:
- Introducing floral design and the foundations behind it;
- Common arrangements;
- And popular flowers and foliage.
Students are provided with course materials, such as digital and paperback textbooks, assignment templates, and informative videos (led by Renee Tucci). I always make it a habit to keep my textbooks after completing a course, since I tend to find myself looking back at them year after year.
My Thoughts on Unit A’s Assignments
There are 5 assignments in Unit A, as well as several multiple-choice quizzes to complete. The assignments are easy to follow, informative, and even-hands on! I was overjoyed to see practical, real-world assignments so soon in the program! For example, the final assignment in this Unit gets the students to design an actual vase arrangement.
One assignment I found particularly important for aspiring florists was Assignment 2: Identifying Resources. In this assignment, students are asked to research and compare local businesses from which to purchase cut flowers and foliage. Students are encouraged to consider price point, quality, and variety of flowers when doing their research. This assignment is wildly helpful for anyone hoping to open their own business, as the information will already be available to them when business planning!
Although most of the information taught in Unit A was more of a refresher for me, I still learned brand-new things that I hadn’t already known. For example, I learned all sorts of things about the history of floral design and where it originated. I had no idea that floristry goes as far back as Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and the Middle Ages! Admittedly, I was never a history-lover in school. However, I found myself reading about the Ancient Egyptians honoring their dead with flowers more than once.
Final Thoughts
I can honestly say that I enjoyed Unit A! I’m looking forward to continuing this course and growing my skill-set further. Like many other professionals, I am always learning, practicing, and expanding my knowledge in the event, wedding, and floral industry.
I encourage you all to follow along as I dive deeper into this course in future blogs over the upcoming months. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me in the Virtual Classroom on Facebook. Should you have any questions, you can always contact QC’s amazing Support Specialist Team directly.
Thanks for reading!
