Darling Botanical Co. offers ‘Build Your Own Terrarium’ as a #GirlSquad bonding experience for bachelorette parties.
When you read the phrase “bachelorette party,” what comes to mind? Plastic tiaras? Sky-high stilettos and dancing on tables? Drinks galore?
For many millennial brides, the send-off before the wedding has become less about booze and more about bonding. Popular publications are covering “alternative bachelorette parties”— a trend florists are well positioned to capitalize on.
The team at Darling Botanical Company in Traverse City, Michigan, has seen this trend firsthand. In fact, Derek Woodruff, AIFD, CFD, CF, PFCI, said bachelorette parties have become one of the most popular events at the shop’s 1,000-square-foot terrarium bar. There, brides and the entourages (up to 12 people at a time) can choose from dozens of plants, 40 different container stylings and dozens of decorative materials, including rocks, minerals, marbles and butterflies, to create a keepsake of the day, and to create a memory in honor of the upcoming Big Day.
While plenty of in-store workshops and events could be pitched to brides-to-be (and the maids of honor planning these events), plant-focused events, such as a terrarium bar, speak specifically to millennials’ interest in plants. (An interest the web site Nylon said borders on “obsession.”)
Interested in trying out the idea? Here are Woodruff’s tips on how to get started:
- Make sure guests have plenty of space to work. “Florists tend to fill empty table spaces with merchandise,” Woodruff said, but guests will need clear spaces to create their terrariums.
- Start small. Woodruff and owner Megan Kellogg have built up their impressive inventory of containers, mediums, accessories and containers, but customers really just need a few choices to enjoy the experience. “Invest in necessities, then, gradually add more inventory,” Woodruff said.
- Train your staff. “This is not a self-guided experience,” Woodruff said. “You must make yourself available to walk guests through the process of building and check on them regularly. This part can be especially difficult if all of your staff works in a back design room.”
Woodruff is one of roughly 60 experts featured this September at SAF Amelia Island 2019, the Society of American Florists’ 135th annual convention. Find out more and register today.
Mary Westbrook is the editor in chief of Floral Management magazine.
