BECOMING ROMEE WILLOW FLORALS

Developing The Dream

Fab Flora began as just a hopeful dream while I was working at a retail flower shop but itching to get out on my own. One night, my friend and I were brainstorming potential business names and with the help of some herbal influence, the name Fab Flora was discovered. I took inspiration from the Beatles (a.k.a Fab Four), plus I liked something that was kind of kitschy!

At first, I wasn’t sure what Fab Flora was going to be. I had desires of opening a flower truck but couldn’t get around the permits & laws that were in place at the time. Since I was starting out right after the economy crashed in 2008 and retail was a bust, I was trying to find ways to sell flowers without having a physical space. I remembered a previous boss of mine sold bouquets at the Chicago Marathon which got me thinking about other sport avenues that could use some flower love. 

Humble Beginnings

For a little while I was the lady with a hand-sewn velcro bucket contraption strapped to my chest, selling flowers, stuffed monkeys, and “I <3 gymnastics” t-shirts at gymnastic meets, ice skating competitions, and ballet recitals. Talk about a hustle! While this venture was entertaining and heartwarming, it was not an ideal business model since I’d be sitting at these shows for hours without making much bank. 

In the meantime, I was still working part-time at the flower shop and freelancing for some event florists so I slowly started drumming up some wedding business. My brave friend, Kelly, hired me to be her wedding florist- which was my first wedding ever! It was a pretty big event but with no studio space, I had hydrangeas in my bathtub and roses everywhere! Nevertheless, the wedding went off without a hitch which was a turning point for me. From then on, I knew weddings were what I wanted Fab Flora’s future to be. 

Growing Pains, A Move, And Another Move

I slowly acquired better working conditions- ‘slowly’ being the key word here. I worked out of my dingy basement for about a year- dealing with flooding and propping everything up off the floor to avoid mold (not to mention the scary ass spiders everywhere!) After that I found a very rustic warehouse space- which also leaked. At one point I had an A/C unit pumping cold air into a makeshift cooler made of blankets, tarps, tables and chairs to keep everything cool in the middle of a heat wave. I lost sleep that night, praying that I would wake up the next day to not find everything wilted. (alas, it worked!) 

From there I made it into a shared storefront space which was totally a step up! While still not ideal, it had air conditioning, didn’t leak, and wasn’t scary- so it was a real win in my book! That year, I also had my little baby girl named Romee Louisa. It was quite the challenge to then manage a baby and a business but luckily I had amazing support. I have such fond memories of my nanny (and admin assistant), Kristen, walking Romee over during lunch so I could breastfeed. I was able to do it all and it felt great to be a successful, working mom!

And now, I have finally moved into my OWN beautiful storefront space with its pretty chandeliers, central air conditioning, a cooler, and lots of space to design (and make a mess) with flowers. Both I and Fab Flora really grew up! I’m so attached to this baby of a business that it often feels like an extension of myself. With my new-found maturity both in the wedding biz and in life as a momma, I felt like it was time for that growth to reflect in my business name and brand. And while I’d love to, I really couldn’t go on anymore with a high-flying, kitschy name- haha. I wanted the name to reflect the strength and love that I’ve put into this business throughout the last 10 years. 

Behind The Name

Romee Willow Florals encompasses what this ‘little’ business of mine has become. The Willow tree has always been a favorite of mine and I’ve come to learn that it is a symbol of strength, balance, flexibility and harmony. These words totally resonated with me, what I stand for, what I’ve been through, and what I strive for. Of course Romee, my sweet little girl who is everything to me, had to be represented. I wanted her to be a part of this too, and maybe one day, she’ll work here and feel so proud to know her mom loved her that much to name her business after her. 

I’m beyond excited to be launching Romee Willow Florals. Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with me. Now it’s time to get to work!