We were having a memorial for a late relative whose remains had been cremated. The event was to…read moretake place at an outdoor facility in a non-traditional settings. We needed a flower arrangement that was tailored to our specific needs. The urn could not be hidden by the flowers but we wanted an arrangement that would enhance the simple urn, if that was possible.
Because we were not absolutely certain what we could find, or if we could find something that met our criteria, we decided to check out multiple florists. My first reaction was to immediately go to The Flower Gardens since I had seen many dozens of arrangements they put together for funerals and other events. But I was encouraged to stop into one my friend had used in the past with decent results.
Soooo, we went to a florist that was closest to us first. The florist spoke to us across their counter as they continued working on an arrangement. We tried explaining what we wanted, which was very specific, but she didn't offer to show us any examples, or try explaining how the arrangements might look. She pointed to a couple of arrangements she had completed that were still in the shop but not even remotely close to what we needed. We left quite discouraged, feeling less than enthused, and definately felt the florist didn't consider our needs were important enough to discuss in more detail.
Then we went to The Flower Gardens. As soon as we entered, we were greeted with a smile and handshake by the owner, Mrs. Shelley Rockwell. She listened closely to our needs and concerns and began putting together a rough idea of what might work. We discussed the physical arrangements needed at the location, the limitations the arrangements would have, and selection of colors she suggested that would be beautiful, yet somber and reflective of our loved one's life.
Shelley showed us the base the urn would sit on while the flowers would surround it and enhance the importance of the urn without overpowering the presentation. It sounded perfect and something we had not even considered.
Again, because the physical limitations we had to work with at the memorial site gave us very little opportunity for a larger, more traditional arrangement, we were concerned there was little else we could add to the final presentation of the urn. Shelley went on to suggest another item that might enhance the final presentation, that would also work with our limitations. She clearly explained the height and width of the base along with the flowers and color selection that would work well yet remain secondary to the primary arrangement that held the urn. She also showed us examples of the types and colors that might work well. We decided to go with all her suggestions and ordered the arrangement.
The memorial was being held on a Sunday; and like all other small businesses in town, The Flower Gardens are not open on Sunday. However, because Shelley wanted us to have the absolute freshest arrangement possible, she suggested she come in Sunday morning to meet us in order to pick the arrangement up. Wow, have never had a business, of any kind, make such an offer.
It ended up being a two-tiered pedestal that held the urn up in a prominent manner yet allowed the beautiful white flower arrangement to surround it as if the urn was floating within a sea of of soft beauty. The other two arrangements were made of a beautiful combination of fall color flowers that were particularly beautiful and fit perfectly within the limited space required. The picture we are showing was taken within The Flower Gardens prior to the memorial. You can see the arrangement of white flowers that held the urn within the center and the two smaller arrangements to either side. The cost was absolutely within our range, ending up being much less than we had budgeted, and priced very competitively.
Once the memorial was arranged on-site, the flowers were a tremendous enhancement, yet simply framed our set-up without drowning out the focus of the memorial.
I am a firm believer in shopping around for the best product at the best price. The Flower Gardens delivers both and Shelley is at the top of her game when given a set of limitations to work with. She will NOT let you down and we will be a life-long customer. Thank you Shelley and The Flower Gardens!!
