I have been silent in regard to what we are doing at Designs With Love and how we are managing in this COVID 19 global pandemic. That is because, like everyone else, I have had no answers. I didn’t know if this would be a brief two- or three-week shelter in place. And quite frankly, I wasn’t looking too much into the future. Let’s just deal with today or this week. Just taking things as they came. As we have now progressed in this situation, I hope I can share some information that will bring hope and maybe, for those who desire answers, provide some of those, along with encouragement. (Because I am hopeful and encouraged.)
As a wedding and event florist COVID 19 didn’t really affect us at the onset. We didn’t have anything on the books in March or April and so we were “waiting it out” by sheltering in place with the rest of the nation. I know, it’s not like we really had too much of a choice, right?
As we are all keenly aware, these are unprecedented times, so along with many others, we hunkered down and kept our ear to the ground. As shelter in place was extended, and we still don’t know when it will be lifted, we began to really notice changes in the industry and began to think of the economic impacts this may have. And being transparent here, we still don’t know. These are issues we have not faced before, but we will get through this! We will recover! It likely won’t be overnight, but to borrow a cliché, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Here is a letter from our wholesaler, Mayesh, who explaining the impact of COVID 19 on the entire supply chain much better than I can:
From the outside looking in, we’re “just in the flower business” - weddings, events, funerals, etc. - deemed nonessential by city and state governments. However, though our product may be deemed nonessential, the livelihoods of the thousands of people working in this industry are not. And, we do believe that although you don’t need flowers to survive, they have proven positive effects on our happiness and mental health.
So, let’s talk a little bit about how the industry works and the history behind it. The flower industry is made up of a number of working parts - growers, distributors (like us), logistics, florists & designers, and consumers. We rely on this supply chain in order to flourish.
Starting with the growers, a seed is planted and thus begins the process. The process of breeding new varieties, testing them in the soil, choosing which varieties to grow high volume production, harvesting, packing, shipping to wholesalers, and wholesalers getting them into the hands of our customers can take up to three years for a single flower.
When you take away a part of the distribution chain, i.e. the wholesaler, and the growers (who are currently allowed to operate as they fall under the agricultural umbrella) have nowhere for their product to go, you begin to dismantle an entire industry. Without a place to sell the flowers, growers have no choice but to tragically throw away their crops and eventually, because of no income, “turn the water off” and essentially close up shop forever. Once this virus runs its course and we are picking up the pieces, we’ll need to have flowers to work with. There will be challenges and casualties on many fronts, but let it not be because we have no flowers.
With the outbreak of COVID-19 and the global pandemic we’re currently experiencing, Mayesh made the decision to completely shut down all operations. However, after ten days of watching Amazon trucks deliver non-essential items hour after hour, and watching restaurants remain open for takeout and delivery (NOT because we need sushi to survive, but because people want to support small business owners and keep people employed), we realized that, being a distributor, we could safely reopen our shipping department to get flowers into the hands of our customers nationwide through carriers like FedEx, who are already out on the roads delivering packages.
In doing this, we are in no way encouraging our customers to go about business as usual and design for weddings, events, etc. However, we have many customers who wish to use this time to work on their design skills, create beauty in a time of uncertainty, build their portfolios, provide online educational design courses, and spread joy through flowers. Some flower shops have also come up with creative ways to get people flowers with no-contact deliveries, and if the grocery stores can still sell them flowers, why can’t we?
Our industry has responded in the most cautious and selfless way across the board. Millions of dollars that were scheduled and planned to be spent on events and weddings have been forfeited in the name of doing the right and responsible thing. Thousands of people have lost their jobs and small businesses in the name of flattening the curve. These are all tragic and unavoidable circumstances given the global pandemic that we are facing, and all we want is for everyone to be alive and well and celebrate together on the other side. We just need to make sure that our supply chain, while drastically altered, remains intact.
Here are some examples of businesses that have been deemed essential in California:
· Cannabis
· Laundromats & Drycleaners
· Restaurants
· Liquor Stores
· Gun stores
· Office Supply Stores
The list goes on and varies state by state, but you get the point.
So why are we writing this? We hope this gives you a glimpse into our "nonessential" industry - an industry built on the shoulders of family businesses (like ourselves) that have operated for multiple generations and created a thriving, dynamic piece of the global economy. At Mayesh, we employ over four hundred amazing people, many of whom offered to work for free when we laid them off if it would help Mayesh stay afloat. These are the same types of people you're trying to support by picking up takeout from your favorite neighborhood restaurant.
We are asking for your help to get our story out there, and to help us save this incredible industry whose main objective, at its core, is to spread joy and happiness through flowers.
Again, we don’t know the full ramifications of COVID 19 on the industry, but we do know there will be some.
What we DO know:
· Designs With Love is still here! We have no intentions of going anywhere.
· We are still accepting inquiries.
· We can still PLAN.
· We can still DREAM.
· We will still have flowers in our life.
· We will find a new normal when all this has passed.
· Flowers are important to health and well-being.
· We CAN do this!
So, if you are planning a wedding or event, don’t hesitate to contact us! We are more than happy to dream with you, to plan with you. We will thrive!
What can we expect when we can gather again?
1. There will likely be some changes in flower pricing on the other side of this thing. We don’t yet know what those will be, but we do anticipate some change as a result of the pandemic.
2. Please be flexible when it comes to flower varieties/types. In our new normal, at least at the onset until things have gotten underway for a while, there may be a shortage of particular types or varieties due to supply and demand or the seasonality of flowers, etcetera. Asking for a color palette versus a specific variety may open-up a whole new world of flowers you have never before seen. They will be beautiful flowers!
3. Consider a weekday for your event. With many rescheduled or postponed wedding and events, securing a weekend venue may be challenging. A weekday may be just the answer to scoring that perfect venue!
We will continue to take things on a day-by-day or week-by-week basis. For those brides who are currently on our books, we will contact individually as we know more and it applies to your date. We are committed to you, our clients, and will do everything we can to ensure you have a beautiful flower-filled day! You deserve our very best!
Our prayer is that you and your family stay healthy and whole through these tough times. May we see the beauty that surrounds us and smile through the rain (or snow), even at the dandelion. We are in this together! We are strong!
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