Floral Designer Responsibilities

If you are a creative person and love being in the company of flowers, have good color coordination, and are able to understand and touch people's emotions, then you should definitely take up a career as a floral designer. If you have these qualities in you, then handling the floral designer responsibilities would definitely be enjoyed by you.

Key Responsibilities of a Floral Designer

Floral designers basically make floral arrangements needed for different occasions. They need to make floral displays by selecting and cutting live or dried flowers that would enhance the visual appearance and decoration for that particular occasion. It can be a rewarding career as well as can give you immense job satisfaction. You can work in retail shops, or you can even start your own business. The following points will help you in understanding the key responsibilities of a floral designer:

To understand the client's needs and order different varieties of flowers from the wholesalers which are required for that particular occasion
To discuss with the clients as to what is their budget and what exactly are their expectations and other relevant details like where the delivery needs to be made and on what day, date and time
To select appropriate design for the occasion and make sure that all the material required for the arrangement is available and order it if some material is not available
To condition the plants, water them regularly, and keep them neat and clean, so that they can be stored properly and utilized whenever there is a requirement; they also unpack the flowers received from the wholesalers
To cut the flowers, select the foliage, and work out a design that will have good color coordination and look attractive to suit the occasion
To make sure that the floral arrangement touches and strikes a chord with the clients' emotions

They make visually appealing flower arrangements according to the orders of the client. They may make suggestions to the clients, and if the clients permit they can put in their own creative vision and imagination to exceed the clients' expectations. While making flower arrangements, it is essential that the floral designer selects the right type of flowers with proper color combination, cuts the flowers, trims the stems in a way that they are aligned to the same length, tie them with wooden sticks, wires, etc., and make appropriate selection of base to give them strength.

Apart from the flowers, leaves, etc., they may also use some other materials to enhance the visual appearance by decorating it with some ribbons, tiny bells, bows, etc. They wrap it properly and tag it with the appropriate price. They ensure that their shop showcases the best floral arrangements, so as to attract more clients, take proper orders, and attend the clients in the best possible way, so that they can deliver the services according to the budget of the clients. Floral designers should have knowledge about the basic floral arrangement, should be aware of the properties of various flowers, their availability during various seasons, and how to keep them fresh and store them for longer periods. They ensure that the shop is clean and tidy. They keep a track of the income by calculating the expenses, taxes, cost of the material, etc., to calculate the ultimate profits.

Essential Skills and Abilities

If you are aiming to become a floral designer, it is essential that you have good knowledge of botany, wherein you are aware of the properties of different plants, have knowledge on how to store them, and ensure their availability in a particular season. A creative and an aesthetic vision along with a passion for arranging different flowers, good color coordination ability, ability to create innovative arrangements, etc., are a must. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are equally important to understand the clients' needs. Time management and organization skills will enable to make delivery at the right time.

Educational Background

A high school diploma or some program involving floral design training through private or vocational schools and colleges is sufficient to make an entry in this field. A bachelor's degree in botany or an associate degree providing knowledge in floral design, a certified floral designer certification, or some training in conceptual floral designing, flower arrangement, identification of plants, advertising, etc., would be preferred. However, those with a practical working experience will definitely have more chances of getting the job.

Work Hours

Most of the floral designers work in retailer or wholesaler shops. With relevant work experience, they can even become self employed by starting their own shop. This is normally a full time job, and they should be flexible to work even on the holidays, as the number of clients would definitely be more during special occasions such as Valentine's Day, Christmas, etc., as they need to make arrangements just in advance. The work hours are generally normal business hours and may differ according to the location.

Salary Details

The annual average salary of a floral designer is $24,000. The minimum salary that is offered for the inexperienced designers is $17,000, while the maximum salary for the experienced designers can go up to the range of 36,000.

Career Prospects

Increasing floral sales through internet and grocery stores has led to an increasing demand for floral designers. With experience you can move up as a floral manager or even start up your own business. Getting the job will definitely be more easier, as there is very less competition in this field.

Thus, if you have an artistic set of mind and have the ability to communicate well with people, then you can handle the floral designer responsibilities with great ease and efficiency.