Let’s talk how Wildflower & Willow came to be…

So, recently I had to send some supporting information into the Scottish Wedding Awards (you can find out more about them here) and it made me reflect on my journey with Wildflower & Willow and I cannot believe how quickly time goes! I left my corporate job in August 2021 to be full time self-employed in Wildflower & Willow and it just struck me that it was now pretty much 2 and a half years ago! Which is crazy because lockdown feels like yesterday, am I right?!

So I thought it was about time I shared a bit more about how Wildflower & Willow came about, and how it’s grown to what it is today!

I founded Wildflower & Willow in 2018 after finding floristry in my own wedding in 2015 – admittedly I was one of those crazy DIY brides (wholeheartedly would NOT recommend!), but I thought I could do it all. (Any other control freaks out there?!) Since I do have a mean creative streak, and I am notoriously stubborn when I put my mind to something, I did get lucky with the floristry – other things didn’t work out so great!

At this time I worked as a Global Project Manager in a pharmaceutical research organisation and had definitely not found my calling – it was fast paced, with a high workload and took up a lot of my time, I actually don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say I grew to hate it – and that’s no way to live!

I was spending all my time in the evening and weekends trying to grow and work on the business, writing up quotes and creating for small weddings but with a demanding job, and at this time an added even more demanding little one at home – my time was limited and growth was minimal and frustrating.

Then 2020 hit with a new baby in March, just before the world shut down, but the silver lining for me was that a lockdown maternity leave meant more time at home away from the job of doom and therefore a lot more time to work on the thing that I loved.

I began to pay more attention to my social media and marketing, I updated the one DIY Wix Website that was not serving the business well and spent a whole lot of hours looking at systems and processes. Interest then began to increase and I started to really see what Wildflower & Willow could become – then there was no stopping me! That and the impending threat of returning to work – spoiler alert I only lasted 5 months. Believe me – nothing lights a fire in you like returning to a job that’s draining your soul.

So in 2021 I left the corporate world and went all in to focus on growing the business that I was so passionate about. 

This was a scary and exciting move but it gave me the time to really work on business growth, building a business I wanted to work in, understanding the business I was creating and refining where I wanted to go. I worked hard on identifying my ideal client and my unique USP – and really got into considering what was really important for me and my clients – what kind of ‘florist’ was I going to be and how was I different from everyone else? 

In 2022 I niched down, re-branded and changed my processes from standard in the wedding florist industry to uniquely Wildflower & Willow – pulling together the Signature Experience. I continued to invest in my business and myself – learning new technical and business skills along the way, and finding the right places to apply my corporate experience to a creative industry, again making me a bit different from other wedding florists.

On top of that, the big jump also gave me more time and flexibility to spend time with my gorgeous wee family, and watch the girls grow. I also very much hope that seeing me be brave and do it will show my two young girls that they can grow up and do anything they want in life; if they have the passion and drive to do it. 

I was beyond happy with how Wildflower & Willow was really gaining momentum and growing like never before, and then life did what it can do sometimes and threw a major curveball. In April 2023 our family took a major blow when my husband fell ill with Long Covid. He has been pretty much bed-bound since then and I have had to adjust my mindset to approach day to day as a solo-parent, homeowner, business owner and fulltime carer, whilst also trying to maintain some normality for my girls. It’s been tough. Especially since there is so little known about his condition, and we don’t know how or when things will change. 

But not to get too dragged down on the negative, I have firmly put my big girl positive pants on and although it’s hard to see it sometimes Wildflower & Willow has continued to grow at a generous pace, with dreamy, ideal client weddings increasing in frequency and in value, and with nothing but positive reviews coming in form clients past and present.

I’ve learned a lot about grit, balance, consistency and frankly just trucking on, but it is easier to do when it’s something you love. I’ll be honest, I never planned on becoming a florist. I have always had a deep need for creativity in my life and being stifled in the corporate scientific world I knew I wouldn’t be happy until I tapped into it, but I never expected to be where I am now. I get to bring a little magic to my clients life and wedding days – seeing the smiles on their faces, watching them smelling the scents in the air, helping them tell their love stories and being a big part of the memories they are creating. Though life is certainly tough and you never know what is coming, Wildflower and Willow, and the enchantment it creates, is what I live for. 

If you’re looking for an honest, open, corporate turned creative gal to bring you abundant wedding floral dreams to life – pop an enquiry though here, I would love to hear from you.

Photography – @photosbyzoeweddings https://photosbyzoe.co.uk @katymelling https://katymelling.com