Meet Emily Rose

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Rose.

Emily, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
From a very young age, I loved to draw and paint. My grandma was an artist and belonged to the Cincinnati Women’s Art Guild. She taught me about color and we spent time together carefully combing through her tackle box of oil paints, reading the interesting color labels like “burnt sienna and yellow umber.” I loved mixing them together to make new shades and helping her clean the brushes and lay them neatly out to dry. Fast forward a few years and a few failed attempts at plugging into college-level Art courses. I felt that my creative passion might need to be channeled into writing or some other more “grown up” discipline in order to get a job and succeed at adult life. I graduated from NKU in 2005 with a journalism and public relations degree. After a few years spent working at a PR firm and local newspaper, I found myself unfulfilled and longing for a more hands-on creative job. At the time, I was busily planning my own wedding and in doing so fell in love with the process and all the pretty blooms while working with my own wedding florist. Now, this was something I could do, all day, every day!

I took a leap of faith and opened a retail floral shop in the small town of Aurora, IN where I grew up. Determined to create beautiful things with little concern on the minimal profit I was making was where I found my true calling. I swept the floors, ran my own deliveries, worked long hours, took my kids to work with me, whatever it took to succeed.

After 12 years in the industry, I uncovered my true passion of being a wedding and event florist. I love connecting with couples and families to uncover their sense of what is beautiful and working to create exactly that for their special day!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well, I can certainly say with great pride that I have paid my dues. I have learned the hard way what works and what doesn’t and how to enjoy the ride along the way. Small business is certainly not a straight climb to the top. I believe the real key to success is never thinking you have it all figured out. You must be committed to learning and evolving along the way. Listening to constructive criticism, celebrating the big wins, picking yourself up and trying again and again, even when it would be so much easier to give in–that’s the real victory!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a wedding and event florist. I specialize in full-service events, meaning I carefully plan the florals to coordinate with your event based on my expertise and your personal style. I try to source the majority of the blooms for your event from local flower farmers supporting the local community and other small business owners. I believe every client is unique and strive to take a very personal approach to each project. My work has been published in larger wedding publications such as Style Me Pretty and local outlets like My Kentucky Bride. In 2019 my work was featured on a Cincinnati based Netflix program called “Say I Do” where celebrity stylists created dream weddings for eight deserving couples.

I think what sets me apart from others in the industry is my experience and ability to recognize that flowers are the “fun part” of the event and they should be treated as so. They should provide joy, create a calming beautiful atmosphere and overall elevate the guest experience.

Any big plans?
After a lot of uncertainty in the large scale event industry due to Covid regulations, I plan to enjoy the process of planning and executing beautiful projects again with no limitations. I would like to travel and see more of the farming side of my industry and educate myself on new techniques and possibly attend a workshop or two in the next couple of years.

Eventually, I would like to teach and share my knowledge with designers starting their careers…

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@emilyroseflorist.com
• Website: www.emilyroseflorist.com
• Instagram: @emilyroseflorist
• Facebook: @emilyroseflorist

Image Credits
Olivia Hatfield Photography Amber Victoria Photography Carrs & Co Photography House Chelsey Barhorst Photography Jesse Shoffstall