Weddings can be costly. Flowers alone can run into thousands of dollars, but we learn about a less expensive way to decorate the chapel and reception hall – rent the flowers.
Jackie Cassidy, with Jackie’s Flowers, tells us all about this family business and her passion for creating floral arrangements.
“Many years ago, my husband left his job and was looking for a job and didn’t know what to do,” Jackie says. “Someone said to him ‘why don’t you go into the flower business.'”
Jackie’s husband told her that she could not work in the business.
“My husband said I couldn’t work in the business and that really gave me the incentive to learn everything I could about learning about flower arrangements and making them,” Jackie says. “So when someone tells you you can’t do something, that’s when you really decide you’are going to do it.”
jackies-flowers
They started with fresh flowers in the Washington DC area. When they moved to Salisbury, they expanded the business. They started making silk flower arrangements and rented them out. Jackie says they do more of that than ever.
Now, the business is split between Flowers Unlimited, a fresh flower shop that Jackie’s daughter runs, and Jackie’s Weddings and More, where brides can rent everything to make their wedding day beautiful.
“We do the wedding arches and the centerpieces, bouquets, corsages and fresh ones too, but a lot of it silk,” Jackie says.
With more than forty years of weddings under her belt, Jackie has seen many wedding trends.
“Now everything is round and the brides get their ideas from the internet so, we used to have lots of books with picture for brides to look at when they came and it took a long time to look at all the pictures in the books,” Jackie says. “Now I can ask the bride to bring me, or email me, pictures of bouquets that she likes so by the time she comes, I know what she’s looking at, I know what she likes and I have something ready for her to see.”
Many of the arrangements that brides request are make with silk flowers and LED lights. Jackie says using silk saves the bride money, but some brides opt for a combination of silk and fresh flowers.
Jackie keeps herself busy with the business and she has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
“I just want to do this forever. It’s just fun,” Jackie says. “It’s my retirement, but I love doing it because it keeps me busy and it give me something meaningful to do.”
