Career Change Course FAQ’s

ABOUT YOUR TEACHER

Roberta, The Good Florist has been working as a wedding florist since 2012 and has delivered over 100 weddings, big and small. Her style is very much inspired by the natural world, so expect a strong sense of seasonality and natural design, with a few playful twists along the way.  Paying particular attention to detail, texture and colour, the emphasis will be creating work using the best British, locally grown and foraged materials. 

Other members of her team will assist with the course and the content is redesigned every year to make sure it is relevant in the industry today.

Roberta has a very open and encouraging style to teaching.

WHO IS THE PHOTOGRAPHER? 

Photography is a big focus throughout the week and we are thrilled to be working with John Hersey again this year.
He will be with us in the studio for part of the week, to capture all of your beautiful work. John loves flowers more than any photographer we’ve met and his calm and detailed approach results in timeless perfect photos. We’ll also be able to provide you with head/working shots for your biography.

WHAT IS THE SETTING LIKE?

The course is based at Roberta’s farm in Mid Devon (EX17 4QE) which is a beautiful peaceful location between Dartmoor and Exmoor. It’s a tranquil place, ideal for stepping away from usual commitments and allowing a shift and personal growth. The course will be held in her purpose built studio and locations around the farm.

HOW IS THE WEEK STRUCTURED?

The week is intense -  the schedule is pretty bursting and you’ll go home each night with your head spinning. The days will run 10am - 4.30pm with a stop for lunch and plenty of tea and cake to keep you going.  Here is an example day:

10am - 12 Visit to flower farm with discussion about seasonality and sourcing British flowers
12-12.45pm Lunch
12.45 - 3pm Mock bridal consultations followed by making flower crowns and wired hair flowers
3pm Tea break
3.15-4.30pm Quote writing,ordering and step by step event logistics
4.30 Finish

IS FIVE DAYS THE RIGHT LENGTH?

When Roberta started her floristry business, she was working full time and had a young son, so five days was all she could spare.
There are longer and more leisurely ways of learning to become a florist, but we plan to instil confidence in you from the get go and set you on your way, armed with the necessary skills within the five days. Of course, you will continue to learn on the job, but this is a deep dive in. 

I DON’T HAVE ANY FLORISTRY EXPERIENCE

This course is great for beginners, especially if you are at that point where you are ready to jump in. People are often nervous about their lack of plant and flower knowledge and wonder ‘can I/should I train if I’ve never done any flower arranging before’. The good news is that it’s not rocket science, and while there are challenges to working with flowers, product knowledge can be slowly gained. A love of flowers is essential. 

I DO HAVE SOME FLORISTRY EXPERIENCE

If you’re already working with flowers, get in touch about whether this course is for you. It may be that you’ve already started, but feel unsure about pricing or marketing and want to develop your portfolio and confidence. Or that you want to transition to foam free designs. We would hope this course will expand your knowledge and help you build on what you’re already doing, but do get in touch if you are hesitant. We also offer a Scaling Up course for florists already working who want to expand their businesses and work on bigger designs.

Why does it cost what it doeS?

We know this is a big investment, and want to give you as much value as we can. The intensity of the course, the quality of materials and the team we choose to work with means we’re confident this is the best creative floristry course out there. The portfolio of photographs alone if you were to try to recreate it, would cost £1000s. We want to equip you fully and deliver on the highest level and so choose to keep the group very small. We run the course only once or twice a year, and we’re not a factory flower school.

CAN I PAY IN INSTALMENTS?

Of course, we understand this is a big investment. You can break it down into three payments if that helps. Get in contact and we’ll work something out that’s doable for you.

WHERE CAN I STAY?

If you are travelling from out of the area, I have a list of places nearby that you can book to stay in. Let me know if you would like this information.

IS THERE ANY FOLLOW UP SUPPORT?

Finding your people within the floral community is key, so we’ll create a supportive What’s App (or other) group to help share information and keep momentum going after the course finishes.
I will also support you to find work experience with a like minded florist in your area, so you can further your experience. Many of our past career change alumni have gone on to work for each other.

Accessibility

Please reach out if you have any accessibility issues or concerns.

If you have any other questions or queries, or would like to secure your place, please do get in touch.