Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Christie and Dana Turner.
Hi Chelsea and Dana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
This is a story of two best friends who decided to invent careers for themselves. Chelsea and I met when our children were in preschool together ten years ago. Along with two other moms from the school, we formed a tight bond, leaning on each other through good times and bad. We laughed together; we cried together. We created a sisterhood that grounded us as we navigated the roller coaster of adulthood. Our friendship of trust, respect, and love will never leave us. And we know how fortunate we are to have each other.
After the birth of my last baby, I knew it was time to start planning my “second act,” a new career that would feed my soul and allow me to contribute to society and my family’s pocketbook. But I had no idea where to start. Should I go back to school? Heck no! My previous career was in academia, and I knew that story was over.
Chelsea was also in the right place to start a “second act.” Her background in art history and event planning laid dormant as she raised her babies. But it was time to discover how she could utilize her talents in the current workforce. But where do moms go when they want to start a new career? We did some serious brainstorming while drinking some serious wine. And then let the universe work its magic.
As luck would have it, Chelsea’s cousin got married that spring. And Chelsea offered to do the floral design as her gift to the bride (I helped a little). The flowers were a hit! And wouldn’t you know – the bride is a wedding photographer here in Central Texas, and she suggested we start a floral design business. And she even set up our first photoshoot.
And there you have it – Christie Turner Floral Design was born in the Spring of 2019. We were off and running, teaching ourselves everything we could about flowers, the wedding industry, and business in general. We designed a website, started networking like crazy and worked hard to build a name for ourselves in the Austin wedding scene. We are completely self-taught, relying on our eye for beauty and our commitment to our clients. We hold ourselves to high standards in terms of design and customer service.
I am proud of this business. I am proud of us. We built this – out of friendship and sheer confidence.
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?
Just as the ball got rolling and our calendar began to fill with weddings, COVID-19 swept across the globe, threatening everything we had built. We could feel the change in the air in March 2020. At our last wedding that spring the DJ and I greeted each other by touching elbows, and the venue manager just shook her head when I asked about the April weddings coming up. My last meal at a restaurant was with Chelsea and our two best friends after setting up that last wedding. We had no idea it would be over a year until we sat in a restaurant together again.
COVID-19 wiped out our spring calendar. Brides wept on the phone as they announced the cancellation of their weddings. I was devastated at the loss – we needed those weddings. Not for profit, but for exposure. We were building our brand. Meeting planners, photographers, and venue managers is key to our growth. But everything was put on hold as the world watched COVID-19 destroy everything and everyone it touched. We sat at home, protecting our families and fearfully wondering what the future would hold.
We used that downtime to learn. We watched webinars on the wedding industry, learning from those who came before us. We tweaked our website and advertising strategies. We studied nationally-known floral designers, training our eyes to see what they see in design. And we waited until it was time to put on masks and get back to work.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Happiness abounds when you run a business with your best friend. We spend countless hours on the road together, driving to and from wedding venues all across central Texas. We like to pretend we’re taping a podcast, regaling our listeners with tales of weddings past and whatever shenanigans have occurred that week. We think we are hilarious.
Chelsea and I learned a long time ago that “you are in charge of your own happiness.” And in service to that motto, we work to create balance in our lives. For each of us, family is the top priority and always will be. We are moms first and business owners second. We have chosen to take the summer months off from weddings in order to be with our children. No amount of success is worth missing out on their childhoods.
We are lucky. We have families that support our dream. We have each other to lean on and laugh with. We have a business to call our own. And we have a bright future to look forward to. – Dana
Pricing:
- We are a full service wedding floral design team. Our packages range from $3000 to $6500+ and we are currently booking 2022-2023.
Contact Info:
- Email: christieturnerdesigns@gmail.com
- Website: christieturnerdesigns.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christieturnerdesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christieturnerdesigns/
Image Credits
Photo 1 is of Dana Turner (photo by Katia Forero Photography) Photo 2 is of Chelsea Christie (photo by Katia Forero Photography) Photo 3 is of Alejandra (photo by Katia Forero Photography) Photo 4 is of Brittany and Michael Draper (photo by Brenna Joy Photography) Photo 5 is a styled shoot (photo by Lauren Crumpler) Photo 6 is of the Weinbrandt wedding (photo by Sloane Photo) Photo 7 is of the Cochran wedding (photo by Alyssa Jarae Photography) Photo 8 is of Alayne Johnson (photo by Indy Pop Photo)
