Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Weinbender.
Hi Tiffany, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started working with flowers in 2009 on a small cut-flower farm in NE Tennessee. It was there that my love for all things floral was cultivated but really; this love was inescapable from my youth. I inherited my passion for flowers and gardening from my two grandmothers. A gift passed down from one woman to the next. Flowers are simply a part of who I am and where I come from. The Tennessee cut-flower farm was, at the time, a place of rest as I worked my way through nursing school. When my husband’s job brought us to Texas, I left that place of serenity behind and quickly felt lost and beaten down in a high stress healthcare environment. Trying to find my footing in a new career and a new city, flowers once again became a place of peace and rest for me. I started reaching out to florists and flower farmers to volunteer and freelance just for the opportunity to work with flowers once again. It soon became abundantly clear that flowers were my future. And so began the process of building Ida Mayes Floristry. First as a part-time business while maintaining my nursing career and eventually as a full-time business that focuses on bringing the joy of flowers to others.
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?
Starting Ida Mayes has certainly had its challenges. Starting any business in a new city is going to take time especially in the wedding industry where so much of your business relies on reputation and relationships, both of which take time to build. I was extremely intentional about reaching out to others (florists, planners, venues, farmers, wholesalers, etc.) from the beginning in order to build a network of support and resources before our clientele really started to expand. This was a bit of a “mind over matter” exercise in patience as I was also maintaining my nursing career full-time, leaving very little time and energy at the end of the day to devote to Ida Mayes. I can’t say my business evolved at the speed I envisioned but every relationship cultivated has been well worth the time investment. The Austin wedding industry is filled with truly skilled and supportive individuals who really want to serve their clientele to the best of their abilities. Once I found my supportive network here, the challenges became much easier to navigate.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Ida Mayes Floristry?
I am incredibly proud of bringing Ida Mayes Floristry to life as it not only celebrates the joy that flowers bring to our lives but also honors my heritage and the values I experienced growing up. Our name comes from my great grandmother, Eva Ida Mayes. I knew starting this business; I wanted to find a way to acknowledge my family. I didn’t grow up next door to any of my grandparents. In fact, all of them lived a full day’s drive away. Because of the distance, a visit to grandma and grandpa’s house always had an extra ounce of joy and excitement that went along with it and each visit always included time in the garden. My grandmothers, Mary and Jerry, are incredibly inspiring to me. They are strong women, each in their own way, yet both dedicated their lives to serving others, specifically through hospitality & welcoming others into their homes, no questions asked. Each of them inspired my love of the garden and my desire to create welcoming spaces filled with warmth, beauty and joy. My goal is for Ida Mayes Floristry to be all the things my grandmothers are to me-a source of encouragement, a place of peace, overflowing with beauty and sprinkled with just a hint of magic. Ida Mayes stands out to me as unique in that our clients become family.
My goal is not only to provide a service to our clients but to truly serve them through hospitality–finding ways to be generous, open and welcoming. This often translates to taking on additional roles throughout the booking and planning process-cheerleader, advocate, soundboard, encourager, etc. While profitability and business success is important, I never want to lose sight of the individual. People come first. We currently provide full-service wedding & event floral design in Austin and surrounding areas and will be releasing additional services in the coming months. Additionally, we launched a side project last year as a result of Covid and the lack of ability for in-person connections. Floralkin (www.floralkin.com) extends our mission of hospitality to floral professions of all levels by facilitating a storytelling platform focusing on community, culture and shared experiences. These stories encourage true relationship with one another by celebrating those things we have in common. Watching the outpouring of support and encouragement for Floralkin this past year has brought me so much joy personally and I hope it continues to be a place of encouragement for others.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the diverse backgrounds I get to interact with in Austin. It truly is an eclectic mix of people from all over the world and being an Oregon transplant myself, I am always fascinated to hear stories of what brings others to the Austin area. Least Like: TRAFFIC!
Pricing:
- Full Service Minimum: $4000
Contact Info:
- Email: idamayesfloral@gmail.com
- Website: www.idamayes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idamayesfloristry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdaMayesFloristry
Image Credits
Carhart Photography Ida Mayes Floristry Nectarine Dream Photography
