Quality BY TRICIA UPSHAW, AIFD, AMF, CEJ DESIGNING PROM FLOWERS TO LAST


> Prom season brings a surge of first- time, young customers into the shop — many of whom may one day return as brides and grooms — but it also brings demanding care and handling challenges. At Shirley’s Flower Studio, we embrace the season wholeheartedly, knowing that every corsage, bouton- niere, pocket square or hand-tied bou- quet must look fresh not just at pickup, but hours later after being worn, handled and photographed. That’s why careful processing, proper storage and thought- ful flower selection are just as critical as the design itself.


Prepare Materials We begin preparations the moment a corsage is ordered. Each order gets its own box with all necessary materi- als pulled and ready for the designer. Bows are made, bases are created, and cold glue is applied — allowing time to set before the corsages are placed in the cooler. Three days before prom pickup, we


begin adding flowers to the bases. Every bloom is processed and put in a bucket of water that has been sanitized with a professional cleaner, and mixed with the appropriate dosage of flower food.


CREATING THE PROM EXPERIENCE


Prom brings florists a prime opportunity to develop future wedding custom- ers. In addition to ensuring the quality of their prom flowers is top-notch, Shirley’s Flower Studio also focuses heavily on their experience with us.


We begin by setting aside a special area in the shop dedicated to prom. Here, customers can browse photos of corsages, boutonnieres, pocket squares and bouquets, along with samples refreshed weekly to spark inspiration. To make the experience even more personal, we offer special bracelets, jewels and feathers in every color, allowing each student to design something uniquely theirs.


For those unable to visit in person, we feature all prom products on our website, ensuring every customer has access to the “ultimate Shirley’s experience.”


Select the Right Flowers Delicate and water-thirsty flowers are not good candidates for corsages, bou- tonnieres or pocket squares. Ranunculus is one of our go-to flowers for prom work because it’s long-lasting, versatile and available in a wide range of colors. We also use spray roses, and mini cymbid- ium orchids, which do well out of water, are another reliable favorite. For fillers and greenery, we turn to waxflower, Italian ruscus and eucalyptus.


Design for Endurance We like using cold glue to hold the stems in place, and we let it set up for about 10 minutes before going in the cooler. To ensure the best adherence, don’t spray your foliage with leaf shine until you are ready to put the design in the cooler. The glue does not stick to the plant oils, and your stems will fall out. (We learned this the hard way our first year working with cold glue!) Each order is finished with a mist of


an anti-transpirant finishing spray to lock in moisture and maintain freshness right up to the moment customers step onto the dance floor.


Stay Organized With the design complete, we organize the orders in our cooler alphabetically


40 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | Mar/Apr 2026 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG


and assign ticket numbers to each order. This last step eliminates the fran- tic search for a corsage that might be under a different name. We also require payment at the time of ordering, which prevents long lines and last-minute cancellations. Our policy is that once a corsage is completed, cancellations are not permitted.


Educate the Customer At pickup, we always remind customers to keep their flowers in a cool location. Many will use their refrigerator, which is why it is important to remind them to place the flowers near the front to avoid freezing and to keep them away from fruits and vegetables that emit ethey- lene, shortening the flowers’ lifespan. Unfortunately, we’ve have had a few cus- tomers freeze their flowers. We always want a happy customer so it’s our policy to replace them.


Tricia Upshaw, AIFD, AMF, CEJ, is the owner of Shirley’s Flower Studio in Rogers, Arkansas, and is a member of the Society of American Florists’ Retail Council.


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