"Do you take this bridezilla to be your lawfully wedded..."

Time and time again I get asked how I "do" weddings every day. (no pun intended)
Truthfully, it can be challenging sometimes but for the most part it is exciting, rewarding and simply..a lot of fun.
It's a time in a couple's life that is very unique. They may have experiences that repeat themselves as they plan out their life; they may buy more than one home over the years, they may have more than one pet as time passes, they may travel to the same place over and over again...but planning their wedding day comes around only once to the two of them.

And it is in fact, a journey of sorts. A journey that becomes a learning experience like no other. It can be tough for them especially when purchasing the large quantity of products and services required for one single event is a task that most have never had to do. It can be scary and stressful for some trying to juggle their full time jobs, seek out a new home, appease both sets of families...and at the same time... be happily in love the whole time.

I find myself often discussing "the wedding" in its entirety with my clients rather than just talking about the flowers and décor. Being a certified wedding planner, I am always very interested in other aspects of their wedding day as well and connecting with the couple on a personal level tends to help relax them a little bit. Most come to me feeling quite overwhelmed and insecure even before we get started because let's face it, most people no very little about flowers and to think they have to put a plan together for a whole wedding day of flowers can be extremely daunting. I definitely try to keep it real, straight forward and frankly as simple as possible. I figure it's certainly not in my best interest to make them feel inadequate, unprepared or unknowledgeable when they are already nervous. No one needs to become a floral expert in one day and no question is a silly one. Validate them, their concerns, their questions and you will gain their trust. Which, by the way is what I am really selling. Trust. And many so desperately want to trust their vendors because they know they can't pull this off without their help and the help of so many others. Taking advantage of their vulnerability is certainly not cool in my books and definitely not my style at all. That's just cruel.

You're probably thinking, "Ah c'mon Ester, I've heard about those bridezillas.." Let me just put that terrible branding to rest once and for all. If a client who happens to be a bride, tends to be difficult or choosy or seemingly not happy with any suggestions you make, it's not because they are a bride necessarily. Believe me, I have several customers who are like that all the time. So more accurately the term should be customerzilla. If you are in any type of service industry, you will understand what I mean and you know the ones. Labeling brides so distastefully is a real shame. In my opinion, it's not a bride thing..it's a customer thing. and if you can't handle that kind of client, then you're not right for your industry. I take those moments as a challenge to overcome. Usually killing them with kindness and bringing down the stress stirring within them, allows their guard to soften and in the end, they are not as bad as they may first come across, brides, grooms and regular customers alike.

Weddings are special. For a couple, for a family, for friends, it's an event that stirs the deepest of emotions. There is something magical about them. I am not typically a froo-froo kind of person with my head in the clouds but I am admittedly a hopeless romantic. And perhaps that is exactly why I do weddings. I'm the one that waits for the big kiss at the end of a movie. I absolutely love that kind of ending.

For me, weddings mean more than just two people promising themselves to each other. Weddings signify hope in a cynical world, they signify honour in a deceitful world, they signify altruism in a grossly selfish world and they do signify love in a hateful and angry world.

As long as their are people willing to get married and maybe even plan a wedding celebration, there is hope for humanity.
My name is Ester and I do weddings.

The roses have thorns

Over the years that I have spent in the floral industry, I have learned there are many misconceptions about what it is we actually do. This business is by no means an easy one despite the general idea that "wow, you must love working with beautiful flowers all day". Which in large part is true, we do love it, however it is also very true that the roses have their thorns.

Like many other businesses, we never know what kind of day we'll be faced with when we turn the key to open the doors. Believe it or not, it's not the actual floral work that makes any given day more difficult then the previous one. It's all the "other" stuff going on around us that becomes the "bastone fra le ruota"; the stick between your wheels. The chaos of life.

Sometimes when the work day begins...the internet randomly goes down, you get a call from the school that your kid just got hurt at recess, one of your best customers is on hold waiting to speak to you personally, an email comes through from your accountant that he needs you to sign some papers, the delivery van won't start, the supplier forgot to send important materials needed for that order, your car is ready to be picked up from the mechanic, you just remembered that you forgot to take out the chicken for dinner and that you ran out of dog food.

So, you push all that aside for the better part of the day, why? Because the grieving family needs the flowers to arrive on time for their loved one's funeral, the bride's wedding is tomorrow so she needs her bouquet in the morning and not next month, the centerpieces for the sweet 16 birthday celebration party are needed tonight and you know failure is not an option for any of it.

I think we sometimes forget that behind every business there are actual people making things happen. And when I say people I mean men and women who are also fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, friends. And it makes no difference if it's a small, medium or large business; one that does 100 thousand dollars a year in sales or one that does 100 million, they are still run by people.

Our flower shops are a great example of that. Real people working hard at what they do and also working hard at juggling a whole lot of other stuff you wouldn't even imagine. It is a privilege to work in the flower business. A family business no less. We are reminded often of that privilege by the constant messages of thanks we receive from so many happy customers. And thank goodness for the positive feedback because truthfully it's hard sometimes. The pressure is always on and when we succeed at pleasing our customers, it makes it all worthwhile. Sacrifices are made, patience is essential and the commitment to never quit defines who we are.

Roses have their thorns yes, but they also have the most exquisite perfume unique only to them and they come in a multitude of stunning colours. Simply beautiful, thorns and all.
Let's not forget to smell them from time to time.

Nostalgia ~Ital Florist

Come non ricordare,

“I cipressi che a Bolgheri alti e schietti…”

“L’albero a cui tendevi la pargoletta mano…”

“Nella torre il silenzio era gia’ alto”

“Sempre caro mi fu quest’ermo colle…”

“Ti amo, o pio bove;”

“Ei fu. Siccome immobile…”

“D’in su la vetta della torre antica”

“Ne piu’ mai tocchero’ le sacre sponde”

“All’ombra dei cipressi e dentro l’urne…”

“Silvia, rimembri ancora quel tempo di tua vita mortale…”

“Settembre andiamo. E’ tempo di migrare”

“Cantami o diva del Pelide Achille l’ira funesta che…”

“C’e’ qualcosa di nuovo oggi nel sole…”

“La donzelletta vien dalla campagna”

e tanti tanti altri versi ancora che sono stati l’inizio e il centro della nostra formazione culturale.

E’ un vero peccato, un sacrilegio che certe cose non si indegnino piu’,

Ho 73 anni e da 50 vivo in Canada dove insieme al diploma e la mia gioventu’ portai entusiasmo, ambizione e il ricordo di tutte le poesie che avevo imparato nelle elementari, nelle medie e nelle superiori. Mi sono state sempre di sprono e spesso hanno colmato quei vuoti nostalgici che di tanto in tanto colpiscono chi vive lontano dal paese natio.

Io vendo fiori e il giorno di San Valentino e’ un giorno veramente importante per la mia azienda e durante la settimana che precede la festa ho sempre ricordato la poesia del Pascoli: ne ho usato I primi versi pure negli spots pubblicitari: “O Valentino vestito di nuovo come le brocche dei biancospini”… l’ ho fatto  conoscere pure ai figli e nipoti perche’ sono convinto che la conoscenza della lingua italiana insieme a belle poesie accresce il loro bagaglio culturale.

~Eligio Paris 

Ital Florist, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

"Valentino" di Giovanni Pascoli ~ Ital Florist

In their childhood, my parents learned this beautiful poem about a small peasant boy, his new suit and his bare feet. From time to time, especially during the Valentine's Day rush, my father would randomly begin to recite this poem. I was reminded about it recently and asked Dad about it.
The poem by Giovanni Pascoli is certainly bitter sweet and I wanted to share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy it. The English translation follows the original Italian.

~Happy Valentine's Day to you and your loved ones

"Valentino” di Giovanni Pascoli

Oh! Valentino vestito di nuovo,
come le brocche dei biancospini!
Solo, ai piedini provati dal rovo
porti la pelle de’ tuoi piedini;
porti le scarpe che mamma ti fece,
che non mutasti mai da quel dì,
che non costarono un picciolo: in vece
costa il vestito che ti cucì.
Costa; ché mamma già tutto ci spese
quel tintinnante salvadanaio:
ora esso è vuoto; e cantò più d’un mese
per riempirlo, tutto il pollaio.
Pensa, a gennaio, che il fuoco del ciocco
non ti bastava, tremavi, ahimè!,
e le galline cantavano, Un cocco!
ecco ecco un cocco un cocco per te!
Poi, le galline chiocciarono, e venne
marzo, e tu, magro contadinello,
restasti a mezzo, così con le penne,
ma nudi i piedi, come un uccello:
come l’uccello venuto dal mare,
che tra il ciliegio salta, e non sa
ch’oltre il beccare, il cantare, l’amare,
ci sia qualch’altra felicità
____________________________________

Oh! Valentino clothed anew,
like the blossoms of the hawthorns!
Just, your little feet tried by the brambles
you wear the skin of your little feet;
you wear the shoes mother made you,
that you haven’t changed from that day,
that didn’t cost a penny: but
the suit she made for you is expensive.
It’s expensive: mother already spent
that jingling moneybox:
now it’s empty: and for more than a month,
the whole poultry pen sang to fill it.
Remember January, when the burning log
wasn’t enough for you, you were shivering, pity me!
and the hens were singing: An egg!
here here an egg, an egg for you!
Then, the hens brooded, and March arrived,
and you, thin little peasant
remained half finished, with plumage,
but barefooted, just like a bird:
like the bird come from the sea,
which hops around the cherry tree, and doesn’t know
that besides pecking, singing, loving,
there could be another happiness.

My brother, the hopeless Romantic ~Ital Florist

The other night sitting around the dinner table like we often do, and with Valentine's Day around the corner occupying all our minds,we start reminiscing about funny and memorable Valentine's Day stories. My brother starts to tell the kids about the time he organized this great surprise for his then girlfriend, now wife at Valentine's Day. If you've ever heard Italo tell a story you'll understand me when I say he had us all in stitches thinking he was the best romantic dude out there...
I asked him if he would be my "guest" blogger on my next entry... so here you go folks in his own words... ~Italo ...The best romantic dude out there~


We were young and working our asses off at the flower shop.
My girlfriend (now my wife) used to go to Florida always in February
I played it like I didn’t get her anything for Valentine’s Day.
I took time away from my busy day to meet her at the airport to see her off…I think it was maybe the day after valentine’s day…can’t remember.
When I went to the airport I saw she was a bit upset and I purposely made it worse. I didn’t get her anything, my excuse was good...it was crazy busy at the shop and I had no time and really the whole thing is so silly. Right?...
I said, "Eva…come on, get over it. It’s just a silly day. What’s the big deal?"
This made her even more upset.
We said good bye and I left. She was sad for sure.

She had no clue that earlier in the day I went to the Check In desk (it did help that I knew the check in person) and I arranged to have them pass the box of flowers to one of the flight attendants on Eva's flight before boarding.
Pre 911 for sure!
Once the plane took off and the seat belt lights went off, the flight attendant, over the loud speaker, asked for Eva to identify herself.
Then the whole crew walked the box of flowers over to where she was seated.
They made a huge scene. All the other passengers oohing and awing..it was perfect! She was speechless.
Now she is stuck on the plane with no way to call me.
When she lands in Florida she desperately wants to call…I avoid the phone for three days.
I knew she felt bad that she had been so upset with me and then I floored her with the delivery on the plane no less!

Romantic or what?
~Happy Valentine's Day

Never change your doctor, butcher or barber. ~Ital Florist

In the old days, people used to say, "Never change your doctor, your butcher or your barber". Maybe this advice was referring to the fact that these people over the years of serving you , know you very well. They know all there is to know about you and to change would be disastrous for you in some way. Times have certainly changed since then.

Today, in our business of  providing flowers however, we have the unique opportunity to really get to know our clients well. Through the special occasions in their lives, their tastes, dislikes and styles,characters and personalities unfold. Our clients trust us with sometimes very personal information. And of course we take this confidence extremely seriously. If you've ever sat through a bridal consultation for wedding flowers or assisted a grieving mother choose flowers for the death of her child, or if you've ever tied an engagement ring onto a bouquet of flowers for a nervous, young man, you'll understand what I mean when I say we can feel like family planning experts, grief counselors, and psychologists at times.

In this business, we know a lot about you. When you're getting married, had a baby, your anniversary, a death in the family, if you're in the doghouse..again and we even know if you're being shall we say, not so faithful to your significant other. Lots of interesting stories come to mind but there is this one that I will never forget.

One year on Valentines Day, my father took an order of one dozen roses from a  very good customer to send to his wife.
The customer asked him not to sign the card message. "She'll know who they're from" was his reply. Dutifully my father asked, "If she calls to find out who sent them, may I tell her it was you?"
"No", was his answer, "That won't be necessary. She won't call. She'll know."

Later that day, one of our team members surprisingly receives a call from the gentleman's wife explaining she received a beautiful dozen roses without a card message. She wanted to know who sent them. Of course, as per our client's instructions, we could not tell her. The wife became frantic. She asked to speak to the owner.
When my father picked up the phone, she insisted he tell her who sent her the flowers. So as not to betray his long time client's trust, he did not reveal the information.

Just before closing, the chime of the entrance door rings and in walks the wife with the box of roses clutched tightly under her arm.
Furious and frantic she demands to speak with the owner in person. Sensing the urgency of the matter, my father accompanies the woman to his office and makes this suggestion. "Signora,  I would recommend you do this.Thank your husband for the roses. You cannot go wrong if you do that" She replies in a panic, "But what of he didn't send them?"
My father looks at her and gently offers this advise "Thank your husband anyway. If he was not the one to send them what will you have to lose? You will be as surprised and flabbergasted as your husband will be". He continues, "And if in fact your husband did send them, then you thanked the right man".

The woman left, with the roses, and thanked my father for his good advise. I was just a kid then, but I couldn't help but wonder if her husband sent the roses without a message on purpose. Suspicious of his wife's infidelity and testing her. ?? Probably.

We will never know the outcome of that night, but the experience remains forever in my top memorable moments. And it just goes to show that not only do your doctor, butcher or barber know a lot about you... but your florist does too.


~Happy Valentine's Day!

We do not sell flowers. ~Ital Florist

If you think we sell flowers, you would be wrong.We are not selling roses. We are not selling orchids. We are not selling flowers...period.

What we are selling can be boiled down to two very important things. One is what the Italians refer to as "La Bella Figura" and the second is Trust.

"Bella" translates to beautiful. "Figura",  depending on the context can mean, figure, shape, form, picture, illustration.
When our clients place an order, the flowers are most often being sent to someone for a special occasion. They are being sent with a message and as a message. This message can be one of congratulations, one of condolences, one of love. Whatever the reason, the flowers are the messenger. They represent and speak for the client.

It is completely understood on our part that the expectation from the customer is no doubt to make them look good..la bella figura.
This is exactly why we strive to always be the best at what we do. It's because we know what's on the line. Every time. Every occasion. Every recipient. We want you, our customer, to look good.

I learned at a floral conference recently that people do business with who they know, who they like and who they trust (@lisalarter). This resonated with me because of the trust element.

In every aspect of floral needs, whether they are sent to convey a simple thank you or are part of a lavish wedding event, the customer is entrusting us to make sure the results will reflect a Bella Figura on them.
This is a huge responsibility on us and we take it very seriously. At the end of the day, our reputation and our continued success is only as good as the trust we have from our clients. If we lose that trust or take it for granted, we are nothing and we have nothing. This we know and understand completely.

Each and every day, we take our business of selling flowers very personally. Just as personally as the intention is for our customers. Our call centre team responds to every call with attentiveness, making sure to listen to the customer's needs. Our talented designers create every floral arrangement knowing they carry a message of emotional importance. Our drivers handle the gifts to the recipients with delicate care and in a timely fashion. All of these elements are part of  what we sell.

We believe we sell more than just flowers. In these beautiful, fragrant and colorful stems are messages which you the client have trusted us to send on your behalf.

So no.. we are not selling flowers. We are selling much more that that and we know it.
In our flowers are your messages so go ahead and, Say it with flowers!

~You can trust us. We will make you look good.

Fighting the January Blues ~Ital Florist

We are in the thick of it. The dreaded January Blues.

As owners of a small business, one of the every day concerns is how to keep team morale up. At Ital Florist our team is made up of  people from all walks of life. All from various cultural backgrounds including Jamaica, Japan, England, Portugal, Italy, China and Poland just to name a few. This wonderful mosaic of individuals is a true testament to the multiculturalism that is Canada. Colorful, inclusive and full of life.

Our team works extremely hard... long hours on your feet kind of "hard". At a time like Christmas, they band together and fill thousands of orders for our clients. Over the course of this season, we spend a lot of time together. And we share. We share stories, traditions, gift ideas.. and food; sweets in particular. There is never a shortage of delicious home made sweets and by the time it's all over, the team is complaining about how much weight everyone has gained. In come the January Blues.

To help with this dilemma and to keep team morale up, my brother had a great idea and started The Biggest Loser contest. Anyone who wants to participate puts in $5.00 and weighs in. My brother and I have matched the pot. Every Friday, the participants weigh in (confidentially only to Italo) and by the end of the contest which is on Good Friday April 18, the winner will be announced.
The contest has not only given way to healthier eating habits, but the fun and friendly jokes that have begun are a welcomed distraction from the frigid cold that bellows outside.

This is part of our philosophy. We all have to work. We all have families that depend on us. Every day we come to work together to make a living. But with that also comes a certain responsibility on our part to try and create an atmosphere that is positive. A place where despite the fact that they have to come, they do so and actually like it here. We foster an exchange of mutual respect, constant communication and compassion and sometimes most importantly of all, we try and have FUN.

January will come and go and those blues will pass eventually. With a little creativity and imagination, maybe we can make it pass more memorably, more enjoyably.. and along the way...lose a few pounds too. Bonus!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go weigh in...YIKES!

A Family Affair ~Ital Florist.

We have no business being in the flower business.
It's a long story. Suffice to say, Dad is an accountant by trade and Mom was a teacher. So how did the flowers come into play?
Back in the mid 70's, with three small children, my Dad, like many men back then, needed a part-time job to make some extra money. He started working at a small local flower shop delivering flowers and making house calls for wedding and funeral orders. He was good at it. Actually, he was great. His natural ability to sell what happened to be flowers, was quickly earning him a handsome commission.

In 1976, he would leave his prestigious day job at the bank and embark on what many naysayers believed to be an absurd idea. He opened Ital Florist Ltd. I was 8, my older brother Italo, was 10 and the baby of the family, Evelyn was only 4 years old. It was bold. It was crazy. It was a great move. Today, 38 years later, Ital Florist and its group of companies, reigns supreme in the floral industry.

All of the hard work ethics, the honesty of keeping your word, the fairness towards employees and the overall class act that Mom and Dad passed on to us are still the definition of who we are and what we do.The formula is not a big secret. We work hard, we play fair and we succeed.
With Dad enjoying retirement and Mom having sadly passed on, Italo and I are now at the helm of this ship. The youngest of our sibling trio is successfully keeping the other family business of Teaching alive, making an extraordinary difference in young people's lives every day.

The partnership.
From the beginning it has always been a true family affair. We have no board room, unless you count the "lunch room", we don't have fancy offices, our meetings are very often held around the dinner table, notes are taken on napkins, decisions made after NHL games on TV. It works for us. A brother and sister team, in-laws too get their input, and we all know, we're in it together. Our motto; "What's the worse that can happen?" As long as we have each other's back and all our kids' best interest at heart, we will not fail. Failure is not an option.

My brother and I growing up were always game for a healthy competition. Neither of us like to lose. Not that we're sore losers, but we simply do not see losing as an option...ever. In High School and in University we made it on every sport team and student council possible. We were looked upon from our peers as leaders and we enjoyed taking on the various challenges whether they be academic or athletic. Teachers, principals and friends counted on us to be good examples and we made our parents proud.

We married our high school sweethearts, had big,traditional Italian weddings with lots of food, lots of dancing. We have 5 kids between us, most in University now. We expect a lot from others because we expect a lot from ourselves. We never settle with 2nd place. It's simply not in our nature.
Our parents were go getters. They never waited for the hand out and they certainly never expected someone else to do anything for them and all of this rubbed off on us.We run our business and our partnership with the same philosophy; we're on the same team, playing our positions well and going for the Gold.

Success is never achieved entirely alone. We could not do what we do best without our amazingly dedicated and talented staff, our understanding and supportive spouses, our wise father and our loving sister and so many more significant people on the journey with us.

Today, we are proud to say that we do have every business being in the floral business. Turns out, we're good at it too. Actually, great at it.

~We are your flower experts.

http://www.italflorist.com/about-us.cfm