Today we’d like to introduce you to Ethan Chute.
Hi Ethan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have always had a great time with plants/flowers. I used to grow them as a child just to cut them and bring them inside. I always knew that I wanted to do something in the flower industry because I love creating beautiful things with nature, and bringing a little bit of the outside beauty inside!
It all started with a longtime friend of mine in 2020. She took a risk, and let me do the flowers/design for their daughters’ wedding. At that moment, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I love to sit down with clients and hear their big dreams/visions for whatever special occasion it may be. Gaining their trust and sharing their excitement to help navigate and create the best day ever, and then helping to make all of these dreams a reality, is one of the BEST things about this job. I have had the ability to do so much after that wedding, from styled photo shoots, to pop-up shops with Jojo’s Espresso, birthday parties, Weddings, And even start my own monthly subscription service! But out of all these things, Jojo’s Espresso Pop-Ups are my favorite. Setting up a table of flowers, and greens, of all shapes, sizes, and colors, and allowing people to experience flower arranging, from beginning to end, Words don’t even begin to describe the amount of joy I receive in return. It gives me a way to teach about flower care, The specific flower varieties, Arranging basics, and unlock so much creativity in people that they don’t know they have! Not to mention the many friends I make along the way.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a great journey thus far, And the coolest thing about being a floral designer/event planner is we love to network! Not often do I meet a stranger, so if we ever cross paths in the floral section at trader joes, I’ll apologize now. It is a way to learn so much from the people you work with and around. Have there been bumps in the road? ABSOLUTELY, But if you view them as learning opportunities, then it makes it all 100% worth it. It also helps me to have the best, and most wonderful Wife supporting me through it all. She’s been my biggest cheerleader in this, and has put just as many hours and tears into this business as I have.
I think the biggest struggle in the process of starting out is getting name out there. There are so many talented people in the Mid-South, but everyone brings a different style/spin on floral design. So what do you use to promote? Instagram? Word of mouth? Ads in the paper? There are so many options and it can sometimes be a little overwhelming.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a floral designer. I’m not a huge fan of the phrase “florist” because it just sounds to (in the box). I love to work with textures/colors, I love to bring old classics into play with new favorites. I love the heirloom flowers our grandparents grew in their garden, and Im always trying to figure out ways to incorporate them. I love to think outside the box. I love to see more than just roses, I want to build things that express creative freedom for the person receiving the flowers. It is a work of art, and a perk? I think having knowledge of flowers/plants helps. I am a huge plant NERD deep down. I want to know the science behind what plants do and don’t work well together in a vase, what seasonal substitutes/options can you use, what climate they grow in. Etc.
I love partnering with local flower sources here in Memphis, Because it gives business back to the city I love most, and you meet some really cool people along the way! So I am focused on bringing a lot more business locally, and arranging seasonally, to bring love to every season, and the beauty that nature already provides for us. Just capturing it in a vase.
What do you think about luck?
I have been lucky to have great ways to market myself and get my name out there quickly. I have worked with some really cool clients, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. I was lucky to have someone believe in my business to put a donation towards helping it grow, to eventually have a storefront! (My wife would probably appreciate me not using our living room as a studio anymore.) I think luck has been good to Ethan Thomas, and Im excited to see what it continues to bring.
Pricing:
- Subscription service 65-110$
- Wrapped bouquets 55-70$
- Vased options 95-150$
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @EthanThomas_events
- Email: Ethanthomasevents@gmail.com
Image Credits
Brynn VanBlaricom, Jackie Mcguinness, Taylor Tarterra, Sarah Balducci, and Jessica Newsome
