9 years ago, a Toronto Wedding Planner gave me the opportunity to intern for her and my life was forever changed. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to work in the wedding industry and this internship solidified that desire. I melted effortlessly into the role and was highly motivated to grow. 5 years later, I started my own business, Rikki Marcone Events, planning and coordinating weddings.
As any entrepreneur will tell you, starting your own business is by far one of the most difficult things you will ever do in your life. I’ve lost sleep, friends, relationships, and added a few new age lines to my forehead in the pursuit of freedom, being my own boss and living on my own terms. As many entrepreneurs will also agree – we have no idea what we’re doing! You start with the basics, set yourself up administratively, get some contracts, network, try your hand at social media and eventually the pieces fall together and your process begins. While coordinating a wedding in 2015, I suddenly started to notice the detail in the floral work. Curiosity sparked, in 2016 I signed myself up for the 3-week floral design program at the Canadian Institute of Floral Design. Life = changed. Flowers felt so natural in my hands and all I wanted to do was play, experiment and study design theories.
Fast forward 2.5 years, I’ve freelanced for some of the best florists in Toronto, built my skillset and developed my personal style. Floral design swallowed me whole. I still planned and coordinated weddings on the side, but my heart was engulfed in flowers. In early 2018, I decided to begin the official transition from Wedding Planner to Wedding Florist. As much as the thrill of planning weddings still holds a place in my heart, its flowers that it truly beats for. I finished out my remaining wedding planning contracts and away I went.
After listening to Alan Watt’s angelic voice ask, ‘what would you do if money was no object?’, I thought to myself, besides cuddling Chloe, I would consume myself with everything to do with flowers - from design concept to flower selection, conditioning and arranging. A wise person once told me, do it with all your heart and stick to what you’re good at. I feel extremely fortunate to have this sense of self-actualization and knowing I’m doing exactly what I am destined to do. I’m also extremely lucky to be surrounded by such supportive family and friends who have sacrificed their time and energy to see me reach my goals. I also owe a huge thank you to my team for understanding my vision, their unwavering willingness to try new things and all the emotional support when I need it.
I’m looking so forward to all the challenges 2019 has in store for my budding business. Large-scale installations are my favourite things to make so here’s hoping the flower gods bring lots of installation opportunity to our year.
