about elaine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’d love to say that I grew up admiring the flowers in my grandmother’s garden and knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a florist… but my reality was far less romantic than that! Accepting my fate that all good Asian girls grow up to be doctors, lawyers or accountants, I completed my uni degree and entered corporate life. While everyone else seemed to thrive in the business world of suits, computers and office politics, it soon became obvious that I really, really sucked at it.

After endless doses of Mondayitis, moodiness, and constant complaining about work (sorry friends), I knew I had to get out. I craved something that allowed me creativity, the chance to be hands-on, and a desire to work with something more inspiring than spreadsheets and reports. I enrolled in a floristry course, and the rest they say, is history. After making my first bouquet at my first floristry job for my first happy customer, I was hooked.

Butterfly Philosophy was born out of my desire to create beautiful events, and make others as passionate about flowers as I am. One of my favourite moments has been watching a groom excitedly explain to his friends the flower choices for their wedding arrangements – dancing lady orchids – and proceed to point out the individual flowers that in fact, so closely resembled can-can dancing ladies. It is quite possible his friends thought he had gone slightly mad (after all, its a rare kind of male that knows things like this) but I walked away from that wedding happy and satisfied, knowing that one more person had discovered just how cool flowers really are!

I work harder than I ever did in my previous corporate life, and now have the alarm clock permanently set on 4am for market visits. I spend all day on my feet, often lifting vases and boxes that I swear weigh as much as me, and have horrible unmanicured-forever-dirty fingernails. It is hard work and much of it not glamorous, yet somehow, I love it so much. Perhaps its because I spend my days working with the most incredible things that Mother Nature has to offer. Or the fact that I get to work with the nicest most wonderful couples, on one of the nicest and most wonderful days of their lives. Either way, I am one lucky, happy florist!

Photo thanks: Serendipity Corner