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Budding florist blooms in Turlock
Heidi Williams
Since starting her floral business Heidi Hearts Flowers in April 2018, Turlock resident Heidi Williams has taken to creating visual masterpieces at weddings and other events (Photo by MKL Photography).

Name of business: Heidi Hearts Flowers

Type of business: Florist

Location: @heidiheartsflowers on Instagram

Hours: By appointment

Contact information: heidiheartsflowers@gmail.com

Specialty: Weddings

 

History of business:

If you ask Turlock resident Heidi Williams about her job, she’ll tell you she never intended on becoming a small business owner. But all it took was one simple request from a friend who needed flowers for her wedding for Williams to step into the world of floriculture and never look back.

Williams started Heidi Hearts Flowers soon after that wedding in April 2018, providing floral services for local weddings, events and even home deliveries on occasion. Since then, she’s been kept busy ensuring some of the most important days of her clients’ lives are just as beautiful.

“After helping with that initial friend’s wedding, playing with flowers honestly became a means of creative therapy for me,” Williams said.

Dreams of creating floral masterpieces for the community first began for Williams soon after she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in late 2017, she said. In the midst of a three-month period during which she was unable to work due to the condition, Williams began to write down some dreams for the future out of her frustration — one of which was floriculture.

Soon, she was handing out floral arrangements to her friends.

“It brought me so much joy to create and share them with others, and to spread that joy around,” Williams said.

For the different events she decorates, Williams tries to purchase flowers from local flower farmers like Blumen 209, Flower Leigh Farms, Kelley Flower Farm and RAM Farms, Inc. Sometimes, bigger venues require her to travel to the San Francisco Flower Mart. No matter where she picks her flowers, however, some favorites of the florist include ranunculus, peonies and garden roses.

The flowers used in weddings and other events usually depend on the season, Williams added, and floral decor trends are ever-changing.

“Right now, especially in wedding arrangements, my clients are leaning towards bold, moody and romantic florals with lots of greenery, texture and jewel tones,” she said. “It’s really common to see some large statement arrangements such as a show-stopping arbor, a large head table piece or even some type of hanging installation.”

When Williams meets with a potential client, they usually come with ideas and colors in mind. The website Pinterest serves as inspiration for many arrangements, she said, and from the first initial meeting, Williams takes her clients’ vision and “puts her own spin on it.”

“Adding flowers to an event brings life and vibrancy to a space, and has a unique ability to create a vibe that reflects the person or couple being celebrated,” she said. “It can make a space warm and inviting, or moody, romantic and whimsical.”

Since beginning her business just eight months ago, Williams has already amassed nearly 1,500 Instagram followers. Social media has been a valuable tool in building Heidi Hearts Flowers, she said, and the platform has allowed her to not only connect with clients, but also with other local business owners. The past year has allowed her to build many relationships — her favorite part about the job.

“I have had such a positive experience with all my clients and am incredibly thankful for their support. It’s also been incredibly fun meeting other vendors and creatives and getting to celebrate their work and journey as well,” she said.