Making your dream wedding a reality can be a challenge due to all of the costs involved with executing your big day. Lauren Bercie and Laken Swan, co-founders of Something Borrowed Blooms, are on a mission to change the way people plan their weddings. Their company rents out silk flowers and decor, offering affordable and sustainable options to those planning a wedding. The two founders shared the story of their company with us and explained how they hope to modernize the floral industry.
Tell us about your business! What service do you provide and what is the goal of this service?
Something Borrowed Blooms, a national rent and return silk floral service, was founded in 2015 on the foundation of cost savings. We saw a need to modernize the industry by offering a stress-free solution and transparent e-commerce option for wedding flowers. In doing so, we’ve created a business model that’s truly unique and provides value to today’s consumers looking for more sustainable and convenient options for their wedding day.
At Something Borrowed Blooms, we hand select every single flower stem that goes into each of our designs, sourcing our flowers from the top premium silk floral suppliers. We’re perfectionists, detail-oriented, and only want to provide the most gorgeous and natural wedding flowers. Our flowers look real, smell amazing (fragrance optional), and are always picture-perfect!
Where did the idea for Something Borrowed Blooms originate from?
We were both inspired by Rent the Runway and the adoption of the share-trend. We loved the concept of renting an item that’s only used once or for a limited time to minimize the investment cost. We looked to apply that concept to different industries and landed in weddings. At that time, we saw many brides looking for ways to save money on flowers by either cutting back on their selection of fresh floral or DIY silk florals. That’s when things became very clear and we knew we had an idea worth pursuing – Rent & Return Wedding Flowers!
How did the two of you meet?
We’re lucky enough to be both cousins and business partners! We even both attended The University of Louisiana at Lafayette together. We were both recently married and knew how expensive and complicated the fresh flower market could be. Since then, we’ve been dedicated to providing the highest quality and on-trend floral designs and decor to couples from coast to coast. With our rent-and-return system, you’re guaranteed to have the flowers you love without the high price tag of traditional wedding flowers.
What were you doing before starting your business? Was entrepreneurship something either of you had been interested in prior to starting Something Borrowed Blooms?
After graduating, we had success in our careers while also getting married and starting our own families. Even though we both enjoyed their different jobs, we started thinking about creating something together. Lauren was a former teacher turned stay-at-home mom raising her two boys while Laken worked in the corporate sector in progressive roles while juggling life with her growing family. We were both in very different spaces, but our end goals were the same. We wanted to start a business of our own, but not just any business, something that had never been done before.
What challenges did you face when trying to start Something Borrowed Blooms?
Silk Flowers have been around forever, but weren’t widely adopted or accepted in the wedding industry. And renting silk flowers was certainly not a thing. So there were many challenges associated with building a market from ground zero. In the early days those challenges included consumer education, sourcing premium materials and talent. Today’s challenges include evolving the technical stack and infrastructure for scale. But the reward that comes with creating something revolutionary continues to outweigh all the challenges we’ve encountered along the way.
Walk us through the steps in the process of renting flowers from Something Borrowed Blooms.
Customers can select one collection for all of their wedding flower needs or mix and match items between collections to achieve their desired look. Easily add the items to your cart to fit your wedding party size and/or décor needs, then instantly view the order total, including shipping, on the final checkout page. We initiate 50% of the order total to reserve the wedding blooms & the remaining balance will automatically be charged when the order ships. Blooms will arrive 3 days before the wedding date and are to be returned to your local FedEx using the included prepaid shipping label the next business day, following your wedding. The process is simple and stress free!
How many collections do you have? What types of products are included in each collection?
We currently offer 18 different floral collections online! Each collection includes coordinating bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, garlands, flower combs and crowns, centerpieces, aisle markers, and so much more for your special day.
How does the previewing process work? Why do you allow customers to preview products?
With the Preview Pack, customers can select any two bridesmaid bouquets or centerpieces to preview in person to help make their final decision. Bridesmaid bouquets or centerpieces make for a perfect sample, both providing an overall look and feel for the colors, style and quality of the entire collection. Customers can keep the samples for 4 days after receiving and return with the included prepaid shipping label. Upon return, they’ll receive $20 in rewards to apply to their wedding flower order!
Customers that are new to faux flowers might have some hesitation and we want our customers to feel confident with their flower choice. Preview packs are a perfect way to allow our customer to ‘try’ before the wedding day to release any doubts they may have and show that premium silk flowers can look just like the real thing!
Something Borrowed Blooms is not only a budget friendly option but also an eco-friendly option. What does it mean to you to be able to provide a product that does good in so many ways?
We’ve been on a mission to revolutionize the wedding industry, and that’s exactly what is happening! We’re modernizing the fresh flower industry with full price transparency, a better and more convenient customer experience, and finally a less wasteful option for wedding flowers. Through education and awareness, modern couples are flocking to our brand. We believe that there is no one size fits all approach to wedding flowers, but for years it seemed that way. We hope Something Borrowed Blooms allows more couples to step outside of the traditional means to achieve the wedding of their dreams.
How many weddings are you serving each month? What locations are you able to deliver to?
We are currently averaging 1,000 weddings per month and delivering nationwide. We are seeing numbers soar as the fresh floral industry continues to experience supply chain issues. By the end of year, we’ll be fulfilling 2,000 orders monthly. As we’ve penetrated the fresh flower market, we’ve seen an increase in our clients’ average order value, now up to $550. Clients are seeing the value in getting more for their budget with silk flowers.
What has been the most rewarding part of starting Something Borrowed Blooms?
We’ve received the most genuine and heartfelt reviews from our couples, which is our favorite and most rewarding moment in the wedding planning process. It’s the best moment when a bride looks back on her wedding photos and she’s beaming with excitement to share moments from her special day. A common theme in our reviews is, “this was the best wedding decision I made,” which is such a powerful statement and we couldn’t be more proud to offer couples this floral solution.
What is on the horizon for Something Borrowed Blooms?
We have big plans for the future of Something Borrowed Blooms. We see opportunities outside of the wedding market. Possible endeavors include opening multiple distribution centers and expanding into private sector events.
What advice would you give to someone with a unique business idea that is unsure if they should commit to making it a reality?
Our advice is to not let perfection get in the way of progress. Sometimes you just have to start. Yes, you’ll refine and get better with time. Taking the first step is always the hardest, but continuing to step forward each and every day takes sheer grit and determination. There will be days when it feels like moving forward is impossible — KEEP GOING.
Connect with Something Borrowed Blooms:
somethingborrowedblooms.com
Instagram: @sbblooms
