The Wedding Vendor Spotlight is an interview series highlighting some of the best wedding vendors in DC, Maryland and Virginia. Find out what brings them joy, both professionally and personally, as well as their insights into emerging wedding trends for 2013.
Heather Lawson recently launched Petal Share, a new non-profit organization in Washington, DC that aims to extend the life of wedding and event flowers to bring a smile to those in need. What a great concept!
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Heather Lawson, Esq.
What is Petal Share?
First, thanks for featuring Petal Share on your blog. We’re super excited and humbled that you chose to highlight our efforts. Petal Share is a non-profit charitable organization. Our mission is to share recycled flowers with individuals in nursing homes, shelters and hospitals, with a special emphasis on facilities in Ward 8-Washington, DC. The Petal Share motto is “Share Your Petals, Share Your Joy.”
What was the inspiration behind it?
Truthfully, the inspiration for Petal Share came from watching TV. I’m a fan of those shows that feature the really over-the-top weddings. I remember one night thinking how gorgeous (and expensive) all the flowers were. And then it hit me – the flowers were going to be tossed at the end of the reception! I’m not sure why it never occurred to me before, but in that moment the thought of all those beautiful flowers and all that money going into the trash simply took my breath away. After that night, Petal Share was a constant tugging on my spirit. Each day I would think of a new aspect of sharing flowers that I hadn’t previously considered. I imagined the enormous impact a surprise flower delivery could have on people in care facilities and hospitals – those who are often in pain and sometimes forgotten. I imagined all of the couples, planners and individuals who’d be willing to share flowers from their special event if only there were a convenient way to do it. And it sounds corny, but most of all I reflected a lot on the quote by Mother Theresa: “Not all of us can do great things. But all of us can do small things with great love.” The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the idea of Petal Share aligned perfectly with a core component of my personal mission – to be of service to others and excel in the grace of giving. So I took the leap and here we are.
How do wedding couples or florists arrange to share their flowers?
You can contact Petal Share by email at Petalshare@gmail.com, via inbox on the Facebook page (http://facebook.com/
Is there any cost to the couples?
There is absolutely no cost to couples or any other type of donor. In fact, while we know that most folks are happy just to share their petals, we’re working on obtaining fiscal sponsorship so we can provide our donors with the ability to take a charitable contribution deduction on their taxes. We’re not there yet, but stay tuned.
How can people volunteer?
That’s a great question. We need lots of volunteers and are currently building our volunteer database. Inquiries about volunteering can go to petalshare@gmail.com. Just let us know your availability and how you’d like to volunteer and we’ll contact you to confirm. Volunteer positions include: pickup crew (pick up flowers from events) & delivery crew (deliver rearranged bouquets to facilities); transportation crew (drivers of vans or vehicles with large trunk space), workspace crew (to coordinate roomy areas to dismantle and rearrange bouquets); floral arranging crew (to assemble bouquets, decorate flower containers and address notes). We are still very much in our infancy, so over time we’ll have additional positions including opportunities for volunteer coordinators and leads, as well as folks who are willing to do outreach and provide floral arranging classes.
I should add that Petal Share operates through the generosity of donors. So we ALWAYS welcome gifts of floral foam, flower shears, aprons, gloves, floral tape/wire, small vases, gift tags and ribbon. Scraps are fine and no quantity is too small.
How can we find you online?
WEB: http://www.petalshare.org (
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/
TWITTER: @petalshare
Thanks for sharing Heather! I’m excited to see Petal Share grow!
Have a question for Heather? Leave a comment below and we’ll be sure to follow up. To recommend someone for the Wedding Vendor Spotlight, please email Stephen.
