2025: Staying, Simplifying, & Designing with Heart

I haven’t written a Petals & Prose reflection in months — life, work, the seasons, and the weight of this year all seemed to pull me in different directions. But as this year closes, I want to sit with you for a moment and honestly look both backward and forward.

The beautiful and the broken. The blooms and the bare stems.

2025 was not easy.
There were seasons of deep exhaustion, tears I didn’t expect, and moments where the grit it took to keep going surprised even me. There were days I questioned whether I could — or should — keep doing this. I almost quit.

But something meaningful came from the rest, the reflection, the tears, and the hard work. Stepping back gave me clarity. The hard moments softened my perspective. And choosing to stay — even when it felt heavy — reminded me why I started Bede’s Blooms + Co. in the first place.

What emerged wasn’t a desire to do more.
It was a desire to do what matters, with intention.

A Year of Honoring Love Stories

One of the greatest joys of 2025 was working with my brides. Each wedding felt deeply personal, and I don’t take that lightly. I become invested — in your story, your vision, and creating florals that feel like you.

My wedding season began in May with a wedding that will forever hold a special place in my heart — designing for my best friend, who is also my helping-hand assistant and such a big part of the future of Bede’s Blooms + Co. Starting the season that way felt full-circle and grounding, especially in a year that asked so much.

I was so honored to bring each bride’s vision to life, thoughtfully and intentionally. From color palettes to flower choices, every detail mattered — because your day matters. Designing florals for weddings is more than arranging flowers for me; it’s about telling a story through texture, movement, and seasonality.

We closed our wedding season early this year in September, flowering for The Cookes. Their wedding was filled with so much pure love and joy. It was such a blessing to work with them throughout the year — even growing specific varieties of flowers just for their day. That kind of trust is something I hold close, always.

Designing with Care, Always

If there’s one thing 2025 reinforced, it’s this: quality and care will always come first in my work.

When you work with me as your floral designer, you’re not just choosing flowers — you’re choosing intention, craftsmanship, and a designer who truly cares. I believe flowers should feel thoughtful, personal, and well-loved. Every stem is chosen with purpose. Every arrangement is designed with care.

This year also brought opportunities to collaborate creatively through styled photo shoots and collaborations with incredibly talented Michigan photographers. These moments of creativity reminded me how much I love pushing design, playing with color, and telling visual stories. I look forward to doing more styled shoots in the future — creating, experimenting, and collaborating with other local creatives.

Sustainability Looks Like Balance

Another lesson 2025 taught me is that sustainability isn’t just about how we grow flowers — it’s about how we care for the people growing them.

Bede’s Blooms + Co. is a small, intentional micro flower farm. We grow on just over a quarter of an acre, and every stem requires hands-on care — planting, weeding, harvesting, conditioning, designing. Flower farming is deeply rewarding, but it is also incredibly labor intensive, even at a small scale.

Balancing this work alongside a corporate career I truly love has required honesty about capacity. My corporate role is something I’m proud of and invested in growing, and honoring both paths means being thoughtful about what I take on — and what I don’t.

This is where simplification becomes essential. Not because the work isn’t meaningful — but because I want to continue doing it well, without burnout, resentment, or depletion. Sustainability, for me, means creating flowers with joy and intention, while also protecting the energy that allows this business to thrive long-term.

Community, Connection & Gratitude

Beyond weddings, 2025 was a year of deep community connection.

We partnered with more local businesses to bring fresh flowers into their shops weekly, expanded our CSA flower subscriptions, and delivered more blooms into homes and hearts throughout our community. Our custom orders grew exponentially — from remembrance events and celebrations of life, to baby showers, wedding showers, birthdays, and everything in between.

I am beyond grateful to every person who chose our floral work with intention. Being trusted with your meaningful moments — joyful and tender — is something I never take for granted. Thank you for supporting local, seasonal flowers and allowing me to create for you.

A Milestone Moment: Michigan State University

One of the most memorable moments of 2025 was the opportunity to design and install a large-scale corporate stage installation for Michigan State University in August. The project took place in the Breslin Center and was a true labor of love — and logistics.

From planning and sourcing to installation day, it was a big production filled with stunning local flowers and thoughtful design on a much larger scale than my typical work. Standing back and seeing the stage come together inside such an iconic space was both humbling and affirming.

That installation reminded me of what’s possible when creativity, trust, and collaboration come together — and it will forever be a highlight of this year.

Looking Ahead: Simplifying with Purpose

As I look toward 2026, my word for the year is simplify.

That means focusing on the areas of this work that bring me the most joy and alignment:
CSA flower subscriptions, weddings and events, and meaningful custom orders. Late fall and winter will hold very limited availability for private wreath workshops. It means letting go of excess — even when it’s tempting — and choosing balance over burnout.

It also means not expanding our growing space, except where it truly aligns with our long-term vision — specifically peonies and perennials that strengthen the foundation of what we already love.

Simplifying doesn’t mean dreaming smaller.
It means building something sustainable, intentional, and rooted in joy.

To My 2026 Brides

I am so excited for my 2026 brides. I already have the most beautiful color palettes and design visions in mind, and I cannot wait to bring your special days to life. Designing with intention, care, and heart will always be at the center of what I do.

Thank you for being here — for supporting Bede’s Blooms + Co. through the blooms and the bare stems. Here’s to a slower, steadier, more meaningful season ahead.

With gratitude,
Alex

Grateful for imagery by: Details & Daydreams Photography, Elle & Co Photography, and Liv Schafer Photography.