Meet Courtney Elder | Floral Designer & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Courtney Elder and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Courtney, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve had an adventurous, entrepreneurial spirit for as long as I can remember. My dad says that I was “always creating” as a kid and when I look back, I realize that I actually was “always creating” and that’s when I was happiest. I remember my mom begged for me to be let into an art camp at Princeton University as a 5 year old (they wouldn’t take kids as young as I was) because it was literally the only thing I wanted to do that summer. Although everyone was a good 5-10 years older than me, they reluctantly agreed to let me into the camp and it’s one of my best memories to this day. As I grew up and entered the corporate world, I couldn’t shake my desire to create beautiful things and somehow build a business out of it. I struggled with what that looked like and attempted various entrepreneurial ventures that I would either lose interest in or fail at completely. Throughout my childhood and young adulthood I excelled at creative mediums like oil painting and photography (and played several instruments) but I couldn’t figure out how to turn that into a meaningful business. I thought I needed to have some BIG, monumental idea in order to start a business and I just couldn’t think of anything big or monumental .

Roughly 3 years ago, I was going through a hard time in my life and started walking on the beach every morning as an escape. I collected sea fans as they washed up on the shore because I found them incredibly beautiful. I called them “gifts from the sea” because I truly viewed them that way. I started making wall art with my sea fans and selling it to friends and on Etsy, and I called my little business, “Gifts from the Sea.” Some people laughed at me and thought it was silly but I didn’t care anymore. My sea fan art turned into a luxury beach picnic business which turned into a floral design business when my childhood friend asked me to do the florals for her wedding. I had always loved flowers and floral design but never thought I’d pursue a career in it. After doing my friend’s wedding, my floral design business grew and evolved from there. It continues to grow and evolve today as I now do custom paintings and wall art in addition to floral design. Everyone’s journey is different, but the one thing I’ve learned is to never compare myself to anyone. I finally learned that by having confidence in myself, I was able to connect with my heart and my true creative talents which allowed me to develop my own unique style and vibe. You don’t necessarily need a big, monumental idea to start a business… you just need to start somewhere that you’re passionate about and let it evolve. I’m not a super religious person but I always ask God to “make me an instrument,” meaning that if I do have this creative talent inside of me to let me express it in the most beautiful ways possible to make a meaningful impact in people’s lives.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I would describe my floral design style as whimsical, romantic, and playful. There are tons of talented floral designers in the industry but what sets me apart is that people tell me my pieces “evoke a feeling” – sometimes they can’t pinpoint what that feeling is but it makes them feel something special which I think is really cool. I put a ton of heart into every piece I create and I try to channel my client in order to create something that really manifests their visions and exceeds expectations.

As far as how I got here professionally, it was a long and winding road full that I touched on in my panel discussion question. It was not easy, but that comes easy is really worth it. The most important thing I’ve learned is not to compare myself to anyone and to have unwavering love and support for myself, first and foremost. You have to believe in yourself and not care what anyone thinks of you – that’s when you can start building something meaningful.

What I want people to know about my brand or my story is that my purpose is to create something beautiful for you that no one has ever done before, and I truly my heart and soul into every part of the process.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m more of a Fort Lauderdale girl than a Miami girl. Itinerary for the weekend would include:

Favorite restaurants:
Takato (best restaurant in FLL and on the beach)
Heritage (best little Italian spot)
15th St Fisheries (SO Fort Lauderdale and call me lame but I never get tired of feeding the Tarpon)
Breakfast at Archibalds – AMAZING, cream scones all day everyday

Bars;
Most likely lots of rose in the backyard, and lots of it

Entertainment:
Day pass at the Four Seasons, Beach, and anything on the water… not gonna lie I’m a big fan of the Jungle Queen dinner cruise and love to take visitors on it!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Many people, but I think I owe my main shoutout to my childhood friend Jenna Boyle for taking a chance on me and giving me my first big floral job…her wedding!. I was shocked she trusted me to do her wedding but that fact that she believed in me made me believe in myself and it was the start of my floral design business.

I also owe my family and friends many shout outs for their support and free labor – invaluable!

Website: courtneysflowers.com

Instagram: courtneysflowers_

Image Credits
Florencia Rodriguez Lomeli (credit for image with white whicker bar cart).