Ian Prosser opened Botanica Design Studio in Tampa, which he now runs with his daughter Zoë Gallina. After being in business for over 30 years, they’ve seen a lot.
"We encountered things like the oil spill that was thrown out of proportion and so many weddings were canceled because of that. Then we encounter 9/11," he recalled. "We also experienced the crash in the real estate market, where money was tight for a whole lot of people." However, nothing could have prepared them for the global pandemic that would all but bring their business to a halt. "We never encountered anything like COVID that just affected the world," Prosser said.
Bakeries balance pandemic challenges and surging wedding season
The pandemic derailed a lot of plans, including how to execute some of the most memorable parts of a a couple’s wedding day – that includes the reception, from the venue down to the cake. For one Tampa bakery, they had to get creative to get their creations down the aisle.
"There were videos of fields in Holland getting mold down and the flowers burned, because nobody was there to buy them," explained Zoë Gallina, who works with her dad as the creative director for the studio. Now weddings are back, and Botanica is busy once again.
"We’re seeing a mixture of people booking really far out, and also last-minute, four to six weeks out," said Gallina. "So you get this crush of everybody wanting to meet right now." Gallina is now having to help brides reimagine their rescheduled big day, while Prosser is working non-stop to bring that vision to life.
It may be busy but they’re happy to be back to business as usual. "We come with new excitement, and we’re happy to touch flowers again. There were months that we didn’t touch anything," said Prosser.
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