Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Haney.
Hi Natalie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I surprisingly didn’t have much of a green thumb when I was younger, however I always loved being outside. I entered high school completely unsure of what I wanted to do with my future. At the time, I was in a group home at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter. I was there for about two years and surprisingly, considering how terrible the foster home situation is in the government, I was blessed to be at a group home that had so many donations, we were able to go to Gwinnett Striper games, Atlanta Dream games, and all sorts of other outings. Once being reunited with my parents again, I discontinued my high school education and later got my GED. My love for nature is what initially brought me to the Horticulture Program at Gwinnett Technical College.
Still unsure of exactly I wanted to do, I knew I loved nature and was looking into Greenhouse Management opportunities. It wasn’t until I took my first floral design class with Ms. Mason that I fell in love with floral design. I was constantly being introduced to so many beautiful flowers and I felt like I was opened up to a whole career that was based around creative freedom, at that point, I decided to become a Certified Floral Designer and take my career to the next level. Once I became certified, I began freelancing for several local wedding and event companies that taught me so much over the years. I was so inspired by all of these powerful women and men making these beautiful arrangements and seeing an empty venue come to life over a few hours. Not to mention it’s so special to be a part of another couple’s ONE special day, it never gets old and is a forever giving job that I’m so blessed to be a part of. I eventually decided to start my own floral business and hopefully grow to be as big as some of the other floral companies I’d worked for. I began emailing several venues and hotels offering free donation arrangements just to get my name out there; some replied, some didn’t. I slowly started building my clientele but was still on a small scale for my first year of business. I’m coming up on my second year of business now and have been able to keep myself busy with weddings and events just about every weekend.
I also have an amazing fiance that helps and supports me every step of the way, he’s my muscle as I call him. I met him at my first job ever at a restaurant, I was the hostess and he was the server. We both connected instantly and he’s molded me into the woman I am today, I was so young when I met and had so much to learn but he’s always been the patient, protector that I needed in life and almost ten years later, we’re engaged and I’ve never been happier. He’s my best friend, my business partner, my protector, and home to me. I couldn’t have got to the point I am today without him, he’s the one that pushed me to get my GED, go to school for something, and keeps my strong in my moments of weakness when I’m stressed about an event-filled weekend. I’m so blessed for all of the connections and mentors I’ve made over the years that have helped me in so many ways to get where I am today. They’ve given me the knowledge and opportunities to grow my brand and the floral community in Atlanta is amazing! I’m proud to say that I’ve gone from being that young girl in a group home watching the Atlanta Dream team play to being the Floral Company to provide the flowers for the Atlanta Dream Director of Operations. Truly a full-circle moment that I’m forever grateful for and I’m excited to keep the momentum going and see what my business will look like in year 10!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve honestly had a great life and came up very family-oriented. It wasn’t until going to my group home and being separated from my sister that I had to really overcome some difficulties. I was eventually reunited with my sister and family and I made several new ‘sisters’ in my group home; many of those girls had been through way worse than I have to this day. Some of them had been abused and didn’t have parents that were coming back, my sister was in a group home that was not nice at all like where I was at. They never got to have any outings and stayed in the house other than to go to school. Going through this situation opened me up to the foster care situation in Georgia and plenty of other states. I was blessed enough to go somewhere nice where we got to be a part of fun opportunities and we had counselors on site that truly cared about the well-being of these young people and building us up. Unfortunately, I know that this situation isn’t true for most children in the foster care system and they deserve to be treated with love and built up into someone that can succeed because they deserve it. I hope to one day be to the point where I can give back and work with children in the system to show them all of the opportunities that they have for their career that gives them the ability to be creative and prove to the government that they won’t be another statistic. My fiance is an audio engineer and does sound design and I would’ve never known what that is if it wasn’t for him, any child with a love for music can make great money and do something that has a creative outlet, or maybe even create beautiful flower arrangements.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Agape Floral Creations?
We are an Atlanta based Wedding & Event company that specializes in florals and decor. We refer to our floral design as modern with a wild touch and always incorporating unique and local flowers. I love doing colorful, bold weddings but have love for a beautiful, classic wedding as well. We do everything from Bouquets to large scale Arbor arrangements. Our business is built around the saying, “Our Focus is your Happiness”, I’m proud of building our brand around that because each event that we do, is completely different from all of the others. Getting to know the personalities of couples and hearing their story and then seeing their one special day unfold in front of me is so giving and beautiful to see. You might think that after setting up several weddings over the years, it might get tiring after a while, it doesn’t! I can honestly say I tear up almost every time I see a couple celebrate their love, it shows that I’m exactly where I need to be and I’m truly happy with what I do for a living. We love doing weddings of all sizes, birthday parties, dinners, and we’ve even done the florals for a few proposals! We don’t have a minimum for our company and are open to all budgets and all forms of love!
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Just being a child and realizing how carefree and pure life is before bills and jobs. Playing outside with my sister everyday, riding our bikes through the neighborhood, playing innocent kid games, going to the pool. Just the happiness and simplicity of being a kid.
Contact Info:
- Email: agapefloralcreationsllc@gmail.com
- Website: agapefloralcreations.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agapefloralcreations/?hl=en
Image Credits
Sarah – SD Photographs Brianna Marie Photography
