Rising Stars: Meet Julie Dominy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Dominy.

Hi Julie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I got started by being thrust in front of a bucket of flowers and asked to make a handful of bridesmaids’ bouquets when helping out one weekend the wedding designer who was doing my wedding later that year. That was all she wrote for me, and I knew I had found my life’s purpose and passion. Within a year, I went out on my own and started my own wedding design business. The name and services have changed over the years, but flowers are still at the heart and focus of all I do. I worked from a home studio for 10 years in the wedding & event design industry. I took a leap of faith and opened a brick & mortar flower studio, Julie Dominy Floral Artistry, to expand from wedding and event design and also offer daily flowers and uniquely curated gifts in 2023. It has not all been sunshine and roses, but I can say it is true that you find joy in the everyday work when you do what you love, and I truly love flowers and the joy they bring to others.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
COVID was almost a killer of my business, not only the loss of work but also the struggle of how to compensate clients and reschedule events. I just finished my only ever lawsuit last year, and I am still paying over 9K in attorney fees for a client who sued all her vendors. I rescheduled the date 2 times after the first cancelation and gave an 85% refund, leaving less than $1000 retained. I won, but only after the client postponed the hearing for 5 years and did not even bother to show up on the final court date. Standing on your contract and principles can cost you. The flower market is always a roller coaster, but it seems the price increases and the dying art of sending flowers may give way to the local florist, and only the event florist will survive as costs continue to climb. The public feels the impact at the local grocery store but expects the same old prices at the flower shop. This is only being driven home by the abundance of wire services and flower gatherers with corporate marketing budgets flooding search engines and the crumbs they give us to fulfill orders after keeping 32-45% of each sale. Shop local and direct is more than a way to support the mom and pop shops; it is our final cry to save our businesses. With the AI push coming on strong, I feel comforted that flowers are hands-on, but we can easily be left behind by not embracing the social media and tech world to “just get your business out there”. The modern customer wants more than just well-designed flowers. They want a hip social brand with influence and followers.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I started in wedding and event floral design, and that is always closest to my heart. I love being a part of life’s most joyous moments. The good times. I truly love what I do and go above and beyond to make every client’s dream day come true. It’s all about loving what you do and really caring about others. My favorite part of an event is surprising my client with the little extras, whether that be a flower they really wanted and seemed impossible to get or the little extra pops of flowers added here and there to really round out the design that were not on the proposal. It’s not a checklist and an invoice its an experience and a memory they will carry for the rest of their life. I have done flowers for movies (ITonya) and TV Shows ( TLC 7 Little Johnstons). That is not my claim to fame; it is the kind words of gratitude from my clients the day after their event and the calls from them and there friend and family saying, ” You did amazing and really captured who they are in the design.” It’s also the referrals that follow, saying, “We have a wedding coming up and only want you to do the design”. Those are the moments I live for!

What matters most to you?
Capturing the vision of my clients: quality over quantity and getting it right no matter how many times we have to make adjustments to get it perfect. This is what fuels me and why I still love what I do even after pulling an all-nighter or running on 2 hours of sleep to finish a design. It matters most that my client’s day is more than they dreamed of and they never know ANY of the things that went wrong. They only see the perfect finished product.

Pricing:

• 10k-15k Average wedding
• 25k-35K She really likes flowers and some upgrades.
• 50K-65K It’s a whole look, flowers, linens, bars and more

Contact Info:

• Website: https://juliedominy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliedominyfloralartistry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliedominyfloralartistry
• Other: @jdfloralartistry