RETAILER STORY
Flowers Decor & More Redefines the Scent of Success
How flowers, candles, and coffee have transformed a small-town florist shop into a local favorite for weddings, gifts, and catching up with friends.
Florist
Est. 2016
Flower Delivery
Wedding Floral Design
Coffee Bar
Colfax, Wash.
222. S. Main St.
“I’m in love with Dandles’ Tuscan Lemon Grove scent.”
Shelly Elkins, Flowers Decor & More Owner
Scents are a big deal for the woman behind Flowers Decor & More. She’s a fan of peonies and pink proteas. She wants all bouquets to be bigger and better. And Shelly Elkins knows which internet trends to avoid when you’re picking a bridal bouquet, but we’ll get to that later.
As the owner of a successful florist shop in Colfax, Washington, Elkins has a nose for what customers want when it comes to coffee, flowers, and even candles.
And it’s her love of candles that might explain how Flowers Decor & More became the biggest Dandles Candles retailer outside Spokane.
Discovering Dandles Candles
You don’t have to look hard in Elkins’s shop to find the candles. The center of FDM is stocked with shelves of Dandles Candles, which are hand-poured just north of Colfax in Spokane, Washington.
“I just knew I wanted to support somebody local with candles,” said Elkins, who even burns Dandles Tuscan Lemon Grove candle scent in her own home. “I burn candles all the time.”
Elkins handpicks her favorite candles for her flower shop.
However, it’s the way Dandles Candles burn that first caught Elkins’s attention.
“When you burn candles, sometimes it bothers your eyes when the flame creates a haze in the air,” explained Elkins. “I had bought a Dandles, and it didn’t do that.”
Dandles uses soy wax and cotton wicks to minimize soot, creating less smoke than petroleum-based products.
Picking Dandles Candles Favorites
Elkins’s go-to Dandles styles include the classic Hobnail candle. FDM sells Dandles both individually and as gift sets paired with floral arrangements and bouquets. The candle makes a nice extra.
“A bouquet will last for a couple of weeks, so the candle is a nice extra to keep in their home a little longer.”
Picking Dandles for the shop is a family affair that often includes Elkins’s daughter, Ashley Flock, who is the head florist, and Elkins’s granddaughter, who also has a favorite candle scent.
“Her favorite candle is Butt Naked. I think it’s because she loves saying it.”
Elkins also likes the passionfruit and coconut blended candles but typically picks scents with her local customers in mind.
“Shelly has created an unexpected surprise in a quaint small town,” explained Dana Haynes, Dandles Candles creator. “It’s a modern selection of gifts and decor.”
Building the Perfect Gift Set
It’s Elkins’s consistency and eye for detail that’s helped Flowers Decor & More perfect the art of gifting. She recommends smaller candles for customers building gift baskets or gift bags.
“They’re affordable, so customers can add jewelry to their gift, hand lotion, more candles, and then they’re out the door.”
FDM even handles the gift wrapping.
Building the perfect gift starts long before customers walk through the door. Elkins personally selects all the merchandise for the store. FDM’s gift and decor section offers books, toys, and even a dried flower bar.
Building the Perfect Wedding Bouquet
Yet it’s the fresh flowers and wedding florals that keep the Flowers Decor & More team busy.
Head florist Ashley Flock designs everything from simple seasonal bouquets to over-the-top floral arches. Flowers Decor & More promises a full-service wedding experience and delivers. But Flock’s work extends beyond Colfax weddings. FDM blooms have been featured in weddings from Spokane to a recent Coeur d’Alene Resort wedding at the Hagadone Event Center.
Wedding trends may come and go, but Elkins stresses the importance of high-quality flowers. It’s something she urges any bride to be aware of before they sign with a florist.
A bouquet filled with high-quality flowers can last up to two weeks.
FDM takes care of their blooms from the minute they arrive. They store the flowers in a walk-in cooler that helps maintain freshness.
“It makes such a huge difference, and it makes a difference for our weddings,” explained Elkins, who knows that the longevity of flowers comes from the preparation.
Pinterest Wedding Flower Fatigue
The floral design team at Flowers Decor & More also encourages brides to think beyond social media trends when picking a wedding style. Neutral flowers may be popular on social media, but Elkins questions whether they make a lasting impression.
“Everybody is so Pinterest saturated that a lot of brides opt for white with blushes instead of trusting us to infuse color.”
Elkins blames social media for creating a limited view of what wedding flowers should look like. Her florists encourage brides to go beyond monochromatic wedding bouquets. The FDM team loves infusing color and texture into their elaborate floral arrangements, especially for couples who want to buck the neutral trend.
“One gal came in, and she loved all the colors of fall, but she wanted white and cream flowers. She was afraid to go bold. So we said, ‘Trust us to show you how that's going to look good.’”
The bride came in for a second consultation, and the FDM team pulled fabric swatches to show her what a cohesive fall floral theme would look like.
Elkins said weddings with color deliver a wow factor that neutrals just can’t provide.
“There's just a different atmosphere about it, I guess. People leave your wedding and say, ‘Oh, wow, that was my favorite wedding, because they had that punch of color.’ It’s memorable,” explained Elkins, who pointed out that she’s not talking about crazy colors.
She’s a champion of color but admits there are some colors that should be avoided for weddings.
It’s a fine balance that Elkins has developed and perfected over the last eight years.
Transforming Flowers Decor & More
Shelly Elkins didn’t start her professional life in the floral industry.
She wasn’t even a small business owner.
Elkins had spent nearly a decade as a Washington State employee working for Child Protective Services. However, her priorities shifted as her kids grew.
“I could remember everybody else’s schedule, counseling sessions, and court appointments but was missing out on my own family time,” explained Elkins, who eventually left her role at Child Protective Services.
Her newfound freedom allowed her to focus on her own family more. Yet the daily commute to her daughter’s school left her with a dilemma that turned into a life-changing opportunity.
“I live 30 minutes away from where my kids went to school in Colfax. And I thought, ‘I’m not going to drive back and forth every day.’”
So Elkins found a job nearby at the original Flowers and More. She spent more than a year learning the ropes from owner Bob Garrett, who eventually asked Elkins if she wanted to buy the business.
“He said, ‘I’m not going to let you fail,’ which was lovely.”
Elkins bought and relaunched Flowers Decor & More in 2016. She’s since grown it into a popular shop known for more than flowers and home decor.
The Love Language of Flowers
Flowers Decor & More added the FDM Coffee Bar a few years ago. The food and drinks helped carry FDM through the COVID-19 pandemic when the wedding industry came to a halt.
As life returns to normal, the wedding industry is booming, and flowers are once again in demand. The coffee bar is staying, but it’s not the primary focus.
“Food isn't our love language,” confessed Elkins. “Flowers are our love language because we just love to make things beautiful for other people.”
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