NAME CONTEST!

We are considering changing the name of Billie's Bouquet and want your thoughts and feedback on this. If you live in Squamish-do you think we should change the name?

If we do decide to change the name, we are looking for your help! We will be having a naming contest. Please email us your name ideas, and if we choose your name we will present you with a $150 gift certificate toward anything in the store! If you live out of town, we will send you a giant bouquet through a preferred florist in your area. We are also looking for fresh, fun sign ideas to update the current signage whether we change the name or not.

Please email ideas and feedback to Alanna and Kevin at: avolp@peledesign.com

Thanks!

Billie's Bouquet will be a GREEN FLORIST!

We specialise in ECO-WEDDINGS and will be bringing in several green business practices when we assume ownership of Billie's Bouquet. With both Kevin and Alanna having worked at Capers Whole Foods Markets we have strong values of environmental coservation and we walk our talk!

Here are some of the ways we will be a green business:

1. We will strive to always sell flowers from local suppliers first, that use biological methods such as insects to control pests and minimize their pesticide use. We have personally toured local flower farms to assess their growing models.

2. We will carry imported flowers from suppliers that are VERI-FLORA certified. This is a certification body in Europe that approves ecologically friendly as well as human rights friendly growing practices from developing countries.

3. We will compost all foliage and dead flowers and recycle all plastic, paper and other packaging

4. We will sell organically grown flowers and organic products in the store

5. We will not offer plastic bags through the store. If we carry bags it will either recycled paper bags or biodegradable plastic bags

6. We will use biodegradable garbage bags and biodegradable cellophane and packaging products

7. We offer complete eco-wedding consulting and eco-wedding floral packages.

Watch for more ways we will be a green florist!

Billie's Bouquet Under New Ownership This Fall!

Welcome! We are thrilled to announce that we will be the new owners of Billie's Bouquet, the Squamish Florist that has been in existance since 1978! We are excited and priviledged to continue to serve the community with beautiful floral creations, to delight you and your senses. We plan to take over the store in the late autumn and welcome any ideas, feedback and desires you may have.

We will thrive to provide you with exceptional service, while bringing in a funky, fun and fresh design style, with prices accessible to everyone. Our sister company, Sweet Beginnings Wedding and Event Planners, will continue to operate, providing decorating services, chair covers, linen and other rentals as well as wedding planning services, from assisting in designing the whole event to helping everything run smoothly on the wedding day. Our website for Sweet Beginnings is: http://www.asweetbeginning.com/ If you choose a location, and pick Squamish or Whistler, you will find our page.

A little bit about us:

My name is Alanna Volp and I am a florist with over ten years of experience in the industry. I can confidently say that I have the ideal, well rounded experience with has lead me to finally fulfill my dream of opening my own flower shop. My experience is based primarily in retail floristry, with emphasis on highly creative, high end floral events and weddings. I was employed at Garlands Florist in Kitsilano, Vancouver for over three years, managing the weddings and events as well as a retail supervisor. In addition, I have an entrepreneurial background; I have run two small businesses since 2001 and 2007. Pele Chalkboard Signs creates custom chalk signs to restaurants, cafe's and other businesses http://www.peledesign.com/ and Sweet Beginnings, as described above.

Finally, I have been running the retail floral department of Capers Whole Foods Markets on Cambie street for the past 1.5 years, which is essentially like running your own shop.

Through personal growth and coaching programs I have over several years, been lucky to pin point and fully embrace my purpose: to bring beauty, joy and the simplicity of nature to people and to interact with and enhance the lives of those around me through my passion for colour, flowers, nature and design, and through creative expression in business.

Kevin, my husband and business partner shares the same passions and values that I do, and thrives from growing relationships and providing quality service and products to our clients and community. Kevin is the rational side of my highly creative self and we balance each other very well! His background consists of a degree in Agriculture, as well as several years working in garden centres and in the floral industry itself.

Photo by Selina Whittaker