By Nita Robertson, AIFD
Nestled in the vibrant city of Atlanta, Ga., Ginger Rose is a creative floral design studio renowned for its exquisite creations. Specializing in weddings and events across the country, the studio’s mission is simple yet profound: to help clients fall in love with flowers. Through bespoke designs that beautifully narrate each client’s unique story, Ginger Rose transforms every occasion into a botanical masterpiece.
At the helm is Alyssa Ice, creative director and owner. A floral designer, educator, mother and devoted nature enthusiast, Ice brings her passion for flora to life in her signature style. Her modern take on botanically lush designs blends striking color palettes, intriguing textures and unexpected foliages, to craft arrangements that are as distinctive as they are unforgettable. Under Ice’s artistic direction, Ginger Rose continues to inspire, enchant and redefine floral design.
Tell us about your journey into the world of floral design. What inspired you to become a floral designer?
Growing up, I was the creative kid doing art projects and such, but I always told everyone I was going to be a lawyer when I grew up and had never thought about having a creative job as a career. When I was 16 and needing a job, the only place that was hiring in the small California town that I lived in at the time was a flower shop. I had no experience with flowers, but I had fond memories of helping my grandpa in the garden and being surrounded by nature’s beauty. They hired me on the spot to wash buckets and process flowers. After working at that shop for a few years and becoming the lead designer, I knew that my passion was for flowers, so I decided to go to floral design school in Portland, Ore. Once I graduated, I felt that the best place for me to learn even more about the industry was a big city, so I moved to San Francisco. I worked at a few flower design studios, but the shop that really shaped who I am as a designer today was a tiny shop on the corner of Church and Market streets in the Castro District. It was one of the busiest shops in the city, and I really fell in love with the job because I got to interact with customers daily and make custom wrapped bouquets for all of their special life occasions. After working in the flower industry in California for about 10 years, I decided to move across the country to Atlanta to start my own business, and that was about eight years ago
What type of flower business is Ginger Rose?
Ginger Rose is a floral design studio specializing in wedding and event design throughout the South. Our style is a modern take on botanically lush and textural garden-like arrangements, and we love to use interesting color palettes, flowers and foliages in our designs. We work with a lot of different types of clients ranging from brand campaigns, corporate events and large-scale weddings, as well as intimate small-scale events.
From where do you draw inspiration when creating your arrangements?
It’s somewhat cliché, but I draw my inspiration from the beauty of nature. The elements I work with are already inherently beautiful, so when I am designing, I am inspired by the flowers and foliages themselves.
How do you stay updated on the latest trends and techniques in floral design?
Through social media. There are so many talented creators who share their designs on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
What current trends or styles are you most excited about?
I am most excited about the wedding industry leaning more into vibrant color palettes. It is fun working with clients who want to explore brighter hues or outside-the-box color combinations when planning their weddings.
What do you find most rewarding about being a floral designer?
Creating works of art using the most beautiful medium and being a part of some of the most special moments celebrated by our clients.
How do you balance artistic expression with meeting your clients’ preferences and needs?
By being transparent about our style, offerings and boundaries from the get-go when talking with clients. Our clients and vendor referrals usually know our style and methodology when they reach out to us, and they trust us to execute their visions because of that. We always put our clients first, and I appreciate that they allow us to take creative liberty as we see fit. This practice usually produces an outcome that everyone is proud of.
Share with our readers a memorable project or experience that you worked on.
I did a wedding last September in Greenville, N.C., on the weekend that Hurricane Helene hit. It was one of the largest weddings that the entire vendor team and I had ever worked on. Helene hit the night before the wedding and knocked out the power, the streets were flooded, trees were down everywhere, and grocery stores and gas stations were out of service. We had to find a new venue at which to hold the wedding in less than 10 hours, but we did it, and the clients were so happy with how everything turned out.
What do you wish you would’ve known when starting out in this field?
I wish I would’ve taken the time to learn even more about running a business. As a business grows, the project management, logistics, staffing, taxes, etc., side of things grows as well, so it’s important to educate yourself as much as possible for this type of growth before getting started.
How do you balance work and motherhood?
I don’t know if anyone can fully balance both. Some days I feel the need to be fully plugged in with work stuff, and then I am hard on myself that I didn’t get to play with my kids as much as I wanted to that day. Or, vice versa, where I am playing with the kids but know I have several proposals that I need to write. It’s a constant battle of trying to be gentle with my Type A personality and remind myself that I am only one person, and as much as I would like to be a superwoman and be in 10 places at once, it’s not physically possible, so I try to give myself grace in those instances. With that said, I am really proud of how I’ve been able to build my business to where it is while being a full-time stay-at-home mom. It’s a lot of work, but I am living the life that I always dreamed of, and I love that my kids get to see me follow my dreams and be there with me to cheer me on.
What do you hope to do in the future?
I hope to continue to inspire people with my creativity. I’m not sure where this industry will take me, but I loved every minute of my journey during the past 19 years, and I look forward to whatever the future may bring.
Learn more about Alyssa and Ginger Rose, also available on Instagram.
