I was five years old in this photograph.

I remember sitting underneath a flower arch at my mom’s wedding, my feet barely touching the ground, completely wrapped in the magic of it all. The air was filled with the unmistakable scent of carnations, baby’s breath, chrysanthemums, and fern. That soft, green, comforting wedding smell that never really leaves you once it imprints on your heart.

I remember looking up at the flowers, studying them closely. The textures. The way the greenery moved. The way the blooms framed people’s joy. Even then, in the quiet way children observe the world, I remember thinking, I could do this… maybe even a little better.

But what stayed with me most wasn’t critique. It was joy.

I saw my mom glowing, dressed beautifully, happy, celebrated, stepping into a new chapter of her life. That moment taught me something profound before I had words for it: flowers are witnesses to life’s biggest moments. They hold joy, hope, love, and transformation.

That day planted a seed.

As children, we don’t always realize how powerful experiences are. One moment can quietly set the course of a lifetime. That wedding did exactly that for me.

By 15½, I was already working in a flower shop.
By 19, I owned my own floral company.
This year marks 30 years of being a professional florist.

Weddings have always been my heart space.

I love it when brides come to me with a list, a few inspiration photos, and then say, “Jenny, do your magic.” That trust is everything. From bridal bouquets to lush centerpieces, arches, boutonnieres for the groom, and even decorating wedding cakes, every detail feels sacred to me.

Each wedding tells a story, and my job is to translate love into flowers.

I’m intentional about balance now. I usually don’t take more than one wedding a weekend because I deeply value my life, my family, and being present. But weddings will always be a passion I return to with full heart.

Because every time I design one, a part of that five-year-old girl is still sitting beneath a flower arch, breathing in carnations and dreaming.

Flowers didn’t just become my career.
They became my life’s language.

With love,
Jenny Barker
The Flower Doctor