Glendale Florist: The Blossoming of a Business

Glendale Florist has been in business since 1984

Wedding flowers are one of the most important elements of your big day. No one knows that better than Beth Kautzman-Lauter, the floral designer and manager at Glendale Florist.

Lauter began in the floral business following her father’s retirement as a clothing salesman. “His dream had always been to be in the floral industry – it had been his hobby and part-time job when he was not on the road with his real job,” explains Lauter. “I helped out when needed, answering phone calls and waiting on customers, but after my daughter was born – and not wanting to put her into daycare – I decided to further my new career.”

Glendale Florist opened its doors in 1984. “I loved the opportunity to work with my father for 14 years,” says Lauter. “He loved fine things and entertaining and beautiful flowers to compliment the occasion.” In watching her father work, she learned the basics of how flowers were arranged, how bouquets were created, and how flowers were processed. However, as her father’s health declined, she slowly started to take over all of the day-to-day operations. Today, she has successfully made her passion her profession.

Glendale Florist is family-owned and operated, set apart by their “old school customer service.” Lauter says. She describes their method of business as, “My father believed in going above and beyond. That is the way the store is still run – it might not be in our job description but if it needs to get done, we do it.” The shop is dedicated to providing excellent customer service and making visions a reality, Lauter adds.

Flower arrangements at Glendale Florist are hand-designed and hand-arranged, creating the perfect image at the right price for you. At the moment the business is seeing huge trends arising in floral arrangements and place settings, with vintage being the most requested. “I have brides that are collecting China to use as their place setting instead of renting it. They are recycling and reusing items from the past, which shows that they are much more involved in the process,” says Lauter. “Crystals, mercury glass and anything that sparkles is very popular. With flowers, the soft pastels and monochromatic look is popular – not just roses, either – but a variety of textures and plant material.”

With weddings at the focal point of the business right now, it has also been proven as an essential part of the shop’s future. Lauter describes the importance of weddings to the business in saying, “I’m not sure what I would do on a Saturday if we were not taking care of our brides.” In addition to weddings, Glendale Florist also creates arrangements for funerals, birthdays, holidays or “just because”.

Glendale Florist is located at 1133 Congress Avenue in Glendale. To learn more, visit www.glendalefloristglendale.com or call (513) 771-7114 to make an appointment.