GREENBRIER FLORIST

Jackie Hutcheson and her team make floral memories for brides

by Joanna Gail King

From left: Jackie Hutcheson, Jean Johnson, and Bobbie Clovis.

Ask anyone what they remember about their wedding day and watch them go soft around the edges as the memory sends them back in time. The emotions may be sweet or bittersweet, but the images come fast and sure. The wedding dress. The cake. The toast and the first dance. In every single memory of that day, from bouquet carried to bouquet tossed, the primary feature is always the flowers.

Jackie Hutcheson knows this. She is honored each and every time Greenbrier Florist is chosen to be part of a ceremony that will be revisited in memory countless times over a lifetime.

And it is not just grand ceremonies that receive Greenbrier Florist’s full attention.

“Some wedding are small scale but it’s not just picked-up items to us. No wedding is too big for us or too small to us. Every bit as much quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail goes into each piece. Every customer always gets our very best,” Jackie says.

Jackie Hutcheson and her daughter, Donna Rae Parker.

This philosophy is the foundation of the long success of Greenbrier Florist.

Greenbrier Florist is a huge enterprise capable of serving several large functions on the same day, but that wasn’t always the case.

“We started from what I call ‘scratch.’ We didn’t have one single customer when we opened the doors,” Jackie laughs when recalling the company’s humble beginnings. “My best friend and I were both 33. We were both full-time moms who had just put our youngest child in school. We joined a bowling league!  “Well, that wasn’t what we wanted. We put our heads together and thought about what we wanted to do—what each of us was good at. I had a business degree and she had creative talent. There was no such thing as classes to learn floral design here but she had not only a knack—an artist’s eye—but also the speed necessary to fulfill obligations. We had both been born and raised here and had lots of friends and word just spread over time. Our reputation, from the start, has been our best promotion.”

When Jackie’s friend moved away three years into their partnership, Jackie became sole owner of the business. The lesson learned in the early years to staff with gifted—and speedy!—designers has contributed to Greenbrier Florist’s steady growth.

“Sending someone flowers is really
sending someone your love. We never forget this. We are always honored to be a part of the events—like weddings—that define a life.”

— Owner Jackie Hutcheson

“I cannot say enough about my designers. Bobbie Clovis is an award-winning designer with European sensibilities who is current with trends and bold designs. Jean Johnson’s talents with traditional design are near-legend. The 13 years she’s been with me are has resulted in many, many happy brides,” She says. Jackie’s fondness for her team is apparent.

Other members of Jackie’s team are even closer to her heart.

“We are truly a family business. My husband, Ray, has been a big part of daily operations since he retired after 25 years as a stevedore. Our daughter, Donna Rae Parker, is my office manager. What a blessing it is to work with my daughter! Our son, David, is a battalion chief with the Virginia Beach Fire Department and he plans his vacation time around Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day to help out here. We’re very proud of the fact that he was in Haiti, helping to rescue victims of the earthquake.”

“My brother, Jim Gearheart, is the warehouse manager. Our shop manager, C.T. Kennedy, has been such an important part of the business for so long—16 years—he almost qualifies as family, too. I guess the fact that this isn’t just a bottom-line business but also a family enterprise comes through in what we do.” Jackie and Ray also have four grandsons—aged 7 to 17—who they intend to continue spoiling rotten.

With all the information available via the Internet and other media targeted to brides, Jackie has seen times change for the floral industry.

“Most brides are savvy now and come in having a good idea of what they want. They are realistic about what things cost, too. Having design ideas and expectations and budget constraints clearly communicdaated to us saves time for everyone and we can quickly get to the fun part!” she says. “If the bride has no clear idea what she wants, we are here to help them come up with the perfect design for them.”

Greenbrier Florists consultation services are even complimentary.

The assurance of beautiful floral arrangements delivered on time and on budget allows the bride to relax about at least on aspect of her big day.

Although some brides want all the details in place more than a year out, Greenbrier Florist often works out the plan only a few months in advance.

“In just the same way we try to accommodate last minute orders of any kind, we will do our best to make it happen even with short notice,” Jackie says.

This is a tangible business practice but it is the intangibles that Jackie believes really come as the most pleasant surprise to her customers.

“We have been around for a long time. I have things, candelabras and bows and other things that, as the design takes shape, I will offer to loan—no charge of course—and customers are simply amazed,” she says. “It’s this kind of connection, the brainstorming, the time we spend, that makes all the difference.”

Jackie says wedding planners love this sense of cooperation in the production of the event almost as much as they love the floral arrangements themselves.

Greenbrier Florist specializes not just in weddings but also in excellence.

“Sending someone flowers is really sending someone your love,” Jackie says. “We never forget this. We are always honored to be a part of the events—like weddings—that define a life.”