INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT
Gilmer Weddings
Many years ago , a woman from Paris , France set up a flower shop in Alabama . Little did she know that her granddaughter , Jan Gilmer would follow in her footsteps .
Jan Gilmer says , “ It is in my blood .”
Jan can remember when she was little , falling asleep in a flower box while her family stayed up all night making corsages for prom season . She grew up watching her grandmother and family help brides pick the perfect flowers for their wedding day . She was destined for a career as a florist .
“ Flowers belong in a wedding . They add beauty , elegance and enhance the photography .” Jan says . Personally , she loves bright flowers like peonies and anemones . Because she grew up around flowers , she has years of experience with creating the perfect bouquets and arrangements for weddings .
Over the years , Jan ’ s business has evolved from florals . When she was pregnant with her second daughter , she filled her time waiting on a baby by learning how to make wedding cakes . Soon , she added it to her repertoire .
She owned a boutique that offered a bridal registry and after talking to brides who came into the shoppe , she noticed that there was a need in her area for a wedding planner . Jan had years and years of experience working with brides on floral arrangements , cakes , and registries that this seemed the natural progression . One bride here and there became a full-fledged bridal service called The Cake Boutique .
Jan Gilmer loves helping brides and grooms create the wedding of their dreams . She considers herself well-organized and helps with every part of the wedding process ! In a consultation , Jan will get to know the couple and get a feel for what they want their dream wedding to look like . Once she has an idea of their budget , from there she can create an estimate of her services . She plans every part of the wedding and can even schedule the appointments ! Jan gives the couple a timeline to help them stay on track while cutting out a lot of the stress . Besides florals and cakes , Jan has connections and helps get the invitations , venue , band , photographer , food , decor , and shares her resources with her clients . She even goes to help the bride and groom pick out their wedding day clothes !
As a florist , Jan loves the reaction when a bride sees her bouquet for the first time . As a wedding planner , Jan says her favorite part of the wedding is the groom ’ s reaction when he sees his bride for the first time .
Jan revealed that the reward for her services comes at the end when the grateful brides , grooms , and families come to her to say , “ thank you for a beautiful wedding .” She believes that Word of Mouth referrals are the best compliment .
As The Cake Boutique continues to grow and evolve , big changes are coming- including a recent name change ! The Cake Boutique is now known as Gilmer Weddings . Another big change- Jan is booked with cake orders until November 2021 , then she will no longer do cakes . “ The business has just grown so much that I don ’ t have the time to devote to cakes , anymore . I will still be offering all of my other services , including florals , though .”
Jan is excited about the rebrand and says she is always up for a challenge . “ My mom always said if it ’ s not challenging , Jan doesn ’ t want to do it . I didn ’ t really know what she meant until I was older but it ’ s true . I like a challenge . No wedding is too big . If I think I can do it , I ’ m going to do it ,” Jan pointed out .
Booking with Gilmer Weddings means you will get an experienced and knowledgeable planner who can deliver a polished wedding with stunning bouquets and floral arrangements . Gilmer Wedding is located in Southside , AL and is by appointment only . ❤
8 | Wedding belles VOLUME II • ISSUE 2