Florist and event decor designer, Heather Evetts, is all about uniqueness and originality. She always had a passion for visuals, lighting, linens, florals — anything aesthetically pleasing — and knew that she would someday work in a creative profession.
“I cut all the flowers out of my mom’s garden as a kid,” Evetts recalls.
As an adult, Heather made flower arrangements for fun, but her friends often requested arrangements for their restaurants, grand openings, or VIP parties.
“I didn’t know it was going to go there until I was in my 30s,” she said, referring to the eventual decision to start a flower shop.
Her creative talents first led her to open her own wedding planning business, which she operated in Santa Barbara for seven years.
Evetts says her floral profession evolved from her home.
“It started in my living room, doing projects for friends. Then, one August, it was like 50 degrees in my house with 200 roses in the sink and flowers everywhere, and my husband was like, ‘I think it’s time for you to grow your wings, girl, and open a store.'”
So she did. Her Dallas floral shop, Simply Elegant, is now in its seventh year.
The full-service floral design and event planning center, located in Victory Park, offers floral arrangements and event decor for weddings, hotels, corporate establishments, and everyday occasions.
“I love it here,” Evetts said. “Victory Park is great. The neighborhood is super supportive. We [have] a lot of great clients that we have met down here.”
Heather says there is so much creativity in the world that something or someone inspires her daily. According to her, that’s most of what the floral industry is about.
The floral company decorates for many weddings, social events, and galas. But what Evetts and her staff enjoy the most are the times when a client gives them very basic information — like a color scheme or the building architect — and lets them run with it.
“They give us a little bit and give us freedom. That part is the most fun,” she says.
Evetts added that feelings are another important element in the floral industry. The staff at her shop take pride in being part of their customer’s most significant moments.
“We [are in] such a unique position to transfer emotions — if someone’s passed away, you’ve had a baby, if you’re sorry, or in love. We take that really seriously,” she said. “Even just the daily little ones, you’re transferring emotions with floral.”
Evetts says the amount of business varies, especially after things shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“It was pretty bare-bones,” she commented.
“Everyday was day-by-day, for sure,” chimed in one of Evetts’ employees, Izzy, who has worked at the shop for five years.
“We do a lot of commercial offices, but when everyone was working from home, we lost those weekly businesses. They’re all coming back now online, so — slowly but surely.”
Izzy added, “Thankfully, everything is online, so we were still able to take calls and orders online.”
Simply Elegant began offering a flower-of-the-month club to stay afloat during that time, allowing people to pay a $100 monthly subscription to receive a fresh monthly arrangement.
Now that life has returned to semi-normal, Heather said she is busy nearly every week.
According to the floral entrepreneur, the best advice she ever received was: “There is no easy way. Put in work.”
That is exactly what she does. She and Izzy carry out the shop’s day-to-day activities, but the business has five employees to assist in bringing the bigger events to life.
Heather’s goal is to create long-lasting connections with her clients, which leads to further growth for her already-flourishing business.
To see the beauty that Simply Elegant can bring to your life or the life of someone you care about, visit their gallery of arrangements here.
