November 2023 Chamber Business of the Month: Dorcey's Flowers

Dorcey’s Flowers is a floral boutique and event planning business with a unique story that has been blooming for 14 years. Originally located in Urbana, owner Kristie Herlong took over the space in Dorcey’s General Store building and re-named it just that. The new business started as selling vintage antiques and Kristie’s favorite part of the job was decorating and designing different areas of the store.

Located next door was a flower shop and on slow days, Kristie would join them to help create flower arrangements. They taught her a lot (more than either of them knew!) and before long, she was even creating vintage setups for weddings, such as unique arbors made of books and trees and adding seating areas! Not long after, a bride came to her in a panic when their florist could no longer provide for the wedding. Kristie used her years of creative experience and saved the bride’s wedding day (which was the next day) and wedding flowers! Since then, people have been calling and requesting wedding flowers and that’s really where Dorcey’s Flowers begins.

Four years ago, Kristie moved the business to Logan County because she saw a positive change in the area that she wanted to be a part of. Initially opening in Bellefontaine, Kristie soon began looking for a bigger space as business continued to expand. Thankfully she found the perfect spot at 118 N. Detroit Street in West Liberty a little over a year ago. Timing was great for the larger space, as last year during the busy Fall wedding season, Dorcey’s had 14 weddings to prepare flowers for!

Dorcey’s Flowers offers arrangements for all occasions but specializes in wedding floral design. Kristie also focuses on event planning and loves to create magical experiences for people to enjoy. Some of her favorite events that she has put on are an Alice in Wonderland themed Tea Party and Dinner at The Castle (dinner, dancing, and a tour of the historic Piatt Castle Mac-A-Cheek). Events have even expanded to out of state trips for ladies such as “Dorcey’s Christmas in New York” and “Dorcey’s takes Texas.”

Kristie’s background is unique and there’s no doubt the creative industry is where she is supposed to be. She used to work in the film industry, where she created sets and costumes for Directors. Eventually, she became her own Director and even won an MTV Movie Award. Due to her creative past and experience, Kristie feels that she can execute any idea her customers come up with. The Dorcey’s Flowers marketing strategy is much like others with a focus on social media, but what sets them apart is Kristie’s view on customer service. She makes sure to go above and beyond for her customers. She also makes sure to be involved in the community and stresses the importance of being a Chamber member, which can help with business visibility. Kristie says that being a part of a Chamber is like being part of a business family and the networking that comes from it helps her business (and many others) thrive.

Kristie’s success didn’t come on her own. She owes many thanks to her mother, who she can count on for business advice and to a dear friend, Gigi, who helps Dorcey’s Flowers occasionally with her high energy and enthusiasm. Kristie’s husband lends a hand, especially behind the scenes with her special events and their sons help set up and clean up! Kristie states, “We all have our own little roles as a small business!” and she is thankful for everyone’s love and support.
​

You can check out Dorcey’s Flowers for a special event this weekend, November 9-11, where the flower studio will be open for a retail shopping event. This one-of-a-kind event is a chance to do some holiday shopping and find some of Kristie’s “mistletoe magic” for yourself. On Wednesday, November 15, you can also join Kristie for a Holiday Wreath Workshop at BUILD Cowork + Space from 6:30-8:30pm. You’ll also want to save the date for the last Saturday in April 2024 for something special that is in the plans! Find more information about these events on Dorcey’s Facebook page.
​

You can order flowers, book a consult, or sign up for an event on Dorcey’s Flowers’ website. If you could use a hand with your personal or business holiday decorating, you can also book Dorcey’s for a Holiday Decorating Appointment, where Kristie will create a beautiful, magical space out of your own decorations, and you won’t have to do any of the hard work! If nothing else, we encourage you to experience some of Kristie’s magic by stopping in her space in West Liberty!

Please join us in congratulating Dorcey’s Flowers on being the Logan County Chamber of Commerce November 2023 Business of the Month!
​​​​