FOUNDER

PAT ROBERTS

Pat Roberts (my mom) is the matriarch of this business. Pat grew up in a time when girls were not supposed to have careers. She discovered too late in high school that she was both talented and smart enough, but she had not taken the appropriate classes to go to college. She married and started having children at 19, but she was determined to make sure her children were never denied any opportunities in life.

When I was in middle school my mom went to work for a florist, he was a mentor, a friend, and confidante. When he became ill she took over the business, which was in a great deal of debt, so it was a struggle and financial burden. 

Everyone used to ask my mom if I would come home from college and takeover the business. She used to say that she wanted better than that for me, but after realizing that opera wasn’t my thing I came home to figure things out and started helping her. I think she was afraid that because the business was struggling that she would let our family down—and like she said, she wanted better for me. I quickly realized there was an opportunity to actually help her make the business grow. What we had to offer was something that no one else in the area could offer at the time; designs that were organic and natural vs. the old school typical “florist” style. That was when our partnership and Southern Blooms was born. We started out by doing one bridal show in Charlottesville in 1998, booked 25 weddings on the spot and we never looked back.

With passion, vision, and drive we have continued to create beauty, foster relationships and share our expertise with the world.  

Pat has now taken a step back from the business, but her voice rings loudly through all that we do.

the third generation

Jordan spencer

Jordan Spencer (my daughter) has grown up in the business. She has seen me and her grandma work very hard to create a successful business out of their creative passions, she has seen the long hours, the months of planning, calculating, prepping, blood, sweat (and a few tears), the pressure to get it all done on time in perfect detail with smiles and a few high-fives at the end of it all. She learned from an early age that sometimes she might have to work on weekends instead of hanging out with friends, that she wouldn’t get paid, but she has received an excellent education and lacks for nothing that she needs to succeed. She has proven that these examples were highly effective in her life, her work ethic has made her successful at everything she does; academics, sports, baking, designing, you name it! She is now killing it at Princeton University and we can’t wait to see what her future holds. Just as my mom wished for me, I wish better for Jordan, but “maybe” one day “better” will be building a business with her mom too!

SOUTHERN BLOOMS

our team

We couldn’t do it all without our amazing staff! We have an amazing crew with us all year round who have been with us for many years, which allows us to consistently create beautiful events of all styles and sizes for our clients without fail. We are one big family!