News
Behind the Blooms: One Mosmiller Intern’s Summer in Colorado
October 16, 2025
Each year, our interns have the chance to dive headfirst into the professional floral industry, gaining hands-on experience and learning from skilled industry mentors. One of our recent Mosmiller interns, Mackenzie Hartley, a student at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, spent her internship at Unbound Floral Design in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. While there, she not only sharpened her technical skills, but also got to see the ins and outs of running a full-service wedding floral business.
From processing fresh flowers to designing large-scale installations, Mackenzie had the chance to build her knowledge and confidence to help prepare her for a strong, successful future in floral. Read on to hear directly from Mackenzie about her unforgettable summer experience!
Student Report by Mackenzie Hartley
This summer was incredible. There are not enough words to express my appreciation and happiness for the opportunity I was given by the American Floral Endowment (AFE) and by Shannon McNally, Owner of Unbound Floral Design. I am walking away with a great amount of knowledge and new flower friends I hope to keep for a lifetime. Observing the ins and outs of a successful wedding floral business has been very beneficial for my future goals and outlook on a forever career.
A rough example of my weekly schedule at the flower studio consists of the following:
- Tuesday: Reset Day. On Tuesdays, my job was to wash all of the buckets and glassware that were used during the previous week. I wash and bleach each of the 5-gallon buckets that held the flowers, and I wash each part of the glass candle holders that were used at the wedding. This consists of the glass ‘hurricanes’ which go around the candles, the glass candle holders which hold the tapered candle itself, as well as the glass plates that all of the candle components rest on top of. On these days, we also reorganize and reset the whole studio by sweeping up and putting all tools and materials back in their designated places in preparation for the big week ahead.
- Wednesday: Processing Day. Unbound Floral Design’s owner, Shannon, has to make the trip to Denver, which is 3 hours away from Steamboat Springs, every week to pick up the flower order from the markets for our weekend event. Once the flowers make it back to the studio on Wednesday afternoon, we must process all of the flowers to make sure they are healthy and fresh for designing. “Processing” the flowers consists of removing their cardboard or plastic sleeves from transport, stripping the majority of their leaves, cutting their stems, and finally placing the flowers into clean 5-gallon buckets with fresh water and flower food.
- Thursday: Design Day One. On these days, we typically begin by designing all of the floral centerpieces and larger arrangements. Shannon taught me how to “green-out” trays for floral meadows, which are usually placed at the beginning of the aisle for wedding ceremonies. “Greening-out” is a technique where you place all of the greenery and foliage into an arrangement or centerpiece first in order to achieve the correct shape and dimension before placing the focal florals.
- Friday: Design Day Two. On these days, we typically work on designing each of the personal items. This means we are designing bridesmaids bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, flower crowns, and the bridal bouquet. I had the opportunity to design the majority of the corsages and boutonnieres throughout the season. Shannon showed me her methods for designing these personals, and I was able to refine my techniques.
- Saturday: Wedding Day Set-Up. On Saturdays, we pack up the company van with all of the florals and materials required for the day and drive to the wedding venue. Once we arrive on-site, we deliver each of the personal items to the wedding party, place the centerpieces on each of the dinner tables, place the candles on each of the tables, and finally we work on any installations that must be built. The installations could include floral chandeliers, floral pillars, or a floral arch, which is most common. After the wedding concludes, usually around 11pm, the team and I return to the wedding site to ‘strike,’ or clean up, the wedding florals.
Throughout the course of my internship, I performed a variety of different tasks, each one just as important as the other, all vital parts of running a full-service floral business. My favorite days and tasks were each of the floral design days and our big wedding set-up days. I was even given the opportunity to design all of the bridesmaids bouquets for one of our bigger weddings! There is so much preparation and organization that goes into being ready for the big wedding day itself.
I came into this internship with an open mind, eager to master new floral techniques. I learned many new skills in my time with Unbound Floral Design. A few of the skills I have gained from my internship experience are patience, trial-by-error, organization, preparedness, and the ability to go with the flow and stay flexible and resilient.
Unbound Floral Design, as a host company, was wonderful and provided me with a positive and welcoming work environment. Shannon, the owner of Unbound Floral Design, is organized (even though she makes claims otherwise!) and is on top of things. She welcomed me with open arms since the day I arrived in Steamboat Springs. I am grateful for her kindness, generosity, and mentorship. My floral design internship experience has had a beneficial and positive impact on my life. All I have been exposed to this summer has helped to further shape my career goals and outlook on a future career. I will be able to carry all that Shannon has shown and taught me into the next chapter of my life, hopefully as a freelance floral designer or flower business owner. With the support I have received from the American Floral Endowment, I am able to continue chasing my dreams in the floral industry.
Learn more about our internship programs here! Applications are accepted twice a year, on March 1st and October 1st. These internship opportunities are truly once-in-a-lifetime, and offer students invaluable experiences and connections. Students are also awarded scholarships upon completion of their internship, which can help provide additional financial security as they finish their academic studies and prepare for graduation.
If you are an industry organization looking to host interns, please contact our Program Manager, Candice Musgrove, at cmusgrove@afeendowment.org.
