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North Carolina State Florists Association

An Elite Community of Floral Experts

What is NCCPF

and how does it benefit me?

  • Gain a fresh perspective of the floral industry and your business.
  • Learn how to capitalize on popular trends happening daily.
  • Get re-inspired in areas of management, sales, and marketing.
  • Educate yourself of new methods to promote your industry and your shop.
  • Network with your peers who have witnessed and experienced the challenges.
  • Wear the NCCPF specially designed pin in your shop for customers to see.
  • Special recognition at the NCSFA annual convention.
  • National recognition as a Certified Florist by NAFA with your name added to their NC registry.
  • The ability to recognize the ever-changing diversity in the floral industry while having the education to take advantage of those changes.

EVOLVE YOUR CRAFT NOW!! The NCSFA connects NC florists with a rotating talent of education and design experts. Our learning environments better your designs and your business allowing you to take your business to the nth level. Your customers, employees, and daily product output will benefit greatly with your newly acquired NCCPF knowledge.

THE NCCPF SCHOOL HISTORY:  A school sponsored by the NC State Florists Association was planned and discussed for approximately three years before it was begun. Frank Kimbrough had the idea of a school with technical college participation and continuing education points. He met with Piedmont Technical College in Roxboro, NC, and they agreed to co-sponsor a school. The reason for the school was to have more than an annual convention for the association to offer its members and to add purpose to the association while teaching it’s students how to succeed in the floral industry.

In 1985, Pat Murray, AIFD, went to the Texas State Florists Association convention, where a Texas Certified florist class was being held to observe how it was operated. The NCSFA decided to follow the same course of study and bought the textbooks from the TSFA. The first class was held September 28th, 1986 at Quail Roost Conference center in Person County wtih Jim Johnson from Texas A&M teaching the design portion. Later in the year, the class on shop operation was taught by Richard Milteer. The co-chairs of the first NCCPF school were Jerry Wadsworth and Pat Murray.

INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCEDURES:  To complete the school and earn your NCCPF Certification, the nine online classes on shop operation and the three hands-on classes are required. The online classes can be taken at any time before or after you have attended the hands-on classes. Once all 12 classes have been taken and passed, a final examination administered by a qualified professional will be given at a later date. Most of the time the final Exam is given immediately following that year’s Hands-On school.  Once you pass the Final examination, you will receive your NC Professional Florist Certification recognized by the NC State Florists Association. 

NOTE: Once you begin with the acquisition of Online Course One or attend the hands-on classes, you will have 36 months to complete the 12 course program and take the exam. If you fail to complete within 36 months, you’ll have to begin all over again to earn your certification.

The video below is in Memory of Nelson Simpson who was scheduled to be the Instructor for the 2020 Hands-On Class that was cancelled due to Covid19.

Play Video

2023 NCCPF Design Class
Dates: March 20th - 24th

2023 HANDS-ON PART OF THE SCHOOL

  • March 20th – 24th

CONSISTS OF 3 HANDS-ON CLASSES

  • Current Design Styles and Techniques
  • Sympathy Design Styles and Techniques
  • Wedding Design Styles and Techniques

LOCATION

  • See Map Below

Instructor’s Email – flodimweddings@gmail.com

  • If you have any issues trying to enroll please drop Stephanie an email and describe the issue or error message you incur.

CLASS I:  Current Design Styles and Techniques: In this workshop you will learn several of the most noteworthy and practical design styles – vase arrangements, vegetative, formalinear and parallel designs.

CLASS II:  Sympathy Design Styles and Techniques:  In this workshop, you will learn the Western Line design, standing sprays and mechanics, Plant accents, and more.

CLASS III:  Wedding Design Styles and Techniques:  In this workshop, you will learn corsages, boutonnieres, hairpieces, hand-tied bridal bouquets, and more.

THIS YEARS INSTRUCTIONAL BOOKS HAVE ARRIVED

Directions to this year's school

We’d like to take this chance to issue a sincere thanks to all our valued sponsors of which without them, none of our events, workshops, or classes would be possible.  Our association depends on their support and we try to take every opportunity to issue our sincere thanks.  Thank You Mayesh Wholesale Flowers for hosting our hands-on school in 2023.

We’re very excited to congratulate and welcome our newest NCSFA Education Chairperson, Joseph Barnes AIFD.  Lots of talent and structural design know how is a magnet for future designers that come out of our NCCPF program.

REGISTER BELOW

This year's school is in the spring -- 10 Students minimum - 25 maximum
Members - Check your member zone for the members' only discount code
. . . . . . . . . Deadline for enrollment - March 8th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This year's school is in the spring
Members - Check your member zone for the members' only discount code
Deadline for enrollment - March 8th
10 students minimum - - 25 students max

** All textbooks and materials are provided. **

The Education Committee has just approved (2) two $250 scholarships that are available for this year’s Hands-On school.  Also there’s (3) $75 amounts that can be applied towards any of the online classes.  You must be an ACTIVE paid member and logged in to qualify.  The deadline to enter was March 3rd.  If you applied, watch your email for a notice and discount coupon if you won.

(Approved 2-2-2023)

Register for this year's NCCPF Hands-On Class

** INSTRUCTIONS:  If you’re a member, select the option on the left and you’ll see the discount field appear.  The members’ $100 discount coupon is located on the Member Zone page.  If you’re not an ACTIVE member, choose the Non-Member option which includes a one year NCSFA Active Membership at a discount.

** INSTRUCTIONS:  If you’re a member, select the option on the left and you’ll see the discount field appear.  The members’ $100 discount coupon is located on the Member Zone page.  If you’re not an ACTIVE member, choose the Non-Member option which includes a one year NCSFA Active Membership at a discount.

Sorry, but we've reached our limit for entries in this year's NCCPF school. If you're new, why not begin with the Online courses and you'll have those done by next year's class. You can call Carol Mills at (336) 427-6086 and check to see if there were any cancellations.

NCCPF ONLINE COURSES

Working at home?  In between jobs?  Love designing flowers?  Then why not begin with some terrific learning taught by the experts.  Begin your journey towards becoming a NC Certified Professional Florist.  It’s a great tag to have on your resume.  Nine courses total (required learning combined with the 3 hands-on courses above).  Learn at your own pace at home, library, or anywhere there’s an internet connection.

BOTANICAL BODY FLOWER WORKSHOP
.....artistic design in real time with a unique perspective
3:00 - 4:30 pm Inquire at Registration table

This hands-on workshop will give you mechanical concepts and skills to easily construct intricate and impressive floral accessories to offer beyond corsages. These techniques will set you up to create designs that are updated, fashion-forward and artful while remaining mechanically strong and wearable.
* Please bring your own tools, i.e. clippers, scissors, wire cutters, and knives.

Heather Ann Miller, NCCPF is the creative director of Eclectic Sage, a Raleigh based event design and floral studio. While spending many years working in the interior architectural design field, Heather also explored product and textile design. During these explorations, she realized she loved the studio experience and started contributing her artistic eye for colors, trends, and design to a wide variety of projects. Her venture with Eclectic Sage bridges her various art forms and allows her to lend a unique perspective to every design. To see some of her work check out her website www.eclecticsage.com and follow her on Instagram where she often shares behind the scene stories. @eclecticsage

Sponsored by the NCSFA Education Committee

FREE to observe for Weekend Ticket Holders - $25 to Participate
Please pre-register so we'll know how many flowers to provide.

CONVENTION 2019 FRIDAY BOTANICAL BODY FLOWER WORKSHOP

FFA WORKSHOP - Impress your AG Department
presented by former NCSFA President
Friday   4:30 - 6:30 pm in the Mendenhall Room
Sherri Suttle, Bostic, NC

Whether you are making arrangements for an FFA banquet , prom, etc. , learn how to make designs with an unexpected twist that will leave students and teachers alike in awe of what just came from the Ag Department! We will be using a variety of flowers, floral products and non traditional design products to create beautiful centerpieces that are sure to be a hit. Sherri will be showing you design tips, tricks and ideas, but this is a hands on class as well. So……. let your creative juices start flowing now!

$15 Discount Coupon for Members in the Members Zone

CONVENTION 2019 FRIDAY FFA WORKSHOP CHECKOUT

DESIGN II PROGRAM - "Will You Marry Me"
secrets will be revealed from a pro .....
Saturday - 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm in the Chimney Rock Room

Flowers are much more than flowers in the 21st century, and to separate yourselves from the competition, you need to do much more than just flowers.  This program will open your eyes to possibilities that have worked well for Fresh Affairs and Michael will share some of their secrets that will help you take a different approach to your consults and services that you should be offering!

Michael Whaley Aifd Cfd has over three decades of experience in the floral industry and has been involved with every aspect during his career. He has a passion for continuing self-education and, more importantly, sharing that acquired knowledge with other designers in the industry. Over the years he has studied with some of the greatest designers in the world including Gregor Lersch, Hitomi Gilliam, Tomas De Bruyne and Per Benjamin among others.  Michael has been awarded NCSFA Designer of the Year and Southern Retail Florist Association Designer of the Year.  His love of interpretive design led him to The Jim Treadway Cup for interpretive design and after winning this coveted competition three times he was inducted into the Jim Treadway Hall of Fame.  He was also a regional representative for Americas Cup, Great American Design Competition.  Michael was inducted into the American Institute of Floral Designers and has been heavily involved with programs presented at AIFD National Symposium. He is currently the chairman of the National Education Committee, serves as vice president of the Southern Chapter of AIFD, and is an AIFD certified evaluator/judge.  Michael currently works as Creative Director for Fresh Affairs, an upscale wedding and special events studio based in Raleigh, NC. 

Get Your Brand New 2019 NCSFA Member Lapel Pin

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Price: $14.95
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Price: $14.95
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.