Sessile: 1 Year of Adventures in the World of Florists
At the end of May, we celebrated our first anniversary. Today, Sessile is a collective of more than 100 artisan florists, about ten growers committed to supporting local producers, hundreds of bouquets delivered throughout France, and a highly motivated team dedicated to supporting local businesses. After a year of serving florists, the Sessile editorial team wanted to look back on the year’s most memorable events.
The month of May was special in more ways than one for the Sessile team: straddling the lockdown and the resumption of florists’ operations, it was above all an opportunity for us to take stock of our first year in business. Here’s a recap of the key dates in this wonderful adventure.
June 29 and September 13: the flower markets
Because the Sessile collective is much more than just a website, we wanted to create an event that would showcase the florists’ expertise. From this desire were born the Ground Control flower markets, on June 29 and September 13, 2019.
In addition to being able to buy beautiful bouquets of fresh or dried flowers, visitors were able to take advantage of the florists’ expertise to create their own bouquets in a DIY style: a chance to leave with a beautiful flower crown and a head full of memories!
I find my bouquet of flowers
November 14, 2019: Bringing Flowers to Paris
A major luxury brand entrusted us with a very special project: to create 3,000 bouquets to decorate Paris’s Vélib’ bikes. Thanks to Xavier’s remarkable work, the morning of November 14 brought a little joy to passersby on their way to work.
To carry out this extraordinary project, a team of 10 people had to be mobilized for an entire week. 3,000 bouquets—that’s quite something!
November 27, 2019: Sessile Invited to Rungis's 50th Anniversary Celebration!
Rungis celebrated its 50th anniversary on November 27, 2019. To mark the occasion, a large market was held under the glass roof of the Grand Palais in Paris to pay tribute to artisans and their craftsmanship. Florists were, of course, in attendance! We would especially like to thank Avo Green and theÎle-de-France Trade Association for inviting us.
February 14, 2020: Sessile's first Valentine's Day
If there’s one standout event of the year for both lovers and artisan florists, it’s Valentine’s Day. And many of you placed orders with the artisan florists in our collective!
Thanks to online ordering, they were able to plan ahead and avoid the crowds in the store.
March 17, 2020: The start of the lockdown and some anxiety
Like all French people, independent florists received some difficult news in March 2020: they would have to close their shops due to public health measures related to the coronavirus pandemic. To support them through this difficult time, the Sessile team did its best to share government information and keep florists informed about their rights and obligations.
Next, since the florists didn’t give up, we helped them gradually resume their business by enabling them to take orders through the platform. It was a difficult challenge, but one that taught us a lot!
March 29, 2020: Launch of Sessile Pro
Because sourcing supplies was difficult during the lockdown, we wanted to help florists connect with the growers closest to them. So we launched Sessile Pro, a platform exclusively for the artisans in our collective. The platform has two goals: to support local growers and to ensure higher-quality plants through short supply chains.
Today, about ten growers who deliver throughout France supply their plants to florists for 100% local consumption.
May 15, 2020: There are now more than 100 of us in the collective!
On May 15, the 100th florist officially joined the Sessile collective. We’re now available throughout France to deliver bouquets made in-house and with love!
June 7, 2020: A Mother's Day Like No Other
Mother’s Day 2020 was special for two reasons: first, because it fell on the first weekend in June, but above all because it was also an opportunity to show solidarity with independent florists in the post-lockdown period. And you rose to the occasion… Thank you!
Finally, we would like to thank all the artisan florists in our collective who work with passion every day to help you celebrate the most important events in your life, as well as all of you who have placed your trust in us.
Who are we?
Sessile champions the independence of artisan florists online. Founded in 2019 by six friends, Sessile brings together 500 florists committed to transforming the industry and enables flower delivery throughout France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. By breaking away from the traditional online catalog model, the network highlights each florist’s expertise and helps keep the art of floristry alive. Florists can pursue their passion and create more creative bouquets because they have greater freedom to offer seasonal flowers and, whenever possible, locally sourced flowers.
