Valentine’s Day is arguably one of the biggest commercial holidays of the year for florists when Americans spend millions of dollars on flower arrangements for partners and loved ones. Luckily, North Bryan residents can soon get their flower fix closer to home. 

At the heart of downtown Pembroke is The Flower Shop Florist & Gifts, an upcoming shop located on the bottom floor of 18 W. Railroad St. The storefront is set to officially open on Feb. 29 with a ribbon cutting, but owner Caylee Wilson has already started some limited sales for Valentine’s Day celebrations. 

Wilson is a Bryan County native, and graduated from Richmond Hill High School in 2011. She now lives with her husband and two-year-old daughter in Pembroke, after getting married last December. 

With a background in real estate, Wilson says that being a florist wasn’t something she ever considered, but faced with the upheavals of COVID and first-time motherhood, a new friend and florist expert gave her the license to try something different.  

“The past year or so, I’ve been learning from a woman who owns a florist [shop] in Richmond Hill, Lori Hagar,” Wilson said. “She’s amazing. She gave me the idea to open this [shop] and she trained me and taught me everything.” 

“I didn’t really have any idea to do something like this until she kind of pushed me in that direction.”

Wilson’s eye for design shines through in The Flower Shop’s location. The cozy under-construction space is already outfitted with clean hardwood floors, warm lighting, and bold floral wall prints. 

“I’ve always been creative, and I love throwing parties and doing arrangements and [just] anything with decor and flowers,” Wilson said.  

Wilson wants The Flower Shop to be an inviting space–where folks can not only buy flowers but feel right at home. And as a new small business owner, Wilson is also looking to connect with the wider Pembroke community.

To the end, the Flower Shop is set to host a “Women’s Night” on Sunday, Feb. 18, from 4-6 p.m., centering local Pembroke women in business. Events like Women’s Night will be “the first of many”, Wilson promised. 

“I’d love to just do things to make the community more fun and do whatever I can to help out and be a part of everything,” Wilson said. 

The Flower Shop Florist & Gifts officially opens on Thursday, Feb. 29th. To learn more about The Flower Shop Florist & Gifts, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.