Suzanne Conreaux said she has loved flowers for as long as she can remember and has studied flower arranging in Japan, the District of Columbia and Atlanta. When she was working as an event planner at a major Atlanta corporation, her plan had been to retire at 55 and open a flower shop.

Fate intervened and Conreaux, who’s nowhere near 55, is now owner of Blooms of Dunwoody along with her husband Patrick Conreaux.

“I took an apprenticeship at David’s Flowers to learn from the very talented master floral designer David Bouseman. Soon after, he decided to retire and close his shop after 26 years,” Suzanne Conreaux said.

The closing of David’s Flowers presented an unexpected opportunity. “My husband and I have worked in the event planning and design industry for over 15 years and we have long dreamed of opening a flower shop that inspires customers with unique flower arrangements and innovative twists on traditional events. We decided this was our moment,” she said.

Dunwoody did not lose Bouseman’s talents, however. Although he no longer wanted to be a business owner, Bouseman stayed on to lead the floral design staff at the rebranded business.

Patrick Conreaux commented, “We wanted florists with an innovative flair for design, and when David became available to lead our floral staff, we knew the stars had aligned to realize our vision.”

Bouseman takes pride in designing works of floral art with the individual client in mind. “It comes down to our vision for customized service,” he said. “We make really unique designs for our customers that are truly special. We treat every arrangement as art and every customer as somebody special no matter their budget.”

The staff will even create a floral arrangement especially for a vase or container that the client brings in.

Now the only retail florist shop in Dunwoody, according to Suzanne Conreaux, Blooms of Dunwoody is a full-service business, offering arrangements for funerals, weddings and special occasions. It also offers event planning services for a wide variety of celebrations, including weddings, bar mitzvahs, birthdays, anniversaries and corporate events.

“Our belief is that every day there is a reason to surprise, to touch, and to inspire others with uniquely sentimental experiences. Whether it’s by adding new flowers to our floral arrangements or by going the extra mile to unveil an unexpected article of design or activity at an event,” Suzanne Conreaux said, “our mission is to make people feel celebrated in a distinctly memorable way.”

She said Blooms of Dunwoody handles events from baby showers for 25 guests to weddings with hundreds of guests. “We manage as much or as little of the event as the client wants. Some want us to do everything—find a site, hire a caterer, rent equipment—others have already selected a site and need someone to come in make sure everything goes smoothly. For weddings sometimes the bride’s first impulse it to ask Aunt Sue to manage the event, but she may not know what to do and besides Aunt Sue doesn’t get to enjoy the wedding.”

Suzanne Conreaux said although the business has only been open a few months and has only been in its current location since November, she sees every indication it will be a success. “Even when the economy is in a slump as it is now, people still get married, have babies, and celebrate anniversaries. They still want to make the major events of their lives special. They may budget a little more carefully, but they still want something memorable.”

She said the Dunwoody Village Shopping Center location on Chamblee Dunwoody Road was especially important to her. “I didn’t want to be anyplace but right here in the heart of Dunwoody. People here know David’s work and the quality of work they can expect. If there hadn’t been a space available within this three-block area, I would have waited until one became available.”