How can I become a certified florist by AIFD(CFD) or AIFD member?

Since I don’t know what stage you are at in your floral design career, I will provide you with a general overview.

If you’re in the early, exploratory stage of thinking about a career in floral design, I recommend you sign up for our Basic Course in Floral Design at the Washington Flower School. This is a four-week (one night a week) comprehensive introduction to floral design. Each week you will receive instruction on different design concepts, and each week you will make - and go home with - a beautiful arrangement. There is a written test at the end of the course and you will receive a certificate in Basic Floral Design from the Washington Flower School.

For those students who have completed the Basic Course in Floral Design and are ready for more advanced instruction, we offer a Master Course in Floral Design. This is a more in depth study of floral design concepts to increase your skill level. The Master Course is also a four-week (one night a week) course where - upon completion - you will receive a certificate in Master Floral Design from the Washington Flower School.

You can find more detailed information about the Washington Flower School’s certificate courses on our website:

https://www.washingtonflowerschool.com/certificate-courses

After taking one (or both) of these courses, I highly recommend you apply to work at a florist. The experience you will gain working day in and day out and learning from experienced designers will be invaluable to your development as a floral designer. When you feel you are prepared and ready to strive for the American Institute of Floral Designers' (AIFD) Certified Floral Designer (CFD) accreditation, you will find the steps you need to follow on their website:

https://aifd.org/membership/becoming-a-cfd/ 

Note that their first step to becoming a CFD is to take a course at an AIFD Education Partner like that of the Washington Flower School.

For those students who completed our Basic and Master Courses(at any time), we can invite them to apply for CFD process if the instructors agreed that they are ready to take the next steps.

Can I take just one or two classes?

Yes and no. For our certificate Basic Course, you need to register for the whole course, which is 4 weeks. When we name the classes as "course", it means it is a series of classes that should be registered as one. You can choose any individual class you would like to attend, when we offer it as "workshop". We designed the workshops as one day or two-day classes to focus on specific topics. 

I've been arranging flowers for myself, but never professionally. Which class suits me best?

We strongly recommend you register for our Basic Course. It is the perfect start for you! We will cover all of the basic principles, elements, and techniques of floral design, so you understand how they are used in your arrangements. We only ask you to have a passion to learn!

I've been designing flowers for my friends and church, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly. Is there any course for me?

Yes! The Basic Course is designed for you. We are sure you will find yourself learning quite a lot! We're not just teaching skills that you can pick up anywhere, we are teaching you the principles, elements and techniques of design, so that you feel confident about what you're doing. This may reaffirm what you already know and do.

I just started my new business as a wedding planner but I would like to create simple floral designs for my customers. Are you going to include some wedding design in the course?

Yes, especially if you are planning to do this as your own business and help brides with flowers, we strongly recommend taking our Basic Course as well as our workshops that are related to wedding work. There will not be an emphasis on large wedding designs such as altar pieces, arch decor, tall centerpieces, etc. However, you will definitely need to be familiar with the principles, elements and techniques of floral design to apply them to your designs, even your wedding creations. These workshops will provide you with a solid foundation that will better enable you to explore your own creativity. We encourage you to check out our other, non-wedding related workshops too; e.g., holiday centerpieces, wreath-making, seasonal arrangements, etc.!

Does the fee include the cost of flowers?

Yes, the fee includes all the floral materials you will need for the projects. This includes containers, accessories, flowers and foliage. For the Basic course, you will also get a free school apron and light refreshments and snacks. A pretty good deal! For some special workshops we will also provide light refreshments and set a table for us to sit and enjoy as well.

Can I register online?

Of course! You can register online by clicking the “Register” button next to the course descriptions.

Can I pay on the phone?

Yes. We accept cash, check (payable to Park Florist), or credit card. Payment using a credit card can be taken over the phone. It will show as "Park Florist" on your statement. However, all payments are required in advance of the class so that we can prepare your materials and guarantee you a design station.

Do I have to bring anything?

Hmm... Not really, except for your tools if you have your own. If you do not have them or are not sure of what to bring, we have tools you can borrow for the class. You may also purchase a basic toolkit from us. The basic toolkit includes a pair of lightweight pruners, a floral knife, a spool of floral tape and a tube of floral adhesive.

Parking

Convenient parking spaces are available directly behind the Park Florist shop.