(Owner Gloria Rice poses in front of High Desert Florals in downtown Redmond | Photos courtesy of High Desert Florals)
“I’ve always loved the wedding industry in general,” said Gloria Rice, who worked in it for many years before moving from Atlanta to Central Oregon. “Enhancing special occasions with flowers gives me peace in my life.”
Combining the opportunity to “share beauty with others, inspire them and also earn money,” Rice started High Desert Florals as a home-based venture in 2021. Its success led her to eventually move to a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Redmond where weddings — while constituting an undeniable mainstay of the business — are only part of the reason for the shop’s growing customer base.
“Our daily floral deliveries and subscription services (to both local businesses and individuals) are extremely popular,” she said, “as are the gift options like a single wrapped rose we call a ‘pocket hug’ that is accompanied by a card with a sweet sentiment. Customers love walking around our ‘super-cute little shop’ to select items — we always get great feedback.”
From a $12.95 trinket to a lavish wedding highlighted by $25,000 worth of floral arrangements, High Desert Florals is known for its creativity in fulfilling customer needs. “We do a lot of large-scale events other than weddings such as funerals, birthday parties and corporate events,” Rice said, “and always try to go above and beyond what customers might expect. As two examples, we offer free consultations and send pictures of the gifted floral arrangement to the purchaser.”
“Our design style is very organic,” she added, “with an English garden feel marked by movement and texture. Even the choice of flowers makes the arrangements special, with customers sometimes asking ‘what is it?’ about a specific bloom or unique local filler they can’t identify.”
All the care that goes into what High Desert Florals creates — and satisfying its customers — has not gone unnoticed. The business received the Redmond Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Customer Service Award — an acknowledgement that made Rice “super happy.” It was also voted top five wedding florists in Oregon by Oregon Wedding Day magazine.
Customers are equally delighted, which translates into “a lot of repeat business, and orders from other parts of the world, including the UK,” she said. As one reviewer rhapsodized, “Gloria and her team went above and beyond in bringing my vision to life even more than I could have ever imagined. I can’t recommend them highly enough.”
Not content to simply run a highly successful business, Rice has also immersed herself in the community. She is on the board of directors for the Redmond Chamber of Commerce and Brightside Animal Center, a member of the local Kiwanis Club, and an active participant in fundraisers for nonprofits such as the Ronald McDonald House that serves Bend and Redmond.
In addition, after cleaning up from events, the High Desert Florals team repurposes its bouquets for Hospice of Redmond. “We love to pass them on and bring joy to others,” Rice explained.
Like other business owners who have contributed to the remarkable revitalization of downtown, Rice appreciates Redmond’s “small-town charm” and its “super-tight, supportive community.” As she said, “I can walk down the street and be greeted at the doorways by people who have become my friends.”
