Rittners School of Floral Design

To be honest, flowers were not initially a priority for me during the wedding-​planning process. My initial research led me to believe that I would never be able to afford real flowers on my grad-​student budget, planning from out-​of-​state meant that designing elaborate non-​floral options at home wasn’t going to work (besides, I’m not all that crafty), and my type-​A personality meant that just hitting the flower market and «winging it» the day before would probably give me a heart attack. In the depths of the internet, I somehow came across the suggestion that floral schools can be a budget-​friendly alternative to your typical «wedding florist», and the rest, as they say, is history. Steve Rittner was responsive to my initial inquiry, told me that my budget for table arrangements and bouquets/​bouts was absolutely feasible (got laughed at by more than one other florist for that notion), and somehow managed to interpret my vague instructions into a beautiful, cohesive array of roses and hydrangeas (special thanks to Sherry, his assistant, who listened to each of my ideas, backed me up when my family attempted to insert their own opinions, and gave helpful suggestions for adjustments when needed). The day of the wedding, we arranged for a family friend to pick everything up in order to save money, and when I saw the arrangements I was speechless. To top it all off, they provided two spectacular altar arrangements as a gift! Steve and Sherry, thank you for making my wedding more beautiful than I could ever have imagined!

I had hoped to find in the floral school not only an affordable option for wedding flowers, but expert advice in an area of the wedding planning I haven’t had much inspiration. Unfortunately, I was bluntly and rudely told that my budget would leave my wedding «skimpy» and the school would not be interested. There were no helpful suggestions on ways to maximize my budget or creative solutions. I was only told that I could invite fewer guests or serve less expensive food, so I could add more to my flower budget. Very disappointing considering the expectation I had of a school and the other positive reviews here.

When searching for an affordable wedding florist in Boston, a friend told me to check out floral design schools. From the moment I contacted Rittners to the day of my wedding, I received nothing but excellent service and wedding flowers that exceeded my expectations. Steve, the owner, and Sherry, one of the teachers, listened closely to what I wanted, informed me about seasonally-​appropriate flowers, and priced everything below cost. I also saved money by having a friend pick up the flowers and by providing ribbon, but I’m sure they would work with you if you wanted delivery. The bouquets matched the pictures I brought in (from a high-​end wedding magazine), and they stayed fresh long after the wedding. They were stunning! I was aiming for a natural, English-​garden look, and Rittners met the aesthetic that I requested. I highly recommend them and will seek them out for other events.

I took the twelve-​week night program in Floral design at Rittners Floral School in the fall. There aren’t enough words to express how much I learned and how enjoyable it was.
What impressed me was the attention that is given to each student. Most importantly, students enjoy a lecture presented by Dr. Steve followed with a floral demonstration and hands on floral design by the student.
The course material ranges from basic arrangement, traditional arrangement to high style design, it was awesome. Dr. steve presented the material in a fun and entertaining way… never a dull moment! The learning environment was down-​to-​earth, interactive and challenging, loved it. He taught the class techniques that can be applied in a variety of situations. All the classes are videotaped which students can refer to or view if a session was missed.
I have graduated from Rittners Floral School and I will say that it feels really great to stay connected as I enter the industry. Most importantly, as a Rittners student we have the privilege of receiving top notch advice and guidance by the best in the industry, Dr. Steve.
I recommend Rittners to anyone who is truly interested in floral design and the history of the industry. I had a great experience and feel confident with the techniques and skills that I was taught by Dr. Steve.

I took the twelve-​week night program in floral design at Rittners this spring, and honestly I can’t say enough wonderful things about this little gem of a school. If you have a serious interest in working with flowers, you can’t go wrong here.
Steve Rittner (or «Dr. Steve,» as he is known to his students) runs the place and co-​teaches the classes, and he is a great person to learn from. He’s been in the floral business basically from the day he was born, as his grandfather was a stalwart in the Boston floral scene, so he really knows his stuff. You couldn’t ask for a nicer, more approachable guy, and he’s got a charming, corny sense of humor. As far as his teaching goes, he’s quite thorough and usually anticipates your questions. Each class usually follows the format of a lecture and demonstration of an arrangement, followed by a session in the floral studio to put together a design. A perk of the lessons is that all of them are videotaped, so if you miss a class, you can just call Dr. Steve and arrange a time to view the tape.
The course material is extremely varied, ranging from designs for everyday delivery to funeral work to items for weddings. You’ll learn to make traditional as well as more contemporary designs. Not every design will necessarily appeal to you personally, but the idea is to give you a broad education so that even if something isn’t to your taste, you’ll know what to do if you open up your own business and get an order for a certain type of arrangement. In a similar vein, you won’t usually work with specialty flowers or hard goods here, but that isn’t really the point — you’re being given techniques that you can apply in a variety of situations.
Overall, I’d recommend Rittners for someone who is serious about working in the world of flowers and wants to have some fun while learning. I had a great experience there and feel very ready to apply what I learned from Dr. Steve to my own original designs.