Muna Coterie member, Maritza Walton, has been dreaming about weddings since she was a little girl.
Growing up, she often found herself wandering the aisles of a party planning store 3 blocks up from her Great Grandmother’s home in St. Albans, Queens where she was living at the time: “I found myself in there a lot just looking around.”
Then, at the young age of 15, she found herself planning her first celebration at her Grandmother’s home: her sister Deborah’s wedding. At the time she says, “I was just providing the need, helping my Grandmother as usual, and “decorating” which was something I loved to do.”
Even at such a young age, her first foray into wedding planning was a success. “We cleaned out the garage and used it for the DJ area. We covered the backyard and driveway with green turf… we thought we were doing something back then,” she recalls, laughing. “We rented tables and chairs and linen. Remember those paperwhite wedding bells? Well, that was the decor along with some white balloons.”
Looking back, she admits, “I knew nothing about flowers then. I was simply planning the celebration. I would have never imagined then that I would be doing what I am doing now. I didn’t know it was a profession then.”
Today, Maritza’s younger self would be overjoyed to know she is absolutely killing it in the wedding industry! As an accomplished Floral Designer and Event Planner, her company, the Ritz Walton Collection (established in 2018 in Bloomfield, New Jersey), is thriving. However, her business and individual success didn’t come without challenges.
“The fire was first,” she recalls grimly.
“I was only open in my space for about 1 year and a half. After the fire, we were displaced, homeless, and had to figure out how to continue to operate.” Luckily, insurance gave their company half of what they put into the business and they were soon offered space at the Art FACTORY (a studio space in Paterson, New Jersey). “[We] took it,” she says, “but I lost the “main focus” on my business while working out of the Factory as I began running their weddings.”
While she was grateful to be working in a new space, as all of us have come to realize, life is incredibly unpredictable and in 2020, the Pandemic arrived. In a surprising twist of fate, COVID actually helped her business; at least for a little while. “When the Pandemic hit, we actually began getting more inquiries,” she says. “Of course, we lost financially with all of the reschedulings but somehow began to get new wedding dates on the calendar.”
Pushing forward despite the odds, Maritza and her team worked to expand and re-open their showroom. She even began working on her multi-purpose event space, Casa De Flora Bar, which she planned to be a retail flower bar/coffee shop that will also host private events.
Facing a harsh reality…
In spite of all the excitement and an upcoming re-opening scheduled for September 2021, mother nature had other plans: “When hurricane IDA decided to hit, destroying both stores with over 5 ft of water… All new renovations were destroyed. We did not have Flood insurance and at this point, I was ready to throw in the towel.”
Without a business loan or PPP loan, she reveals, “I didn’t know where the funds would come from to start all over again… I worked 2-3 jobs to build this business so when I saw it taken away that quickly it was very disturbing and traumatic.” Then, something inside of her shifted, and with the support of her family, friends, and LOTS of faith, she “…decided to rebuild no matter what it would take.”
A twist of fate…
Fast forward to 2022 and an unexpected investor changed everything. One of her husband’s old middle school students, who they endearingly call “big Son,” saw her vision and believed in it. They formed a partnership that allowed Maritza and her team to finally rebuild their stores and set a re-opening and Grand Opening date for June 24th, 2022!
Ultimately, no matter what life threw her way, Maritza never gave up. Through hard work, determination, and never losing sight of her dreams, she is a true inspiration. We are so honored to have her be a part of our Muna Coterie! To learn more about Maritza Walton, her inspiration, and what it takes to find success, keep reading below for an exclusive Q&A. Prepare to be inspired!
This article was first featured in our Issue No. 26 Magazine!
When executing a couple’s wedding, what inspires you? What’s your creative process?
The couple inspires me. Their vision and dreams are what I hold onto because I love making dreams come true. So I try to pull their vision out as much as they will allow me to. It’s not easy and some couples are just simply looking for flowers and don’t necessarily have a vision, but for those that do, I love to bring it all together. Even when dealing with planners, I love looking at their design decks and bringing them to life. I’m not a planner. My heart is in the floral design aspect only. I have planned for close friends and family, but I prefer design.
Speaking of weddings, how was it planning your sister’s wedding? What was your favorite part about that experience?
So I recently planned my sister Ashley’s wedding a couple of weeks ago. We planned this wedding within 60 days. 200+ guests at the Weilyn in Brooklyn, NY. We had to bring everything in, from furniture to chairs, linen, napkins, food etc. The venue provided absolutely nothing but the space. Her ceremony took place in our Dad’s church in Brooklyn on Madison and Bedford. My favorite part about planning my sister’s wedding was that all she did was show up. And when she did, she adored everything. It was a true fairytale.
As a floral designer, why do you love working with flowers? Do you have a particular flower or arrangement that speaks most to you?
Flowers relax me. It’s always a peaceful feeling when designing. I honestly have no particular arrangement. I just love doing new and challenging designs that allow my imagination to be free.
How has MunaLuchi and the Muna Coterie helped your company?
The Networking within the Coterie has been awesome. I have met so many vendors that are now my friends. I have made great connections and have developed a good portfolio of awesome and talented wedding professionals. Looking forward to attending the coterie retreat in December in JAMAICA!!!!!!
What advice would you give for other wedding planners/floral designers looking to break into the wedding industry?
My advice would be to remain true to who you are and what your talents are. Focus and master one, then move to the next. There is no right or wrong when it comes to modeling YOUR Business and doing business the way it feels right for you.
Do not compare yourself to companies that have been in the business for 10+ years. Don’t be fooled by Social Media. Focus on the money and not the likes or followers. Give your baby time to grow, it has to crawl before it can walk and once your Baby is walking strong it can then run on its own. That may take about 2-3 years before your business can fully run without falling.
Don’t be cheap with your own investment. Spend the money on things that are very important like business Insurance, quality Inventory, and marketing. You also need to hire staff, hiring helps you to grow. You cannot do it alone.
Be serious about your Business. If it’s a hobby, fine. But if it’s a business, treat it as such. People will almost always have something to say and think they can run your business better, this will always be the case, but stay strong and stay focused and know when to say goodbye.
What can we look forward to seeing from you next?
Next is the opening of my Retail Flower Bar/Coffee Shop that will also host Bridal Showers, Baby Showers, and other events. It’s an upscale Chic space designed with beautiful ceiling floral installs and gorgeous Instagrammable moments. We will sell your everyday floral gifts for all occasions. You can attend one of our Sip & Clip events and have our delicious pastries and a great cup of coffee, Latte, or glass of wine. Our Grand Opening is on June 24th, 2022. I am so excited about this new venture.
Check out the grand opening of Casa De Flora Bar here!
Vendors:
- Photographer: kesha Lambert
- Planner: Stacy Armand
- Floral Design: Maritza Walton of Ritz Walton Wedding Collection
- Model: Sevy
- Makeup: Felicia Graham Beauty
- Hair: Sirca Reaction
- Dress: Pantora Bridal
- Venue: Casa De Flora Bar & Ritz Walton Wedding Collection
Looking for more floral inspiration by Maritza Walton?
Click here.
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