BEHIND THE COMPANY
MEET THE OWNER:
My name is Hannah Gesford, and the moment pictured above led to the creation of Fléurever After Preservations. I never planned to start a business; I just simply couldn’t throw my wedding bouquet away.
My grandmother was an accomplished artist who taught me countless techniques from a very young age. Thanks to her lessons (and, I like to think, her genes), art and crafts have always come second nature to me. So, when I returned home from my honeymoon, I did some research, bought the supplies, and gave flower preservation a try. The bouquet was already wilting, but something about saving it felt important. That first attempt planted a seed I didn’t yet know would grow into something so much more.
In June of 2019, my husband and I welcomed our beautiful daughter into the world. At the time, I worked in accounting for the county Tax Office, but after stepping into motherhood, I knew my heart was meant to be at home. I embraced the role of stay-at-home mom with gratitude and hope for the future.
Only a few months into motherhood, our world shifted dramatically when my husband was diagnosed with Uveal Ocular Melanoma. He underwent an intense treatment process that included having a radioactive plaque sewn to his eye for seven days of radiation, followed by surgical removal. We placed our trust in God, and I remained home to care for both him and our daughter. He returned to work after eight weeks, and when COVID-19 hit shortly after, we found unexpected gratitude in his ability to work from home (often in complete darkness) while his eye healed.
With the medical debt piling and the cost of living rising, I took a leap of faith and officially launched Fléurever After Preservations in March of 2020! I worked every single day to build this business from the ground up. Each flower that comes through my door carries a story, and no two arrangements are ever the same. The process of preserving flowers has become deeply therapeutic for me. My favorite time to work is late at night, when the house is quiet and dark. Sometimes, listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks is when I feel most at peace.
In November of 2021, our world came to a crashing halt. At just 27 years old, I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Over the next couple of years, I underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy, 17 rounds of immunotherapy, 30 rounds of radiation, a bilateral mastectomy, and full reconstruction surgery. There is no way I could have cared for our precious child and held a full-time job during that season of life. The flexibility of this business was an incredible blessing, and on January 4, 2023, I proudly entered remission.
My clients have given me more than work. They have given me the freedom to stay home with my daughter, to fight cancer, to heal, and to work only as much as I am physically and mentally able. Because of this, I’ve even been able to serve in leadership roles within my daughter’s elementary school community, something I never imagined possible during my hardest years. I thank God for guiding my path and opening doors I could never have planned myself. And I thank each and every client who has trusted me with their most meaningful flowers. I will continue to pour my heart and soul into every piece I create. Spending my days surrounded by beauty, love, and remembrance is truly a dream come true.
