A Creative Journey in Floral Design

Mother of Wild owner thrives on artistic expression through flower arranging

By Judy Royal  »  Photos by G. Frank Hart

As a teenager growing up in California, Alyssa Ait was always drawn to creative endeavors—no surprise, really, as her dad was an artist and her mom was what she calls a “creative soul.”

So, in 2004 when she discovered a small shop called Alyssa’s Flowers, Ait took it as a sign she should work there. She convinced the owner to give her a job, and although the shop closed four months later, a lifelong passion was born.

“Flowers were just something I always had a vision in doing,” Ait says. “It was more for the art than the flowers per se.” 

After finishing high school, Ait studied floral design and secured a job at a high-end flower shop in her hometown of San Clemente, CA, where she worked for eight years honing her craft and learning the ins and outs of the floral industry.

“I was kind of tucked under the wing of a really well-known designer who taught me everything,” she says.  

Eventually Ait left the shop and took a break from working in the floral industry full-time, but she continued to dabble in flowers on the side. When she and her husband Jordan decided in 2018 to move across the country to Wilmington, where he has family, the opportunity to focus on flowers presented itself again.

The Aits started She Loves Me Flower Co. inside Porters Neck’s Uptown Market in 2019 but soon changed the name to Mother of Wild Flower House due to a trademark issue. The revised moniker is a nod to nature in general as well as the middle name of their oldest child, Wilder, who was born shortly after they arrived in the Port City. 

Mother of Wild’s main marketing strategy has been a Volkswagen “flower truck” that they purchased on eBay to drive around town and set up at local markets and events, a move Ait describes as “the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

“I thought they were going to send me a little toy car,” she recalls with laughter.

The attention garnered by the unique vehicle paid off, and the business began growing. Six months later, they were offered the opportunity to move into their own brick-and-mortar location on Porters Neck Road. 

“We jumped on it, and we took a really big, scary leap,” Ait says.

After 20 years in the floral industry, Ait says she still views flowers with the same artistic approach she’s always taken.

“Every piece that we send out the door is an art piece,” she says. “There’s a lot of design behind it. We’re looking at it like a sculpture, and I strive to make it a moment.”

Ait says she gets excited about challenging herself to create in different styles.

“I love that it’s ever-changing,” she says. “We change everything with the season. If you’re a creative, it’s a really great, fun industry to be in. It’s always evolving, and there’s always something new to play with.” 

Mother of Wild’s a la carte package for weddings is an outlet for Ait and her team to put their talent on full display. Couples get a discounted rate in exchange for allowing creative freedom with their flowers.

“It’s for somebody who really trusts what we do,” Ait says. “It allows us to have a lot of fun with a wedding and not be pressured by specifics. We pack it all up for day-of pickup, and everything is done and ready to go.”

Mother of Wild also offers full-service wedding packages as well as daily deliveries for all occasions (or no occasion at all) within about a 30-mile radius, subscriptions and grab-and-go bundles available in the shop. In addition, there are classes and workshops for those who want to learn more, and some are held off-site at local farms for an immersive experience. There are also events created specifically for kids.

While Ait strives to touch every flower that leaves the shop, she has a tight-knit team who helps carry out her vision. You may even see her three young children there on occasion.

“We’re a small but mighty crew,” she says. “We all love working with each other. It’s a good combination of people here now.”

Despite its success over the past five years, Mother of Wild is planning for even more growth in the future. Ait says she’s not quite ready to offer specifics but indicates there are new endeavors on the horizon for the brand.

“There will be some exciting things to happen in the downtown area,” she says.