Receiving an abundance of orders, she was filled with nervousness but also excitement.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, she focused diligently to craft the flower bouquets beautifully, working all afternoon until night time. After all, these were her first orders for her new self-run business.
Junior Itzayana Moreno launched her ramo buchón business in February of 2023. Drawing inspiration from others on social media, she decided to start her own venture in hopes of creating something unique.
“I decided I kind of wanted to do my own thing too,” Moreno said.
A ramo buchón is a large, extravagant bouquet of flowers known for its bold decoration and size. These bouquets hold cultural significance in Mexican tradition, dating back to ancient roots while incorporating modern influences. They are often gifted for various occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries and holidays.
Moreno says that there wasn’t an exact reason behind her choosing to create a ramo buchón business. Rather, she noticed the trend online and saw that it wasn’t commonly done in her area, making it a potential opportunity.
Moreno started her business by purchasing fresh flowers from stores like Walmart and Kroger and learning floral arrangement techniques through TikTok videos.
During the beginner phase of her business, Moreno found her sister to be one of her biggest supporters.
“Instead of having the bouquet go to waste, she would always buy it from me or send me videos on how to start,” Moreno said.
Despite the encouragement and support Moreno received, she still faced doubts early on in the process. As a beginner, she feared judgment and complaints from customers.
“I was scared that people were gonna judge on the way I did them,” Moreno said.
To combat this fear, Moreno worked hard over time to perfect her technique before launching her business. 
With support from her mom and sister, she finally felt ready. Valentine’s Day provided the perfect opportunity to start, allowing her to experiment before other major holidays.Moreno’s flower-making process is detailed and precise. She buys the real flowers for an order the day of and uses a tool to remove leaves, thorns, brownish petals and anything else that her client doesn’t want. She usually keeps the green leaves on, but if the client doesn’t prefer them, they are removed.
She then uses a spiral method, starting with one rose in the middle and moving on around it with more roses until all the roses are used.
Finally, she wraps the roses with wrapping paper according to the client’s preference. Depending on the bouquet’s size, she usually uses two or four sheets. She then staples the wrapping paper onto the flowers to secure them, adds hot glue to the ends of the paper and adds the add-ons, such as lettering and butterflies, last.
One of her loyal clients and close friends is junior Brittney Luna, who buys from her for occasions such as birthdays, Valentine’s Day and graduations. Luna says that she is very fond of the flowers Moreno creates.
“I think they’re really good quality,” Luna said. “She really puts her time and effort into making them look really good.”
Moreno hopes to continue growing her business. One of her biggest motivators is seeing the joy on clients’ faces when they receive their bouquets. 
Although her future plans of going into the Air Force might get in the way of her business, she still wants to continue with it.
Moreno also says that this business has taught her not to be afraid to start a business. Along the way, she has gained friendships, connections and valuable skills, and she encourages others who are thinking about starting a business to take the leap.
“You never know how big you could go or how far you could go with it,” Moreno said.
