Our Staff

Daevid Reed

In starting this business over 19 years ago I am always energized by each client, their story on how they met, and the journey they are about to start together.

Our business is constantly evolving and it does keep us on our toes. In the past years I have learned a lot of lessons good and bad, but nothing is as profound as our connection that we make with each client, vendor, colleague, and employee.

The studio was developed to concentrate on what I feel we do best, and that is events. Though we pride ourselves in catering to brides, we do corporate, holiday and other special events, and my goal is still the same – to make each event a special, unique and memory of complete bliss. We do have this little quote we say before each event as we leave the studio which is “Lets make dreams and happiness come true!”, a phrase that is true and carries a profound amount of meaning for me.

The studio is a dream, my dream….and honestly I live it everyday. I don’t know of any other occupation that I would rather do. We are giving so many beautiful flowers, fruits and vegetables, plant material, vessels and locations to make any event spectacular.

“In everything that we are, nothing is possible without God’s Grace and our own humility.”

Stephanie is to most of our brides, their first point of contact with Daevids. As soon as she receives your emails, messages, and phone calls her job kicks into action. Her vital roles of, receiving incoming messages, organizing, scheduling, setting up consults and relaying information to Daevid and the rest of the team make here quite the asset at Daevids. How she became a part of the team is a story best told by Stephanie herself.

I met Daevid in 2002 through my now, husband, Justin. Him and Daevid were friends before I ever came into the picture. Justin and I hadn’t been dating long and I remember I had just met Daevid and he stole me from the restaurant, where my husband works and showed me his new building on Granby Street. I couldn’t understand why he was so excited about this empty space that needed so much work. But it didn’t take long to make into the “Big Yellow Building” that we all know and love. We helped Daevid move from his previous location, on Monticello, days before hurricane Isabelle, to his current location on Granby.

I just started coming by to hang out and was amazed at his work. He would start with an empty container and a bucket of flowers and create a masterpiece. I am so NOT creative like that. So it was fun to watch him work. It all started with “Hey, wanna help out this weekend?” I’m not into manual labor, those containers are heavy! So I switched to helping out in the office. It has just progressed from there. A lot of things have changed around here, but the passion for what we do, has not. We love what we do!

I have known Daevid for almost as long as I have known my husband. Of course, Daevid worked his magic on my wedding, my ENTIRE wedding. I really just asked where and what time did I need to show up. I am quite proud to say that. I know first-hand how amazing he and the entire staff is. They all worked just as hard on my day as they do for all of our amazing brides.

Daevid and I are close friends and I love working with him. We have managed to separate the friendship and business relationship. It helps that we have a saying in the office “nothing heavier than a staple” for those stressful days. I really do enjoy coming to work every day. How many people can say that?

Email Stephanie at stephanieatdaevids@gmail.com.

Steve and Daevid have a very unique history of friendship, family, and work. Steve has been with Daevid’s of Norfolk for over 17 years, but more than the length of time employed with Daevid’s, he is Daevid’s best friend as well as family. Steve and Daevid met through mutual friends and wasn’t long before we became friends. Daevid is very much a practical joke player and will cut a joke to make you laugh even if he is troubled. Their families became close and soon started sharing in holidays, birthdays and even supported each other through family struggles of illnesses, births and deaths. “The relationship that Daevid and I have is profound, comical, stern relationship, and we do treat each other like brothers!”

Steve has helped open multiple stores in Richmond, Old Town Alexandria, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and all three of the Norfolk locations, with each location sharing in the excitement of the new chapter that each year brings. After the second store opened in Virginia Beach, Daevid approached me about possibly helping him on a full time status. I would stop by to see what he was creating on a daily basis and support him in his dream. It wasn’t long after that I found myself as energized with his passion and positivity that was infectious.

When Daevid found the big yellow block he called me on the phone and said “Stop what your are doing, you will not believe what I have stumbled across!” With the vision he had walking through the building, I knew right then after watching his reaction to the space that the Big Yellow Block would be the exactly what we needed to grow. My fondest memory of all in business was during Hurricane Isabel we were painting the office, laughing and making jokes to keep each other calm. We had rushed 48 hours before the hurricane to move from our temporary location to move to the block. We asked for all the help we could find, family, friends, and even strangers to help us work around the clock to stuff trucks and trailers with props, counters, and supplies before the massive storm. The very last load of items in the studio was a frame that I had given Daevid which was “Footprints in the Sand,” (a very personal thing for him and I) we decided to hang it in the office, joking that we would be safest place to put it. I remember in our complete exhaustion and relief that we hugged each other in awe that everything was moved and safe. Not more than a minute later the sky opened up, and the next 5 hours we were complete nail biters. Standing in the office painting we were joking saying we were complete, singing to the radio, joking of all the stupid obstacles we had moving. With not more than 5 seconds we lost the roof, an A/C unit crashed through all three floors missing the office by feet. I remember Daevid looking at me pointing at the frame and said “Well, this is it, we have to stay positive and give praise and thanks for what we have,” then cutting a joke as he always does…“What about a sky light, and the city wanted a sprinkler system…Got it now…do you think they will approve it?” We have had a lot of obstacles and nothing stops us, granted we have to pick our chins up and kick ourselves in the butt every now and then, but we do love our industry.

Steve has worked in every aspect of the business, but most particularly his management skills. The stores started out as simple retail shops, but quickly evolved into what it is today. He oversees and helps with all aspects of weddings and events from conception, set-up to take-down. Steve lends his creative talents at everything from altars to boutonnieres and corsages. The most gratifying moment is the clients hugs and praise at the end of the night. I know at that moment we just made a lifetime of memories for a client.

Email Steve at steveatdaevids@gmail.com.

The first time I met Daevid I walked into his shop in downtown Norfolk, Unique By Design, where he had two love birds that flew freely in the store. That coupled with the sentence that wrapped around the inside walls: “Flowers are the sweetest things that God ever made and forgot to put a soul into” made me realize how lucky I would be to work with him. Now, more than 10 years and countless stores later (Unique By Design, Unique By Design Too, The Hot Petunia, and Signature Flowers) I’m proud to say that Daevid is not only a great director to work for but a great friend to have in your corner. Being under his tutelage for the past decade has opened my eyes to see flowers and nature in a whole new light. I can honestly say I get excited every time I get to work on an event because I love seeing what fresh & innovative ideas he has come up with!

One of our newer members of the team, Gary comes to Daevid’s with a background in retail sales he gained from 16 years at Things Remembered working his way up from co-manager to area sales manager. He is a native to Hampton Roads and feels his father is his world and accounts him to many of his successes in life. We at Daevid’s are excited to have him on the team and cannot wait to see how he grows with us.