Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Rypkema.
Hi Kate, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I’m Kate Rypkema, founder of One Cute Cart, West Michigan’s build-your-own bouquet experience. I spent 14+ years in the beauty industry, mostly doing on-location bridal hair and makeup, so I’ve spent a lot of my life in the middle of someone’s favorite day…the toasts, the nervous giggles, the getting-ready energy. In 2025 I took a leap and launched One Cute Cart: a flower cart that rolls into weddings, markets, birthdays, girls’ nights, and office parties, stocked with fresh seasonal blooms so every guest can build their own bouquet. My mom works alongside me (it’s a mother-daughter flower crew!), and in the warmer months we also run a little grab-and-go roadside stand in Rockford. The whole idea is that flowers should feel fun, not fussy! You don’t need to know a peony from a ranunculus to leave with something beautiful you made yourself.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been a joyful road, but nobody would call it smooth…it’s more like gravel with really good scenery. 😄 I built this while still working in my beauty career, so a lot of One Cute Cart has happened on nights, weekends, and in between. There’s a real learning curve to the unglamorous side of a small business: pricing, insurance, wholesale flower orders at 6 a.m., and figuring out marketing while you’re also the florist, the bookkeeper, and the delivery driver. My arms have also learned things about my flower cart’s weight that I never wanted to know. But every time someone builds their very first bouquet and holds it up like a trophy, I remember exactly why I started.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
One Cute Cart is a mobile, hands-on flower experience. We bring the cart, the fresh seasonal blooms, and an attendant who sets everything up and wraps every bouquet up! Guests design their own, stem by stem. We pop up at weddings and bridal showers, birthday parties, baby and business showers, markets, and corporate events (holiday parties are our new favorite — it’s an activity, a party favor, and a photo moment in one). We also run a Bouquet Club subscription for people who want fresh blooms regularly, launching January 2027, and our little roadside stand in Rockford when the flowers are running. My background in bridal beauty means I’m very comfortable with event timelines, nervous hosts, and keeping the vibe calm and fun — that hospitality experience is baked into how we run every event.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was creative, independent, and always a little ambitious. I loved making things, coming up with ideas, and finding ways to turn whatever I was interested in into a project. I’ve always been a hard worker, but I’ve also always had a bit of a “I’ll figure it out myself” streak. Looking back, it makes a lot of sense that I ended up building a life around creativity, beauty, and doing about twelve things at once.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.onecutecart.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/onecutecart
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/onecutecart
