photo credit: bonnie tsang

Ever Ours: Let's go back to the very beginning...who is Lauryl Lane and how did you first get involved in the wedding industry?

Lauryl Lane: Lauryl Lane is both my legal (and lovely!) name, and my brand as a floral artist for weddings and events. As far as getting involved in the wedding industry, I actually grew up in it. My mother, calligrapher Victoria Hoke Lane, ran her calligraphy & design studio from our home since before I was born. I loved "assisting" her when I was young and took on many paying jobs in grade school, as a large percentage of her clients wanted their invitations stuffed and stamped once they were lettered and addressed. I spent long hours sitting at our dining room table and at the age of 10 was already quite the expert on how a wedding invitation was put together with it's tissue, reception card, RSVP card and envelope, map, etc.

I studied calligraphy with my mother and briefly thought that I'd become a calligrapher, but it was too painstaking for me and I didn't have the patience to sit and practice "my hand" as I would have needed to in order to excel at that art form. However, I spent a great deal of time learning about the wedding industry since I was immersed in it on a daily basis. I observed my Mother as she held client consultations, I attended many of her client's weddings with her (I'll never forget the one where I sat a few aisles away from our state governor- I was transfixed!), and I oversaw designing her booths and discussing her work with clients at high-end bridal events. So the wedding industry has been an integral part of my life since I can remember, and I've always been drawn to the wedding as a celebration of love and commitment.

photo credit: jasmine star

Ever Ours: What drew you in to flowers and how did you become Lauryl Lane the floral designer?

Lauryl Lane: I think I've always loved flowers, again that is thanks to my Mother since she always had fresh flowers in our home when I was growing up. But I didn't consider a career as a floral designer until college when a family friend decided to open a gorgeous floral design studio, and asked me to work part-time in her shop as a sales associate. I worked off and on there through my college years, and somewhere along the way I became fast friends with Karen French, the manager and lead designer. Watching her work was truly inspiring and it didn't take long for her to realize how interested I was. I had already learned about various flowers and how to process and condition them, so when Karen suggested that I start "playing" with the flowers during down times, I was thrilled. At the same time I was studying art and design as a costume design major in school, so the elements of design such as color, texture, pattern, etc., were fresh in my mind at all times and translated into my study of floral design. Karen ended up being a strict teacher, but I have a very solid technical training as a result-- something that a lot of "newbie" floral designers don't have, and my knowledge of proper construction (ie., floral design does NOT consist of cutting some pretty flowers and pushing them into a vase!) has been invaluable as I've continued on in the field. I worked on a day-to-day basis doing one-off arrangements for shop deliveries and then transitioned into doing weddings. There I discovered my true calling. When I graduated college in 2005, I became a full-time floral designer at the studio where I'd already been employed for about three years. The rest is history!

Ever Ours: What inspires you? In life and in your work.

Lauryl Lane: I find inspiration in SO many things. Literature and literary references, fashion, architecture, interior design, food, travel, music, film, photography, nature, fine art... I could go and onon. I believe that inspiration can hit at the most unexpected moments and in the most unexpected ways: you just have to be open and willing to be inspired, and you have to search for the beautiful in the mundane. Along these lines, I call my blog "Aesthetic Pursuits," because it is a place where I record my constant search for beauty, even in the "little things" such as the mug I drink my coffee from or the pretty handwriting a client uses when filling out a form for me! As far as wedding inspiration goes, my biggest inspiration for each individual design comes from the individual clients I'm working with. Individuality is such an amazing thing!

Ever Ours: What has been one of your biggest challenges as a floral designer?

Lauryl Lane: I think my biggest challenge has been maintaining my confidence. I KNOW that I'm good at what I do, I certainly know that I'm passionate about what I do... but it's easy to see another designer's work and think, "oh, I'll never be that good!" I've found that the best way to combat this design-envy is to stay away from images of other designer's work. I don't look at other floral designer's websites or blogs unless their style of design is significantly different from mine and thus something I wouldn't compare myself to. I read wedding blogs, but I try to avoid looking too much at the florals and I never click on a floral designer's website. I have one other local floral designer whose style is similar to my own who I will recommend to potential clients when I'm already booked on their wedding date: and I certainly have other floral designer friends-- but I just have to keep clear of looking at their work. I feel like my own work is more organic and inspired and fresh when my frame of reference is a clean slate!

Ever Ours: Are there certain arrangements that are popular? If so, which ones?

Lauryl Lane: Oh yes, there are always floral trends in the wedding industry. A few years back, everyone wanted large round arrangements on top of clear glass vases filled with water and orchids. A couple years ago, succulents were all the rage, and submergibles are always popular for modern, contemporary weddings. Right now, a more romantic style is popular. I'm happy with the current trend, because it is more in keeping with what I've always considered my "style." But a designer always has to be thinking of new and different things, and I'm really lucky that most of my clients come to me because they know I try to push the envelope and do things that aren't the same as the "cookie cutter" weddings that they see all around them.

Ever Ours: What has been the most interesting client/floral arrangement/design you have done?

Lauryl Lane: The recent raw cotton wedding I designed was definitely different from anything else I've ever done-- and was also something that I'd never seen done before by anyone else. Again, I'm really fortunate to have clients who are willing to let me run with my imagination.

Ever Ours: As a floral designer, how do you stand out?

Lauryl Lane: I have a very defined sense of style: it's earthy, romantic, vintage-inspired and highly textural. Although my weddings and events can and DO look very different from one another, there are always a few signature elements that make them stand out as "Lauryl Lane" designs. In such a saturated industry, having a specific design style is essential. Clients come to me for my specific "look," and that is exactly what they get: in addition to exceptional attention to detail and both personal and professional service.

Ever Ours: Could you please describe the process of booking you as a vendor as a bride?

Lauryl Lane: The process of booking me is rather simple: about 75% of my brides come to me through their coordinators, the remaining percentage find me on their own. Once I've confirmed that the wedding date in question is available (I only book one wedding per weekend), I send the potential bride and/or groom an information sheet to fill out which gathers all the numbers of the bridal party, family, centerpieces/tablescapes, etc., as well as asks questions that help me to understand their "couple style." Then I meet with the bride/groom and wedding coordinator either face-to-face or via phone to go over all the details of their wedding (venue, attire, linens, etc) and get a really solid understanding of how to best interpret their style through the florals and decor. Within a few days of the meeting I submit a contract proposal with line-item descriptions of the individual components of the design... and usually within a day or two of that, the couple sign the contract and submit a deposit and then the booking is complete and work begins in earnest for me!

Ever Ours: What's a day in the life of Lauryl Lane?

Lauryl Lane: My days vary a great deal, but on a production week I'm up at the flower market early in the morning, and back to my studio by 8am to process and condition my flowers. Then I head home to eat some breakfast, take a shower, etc. Often I head out around noon to a client meeting or to lunch with another vendor, and then I had back to the studio and design design design for the remainder of the day, usually listening to great music and enjoying every second! I take little breaks on my computer or phone to keep up with friends and colleagues via twitter, email, and blogs. When my husband gets home from his office around 7pm, I try to be finished with my design work for the day so that we can spend the evening making and eating dinner together, drinking wine on the patio, taking a walk around the neighborhood, and generally enjoying each other's company. One thing I watched my Mother do really, really well as a working-from-home business owner, was knowing when to set work aside and focus on her family. There are times when I get behind and have to work all night long, but as much as possible I try to stop and enjoy living. It's hard to make the delineation between work and personal when you love your work as much as I do, but I also want the people in my life to know that they always come first, before anything else. Relationships are number one, creating visual beauty is number two. I think that's the healthiest approach to life and work. ;-)

Ever Ours: Any advice to newly engaged couples as they plan their wedding?

Lauryl Lane: Discover your couple style!!! I have a lot of newly engaged couples who come to me and say that they want their flowers to reflect the current trend, even though I can tell that the current trend isn't really THEM. I try to gently remind them that their wedding is about who THEY are as a couple, and their decor should reflect them as a pair, not whatever style is currently being seen in wedding mags/blogs. Before you start planning your wedding, make a list of the things that brought you together as a couple, the activities that you enjoy together, the common interests that you share-- and bring that list along when you meet with your vendors, especially the vendors who will be creating the aesthetic design of your wedding. We want your wedding to be a reflection of YOU, and the best way for us to do that is to understand what makes you tick! Don't forget to have fun, and rather than getting stressed out, learn to delegate and let go: the vendors you choose are professionals and it's our job to take care of the details, so you don't have to worry about a thing. Enjoy the time leading up to your wedding and don't forget that it's just a wedding-- being married is what really matters in the end.