VENDOR SPOTLIGHT // LUSH FLORALS AND EVENTS
Today we are chatting with long-time Swish List member and very close friend of the Vineyard Bride community, Melanie of Lush Florals and Events! We love her generous heart, her ability to create floral magic in any situation, and the way she is always open to a challenge! Hey, Mel!
A short description of what you do: Lush creates artisanal blooms for weddings and events in the Niagara region. We specialize in textural, garden-inspired designs, crafted with the individuality of your event in mind. Focus is put on local blooms, unexpected floral additions and unforgettable bouquets.
How long have you been working in the wedding industry? With 12 years of experience in weddings and events, we can execute small, cozy events, or large scale celebrations with the utmost attention to detail.
What makes your business unique? My educational background is in Horticulture, so my plant knowledge extends beyond the florist confines. I enjoy introducing plant and floral varieties that are not commonly used in wedding work with the help of my grower friends, farmers and my own cutting garden. We are also a small scale operation filled with very creative and talented women, and we focus on a small amount of events in order to offer unparalleled service.
Favourite part of your business? My work environment! I get to walk out my front door a whole 30 seconds to my studio and work with some of my closest girlfriends every day. I can wear leggings, sing to George Ezra and still get my son off the bus at 3:20. I take flowers to the little old man that walks by the studio every day and his wife sends me thank you notes. It is the best atmosphere to have fun but also work super hard to execute these events.
What inspires you? Walking through nature or a curated garden. I love to see how textures and colours are combined with plants. I also live near the water so I often find that spending time on the lake or on the beach quiets my mind enough to allow for creative inspiration.
Who is your mentor/hero in the industry? (your own industry or the Niagara wedding industry) Oh sheesh, this is tough. I keep going back to the work of Blue Carrot and Ponderosa & Thyme; I think their garden aesthetic lures me in. I also have wonderful floral friends in my local industry, they are outstanding in providing support, answering questions and offering an ear as they completely understand what we all go through.
On your day off...where would we find you? I may have a bit of a concert addiction, music is huge for me so naturally, that is where I would be. Even better when it is with my son and husband in tow. This years plan is to also get out on my stand up paddle board every Monday with my other self-employed friends, fingers crossed.
If you weren't a wedding vendor, what would be your dream job? I would want to be working in the wine industry. I always had ambitions of becoming a winemaker but those darn math marks never allowed for university science (I guess I am just a creative at heart).
What great wedding trends are you seeing this year? Twists on colour: you want burgundy or caramel/brown in May, you got it! Interesting combinations of colour has been my new favorite trend to design with, we are finally using the whole crayon box.
80's: yes friends, they are back in with jeans and neon but also with flowers! It hasn't fully hit us yet but it is coming. Dried flowers in different colours, dyed flowers, minimal ikebana inspired design, It just seems floral design is becoming more fun and limitless and I am looking forward to exploring this change.
Do you have any practical advice for couples planning a wedding? Be upfront with your vendors about expectations and budget. Often we can adapt, alter, or find solutions to your floral budget, but when the ceiling is left open you often don't know if you are comparing apples to apples, or oranges.
Photography Credits:
Image #1: Ally + Nicholas | 2-4: Andrew Mark Photography | #5 + 6: Katie Benfey Photography | #7 - 11: Destiny Dawn Photography
