The wedding and event industry has so many moving parts it is akin to assembling an orchestra. But when you select just the right vendor who's unique perspective aligns with yours, rest assured your wedding is going to be magical.
I connected with today's featured expert long before I met her in person. You've heard about 'hearing' someone's smile over the phone. Try hearing wholehearted laughter booming a musical note over the phone. It's the only reason I thought of an orchestra by the way. It was something about Nadia's laughter that did it for me. Her laughter is genuine, her 'heck yes I can" attitude piqued my curiosity but those two pale in comparison to meeting this passionate event planner and designer in person. Watching her transform a blank table into a field of gold and greenery without skipping a bit is something to behold. Take a listen to her unique perspective to the wedding and event industry.
Ask The Expert: What is your company known for?
EXPERT: Studio 82 Events & Design is a full production event and floral design firm. We create magic for those who value intricate details that are layered to create an event or room design that speaks to their personalities and who are ultimate flower snobs. We design for weddings, private & corporate events, as well as, residential properties and commercial offices.
Ask The Expert: What are some of the most 'Frequently Asked Questions" you often receive or what problems do some of your clients have? How have you solved the problem.
Studio82: I am blessed to get clients who are seeking designs that are far from the redundancy found on Pinterest or Instagram. Some of these clients like to set the standard and create their own trends, but feel like their budget must be astronomical in order to do. While great design is not cheap, it is not always necessary to achieve a uniquely designed space. The best place to start is to pull something of meaning from the client(s) and build from there.
For instance, if a couple is planning a wedding, I ask about their personality quirks, inside jokes, and tangible items that they hold dear to them. There may be a piece of lace from a grandmother's dress that is very important to the bride or groom. We can take that piece of lace and use it as the foundation for the entire design. It can be weaved throughout the design in the stationery, lighting, linen selections, custom bar facades, vessels for floral pieces, and more. It's important to remember not to go overboard. While I believe in continuity and cohesion in design, it can be easy to use too much of one element. So, instead of buying and every striped object you can find and throwing into a room, choose a few small details and one statement piece to pull it all together.
Ask The Expert: If money is no object, what are the top 3 ideas you'd like your clients to consider/implement.
Studio82: If money was no object, I would love to:
- create a room where the entire floor was made of flowers (covered in plexiglass of course). Walking on a pillow of flowers feels so magical to me.
- The second thing I would do is create a journey of flowers and color throughout the event with one specific flower type for each part of the journey. Monotone florals in each space for each part of the day. One flower in one color for the ceremony, for the cocktail hour, and so on. And I mean a ton of floral. Not just a few pieces.
- Third, I would create florals for each and every guest. It's not uncommon for guests take some of the centerpieces home with them at the end of the night, but I would love for each guest to have their own personal arrangement to take home with them. However, they would be charged with either taking that arrangement to a nursing home or hospital or committing to some other act of kindness the day after the event.
Ask The Expert: What is your price point? Or the average most clients spend?
Studio82: Our more modest clients spend an average of $7,500 on florals for events of 150 guests or less. However, our clients who go into full Flower Snob mode spend a base of $10,000 for the same guest count. Of course, that average increases when we include our custom designed decor pieces.
Ask The Expert: Advice for someone starting out or if you have a workshop coming up.. you can use this area to promote that as well.
Studio82:
- Hone your craft!
- Learn as much as you can about every aspect of the industry and explore creative outlets outside of weddings and events (music, art, fashion, architecture, etc.) as sources of inspiration. From photography to catering to textiles to bridal fashion, it is important to be well-versed in the world around you.
- Know who are the "masters" of their respective crafts, but make your own lane.
- You have to live and breath it.
I am in the process of launching my newest venture, Flower Snob just for that reason. It's a platform created to highlight amazing designers from around the world, educational opportunities, behind the scenes design processes, and more through my blog, YouTube channel, and Instagram.
Follow @flowersnoblife for updates!
You can reach Studio 82 here:
web: www.studio82events.com
ig: @studio82events
fb: www.facebook.com/studio82eventsdesign
twitter: @studio82events
pinterest: @studio82events
tel: 281-594-7419
You can reach FlowerSnob here:
web: http://studio82events.com/flowersnob/
g: @flowersnoblife