We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lauren a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

In the wedding industry, I’m seeing more couples lean away from traditions and prioritize what matters most to them. They are planning more intentional celebrations, focusing on creating dinner party vibes with the guest experience in mind. Some things that have been really memorable are couples choosing quaint restaurants to host their weddings, which became popular during the pandemic but has stuck (which I’m SO happy about!) Couples are hiring local bakeries or home bakers to provide personalized treats instead of having a cake. I had a couple brides hand craft paper flowers to include in my floral centerpieces, which were so special and unique. I’ve even had a bride hire a McDonalds pop up stand and she served her guests late night burgers and fries. I really love that couples are making their own rules because I feel that a wedding should be a reflection of the couple and their story, not a standard that someone else set. There’s a charm that is present with each one that I design for and I’m so inspired and touched by their personalized details.

Lauren, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Yes of course! I’m Lauren Fernandez, the founder and creative director of Yellow Bow Florals. We’re a boutique design studio based in Brooklyn NYC. I started Yellow Bow Florals in 2017 aiming to spread love and joy through flowers, not really knowing where it would take me. Now almost 8 years later, we proudly specialize in weddings in the NYC area and have formed so many beautiful relationships with our NYC wedding vendor community. I’m most proud of our client experience and bringing our couples the florals they dream about for their wedding day. I love to draw inspiration from my couple’s personalities and stories to create something truly unique and memorable for them. Focusing on every detail and being a meticulous planner, I do everything I can to be there for my couples as they are planning their big day, giving feedback, advice, and ideas along the way. My priority is to make sure my couples feel fully supported and excited about their flowers so that they can enjoy the process as much as possible.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I actually pivoted to floral design after a career as an elementary school teacher. Throughout high school and college, I was sure I wanted to be a teacher. After several years of being in the classroom, I was burning out and feeling depleted. It was really hard to admit, especially because I had just earned my masters degree in education. I felt stuck and like there was no way around it. I thought it would help to explore an art form on the side as a new hobby. I answered an ad on Craigs List for a floral intern and I started work on the weekends, cleaning flower stems, scrubbing buckets, and sweeping floors. I assisted with on-site setups as well, which completely invigorated me. The fast-paced environment and the hands-on aspect of it really sold me. Plus I’ve always loved flowers, so working with them was such a delight. I knew this path was right for me, so I slowly transitioned out of teaching and poured myself into learning everything I possibly could about flowers, their care, and how to design with intention. I’ll always be grateful for the talented designers that taught me their skills, they helped shape who I am as a designer and also as a business owner.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

The best managing advice I can give is to prioritize preparation in order to set yourself and your team up for success. I find that people highly appreciate knowing the plan ahead of time and what to expect on a work day, especially since every one of our events has its own timeline. I put a lot of effort into communicating details to my team so that they know the schedule and can fully prepare themselves for their day. I also take a lot of time to prepare myself for design and setup days so that I can maintain a calm energy, creating plans with backup plans and backups for the backups. When I’m prepared, I feel confident and excited about my work day, and most often those positive vibes trickle to my team as well. This is especially important for the long days, which are frequent in peak wedding months. I was a cheerleader throughout my childhood and in high school, and college, so if you can imagine, I’m always in motivation mode. I really love working with my team, cheering for them all the way. I hope they feel that!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://yellowbowflorals.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yellowbowflorals/?hl=en OR @yellowbowflorals
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-fernandez-920798b0/

Image Credits

Katherine Marchand Weddings, Weddings by Nato, Grace Brown Photography, Julian Navarette Photography, Kate Edwards Weddings