When you run a wedding decor business, you tend to meet a lot of excited, anxious brides–and their equally anxious grooms. The men are often just as concerned about the wedding details as the brides, said Curtis Lutchman, award-winning orchid breeder, and owner of the successful small business Fantasy Weddings and Exotic Orchids.
It's crucial to listen to all clients carefully, said Lutchman: "You have to help them visualise their wedding design concept and deliver a professional service, within budget, to make that wedding day as perfect as possible."
The Fantasy Weddings incarnation of the business is about three years old, but Lutchman has been running the core business under different names for some 30 years now. He's been self-employed most of his life, expanding his clients through word-of-mouth referrals. The business provides a range of wedding services and products, as well as decor services for public events, and window displays for stores. The services are entirely customised to the clients' needs.
It all started when, as a teenager, Lutchman would help older neighbours organise Hindu weddings. He'd accompany them, lending a helping hand while learning on the job. At the same time, he discovered a love for plants, which, by the age of 20, had evolved into a lasting passion for orchids.
Lutchman has since created hundreds of orchid hybrids, 50 of which are registered with the Royal Horticultural Society of England. He shows his orchids at local and US flower shows and has won awards at the Miami International Orchid Show, including the "Best Cut Flower Display" last year. An entire corner of his home is a jungle of orchids, in various stages of growth.
The orchid-growing hobby blended naturally into his wedding business. Lutchman explained that different couples have different needs to which he caters. For very large weddings, planning can start six months in advance, whereas for smaller events, planning may take just a few hours. It all depends on the scale and complexity of the job.
Qualities for success
What qualities are essential for success in this business? Lutchman pauses in his plant shop at home, while his green parrot Jewel munches on sunflower seeds. Then he says: "First of all, you must be creative. Clients may have an idea of what they want, but not the details. You must be able to help them arrive at their concept for the decor, and suggest options."
Equally important, he said, is having a track record of delivering successful decor jobs for previous clients. Lutchman's experience in horticulture and expertise in floral breeds is a strength here. He has connections with floral growers and dealers both here and in Florida. And he keeps a photo album of past wedding jobs to help clients see what's possible and arrive at their own visions.
A third key quality is good communication with the client. "Brides always dream about what they want for their weddings. But often, the closer it gets to the actual wedding date, the more nervous the brides–or grooms–become; and they can change their minds about what they want. Last-minute changes can be expensive and stressful; so you have to understand them, and help them plan the event in advance," says Lutchman. He prefers to confirm exact decor details just two to three months before the wedding.
"As soon as we see a venue, we can advise couples what will look good in that particular space. We can foresee, in terms of materials, measurements and costs, what might be needed. Whether it is stage settings, floral arrangements, bridal bouquets, or props like columns or fabric backdrops, we work with the clients to decide on a concept or theme, which will influence colour choices and decor choices," he says.
Popular themes for weddings are garden or Greek-style weddings, both indoors and outdoors, involving columns, pottery, and elegant, classic floral displays, he said. But he's also done Egyptian and Arabian-styled themes, involving lots of drapery; Hindu weddings with bamboo and gold accents; and once he did a wedding with a chocolate theme–chocolate fountain, chocolate-covered fruit, and floral centerpieces with chocolate items in the arrangements.
"Fairy tale weddings are also a favourite," he says, involving twinkling lights, large floral centerpieces and lit candles. Once, he recalls, he did decor for a seaside wedding: he organised for lush orchids to trail off of the roof of a seaside gazebo, and made arrangements of large glass vessels containing candles; all the table centrepieces were orchid arrangements, while romantic rosebuds lined the bridal procession route.
The business is not without its stresses. Some folks do not rent the wedding hall until just a day or two before; once he had to decorate a big hall in just a few hours, starting from dawn, in time for a noon wedding the same day. That can involve considerable transport and other logistical challenges–and a fair amount of stress. On another occasion, a bride changed the colour of her decor just three days before the wedding, so all the floral work, including the bridal bouquet, boutonnieres and table arrangements, had to be changed at short notice.
"Many people focus on venue rental, food and drinks first," he says, without realistically planning and budgeting for decor; yet, they still expect a spectacular setting. He suggested that for realistic costs and less last-minute stress, it's better to consider decor up front in any wedding budget.
In a business which combines aspects of set design with floral arranging and event management, Curtis Lutchman's Fantasy Weddings are a totally local, home-grown business which not only earns an income and supports a family, but which also has developed organically from the San Juan community. And the personal touch is there: whatever the fantasy theme for a wedding, the Lutchman family says they will go the extra mile to make it happen.
Lutchman can be reached at 753-4974 / 304-8213, or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CurtisLutchman
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