It’s Spotlight Day where we introduce you to incredible Orlando wedding vendor Lana Pelham-Faulkner of Fairbanks Florist and the story behind her company.
How long would you say you’ve been doing what you do today?
I began working with weddings when I bought the already existing Fairbanks Florist (known for high-end weddings) in September of 1987. The shop was founded in 1981 and is still vibrant and creative and standing on the leading edge of floral artistry and innovation with design and fabrications.
How did your work evolve to get you to where you are today?
Thousands of weddings and very happy Bride’s, years of listening to what my precious clients are saying, their trust and exceeded expectations of our flawless execution of their events, out of the box thinking and trusting myself to push unexplored floral boundaries, brings a multitude of experience and understanding about how to understand what a client is saying and translate their floral dreams into a stunning reality! Building lasting and caring relationships with my clients that have lasted for years.
Tell us about your most memorable event so far and why it was.
In 2009 I was hired by a Bride from New York who wanted a unique bridal bouquet made with peacock feathers. This was a small wedding by most standards so you might wonder why this one was so memorable. Well, I created a bouquet using elements and design that I had never executed before and it was so unique and beautiful, even I had to stand back and take pause. This bride pushed my boundaries for design and trusted me.
The resulting bouquet went viral around the world and still shows up in new blogs and Pinterest boards even today. I ended up replicating this bouquet for clients in Australia and in several places in America. I also worked with a florist in England to help them execute the same bouquet design for one of their Brides. That one bouquet is one of my proudest accomplishments and made the world much smaller for me and provided opportunities to expand my floral reach beyond the Central Florida area.
What motivates you to do this every day?
My absolute passion for helping people express themselves eloquently through flowers and my absolute love for everything in the flower and plant world. When I am working with flowers and plants, God’s precious and beautifully inspiring gift to us, I am in Nirvana, the flowers work through me and inspire me in ways I never imagined! I am a true tree hugger and love our Mother Earth. Our team goes the extra mile to recycle and keep our footprint as minimal as possible on our incredible planet. Every day I get to play with the most beautiful inspiring gifts from God and every day I get to meet amazing people and forge new relationships that expand my world in the best of ways!
What fun-fact would people be surprised to learn about you?
I had two Golden Retrievers, Nikki and Penny, that went to the flower shop with me every day, and when I met my husband Art, he too had a Golden Retriever, Smitty. When we got together all three dogs came to the flower shop every day, all 360 pounds of them! They all crossed the Rainbow Bridge and we could not replace them, so now we have 6 cats! We love animals!
What is the most unique service/product you offer?
Unique, diverse creations, and current floral trends! My reputation is based on my ability to artistically capture the beauty and elegance of nature in sophisticated, contemporary floral designs. Personalized service, expert knowledge, and fine attention to detail.
Use three words to describe your business.
Luxury Floral Designs, Artistic Interpretation, Tailored Service
What makes your business stand out from others in your category?
I am fearless, I have survived numerous economic hurdles over 33 years and understand the savvy it takes to endure business in good and bad times and that means I am not going anywhere but up! I absolutely LOVE my craft and get to “go play” every day! I am truly comfortable with people I have just met and I have a way of figuring out how to make them happy and bring their floral dreams to life through flowers.
Tell us about your ideal client.
One without a budget! Ha! Ha! No, seriously I would say the ones that believe in me and trust in me, I am truly a magician at working with budgets!
Why do you think your business is successful?
Because I love flowers and I love people and that comes through in everything I do!
What is your best piece of advice for someone who just got engaged?
Hire Fairbanks Florist! Hire a Planner!
What current trends have you seen at weddings that you personally like most?
Ones that reflect the unique personalities of the Bride and Groom
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions that people have about your vendor category?
Flowers are expensive. Vessels and products to design flowers can be expensive. The majority of people have no idea how much labor goes into working with flowers and so they are not typically prepared for the labor costs which are added to the floral cost. Flowers are time-consuming to work with because they need a lot of care to bring them to their perfect state of beauty at the perfect time. The labor, supplies, workspace, and refrigeration needed to work with flowers can be extensive and so the services provided by a Florist can be costly, so, therefore, you should expect to pay labor costs along with the flower costs when hiring a florist for your special event.
Stacie and Robert in Winter Park, FL. Photo by Jensen Larson / @jensenlarsonweddings
Here is what some previous couples had to say…
“Lana exceeded every expectation I had for my wedding day and went absolutely above and beyond to make my dream wedding a reality. She embraces a challenge and isn’t afraid to do something that hasn’t been done before. She’s not only a florist — she’s a true artist! The florals at our wedding made a huge visual impact and our guests were in awe. They transformed our venues. She precisely executed the vision I had in my head of elegant, timeless florals and decor.
Her expertise, professionalism, and creativity are unmatched, and choosing her for our wedding day was one of the best decisions we made. We worked with her for a full year leading up to the wedding, and she was always flexible, communicative, and willing to accommodate our busy schedules. We can’t recommend her highly enough – she is truly the best!” – Jamie C., Alfond Inn
“Lana is just the very best ever! Looking at pictures of our wedding day, I still can’t believe the beauty she created. As our photographers put it, “the decor was a dream, with the entire room feeling like an intimate garden party that had been brought inside. The head table was surrounded by a trellis of greenery and flowers, and a mix of floral accented high and low centerpieces filled the tables along with candles. Between the glow of the candles to the light from the string lights surrounding the dance floor, the entire room had such a warm feel and was the perfect setting for the epic dance party that ensued.” Honestly, it was just so overwhelmingly beautiful.
But, that’s not all! Just as important as the beauty she designs and brings to life, Lana is such a joy to work with throughout the wedding planning process. She worked with my crazy schedule (I was planning a wedding in Florida while stationed across the world in Okinawa, Japan), helped us determine and work within our flower budget, and graciously offered us a military discount (without even asking). She is patient, organized, generous with her time and talent, and brilliant –a true artist and a true professional! Lana, we are eternally grateful to our favorite flower bud. Thank you for all you did to make our best day ever so gorgeous.” – Shannon D., St. James Cathedral, Country Club of Orlando
“Lana with Fairbanks Florist was a pleasure to work with. Lana was so sweet from the very beginning and seemed so excited to work with me. At our initial meeting, we discussed my vision of the wedding day. I was adamant about staying within our floral budget and Lana did a good job with delivering. She even suggested that we repurpose the flowers from the chuppah to some of the table centerpieces to stay within budget. It was evident she cared about what was important to me.
About 2 months before the wedding, she put together a sample centerpiece to ensure that my vision was portrayed correctly. After seeing the sample, she could tell that I wanted to make some changes, and she did not hesitate to make everything right. You could tell that Lana truly wanted to make me happy and did not take anything personally when we made adjustments to the floral arrangement. Lana redid the sample centerpiece, and WOW, she nailed it!
On the wedding day, Lana literally brought me to tears when I first saw my bouquet. I had never seen such a beautiful bouquet filled with orchids. The chuppah arrangement was a show stopper and was the perfect addition to our ceremony. She truly made my vision come to life. Lana is definitely the floral queen!” – Nicole D., Alfond Inn
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