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vendor reviews: floral designers
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Reviewing Donna Swinson and Dawn Tomlinson, Owners & Designers at Lilies White
Lilies White
has a name that stands for all things vibrant and a reputation for
exquisite wedding flowers. Working from their chic location in
uptown Waterloo, this flower, gift and home
décor shop draws brides
quite
Personally speaking... Lilies White is owned by good friends, Donna Swinson and Dawn Tomlinson. These two professionals are artistic, focused, and a perfect match for each other. "The first day we met, we were talking about design," they admitted. Donna had just moved from Collingwood to the street where Dawn lived, and so their first conversation was not surprisingly about decorating. "That really started it all." They never stopped talking.
Nine years ago, Dawn and Donna started their business quite literally from scratch - without any formal training in floral design. Working out of a small but stylish shop in Mannheim country, "We were able to have total creative freedom because neither of us were formally trained in flowers. We didn't have any guidelines to follow but we knew exactly what we wanted to do." It wasn't long before they were running out of space, their calendars were filled with events and their daily floral business was keeping them busy.
In the summer of 2006, this not-so-little-anymore business moved to a chic uptown Waterloo location while simultaneously carrying out the beautiful design of over one hundred weddings. They now have a staff of 6 floral designers (including Dawn, Donna, Peter, Meghan and a junior designer during wedding season) that they work with each day, a much loved manager, Deb Jasinski who has been with them for over five years, and a gorgeous store.
Lilies White Weddings Lilies White offers flower design for bouquets (for the bride, bridesmaids and flower girls), table centrepieces, head table arrangements, floral headdresses, corsages, boutonnières, flowers for the cake, and various other décor accents that call for the beauty of fresh flowers. Lilies White has more than their fair share of expertise, style and weddings to design for. But it's their personal investment that Dawn and Donna believe make a difference. "Our brides know that we stress about their flowers as much as they do. We won't let an arrangement leave our shop unless we can stand back and say, 'Wow, that's spectacular.'" Lilies White will take on 5 to 6 weddings per weekend, depending on the size of the flower order.
At Lilies White you will be working with Dawn, Donna (or both), Peter or Meghan to get the flowers you are dreaming of. As long as you book ahead, you'll have their undivided attention throughout your initial consultation. This one to one and a half hour appointment is your time to get to know Lilies White, and them you. At the same time, you'll talk details, colours, types of flowers, and ultimately design the look of your wedding day flowers. After your appointment, you'll see them at various times to bring in dress swatches or any props you'd like them to work with. "We want the bouquets to pop. We want the guests to gasp." They know how important it is to have a bouquet stand up to the photos you'll have for a lifetime (with your bouquet front and centre in many of those photos).
Style: Adding the Lilies White touch The Lilies White style is fresh and contemporary. They stay away from more traditional elements such as baby's breath and fern-looking fillers, opting instead for contemporary, rich grasses, bold colours and intricate details. They are more likely to use an extravagant tropical leaf in the right size and colour for your pew end than a puffy bow.
Bright, bold colour takes the lead in many of their designs as well. Lime green has evolved into their signature hue, playing a supporting role in many of their arrangements. Their shop shows off this same colour and how it makes all the other natural flower colours come alive.
Looking at the current trends, Lilies White told us that hand tied bouquets are popular. However, they love the adventurous bride who is willing to let them create a floral design from scratch. Some brides have very definite ideas about what they would like for their wedding flowers, and Lilies White welcomes these, too.
A wedding is usually the first time you will buy flowers on a large scale, and the staff here loves to walk you through the process, showcasing unique ideas and working with your individual style. "When it comes to weddings, we are as excited as ever. Weddings never get old. There's always a new idea, a new design, a new challenge."
Beyond the bloom... Even the shelves of giftware and home décor at Lilies White are arranged by theme or colour, ranging from sparkly to matte contemporary. They carry their own centrepiece vases and props in glass.
Breaking down the numbers The average price of a bridal bouquet from Lilies White is about $150, $100 for a bridesmaid, and of course, then each can go up or down from there. They have done weddings for as little as $500 and for $12,000 or more. It really depends on who you are and what you're looking for.
Many of the brides who come to Dawn and Donna don't know the exact direction they want to take for their wedding flowers. All they know is that they want Lilies White to be their florist.
Community matters... As a way to give back to the community, Lilies White volunteers to decorate a house with flowers and Christmas décor each year for the HopeSprings Cancer Support Centres. "It's community funded and a great cause. Both of us have had our lives touched by cancer."
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• There is a deposit of $75 in order to reserve your wedding date with them.
Booking Lilies White... Lilies White is located at 75 King Street South in Waterloo. You can reach them by phone to ask questions or to set up your consultation with Dawn and Donna at 519-576-7100. For more samples of their work, check them out online at www.lilieswhite.com.
Their shop hours are Monday to Wednesday, 10 am to 6 pm; Thursday and Friday, 10 am to 8 pm; Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm and on Sundays seasonally only.
- The Staff at TheWeddingRing.ca * Prices are all approximate and are subject to change and verification by authorized staff and management of Lilies White. |
that
isn't intriguing enough, the fact that owners Donna Swinson and Dawn
Tomlinson are as cool in person as their flowers are in photos, might
be. That's why staff at The Ring has been dying to sit down with this
duo for a long time. Let us
explain...
Even though their style sets the tone, Dawn and
Donna will tell you that that truly believe it's all about the service.
"We've had brides or
mothers of the bride stop during the wedding day or the next day to
thank us for everything we did for them... To take a time out at such an
important time to say that - that's why we do weddings." One of their
fondest memories is of a mother of the bride bringing gelato for the
entire Lilies White staff, the week after the wedding, as a way to say
thank you!
"We try to
make sure each item is polished... current..." They love to do 'lavish'
but are equally happy to work with simple concepts made perfect with the
right approach. In their portfolio and in their shop, you'll see the use
of curly bouillon wires that add a silver or fine sparkle, as well as crystals,
dried pods, poppy heads, trinkets, and other unique accents. The way
their flowers are grouped and clustered is also part of their style. 