I work with a few Boston wedding professionals who I put in the “awesome” category. These are people who I would not only feel comfortable recommending to clients, but professionals whose work I get so excited about that I think “people have got to see what this person does!”
Erica Jones is one of those wedding pros. Her business, Events by Sharon’s Daughter, is a full-service “boutique” event planning firm that provides event design and planning. She is also lead designer for her company’s floral division: Orchids N’ Blooms.
This past wedding season Erica and I worked together at two weddings. She was the Event Designer and “Month Of” Planner for Katrina and Pierre’s wedding at the Boston Harbor Hotel (which you can see here and here), and was the Floral Designer for Diana and David’s wedding at the White Cliffs Country Club. I asked Erica if she’d share a bit about Events By Sharon’s Daughter and the wedding services that they provide.
How did you become involved with event design and planning weddings?
Several years ago my family and I lived in Los Angeles for an extended period of time. We attended several celebrity events and witnessed how prevalent the special event industry is in that region. I was astounded by the amount of time, detail and attention that planning companies and designers invested into their events. It wasn’t long after that that I started to make the transition from my first (and very different) career in cardiac nursing to Event Planning/Design for social and corporate clients. I was lucky that I already had 18 months of floral design training under my belt (thank heaven for college electives!), which ended up being a tremendous bonus for my career.
Where do you get your inspiration for styling weddings?
My inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere, but especially from fashion and interior/home design magazines and articles. My team and I also gain inspiration from the textures and fabrics that grace the red carpet. These, in turn, help to fuel new and fresh ideas for a client’s custom table linens.
On a side note, I’ve always thought that stars should start carrying flowers on the red carpet, but Hollywood hasn’t quite reached that point yet!
What are some of the trends you’re seeing in wedding design?
Recently there’s been an emphasis on earthy, organic, and “eco chic” styling for weddings and wedding-related celebrations. Because the majority of weddings in this part of the country occur indoors, many of our clients are looking for ways to bring the outdoors in. For example, several upcoming brides have asked that we incorporate elements inspired by the sea, the New England coast, and even snow and ice into their event design.
Tell me about the Events By Sharon’s Daughter team.
I am blessed to have a team of two designers and an assistant planner, though they’ve all been trained to cross disciplines as needed. A little bit more about them…
Scott Knowler is a senior designer for our floral division, Orchids N’ Blooms. Having worked in retail floral scene, he brings a decade of training and experience to the company. Though it is not always possible, we try to work as a team on all client events from beginning to end. This helps our brides to have two perspectives (on how an event may be designed) and affords them the opportunity to consult with two professionals, rather than one.
Valerie Cummings is a seasoned and skillful designer who brings over 10 years of experience to our design table. She oversees the majority of our North Shore/Southern New Hampshire weddings, but is no stranger to Boston brides and venues. When clients ask how we came to work with her, I explain that she designed my own wedding flowers in 2003. The rest, as they say, is history!
Donnaree Wynter is our newest planning prodigy who attracted us by her professionalism and ability to troubleshoot an event with precision. Not only that, but her love for wedding coordination and her persistently positive attitude make her a valuable asset to our team. Our clients express tremendous gratitude for her excellent work and for being a life saver on the day of their event.
I look forward to many more years of successful event planning with all of them!
