Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori DeNicola.
Lori, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My love for flowers came from a need to create. I was fortunate enough to grow up in the world of art. I attended the School of the Arts from 8th grade through high school where I was a dancer. When I graduated high school I really didn’t want to go to college, I wanted to go to NYC and take my chances at becoming a dancer on the big broadway stage. After quickly running out of money and finding out both of my parents health were on the decline, I came back home to Charleston so I could be near them should they need anything. I went back to school and majored in Arts Management. During my time at CofC I interned with an event designer and was in awe of her and her floral design skills. I longed to get my hands on those blooms. Feeling the need to find a new creative outlet, I started to do flowers for friends weddings and from there my love and obsession for flowers took off.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Is anything worth doing in life ever smooth? ha!I I will say that the most challenging struggle by far has been that of 2020 which is bleeding over into 2021. The effect of wretched Covid on humanity and our planet has really created quite the kink in the floral industry, from the top of the chain with the growers/farmers all the way down to the designers.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I dream in flowers. Every vessel is a home for blooms, every room is a landscape. I truly believe that plants and flowers bring a room to life and the energy from plants and flowers uplift a room. It is scientifically proven that flowers bring joy. I am a firm believer in energy and all that surrounds us effects us. I’m one of those kooky florists who talks to her flowers. It is important to me that our team gels and that we vibe with our Clients because that shines through in every detail. I also look at the design as a whole, not just the flowers for the event or set. It is important to me that I get to sit and chat with our Clients and get to know them whether it is for a wedding, a set or a living space. I am still friends with so many of our past couples. My favorite thing to create are large scale installations. I enter every project in gratitude, I say a little prayer of gratitude before I get started and at the completion of every install, thanking the blooms and Mother Nature along the way. I realize how crazy I sound but it works for me 🙂 I feel truly honored anytime someone trusts me to bring their vision to life.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Study, learn and go for it! Mechanics are EVERYTHING. Go to as many workshops and conferences as you can. Freelance for other florists. Soak in everything you can and never stop learning and never stop being curious. And equally give back, community over competition always. Your community is everything. When I was starting out I wish there were more workshops available, now a days there is so much on the internet and all over the world, I try to go to as many workshops as I possibly can, they help me to re-fuel creatively and meet so many incredibly talented designers from all over the world!
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@wearepetaloso.com
- Website: www.WeArePetaloso.com
- Instagram: @WeArePetaloso
- Facebook: Petaloso
Image Credits
Mary Beth Dennis @marybethcreates Nicole Mickle Photography @nmicklephotography Danielle Defayette @ddefayettephoto Catherine Ann Photography @Catherine_ann_photography Aneris Photography @anerisphotos Stephanie Brazzle Photography @stephaniebrazzle
