Not only is Lesley super talented, she is a really fun person who loves taking good care of her clients. I have had the opportunity to hang out with Lesely a couple of times now and she was very kind to agree to answering a few questions and letting me take a few photographs of her and her studio to feature here on the blog. If you are a bride planning your wedding and want something unique to you for your florals you definitely need to check out Lesley’s work.

Here is what Lesley has to say, along with some photos of her adorable studio located in the Duling School Building in Fondren.

Tulip

Lesley N Frascogna

622 Duling Avenue • Jackson, MS 39216

601.572.1777

www.tulipdesignstudio.com

Q: What spurred your interest in floral design, how did you get started and what does your business look like today?

I have been working in the catering and event business since I was about 14, working with my Mom on events. I would find myself in a total daze when the florists came to set up, I was absolutely fascinated. When I moved to the city, I decided to get a part-time job at a local Chicago flower shop and it spun out of control from there.  I was officially obsessed!  And, I was good at it too!  A few years later, I opened my own retail flower shop in Chicago called Roscoe Blooms. When I moved to Mississippi to be with my husband in 2006, I started Tulip, which took off almost immediately.  Tulip is great because we only do weddings and special events.  Not having the retail part to worry about really lets me focus on my passion for weddings.  I am in love with my business and It’s a blessing to do what I love everyday!

Q: What is your favorite part of being part of a wedding day?

Do I have to choose one? How about three??

1.)  Seeing the Bride all dressed up, giving her a big hug, and handing her the Bridal bouquet. I have to be the one who hands her the bouquet.  To me, it’s very personal.

2.)  There is nothing like the intense feeling of setting up on a wedding day and working with deadlines.   It is such a rush!!

3.)  The look on everyone’s face when they see how beautiful the flowers are.  When you pour your heart and soul into something, there is nothing better than recognition.

Q: Is there any past wedding that stands out in your mind? What made it so memorable?

Yes!  It was the first wedding I did on my own when I opened Roscoe Blooms.  It was so memorable because it was a nightmare!  I remember thinking, it won’t take me that long to do 12 boutonnieres, 10 bouquets, 6 wrist corsages, and 20 centerpieces, and another party on top of that.  I thought I could do it all on my own too.  I was so wrong!  I don’t know how I pulled it off, but I did.  I can still feel the panic and anxiety from that day.   Wow!  I have come a long way from that first wedding!!

Q: What wedding trends do you see here in Mississippi?

Less is becoming more in Mississippi.  The days of overpowering floral arrangements filled with excess greenery and filler are coming to an end.  Brides are realizing that smaller arrangements packed full of beautiful, simple blooms say a lot more than that enormous urn arrangement.  Unique containers are also becoming a huge trend.  At Tulip our Brides are into using things like wooden boxes, milk glass, antique vases, and apothecary jars as opposed to your typical bubble bowl.  Containers make a huge statement and can completely change the look of an event.

Q: Are there any wedding trends you have taken note of in other parts of the country that you wish Mississippi brides incorporated into their weddings?

I so miss sit down dinner receptions.  It’s not so much a trend as it is a tradition in most parts of the country.  I miss the details of the sit-down reception.  The dinnerware, the china, the menu, the linen, and the seating cards.  All of the details that come together to create an amazing tablescape.  The Southern receptions are more of an open house cocktail reception without place settings. I have yet to do a seated reception in Mississippi, but I feel 2010 is my year.  Help a girl out Southern Brides!

Q: What is one thing that brides may not realize about floral design that they should consider when looking to hire a florist?

I think that a lot of Brides are under the impression that a floral designer will adapt to their style. Not every florist can give you what you need.  You need to choose a floral designer that fits your personal style.  For example, Jackson is a very traditional flower market.  If I have a Bride that comes to me for Traditional style flowers I will refer them somewhere else.  I guess I can do traditional if I want, but that is not my thing.  To me, floral design is personal and it’s also an art form, you wouldn’t ask a landscape artist to create an abstract masterpiece would you?  I want a Bride to come to me because she appreciates my style of design and she wants me to do my thing.

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give a bride planning her wedding?

Please set a budget for everything in the beginning!!  You will save your vendors a ton of time and yourself a lot of headaches. If you set a budget, you can be much more realistic about the things that you can have and you can prioritize.  It makes everyone involved much happier!