May 17, 2017

Meet Madeleine Elmer of Fleur de Vie in Memorial

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Madeleine Elmer.

Madeleine, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The seeds of my floral design business were planted as a little girl gardening with my mother and grandmother, identifying wildflowers on walks in nature and watching my artist mother design fabulous artful arrangements for floral design competitions. A student of art history and a museum and art appreciation docent for many years, I always loved learning and teaching about art and nature. 7 years ago, I brought my professional background in marketing together with my love of art and nature and founded Fleur de Vie. Since then I have traveled across the country studying with leading international floral and event designers in workshops and at the Chapel Designers conferences. At those conferences, in addition to designing fabulous flowers, we learned the business and operational aspects of running a floral design studio. Each year our studio took on more events and weddings and today we have a team of wonderful designers (the Fabulous Fleurettes!) that is committed to making flowers into works of art for weddings, luncheons, showers, dinner parties, corporate and charitable special events. Some highlights of the journey thus far: conducting a workshop on a hillside villa overlooking the Pacific with 400 of Oprah Winfrey’s garden roses from her Montecito estate. Working till all hours of the night in a hotel ballroom on a huge floral installation with Jeff Leatham, floral superstar and the Creative Director of the Georges V in Paris. Being the floral designer for all the Houston Design Center events for the interior design community and winning three tables cape awards in a row at their annual Deck the Tables holiday tour. Winning a Best in Show in my first competitive flower show. Clipping fresh blooms from my local flower farm near Houston and designing with them. And of course, seeing the look on my brides’ faces when they walk into the ballroom or when I hand them their bridal bouquet.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When you start a business that is a departure from your previous career(s), as a woman, you can often be perceived by some people you have known a long time as a “hobbyist”. You have to prove that you have a legitimate business operation that can take on big and important events and that you are serious about making it a successful (and profitable) business. And to produce really artful and carefully considered designs. You really have to be a little obsessive in this business as there is always something new to learn! New floral varieties, techniques, styles. Floral and event design trends track along with fashion and interior design so you have to keep up! Logistically, there was a lot to learn about dealing with wholesalers and suppliers. Ordering hundreds if not thousands of fresh flowers and keeping them in top condition for the event, learning what is in season, where to source your product, and how to manage the operation when you have so much perishable product in a really hot city! Learning Quick Books! But I love the challenges and the problem solving. I am very proud of our product and our process. We have wonderful clients who love what we do!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Fleur de Vie – what should we know?
Fleur de Vie is a boutique studio. We are not trying to be all things to all people. Our clients are a bit more sophisticated and style conscious, well-educated and well-traveled. They expect top notch designs and personal service and we deliver on that. Our “studio style” is an organic and naturalistic, flowing garden style. We take into account the principles and elements of design and color theory when we design an event. We strive for our clients to feel that they have walked into a garden that they want to explore and ask “What is that flower/leaf/pod? I have never seen that before!”. It is the way I was taught to design as a girl and it is very much in vogue again,

I am most proud of the close relationships we have built on our design team and with our clients. It hardly seems like work when you enjoy the people you work with and for every day… When our clients come back again and again and refer their friends, we know we have done a good job. I am proud of every design that leaves the studio because we are big on quality control and I think it shows. No dead flowers at our events! I think that our attention to detail and design as well as our customer relationships are what sets Fleur de Vie apart.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Relentlessness! I really am obsessed. I read design blogs, magazines, books and follow top designers and flower wholesalers (like Mayesh) on Instagram and Facebook every single day. I want to learn some new technique or new flower variety continuously. And I am relentless about my clients’ feeling that they are being well taken care of. Especially with brides and mothers of brides who are dealing with so many moving parts for the first time! It is a joy and a privilege to be part of such an important day in their lives.

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