Whats in a Name?
Chandler
What, as a brand name, represents you better than your own name?
I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with my name.
I was never one of those kids that had to add on the first initial of their last name to distinguish them from the other two Hannah’s in the class. But I have always needed to repeatedly clarify exactly what I just said to the guy on the other end of the line taking my to-go order, only to find out my receipt says “Tamara” anyway.
Either way, the Friends references are always an
awesome bonus.
As an adult, I’ve grown to appreciate the uniqueness of my name. As I developed my brand, it was important to me to choose a name which would both represent myself as an individual, as well as my values as a company. And what, as a brand name, represents you better than your own name? With my background in design and typography, I loved the playful take on the spelling using the well-loved ampersand. What’s more, the symbol itself is representative of the unions which we celebrate.
From Finding Goats to Finding Yourself
During our first big trip together, Angel and I found ourselves at Jester King Brewery, just outside of downtown Austin, Texas. (And when I say, “found ourselves,” I really mean, “actively sought out and requested the 25 minute Uber ride.”) We ordered drinks–beer for him, wine for me–and found a spot to enjoy our instagram-worthy artisanal pizzas. But, what you need to know is, we had really come for the goats. We have always loved animals and have seemingly always tried to tie them into our dates: trips to the Midstate Fair and a few dollars spent at the petting zoo, buying heads of lettuce to feed to the emus at Avila Valley Barn, a private tour booked to see exotic rescues at Animal Tracks Inc., etc. So, when we planned our trip to Austin, we knew we needed to find some cliché, southern farm friends to spend a few hours with. The answer was Jester King. Shortly after arriving, and glass of wine in hand, we wandered off from the main farmhouse to find some goats. And find some goats we did.
We came across an enclosed pasture with a simple barn and an empty field, save for a single, pensive Anatolian Shepherd. A few minutes pass of us petting the sweet girl through the fence, when the most farmer-looking of farmers materializes from seemingly nowhere. He tells us to come around to the locked gate and promises to show us something worthwhile. We make our way into the pasture and as soon as he calls out, a stampede of goats flow out of the barn doors and fill the field that was empty only moments before. This magical man and goat-whisperer showed us the best way to hold the kids (or, “baby goats” for you non-animal people) and left us to our evening, closing the gate behind him. We looked at each other and laughed in disbelief. We were suddenly surrounded by our heaven on earth. Just the two of us. On a farm. In Texas. With goats parkouring off each other’s backs.
In that moment, I knew. This is everything I want. This is wide open spaces, sunset skies and cool weather. This is silliness and happiness in the simplest of terms. This is dirt under your nails and the joyous cries of newborn Nigerian Dwarf goats.
This was not a loud bar filled with the stench of cleaning products or a dark concert venue overflowing with unfamiliar faces.
This was me. This was us. And this is somehow what I’d want our wedding (and our life together) to be.
Our Mission
To offer noteworthy, professional and comprehensive service, where every client
feels the validity of their importance. It is our purpose to provide new, innovative visions for our clients and to deliver exquisite designs. We believe everyone is a client, regardless of the extent of their interaction with our brand. We aim to inspire within even the briefest of encounters. We will cultivate a healthy workspace of growth and creativity. We promise to utilize the unique qualities and skillsets of our employees and contractors. And to surround our brand with that which makes us happiest and to never live life stuck on repeat.
It’s All About You (And a Little About Me)
I found my true passion in floral design while attending college at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. I credit many of my career decisions to both the agricultural emphasis at Cal Poly, as well as the “Learn By Doing” motto. Though I was studying Graphic Communication and, at the time, truly believed I would pursue a career in print or packaging, I came to the realization that–after many hours of computer labs–I could not sit and stare at a screen for the rest of my life. So, as a nice break from the monotony of printing presses and their inner workings, I registered for the first Floral Design course, despite having no elective credits left to spend. It was love at first boutonniere.
After realizing I wanted to work in the event industry, I took an internship with an event production company in Los Angeles. I quickly realized the Entertainment and Corporate divisions of the industry did not align with my values or passions. The events were too large, too cookie-cutter, and too heavily emphasized on pleasing the big-brand client and host, and not the individual guest. As I made the move toward weddings and special events, I took a position as the Sales & Design Coordinator for a premier floral design and events company in Thousand Oaks. It was a step closer to the dream, but with every passing day, I learned something more about how too many of these companies operate.
They needed to be more personal. That’s how I built my mission statement and my brand. Our company’s values represent what I value as an individual and what these other businesses always seemed to lack:
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- Professional service that starts with the first email, continues on to each meeting, lasts throughout the entirety of an event, and does not faulter after the final check has been cashed
- Fresh, meaningful ideas to surprise and excite every client and their guests
- Complete attentiveness toward each aspect of an event that involves our services, from the third round of inspiration boards to the rearranging of flowers on your toppled wedding cake
- Triple-checking every element of your day to ensure it aligns with past discussions and overall visions, and knowing it is never too late to make that small, necessary change
- Noteworthy and inspirational designs that will have a memorable impact on the couple, their loved ones, and those who saw the wedding pics online
- Utilization of others’ unique skillsets and creative minds to elevate our client experience (we love working with other passionate, creative, and motivated people – vendors and employees alike)
- An emphasis on each new day as exactly that, something new
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