Today we’d like to introduce you to Yolanda Colon.
Hi Yolanda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi there! I’m Yolanda or, as my friends call me, Jolie – owner of Le Fleur Atelier… I’m originally from the New York area but I guess you can call me a Floridian now as I have been in the Orlando, Florida area for over 25 years now. Le Fleur Atelier is a boutique-style flower studio which specializes in lush and perfectly romantic floral designs for weddings and events. Our signature design style is organic with trailing vines, textural berries, twisted tulips and all things perfectly imperfect. Every stem is placed with thought and care, bringing each unique vision to life. My love with all things wedding started a young age as a flower girl at a wedding which later inspired me to become a floral designer.
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?
I actually started off the business as a part-time wedding planning and floral adventure; still working full time as a project manager/marketing manager for a large hotel brand in Orlando. But as someone once told me “if you treat your business as part-time, that’s what it will continue to be – just a part-time business… So I decided to leave my 8 to 6 job and threw myself completely into my business. Needless to say, it was one of the best decisions I made in my life! At first, it was a little challenging getting my name out there, but once the ball started rolling, my business started to bloom… Even throughout these crazy times with COVID, I have to say that we have been super blessed and continue to grow.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Having over three decades in the wedding industry gives us a wealth of experience and knowledge in which we happily shares with our clients. With a background in design, it is easy for us to keep up with the latest wedding trends, combining all that is new and all that is traditionally romantic creating unique stylistic wedding florals.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Being flexible, patient and staying positive are some of the most importing things I’ve learn over the Covid-19 Crisis. When the pandemic first hit, everything just stop and I thought, “what am I going to do now?” I found that staying in touch with my clients, giving them hope and being flexible with new dates was a start, but what about new clients? I could just sit and wait to see what happens or I can move forward and work harder at marketing my business, staying positive and continue to build relationships. The decision was pretty easy – move forward and push hard… And it totally paid off. We are truly blessed to have been able to not only survive this crisis but also increase our client base, continuing to work hard to produce beautiful and quality work, making lots of wedding dreams come true…
Contact Info:
- Email: Hello@lefleuratelier.com
- Website: www.lefleuratelier.com
- Instagram: lefleuratelier_fl
Image Credits
Ashley Jane Photography, Gabby Girdner Photography, Lillie Shawn Imagery Noble Photo Co. Josie Brooks Photography Kelsey Cole Photography.
