Chic Design With You In Mind
From her early years growing up to her role today as a successful business owner, Lisa Foster’s life has been focused on beautiful pieces of floral art. That focus has translated this year into Foster winning in three categories of Cityview’s Best of the Best: Best Florist, Best Wedding Florist, and Best Christmas Tree Decorator.
“When I was four or five years old, my great-grandmother had a beautiful flower garden,” Foster says. “I was drawn to the colors, shapes, and smells of all those flowers.”
Her great grandmother’s garden became her happy place. It was the place they would go to spend time together and cut flowers. When they ventured inside, she would stare in awe as the weathered hands of her great-grandmother would place them carefully in vases to brighten their family’s home. In fact, it was here where Foster would design her very first flower arrangement, guided by the example of the woman she looked up to.
Years after garden walks with her great-grandmother, Foster began working for a local florist and after several years decided weddings would be her forte. She set out on her own in 2004. “I worked out of my garage for a few years,” she recalls. “As my business grew, and with the support and encouragement from my family, I took the brave step to open a floral shop.”
“Shop” is an understatement.
Today, Lisa manages a team of seven at Lisa Foster Floral Design as she works to provide hundreds of brides with the floral designs of their dreams. She does more than create happy brides; she creates a happy community. “We pride ourselves on delivering excellence in everything we do,” she says. The shop also books events and offers full service arrangements for all occasions. “No arrangements are made up in advance for our customers. Our designs are based on each individual’s request.”
Every piece is unique and designed specifically for the individual customer. As Foster and her team begin to formulate what those arrangements will look like, they are drawn into the stories customers tell: a grandmother who adored hydrangeas, a mother’s fondess for peonies, a bride who has fallen in love with Garden roses. “It’s always a pleasure to discuss the customer’s color choices and their favorite flowers,” Foster says.
Visitors to the shop can watch Foster and her team design in action. With more than 70 years of combined floral design experience, Foster feels confident in the work of her team. They seem to understand the vision of her studio, working daily to help others realize their own. “We attend training to keep up with the current trends and methods of preparing and designing all flowers,” she says. “Each member of our staff contributes so much to the success of our business…we are a family.”
It is evident, not just in the fact that Foster trusts her team with her vision, but also in the fact that she calls it “our business.” Foster instills a sense of community in her space, and though hundreds of folks come through her doors every year, she keeps herself grounded in faith and trusts that she’s part of something bigger.
Today, Foster remains committed to a dream that grew in her as a child. She is committed to her Faith, her family, her team, and her patrons. And above all, she’s committed to the idea that with every centerpiece, bouquet, boutonniere, and corsage, she’s making someone’s small dream a reality.