Loralee Lewis

We are constantly inspired by so many designers, stylists and party/event planners. There is truly so much talent to admire. We could spend hours just swooning over all of the beautiful parties and weddings that are seamlessly crafted detail by detail. We love to be able to feature the talent of others on our blog and we are so thrilled that we have the opportunity not only to feature, but to share an interview that we did with the phenomenally talented, Loralee Lewis! Loralee is a paper designer and event stylist, who's style is impeccable and unique with a real vintage flair. Her concentration on little details come together to create such beautiful events! It is no wonder that her work has been featured in many popular magazines and that she has Academy Award winning clients! We first heard about Loralee when our sweet and incredibly talented friend, Kate Landers, featured Loralee's work with her Nutcracker themed party and then again at Kate’s signature baby boy shower! We have really enjoyed following Loralee’s work, we know you will enjoy Loralee's story and will fall in love with her work too!

Icing: Could you tell us a little bit about how you got your start?

Loralee: I got my start by blogging back in 2007 with my sister, Annie, on the "no fuss fabulous" blog. We gained a readership, and in 2010 I posted a party invitation that I had used for my daughter on the site. Someone saw it and bought 400 invitations from me directly because she liked the look. I learned then that there was a business
opportunity here.

Icing: Where do you draw inspiration from?

Loralee: I draw inspiration from anything pretty. I love vintage images in particular because they make me laugh and are frequently so beautiful. I draw a lot of inspiration from things I see in children's magazines as well and from fashion mags (classic ones: Vogue, Marie Claire, etc.)

Icing: Who are some of the people/party planners that inspire you?

Loralee: I love the community of party planners and creators. There are almost too many to name, as all of them have inspired me at one time or another, and I frequently find as much inspiration from individuals doing a single event as I do from "the pros." I gain a lot of insight during collaborations with event stylists, and they push me to improve and push the envelope further on my product offering.

Icing: Do you have any tricks up your sleeve to help people who have not created many parties of their own that would like to give it a try?

Loralee:
A. Pre-pack the kids' menus; I don't use buffets for food. I always have everything prepped and bagged and I keep it simple (e.g. peanut butter sandwich, grapes, carrots). This makes it easy to feed them, as I frequently work with preschoolers.

B. Doing a nice party is not as hard as it seems. Plan ahead and sketch out what you want it to look like. Start with a table and decorate it. Choose a few colors and stick with them. Pretty desserts can be found anywhere and on any budget, you don't have
to go the Neiman Marcus bakery, and an otherwise "average" looking cupcake can be dressed up with a simple wrap and tag to look extraordinary.

C. Good photography is the most neglected virtue of party planners. Ask around and find a friend who has a nice camera to help with the photos. It's unfortunate how many people throw amazing events but don't have photos that capture the grandeur.

Icing: What has been one of your favorite projects to work on to date?

Loralee: A favorite project recently was an event for a television network where we did a POP theme in January and it was done in bright yellows and greens. Everyone felt like springtime while they were in attendance and we tried some new things, like using tiny vases for drinks and experimenting with Jell-O at the dessert table. Super fun!

Thank you so much Loralee for sharing your time and talent with us!

Photos: Queen Bee Birthday Party for Loralee's sweet little girl, Horse Show Party for Babekins Magazine, Kate Lander's signature baby boy shower for which Loralee created the paper party goods, Sharnel Dollar's Mary Poppins birthday party for which Loralee created paper party goods, Vintage pool party paper party goods, Loralee's Airline Baby Shower, Bebe Shower paper party goods by Loralee

{More photos from all of the events can be found on Loralee's Blog}