May 2007 
 
NYC's VINE
Floral And
Decorative Designs
For Intimate Events
By Doha Challah

It had always been the dream of two smart, passionate young women to excel and start something special that they’d be proud to call their “baby”. Little did they know that their chance encounter would lead them to realize their aspirations by founding Vine (www.vinenyc.com ).

Heather Savarese started her career working at MTV, but she always had a desire to start her own business. However, it had to be the “it” project with the right person…someone like Emily Candee. Heather and Emily shared an instant chemistry when they met through their husbands, Adam and Bill (who knew each other in College). The two shared the same values and similar backgrounds – which allowed them to forge a unique friendship. They also had another thing in common, high maintenance jobs with long hours. Emily had been working for 4 years as a floral designer in a high-end floral shop in New York City. Heather believed in Emily’s talent and artistic taste and always encouraged her to go on her own. One day over brunch, Emily suggested that they should do something together. Shortly thereafter, in spring of 2006 the duo launched their company focusing in ‘floral and party design’. They share their experiences with Vis.A.Vis.

DC: I love the name you chose for your company - it’s simple yet sophisticated. Who picked it and why?

HS & EC: We both wanted a simple, yet meaningful name for our company.  The name came to us because we were inspired by the beautiful, cascading vines that grow wild on Emily’s patio. We loved how they added life and color to the space and represented growth…so we decided on Vine.

DC: Your concept is unique in its intimate nature, what inspired you to come up with this idea?

HS & EC: New York is such a large city with an abundance of floral and event designers that all provide similar products and services. We wanted to differentiate ourselves by offering unique floral designs along with superior customer service. In order to do so, we decided to focus on smaller-scale events.  For each event, we visit the space to get a feel for it, and then work with our clients to gather, discuss and collaborate on ideas. If appropriate, we will send a sample arrangement or pictures of floral options, vases, linen colors, etc., until we are all totally satisfied with the overall concept.
 
Prior to the event, every client receives a detailed design proposal. To ensure that our client is thrilled with the finished product, typically one of us is always on site to handle the physical setup of the party. While providing this type of service, we have been able to build relationships with our clients and truly get to know them on a personal level.  We believe this has contributed to our success as a company. 

DC: How do you work on a project, do you have different responsibilities? How are each of your personalities reflected in your work?

HS & EC: One of us is the main contact for each client/event, but aside from that, we really work as a team. We see all of the spaces together and choose the colors, flowers, linens, etc. jointly. It is a constant back and forth with ideas until we both feel completely comfortable with the design proposal.  While we do try to let our personalities and ideas shine through in our arrangements, we strive to work in unison with the theme of the event. This way, the flowers and designs we have created flow seamlessly within the space.

DC: Do you think cultural or fashion trends influence floral designs?

HS & EC: Yes, absolutely. We try to keep current with the fashion magazines and home décor publications. While flowers never ‘go out of fashion,’ we love to stay aware of new and hot color combinations, fabrics and looks.  Cultural influences also play a strong role in floral design.  Lately, Asian and Latin inspired designs have been really popular. Regionally inspired requests come in frequently as well.  For example, a PR firm recently wanted to impress a client by re-creating a California winery in a restaurant.  We really strive to make our designs as genuine as possible. 

DC: Your site, vinenyc.com lists an amazing selection of flowers. How does a person choose what’s right for their party?

HS & EC: It is really a joint effort between us and our clients and the vibe of each event. As some flowers are seasonal, we aren’t always able to locate specific flowers. However, we find that when a client has a color scheme in mind - but no specific flowers - the arrangements generally turn out better in the end. Reason being, we have the freedom to select what looks the absolute best and is in line with the season. Over the past year, we have been fortunate to have clients that are open to our design suggestions.

DC: What was the first party you did? And what would be your dream event?

HS & EC: We were blessed to have an amazing outdoor summer ‘holiday’ party as our first event.  We designed seasonal arrangements in a hot pink and lime green color palate. The setting was spectacular along the Navesink River in Rumson, NJ.

Our dream event…that is so tough to say, but if we had our choice it would most likely be an intimate dinner party on top of Spring Mountain in the Napa Valley, catered by an amazing local chef.  We would decorate with fresh seasonal herbs, fresh garden flowers, and grapes in a ‘wine inspired’ color palate. We would provide candlelight and lanterns for picnic tables, and make sure there were a few firepits to sit around while the sun set over the valley.  If we really had our dream come true, we would get to be guests, too.

DC: Floral designers such Preston Bailey and Colin Cowie have distinguished themselves in the industry with their peculiar and innovative style. Any future plans to expand your business and take your services to the next level?

HS & EC: While we admire both Preston Bailey and Colin Cowie, we continue to remind ourselves that we started our business to provide unique, quality floral and decorative designs for intimate events. We would never want to compromise our customer service and hands-on approach. We will continue to work closely with our clients and strive to meet all of their needs while exceeding their expectations. If that takes us in new directions, well, we’re sure we would be open to exploring them.