A floral and event designer extraordinaire, Inspirations by Gina has transformed ordinary flowers into works of art at weddings and events all over Northern California. Last summer, we saw Owner Gina Lett Shrewsberry work her magic at a meeting of the Tahoe Wedding Industry Group, and shortly thereafter, we were delighted to welcome her as a member of Tahoe Engaged.
Photo credit: Charleton Churchill
Gina’s journey to becoming a floral designer began with a wedding planning business, which she started in 2008. For many of her weddings, she found herself designing floral arrangements for her ‘DIY’ brides and quickly discovered a new passion. Then, Gina began taking classes in floral design and slowly started incorporating floral design into her business offerings. But between both event planning and floral design, she was carrying too heavy of a workload. So she decided to transition her business to focus solely on floral design for weddings and events.
Photo credits: Simple Joie Photography and IQ Photo
Recently, due to COVID-19, Gina has learned to adjust her business strategy accordingly. She heard a quote that truly resonated with her. The speaker stated that many businesses are not going to be around when we get to the other side of the pandemic, and it really stuck with her. So instead of having a “whine and cheese party”, as she calls it, Gina decided it’s time to buckle down and innovate her business model.
During this time, Gina is utilizing her extra time to reinvent her brand, hone her craft via webinars and workshops, and reach out for new opportunities. More recently, she has found a need for floral arrangement deliveries for special occasions such as Mother’s Day and birthdays. She finds that offering this service has helped to brighten people’s days during such uncertain times. Plus it’s a great way to support her local community.
Photo credit: Emily Jean Images
As for Gina’s 2020 weddings, many of her couples have rescheduled their celebrations to 2021, and some are in what she calls a “holding pattern”, anxiously awaiting their next steps moving forward. But Gina has gotten quite creative in helping her clients continue to celebrate love during the pandemic. One couple ended up having to postpone their big day until December 2021. But the lovebirds decided they still wanted to get married this year. Gina looked into it further and discovered that Santa Cruz County was still issuing California marriage licenses despite COVID. She then contacted a photographer, sent flowers out to the bride with care instructions, and the couple was married in a small ceremony. Not only was Gina able to go above and beyond her bride’s requests, she will also be designing florals for their larger celebration next December!
Photo credits: Adrienne & Dani, Emily Jean Images and Simple Joie Photography
When it comes to growing her business, Gina loves the organic approach through authentic interaction and word of mouth referrals. Once, she booked a wedding simply by taking her pet labradoodle out for a walk. Striking up a conversation with another woman who was also walking her dog, Gina learned that this woman needed help for her daughter’s wedding, and they made a connection right then and there. Gina believes that moments like these are simply “meant to be.”
Though times are uncertain for many in the wedding industry, Gina is focused on keeping her momentum going. Through Gina’s one-on-one connections and dedication to her craft, Inspirations by Gina is an inspiration to us all.