In Malaysia’s fast-growing weddings and events industries, where design innovation and creative excellence define the success for some of the country’s most distinguished floral and event decorators, one name continues to make its rounds among social and industry circles.
Every wedding and event by Creativelines is one to remember. Signature Weddings speaks with Ms YS Cheng, Founder and Creative Director of the Kuala Lumpur-based floral design studio.
Tell us how you went into floral designing and event décor.
I picked up flower arranging as a hobby before gradually experimenting with and creating floral designs for friends’ weddings. After that I started attending professional flower arranging classes. It has been 15 years since I started working with flowers and have travelled around the world to learn about the latest flower arrangements as well as participate in international floral shows.
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
My inspiration comes through observing nature and my surroundings, or soaking in the beauty of works by renowned floral designers such as Daniel Ost and Preston Bailey. It is also important to constantly update myself on the latest trends in floral artistry and experimenting with different props, textures, colours and materials to complement my arrangements.
Creativelines is highly-distinguished for more than its floral designs. What does your full range of services include?
We have expanded into themed décor, custom backdrops, drapery, table settings and related props. Instead of limiting ourselves to offering only floral design, we are now also in charge of designing and creating entire ambiences for our clients.
What do you think your clients love most about flowers and décor by Creativelines?
Our clients definitely appreciate our holistic approach to floral design and ambiences for an absolutely beautiful and “put-together” event. Meticulous attention to detail and unique personal touches in our handmade embellishments make a significant difference in the way our events are created.
Your clients entrust you with the complete look and ambience of their events. What do you offer clients who need detailed information and design specifications?
For clients who want a look and feel of the event that we have proposed, we are happy to provide comprehensive sketches of our ideas. Most take up to a day to complete, but sketches for more elaborate events can take up to three days. For even more detailed design specifications, computer-generated plans will be provided.
Could you name some of your clients from your corporate portfolio?
Some of our notable corporate clients include ExxonMobil, Tiffany & Co, Petronas, CIMB and the organizers of Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week.
Through your years of experience with weddings, what is the most common misconception about wedding florals and décor?
Majority of the brides we have had the pleasure of working with share a common notion that floral arrangements and décor for weddings are expensive. For me, beautiful arrangements don’t necessarily need to cost a lot. My team and I love jazzing up simple arrangements with props, embellishments, dried objects and a myriad of other materials for budget-friendly yet stunning displays. All our designs and arrangements are specially-created to suit specific budgets and concepts that suit our clients.
What is your biggest advice to couples getting married when it comes to their wedding florals and décor?
The most important thing is to think in advance about your budget, theme and venue. When you have decided on these three aspects of your wedding planning, everything else can and will fall into place. This information is especially essential for your wedding decorator and/or florist for the possibilities or limitations that come with conceptualizing and designing your event, in terms of flower choices, space, the natural setting of your venue, etc. I also believe that the best weddings and events are always the unique ones that celebrate individuality and your personality instead of reproducing something that has been done before.
Decorating a wedding is obviously not an easy task.
No, it’s not. Any creative process isn’t easy, but it is the satisfaction of seeing your vision come to life beautifully and seeing how happy my clients are that make this career so rewarding! Decorating an event is stressful; there are no trial runs, only one chance to get it right. But I will not be leaving the world of flowers and décor anytime soon.
What do you see for yourself in the future?
I hope to one day start a floral concept store where I can share with others what I’ve learned over the years in floral design, perhaps also set up a cosy café and share a cup of coffee and a slice of cake with friends, or build a really special venue for intimate events and functions… decorated by Creativelines, of course!
