Par
Julien Boissel
Published on
Jan 12, 2025 at 8:02 p.m.
At 64, Laura Lee found his haven of peace in Guêprei, near Argentan (Orne) after working for stars and world-famous brands.
Although the London native says she is not retired, she changed her pace of life in 2018, when she moved to the Ornaise commune. “My parents have lived here for 39 years and I used to come on vacation,” explains the florist.
It is a calm and peaceful place. It’s a change from the life I’ve had for almost 40 years.
Many stars rubbed shoulders with like Lady Diana
These four decades, Laura Lee lived them among flowers. However, nothing suggested such a love story.
“At university, I had to choose a subject related to art and I chose floral art by default, because I didn’t like painting or the other possibilities. »
But after only a year of study, Laura Lee stood out. “My teacher told me I was made for this. » The Briton wins her degree in two years instead of three and discover the world of work in different stores.
She continued to perfect her techniques and eventually joined a prestigious florist located in the Mayfair district. “It’s a bit like our Champs-Élysées,” explains the adopted Ornaise. Alongside her mentor, Kenneth Turner, Laura Lee begins to work on various events and see some very beautiful people.
“Lady Diana was one of our regular customers. She loved to come and talk about flowers with us. »
After 25 years in Mayfairthe Londoner created her own floral decoration business called “Blossom with Laura”.
She became a reference in the field as shown by her address book. James Bond saga, the Friends series, George Michael, Formula 1, Gucci, Madonna and Raffles hotels…Laura Lee works for all types of clients around the world.
“I worked in Australia, Tokyo, Gabon, Dubai but I mainly worked in Europe. »
Decorator of George Harrison’s house
Every Christmas, Laura Lee goes to England to decorate a private house, “a big house,” the decorator even specifies. This home is that of George Harrison, former guitarist of the Beatles group who died in 2001. An honor for the Englishwoman who even had the privilege of being served by the former celebrity. “One day I was working in the garden and I heard a voice asking me if I wanted a cake,” recalls Laura Lee. The Londoner turns around and sees the artist in the flesh. “It was George Harrison. I was shocked because George Harrison was a very popular personality when I was growing up. »
A preference for weddings
Although she is qualified for all types of events, Laura Lee still prefers one in particular. “I love weddings! “. The florist notably prepared that of David and Victoria Beckham.
“The preparation lasted a year. At the beginning, I could move forward on other projects in parallel, but the closer the day approached, the more my time was dedicated to the event. »
However, Laura Lee don’t work alone on this type of party. “I hire around twenty people for big events. » Enough to multiply the pressure and responsibilities even more.
“If there is a problem, I am the only one responsible and I also have to manage the staff, the hotel, the travel if necessary… It’s simple, everything must be perfect. Somehow, I never enjoy the festivities. »
Even after the ball is over, the pressure has difficulty coming down. “I will have peace of mind only after receiving thanks from the organizers. Sometimes, it happens several days later and during that time, I sleep badly,” the florist nevertheless smiles.
Tokyo, Venice, Sardinia…
For 45 years, Laura Lee has worked in the most beautiful places for multiple events, and each has its own particularity.
His favorite place? “Tokyo without hesitation. But I’m not very objective because I lived there for 6 years. Everything is different from here. The people, the culture, the food. I would love to go back but just as a tourist. »
The least suitable city? “Venice. The city is magnificent but there are no cars so it wasn’t easy to transport the flowers,” admits the decorator.
“As I get a lot of supplies from the Netherlands, we first have to use the train to get them to Italy, then transfer them by car to Venice, and finally put them in watercraft to take them to at the wedding venue,” Laura Lee explains with a smile.
20,000 white roses for an elephant
Biggest wedding? “It was in Sardinia. I prepared it for a year and on the big day, planes wrote in the sky, with the jet trail, a heart with the initials of the bride and groom inside. »
One of the most unusual requests? “It was for the funeral of Billy Smart Jr., a very famous clown in England. The ceremony was very joyful and as there was an elephant in his shows, his children wanted one, life size, with the trunk raised because it means that the animal is happy,” specifies the Ornaise by adoption.
“So I created an elephant with 20,000 white roses that sits where Billy Smart Jr. was buried. »
Pass on your know-how
Although she is always up for creating wedding flowers or decorating for special events, Laura Lee also wants to share her experiences at Guêprei, through floral art workshops.
“I’ve traveled so much. Now I want to share my knowledge about flower arranging, teach it and tell others that they too can do what I did. »
The Londoner hopes in particular to create “a floral art club” to welcome flower lovers.
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