HAVE you ever wondered what it takes to create that beautiful aisle you see the bride and groom walk down through on the many wedding ceremonies you have been to? Have you taken time to admire and appreciate the time, the energy and the skills deployed in making the atmosphere look romantic, beautiful and exciting? Well, it takes quite a lot and Charles Onwudinjo, a career decorator takes us through a roller coaster on how he got into the business.
We met him at the Ikeja Country Club at Ikeja, Lagos State and he was arranging flowers inside the flowers jars and the way he did it showed a man that had passion, love and a desire to make couples happy.
Going retrospect, he informs that he started from looking at his Aunt who used to decorate the church and helped her out between 1999 and with time, the young Andy was working with Milton and David by 2003. He got all the knowledge he needed and stated off his company Flora Aesthetica, located in Queens Street Alagomeji, Yaba in Lagos State two years ago.
Andrew reveals that he has since been inspired to go into decoration while he was in secondary school.
“I have always loved decorations in secondary school, I decorate the altar, and go to event venues to see how decorations were done and this gave me new ideas. In fact I have flare for decorations,” he said and today, he not only decorates churches for weddings, he also is invited to decorate all events like birthdays, funerals, weddings, business meetings, church decorations etc.
Take off capital he said was not readily available when he started so what he did was to invest all his earning into the business until he became a made man technically.
Don’t start thinking that some of these decors can be way above you, Andy says he has to size up a client to know what kind of services to deliver as he has a decoration for anybody.
The charges he said is moderate but is based on some conditions like the location, venue, table covers chair covers, chair bowls, and the type of flowers.
When asked if he has a particular colour he works with, he replies that, “any design when done well can come out fine as well as any colour if combined well will come out fine.”
For those that may have inkling how much can be made from event decoration, Andrew informs that it is very lucrative.
“It’s very lucrative and creates job for people if you do it well. At least it is good enough to put food on the table.” He also encourages those that may be thinking about getting into the profession to have a positive mind.
“It depends on individual, it’s a passion. If you really desire it, u can get there and do it well.”
Like most business, the challenges normally encountered is finance but he assured that with a positive mind and a desire for excellence that will be surmounted as many occasions happens in Nigeria on a daily basis.
