We recently connected with Juliana Lewis and have shared our conversation below.
Juliana, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Plain and simple, my purpose is my husband and children. I have been a stay-at-home mother for almost ten years now, and it was just in the recent years that I started my business. I wake up every morning at 4:15am, seven days a week, to focus on my small hand-made wedding headpieces business so one day I can tell my kids “if you want it, you will make the time and you will find your will.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Juliana and I hand-make wedding headpieces, veils, reconstruct passed on heirlooms, & jewelry for brides and their loved ones. My mother grew up watching my grandmother make bead and crystal work pieces on garments. When my mother got married, she helped her sister-in-laws do garment bead work for high-profile government officials’ wives and daughters back in her country. I grew up watching my mother make bead work on garments as well. Beads and crystals have truly been woven in my existence ever since I can remember so it’s only natural that my kids now watch me make bridal headpieces out of crystals and beads. So much so, that during the weekends, my kids have their own station of rhinestones to explore while I’m working on orders.
I want to share my love and passion of bead and crystal work and make every bride that buys my pieces extra beautiful and truly feel my family’s craftsmanship. Every custom order that I take on, I feel it deep in my soul and I truly enjoy the process of bringing the bride’s vision into life. My favorite custom orders are when brides send me family heirlooms (for example their mother’s dress, or grandmother’s pearls) and I turn those heirloom piece into a modern headpiece for the bride to cherish and adore for her big day. Those orders are the ones that I connect the most, because I feel the bride’s family’s heritage through her heirlooms just like how I feel my mother, my grandmother, and my aunts’ passion.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My top three most impactful qualities for the wedding industry are as follows:
1) Truly listen to the bride. Brides are a whole different breed and most of the time the bride simply wants to be heard. Whenever a bride inquires my services, I give her my whole attention, and listen to her story. I also ask questions to ensure that I understand her requirements.
2) Connect with other wedding industry creatives and invite them out for breakfast, coffee, lunch, or dinner. Learn from them and you will teach them some stuff as well.
3) I don’t believe in competition. I truly don’t, and I am not saying that I am better than someone else who does wedding headpieces as well. I believe that if you stay in your lane, help others, truly focus on your craft, then the people who will love your work enough to purchase from you will choose you and your craft.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I love collaborating with almost any industry creative individuals who will genuinely help each other rise. I love working with photographers/models/makeup & hair artists for photoshoots, and I love working with dressmakers to make the headpieces match the garments. What a wonderful dream it would be if I made an extravagant haute couture headpiece that would be photographed for individuals to truly appreciate the art! Side note, let’s chat if you would like to collaborate info@jlewisbridal.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jlewisbridal.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlewisbridal/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jlewisbridal/
Image Credits
All images are property of J Lewis Bridal.
