Lilly Lane Flowers & Events is blooming at 6525 Ferguson Street where they provide floral design and planning services for weddings and events. Entrepreneur Becky Ruby-Wojtowicz's career initially stemmed in a related area and grew from there.

"I was working in professional fund raising and part of my job included special event planning, and I found that I liked event planning best. Floral design was something I happened to discover I liked around the same time. I learned initially by designing for events at the non-profits that I was working for. I was at an age where my peer group was getting married, so initially, Lilly Lane focused more on weddings. In the past year, corporate and non-profit work has grown more, as well as our work with university clients," she explained.

Their range of floral creations varies depending on the client and event. "We have a full spectrum of design services, with everything from a single flower on a table to a wedding we have in a few weeks where we have a 200-foot floral garland that will be assembled on site from about 20 pieces," she described.

"We were previously located in Butler Tarkington and before that, out of my home. When I first lived in Indianapolis, I went to Butler University, majoring in journalism and arts administration. Now, we work with Butler as one of their vendors," Ms. Ruby-Wojtowicz added.

Last year's change in location created new opportunities. "We felt that Broad Ripple is one of the areas of town that likes small business and, additionally, supports conservation efforts. Even though we're a business that specializes in cut floral, which has a short lifespan, we try in other areas to reduce waste. By offering vase and décor rentals, our glassware is returned so that as little as possible ends up in a landfill. This summer, we will have compostable materials available for Broad Ripple neighbors who'd like to pick them up. We've learned that to do composting well, you need a good mix of both food and foliage, which can be harder to come by. We're very aware of other conservation efforts in the Broad Ripple area with businesses and neighbors that place emphasis on it, and we're excited to do more. It's a very good area to be in when that's a facet of your business," she said.

Describing the most rewarding things about her work, Ms. Ruby-Wojtowicz said, "You'd think that it would be the actual wedding day, but I think that's a close second. What's truly rewarding is to sit down with a client, show them pictures, floral flashcards, do sketches, price out everything and then have them come back and say, 'You get it - you understood what I want in a way I couldn't even explain.' When that "moment" clicks and the trust is there, I know it's going to be a great experience to work with that couple. There are many that have become more than clients - they have become our friends!"

Repeat business has been a factor in Lilly Lane's growth. "We've had four sets of sisters get married, a couple sets of friends, cousins, and even one mother and daughter who have both booked us! We've had a couple of folks come back and have baby showers. As of early April, we have done over 300 weddings and we've signed 400 contracts. Right now, we're contracted out as far as May of 2015. Even though we do mostly weddings, we'll get "repeat" customers through previous brides or grooms who are now standing up in someone else's wedding, or have been in one of our weddings previously and are now getting married themselves. Last fall, a friend and fellow Butler University alumna who was a bridesmaid in three of our weddings previously had her wedding with us!" she noted.

"Weddings and big events are our most publicized, but they certainly aren't the only work we do. If you're having a baby shower, graduation party or special event in your home or are just looking for help with holiday or home décor - we do that. We don't do walk-in business or delivery, but aside from that, I'm happy to talk to you about any idea you have!" Ms. Ruby-Wojtowicz proposed.

Event planning and wedding information is available at: www.lillylaneflowers.com. You can find them on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/lillylaneflowers. Inquiries can be answered by calling (317) 989-9936 or e-mailing: becky@lillylaneflowers.com.

The story behind Lilly Lane's name is partly inspired by a musical group from Britain's working class town of Liverpool. Becky's father, a physician, is a Beatles and their classic, "Penny Lane," is one of his favorite songs - changing the lyrics to "Becky Laine" when she was a child. "Picking the name was easy - lilies are my favorite flowers, Laine is my middle name and the rest is history," she concluded.

Lilly Lane Flowers are budding with springtime in Broad Ripple Village.