In first grade, my best friend, Jessica, and I became inseparable. We were definitely our teacher’s pets, would do anything for candy, prided ourselves on never getting in trouble, colored inside every line, and always found ourselves doing something to stretch ourselves creatively. When we were six, it was something simple like playing house or school, making our own name tags, desks out of boxes, and of course, the paper computer. 

A few years later, Jessica’s mom started making jewelry. She would buy Swarovski crystals from a local bead shop or eBay. Her designs were amazing and she taught us how to attach a jump ring to a clasp and to chain, how to twist wire, and the best products to buy. We quickly learned how fun jewelry making was, and at age 9/10 (i think?), how profitable it was. We would walk door to door selling our creations. One year, I made my grandma a necklace for her birthday. I used her birthstone and she still wears that necklace to this day. 

We didn’t stop at necklaces. A few years later, we decided to make a soap company, also selling door to door. All of our materials were from Michael’s, specialty soaps included an animal figurine in the middle, and I’m now realizing were completely funded by her mom *insert crying laughing emoji*.

Because we were so successful with soap making, we decided to turn that into an opportunity to teach others so… we started a kids (younger than us) summer camp: Suddy Buddy Fun Days. Oh man. We hung fliers all over the neighborhood, contacted local friends who we knew had younger siblings, and demanded our parents also sign up our younger siblings. We held the camp once a week for about a month and planned out all of the games and activities. And moms really sent their kids to our camp and trusted us with their kids! We couldn’t have been more than 3 years older than most of our camp attendees but we felt so responsible and I still have vivid memories of those days. 

TRANSITION TO NOW. 

I met Brie like any other relationship these days, social media. I was originally drawn to her floral work. She is a brilliant artist and you can really see how creative she is through the shapes she creates and different elements she uses. If I had to sum up Brie’s aesthetic, I would say she is garden style with a mix of old world and natural inspiration. I love how she is inventive with her ingredients and designs. 

After following PAVAN Floral for quite some time, I realized that her artistic abilities didn’t start or end with flowers. She began by sketching and painting and I quickly fell in love with those works and knew I needed to capture her in her element. Brie uses several mediums to bring her art to life; charcoal, water colors, pencil, and of course, fresh & dried flowers. I wanted to capture a painting from start to finish. Brie paints right in her family room/inspiration room/storage room for all of her beautiful vessels and styling pieces. There are these beautiful french doors letting in natural light and the windows lead to her garden that takes your out of Southern California and into a small European garden. With just her tools in front of her, a few snacks, and some sparkling water, Brie lets her hands move and stays focused until she finishes. She’s so fluid and you can really see how natural each stroke of the hand or brush feels to her. The best part of this shoot was seeing my medium, film, come to life as I was trying to capture hers. Art is so wonderful and there really are no limits. 

I love the way all of Brie’s forms of art can connect somewhere at a middle ground. She will even style her kitchen table just for a simple week night dinner, centerpiece and all. I was remember this for myself and let all of my mediums come together. 

Film is now the way Michael and I tell OUR story. We are of course selling a service, but more than that, we are so invested into others love stories and genuinely care. We love meeting new people, getting to know knew people, and because we know weddings are an investment, we invest in you. But it was always something, and something that involved creativity. Looking back at what made Jessica and I successful, it was because we had a clear brand and our clients always knew we cared about them. I’ve always dreamed of being able to share my creativity with others and Michael has pushed me to do that. I’m especially grateful we get to share our creativity together. And stay tuned, because we are rebranding. We are putting life, color, and love back into our business. You’ll love it! 

With love,

Kels & Michael