Our current 'Ask the experts' feature is with friend of The White Dress by the shore, Ryan Designs. Erik and Christen Ryan are a husband and wife team who exude talent, creativity and taste- and are two of the nicest people you will ever meet!  We wanted to introduce you to this incredible duo, not only because they are FABULOUS! But, because their niche in the industry is unique and often times understood. Below is an interview that hopefully will allow you to appreciate their talents as much as we do!
You are not an event planner, you are not a floristâ¦how do you describe what you do? You are absolutely right! We are not event planners or florists. We typically describe our business as "interior design for events". We focus on three areas of expertise: specialty furniture, decorative lighting, and fabric draping and custom textiles. We love any opportunity to create or design custom pieces to make an event feel completely personalized and unique.
photos by Carla Ten EyckÂ
 How did you get started in this business? We are both third generation entrepreneurs - both of our parents and grandparents owned their own businesses - so it was definitely in our blood to do our own thing. After we got married we realized there was an opportunity to provide a more personalized service and product. Plus we love being creative and we love working with people - so it's an excellent fit for us. And we love working together - we are a very good team.
photo by Justin & Mary
Do you have a signature style for décor? I think our personal style is eclectic - tailored and traditional with a modern, bohemian, beachy twist. We love to mix it up! But professionally we try to stay neutral so that we can embrace what our clients need and create a look that fits them. That is actually part of the fun of this business - we get to play with a lot of different styles. For example, we may not be ultra modern - but it is exciting to get to experiment and live in it for a little while as we work with different clients.
photo by Justin & Mary
photo by Justin & Mary
What is the most unique space that you have provided décor for? We have been fortunate to work in some amazing places (another perk!) but probably the most unique space has to be the Antique Car Exhibit at Heritage Museums and Gardens on Cape Cod. It was the weekend of Hurricane Irene and the couple was planning this gorgeous, romantic, garden style wedding. Because of the flooding, their tent could not go up and they had to relocate to a Historic Car Museum. Maybe not what some would consider romantic - but their attitudes were truly awesome! The whole family was just so kind and they were so excited to be together! We provided some rice paper lanterns, cozy lounge seating, and lots of candles. In the end it all worked out and they had a great time!
photo by Carla Ten EyckÂ
What is the best way to contact you? Christen Ryan - cryan@ryan-designs.com / 401-742-0467 Erik Ryan - eryan@ryan-designs.com / 401.742.0464 Website - www.ryan-designs.com Facebook: Ryan Designs
photo by Carla Ten EyckÂ
xoxo, TWD