As Aleen Design heads into this new decade, we’ve been reflecting on our core values as a business. Hospitality quickly came to the forefront as one of our most important values. That’s because our purpose at Aleen Design is to make people feel welcomed and create a sense of belonging. In everything we do, we strive to extend hospitality to everyone who crosses our path.

“Hospitality is simply love on the loose.”

Joan D. Chittister

What Does True Hospitality Look Like?

When I was living in Lynchburg several years ago, I met a woman named Jen who forever shaped my understanding of hospitality. I was a single 20-something and Jen was married with a small child. Although we were undoubtedly in different life stages, Jen never let that inhibit our friendship. She invited me into her space, regardless of what it looked like, and made me feel like I was right at home. More than that, she invited me into the day-to-day undertakings of her life—folding laundry, cooking meals, cleaning up after dinner.

It was this relationship that taught me something that has impacted the way I do business and life: true hospitality means inviting people into your space, no matter the mess. It means making room to listen to someone’s heart—even if the dishes aren’t done.

Floral Workshops: A Space to Belong & Connect

One of the ways we’re practicing hospitality at Aleen Design is through our floral workshops. We began offering these workshops last year because we wanted to create a space for women to express their creativity, foster friendships, and feel like they belong.

The workshops are intimate spaces where women can come together and connect with one another. If you’re looking for a way to learn something new, express your creativity, and make a few friends along the way, we would love to serve you at a workshop! 

Learn about our upcoming workshops.

Demonstrating Hospitality through Wedding Design

Hospitality might not be one of the first words you would associate with planning a wedding. However, in our experience, weddings provide hosts a profound opportunity to extend hospitality to their loved ones.

Here are just a few examples of how you can make your guests feel at home during your wedding:

• Direct signage. Providing signage that helps your guests navigate their way around your wedding is a thoughtful (and pretty!) way to show your guests hospitality. For gorgeous wedding day signage, check out our friends at Letterful in Richmond, Virginia and Lauren Nicholson Calligraphy in Newport News, Virginia. We love to dress up these wedding signs with our greenery and florals.
  
• User friendly reception seating. When your guests walk into your reception, you want to make it easy for them to find their seats. We’ve found that the best way to do this is to organize escort cards in alphabetical order, and provide each guest’s table number on the card. This simple detail can save your guests from feeling lost at the reception.
  
• Tablescapes that encourage communication. Something that we always take into consideration when planning your reception florals is guest communication. We want to encourage your guests to talk to each other and make the most of their time together. Even if your desire is to have tall centerpieces, our team will ensure the design does not inhibit communication and connection at your wedding.

Want to learn more about how Aleen Design can help you create a hospitable environment for your wedding guests? Drop us a note—we’d love to get a conversation going!

“Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines.”

Henri Nouwen

Loved this post? Stay tuned in the coming months as we share the rest of our core values! 

Ready to connect? We’d love to hear from you.