Sarah Guirguis In the spirit of this season, we had a talk with Sandy Halim, the founder of Life Creations, to learn about her fifteen-year-old business in the wedding industry and the creative process behind her latest collection of gorgeous Christmas decor.
Tell us about what you do and how your business first came to be.
My business actually consists of two branches, mainly wedding styling, planning and consultancy (for foreign couples as well). I’ve also been working on a line of fresh floral bridal bouquets – to be launched soon. Funny enough, I’ve been compiling orders for this for a couple of years now. I want every bride to hold a fresh unique design, tailored to who she is. Even if the couple doesn’t care to invest in all the other wedding decor, I believe this is the most important piece that will last in most of your wedding pictures, so it’s important to get it right! Then, the other branch is the handmade products business by authentic Egyptian craftsmanship.
My wedding decor business started when I was as young as 18, studying interior design in Fine Arts. My church mentor recognized my talent and handed me the job of decorating her daughter’s engagement. From then on, I was noticed and recommended by more couples in my community. As for the other branch, it started as a vision to create handmade products with messages of hope and inspiration for people when Egypt, my home country, passed through a lot of turmoil during the revolution. I also aimed to utilize the skill of so many talented craftsmen who were losing their jobs at the time. The products found a lot of appeal and have gone to every continent as gifts.
Later, I was selected in the women’s initiative fellowship program by the Bush Institute. This opened opportunities for me to participate in multiple selling fairs in the US, and later on, establish business with a bookstore, where our products are currently being sold in the US.
From where do you usually draw inspiration?
I truly believe that inspiration is all around if we are ready to tune in to listen and see intently. I would say mostly from my travels. Travel has a way of putting you in a mindful mode that is able to absorb and draw from surroundings like no other mindset. I also find the work of European designers in the industry, and movies, very inspiring.
How was your creative process putting together pieces for the Christmas collection?
Every year for the past five years, Christmas time was my vacation time where I got to travel abroad. I’ve attended Christmas in multiple cities, including Holland, Germany, London, Switzerland, NYC and Singapore. I got to see amazing installations and feel the happiness it brought people and the joy in the atmosphere overall caused by its beauty. For me, this is the first Christmas in a long time that I haven’t been able to travel. After the rough year we all had, I felt compelled to create a collection for homes and offices, where people had to be most of the time. To bring Christmas to hearts. My aim was to create a tangible experience of textures, fragrances and color that would last all winter.
Christmas, by nature, is a very rich experience full of diverse stars, angles and songs, and it has so much potential. I translated this magical narrative into a few expressions, using different long-lasting natural materials, so that people can own the experience in a multi sensory way at their spaces.
IG @lifecreationscelebrations
