How One TRU Alumna Thought Outside of the Antique Apple Box
Summer is officially upon us and with it comes wedding season. While summer is not the exclusive season of wedded bliss, it is certainly the most popular when it comes to planning the big day. So we thought, who better to profile in this issue of TRU Connections than our very own talented alumna Ashton Burdge, happy owner of Bespoke Decor – the hottest new décor rental company in the lower mainland.
Ashton, who graduated from TRU with her Bachelor of Tourism Management in 2011 with a major in Human Resources, opened Bespoke Decor in October 2013 and hasn’t looked back since. Bespoke Decor features “vintage décor rentals, calligraphy, made-to-order stationery and full décor styling services” to make your wedding or special event seriously stand out. Ashton has used many of the skills gained during her degree in her transition to being a business owner.
A Bespoke styled proposal
When asked about her transition since graduating from TRU to owning her own company, Ashton said “I never felt settled in any position. Either I was outgrowing it, it was too much desk time, or not creative enough,” which led her to attend conferences outside of her regular work hours for inspiration. It was following a weekend at one such conference, the World Domination Summit held yearly in Portland that she “decided to combine [her] love of business, design, teambuilding and events into one game plan – Bespoke Decor.” Ashton’s ability to think outside the box shines through in her company, where seemingly simple or single-use items such as a ladder or chair, can be reimagined and used in ways one had never thought of before.
At an event in conjunction with The Cross Design
Bespoke Decor gives every event it’s involved with a romantic and intimate environment that’s unique to each couple or person using the service. Ashton and her team have quickly gained a positive reputation for their stellar customer service. Ashton takes a lot of pride in the customer service of her company, saying that “we worship legendary customer service above all else.”
Decor/Styling/Calligraphy by Bespoke
Ashton says she’s learned a lot since opening Bespoke Decor, and her education at TRU has been an asset along the way. Ashton says “I will often reference my post-it covered text books. Especially since growing the team at Bespoke. [My] Business and HR education has been a great asset.” Since opening Bespoke in 2013, Ashton has grown her team to include a calligraphy artist, stationery specialist, decorators and more.
As we always say, starting a new venture is never a smooth ride. Ashton says that every day there are “little hiccups and challenges” but it’s clear that she takes every challenge as a learning opportunity. When asked about the challenges she has faced since starting her own business, Ashton recalled a learning opportunity from one of her early events:
“One that particularly stands out was my very first large event – my entire family had volunteered to help pull it off because this particular Vancouver venue only gives you 1.5 hours to set up the entire wedding. This was also back in the beginning when I didn’t have any help with the loading/unloading and truck driving… which means I drove around a huge white delivery truck! I budgeted a bunch of extra time, so when we arrived we parked about 3 blocks from the venue to go grab lunch. Before leaving the vehicles, I had to go back into the truck to grab something – but as I did, the key broke off in the door!
Panic set in, thinking how are we going to either move this giant truck or get the furniture and decor unpacked and carried 3 blocks in the POURING rain in less than an hour. Fortunately – we had a spare key at home and it all worked out. But that will forever stand out as a “what if?!” kind of day.”
Photographer: Luke Liable.
Ashton says that opening Bespoke Decor has been very rewarding: “The best part about opening Bespoke Decor has been the creative freedom in developing branding, policies and core values.”
Ashton’s story truly highlights the diverse career paths that many of the TRU alumni take following graduation, especially those who take programs like the Bachelor of Tourism Management. Bespoke Decor will make your event, wedding or display completely unique. If you live in the Vancouver area or simply appreciate vintage décor, do yourself a favour and check out their webpage: bespokedecor.ca.
