December’s featured couple: Laura and Aurélien, passionate about personalized decorations

At the crossroads ofcraftsmanship and creativity, Laura and her husband Aurélien have embarked on a wonderful adventure: creating personalised decorations in wood, vinyl, slate, glass and Plexiglas. Born of a shared passion and a desire to share their expertise, their business is attracting more and more customers, from unique gifts to decorations for life’s big events. Here we meet this complementary duo, who combine technique and artistic flair to create objects that stir the emotions.

1. A complementary duo with different backgrounds

Aurélien is a project manager in the small electrical appliance sector. He loves everything to do with small machines: “I studied engineering and I’m passionate about everything mechanical, 3D printers, engraving…” he explains.

Laura’s background is in hairdressing and personal services. ” I’m very manual and interested in crafts”, she explains. It’s this creative streak that led her to embark on a project that’s just like them.

The idea was born after the birth of the family’s third child, when the couple realised that they often bought personalised gifts for friends and family. ” We said to ourselves, ‘We buy a lot of gifts, but why don’t we create them ourselves? After a few trials during her maternity leave, the adventure took shape in June last year.

1. A business focused on life’s big moments

Laura and Aurélien’s creations cover a wide range of media: wood, vinyl, slate, glass and plexiglass. ” We can cut, engrave and assemble wood. We can engrave on slate or Plexiglas. And for vinyl or textiles, we can cut,” explains Aurélien.

A lot of their customers are wedding decorations: signs, photobooth items, cake toppers… But they also create lots of personalised gifts for births, christenings and birthdays. Christmas is always a special time, with miniature nativity scenes, illuminated Alsatian houses and personalised baubles.

What appeals most? The infinite possibilities for personalisation. ” Customers give us a theme, a general idea, and then we create. That’s what appeals: they get involved in the process and see their ideas take shape,” explains Laura. ” I always send customers a sketch. They can ask for changes, and we adapt accordingly,” she adds.

1. A four-handed creative process

Each member of the team has a clearly defined role. “Laura manages communication and contacts with customers, then adds her finishing touch with colours and enhancement. I’m mainly in charge of the technical side: programming, drawing and assembly”, says Aurélien.

But creativity flows between the two of them. Their complementary talents make each order a team effort, balancing technical expertise with artistic flair.

1. Emotion at the heart of their creations

With each new commission, Laura and Aurélien have seen their creations provoke emotional reactions. “I once made a customer cry when she discovered her wedding decoration. She sent me a voice mail crying with joy”, Laura recounts with emotion.

The positive feedback is pouring in, whether at the markets, via comments on Vinted or by word of mouth. Many customers come back, recommend them and call on them for every new event in their lives. “Whenever there’s a christening or a birthday, our customers think of us. We have a loyal following,” adds Aurélien.

1. Between crafts, word-of-mouth and online platforms

For the time being, the business remains small-scale and managed at their own pace. “We can’t afford a hundred orders a day. It has to remain a pleasure for us”, smiles Laura. They sell their creations at markets, via Vinted and Etsy, but also a lot by word of mouth.

Their website exists, but has not yet been fully developed. “It’s online, but not functional. We went through Vinted. The best thing is still to contact us directly”, admits Aurélien.

They also work with professionals from time to time, such as a crèche that has ordered personalised Christmas baubles from them, and local event organisers. But for the couple, this activity remains above all a passion, reconciled with their respective professions.

1. Plans and dreams for the future

Laura and Aurélien dream of developing their business further. ” It would be great if it became a real business and represented a bigger part of my work “, says Laura.
To do that, they’ll need to do more communication and perhaps invest in a more efficient machine. Despite the challenges, the desire is there: to continue to create, to surprise and to bring emotion through their decorations. Their adventure is just beginning.

1. Conclusion

This December’s portrait focuses on Laura and Aurélien, a passionate couple who have turned an idea born of maternity leave into a genuine adventure in craftsmanship. With their personalised decorations, they celebrate the special moments in their customers’ lives, offering unique creations that are full of meaning and emotion.

Their journey proves that with creativity, complementarity and passion, it’s possible to promote local craftsmanship and touch people’s hearts. As Laura says: “When a customer tells me that our creation has moved them to tears, I tell myself that we’ve succeeded in our mission.