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CORY IN THE HOUSE
He was a victorious floral designer on the reality TV series "Making it Big."
Now Bellefontaine native Cory Lonsert intends to make a big impression
on the world of wedding and event planning in the Columbus area.
Cory has joined Connells Maple Lee as a wedding and event specialist
serving each of our four Columbus-area stores. He brings to Connells’
award-winning design staff a number of his own accomplishments and a
passion for his work.
"I'm thrilled to take the knowledge I've gained at a national level and bring
it to the Columbus market through Connells Maple Lee," Cory said.
"There’s just no better feeling than to make someone's wedding day or a
corporate event even more memorable with flowers. It's just the most
satisfying thing in the world."
Cory grew up in the floral industry: His mother still operates a flower
shop in Bellefontaine. However, Cory had his eyes on a pre-med major
in college until the day his mother asked him to help with some rose
arrangements. Something clicked. That's when he knew that flowers were
his true calling.
He worked at his mother's shop and began entering floral competitions.
Ohio Designer of the Year and Midwest Designer of the Year honors
followed, as did an innovation award from the Michigan Floral Association.
In 2003, he was inducted into the prestigious American Institute of Floral
Designers, through which he attends an annual four-day design symposium
involving some of the top floral designers in the world.
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In 2006, on a lark he submitted an online entry for a Canadian reality TV
series, "Making it Big." He won, and with it a mentorship from famed event
designer Preston Bailey and multi-page spread of his designs in Flowers&
magazine. (The TV program aired earlier this year in the United States on
the Style Network.)
He brings to Connells customers more and bigger ideas. He can show
prospective brides and grooms some 450 original designs from his
own portfolio.
"They're not just clippings of other peoples’work that are pulled from a
design magazine," he said. "Through my travels and involvement with the
American Institute of Floral Designers, I'm always educating myself on the
cutting-edge trends and styles. Couples see that, and it instills confidence
in them. It makes for a terrific partnership when that kind of trust exists."
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