Life in Full Color: an interview with Katie Murphy
One of the best things about being part of a small business is the relationships we get to form with our team. I count myself so lucky to work beside the women at Jane Rae, and I want to take some time this year to help you all get to know them as well. It felt only right to start by introducing you to our CEO and founder, Katie Murphy. I sat down with Katie and asked her all about her design journey, her life outside of Jane Rae Events, and what she sees in the company’s future.
Katie for the Bouquet Bar
Rebecca Onnen
What are some of your joys outside of work?
Katie Murphy
It's actually pretty hard for me to turn off work - in a good way. I love to host and to therefore, plan an event, but at my house for people. To celebrate them and make food and have good drinks. That's honestly one of my absolute favorite things to do.
And then I love - when it gets nice, and it's not 30 below out - planting flowers in the back. And picking new ones out seeing what works, what doesn't, and building on it every year. They make me so happy. And I come from a big vegetable garden family, but I'm specifically flowers. I tried the tomato thing, you know, flowers make me happier. Vegetables, I'll get from my family or the store.
Photo credit - Ivory and Fern Co
RO
Who do you want to be when you grow up? Who do you admire?
KM
It has shifted recently because of Maeve, my daughter. I see myself continuing to do the things that I love and that make me happy because I want Maeve to see me happy. So I'm doing it for her, but I'm doing it for me, because she'll see me genuinely loving what I do and being happy. Yeah, and I want her bar set there and for her to chase whatever it is until she finds that happiness.
And then somebody I admire. Wow, I mean. I admire a lot of people, but I don't know if I have an exact person that influences me. It’s more so the characteristics of somebody that influences me. They are a very selfless person and really give to others and do things for others. But they also do that for themselves so they can continue to do that for other people. I know some people like that.
Also, I really look up to CEO, mothers. Whether it's a really big corporation or it's a small business. Because it is extremely difficult to do all of those things. There's no such thing as balance. There is yes to this, that means no to that. Something's going to drop. But just constantly weighing in on that. That's a daily thing and I see people living in that. So I don't have one person I admire, but there's a bunch of them.
RO
What are you proud of about yourself?
KM
I am proud that we have the team that we do at Jane Rae. It's literally one of the biggest things I'm proud of. I know that's putting it on the team, but I was a part of bringing that team together. And not to toot my own horn, but I just really try to care for you guys and it comes easy to me to do that. Our culture is something I am beyond proud of, and I try to work at literally every day.
And then, I'm really proud of Matt and I becoming parents. Of navigating through that. It was probably the biggest growth year of my entire life so far - as it probably should be, right? But it was way more growing than what I thought. I'm so proud of us that we've kept the humor in life. Matt and I challenge each other for us and for Maeve. I am just so proud of where we are.
RO
If you're describing a Katie Murphy event, what does your design style look like?
KM
First of all, I love creating a space that changes the experience. I fully believe that your surroundings mean so much to you mentally. A centerpiece can make a plate of food taste better. The surroundings are so huge, and so with that I want to be immersed in flowers if the budget allows, put the little details everywhere. That's definitely my number one is, “How can I make this a statement that nobody else has done before, but also something that the couple or the client would love?”
I love color. The beautiful, classic white, black, and greenery, they're stunning, but I think life is better in full color. I don't know if I would say too much color is ever too much. There are ways to complement colors and make it very interesting to the eye and the design. But color is definitely, definitely up my alley!
Last, but not least, I would say I want one really customized piece. I'm talking more for a wedding, because that's where the creativity comes in. So if their first date was at a coffee shop, and they had this amazing coffee, and this is their spot, why not have a coffee bar at your wedding? This wedding is about you guys and I don't want any guests or the couple to lose sight of that. I love bringing it back home.
Photo credit - Sampson House
RO
What's a trend that you're excited for in 2025?
KM
I am in love with the fringe lamps we did at the most recent bridal show. I think it's such a fun way to add an accent to installs. They're so fun. So cool. I love flowers, but it's a way to add in color without using floral. It's another material element.
One more that I'm excited about, but kind of nervous about is red. It is such a statement color obviously, and a bold color and a sexy color, and one that can be too much, you know? It's a challenge to incorporate red in a way that sets the tone for people to enjoy the space and not feel overwhelmed or uneasy. But I'm excited to see how that plays out, and I love a challenge.
Photo credit - Anna Behning
RO
Do you have a favorite pop culture wedding or one that has made an impression on you?
KM
The one that came to my mind right away from the past few years is Simone Biles. It's on a beach and it has hydrangea everywhere. She had other flowers incorporated in her wedding. But in the arch, it was pretty much three ingredients: hydrangea, roses, and gyp. That's such a style I love is clustering florals. It's pretty to intertwine them all and be cohesive that way, but I think clustering makes such an impact, and you really get to see, “Oh, look at that flower moment. Oh, look at this one up here.” And hers stuck out to me, because that was one of the first times I saw that happen.
Photo credit - Stanlo Photography from Vogue Weddings
RO
You founded Jane Rae in 2017. At that time, what were your dreams for it?
KM
I started off with just event planning. At that time, I knew I wanted to be very hands-on in the floral design aspect, but I didn't know exactly how that would happen. I wanted that because my mom and dad were in the floral business, and I grew up in it. I grew up helping and so our family has, and specifically, my mom had such a passion for flowers. And so, I always knew that the floral was going to be a big piece.
I also have had the vision of what I want the final building to look like.You know The Wedding Planner with Jennifer Lopez? They walk into that office, and it's a huge welcome desk area, and there's like cream walls, cream carpets, and everything is just so elegant and inviting. Even though I said I love color, I can picture that as our office. A space where people walk in and you just know you're in for a treat. I feel like our space does that right now in a different way but I would just love to elevate that and bring it to a whole other level.
But I did not know we'd be doing 100 weddings a year. I thought, maybe 20 tops is what we would be operating at when I first started.
RO
Do you know how many you did in your first year?
KM
First year, I did three weddings, and then 2018 bumped up to about 45.
RO
Oh, wow!
KM
And then it just has kept growing from there. I don't know if I knew at the time that the team would be this big. And I am just so proud of that. That's probably one of the biggest things I'm proud of is having a team of very passionate people with me. How lucky that I get to wake up and do that and be with people that love what we're doing? It's so fun.
Jane Rae Events team in 2024
RO
What's your favorite part of your job?
KM
I feel like a broken record. I've said it, but my favorite part is being with the team. Even to pinpoint that more is watching you guys be confronted with a challenge or a really big design and I have to sit back. I am there for support, but I have to sit back because it's how you grow. I've been in those scenarios, and if somebody would have really helped me then, I wouldn't be where I am now. I love seeing the growth professionally and therefore personally.
I also love to be creative. Growing in my role as the CEO and founder. I am not able to take on as many clients, it's just the nature of the beast, but it is still such a passion of mine to have wedding clients and to stretch my creativity. To create a space where people are literally never going to forget what they've experienced.
RO
Do you have any specific memories that feel like they sum up your experience with Jane Rae or that really stick out as important growth points?
KM
The first one is when I full-on decided to quit my day job and go full time into this. You can think of all the reasons why not to do it. And I was 25 at the time, and I truly believe that I knew just enough and didn't know enough to make the call. I'll never forget it, and that feeling, that muscle - that’s what carries you through a long time. If you have the guts and the muscle to take such a risk, all the other risks seem so small.
A year in, I was approached by another event planning and floral rental business, and they wanted to be done. And they were wondering if I would buy them out? And I did. I have never learned so much in three months. We unloaded all this inventory from another city and brought it here. And there was no organization system with it. I remember we unloaded everything on a Sunday, and I had a wedding that next Saturday and I needed eight silver satin runners. They were in a pile of linens on the floor that was at least 20 feet wide, and I kid you not, taller than me. I was digging in there and trying to find them for this wedding and I was like, “What am I doing? This is absolutely insane that anybody would be doing this right now.” That was wild, and that's a very defining moment. I truly believe in that moment, if there was a seed of grit that could be planted, it was. And it's been growing since then.
I could keep going, but I’m just going to say a couple more: Meeting Rachel and Ashley. Very defining in Jane Rae's history and in my life. I don't know what I did right to meet them at the time that I did. They didn't come in and turn the other way because it was a scary, scary, scary place at the time. They jumped right in, and I didn't have a job description. I mean, I said, the job is here - unloading boxes, helping me find something, pretty much that was the job description. They are the big reasons why Jane Rae was taken to a new level. And a couple years later, having Irany join us too. She has changed the way we design and truly has created Jane Rae’s brand. And then, of course, having everybody else join, too, after that. Jane Rae would not be here if I hadn't met them at the time that I did.
RO
Last question for you. What are you most looking forward to in Jane Rae's future?
KM
I am most looking forward to, probably, having a custom building one day. I can see it very clearly in my mind.
I'm very much looking forward to growing this business with our team. Growing with their life, whether that means with families or with their talents or with their interests. I know, I can't match everything but I truly believe, as a creative small business, that we have the ability to flex and to move things and to adjust. As long as people love what they do, I can work with that.
This is down the road, but I grew up with my mom and dad as entrepreneurs. I went to work with them, I had my own little space at work, and I grew up seeing my mom and dad absolutely love what they do. There were hard days, but at the end of the day, you could just see them fulfilled. I saw that not only at home, but I got to go see it in action. I want that for Maeve. I want her to always have a space in my space. I truly want to show her the way in that. Not saying that she has to be an event planner, I just want her to see a passion and to chase it. So, yeah, I very much look forward to that. There's a spot for her in the new building. Yeah, it's very exciting.
Photo credit - Prairie and Wild Photography
It sure is exciting, and I can’t wait to see those dreams come to fruition. Special thanks to Katie Murphy for taking the time to share her story with me. It is a tremendous one to be a part of.
xoxo, Rebecca
