Lydia Lane (Greater Portland Christian School ’15) is a self-described multitasker. Even while sitting in high school Algebra class, she was busy planning proms, fundraisers, birthday parties and other fun events for friends and family. During that time Lane was asked to help with the wedding for the daughter of Lynn Sarver, a Gorham resident and of one of her high school teachers.
“It was an exciting opportunity,” she said. After the wedding she quickly realized that she wanted to make wedding planning her career. Lane is owner of fern & flair Weddings and Events, a wedding planning company she started during her first year of college.
After graduation from Greater Portland Christian School in 2015, Lane went into the business program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. After a year, she realized the program was not right for her. She returned to Maine and graduated from Southern Maine Community College with Hospitality Management and Business Administration degrees, earning an award for most outstanding Hospitality Management student.
Lane takes enormous pride in making sure that each wedding day is stress free for her clients. She enjoys the design work associated with her job. From beautiful table settings to unique, personal touches, she loves helping to facilitate special memories. “I go above and beyond in adding surprises and special details for each of my couples,” she said.
She enjoys the challenge of running her own company. “I love that my job description is ever changing. I am in different venues all the time, working with new people and coming up with fresh creative designs. I never get bored,” she said. Lane has plenty of role models in her family who are also entrepreneurs: her father Tim is the owner of Chick Forest Products and her aunt Bonnie Harrison ran a successful wedding photography business in Gorham. Lane said, “They inspire me in so many ways specifically with their entrepreneurial spirits and encouragement to start my own business.”
Building a new business is not for the faint of heart. “It takes a lot of devotion to start your own company and not to get discouraged when things don’t take off immediately,”
Lane said. Deciding to take an alternate path rather than pursuing a bachelors degree is not for everyone. She said, “Early on, I was determined to follow my passion to be my own employer despite the doubts of many and now the decision has proved to pay off.”
Lane is proud that she followed an alternative route, via SMCC, to a career as an entrepreneur. Her husband took welding classes at SMCC and he also went right to the work force. She said, “As an honors student and someone who loves to learn, I never saw myself attending community college and not completing a bachelors degree. The path I chose allowed me to avoid debt and step right into what I love to do.” If she decides in the future to go back to school, that option is always open.
Lane is a multi-generational Mainer. She is very happy to be based in Gorham with its convenient location and its small town feel. While admiring the view from the top of the new wine bar at Station Square recently, she said it was fun to think about her life coming full circle. “Gorham has changed so much but it is also the same sweet town where I grew up,” she said.
Lane and her husband, Parker (GHS ’14), a metal fabricator, live in Gorham in his childhood home which they are having fun renovating. They have a house-trained rabbit named Lemon, and also enjoy spending time in the Maine outdoors.
Lane can be reached at www.fernandflair.com or at lydia@fernandflair.com or 207-808-9328.
Lane is the daughter of Tim and Kate Chick. Her brother Ethan attended Greater Portland Christian School.