With graduation season just around the corner, local lei companies throughout the Bay Area have been putting in overtime hours creating handcrafted items for students to commemorate one of the most important achievements in their lives. To many vendors, the leis made for graduation are not just decorative items but they give students sentimental value.
Owner Madeline Santos of “madelinesleicreations” explained that making personalized leis helps her assist students in realizing their dreams. In addition to juggling her education and other ventures, she dedicates her free time to fashioning meaningful leis for her clientele and their loved ones.
“It means the world to me because they are trusting me with something related to a huge accomplishment for them. I love making their visions or ideas come to life,” Madeline Santos said.
One of the most memorable experiences came from a graduate who wanted to honor her late mother with a custom design lei.
“She wanted to include a memorable quote and a picture of her mom who was no longer with her,” Santos said. “When she picked up the lei, tears came to her eyes and she hugged me and said that it was exactly what she wanted.”
Jennifer Hernandez, who runs “LaFresaSweets,” stated that she equally appreciates the trust customers put into her creations, especially during graduation period. According to her, each lei symbolizes a significant phase in one’s life; hence, she makes sure every creation is unique.
“I feel very honored that customers trust me and choose me to do something important. I enjoy my job, and I love doing what I do because I’m very creative and I enjoy coming up with cool designs and working with different color way,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez explained that although there are always difficulties associated with the process, which takes a lot of time, seeing the results when graduates receive their degrees makes all the hard work worthwhile.
“I think the most rewarding part is seeing the pictures at the grad ceremony. And also seeing the final result is very rewarding, the process can be hard and time-consuming, but in the end it’s very worth it,” Hernandez said.
Amy Molina, who is a fan of both firms, noted that one thing she likes about the two businesses is how creative they have become in the production of lei. According to Molina, firms such as “madelinesleicreations” and “LaFresaSweets” make a difference in their approach to custom orders.
“Estoy orgullosa de cuánta creatividad se pone en sus obras y de lo bien que escuchan que detalles quieren sus clientes,” Molina said.
She loves that both companies are focused on helping bring customers’ ideas to life through custom designs that make graduation celebrations more meaningful.
While graduation celebrations continue throughout the Bay Area, local lei companies have begun to receive recognition for the creativity, hard work, and significance of each custom-made lei. Through unique designs and personalized features, the sellers help the graduates commemorate their success. Each custom lei requires time, effort, and culture to become a meaningful gift that goes beyond being a mere decoration. For many graduates, their leis serve not only as symbols but also as tokens of recognition for the hard work done by those who assisted them in attaining success.
