Declaration
Hi, I'm Lara, and I'm so glad you're here!
Declaration began as a small shop in St. Augustine, where for sixteen years I had the privilege of creating, learning, and serving an incredible community of customers. Those years shaped me into the creator I am today and taught me that the most meaningful products are the ones with a story behind them.
Today, Declaration has become the creative home for everything my husband, Steven, and I create together. From thoughtfully designed fragrances to whatever we're dreaming up next, this is where every idea, product, and story gets to live.
While our storefront has closed, the heart behind Declaration has never changed. It simply found a new home, and we're so happy you found us here.
Name
The name Declaration found me long before there was ever a shop. I first came across the word in a college economics class and immediately loved both its sound and its meaning. It felt bold, creative, and full of possibility. Somewhere along the way, I noticed something I couldn't unsee—the letters of my own name, Lara, quietly tucked inside it.
Years later, when it came time to name my business, I came back to that word. Declaration became the name above our storefront in St. Augustine, and eventually "& Co." was added as our family, our team, and our community grew alongside it.
For sixteen wonderful years, Declaration became a place filled with thoughtful gifts, celebrations, creativity, and countless memories. Over time, the name itself began to mean something more.
Today, Declaration isn't simply the name of a business. It's become my creator's mark—a place to share the things I love creating and the stories behind them.
Fragrance
Over the years, we found ourselves creating more and more of the products we carried in our shop. When one of our longtime candle suppliers closed, we decided to learn how to make candles ourselves—and it completely changed the direction of our business.
What started with a small crock pot and plenty of trial and error eventually became the candles we still pour today. Somewhere along the way, fragrance simply became what we loved most.
Today, Steven's love of making and my love of designing come together to create thoughtful fragrances and gifts—the same kinds of products we've loved sharing with our customers for over sixteen years.