What is your most memorable wedding?
A wedding we did for a couple at Eastwell Manor, Kristen came all the way from New York to see us, their wedding day was a really warm Autumn Saturday and the flowers we used were Sweet Peas, Roses and Peonies, everything looked wonderful and smelled amazing.
Describe your style in 5 adjectives.
Versatile, natural, classy, honest, fresh.
What about your business are you most proud of?
I am most proud of our client base, we have a diverse group of loyal clients that come to us as our flowers are always fresh - from The Bishop Of Rochester to Medway Council. We offer great customer service and are honest, if we think something will not look right we will say, this has meant that our biggest form of advertising are our clients referring us to other people, we will always work hard to maintain this and client referrals are priceless.
What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Decide what you are going to do and stick to it, don’t be railroaded by other family members into doing and having things that you don’t really want - it is your day after all. Never consider using dyed flowers on your wedding day, there is always the risk that if the petals or leaves get knocked they will stain your dresses or suits, this will ruin your clothing and your day. No matter what colour theme your wedding is a good florist can always come up with natural fresh flowers in your colour scheme, remember if your not sure - ask them to order a sample, you need to have it clear in your own mind so you have made the right decision for your day.
What is your favourite personal touch you have seen at a wedding?
Apples and pears with gold leaf tags acting as name place cards for wedding guests. Simple, low cost and very very effective.
Describe your typical process with a couple.
Usually I would arrange to meet a couple at our store, and go through every stage of their flower requirement piece by piece, offering help and guidance where needed. If any samples need to be bought in or made we invite the couples back to look at those. Once everything is agreed we send out a quote with each design, price, list of flowers being used, delivery addresses and time of delivery for each item. If the couple is happy with our quote a deposit of half would be due within two weeks and the balance due two weeks before the wedding which allows for any changes to be made, adding or misusing off button holes, corsages tables centres etc. It is important to us that our couple still have the change to change their orders even after a deposit has been paid. I have in the past organised wedding flowers via emails, lots of conversations and pictures floated back and forth and we achieved exactly what our brides and grooms were after.
What is the most interesting thing you have put in a bouquet?
Apples and Brambles.
Is there a flower that has specific symbolism that you would recommend for couples?
No, I think it is important to use all of the flowers and foliages with meaning depending on the colour theme and style that the bride and groom want to have. It’s their day and it is up to me to suggest something in keeping with their theme.
What is the most romantic flower and why?
For me it’s white peonies or Norma Jean roses both are delicate looking and smell lovely.
What should you do with the flowers after the wedding?
There are a number of options for this, you could leave bouquets at a loved ones grave, give table arrangements as thank you gifts to friends and family who have helped you organise your wedding. Preserved flowers from the bouquets or button holes to give as gifts, I like the paperweight idea at the moment as I think it’s very different from having preserved flowers in a frame.