PICK OF THE BUNCH

Get to know local fl orists PICK OF e bunch

Since the pandemic started, we’ve seen a change in styles, trends and colour schemes, so to help you fi nd the perfect on-trend fl orist, we asked some of the best North West-based suppliers more about their companies.

MEET CHELSEA TAYLORDAVIES FROM SEED & WILD

07780 969 695 | www.seedandwild.co.uk

Q – Tell us about your company. Seed & Wild is a bespoke wedding fl orist based in the little village of Warton on Lancashire’s Fylde Coast. We’re relatively new to the industry, having planned to launch right at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic. It slowed us down for sure but defi nitely didn’t stop us from doing what we love! Our fl oral designs are delicate and graceful, focusing on the fi nest details and interesting textures. Purposeful details like a scent heavily infl uence our arrangements, helping us to create meaningful memories for years to come. Just catching the smell of sweet peas or garden roses in the air always brings back feelings of nostalgia for me, and I hope to do the same for you.

Q – What services do you offer? We offer a small number of elopement and wedding packages and fully bespoke designs. Your nuptials will be our sole priority and only booking on that particular day. All of our products are foam and single-use plastic-free, and we try to be as environmentally conscious as possible by repurposing our materials, avoiding plastic waste and sourcing our fl owers locally as much as we can!

Q – How long before the wedding should couples get in touch? Our diary is open right up to summer 2023. It’s really important to book your suppliers as soon as you have booked your venue, especially if you’re getting married during peak wedding season. With so many nuptials sadly being postponed last year, suppliers are booking up quickly, so I would say don’t leave it too late!

Q – What’s your favourite part of the job? My favourite part of the job is, of course, meeting and getting to know my lovely couples, especially if they say those fi ve magic words “I’d like all British fl owers”, which is music to my ears! I’m passionate about supporting our local growers and love to grow some of my own blooms. I also love choosing and create your arrangements and sometimes get a little lost in it, and nobody will hear or see me for hours.

Q – Do you have any top tips for couples looking for their wedding fl owers? Look at their style. Does it work well with your vision for your day? Flowers are art, after all, and every fl orist is different!

If you’re offered a free consultation, take it! This is by far the best way to get to know if your supplier is the right fi t for you as a couple. Lastly, and more importantly, enjoy the process!

01253 591 921 | www.fl owersfl eetwood.co.uk

Q – Tell us about your company. I’m Kate from the Lancashire-based company Fabulous Flowers and Events. I offer all your venue styling needs, such as chair covers, sashes, archways, ceremony aisle packages, centrepieces, table linen, vintage tea setups and much more.

Q – What services do you offer? I’m also a fl orist, and I can create bouquets, buttonholes, centrepieces, arches and thank you posies. I deliver all over Lancashire, Cumbria and The Lake District.

Q – How long before the wedding should couples get in touch? The best time to book your fl owers and venue décor is when you have decided on your overall theme and colour scheme, that way, we can work together to bring your ideas to life.

Q – What’s your favourite part of the job? I love what I do, and I hope it shows in my work. I adore everything about weddings and that I get to be a part of your special day, it’s the most rewarding part of the job.

MEET SAM CLARK FROM FREE RANGE FLORISTRY

07887 775 217 | www.freerangefl oristry.co.uk

www.jessicastottphotography.com

www.claregelderdphotography.co.uk www.claregelderdphotography.co.uk

www.jogreenfi eldphotographer.com Q – Tell us about your company. Nestled in the heart of Kendal, we specialise in weddings and British blooms for any budget. Creating fl owers in line with nature’s rhythm in a fi ne art, loose style.

Q – What services do you offer? Bespoke weddings, editorial fl owers, fabulous plants and a specialist consultation area that is used to meet with several wedding suppliers at once, saving a lot of time and stress.

Q – How long before the wedding should couples get in touch? If the wedding is small, anytime up to a few weeks or days. If the look required is British and eclectic, then up to a year so the blooms can be planned and grown by us on our acre plot.

Q – What’s your favourite part of the job? Being able to bring my children to work every day. I love having the freedom to be creative and a full time working mum.

Q – Do you have any top tips for couples looking for their wedding fl owers? Foliage isn’t cheaper. Seasonal fl owers are always more expensive, as it means they’re British.

Florists won’t undercut each other. Get a quote on whose style you love and nothing more. Anyone who tells you these two myths about wedding fl owers isn’t a fl orist.

We’re an independent florist, supplying a wonderfully wild mix of flowers & plants to the people of Manchester. Wedding Flowers

Every wedding is unique so we offer a bespoke service, working closely with you to make sure our flowers are perfect for your day. 0161 832 7731 info@northernflower.com northernflower.com

ARTIFICAL FLOWERS, MADE TO ORDER

We are venue decorators based in the Border City of Carlisle, in Cumbria! We work with only the best quality items to make your wedding, birthday, VIP event as special and as unique to you as possible. We offer superb customer service (so we are told) and treat every event as if it were our own. Why not talk to us about your plans for your event, we would love to help. 07419 143055 | info@rosesandhearts.co.uk WWW.ROSESANDHEARTS.CO.UK

MEET BETHANY BYRNE FROM BETHANY @ FLOWERS BY JEMMA HOLMES

01617 372 322 | www.fl owersbyjemmaholmes.co.uk

Q – Tell us about your company. Our company was established in 2006 and has since become one of Manchester’s biggest wedding fl orists. We have a small team of fully trained professionals delivering a quality service at keen prices. We pride ourselves on being able to cater for almost any size and style of event, and we love doing it.

Q – What services do you offer? We offer fl oral services from gifts to weddings and corporate events across the UK. We specialise in large celebrations creating amazing designs to dress your spectacular venue.

Q – How long before the wedding should couples get in touch? We advise all couples to book their wedding fl orist as soon as they have a date, venue and style for the wedding. We have bookings sometimes three years in advance and most wedding fl orist will book up quickly for popular dates.

Q – What’s your favourite part of the job? It has to be delivering the bridal bouquets and buttonholes to the room on the morning of the wedding whilst the bride is in hair and make-up. Seeing their ideas in real life can be amazing, and we love creating those memories. Q – Do you have any top tips for couples looking for their wedding fl owers? Have an idea in mind, even if it’s just a colour or a particular fl ower you like. It will give your fl orist a base to start from and help them understand your tastes. Also, expressing a budget at the beginning doesn’t mean you’re going to get extremely high prices, but it allows your supplier to understand the items they can advise that will work within your price range.

MEET LAURA MACPHERSON FROM LAUREL SILK FLORIST

07950 227 094 | www.laurelsilkfl orist.com

Q – Tell us about your company. Laurel Silk Florist specialises in faux fl ower bouquets and arrangements for weddings and special occasions. All my designs are made with high-quality materials, and I love to create products that look as realistic as possible. One of the great benefi ts of silk arrangements is that they last for many years, making them a special keepsake. As a trained fl orist with more than 12 years of experience, I have worked with many couples to create the perfect design for their special day.

Q – What services do you offer? I can provide silk fl ower designs for the bridal party, including bouquets, buttonholes, corsages, hair fl owers/crowns, fl owergirl wands and much more. I also create custom centrepieces, garlands, ceremony fl owers and top table arrangements styled to suit your theme and colour scheme. I have a range of designs available on my website, but I also love to work with couples to make custom packages. All of my products can be posted across the UK, which is ideal for couples who want to do the decorations themselves or are travelling abroad for a destination wedding.

Q – How long before the wedding should couples get in touch? The minimum time I recommend is eight weeks before the wedding day, but ideally, get in touch around six to 12 months before to allow plenty of time to create the designs, especially for large wedding packages.

Q – What’s your favourite part of the job? I love getting feedback from my couples when their fl owers arrive and after their special day. I’ve had lots of lovely messages to say that the guests were amazed when they found out that the fl owers weren’t real.

Q – Do you have any top tips for couples looking for their wedding fl owers? My top tip would be to look for a fl orist whose work refl ects the style of your wedding. For example, I feel my work is romantic and gardeninspired, but I also like to make quite rustic-style bouquets. When you fi rst contact your supplier, it’s always useful to send a few pictures of bouquets and arrangements you like as well as the colour scheme you’re planning for the wedding.

Sarah can provide a varied selection of music tailored to your needs. A perfect compliment to your special day. sarahdaviesmusique@hotmail.co.uk 07806 199196 www.sarahdaviesharpist.com

At A Family Affair, we believe that every bride should experience the magic of finding their dream wedding dress, no matter what shape, size or budget. It is after all, the most important dress you will ever buy.

We have carefully selected our designers to offer a full range of all styles, materials, price and timescales. We have over 100 sample dresses in store for you try on in our private bridal room. These range from sizes 8 to 28.

Some of our designers carry out special requests, so you can make your wedding dress as unique as yourself.

We have a fantastic range of: Bridal Accessories Mother of the Bride Outfits Bridesmaids Flower Girls Prom Dresses

Our Bridal Designers include: White Rose Phoenix Gowns Ladybird AnnyLin Richard Designs Bianco Evento Millie Mae Our Capsule Collection

For our more curvaceous figures: White Rose Graceful Phoenix Envy Millie Grace

We also have also recently extended our menswear and opened up a new sister shop called Chapmans Quality Menswear.

We are official stockists of Marc Darcy, and we provide formal and full Highland Hire Wear. And if you choose your wedding dress with A Family Affair, your grooms party will receive a 10% discount off all Marc Darcy suits.