THE WEDDING MAKERS

Saying it with flowers

IN THIS ISSUE WE TALK TO MARISABELLE BONNICI, OF THE MALTA FLORIST, ABOUT BLOOMS AND BOUQUETS.

BRIEFLY WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR WORK AND HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO KEEP A PERMANENT SUPPLY OF GORGEOUS FLOWERS FOR WEDDINGS?

We initially started TheMaltaFlorist by growing a small selection of seasonal flowers and selling them from a stand at the farmer’s market. After a few months we were approached by friends and family to supply bouquets for special occasions,and later by brides and companies to supply flowers for weddings and events. After agreeing to the first few tentative enquiries,our passion and interest for floral arrangementsgrew.

We visited flower and wedding fairs in Holland, Germany and Turkey. Met several international floral designers and followed courses with them in person and online. We get our inspiration from many things including fashion, jewellery and architecture. Alexander McQueen is a huge inspiration for me and as he said “You’ve got to know the rules to break them. That’s what I’m here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition.” Irelate to that quite a lot.

Within the past two years we have done a lot of research about the bestflowers to grow in Malta. To date we have several greenhouses in which we rotate flowers according to season. We always encourage our brides to use seasonal flowers. However,if a bride has her heart set on a particular flower that is out of season we can import directly from Holland.

HOW LONG AHEAD SHOULD A BRIDE PLAN AND BOOK THE FLOWERS FOR HER WEDDING?

We only book one wedding per weekend as we want to make sure that the couple has our undivided attention,so the earliera bride books with us the better. Having said that, we always recommend booking around 18 months –two years in advance.

HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO HELP BRIDES CHOOSE THEIR BOUQUETS AND FLORAL DECORATIONS?

We have a very personal approach. It is our philosophy that the best wedding flowers are created in partnership with you, and this is why we do not have one- size-fits-all packages. We need to create your vision for your wedding day together. We believe that we can help translate the vision in your head into floral creations that aren’t just what you dream of but are scenes that surpass your imagination. We generally start with a very detailed questionnaire so we can offer a quote and our advice. Then we set up online consultations and even site visits with the couple at both the ceremony and reception venues – we then create vision boards so that we can make sure that every bride is happy with her flowers on her special day.

SOME FLOWERS AND BOUQUET STYLESWILL ALWAYS BE POPULAR, BUT DO YOU SEE BRIDES CHANGING TRADITIONS AND CHOOSING MORE UNUSUAL PLANTS OR PLANT-BASED DECORATIONS?

Yes,at the momentbouquets with succulents and other plants included are becoming very popular. We have also had many brides ask to hire potted plants in addition to their flowers to embellish churches and venues. Small plants have also become a common souvenir that many couples opt to give as something that guests will hang onto.

WEDDINGS GO ON ALL YEAR ROUND AND OUR CLIMATE IS NOT PERFECT FOR HORTICULTURE, HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO ENSURE COUPLES WILL ALWAYS FIND WHAT THEY NEED?

We always recommend that couples chose seasonal flowers as this will ensure that their flowers last throughout the reception and look their best,especially in hot summer months. We also keep close contact with the couple on the weeks before the wedding should a heat wave or cold spell occur so they will always be informed and not have any nasty surprises on the day. We do recommend avoiding certain flowers that we believe won’t last. For example, a wedding with tulips as the main flower in August is not something we recommend. However, if the bride insists, we can import out of season flowers.

FINALLY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE REAL JOYS OF THE WORK YOU DO?

Everyone loves flowers and we are proud to be offering something that is just a little bit different, with a little more story and innovation than simply a bunch of flowers. Growing our flowers in a sustainable way means we are leaving Malta better than we found it. This job allows us to be closer to nature and spend time in open fields whilst at the same time it bringing joy and happiness to people’s lives and to use our creativity to make our brides’dreams come true. Furthermore, this profession never gets boring as no two days are alike – one day we are harvesting blooms and the next we are setting up magnificent floral installations in gorgeous settings.