šš„³š¾Wow! 10,000 of you following my journey here on the gram! šš.
That blows my mind!!
Thank you so much for your interest, your support, your questions, your input, your encouragement and feedback šš.
Iāve loved sharing my techniquesā¦and experiences- sometimes some personal viewpoints that arenāt always popular, but are all just from the heart.
Iāve had nothing but kindness from this community and thatās whatās kept me going. Knowing that sharing a few ideas and even the mistakesā¦.can make a difference.
For all of you just starting out - keep going!! Itās such a worthwhile and wonderfully rewarding job, itās tough but so worthwhile, and I donāt for a minute have any regrets about my change of career!
Happy 2025 to you all, and thank you šš
Ali
Xx
Cheesy ?!! Who moi?! š¤·āāļøš¤£
But all true!
Iāve worked my a#*! off to get a window, and make a successful business from a tiny garage space! š¤Ŗš¤£
The thing is, Instagram is full of beautiful images, perfect set ups and gorgeous barn studios for designer florists. Big budgets, fancy premises, beautiful estates, gorgeous venues, incredible teamsā¦.
But you donāt need to compete with that.
Iām here to tell you that, starting from scratch, with none of that stuff, is ok AND very do-able! In fact, running before I could walk was the biggest mistake I made. It was too hard to keep a small business runningā¦and to grow itā¦ from different premises.
I struggled with flower deliveries
I struggled with loneliness
I struggled with balancing homelife; walking the dog, keeping my home together and car shuffling between my husband and I to get our daughter to school/training and comps.
Moving into our little garage space was the best move I ever made. Itās small, itās a squeeze (Iāve found some good solutions!)
I get rid of whatās not necessary, hire a van when I need it, and use outside space in summer. Iām here for dinners and lunches, deliveries and tea breaks!! Iāve got more time with my family, and my doggie is happier at homeā¦and gets walks when he asks for them, and when it suits me and I need a break.
šš. Win. Win.
So donāt be disheartened, and donāt think weāve all got fancy premises and immaculately beautiful cabinets full of designer ceramics. We donāt!
The most important things to invest in?
šø your training and skill set; your WORK!
šø building your client base.; telling people about your WORK!
Thatās it!
And if you want more support and guidance, and to hear more of my story; sign up for my regular emails/newsletters to keep ahead of everything going on in my little design studio. š
(Ahem, ok ok, aka the garage!) š¤Ŗ
All the cosy feels of autumn vibes and bracken. I love it when a client likes to go LARGE on foliage, especially when the season is turning, the buttery leaves are coming through and the delicious ombrĆ© tones just make this job effortlessā¦
Well, nearly š
Iām not sure if the ādeconstructed archā Will make it through another year, itās been a fairly long stint at the top of requests, but more recently being replaced with pillars and staircase designs, flowing top tables and aislesā¦.lets see what 2025 brings.
Message me to check your date for next year - Fridays and mid week weddings are becoming more and more popular, and Iām all for it š
Drop me a msg to check availability ā¤ļø
Just a little āfollow along with me whilst I workā this morningā¦.
Adding some of my favourite garden foliages to my designs. Thought youād like yours see!
Canāt stop! Gotta do 7 bridesmaids next ššā¤ļø Happy Friday all!
#weddingflowers #whiteswedding #greensandwhites #weddingflorals #toptableflowers
Yes, itās true. Nobody believed me! Hahaha. I spoke to a LOT of people, I asked lots of questions..and got lots of opinions. It seemed, in the floristry world that I found myself thrown headfirst intoā¦that convention ruled.
Floral foam was the answer.
There was no debate.
No question.
So when I decided to experiment with my āraft of sticksā people thought I was mad! šš±
Well. Ok. Maybe I am, just a little bit. But does it work? Yes! Do I like doing it? Yep. Is it quick and easy now? Yes and yea. Do I create all of my biodegradable funeral designs this way? Yep. š„°ā¤ļøš
The floral funeral industry is the worst for plastic waste. Single use foam. Foam letters. Plastic cards. Polyribbons. Plastic cradles and stands. All of it goes to landfill.
So the next time someone thinks Iām the crazy one, I might have to remind them of the crazy amount of pointless waste we create each and every day at cemeteries , church yards and crems across the Uk. Now that really IS mad. š¢
What do I love? Itās definitely the client relationships I build..itās without doubt the best bit!
Iāve just had a lovely email from a past bride, telling me to look out for her sisters message as sheās getting married in 2026 and they were so thrilled with my service, theyād like me to consider theirs.
Thatās how most of my work comes about, to be honest. Itās a re-occurring story of sisters, bridesmaids, best men from one wedding recommending me for anotherā¦relatives, aunties, friendsā¦.
Fills me with immense pride that everyone is always completely happy to recommend me, and the best bit? I often get to see my brides and grooms again at other weddings!
Iāve flowered up for best friends, other daughters, son in laws brothers and neighbours. š„°ā¤ļø
Itās because I truly like to get to know you as a couple, work to your brief, your style and create something thatās personal for you. Itās your story Iām interested in, and that means I really do give you all my love! š¤ā¤ļø
The question is, Are you ready for a full āhugā floral service? āŗļøā¤ļø.
WEDDING DAY DECISIONSā¦
Theyāre all yours!
As a florist Iām not here to dictate style preferences or latest trends. Iām here to help put together your vision, and use my experience, knowledge and background to give the best advice, help you through it and do the best job I possibly can. Thatās it!
I want to work with you, make it enjoyable, effortless and wave the magic wand so that it all comes together beautifully on the day for you. š¤šā¤ļø. For YOUR day ā¤ļø
So whether itās going BIG or small with florals, whether itās in a grand country house or a farm; in your family home, church, marquee or barn - Iām here to help.
The joy and pleasure I get is from meeting families, being a small part of your story and knowing that Iāve helped put your vision together for you. Everyone has a āstarting visionā in mind for their wedding day (even if youāre not completely sure how that would be completed and turn out in the end) but just a look, a feel, a preference for styling, how formal or informal youād like the day to be, how guests will mingle, how you imagine the day!! Weāve ALL imagined what that day looks like in our minds, and finding the right people to work with, to LISTEN to your ideas and explanations and make your vision a reality is what itās all about!!
Iāve often been surprised by different requests, unusual traditions and things Iāve never come across before. Personal touches and unique family associations and symbolism that has made every single wedding special, and different for me tooā¦
And thatās why I love it! ā¤ļø
The 2025 diary has been open for a while, and key dates are taken - but I do have lots of FRIDAY wedding dates available, so pop me a message to check if Iām free for yours, and letās chat wedding flowers over a cuppa! ššš
(The good thing is, I do LOVE to chat, hear your story and get to know you - and as ALL my wedding couples know, I seem to become āAunty Aliā on w
I absolutely LOVE meeting my local growers and having a little chat when I go to collect my flowers.
This is when you hear all the infoā¦get to know and understand the materials youāve got and will be working with, and hear all these lovely secrets!!!
Who knew??
A rose could be so beautiful, so abundantā¦..but NOTā¦
š¤«š¤« spikey either!!!! šš. What a joy!! Canāt tell you how long this saves us time-prep wise!
In factā¦this one is so beautiful that I almost donāt want to shareā¦.and I need to make sure I have it in my diary for the next window of bloom-time for future weddings!!
Sheās an absolute beaut, and thank you Rachelle @merri.flowers for sharing her secret š¤«šš
Please reserve some for me next time she comes around!! ššøšøš
Anyone want to know the name??? (Or maybe you already know and weāll keep it between us? š¤«š)
#localflowers #supportlocal #britishblooms #ecofloristry
FLORIST HACK!!! šššæā»ļø
It becomes a bit of a gameā¦finding and repurposing re-usable household items for all your floristry needs ššš¤Ŗ.
I LOVE it!! a bit of experimentation and a creative mindā¦and never being able to throw things away! šā»ļøā»ļø. Ooooh. When you find the perfect little thing that does the job so wellā¦itās so satisfying!! Haha simple pleasures š
You are allowed to feel a little bit smug when you find the perfect solution to something in your herb cupboard? Right? š
Whatās your best household re-purpose for floristry?? Tell me if you can top this one! ššš
#floristlifestyle #floristtipsandtricks #floristhacks #ecofloristry #nofoamflorals
Selecting stems straight from the field, is one of the greatest joys of my job. But when Mother Nature creates the perfect OmbrĆ© in the Antirrhinum and Achilleaā¦to blend into the perfect selection of dahliaā¦. Just how can you possibly go wrong? š³ā¤ļø
Flower arrangement - by me
Grown from seed - by Lucy
Perfect colour OmbrĆ© - Mother Nature š
@howburyfarmflowers
#ecoflorist #colourblending #ombreflowers #dahlia #achillea #snapdragon
I canāt believe itās been 2 years since this #flowerflash at Bedford town centre with @haylaneflowerfarm and a team of florist and farmer friends. Sept 22
It was great for so many reasons - showing how collaborative enterprise works so well, and independent businesses can come together šøā¤ļøš
And itās very fitting for me, that thatās where another local supplier relationship got startedā¦that turned into a valued friendship and support for neighbours.
Iām so glad you came along and found me and Iāve loved watching this all take shape and literally, grow before my eyes.
Jade & Jamie, you have worked so bloody hard - Iām in awe of what youāve achieved, and you deserve EVERY success šš.
But first, GO REST NOW!!
(You did it!! ššŖš)
@limbersey.lane.flowers @jade_ann_goff
Flower flash:
@haylaneflowerfarm
@howburyfarmflowers
@saxongateflowers
@rosehipbespoke
@tytheflowers
@untamed_florals
@elworthy_flowers
I donāt ever do it, 2 weddings on the same day. Itās a first I must admit (I always tell my clients this, and I promise itās 100% true until now!)ā¦.but two things happened that made it that way:
1. A lovely (2nd!) recommendation from a couple whose wedding I flowered a couple of years agoā¦. This bride had been to that wedding (as had a couple I flowered for back in May) and she wanted me to do her own flowers for her wedding. HOW cld I refuse?? š„°
2. A lovely (extremely hard working) friend then asked me to help put together their vision for their own wedding at home, including all the foliage and flowers grown thereā¦. It was the same dayā¦ but againā¦HOW could I refuse? Of course it was a resounding YES š„°
And two amazing solutions:
1. The ease of the Signature Collection (pictured here). A low key, ready to wear, simple package of wedding floralsā¦. no installations, no table centres. Simply a Brides bouquet, 3 x bridesmaids, 4 x buttonholes, 1 x registrar table/top table design piece. And my lovely husband - on hand to deliver it for me, an hour away, on a Saturday his day offā¦ whilst Iām at the other wedding, on site ā¤ļøā¤ļø. I couldnāt have done this any other way, and itās why I accepted the booking.
2. An amazing team of helpers at the friends wedding (the big one!). Church plus barn venue. split over 3 days to get the pre-prep done and as much done in advance as we possibly could. Plus amazing growers who cut for the Signature Collection wedding and allowed out of hours pick up so I could get those first, and solve the problem of being in two places at once. A late afternoon creating, and an evening to finish off and package the next day, and Iām all done and good to go!!
( all I gotta do is get thru the 6.00am wake up call and installation builds tomorrow. ā¦.Coffee and pastries (or Any sugar!) mandatory!!) š„°ā¤ļø
See you on the other side! (Daughterās birthday Sundayā¦.so a day OFF is entirely reas
Floral designs inspired by nature, made with sustainable methods. šæ Weddings. Funerals. Teaching, workshops & training.
