What is your most memorable wedding?
Hamswell House, just outside Bath, creating a very special experience for the bride and groom. The lovely wedding couple S&H came to visit Golden Valley Meadow flower field eight months before their wedding and planted the snapdragons seeds which were in the wedding bouquet and aisle flowers. Bringing the outdoors into the ceremonies and receptions with gorgeous blooms, which were meaningful to the wedding couple makes me incredibly proud
Describe your style in 5 adjectives.
Natural, rustic, romantic, sustainable, meadow style
What about your business are you most proud of?
That we grow our flowers, so they are at their most fresh and filled with scent for your wedding. We grow sustainably, chemical-free, encouraging local wildlife habitats and supporting pollinators. We welcome our wedding couples into the Flower Meadow, a unique experience selecting your flowers; sharing this beautiful space, making beautiful, romantic wedding flowers for your special day makes me incredibly proud
What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Enjoy it, it sounds simple, but really do take some time in the day, just for the two of you
What is your favourite personal touch you have seen at a wedding?
Flowers are incredibly evocative of memories, they are present in the milestones of our lives; at funerals, birthdays, a gift to cheer someone up, a present for a new baby, a new house, a new job. I'm often asked to include flowers in wedding arrangements that bring those we love into the day, a smell of roses from a loved Grandad's garden, herbs from a great chef, team colours from a proud rugby fan, thistles for Scottish family.
Describe your typical process with a couple.
A couple usually is either recommended by a friend, or another supplier, sees my work through Instagram & gets in touch through the wedding contact page. We have an initial phonecall, I then submit a proposal with imagery, and we firm up the arrangements, colour pallete and arrangements. The couple visit Golden Valley Meadow to see where their blooms are grown, choose focal flowers and colours. Six weeks before the wedding we have a call firming up the logistics.
What is the most interesting thing you have put in a bouquet?
Flowers grown by the wedding couple; visiting the flower meadow for their site visit & sowing seeds during their visit.
Is there a flower that has specific symbolism that you would recommend for couples?
I would recommend flowers that you love, plain and simple. If you aren't a gardener then have a look on Pinterest and see the shapes, colours and style that you like
What is the most romantic flower and why?
Oh this is a very personal choice. Peonies, roses, dahlias are all stunning blooms filled with fragrance. Very personally, I love Honesty, it's a very traditional, cottage garden wild flower, it peers it's head through frosts, a determined little lady, and then a bubble bath of frothy, scented flowers in early Spring, absolutely stunning in bouquets
What should you do with the flowers after the wedding?
We have a relationship with a local nursing home, we donate flowers which aren't going home with the couple or their famiy