2013

2013 was a momentous year. My husband and I celebrated 10 years together. It also marked the beginnings of my floral pursuits. This year I look forward to immersing myself in flowers, which will mean more 4am flower market mornings. As much as I dread waking up to dimly lit darkness, nothing beats the feeling of returning home with a carload of handpicked goodies.

I was very grateful for the opportunity to do the flowers for this beautiful garden wedding last Spring. Photos by Hilary Cam.

Leftovers

Yesterday afternoon I made this arrangement from leftover wedding flowers. I am in love with this colour palette. The bride asked for bright colours, and I thought this combination of colours was bright and cheerful, but still soft and romantic. I could not have been happier playing with these beauties on what was a delicious Spring afternoon.

Inspiration | Spring

It is about this time of year that I am struck with a serious case of floral fever.

The streets in my neighbourhood are blooming with pink and white magnolia trees. I brought home the first of the season’s anemones a couple weeks ago, and I have been dreaming of them ever since. These are the early signs of Spring that I look forward to each year.

Here is an inspiration board I put together for a wedding in September. I could not be more excited over my first Spring wedding of the year. 

p.s. I am ready to throw out my boots and gloves and beloved gas heater. I am well and truly over Winter. 

Photo credits (left to right): Row 1 - via Eliza Messina, table centrepiece by Amy Merrick, via little blue deer; Row 2 - all via Eliza Messina

Anurag and Phillipa's wedding

One sleepy Friday morning in May, my husband and I loaded the car with flowers I had made the night before, and headed to the Southern Highlands for our friend Anurag’s wedding.

The Southern Highlands is about two hours from Sydney. It is stunning at any time of the year, but especially in Autumn when the land glows green and gold, and yellow leaves swirl from field to field.

We arrived in the morning mist. The scent of pine trees perfumed the air and I could not help but feel like we were driving through a watercolour painting.

We delivered the flowers to the lovely bride, Philippa, who I had met only once the weekend before. Anurag and Philippa had been living in London and decided to have their wedding back home in Australia. I was thrilled when Anurag contacted me about doing flowers for his wedding. Philippa and I had communicated solely on Facebook. And even though we had barely met in person, I was already accustomed to her warmth and impeccable taste.

Philippa and Anurag were married on Bendooley Estate under a sky full of blue and sunshine all around.

The wedding festivities carried on till the next day with the Hindu ceremony and evening reception. Philippa entered the tent draped in traditional Indian wedding costume. She wore orange and magenta, a garland of flowers around her neck, bangles to her elbows and a gold hoop nose ring. She looked positively radiant. Like what I imagine a gypsy princess would look like on her wedding day.

After the ceremony, we tucked into a delicious spread of Indian sweets and pastries.

As the sky turned to purple haze and ribbons of pink swirled through the sky, the guests made their way to the Book Barn. We ate and we danced and we danced some more.

We returned home on Sunday afternoon to a dozen dirty vases and a bucket of leftover kumquats. The weekend was over and the tiredness had finally caught up with me, but I could not be happier. I had been reminded just how wonderfully rewarding this flower gig can be. To create something special for someone who truly appreciates each and every carefully picked stem and whose mum, on seeing the wedding bouquet smiles, “I can’t believe this day has come”.

The above photos were taken by the amazingly talented Hilary Cam.

Inspiration | Vintage Garden Party

Here is an inspiration board for a wedding in a couple weeks. The theme is vintage garden party. There will be david austins and juliets in pretty shades of pinky peach and apricot.

 

Photo credits (Left to right): Row 1 - Bouquet via Once Wed, vintage car via Once Wed, table centrepiece by Saipua; Row 2 - buttonhole via Once Wed, bouquet by Amy Merrick, blush pink wedding dress and pink champagne cocktails via Once Wed

Peonies

This is a bouquet I did for a wedding last Summer. The bride's only request was that it include peonies. Music to my ears. These powder-puff blooms are in abundance for just a few glorious weeks in November.

I make sure I bring an armful home before they hastily disappear. I am longing for November days...for peonies.

Autumn is here

The Autumn storms of wind and rain arrived early this year. So lately, evenings have been spent curled up on the couch sipping ginger tea and listening to the night winds dance wildly.

A leather jacket has been purchased. Tights are being worn. An umbrella has taken up permanent residence in my handbag.

Welcome Autumn. You are early but I am glad you have arrived, wind-swept hair, damp stockings and all.