I first met Lynda a couple years before she ventured out on her own with FLEURtacious and have enjoyed every chance I have had to work with her. I am also not alone in this sentiment, as Lynda was recently nominated for an local industry award and was honoured with the Industry Excellence Award. So, a couple weeks ago I headed out to her studio space on the peninsula to take some photos.
How long have you been doing wedding florals?
I have been working in the floral industry for over 15 years, and have seen a ton of changes in terms of weddings and style over the years. When I first started out, I worked at a retail flower shop where I learnt the basics of floristry. I’ve taken courses and studied under many different designers which ultimately has helped to incorporate various styles and techniques into my work. Seven years ago I started a company with a partner which was my first introduction to business as solely an event florist. There were many learning curves in terms of ordering practices etc, having come from a retail background, but so much more freedom in being able to personalize details for clients. A few years ago, I made the decision to venture on my own and start a company which has become FLEURtacious. I’m very proud to say that this May will be the beginning of FLEURtacious‘ 4th season. The interaction that I have now with my brides / couples, is much more personable and involved than it has ever been in the past. I’ve really developed some great friendships in this business, both with clients, as well as other vendors. It’s a very creative and inspiring industry and I love how ever changing it is.
How far in advance should brides get in touch?
With the way that technology has gone, I feel as though a lot of clients do major research into vendors before we even speak or email for the first time. Most of the emails I receive start out as ‘I’ve seen your work online/in person, I love your style’ or ‘You were referred to me by my friend/family/photographer/etc etc… and I want you to do my wedding!’ – Which honestly is one of the nicest feelings in the world! Word of mouth and referrals are always so appreciated, but also means that people are booking further out from their wedding dates than ever before to get the vendors they feel will best suit their style. I like to suggest that couples get in touch as soon as possible in regards to booking the date, especially for summer weddings, as these dates do get booked up quickly. When it comes to discussing details of the wedding, once items such as dress, venue & colour tones have been decided, then this is usually when I like to set-up a consultation to get our creative minds thinking. It’s nice to meet up early enough that we can play around with unique details, but also have something of a base to work from. Often during consultations it’s a good idea to have your decorator and florist together, it helps everyone in terms of being on the same page and bouncing ideas off of each other, as well as eliminates a lot of back and forth questions.
You also have a line of
couture hats that you make, how did you get into that, and do you see many clients who come to you for both floral and hats, or fascinators?
Yes I do! I really love to create and make things by hand, from scratch. I feel it’s important to learn the original version of something/anything before you can properly bend the rules and manipulate it into something of your own. I studied in London and New York for Couture Millinery and learnt from two very prominent and traditional-in-technique mentors. I love old world trades, the dying arts, and I feel like both lines of the Lynda Marie brand work well together in this. I do end up booking quite a few custom fascinators, birdcage veils, hair accessories etc. for weddings through consultations in my floral company. The two businesses are in a lot of ways similar – hand crafted, fine datails, colour combinations, seeking of the finest materials and products. And both aspects of my work are very personal pieces that a bride uses on one of her biggest days, so it’s really quite an honour for me!
Are there any trends you can see on the horizon for 2017?
Classic Weddings – All the way! Tons of fabulous textures. Neutrals & Greens, Bright & Bolds or Moody & Metallic colour tones. Large beautiful, organic, flowy and cascading bouquets. Unusual and unique boutonnieres. If I have to be honest, it’s my all my very favourite things right now. I love flowers that invoke passion and feeling – the classics like the sweet smelling Garden Roses, Dahlias, Hydrangeas, Scabiosa, Anemones, Peonies… and endless greenery. I used to get accused of ‘over texturizing’ my work, but now it seems to be what everyone is looking for. Often using foraged and fabulous local textures has allowed me to incorporate untraditional product to give my clients a unique arrangement for their day.
Also, I always like to include a note to my brides explaining the symbolism behind their wedding day flowers – I believe that the flowers a woman carries on her wedding day reflects her values in life, love and the future she is creating. We are all drawn to certain flowers and colours, so when a client tells me that Peonies are her absolute favourite – symbolizing Happy Life, Happy Marriage, Good Health & Prosperity (wow, that’s a lot for one flower!) – I believe it’s a fun bit of information to know. The ‘Language of Flowers’ fascinates me.