Flower Whispering

We often work with everlasting flowers to create wreaths, gift bouquets and installations and from time to time bridal bouquets, buttonholes and floral crowns too. But February this year saw us complete our very first full scale dried flower wedding - and it was just magical.

Kirstie and Tommy chose the Biscuit Factory, Edinburgh for their wedding. It’s a former industrial building and a blank canvas into which they could project their personal vision for their long anticipated (thanks Covid!) celebration. Every detail of the day was carefully chosen and planned to represent them as a couple and a family; and to embrace their guests invited along to share this special day.

Kirstie loved the idea from the start of using dried flowers, loving not only their sustainable credentials, but their subtle colours, textures and forms. She expressed a desire to be true to the winter season, to its low light and restricted palette. Coastal landscapes of scrubby grasses and architectural hogweeds were touched on as inspiration as well as collected pebbles from the beach near their home. A favourite picture of an incense surrounded mandala was also a key visual reference in terms of mood and atmosphere.

The brief was exciting. Yes to tall skeletal forms of giant dried hogweed, artichoke and allium heads; yes to textures of tall grasses; and yes to a warm, soft colour pallete of rosy pinks, faded corals and toasty beiges. But most exciting was the request for a ceremony backdrop that felt cocooning and grounding yet brought a feeling of nature indoors and a nod to the wild places the couple spend time as a family. The idea of this coupled with the eagerness of plentiful candlelight was music to my ears!

We created a generous arc shaped upright installation as the main statement piece in the space. Tall sculptural giant hogsweed, teasel and artichoke standing in logs and cylinders of sand created a small forest of architectural botanical shapes which was softened by the addition of a middle layer of statuesque miscanthus, verbena and alliums. Big bunches of meadow grasses, honesty and nigella added futher textural interest and the front row was formed of clustered bowls of herbs and flowers such as different shapes and sizes of dahlias and strawflowers, adding pops of soft colour. Intermingled with these upright botanicals were tumbleweeds of vines, giant allium heads, pebbles, weathered bricks and driftwood. Arcs of scattered petals, flower heads and leaves then brought the design over the surface of the floor, the addition of candles and incense setting the atmosphere perfectly. This piece was calming, somehow familiar and yet stirred the senses and gave the feeling that something very special was about to occur.

Elsewhere in the space, we created a big fluffy floral cloud in the atrium of the roof light made with bunches of sea lavender, penny cress and hydrangea. We also laid out flower filled mismatched antique brass vessels and taper candles in brass candlesticks on the tables, echoing the feel of the larger installation on the other side of the room. As day turned to night, candlelight illuminated floral silhouettes large and small and a mix of glowing flames and botanical shadows made the atmosphere in the space even more otherworldly.

Following the wedding, Kirstie sent me a gorgeous message and this very touching testimonial:

“Jenny Harman is the flower whisperer. Calm, gentle, inspired - her capacity to work at the edges of what can be imagined and really bring that vision to life is outstanding. She has that rare mix of traits which makes her utterly bespoke - as a person and as a florist. An exquisite attention to detail, subtlety, colour, tone and creativity, coupled with a deep openness to work with her clients and attune to their ideas and needs in every way. Truly joyful! Thank you so much.”

Thank you Kirstie for trusting me with your vision and for your joyful collaboration of ideas, this was all a complete joy for me too! More beautiful pictures of this wedding by Hannah Love can be seen in the gallery ‘Kirstie & Tommy’, just click this button:

Huge thanks to my installation assistants Kirsty & Aiofe who’s magic flowery fingers helped me to bring these ideas to life. All the flowers used in this wedding (except those foraged by Kirstie) were dried, sourced from within the UK from amazing artisan flower growers - who I’m so grateful to. As always, no floral foam was used and as much as possible the materials and props have been re-purposed.

All photographs are by Hannah Love Photography, shared with thanks.