A very large part of my new life in the UK will be Flora & Grace.....in fact much the same as Zucchini Weddings has been for me over the last ten years.....I've had the learning curves....I've made mistakes.....I've learnt so much about weddings, flowers, styling, what works, what looks awful......I've had some fun.....I've cried with tiredness doing a wedding everyday (like in September).....but most of all I sincerely hope I've made some people very happy?
So to a new chapter in my life my gorgeous little boutique.....nestled in the heart of Clifton village in Bristol is an absolute gem....of course it's going to be very beautiful....almost like walking into a fairytale.....a wedding fairytale. This is quite a dream come true for me....something I have been planning for some time and the great thing is I'm going to have much more of a family business and there is quite some hidden talents in my family. I really do want my business to be terribly different and that's going to be the hard part setting myself and the boutique up and being different enough to make all the difference.....if you know what I mean.
The boutique is tiny but perfect for me to start with.....it's currently trading as a bridal shop.......the delightful owner (soon to be revealed) is moving to a fabulous new shop just around the corner. It really is going to be the most beautiful bridal gown emporium situated over two floors....and wall to wall designer dresses! I hope to be working quite closely with the owner of the new boutique...can't wait. I actually met the lady in question on Twitter....she was advertising her shop for rent....well the remainder of the lease....I just happened to be visiting the UK two days later...the rest is history.....Clifton here I come.....well it's actually home for me that's where I lived with my family from about the age of five or six.....so I guess I'm going home!
They say small is beautiful and in my boutiques case this is going to be just so....The shop front has a very pretty window, the shop itself is quite long with a staircase of about six steps leading to another area almost like a small gallery. This part of my boutique will be called 'The Wedding Room' at Flora & Grace. Although I plan to have stock in this area as well as the rest of the retail space I want this room to have a pretty seating area where I can entertain clients who wish to discuss their wedding with me.....and of course Alex.
A large part of the business will be wedding planning and styling....very much what I have been involved with in Cyprus. Another huge part of the business will be dedicated to my love of flowers.....specialising in bridal and other wedding blooms.....much emphasis on venue styling. I particularly want to focus on using beautiful stem detail for my bouquets something I really think will make my bouquet stand out from the crowd...so to speak! I am in the process of sourcing different styles of brooches and other bits and pieces that will look lovely with flowers. I am also very keen to incorporate jewellery, lace and other pieces into fresh flowers....in a very difffernt kind of way...watch this space.
The rest of my retail space will be dedicated to everything wedding.....but again with a difference. Why stock something you can easily purchase elswhere....no point! I'm also not a huge fan of following wedding fashion...THE TRENDS of the moment. I am aware of all the vintage hoo ha and granted some of it can be very pretty.....when it's not looking too confused and some of the styling that I have seen does look just that....CONFUSED.....what era is THIS supposed to be from? Please don't get me wrong I'm not knocking vintage and I have to use the vintage theming in quite a lot of what I produce for brides at the moment but I take the pretty bits and they have to be relevant. I've yet to meet anyone that has truly styled a very vintage wedding throughout.....this is where the confused bit comes in There's usually a hint of vintage with an old typewriter or a battered old picnic hamper, a bit of tatty bunting here and there.....the odd vintage jug full of wispy country like flowers on the table.....come on where's the glamour......where's the oppulence......well I haven't seen any on my internet travels so far.....prove me wrong......maybe I've been looking in all the wrong places?
Having said my piece about vintage I do have the pleasure of styling a wedding that's coming up soon and that does have lots of vintage elements to it.......but they are tasteful and THEY do have that touch of glamour that so much of the vintage styling lacks....let me get some pictures of this wedding and you'll see what I'm trying to get at....sorry there is a little wait for pictures the wedding isn't until September.....be patient!
So I want and WILL BE be very different in my approach and design of my weddings....I will have that glamour, romance and timeless elegance.....I promise....just watch me!!!!
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