Last Sunday we exhibited at the Fanhams Hall wedding fayre in Ware and I’ve only just finished getting through all the enquiries and quote writing! It’s one of our favourite venues, and our style seems to really suit this incredible building. It also ends up being one of our busiest fayres so we were officially pooped by the end (but loved every minute).

We met some fantastic couples with some great ideas, so a big hello to all of those we talked to.

General themes for 2012/2013

We love creating displays we predict will be big news for 2012/2013 couples on our exhibition stand, and there were some clear themes coming through from talking to couples.

Our vintage work is always the most popular – romantic, elegant vintage bouquets and displays is a bit of a speciality of ours and the style we are commissioned to work on most. We’re also asked to recreate this style for national magazines, and were delighted to meet several brides who had cuttings of our displays from magazines in their wedding books. Very flattering indeed! But I love the fact that so many of our couples are putting their personal touches on this theme through specific colour requests, unusual vases and containers or personal detail requests. It would seem a real personal twist is definitely a trend for this year.

Roses are still the most popular wedding flower we’re finding, but new colour requests are coming through. Purple is still a key colour for this year, with many brides favouring the duskier shades, and yellows are also making a bright appearance on our order forms.

Brights are something that most couples feel a little scared of, but seemed to love our vintage rose bowl with a bold collection of purples, blues, pinks, reds and greens.

However the overall feeling we’re picking up on is that natural elegance is definitely the key trend for this year and next. We’re getting asked to create far more tumbling, just-as-nature-intended type displays. Thanks for all the feedback!

As for now, we’re in peak meeting season and are wading through our huge list of enquiries we’ve had over the first few weeks of January. Keep them coming! I can’t bear to be idle…

Well, hello there! A very warm welcome, one and all, to my first blog.

To start the ball rolling, I thought a little getting-to-know-you session may be of interest to make sure I’m your cup of tea.

I’m Sally and run Halo Blossom, a floral design business based on the Herts/Essex border specialising in creating gorgeous wedding and event flowers. I’ve set up this blog because I wanted to share my thoughts, creations and ideas on all that floats our boat at Halo Blossom in and around the wonderful world of floral design and styling. This is likely to cover what we’re up to, what’s catching our eye, press coverage, great clients and suppliers we meet along the way and anything else we think may be of interest to you, whether you’re a bride-to-be, a floral design fan, a wedding industry expert or just plain nosey and interested in what I have to say. You really are most welcome.

So here are five questions and answers about me and the business so that you feel you know me a bit better…

Best things about my job
Creating a display or bouquet I truly love – then having a bride look blown away by it. Sorry if this often means you ruin your eye make-up, but this is just the loveliest feeling! Getting phone calls and emails from future clients who have seen our work or had us recommended to them also gets me every time. And being able to work for myself and work from a studio at home – having a young family, I really do appreciate how lucky I am to work from home.

Worst things about my job
Cleaning vases. Essential, but not fun. Having short nails and often dirty fingers that I can’t get properly clean. And constantly growing out of space. Our vase and sundry collection is taking over the world!

Favourite floral style
Personally I love the vintage look and favour more natural floral displays. But there’s something about just getting a client’s taste and style and knowing you’re giving them exactly what they want that feels far better than just doing whatever I want to do.

What’s the best advice you’d give a bride-to-be?
Go with your heart. You’ll be distracted along the way by what friends have had, by lovely other stuff you find in print and online and by budgetary restrictions, but be true to yourself. If you know the flowers are really important to you, get a good florist you really connect with, trust them to work their magic and relax on the day.

What have been your career highlights?
Ooh, being shortlisted as Wedding Florist of the Year just three years after retraining as a floral designer was pretty special. Being asked to create flowers for royalty earlier this year was also a real high. And seeing my work in pretty much every issue of Wedding Flowers and Wedding magazine for the last two years is also so flattering. But, given the state of the economy, I’d say continuing to grow the business each year and having a stream of recommendations from venues and past clients has got to be up there!

If you have a burning question for me, don’t be a stranger.

My next blog… we’re exhibiting at the Fanhams Hall wedding fayre on Sunday 15th Jan, so I’ll be blogging just as soon as I’ve had a lie down afterwards. It’s always shattering, but I can’t wait for it!