Last weekend I had my first wedding order as ‘Nature Inspires’.
While working along I couldn’t stop myself from reminiscing about all the weddings over the last 35 years. I cant put a number on them, but there were years when we had less then 10 weddings and other years even more then 30 weddings in the Order-books of the different flowershops.
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| classy ivory Roses with a hint of Gyp and Eustoma |
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| A fluffy Ball of 'Gyp' and Fern |
During my apprenticeship, the skill of creating the Centerpiece – which is the Brides-Bouquet - of every wedding was the most challenging. There was no oasis holder available those days and each bouquet was a designed piece of Art. Every stem had to be cut to the right length, a small cotton-wool pad, trenched with water and taped with stem-tape kept it fresh ... it was a very time consuming affair.
A wedding in Germany in the 80-thies and 90-thies usually consisted of Brides Bouquet, Bridesmaids Bouquet, Buttonholes, the Church Arrangements, the Car Decoration ( on a magnetic holder ) and the Restaurant. During the 'Celtic Tiger' 'Boomtime' in Ireland people loved every detail and it is the small 'fiddly' bits and pieces like the buttonholes or head-crowns, cake corsages which drive a florist crazy. Usually those are done last and it could be well after midnight, when you are required to concentrate on the small bits. Give me 2 of the largest pedestal arrangements anytime, but please not all the tiny bits.
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| a great selection of local Foliage is a good base for the Altar arrangement |
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| the finished 'product' |
In that time span from the early Eighties until today, I suppose I wont claim to have seen it All, but at least a lot of it:
- Brides from as young as 16 and well over 60
- Dresses from baroque style to elegant super slim fashion
- Bouquets of just one single flower to a ‘shower’ of flowers down to your feet
- The different shades of all colors available
- Brides, who leave it all to the Florist and others who have every detail planed
- Dresses from baroque style to elegant super slim fashion
- Bouquets of just one single flower to a ‘shower’ of flowers down to your feet
- The different shades of all colors available
- Brides, who leave it all to the Florist and others who have every detail planed
- Happy Brides and sad Brides
- Brides on a tight budget and others with no limit (well those were rare)
- Weddings in tiny Country churches, in Cathedrals or in Register Offices
- Vehicles from bicycles, horse drawn carriage, tiny Fiat Bambinis and Porsches
- Wedding ceremonies in different countries with different nationalities and different customs.
Every Couple has a story, how and where they met and often traditionally it starts with the engagement.
The preparation for an engagement proposal, turned out to be one of the most unusual requests of my career.
All those years in Ireland ( 22 years ) I used to work for 'Guns and Roses' of Tubbercurry, County Sligo (the shop does still exist and is run by a lovely Lady ).
This particular story goes back at least 15 years, when my boss Annemarie got a phone call from the United States of America. Nothing unusual, but this young man had planed his engagement proposal in Ireland. He was originally from the area around Tubbercurry and had spent many summers with his Granddad in Ireland. After the old man had passed away he didn't come home that regularly , but had planed to visit Ireland with his Fiance - a real American Girl, with no connections to Ireland. He gave us directions to the Grandfathers cottage and told us, we should have a look at it.
Well now, it was like discovering Sleeping Beauties castle - except it was an old abandon three room cottage, no real road access, overgrown with briars, gorse, nettles, thistles and everything itchy and stingy in between. All manageable, if you have the right tools ( a little pair of scissors ) - but the young, giddy bulls were the bigger problem. Finally the girls and myself made it to the door and screech .... it opened.
Immediately we were put back into times, but despite this feeling it gave us the impression, the the occupant was just out, checking the cattle or being over with the neighbor. The raincoat hanging behind the door, the old mans cap on the armchair, the kettle was on the stove, the papers and the 'Old Moore's Almanac' on the table and and a knobby blackthorn stick beside the Wellis just right from the door. Also some cups, plates and bottles, the open fire place and everywhere a lot of cobwebs, with and without dweller. The girls screeched and squeaked regularly with disgust.
After a while we calmed down and pretended professionalism ... until another spider wiggled in or out somewhere. We took notes and looked out for original containers, like the old teapot, a USA-biscuit tin, an old shoe .... . All those could be arranged and brought back to life.
The lovely Lad was delighted with our suggestions and revealed his plan to us:
During his visit in Ireland he will visit his relations in the area and will go for a stroll with the girlfriend. They will end up at the cottage and enter it. We weren't allowed to undertake any changes, like clean up or removing the spider webs. Just adding some wildflower arrangements, like they would belong there.
He also had a ( clean ) set-table organized too, to have a romantic candlelight dinner in the main room. Then after the meal he will pop the overall important question. If she whispers 'Yes', he had a fiddler waiting in the bedroom, who would come out and entertain the two lovebirds with a tune or two.
It wasn't to long afterwards that he phoned the shop, thanked us for our work and about his success.
Now - isn't that a great love story.
- Brides on a tight budget and others with no limit (well those were rare)
- Weddings in tiny Country churches, in Cathedrals or in Register Offices
- Vehicles from bicycles, horse drawn carriage, tiny Fiat Bambinis and Porsches
- Wedding ceremonies in different countries with different nationalities and different customs.
Every Couple has a story, how and where they met and often traditionally it starts with the engagement.
The preparation for an engagement proposal, turned out to be one of the most unusual requests of my career.
All those years in Ireland ( 22 years ) I used to work for 'Guns and Roses' of Tubbercurry, County Sligo (the shop does still exist and is run by a lovely Lady ).
This particular story goes back at least 15 years, when my boss Annemarie got a phone call from the United States of America. Nothing unusual, but this young man had planed his engagement proposal in Ireland. He was originally from the area around Tubbercurry and had spent many summers with his Granddad in Ireland. After the old man had passed away he didn't come home that regularly , but had planed to visit Ireland with his Fiance - a real American Girl, with no connections to Ireland. He gave us directions to the Grandfathers cottage and told us, we should have a look at it.
Well now, it was like discovering Sleeping Beauties castle - except it was an old abandon three room cottage, no real road access, overgrown with briars, gorse, nettles, thistles and everything itchy and stingy in between. All manageable, if you have the right tools ( a little pair of scissors ) - but the young, giddy bulls were the bigger problem. Finally the girls and myself made it to the door and screech .... it opened.
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| "How is it going lads ..".. |
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| 'Cowgirl' needed |
After a while we calmed down and pretended professionalism ... until another spider wiggled in or out somewhere. We took notes and looked out for original containers, like the old teapot, a USA-biscuit tin, an old shoe .... . All those could be arranged and brought back to life.
 |
| doing the 'kettle - arrangement' |
During his visit in Ireland he will visit his relations in the area and will go for a stroll with the girlfriend. They will end up at the cottage and enter it. We weren't allowed to undertake any changes, like clean up or removing the spider webs. Just adding some wildflower arrangements, like they would belong there.
He also had a ( clean ) set-table organized too, to have a romantic candlelight dinner in the main room. Then after the meal he will pop the overall important question. If she whispers 'Yes', he had a fiddler waiting in the bedroom, who would come out and entertain the two lovebirds with a tune or two.
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| Mary and Irene practicing the 'final rehearsal' |
Now - isn't that a great love story.
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| a classy Rose buttonhole |
