Like the carefully crafted sand mandalas made by Tibetan monks, floral arrangements are beautiful but un-enduring things. Bouquets add immediate splendour and joy to any room, filling them with sweet scents and lashings of colour (is there anything lovelier than a towering, beautiful and colour-packed arrangement?). It can be said, too, that without flowers, life's events would be rather lacklustre. Adding to floral arrangements' complexity is their naturalness – flowers, like any living thing, wilt and expire, leaving with you only a memory.
We've asked three of our favourite florists – Lucy Vail, Philippa Craddock and Nikki Tibbles – to share their most indelible floral arrangements to date – the ones with the most lasting of impacts, living on in memory long after they've turned to mulch. From cascading waterfalls of hydrangea and hyacinth to a colourful combination of delphinium and lilac for a wedding at Blehnheim Palace to a seemingly simple bouquet with mammoth cultural significance… discover the most unforgettable of florals.
For Lucy, her most memorable floral arrangement was the one adorning the chapel archway on her wedding day. “Lots of our clients opt for a green and white colour scheme and shy away from colour which is something that [I] love to use,” says Lucy, “so [I] took [my] wedding as an opportunity to really go all out”. Having studied floristry in Italian cities Florence and Venice, Lucy derived inspiration from the two for the design of the three metres-high archway. “The archway was full of British blooms, the majority of which came from Floriston Flower Farm, which is run by [my] mother,” she adds. The red rose trail - “a really lovely detail” - was a gift from another flower farmer with whom Lucy works closely. While Lucy designed the floral arrangement, her team “didn’t allow her to make it as she was the bride”. Upon arrival at the church, wedding bells ringing above, “seeing it completely transformed [my] nerves into excitement as all [my] vision had come true”. Unforgettable indeed.
For Nikki, it was the floral arrangements designed for an elaborate summer wedding steeped in Baroque charm at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire – “one of my absolute favourite venues" – that is most memorable. The newlywed couple "wanted colour and volume, which wasn’t a problem as with all my events. I believe in generosity when it comes to flowers. I am a maximalist, more is more and flowers are there to make an impact.” Nikki was able to choose an abundance of flowers, each at their prime given the season. “Welcoming the guests to the Orangery were flower beds growing up the steps. The beds were full of tall dancing delphiniums, stocks, delicate ammi, lilac and seasonal wild flowers, creating a whimsical English garden feel,” Nikki explains, “Dressing the aisle, we placed loose flower beds of peach and lemon roses with touches of blue flowers and plenty of seasonal greenery to create a meadow effect… Creating the ceremony backdrop were three tall statement columns, placed either side of the windows to emphasise the height and scale of the Orangery. The columns were full of tumbling fresh green foliage, studded with beautiful, peach, soft pink, and lemon roses, mixed with blooming peonies, and a touch of soft blue nigella and clematis, framing the ceremony space and drawing the focus towards the bride and groom." A special day made more spectacular – and memorable – thanks to Nikki's fragrant floral sculptures.
Royal florist Philippa designed the bridal bouquet held by Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex at her wedding to Prince Harry – talk about indelible. “The bouquet was a simple hand tie, yet intricately detailed with lace-like spring stems,” says Philippa, “each one had a significant, personal meaning to the couple.” Mere hours before the Duchess carried the arrangement down the aisle, Philippa remembers “making the bouquet so clearly, quietly, and calmly away from the intensity of the day.” In the above image - breathtaking, no doubt - the “light caught the delicacy of the flowers”. “It was a huge honour to design and create this bouquet," Philippa muses, "and considering the scale of the event, I will always love the focus on simplicity and the details behind the meaning of each flower”.
