Valentine's Day wrap // The Snail & Petal

I love love, so I love being a florist on Valentine's Day. Shout out to the man who bought his fiancée a stem of ornamental kale because she isn't a 'rose sort of girl'. You're my kind of outside-of-the-box guy. Shout out to the silver fox who came into the shop with his young son to buy his wife a rose, and got each of his little girls a rose too. And a big shout out to Anna at The Snail & Petal for saying goodbye to me with the most scrumptious smelling candle I've ever smelt. Canberra ‪people, if you need flowers, choose The Snail & Petal. My time doing wedding work there was wonderful. Happy Valentine's Day lovers.

Kate  x

Styling and Photograph by Moss & Vine

Candle from The Snail & Petal, Hackett

26 nectar moments OR comparison is the thief of joy

 It's my birthday! I am 26 years old.

 My twenties (so far) have been more wonderful than not. I am healthy, educated, fiscally fit, and happy. It is more than many people get in a lifetime. But there has also been an abundance of self-doubt, and harmful comparison of my life with other "more successful" people that I know. I am gradually realising that it is far more useful to focus on the things you have accomplished, than to always look to the things you hoped to have already achieved.

Have you heard of the Nectar List?

It's the opposite of a bucket list. It's fun, and if you do it right, it breeds a feeling of satisfaction and, even more rare, contentment.

So for my 26th birthday, I sat down and wrote 26 entries on my very own nectar list.

1. I've photographed the rooftops of Paris from the Eiffel Tower

2. I've had a brilliant view of New York's Central Park from a plane window

3. I've had a bonfire in my garden

4. I've watched the new year fireworks beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge

5. I've had jewellery bought for me at Tiffany, 5th Avenue

6. I've lived in a multi-generational household

7. I've climbed to the top of St Paul's Cathedral, London

8. I've swum in a muddy dam

9. I've swum in an infinity pool

10. I've fed the monkeys at the top of Murugan temple, Kuala Lumpur

11. I've dined at Rockpool

12. I've dined at the Auckland sky tower revolving restaurant

13. I've lived abroad

14. I've seen the Olympic torch being skied down a mountain

15. I've rode on the back of a camel on the beach

16. I've walked The Mall, Washington DC

17. I've felt euphoric with the realisation that there are empty seats next to me on a long-haul flight

18. I've perused Degas' famous works at The Met

19. I've been brought to tears by music

20. I've been brought to tears at a wedding

21. I've chopped my hair off with reckless abandon

22. I've seen Girl Reading by Renoir (one of my favourite paintings) in the Musée d'Orsay

23. I've held the soft-cover, published work of my brother in my hands

24. I've bathed by starlight in a hot mineral spa on the edge of Lake Rotorua

25. I've watched the sun set over the Indian ocean

26. I've planted a herb garden

Of course, there is far more to my life (and everyone's life) than those 26 simple things. I could probably write a list of 260 things and still not be done. 

I'm hopeful that my 26th year will bring more nectar to my existence. 

Let's eat cake!

Kate  x

Flowers, Styling and Photographs by Moss & Vine

Formal

Formal season is in full swing.

It is such a nice thing to be able to create for family. This is last nights wrist corsage.

I hope it was a stellar night for them despite the stormy weather.

K xx

Wrist Corsage, Styling and Photographs by Moss & Vine

Say yes to thinking outside the trends

I pursued floristry because I was all about the flowers. Now that I am a florist, I am all about the wedding flowers. Wedding floristry is what I am most excited by, by a long way. But strangely I've seemingly become all about wedding details across the board. Like I've hinted at in previous posts, I spend a great deal of my spare time on wedding blogs. A great deal! Predominantly my focus has been on the flowers, and then the decor and wedding photography as secondary interests. But lately my brain space is being consumed by wedding dresses. I have no clue why I'm interested, but I am. And like any arm-chair expert, I have fervent opinions. In the last three or four weeks I have watched an embarrassingly large amount of Say Yes to the Dress and I Found the Gown and Don't Tell the Bride.

Don't judge me too harshly.

Whilst these shows are fun, they don't quite satisfy my fascination for wedding gowns. And I think it's because they lack variety. Apart from the odd statuesque and overly self-assured New York bride who confidently picks a structured, art-deco inspired gown, the majority of the dresses walking out the door at Klenfield and Bridals by Lori are white, strapless ball gowns, with sweet-heart neck lines. Even the consultants in the bridal stores concede to camera that the majority of the off the rack dresses fit this precise formula. Why? Where is the choice and variety?

Where is the antique lace in off white?

Where are the high neck lines?

Where are the delicate buttons as an alternative to corsets?

Why has everything been embellished with crystals masquerading as diamonds?

And for the love of all things chic, where are the sleeved gown options? 

Below are some links to dress inspirations that don't fit the cookie cutter bridal aesthetic from Wedding Sparrow.

25 Best wedding dresses for the fine art bride

Blue wedding dress inspiration

Blush pink wedding dress inspiration

Black wedding dress inspiration

And yes, I know I just dissed the sparkles, but below is an example of chic, show-stopping embellished dresses.

Sequin wedding inspiration

But at the end of the day, if a white, jewel encrusted, strapless, cinderella-type ball gown rocks your socks, then wear it. There must be an abundance of them for a reason, even if I don't recognise it. Don't let anyone dull your sparkle, least of all me. I just want to see some variety!

K xx

Styling and Photographs by Moss & Vine

Photographed open magazine spreads are from Hello May magazine and

Bride to Be  magazine.

Wedding photograph is my own Nan at her 1950s wedding.

Ocean + Bush

My weekend bride adores flannel flowers. That was my brief...

Flannel flowers.

What a wonderful brief.

Below is a pre-view.

Boutonnières

Father of the Bride, Father of the Groom, Brother of the Groom

Boutonnière

Chest corsages

Mother of the Bride, Mother of the Groom

Boutonnière

Groom

Posy bouquets

Ring bearers

Bathroom Arrangement

Flower Crown

Bride

The Bouquet

A thousand times, congratulations!

K xx

Flowers, Styling, and Photographs by Moss & Vine

Coastal Wedding

22/11/14

It's a wedding weekend for us! 

It's my favourite kind of wedding too. 

I get to be florist and guest.

My Friday will be filled with bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages and flower crowns,

before a Saturday of 'I do's'.

K xx

Styling and Photographs by Moss & Vine

Take stock

If anyone ever offers you garden grown stock flowers freshly cut from the garden,

grab them with wide open hands.

Don't hesitate.

Take that stock.

They smell delicious.

K xx

Styling and Photographs by Moss & Vine 

Ebony + ivory

Friday evening wedding inspiration coming at you! I had a play around with some velvety deep lipstick pink ranunculus and some chincherinchees this afternoon. Chincherinchees is an impossibly fun word to say. CHIN- CHER- IN- CHEES. Try it.

I am rather in love with this dapper striped ribbon.

Ebony and ivory is a classy, timeless look.

K xx

Flowers, Styling and Photographs by Moss & Vine

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something...

Blue

Every florists knows that blue is a loose concept. A vague concept. Blurred. We push the boundaries on what is considered to be blue. That is because there just aren't that many truly blue flowers out there. And we might not say it, but a lot of florists avoid dyed flowers like the plague. Sorry. But truth. We will of course create wonderful wedding arrangements with dyed orchids and the like, if that is what your heart desires. After all, they're your flowers.

Flowers to use for a blue palette:

delphinium

forget me not

iris

lavender

cornflower

love in the mist

hydrangea

The flowers that are truly blue, like hydrangea and forget me not, are so special. It is such a wonderful hue to have incorporated into flower arrangements.

I am a big fan of blue.

Other things I am a fan of:

The Mrs Box has me swooning like a loony this week.

I can't get enough of gold leaf crowns.

And, buttery yellow David Austin roses.

K xx

Styling and Photographs by Moss & Vine

Spring long weekend x1

We've been doubly blessed in the Australian Capital Territory, we have two long weekends back-to-back. Awesome. The snow has melted on the mountains, more or less, so there was no early morning drive up to Perisher for a day of snowboarding. Instead, I used my time wisely. Kind of. 

I went to Floriade Nightfest with a couple of friends. Floriade is a bit like a flower theme-park. A lolly shop for florists, if you like.

I got a haircut. And had my 'brows done.

I went shopping. A few times. Cabin fever set in about 36 hours into the weekend.

I watched/listened to much of the 2014 Last Night of the Proms.
S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R.

I re-watched Outlander from the beginning in preparation for the mid-season final. 

I bought the (first) Outlander book and am half-way through it.

I went to wander through the Australian National Botanic Gardens.

I've caught up on the laundry.

And I've still got the rest of today to...

read, probably, if i'm being honest.

Also this month:

The annual Bride-to-Be spin off mag Flowers and Wedding Styling was released in September, making me one happy, happy, happy florist. It is a long wait for this beautiful magazine to grace the shelves each year.

I've been obsessing over Lovestar. These vases are genius. So, so effortlessly cool.

My current flower crush is the exceedingly humble chamomile daisy. It must be a Spring thing. These sweet little daisies are the essence of this season.

I've been lusting after beautiful and unusual ribbon.

And thinking about cake styling.

Oh, and of course there was a flower crown for a wedding in there somewhere too. Here is a sneak peek. More to come (hopefully).

K xx

Flowers, styling and photography by Moss & Vine

Pepper

Wedding leftovers lounging on the Chesterfield. 

Pepperberry. Suave.

K xx

Pinkspiration

I've always been a pink loving girl. My adolescent bedroom was the ultimate homage to the colour pink. I've matured a bit in the years since I moved out of home. And so has my taste in colour schemes. Now I favour navy blue, mocha, sea breeze green, emerald, and rose gold. No matter what the colour inspiration is for your wedding, you will find endless examples of it on the world wide web. And I really do mean endless. 

Below is a particularly comprehensive link from the Queen of colour palettes, Martha Stewart.

Wedding Colour Palettes

And just because I still have a (secret) soft spot for pink, here is the prettiest Winter Wedding inspiration shoot featuring pink pops of colour. I can't get enough of that bouquet.

Winter wedding

K xx

Ranunculus boutonnière and photo by Moss & Vine

Here's one I prepared earlier

This Easter long weekend i'll be putting together the wedding flowers for a lovely couple who happen to be my immediate neighbours*.

The bride is beautiful and has great taste. I know this because she has elected to have floral arrangements dominated by white roses. White roses with: white orchids, magnolia foliage with some trailing ivy, and ivy berry for texture. Pure class.

The only left field request is a fully wired trail bouquet (like this one I made previously, pictured above).

Now, why is a fully wired trail bouquet a strange request?

It's nothing to do with the fact tear drop shaped bouquets haven't been truly popular since 1992. Trail bouquets are making their way back into wedding vogue. The under representation of this style is more to do with the cost of the fully wired trail bouquet. Most brides are pretty conscious of the massive cost that their dream day adds up to. That's why the simple dome shaped hand tied bouquet has been staple for a couple of decades now. Simply put, a natural stem bouquet is a cost effective option. It takes a lot of effort, a lot of flowers, and A LOT of time to make a trail bouquet. Meaning, florists charge much more for them.

Sometimes though, the trail bouquet is indeed requested, and it can be a nice change for a seasoned florist (of which, I am not one...yet). The trail bouquet allows for the use of flowers that can be difficult or even impossible to use in a hand tied bouquet. This is because every single bloom in the trail style is cut from it's natural stem and put onto a wire (picture if you will, three dozen roses decapitated, then every single stunning cymbidium orchid flower cut from the stem they share, and the best magnolia leaves plucked from their branches). This allows for the stems to be bent and arranged into place to create the tear drop shape. It makes for a very secure and neat arrangement, and held against the ivory silk, satin and lace of wedding gowns, it looks stunning. But, as you might be beginning to imagine, this is a time consuming arrangement, pretty as it can be.

Now, i'd better get to work on this beautiful wedding.

K xx

*They are lovely neighbours

The elusive flower

This weekend my family will celebrate a happy occasion- my Nan's 80th birthday.

Her favourite flower happens to be one of the most elusive flowers in Australia. On my first ever visit to the Sydney flower markets, I found it!

Lily of the Valley.

Lily of the Valley smells divine. It is sweet, and delicate, and tiny, and pretty. All good things. What's the catch? Lily of the Valley likes colder climates.

It is a Spring staple in my Nan's native England. But here in Australia you can only spy it in the flower markets for around 2-3 weeks each southern Spring. It's one of the most elusive, sought after, under-supplied blooms. As a result, the price of a bundle of Lily of the Valley is disproportionate to it's tiny size. Very disproportionate. Often florists will have undersized vases of one or two bunches sitting on their counter. It gets lost amongst the riot of colours and textures on the flower stand. It's too small, and delicate, and pretty to be thrown into a posy with other flowers. A small amount of Lily of the Valley will usually leave you with little change from $30.

Here are some sweet tid bits about the equally sweet Lily of the Valley.

Lily of the Valley featured in the then Kate Middleton's wedding bouquet. She may have taken her cue from another commoner-to-Princess bride, the iconic Grace Kelly, who also carried Lily of the Valley in her bouquet.

The legend of the Lily of the Valley is that the little white blooms fell from the tears of Eve as she was thrown from the Garden of Eden. Likewise, they are said also to have appeared from the tears of Mary at the crucifixion of Jesus.

It is thought that after the something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue at a wedding, the bride should carry Lily of the Valley for added good luck.

Lily of the Valley has been used in tonic form to aid soldiers returning from war. It was prescribed to lower blood pressure. Prior to that, herbalist Nicholas Culpeper spruiked Lily of the Valley as a memory aid. Still used as a heart tonic, Lily of the Valley shares many properties with the Foxglove (there is some contention over whether it is poisonous like the Foxglove).

Lily of the Valley falls under the Love & Affection sub-heading in the popular Victorian era Language of Flowers. It's meanings also include Return of Happiness, Sweetness, Modesty, and is used to speak the sentiments, "You've made my life complete" and "Let's make up".

Happy Birthday.

K xx

Sneak peek, 8th March 2014

I'm sleep deprived. My fingers smell of eucalyptus. When I close my eyes I'm seeing nothing but billy buttons, but what a week!

It started at 3.45am on Wednesday morning when I headed off to flower market visit number one. I knew it was worth it when I returned home just after 6am with my haul of Aussie native flowers and foliage and got out of my car to the sounds of a group of kookaburras laughing hysterically.

Friday morning saw a small sleep in, I didn't leave for flower market visit number two until 4.30am. Again, I knew this new creative career path was worth it when after I had resigned myself to not being able to find a second lot of flowering gum to go with Wednesday's purchase... I spotted a bucket brimming with beautiful open pink flowering gum just asking to become bridesmaids bouquets. 

Friday started early and ended late. I eventually got into bed at midnight after constructing a hanging floral centrepiece on site at the wedding venue. Stinking of gum and hands scratched up from chicken wire, my alarm was set for 5.15am for W-E-D-D-I-N-G day. Last minute finishing touches, last minute panic, last minute second guessing. This floristry gig is a wonderful ride. 

Here is a sneak peek. I cannot wait to see the photos from the day. All my thanks go to Georgia, Zoe and Donna for being a dream to create for. What an amazingly kind and warm family.

K xx

A long weekend adventure

My significant other and I are heading out of town this long weekend to attend our first ever engagement party.

We kind of think this is a big deal. We view this engagement like it's the starting whistle to an era that sees more and more of our peers entering into the matrimony club.

Maybe the second half of our 20s will see us at weddings every other weekend? Maybe not all of our friends are the marrying type? Perhaps some will elope?

It's an exciting season in our life.

K xx

Photo by Erin Black
Flowers by Kate Hipwell, Moss & Vine

On the topic of Gypsophila

Gypsophila, otherwise popularly known as Baby's Breath or even Gyp, has re-emerged in recent years as a popular flower. Adding to it's popularity is it's newly developed brother flower, 'Million Stars'.

It was overused in the Eighties. Paired with Red Roses, it was a filler flower, used sparingly, resulting in a cliched bouquet. Emotionless. Dare I say, tacky. Apologies to the brides who carried Red Roses and Baby's Breath.

If you're a 2014 bride with a penchant for Baby's Breath however, you are in luck. You will not be accused of appearing tacky, cliched or unimaginative any time soon. Baby's Breath is being used in wonderful new and inventive ways. One design trend that is particularly popular and showcases Gyp at it's very best is using it en masse. A full bouquet of fluffy white flowers, a cute little rustic buttonhole finished with twine, a great big striking pomander hanging from the ceiling, or my personal favourite the halo of Baby's Breath.

It results in a pretty, delicate, feminine and oh-so-romantic head piece either for a bride or flower girl. In lieu of a veil, a Baby's Breath halo acts as a pretty accessory for more modern or edgy brides who wish to do away with some of the more rigid traditions of the bridal 'uniform'. En masse, Gyp is stunning and is elevated into focal flower status, never to be dismissed simply as a filler flower again.

Would you consider this once humble flower as part of your wedding day styling? Or is it still too old fashioned for your liking? I must admit I went into floristry expecting to loathe Baby's Breath. I didn't believe Gyp could be presented to me in a way that would make it appealing. As I began to trawl through wedding styling books, magazines, and blogs my mind was changed. Irrevocably. It is so versatile, fulfilling many a styling brief. Rustic, romantic, modern, white. I'm grateful to the previously underrated Gypsophila. Long may it remain popular.

K xx

These images are part of the photo shoot by photographer Erin Black, contact her at erin.a.black@gmail.com
The beautiful model is singer songwriter Sarah Bird , check her out at sarahbirdmusic.com
Flowers by Moss & Vine

Flowers, and all the trimmings

 I have recently been doing some work experience, some days in a shop, some days delivering corporate vases, and some days setting up weddings. Amazing! 

On one Monday morning corporate delivery run I actually walked into Gayle Kelly's office to place a couple of vases of hydrangeas on her desk. Her desk! Amazing!

One Saturday morning I squelched through some serious mud in my wellies to deliver flowers to a tent at a polo match. Slightly pretentious, but amazing!

The places that floristry might take you are seemingly endless.

One thing I have discovered about floristry that I hadn't anticipated was the extent to which florists are actually stylists. Wedding work is a perfect example of this. A florist's job doesn't end when the bouquets and buttonholes are made, that's exactly when the real detailed work begins. Florists are generally required to 'bump in'. This involves taking the flowers to the venue. The church, reception, or both. Then they style the set up. It seems to me that the decor the bride and groom have asked for is realised by the florist, not the venue. So table cloths are smoothed, table runners rolled out, centrepieces arranged, vases put in place. Then attention turns to the ceiling. Yes, the ceiling. So far I have been involved in hanging hessian drapes, paper lanterns, glass baubles, tea light candles, and trees! Well, branches to be exact.

That's right. I climbed inside a scissor lift and attached branches to a venue ceiling. Let me tell you, styling is labour intensive. It takes hours to attach things to a ceiling. The flowers are all arranged and made ahead of time, they are the thing that requires the least attention on the day. It is really very surprising how much of the budget goes to flowers and how much is directed to the sourcing + labour involved with the decor. The flowers are not the costly element when you (the bride) want your reception to involve trees on the ceiling above your merry guests.

When we're done, we snap a few quick photos on our phones and high-tail it out of the venue. Sometimes there is a wait time applied to the proceedings, meaning the florist needs to return to the church to remove the flowers from there once the ceremony is complete. And of course the next day brings with it the 'bump out'. The florist will return to undo all of the hard styling work from the previous day. All of this adds up. Like I said, it's labour intensive, and accounts for some of the reason why the wedding industry is a lucrative one.

The talented team behind the above weddings push creativity and hard work out of the stratosphere! They are Pod Floral Design. I'm feeling very grateful and brimming with inspiration from my time learning from them. Here's to many more weddings in 2014.

K xx

Watch this space!

I was recently part of a creative collaboration involving some of the coolest creatives I know. The end result was a beautiful collection of images for my floristry portfolio.

A massive thank you from the depths of my gratitude reserves goes out to Erin Black, the dizzyingly talented photographer, who brought the whole thing together with faultless professionalism. And to the stunning singer songwriter, Sarah Bird, who put her model hat on for the occasion. And while I attempt to conquer technology and get these photographs up on Moss & Vine, here is a tiny sneak peek.

This is a wired posy bouquet of roses and hypericum berry (also known as St John's wort, also known as a noxious weed, and at $10-$12 per bunch wholesale at the markets, it is a rather expensive weed). This design is characterised by the formal and even placements of the flowers and its perfect dome shape. It is 'dressed' with camelia leaves ringing the base of the dome, and a decorative handle bound with a complementary ribbon. It is a popular choice as a wedding posy as it won't lose it's shape. Each flower, leaf and bunch of berry is individually cut from it's natural stem, wired onto an artificial stem, and then taped with special floristry tape. All of the individual elements are taped into this final arrangement.

More images to follow.

K xx

***P.S Erin was also behind the header and footer pics here on Moss & Vine.
Contact her at erin.a.black@gmail.com
You can check out Sarah Bird's music at www.sarahbirdmusic.com
Flowers by Moss & Vine