It is all Tinas fault , hahah!. It was the lovely Tina at The Wild Bunch that contacted me back in April about this exciting new project to bring a team of wedding suppler’s together to create a dream wedding for one lucky frontline work . It was an immediate yes for me , so a big thank you to The Wild Bunch for joining us here today.Between now and the competition deadline on the 31st May I am going to introduce you to the team behind the scenes. A small snippet of their story, their big dreams and how they are dealing with the covid-19.
We never set out to be florists! 14 years ago we’d just bought our home in Kilkenny; a little old stone farmhouse that everyone advised us to knock down and replace with “something decent” (we didn’t.) It came with an acre of land, and being slight hippies, we were determined to do something useful with it. We’d both been working in horticulture in various guises for some time and when I came across a magazine article about a small flower grower in England, it made perfect sense. That winter we ploughed up the whole garden and got planting.
We started by selling at farmers’ markets; mixed bunches and lots and lots of sweet peas. Then, through the market in that first year, we booked our first wedding.
That wedding was a baptism of fire but we were instantly hooked and have been ever since. I truly love weddings, all the emotion and the excitement. I love the creativity and spontaneity, the way every wedding is different and designed around so many factors; the couple, the season, the location. I love meeting couples, hearing their plans and their stories… and absolutely cherish seeing them again on the day. I love flowers but could never work with them without the “people” part.
In the first few years there were almost no other grower-florists in Ireland. There was none of the community or support that there is today for newcomers, and we really had to find our own way. On the other hand I suppose we were fairly unique at the time in what we offered; home grown natural, seasonal flowers; and we were surprised by how quickly things took off. We certainly had to learn on our feet in those early years but I think that has stood to us; we've learned to carve our own niche, which is so important in an industry that changes all the time.
Photography by Ivan Patarcic, Niall Scully, Alice Ahn and Louise Scott
Our hearts have gone out to all the couples that have had their plans affected by covid 19, some having been forced to change dates two or three times in the ever-unfolding crisis. We’re keeping in touch with all our couples and doing the very very best we can to accommodate new dates. Then we’re working with them to adapt their plans and their original style and aesthetic where necessary. For example, they might find themselves planning for a different season, or changing from an outdoor to an indoor ceremony, and we’re really enjoying finding ways to make things work.
Mind you we’ve found that some couples haven’t the time or the will to start over, and we get that completely. The Hero’s Wedding Dream Competition has been an eye-opener in this respect; from stories of cancelled weddings, to frontline workers on 12 hour shifts and partners struggling to work from home while caring for family. For lots of couples we’re just working quietly away in the background as much as we can, making sure that everything comes together when their big day finally comes.
I have to say though that creatively we’ve been really enjoying the shut down! We’ve a garden full of flowers and for the first time in years we’ve been free to just enjoy them, to really see them again. And to play around with them, without any restrictions or limitations. Much-needed food for the soul. I’m currently waiting for the first big flush of roses so I can turn our front porch into something fit for a Vegas wedding chapel. Our neighbours barely bat an eyelid these days.
This is a tricky one! This time last year I might have had a list. To work more with “big” wedding planners. To design big weddings. Possible world domination? But like many other people, shutdown has taught me a lot about what’s important; about family, about community and simply about our shared humanity. I've come to realise how very lucky we are with our little garden and our business.
I want to continue to be able to get to know the couples we work with. I want to be there on the day feeling like I’m part of the family (yep I’m sad.) I want to continue to do weddings where we stay true to our aesthetic of seasonal, natural design. I want a clear head to be able to walk around the garden and see all the creative possibilities. I don’t ever want to lose sight of those things that make this job so rewarding and so much fun. So strangely enough, the big dream was there all along, we just never spotted it before now.
Thank you, Tina, for sharing. Check out and send some love to The Wild Bunch on social
The front-line workers are the people keeping this country running and this is our way to give back. If you work in a grocery shop, if you spend your days on the road delivering all our packages. If you know a nurse, a doctor, anyone helping their community we want to hear their story. Check out www.aherosweddingdream.com.
Keep dreaming
Sarah
