Merry Christmas

Thank you to all who have supported Sandra's Flower Studio this past year.
It's been fun, hard work, laughs, a few tears but most of all wonderful to work with so many lovely brides and grooms and delivering wonderful displays for those buying gifts.

We are open today until around lunch time or when the last delivery is done and then we are taking a well earned break until the New Year. If you need flowers for any event please get in touch via email, I will be keeping an eye on them so can respond to urgent messages. Otherwise we will be back and raring to go on 3rd January.

We would like to wish all our customers an clients past present and future a very merry Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous new year.

Sandra's Flower Studio x

Doddington Hall civil ceremony and reception flowers

F & C wedding was at Doddington Hall in The Coach House. This is a gorgeous building with it's own sheltered garden. You can also have your ceremony in one room and reception in the other and then later on party the night away back in the first room.

The ceremony table was dressed with a flower runner across its length. Very natural in style with whispy trails of Jasmine it contained the same flowers as the bridal bouquet.

This would later be transported to the top table for the wedding breakfast.

The ceremony table and aisle

The aisle although very with modern chivari chairs you can still add pew ends. These were small hurricane vases with metal hangers tied with gorgeous satin ribbon bows filled with daisies.

For the reception the bride and groom provided me with jugs to fill with an assortment of flowers.

I am more than happy to use any jugs or vases that you want to use but please do make sure they are watertight, not everything you think should be is! I made the couple aware of this and on testing these jugs were not. Sealant was used and we were good to go. No one wants soggy tables!

The flowers were once again matching the bride's bouquet, gerbera, roses, spray roses, freesia, bouvardia, daisies and eucalyptus and Jasmine.

The coach house  table set up.

Lovely view from the table to the garden.

This was set with 6 guest tables, chairs to come in after the ceremony.

We also provided some flower decorations for the sweet table set up

table plan and welcome boards. These are a lovely way to greet your guests and start your reception theme off.

If you have booked Doddington Hall or any similar venue around Lincolnshire or want to steal this style for your own day please get in touch to book a consultation today. Dates are going fast for 2017 and 2018 diary is now open. We would love to help you achieve your flower dreams.

Sandra x

Amaryllis - Flower of the Month

Amidst all the festive decorations there is one flower which holds its place perfectly: the sparkling amaryllis. Consumers can read all about this Christmas star in the Flower Agenda at Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk. This long-stemmed stately beauty is perfect for capturing hearts: a festive delight! 

The amaryllis’s origin
Our amaryllis originates from South and Central America and the Caribbean, and is not actually an amaryllis. What we call amaryllis is actually called Hippeastrum. This radiant flower is derived from the narcissi family and grows from a bulb. The name Hippeastrum comes from the Greek and literally means ‘knight star’, referring to the star-shaped petals. Hippeus = knight and astron = star.

The amaryllis’s colours and shapes
The amaryllis’s petals are very unusual: they look like they’re made of fabulous velvet. In terms of colour they come in white, red, yellow, pink, salmon, purple, orange and bicoloured. There are usually 4 to 6 impressive flowers on the stem. The amaryllis as a cut flower does not have any leaves, which is why it’s sometimes called ‘Naked Lady’ in America.

Care tips for customers
Help your customers to enjoy their amaryllises for a long time by giving them the following tips.
•    Select a clean vase and fill it with tap water at room temperature.
•    Add cut flower food to the water for a longer vase life.
•    Trim the stems diagonally with a clean and sharp knife or secateurs.
•    Regularly top the vase up with tap water.
•    The amaryllis’s stem is sometimes too weak to bear the weight of the flowers: a stake inserted in the stem is then the solution to keep it properly upright.
•     Amaryllises will last longer in a cool spot; do not place them in the sun or close to a source of heat.
•    Don’t place amaryllises near a fruit bowl. Fruit emits ethylene gas which will cause the flowers to age more rapidly.

Amaryllis symbolism
The amaryllis symbolises pride and enchanting beauty and represents friendship and affection. It’s the perfect flower for capturing someone’s heart so it’s a lovely gift to receive!

I have these in stock for the Christmas period as cut flowers. Please get in touch if you would like to send them as a gift for Christmas

Sandra x

Poinsettia - Care guide

Giving or receiving a Ponsettia this season? Follow this how to guide on getting the most out of this Christmas favourite.

Care guide - Temperature

Poinsettias need warmth and light and must be kept away from draughts. That means they must be kept away from fireplaces, doorways, open windows, and breezy hallways.  Poinsettias originate from Mexico, hence their sensitivity to the cold and wind.  Share this with your customers and make sure they Just keep it somewhere that has some natural daylight.  They're most happy in temperature between 15 and 20°C, so it will be completely at home in most living rooms.

Pass on the essential buying tips…

We should share the message that If the retailer hasn’t handled your poinsettia correctly, it may well not last at home.  No doubt we've all had customer explain the disasters they've had with Poinsettias - enquire a little, explain; you should never buy a poinsettia that’s been sitting next to a set of automatic doors that open every 30 seconds, because it will have been damaged by chilly winter draughts, they don't appreciate the cold blast of air, then a hot blast from air heaters!

Care guide - Watering

Poinsettias don’t like a lot of water. The plant’s root ball should neither dry out nor be drenched. Overwatering can quickly lead to waterlogging, which in turn causes the roots to rot and leaves you with a dead plant.

The easiest way to care for them is to either immerse the whole pot and root ball in water once a week in tepid water and let it drain before popping it back in the pot.  Similar to how you would a phalanenopsis orchid.  The alternative is to give it a small amount of water every few days. 

Pass on the essential buying tips…

Plants shouldn't be too light or heavy - it should be neither soaking wet nor totally dry before being bought.  Other information worth sharing is how you can spot how healthy a plant is feeling by just looking carefully at it; dense foliage and yellow-green budding flowers in between the coloured bracts are sure signs of quality. 

Safe Journey Home…

Finally, make sure poinsettias are all wrapped up to protect it from the cold on the journey home.  Don't let any Poinsettia's leave your shop without adequate protection - and explain to your clients why you insist on doing this!

I will be getting my first Poinsettias in on Tuesday, would you like one? They will be pimped up in a variety of ways - No plain boring plants here! For a gift that will last from now until the festivities, get in touch to order yours today.

Having a Christmas wedding? These gorgeous plants can be accommodated in a variety of designs

from bridal bouquets to table decorations. Mini coloured ones from white, peach, pink to red can be given as favours or group in the table centre for a different Christmas style.

Get in touch to see what we have in stock today.

Sandra x

Pastel daisy wedding flowers

The gorgeous pastel coloured daisy wedding of Fiona's is from April. She had a good idea of the main flowers she wanted to include, daisies, and the colours, chosing 3 differing colours for the bridesmaids. It was left to me to bring all this together using the styles of bouquets required. Fiona chose a large trailing style bouquet but in the natural hand tied form all tied together with a large bow.

Included in it were daisies, gerberas, freesia, bouvardia, roses, carnations and spray roses with eucalyptus and jasmine trails.

The 3 bridesmaids each carried a posy of daisies tied together with a bow.

They wore pastel pink, green and yellow dresses.

The 4 main groomsmen wore a buttonhole of a pale yellow gerbera with daisy heads and eucalyptus in a natural style tied with ribbon

The other ushers each wore a buttonhole of a small bunch of daisies.

The mum's each wore a corsage of a mix from the bride's bouquet. A gerbera, rose, spray roses, freesia and bouvardia with foliage.

One of the buttonhole presentation boards. These can be labelled if you provide us with the names of each guest.

The flower girls each wore a simple circlet of daisy heads.

These are just the wedding party flowers, more to follow tomorrow when we take a look at the ceremony and reception flowers at Doddington Hall.

If you have a specific flower you would like to include in your wedding or have a good idea of what style you want to achieve please get in touch. I can work with you if you know exactly what you want or if you have no clue where to start I just need your time to talk through options.

We are taking bookings for consultations between now and Christmas or book in early for January to kick start your plans. Call us today!

Sandra x

Lego inspired flower designs at Elsham Hall

V & R wedding ceremony and reception all took place at the lovely Elsham Hall. If you are looking for a barn setting for your day then you need to go talk to Elaine and her team.

Keeping the Lego theme going I was given 2 small Lego heads to add flowers to for the ceremony table

The same flowers were used as for the bouquets, delphiniums, gerbera, daisy, tulips, ranunculus, bupleurum and asparagus fern to add volume.

I was also given single Lego bricks on wires to add to all these displays.

These larger happy faces sat on the radiator covers during the service and were later transferred to the guest tables.

The top table was a little more traditional with a long and low display using the same flowers and colour mix as above.

This was certainly the most colourful wedding I have designed flowers for and made a welcome change from the usual whites and pastel shades. 

In this beautiful barn it goes to show any colours work. 

If you have booked here or any other barn setting and like the flowers you see, please get in touch to see how we at The Studio can style your day

Sandra x

Lego inspired wedding flowers

Back in April V & R got married at Elsham Hall. Having booked me for their flowers nearly 2 years in advance this was a wedding I had been looking forward to for ages. The whole day was to be styled around lego. From brightly coloured flowers to lego heads and blocks to be incorporated within the designs this was going to be a fun day.

The bride wanted a relaxed informal hand tie without being too big of spring time flowers but also in their chosen colours of orange, blue, green, yellow and red, with a splash of white. This matched the lego pieces which would adorn the venue. We agreed on gerbera, delphinium, ranunculus, tulips, daisy and bupleurum.

The bridesmaids each carried a similar but smaller bouquet. 

The groomsmen each had a colourful buttonhole of a ranuncula, tulip, delphinium floret and bupleurum with an individual lego superhero attached. These were provided by the couple.

These are so cute and really help personalize the flowers to this fun loving couple.

I wonder if there was any arguments over who was which super hero?

The mum's wore a delicate corsage of ranunculus, tulips, daisy and lily of the valley (added as a nod to a family member)

If you are thinking of having a bright and colourful wedding or want to add in any personlized bits and pieces to your flowers, please get in touch to see how we at The Studio can help you.

Venue flowers at Elsham Hall tomorrow.

Sandra x

Testimonial Saturday

A review from Facebook the day after the wedding

I wish there was an option to give you 100 stars! We cannot thank you enough for the flowers you did for our wedding! The bridal party flowers were absolutely beautiful! My bouquet was stunning! The top table center piece was exactly how we wanted it! Our favourite part had to be the table center pieces! They were amazing and even better than we imagined they ever could be! Our first words when we saw them was WOW! Everyone commented how lovely they looked! We honestly cannot thank you enough Sandra! Love the new Mr & Mrs Munro! X

If you want to create WOW for your wedding flowers then contact me to discuss your style and options. 07748095431 appointments available day, evening and weekends

Sandra x

Professional images of a winter wedding at Washingborough Hall

Following on from my posts earlier in the week I mentioned that I would post some professional images of the winter wedding at Washingborough Hall. Well here you are, beautiful stunning images from David Lowerson. He very kindly sent me these images and a few more to add to my portfolio. This also proves why you need a professional to take your shots on the day, so clear and light with so much detail on show.

If you are looking for a venue and a photographer I strongly suggest you check these suppliers out, links on the names above to websites.

If you do connect with either, please mention where you heard their names. I have no ties with either but it is always good to know where word of mouth comes from.

If you like the flowers in the images please do get in touch to discuss your own designs or if you are not getting wed please leave a comment below. 

Sandra x

Festive wreath Workshop

Are you creative? Or would you like to be? Take a couple of hours out from the rush of Christmas and take some me time. We all need to do this more, so why not join me for an evening and learn how to make and design your own door wreath. Don't be like the crowd and buy a generic one from the supermarket, get those creative juices flowing and design your own masterpiece to hang on YOUR front door. Be the envy of the street and your friends, or bring them along to for some festive cheer.
Suitable for all, every year I have one guest who swears they won't be able to make one look anything like and every year that person goes away happy with their creation. Go on give it a go this Christmastide.


A few photos from some of last year's workshops:

I have a couple of dates at Willingham by Stow village hall. Opposite the Half Moon Pub. Easy to get to with on street parking. December 9th and 16th 7-9pm.

Also December 10th 2-4pm at AnShen on West Parade.

 Pre booking essential. £25 per person with all items required to make your wreath included. If however you have your own hardy scissors or secateurs please do bring them along.

Ring me on 07748095431 to book

If you have a group and would like a block booking either at the village hall or if you have your own venue then please get in touch with numbers and dates and I will give you a quote.

Sandra x