botanical quarter: A Conversation About Wedding Flowers
Zoe, the creative force behind Botanical Quarter, has transformed wedding floristry with her signature wild and modern style. Her vibrant, eco-friendly designs, which avoid floral foam and embrace freshwater vessels, are tailored to reflect each couple’s unique love story. Known for her ability to blend personal touches with emerging trends, Zoe’s arrangements bring a special magic to every wedding celebration.
Interview Alexander Ross
“For me, wedding flowers aren’t a cut, copy, paste thing. They should be personal, meaningful and speak your love language. So asking questions is key!”
What inspired you to become a wedding florist, and how did you get started in the industry?
After leaving my retail marketing 9-5 job, I originally wanted to be a retail florist. It seems like a natural fit given my background.
But as things sometimes happen, I simply fell into weddings and events. A friend of a friend asked me to do their flowers when I was still very fresh in the floristry world and after some hesitation, I agreed. It’s a good thing I did because I was absolutely hooked on wedding flowers after that!
Now I love playing a special part in a meaningful day for couples who just want to celebrate their love of one another. It’s such a privilege and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Can you describe your signature style or approach to creating wedding floral arrangements?
My style is wild and luscious with a modern twist. I love creating beautiful, overflowing designs featuring colour and a little bit of drama. Everything I create is floral foam-free, which is very important to me. All of my designs are in vessels or vases with access to fresh water so they can usually last a long time, while still maintaining the wild and overgrown look that I’m known for.
How do you work with couples to understand their vision and preferences for their wedding flowers?
For me, wedding flowers aren’t a cut, copy, paste thing. They should be personal, meaningful and speak your love language. So asking questions is key!
During our initial consultation, I always ask about your wedding vision and vibe. If you can pick 3 words to describe how you want your day to look, and how you want your guests to feel then we’re on to something! From there, it’s about refining your vision and shaping your wish list into something that not only brings your vision to life, but also works within your venue and your desired spend.
What are some emerging trends in wedding floral design that couples should consider for their big day?
In the age of social media, trends are quick to take off and then suddenly it feels like they're everywhere all at once. While scrolling through your feed is useful to refine your wedding vision, I always think we should use trends only as an influence on your day, not the whole focus.
For instance, bows and mirror finishes are a big thing right now. How can you take these two trends and make them make sense for you and your love story? Perhaps it’s a bow on the back of your wedding dress, which we then echo throughout your ceremony feature and seating chart installation. Or maybe you and your partner take a mirror selfie every weekend before you leave the house for your Saturday brunch ritual, so let’s create a mirror and floral welcome sign installation that can be a photo moment for all your guests.
The options are literally endless so working with the right vendors who have creative ideas is key.
Could you share some tips for couples on how to maximize their floral budget without compromising on quality or design?
The best advice I have is to be upfront with your florist on your desired spend. I promise we won’t be offended when you talk about money - it honestly makes our jobs easier!
If we know where you’re happy to land for your initial quote, we can suggest design styles and installations that fit within your budget, and still create the wow moments for your day.
And if your budget doesn’t align with your wishlist, we can discuss your options during our consultation call to work out your priorities so you end up with a day you love, for a spend you love as well.
What factors do you consider when selecting flowers for a wedding, such as seasonality, venue, and theme?
All of the above!
Your vision and vibe, (including your colour palette), heavily influence the types of flowers I select for your day.
Also, I love incorporating flowers that have special meaning to you. In the past, I’ve included chamomile flowers in the personal flowers because the couple have a nightly ritual of drinking chamomile tea together.
How do you ensure that the floral arrangements complement other elements of the wedding, such as the venue décor and the couple's personal style?
8 weeks out from your wedding date, I have a final run-through call with my couples. Here we discuss not only all the floral and styling elements I’m providing, but also where you've landed with other elements for your day. This gives me such a clear picture in my mind of how it’s all going to come together. I then create a design concept with key visuals to really bring the vision to life. Every time I share this with my couples they always say I nail it, and it makes them excited to see it all come together on the day.
What is your number one piece of wedding planning advice?
Can I cheat and have two?
First, hire the vendors whose work you love and you trust completely to bring your vision to life. If you’ve found the right creative team for you, wedding planning can genuinely be enjoyable.
And second, do what makes sense for you. Just because something is “what everyone does”, really doesn’t mean you have to do it too.
Botanical Quarter can be found on THEODORE by CLICKING HERE or on Instagram at @botanical.quarter
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