In Conversation With Kim from Dear Henri
In conversation with Kim, the mastermind behind Dear Henri, a renowned Melbourne-based wedding florist celebrated for her aesthetic that embodies the vibrant beauty of bright, colourful, and soft flowers, as well as her sustainable practices. Her artistry goes beyond her studio, as she fosters connections and collaborations within the floral community, inspiring a shared passion for sustainable beauty. Prepare to be captivated by Kim’s extraordinary journey and her ability to weave sustainable principles seamlessly into her stunning floral designs.
Interview By Alexander Ross
Photo By Gigi Pierre
“…I’m inspired by my clients’ stories and personalities, and I work closely with them to bring their dream wedding to life.”
How did you become a wedding florist, and what inspired you to pursue this career?
I’ve always worked creatively, firstly in the performing arts as an improviser and dancer. In that world, it’s all about using your body to tell a story and evoke a mood or feelings through physical expression. Now, with Dear Henri, it’s about telling a story and creating a mood through the medium of flowers and styling items like candles and ceramic vessels. Pursuing floristry is a natural progression in my work as an artist.
Photo By Eliza Tate
Photo By It’s Beautiful Here
What sets your floral designs apart from others in the industry, and how do you incorporate current trends while still creating timeless arrangements?
My designs are characterised by their colourful, light and airy nature, along with a sense of abundance and romance. There’s a lot of depth and dimensionality in my work, and the botanicals I select bring both a sculptural shape and a whimsical feeling.
Can you walk us through your design process, from initial consultation to final installation on the wedding day?
I’m inspired by my clients’ stories and personalities, and I work closely with them to bring their dream wedding to life. My design process begins with a floral design questionnaire, which helps me understand their preferences, venue, and overall aesthetic. From there, I create a custom mood board and an itemised quote tailored to their specific needs. 4 - 6 weeks before their wedding day, I’ll have a final florals consultation with my couple to fine-tune all the exciting details for their florals. My designs are highly customised to their venue, the time of year, and the couple’s personalities and vibe they want to create for their day. My focus is to work closely with my couples to create a bespoke floral experience that they will love!
Photo By Gigi Pierre
How do you work with couples to bring their vision to life while also incorporating your own expertise and creativity?
Couples reach out to me because they feel drawn to my signature style. When they show me their Pinterest board, I can immediately imagine how much fun it will be to work together. I love custom designing florals that complement the event space for each couple and maximise my couple’s investment. For instance, a couple may have the vision for a statement ceremony backdrop as well as a feature floral for their reception space. I’ll use my expertise and creativity to design a freestanding ceremony backdrop that can be repurposed for their reception. This may then allow the couple to have the statement florals on their guest tables that they always dreamed of, as they are saving on the feature floral for their reception space by repurposing the ceremony backdrop. Repurposing involves creating a design using sustainable mechanics and water sources, consisting of several sections that my team can reconfigure after the ceremony within a short turnaround time. The end result is a ceremony feature that not only looks gorgeous during the ceremony but is just as beautiful when repositioned in a new space.
What flowers and foliage do you enjoy working with the most, and why?
I love working with ranunculus, tulips, scabiosa, sweet peas and cosmos - these airy florals catch the light and dance above the rest of the flowers. I adore almond and cherry blossoms, dahlias, and hydrangeas, all for their fluffy cloud-like softness. Bearded iris are also a favourite for their delicate petals and colour-blending qualities. This season, my favourite foliage has been maple - the changing colours across the seasons are spectacular!
Photo By Nik Tribhuvan
Photo By Sarah Chav
Can you tell us about any particularly memorable or challenging weddings you’ve worked on in your career?
I recently worked on a wedding at Panama Dining for a couple who flew in from London to celebrate with their Melbourne family and friends. The brief was to create a spring garden in pastel tones for their special day. Although it was mid-autumn in Melbourne, I featured seasonal florals in lilac, yellows, pinks and blues to create a fresh and light spring vibe, which was perfect for their Spring in London-inspired theme. I also used interesting ceramic vessels, pieces of stones and a mixture of pastel taper and pillar candles to bring a sense of play and fun.
How do you see the wedding floral industry evolving in the next few years, and how do you plan to adapt to those changes?
Looking ahead, I see the wedding floral industry continuing to be a place of artistic practice. I love that the floral industry is truly becoming a place of knowledge sharing. There is a growing community of florists who are committed to supporting one another, sharing resources, learning from each other, and becoming more empowered as business owners. I’m excited that we’re becoming more aware of the impact we have on the environment, and many florists are looking for sustainable ways to run their floral business and create their work. I’m so fortunate to be part of this movement. I can’t wait to continue my practice, to nurture collaboration with the creative industry, and provide opportunities for growth and empowerment.
Photo By Nik Tribhuvan
How do you incorporate sustainable practices into your business, such as sourcing locally and reducing waste?
Sustainable practices are important to me. Ninety per cent of the botanical products that I use are sourced from local flower growers and, therefore, free from bleach, chemicals and dyes. This makes them safe to use in my couple’s arrangements and for me to compost after the event.
Embracing the beauty of each season is reflected in all my designs. I grow a small variety of flowers in my garden, including dahlias, foxglove, larkspur, cosmos and roses - my couples may even find some of these home-grown beauties in their arrangements.
Dear Henri is proudly foam-free. I’ve invested time in developing alternative methods to floral foam, which is a highly toxic and non-biodegradable plastic. Foam-free flowering allows for abundant natural arrangements in which the flowers stay fresh and hydrated until the end of the event when guests can take them home to enjoy. The mechanics I use in place of floral foam are reusable, and I collect everything at the end of each event to reuse over and over.
Photo By Eliza Tate
Photo By Nik Tribhuvan
What advice would you give to couples who are trying to choose the perfect flowers for their wedding?
Invest in a florist who you absolutely love the work of if you want to bring your floral dreams to life. Trust your florist as they guide you through the process, and lean on their expertise and bank of knowledge. Floral perfection relies on fresh, quality flowers. This means using flowers that have been recently picked and carefully conditioned - ensure your florist is skilled in using seasonal florals to deliver what they have promised.
What are your plans for the future of your business, and what can we expect to see from you in the coming seasons?
In the coming seasons, you can expect to see more of my signature style: colourful, light and airy arrangements that are both abundant and romantic.
I’m excited to be implementing a new CRM system which I can already tell is going to be a game changer. My couples are going to love this too.
And I’m working on some exciting plans to bring the floristry community to share and learn together - watch this space!
You can find Dear Henri on THEODORE Magazine by CLICKING HERE, at dearhenri.com.au or over at Instagram @dear.henri
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