In Conversation With: Wedding Florist Georgie of Fera Flores

Georgie from Fera Flores’ journey into wedding floristry began as a personal passion sparked by her own wedding experience. Initially a form of stress relief from her day job, floristry quickly became more than just a hobby, culminating in a deep love for creating floral magic. With formal qualifications and hands-on experience in the industry, Georgie now specialises in crafting unique and meaningful floral designs that perfectly capture the essence of each couple’s special day.

Interview Alexander Ross

“…I love working with couples to help create their dream days. Weddings are a celebratory affair and I welcome getting caught up in it all.”

What inspired you to pursue a career in wedding floristry, and how did you get started in the industry?

I was inspired to pursue a career in wedding floristry when I got married.  Floristry is a second career for me. I had completed many workshops including a short foundational course in floristry as a form of stress relief from my day job, and I then started to realise that it was more than a hobby or something I did to pass some time.  It all culminated when as a DIY bride myself many moons ago, I really loved creating magic with flowers. I loved the research - social media, (and at that time) magazines, and websites for inspiration. We got married in a farmhouse barn. It was a beautiful sandstone, turn of the century building. So warm and inviting.  The vibe I went for was rustic and unruly. Perhaps looking back now, I would have done things a little differently, but it set me on this path.  

I formalised my passion by getting my floristry qualifications and at the same time I freelanced for a number of larger flower houses in Melbourne, where I was living at the time. I got into the nitty gritty of it all – watching, asking questions and just giving it a go. Lots of heavy lifting, cleaning cleaning cleaning, reflexing a gazillion roses, and travelled to some beautiful venues and locations. I never turned down an opportunity to work on a wedding.  What was important for me, and still is, was getting a wide range of experiences with different styles and flower types.  

I love working with couples to help create their dream days. Weddings are a celebratory affair and I welcome getting caught up in it all.  

Can you share some of the key elements that make wedding floral arrangements unique compared to other types of floral design?

Wedding florals are different to other floral designs. The major difference is that you want your flowers to be fully bloomed for the special day. You want them to shine at their best for photos and to create the atmosphere you are going for. Usually, flowers selected for weddings represent romance – such as the rose, delphiniums and dahlias - and are generally softer in texture and line.  

Other flower designs for corporates, or for the home – it’s all about longevity. The blooms you seek for those designs need to be robust and have a vase life to last for longer periods, and to shine across a number of settings for example, hot kitchens in restaurants.  

What are some current trends in wedding flowers, and how do you incorporate them into your designs while maintaining a timeless appeal?

One of the timeless and most enduring trend for wedding flowers is the role roses play. All you need to do is to Google the symbolism of the rose and you’ll read words such as ‘romance, love and mysticism’.  It has universal meaning. The way I’ve incorporated the rose in wedding flowers are countless – reflexed or spun to make it ‘bloom’ more, and in bud forms for more petite designs. Where I have briefs which are for ‘no roses’, I select floral stems which still have a softer look and insert/tuck into designs to create depth and make the overall creation which is softer on the eye.  

Other trends I am seeing more of is the one flower type and scaled back designs. Couples are opting for something which makes an impact without being too garish. Little pillow-like bouquets with the one type of flower for each bouquet – each bouquet being different with flower type but the same colour. For example, whites – white roses, white dahlias, white hydrangeas. Or block colours for each bridesmaid, with the one flower type. The overall shape of bouquet is still garden-like – looser and not too tight. I love getting those briefs.

I like to use single stems in table designs. I tap into height and colour for the wow factor. Lining up bud vases with a couple of stems of same flower type is ‘my thing’ right now.  

Arbours are still one of the most requested items to create – and most costly. With budgets being tight, couples are conscious of costs and waste – opting for a single larger arrangement which are elevated on plinths, and can be transported into reception areas is the way of the future. Mobility of floral designs – including continuing to enjoy for after-parties the next day. These briefs tap into your problem solving skills as you need to think about how to create sustainably. Let’s just say my vessel collection is pretty healthy.

Weddings are deeply personal events. How do you work with couples to understand their vision and translate it into floral designs that reflect their style and story?

Confirming the brief is critical to understand vision. I always ask couples to send any visuals they have collected during their planning. I use this to confirm what I’ve understood. I also think it’s essential to visit the venue/site of the wedding. This says a lot of about the couple’s style and vision. If it’s a new place I haven’t worked on before, I visit the venue to meet the functions manager – understand the do’s and don’t with flower designs. Couples really appreciate this and feel reassured that you are going to follow through with what they aspire to on the day.  

The exchange of visual ideas is pretty powerful. This then informs what flowers I order from suppliers and growers. To get the designs right, I often make up prototypes a few days out. I test out the mechanics of any larger structures for sturdiness and the overall look am going for.  Sometimes what you have in your head doesn’t always pan out.  Confirming designs through a final consult just before flowers are ordered and a few weeks out is another avenue to further ensure you’re on the same page style and design-wise.    

As a wedding florist, what moments or experiences have deeply inspired you on your journey so far, and how have they shaped your approach to floral design and business growth?

Without sounding too cheesy, I find every wedding or event experience inspiring and always shapes the very next thing I do. One that stands out is a number of years ago, I worked on a job which was for a social enterprise-based florist. They went in at the end of a corporate event and packed down all the flowers – separate to the original florist. My role was to repurpose the flowers into smaller bunches for a local nursing home as well as donating the flowers (which were perfectly fine) to a local TAFE college for floristry students to use as part of their practicals. This added labour cost was covered by the client. This stuck with me and have subsequently offered clients this same service: for a small additional cost of labour to repurpose, they can donate their flowers to a local not for profit – in their name.  

Another experience which really stood out for me was a wedding which was held on the family’s property. The couple had a purpose grown field of wild flowers leading up to the day. They had a windy path mown into the field so when the couple arrived for their wedding, they looked like they were floating through the field.  It was really quite spectacular.  Subsequently, I have had the privilege of working on a wedding where I had access to the family’s garden and got to use their own foliages with what I created. It was my absolute dream, having the access to beautiful greenery which hadn’t been sitting in a cool room somewhere. It made a difference to the end result – so big and lush.  Similarly, I have a wedding coming end of this year where the bride is purpose growing her flowers and recently consulted with me with what to plant leading to summer. So much love behind each bouquet, bar arrangement and ceremony arrangements. We’ve agreed to a service fee type arrangement – the couple don’t need to pay for flowers, just my creative time. And the end result will be something unique and incredibly meaningful.    

Sustainability and eco-friendliness are becoming increasingly important in all industries. How do you integrate these principles into your business practices and floral designs?

Sustainability and eco-friendliness are the foundational pillars of my business and floristry practices. I use very minimal plastic and have a zero floral foam approach in my designs.  Floristry is an extremely high waste industry, particularly in the events space where you see flowers just going into the bin at the end of the night. Keeping connected with various Floristry Industry platforms and colleagues in the sector, is so important to keep up to date with the latest products and thinking around how to minimise waste. I’ve just come across a cellophane product which is fully compostable.  I’ve haven’t tried it just yet, however am excited to know this is going to be the way of the future.  Additionally, my preference is always for local, and if not available, then onto Australian grown flowers, over imported – and always seasonal. My designs are centred around these 2 key elements – re-usable materials for my mechanics, and seasonal flower type.

Can you walk us through your creative process when designing wedding floral arrangements, from conceptualisation to execution?

If I had to describe my creative process, it would be ‘circular’.  This starts with the initial brief and cross checking for understanding, to then researching where to source – which always includes numerous visits to wholesalers, growers and flower markets. This informs the creation of recipes for each piece, which I use to make prototypes to test out designs and if necessary going back to tweaking where needed. This is all before you even touch the flowers which I’ll use for the wedding. Flowers are expensive and you don’t want to be trying out a new design with stems which you’ve gone to great lengths to source for the special day.  

Ok so when I’ve done all the testing, have the most amazing blooms, how do I execute? One of the most powerful tools all florists rely on are mirrors to watch themselves creating, as well as their phones for taking snaps of what they create. Sounds strange but when making up bouquets I always do this in front of a mirror. I’ve learned how to create bouquets in the reverse. The reason for this is so I can view each design the same way guests and photographers would. 

Weddings are a high-energy day. You need to be fit, focused and be an incredible time manager. Where I have a team to work with, everyone is briefed beforehand, I use run sheets to plan out timing of various things – such as delivery, and if making items on site, how long each process should take, including factoring in the final clean up and taking snaps for your own portfolio. You don’t want to be on-site when guests start arriving. Flowers create magic for the couple and what happens behind the scene is the florist’s secret. 

Every wedding is unique. How do you ensure that your floral designs align with the overall theme and ambience of each couple's celebration?

Gosh, this is a big one. You don’t want to miss the mark with not aligning.  Communication is so important at all times: with the couple, with the venue, and other vendors you need to collaborate with. Typically if you are chosen as the couple’s florist, it means they are aligned to you stylistically and the work you produce. That connection and vibe you get when selecting a florist is so important and it needs to be there from the very beginning.  

What advice do you have for couples who are navigating the process of choosing their wedding flowers and selecting a florist?

You’ve gotta feel a vibe – check out the florist’s socials and website. Meet the florist and ask them to talk about the last wedding they worked on or one which they loved most.  

Be open and flexible when choosing flower type. Nature is the biggest influencer, not socials, with what’s available. If you are after particular colours of dahlias or roses – the sort of season growers have will determine availability. Something to think about is whether having the colour you’re after but in a different flower type change the overall theme of your wedding? Your florist can help you with these questions, they can provide alternatives and guide you through well before the big day. So much goes into wedding flowers which couples aren’t often aware of – the research time, visiting suppliers leading up to the wedding week, the hours preparing and cleaning up are all hidden costs.  If you are after flowers which aren’t in season or are limited, be prepared to pay a premium.

This all sounds like a lot to consider however your florist will talk you through what they can source for you. Your florist will make this all easy for you – they will take your creative imagination and turn it into a reality.   

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations and goals for your career as a wedding florist, and how do you plan to continue evolving and growing in the industry?  

My goals as a florist is to create across different settings – and collaborate with different couples. I love to work on edgy briefs as well as the quietly spoken. I like to work in intimate/personal settings – and elopements are my absolute swoon territory. Destination weddings are a dream of mine – having family and friends travel for a wedding means that already, they’re going to be involved and be part of the celebrations. 

Evolution of styles and being at the forefront of designs and sustainability practices is an ongoing goal and is the centrepiece of my business vision statement. Additionally, I like to work in an educative manner. That is, sharing my knowledge with up-and-coming florists and all people who want to create with flowers. 

Find Fera Flores online by CLICKING HERE or follow on Instagram at @feraflores_flowers

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