Something blue...

Once upon  a time , in a beginning of  last year, I met Claire when she asked if I can do her wedding flowers. Of course, but then I found out that she doesn't  particularly like  roses, lilies, gerberas or gypsophilia,  well....  that's fine.
When Claire showed me her dress and brought a piece of lace left from altering the dress for her petit figure, I was absolutely fascinated by the fabric, it was so delicate, beautiful and inspiring.

Trying to match the transparence of lace we have chosen delicate blooms of anemones, eustoma, bouvardia...for "something blue"  the eryngium fit perfect.

Three more bouquets were made for the little flower girls including the tiny one  for Lucy - 3 y.o. daughter of Claire and Daniel

For gents buttonholes we've used  eustoma and chamelaucium, it worked great with the whole theme.

and not forgetting the cake with Lammas (they have a significant meaning to the couple)!

Claire and Dan have chosen Holdsworth House near Halifax for their vintage themed wedding, place was very cosy and welcomed guests with an open fire place,  perfect setting for the cold november morning.....
Claire's  dress was beyond imagination,   I just hoping we can see the actual wedding photos sometime soon and, I'm sure, that you will share my delight for the beautiful looking Claire ..

Urban wedding

Over the summer we have decorated more than plenty of  beautiful white and pink weddings  that’s why when Alex and Aidian came with an idea of  bright orange theme we were so  delighted.

   Alex had a strong  vision of tropical heliconias used through the theme, so we have incorporated small  Psittacorum Fire Opal  into her bouquet together with beautiful mango calla lilies.  

The idea of  this style –  an over arm bouquet -  was  dictated by the structural flowers chosen , as well as the fact that being  quite tall and slim , Alex had an amazing  straight dress, which was perfect for the contemporary vibrant style wedding.

The reception took place at one of our favorite place – The Mansion at Roundhay Park in Leeds,  where you can enjoy the cozy atmosphere of chic boutique style venue and breathtaking view of landscapes around  the place.

Continuing the theme the table décor was stylish and minimalistic.

Wedding in rustic theme

This week we enjoyed creating rustic themed designs for the wedding of a lovely couple – Molly and Richard, which took place at the barn of Oakwell Hall in Birstall, Yorkshire, UK.  

This country setting dictated the use of visually light materials, effect of effortlessly created arrangements with the thoughtful input of colors.  

Chocolate cosmos   is the favourite here, it spiced up those rather muted  late summer colors  -plum, purple, dusky pink and bronze - used  within the theme.

Malaysia

Lana recently received the tremendous honour of being invited to not only exhibit but also to judge at the highly prestigious Floria 2012 Flower Show in Malaysia.

To reflect the beautiful surroundings and evoke the perfumed breeze on a balmy Malaysian evening, Lana created an atmospheric work composed of a large crescent of hot pink orchids and bouginvillea, contrasted with highly textural, woven wave-forms of flax over a bronzenet frame, displayed against a black background. The effect was much admired by the many international florists who had travelled from four continents to exhibit at the show.

It was a wonderful opportunity to meet florists from all over the world and glimpse very different styles of floristry from other cultures. 

Lana had the tough job of being one of the judging team assigned to select a winning garden design from among the dozens on display. 

A highlight of the trip was meeting the Queen Lady Consort of the Supreme Head of State of Malaysia. Her Majesty, who is apparently very fond of flowers, spent a great deal of time touring the show and viewing the exhibits.

An exhausting but thoroughly inspirational trip, from which Lana has returned with an overflowing sketchbook of ideas and techniques to incorporate into our designs here at Anastasia Flowers.

A peek at some of our recent weddings!

It has been an extremely busy June so far at Anastasia Flowers with some wonderfully unique weddings. We couldn't resist giving our customers and readers a peek at some of the beautiful and unusual designs we have created for our brides.

We were invited to create a soft, romantic chuppah for one of our couples at Etz Chaim Synagogue in Leeds. We use pure habatai silk which gives a wonderful draped effect, garlanded with long strands of fresh variegated ivy and dozens of gloriously scented ivory roses, each placed in individual glass tubes suspended on mono filament. We were very proud of this stunning result.

We designed this pair of elegant pedestal arrangements to welcome this couple's guests to a classically beautiful, formal occasion. The design was given a subtle modern twist by placing the displays in strong, geometric stone urns instead of traditional pedestal stands.

We have many more exciting weddings planned for the next few months. If you would like award-winning florist, Lana Bates, and her team to produce a unique design for your wedding flowers, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0113 2687415.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show - our latest medal!

Thanks to a fantastic win in the regional heats with her design on the theme of 'A Centrepiece for an Olympic Banquet', our head designer and master florist, Lana Bates, once again qualified for the final of the RHS Florist of the Year competition.

This year's design brief for the RHS Florist of the Year final at Chelsea Flower Show was 'Diamonds are Forever: A Chandelier for the Jubilee'. Quite a challenge indeed! Not only must competitors produce a dramatic and elegant design which incorporates elements which can be lit but the designer must also overcome the practical challenges involved in suspending a large and heavy arrangement from the ceiling!

As ever, Lana rose to the occasion with her signature flair, producing an exquisite design in shades of peaches and creams and incorporating hand-crocheted lace and sparkling crystals, recalling the muted candy-colour, pastel shades of the 1950s. The design was composed of dozens of tiny test tubes containing David Austen roses, sweet peas, eucharis and dendrobium orchids, mounted on a series of custom-made perspex panels, hand-embellished with diamantes, from which were suspended delicate droplets strung with silver beads, individual hyacinth pips, hypericum berries and vanda orchids. The overall effect was of frothy femininity and vintage opulence.

The competition this year was fierce but we are delighted to announce that Lana Bates has won another medal this year; a Bronze! It will join our previous two Chelsea medals, a Gold and a Silver-Gilt, in our trophy cabinet along with our 2010 Silver Designer of the Year from Fusion Flowers Magazine and our 3rd Place in the Florist of the Year competition 2010 from the British Florists Association.

Stylist Magazine

We are delighted to have been chosen to be featured by Stylist magazine in their 'Flowers Issue' in May.

http://issue.stylist.co.uk/1P4fb0c7730ef53806.cde/page/66

It is very flattering for Anastasia Flower School, which was launched only a year ago, to be one of only five schools in the whole of the UK profiled in their article.

Our small class sizes and personal approach mean that we are able to tailor our classes to the particular interests and skill level of our students, from absolute beginners to master florists. We love helping people discover a passion for flowers, whether as a hobby, a new career or a new perspective on their existing floristry business.

If you would like to find out more about our upcoming classes, please phone us on 0113 268 7415.

Our First Wedding Showcase

Our first wedding showcase was a sparkling success.

We were joined by our invited guests for a glass of wine and delicious cakes by our own Alina, who makes fabulous wedding cakes and our neighbours at the Sunshine Bakery, who provided the yummy cupcakes.

We were delighted to hear the admiring comments and compliments on our new designs, including a quirky vintage tea party centrepiece with tiny spray roses and button chrysanthemums tightly packed into antique tea cups.

Other exciting new ideas including a vivid display of tropical orchids in intense, saturated colours to reflect a summer, party atmosphere.

We also showed an exciting array of pedestal arrangements, bridal bouquets and corsages, to inspire our brides.

If you would like to ensure your guests are awed by your gorgeous wedding flowers, please contact award-winning florist, Lana Bates, to create a uniquely memorable design for your wedding.