Flashback to the beginning of 2023, we got a lead through our website from a couple in New York planning to get hitched in England. Their venue? Yorkshire. Our location? Kent. If you’re geographically challenged, that’s a good five-hour drive. I casually mentioned this to the groom, who promptly responded, "Well, I'm making everyone else travel, so you girls can too." Charming.
Fast forward through the initial consultation, and it was clear: these guys wanted their wedding to be an absolute showstopper. The flowers needed to be extraordinary. Cue mild panic.
Two weeks before the wedding, we hit the panic button hard. We’d taken on the biggest wedding of our careers. Could we pull it off? Enter Paula Rooney, our business mentor and all-around miracle worker. One session with her, and we had the confidence and tips we needed. Crisis averted—for now.
May 2024 arrived faster than a cat to a fish market. The Airbnb was booked, and we were ready to roll. Given the scale of this wedding, Katie and I knew we needed backup. Enter our husbands, AKA our muscles and free labor. We lured them with the promise of a nice weekend getaway, conveniently omitting the part about them being our pack mules. Deception complete.
Katie and I set off in the van on Wednesday, relishing the extra night away from kids and husbands. Upon arrival, we unpacked the floral bounty from Hoek and got down to the exhilarating task of flower conditioning. By 8 PM, we were done and ready to enjoy dinner and some much-needed wine.
Thursday was prep day. We needed expert help and found it in Helen from Willow and Bear. Her Instagram aligned perfectly with ours, so we booked her. Helen was a floral wizard—fast, knowledgeable, and a joy to work with. What we thought would take two days, she helped us finish in one. Superhero much?
By Thursday evening, we realized we needed more hands for the venue setup. Helen couldn’t join, but she hooked us up with her list of trusted freelance florists. Meanwhile, our husbands arrived and promptly made the place messy. We sent them to the field with the sheep—less annoying out there.
Friday morning, the calm before the floral storm. We finished the wrist corsages and buttonholes, loaded the van, and headed to Allerton Castle. Unloading and setup began. The men made multiple trips for the flowers, grumbling all the way. Lesson learned: we need a bigger van.
Katie tackled the grand arch, sourced from the amazing Fiona at @flowersbyraspberrywild. We wrapped up at 3 PM, feeling like wedding ninjas, and headed to a local pub for some well-deserved grub.
Saturday, wedding day! I woke up to an email from Loverly, announcing we’d won ‘Best International Florist 2024’. But that’s a story for another day. Back to the wedding chaos: we arrived at the venue, gave our husbands their marching orders (our affectionate term: "our bitches"), and got to work.
Katie handled her epic arch, Lisa from Midenwood Florals worked her magic on the staircase, and I took on the wedding breakfast room. The grooms and their entourage arrived, spreading their American cheer. We delivered the bouquets and buttonholes, and as the ceremony began, we slipped away to re-purpose the ceremony flowers for the wedding breakfast room. Teamwork at its finest!
Finally, our job was done. We retired to the pub, where the men complained about the lack of relaxation. Sorry, not sorry.
Sunday, we packed up and headed back to Kent, exhausted but triumphant. Our biggest wedding to date? Smashed it.
Huge thanks to Paula Rooney for the invaluable pep talk, Helen for her floral wizardry, Lisa for the stunning staircase, and Ben & Dominic for capturing the magic. And of course, Greg & Jordan, our dream couple, who believed in us from the start. Lastly, our husbands, James and Mark—you drove miles, took orders, and were the best unpaid help we could ask for.
Lessons learned: more hands on deck, a bigger van, and never be afraid to say yes to big challenges. We doubted ourselves, but we pulled it off spectacularly. Cheers to more epic weddings and the amazing people who make them possible!
Review from the couple for A Touch of Kent:
'We recently had the pleasure of working with Sam and Katie from A Touch of Kent for our wedding, and we truly couldn't be happier with their exceptional service and stunning floral arrangements. From our first conversation to the big day, they went above and beyond to bring our vision to life.
Sam and Katie's attention to detail and creativity truly set them apart. They took the time to understand our preferences and theme, providing invaluable suggestions and incorporating our ideas seamlessly. The result was breathtaking – every arrangement was meticulously crafted, and the flowers were vibrant and beautifully arranged. In addition to their outstanding floral work, Sam and Katie also handled our wedding stationery, table setting and decorating. They designed and created our signature cocktails menus, welcome boards, seating charts, menus, and more (I honestly cannot name all the amazing things these two ladies accomplished). Their cohesive and elegant designs added a unique and personalized touch to our celebration, tying everything together perfectly.
Their professionalism and dedication were evident throughout the entire process. They were always prompt, responsive, and incredibly well organized, which made planning so much easier and stress-free for us. On the day of the wedding, they ensured everything was perfect, and we received countless compliments on both the floral decor and the beautifully crafted stationery.
We are immensely grateful to Sam and Katie for making our wedding day so memorable and beautiful. If you're looking for florists who will exceed your expectations and deliver extraordinary results, we highly recommend A Touch of Kent. Thank you, Sam and Katie, for your incredible work and for making our special day even more magical!'
A Touch of Kent - https://www.atouchofkent.com
Paula Rooney - https://paularooney.co.uk
Helen - Willow & Bear - https://willowandbearfloraldesign.com
Lisa - Mindenwood Florals - https://mindenwoodfloraldesign.co.uk
Ben Cummings - https://www.bencummingphotography.co.uk
Dominic - Bouncing Ball films - https://www.bouncingballfilms.co.uk
Allerton Castle - https://www.allertoncastle.co.uk
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