From finance to floristry, Emma scoops top title in wedding awards
A florist who changed career from finance to flowers has won a major national award.
Emma Jane Floral Design based at Forden on the Shropshire/Welsh border, took the title of florist of the year at The Welsh Wedding awards.
Setting up her business four years ago Emma said she had an unusual start into the world of floristry.
"I have always loved flowers. With both my Mum and Gran being keen flower arrangers, I would often try to lend a hand and loved picking flowers from my Gran’s beautiful garden. My passion for creating grew from there.
"Leaving my finance job in Manchester and returning to the Mid Wales village where I grew up, I wanted to do something creative so I enrolled on a part-time floristry course in Shrewsbury College. Having completed the course and gained experience with other talented florists in the area, I launched my own business Emma Jane Floral Design in 2019. "
As a studio-based florist she specialises in wedding flowers, although she also creates funeral designs, Mother’s Day bouquets and Christmas wreaths too.
"We are lucky to have a whole host of beautiful wedding venues on our doorsteps, both in Powys and over the border into Shropshire," says Emma.
"Most of the weddings I create flowers for are in and around the local area, although occasionally I do travel further afield to Herefordshire, North Wales and Liverpool."
Soon after setting up her business the Covid pandemic, hit meaning a lot of postponements and upheaval for clients and the wedding industry as a whole.
"I worked on a number of 'micro-weddings' during this time for couples who wanted to go ahead and get married with just six guests and then, after a year-and-a-half of waiting, I started working on full size weddings again in the summer of 2021.
"With both new bookings and rearranged Covid dates I was non-stop for wedding bookings during both 2021 and 2022. The last couple of years really have flown by in a whirl of weddings.
"With Covid being closely followed by the huge increase in energy and fuel prices, the last few years haven’t been easy for florists. We have had incredibly turbulent wholesale prices during this time, and are continuing to see price increases. It is difficult to know exactly how the industry will be affected long term, but as many others have had to, we will adapt as necessary. "
Emma said that there were many aspects of the job she loved.
"One of my favourite parts is when my carefully selected flowers start to arrive and I can start to see the months of planning coming together, I also love seeing the final few moments before I leave; when everything is set up perfectly, ready and waiting for the couple to get married.
"It is lovely to work with such a variety of couples, all with their own unique stories. I love creating floral designs that really encapsulate my couple’s personalities, making their weddings as truly unique as they are.
"I was absolutely delighted to be nominated for The Welsh Wedding awards after only for years in business. Just having hard work recognised and appreciated feels very rewarding, so I was absolutely shocked and delighted when I won both the regional and national florist of the year award. There were so many talented florists nominated, I really am delighted for my relatively new business to be considered up there with them."
