WEDDING FLOWERS: the language of flowers
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Showing posts with label the language of flowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the language of flowers. Show all posts

George and Charlotte's tarmac tour

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It's one way of building a profile. Prince George and Princess Charlotte made like plane spotters this month and spent a lot of time hanging out at airports. The third and fourth in line to the throne accompanied their parents on their visit to Poland and Germany but while William and Kate were on parade through day and night, their little prince and princess kept their appearances airside. We got tarmac and tantrums and loved every second of it. Here's a recap of George and Charlotte's airport adventures from July 2017.






The tarmac tour began in Warsaw where, as expected, George and Charlotte hopped off the plane with mum and dad to get this much heralded royal visit under way.  But they made their presence felt before they'd even taxied to a halt with faces pressed at windows to see the drizzle that awaited them.




It was our first glimpse of the Cambridge kids since Trooping the Colour last month which meant much oohing and aahing. But there was a clear indication this wasn't going to be straightforward at the very start. George seemed reluctant to leave the plane and Charlotte made it clear she was going nowhere by foot. You want this princess off the plane then you carry her.

On the ground, Kate juggled her daughter while shaking hands while George did a fabulous masterclass in being bored, royal style. He scuffed his shoes, he kicked his legs, he put his hands in his pockets. Part one of this European trip was scoring low with the kids who clearly wanted to get on with the serious business of playing.


Wednesday morning saw the royal children back at Warsaw airport as the tour of Poland came to an end. There was a short flight to Berlin where the second stage of the tour would get under way. All in blue this time (the Cambridges were nothing if not colour co-ordinated as they made their way through Europe), Charlotte had got the memo this time by strolling to the steps of the aircraft.




George still wasn't sure about this whole up early, in your shorts and off to the airport thing that mum and dad had come up with. Looking tired and reluctant, George made his way to the plane and had no intention of hanging around while the grown ups chatted. He was straight up the stairs to take his seat and contemplate doing it all over again in Germany in just a few hours' time.




Berlin was bright and beautiful as the Cambridge family touched down at Tegel for part three of the tarmac tour. George hopped down the steps and rubbed his eyes a lot, perhaps aware that his sister was about to steal the scene. Charlotte was already clambering down the (rather large) plane steps as George stepped on to the red carpet.


But every prince knows you're never going to be able to compete with a princess getting her first bunch of flowers. Charlotte was presented with a mini bouquet after mum had been handed her blooms and took to delighting everyone by smelling them constantly and holding them as if she'd been born to it. Which, let's face it, she has.


Charlotte's tarmac tour took a more two year old turn as it came to an end in Hamburg, the final stop on the royal visit to Germany. As the prince and princess joined the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for a visit to a helicopter or two, Charlotte was less than happy. We got a full on royal tantrum on the tarmac, already one of the most famous royal events of 2017.


George couldn't have cared less, he was in his element. Helicopters are clearly top of his wish list as a prince who had started this last part of his airport tour looking pretty unimpressed was suddenly the happiest boy in the world.




George and William, father and son, two kings in waiting, had a bit of a male bonding moment in front of the world's press as they sat and chatted helicopters. It was great to see George looking so happy.
Then it was time to say goodbye. The Cambridge children walked on to their plane one last time, settled down and pressed their faces against the glass safe in the knowledge they won't have to do this again for months. George and Charlotte's tarmac tour was over. It raised some questions - among them, was there really much point in the children going on this working visit when their appearances were limited to the airport and neither of them really seemed to enjoy it all that much. 
But their parents know what is best for them and the Cambridges had family time away from the cameras. As they prepare for a new phase in their lives, with William leaving his role as an air ambulance pilot and the couple moving to London ahead of taking on more royal duties, this was also a turning point in their family appearances. The Cambridge kids are growing up fast and however much their mum and dad want them to lead a normal life, the realisation is creeping in that normal for these little ones does involve public appearances. It could be that this tarmac tour is where George and Charlotte's profile begins to take off.

Rubies for July: Denmark

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The fiery red birthstone of July has been a favourite for royals over centuries and this month's look at their modern use ends with one of the best known ruby tiaras around right now. The Danish Ruby Tiara, part of a stunning parure, is now used by Crown Princess Mary and it's such a favourite we get to see it at least once a year. But it has a long and romantic history so to end our look at this month's birthstone, here are rubies for July from Denmark.


Given that these rubies sit merrily alongside a whole load of diamonds it seems as if they were made for Danish royals with their clever echoing of the country's flag colours. In fact, these sparklers started their royal path with a French woman who became Queen of Sweden. The rubies in this parure first belonged to Desiree Clary.



Desiree's rubies were bought for the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of France on December 2nd 1804. By then she was married to Jean Bernadotte, Marshal of France and he, like other important members of Napoleon's circle, received cash from the boss to buy his wife enough jewellery to make the whole event sparkle like none before. Desiree may have had another reason for wanting the best gems she could find - she had been engaged to Napoleon herself but he had left her for Josephine, the woman about to be crowned Empress.


Desiree, Queen of Sweden, was the first owner of Denmark's famous rubies

Desiree got a crown of her own in the end. Her husband was elected as heir to the throne of Sweden in 1810 and succeeded in 1818. His wife was something of a reluctant queen but she returned to the Swedish court and even changed her name to Desideria. Her rubies and diamonds came with her and that's where they stayed for decades.

But they weren't destined to stay in Sweden. They ended up in Denmark when Desiree's great granddaughter, Louisa, married that country's Crown Prince, Frederik, in 1869.  They were handed over to her as she left for Copenhagen as they matched the colours of her new country's flag. And Denmark is where they have stayed ever since.

Another Swedish princess turned Queen of Denmark loved them so much they became a signature piece. Ingrid, mother of Queen Margrethe, wore the rubies constantly and had a big hand in giving the set its modern appearance. The jewels are very pretty and very unusual with the small rubies set among diamond leaves to form floral settings. Ingrid really changed the shape of the tiara, adding more gems to it, to create the diadem we know today. She loved these rubies and diamonds and gave them a big royal profile. When she died she ensured they gained another layer of history.



Queen Ingrid stipulated in her will that the rubies and diamonds of Desiree would pass to her beloved grandson, Crown Prince Frederik, ensuring they gained another hold on the Danish crown. When Ingrid passed away in November 2000 the gems came to Fred who had by then met a certain Mary Donaldson. The new Crown Princess of Denmark made these her go to piece immediately, famously wearing them at her pre wedding gala in May 2004. Mary has loved them as much as Ingrid ever since. The red and white of Denmark's flag continues to sparkle in jewel form in the 21st century. Romantic, dramatic and very regal - a perfect way to end rubies for July.

Hobart Wedding in February

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Photography by Acoma
I provided flowers for a beautiful wedding in Hobart this February.  The ceremony was held at Runnymede House, a National Trust property in New Town.  

Photography by Acoma
The interior of the house provided a gorgeous light for photographs.  I love these photos by one of Tasmania's most talented photographers, Acoma.  Stunning!

Photography by Acoma
The colours of the wedding were silvery grey, with burgundy bow ties.  I love the classic colour combination of grey and red and the February flowering natives were a perfect fit.  


Silvery grey foliages were a must, and I used the Eucalyptus Crenulata with its silvery bloom covering the young leaves.   Leucadendron Silver Tree worked in with the silvery grey theme, with its shimmery soft silky leaves.  Risdon Peppermint was the other foliage I used.  


Brunia Albiflora is a perfect addition for a silvery grey wedding.  The balls of the Brunia are exactly that, and the way they catch the light makes them appear to glow.  I love them!


Each bouquet had a Pink Ice Protea and some red Banksia Occidentalis.  I also used some Scarlet Ribbons pincushions.


Safari Sunset Leucadendrons in deep burgundy, their summer colour, were used to add darker tones.  Highlights were added with a stunning flowering gum that has white flowers but red buds.  They came from a very large, mature tree that was completely covered with blossom this year.  


Flowering gum ... sigh!


Another lovely addition is the bright red cones of Leucadendron Jubilee Crown.  Their little cones look like berries in amongst the flowers. 


And of course, because of the silvery grey/natives theme, we had to add in some beautiful mature gum nuts, which have silvered with age.  

Photography by Acoma
Photography by Acoma
The controlled colour scheme really worked with the dresses.  Aren't they stunning!


Boutonnieres for the men included leaves from the flowering gum Corymbia Ficifolia, peppermint foliage,  Leucadendron Jubilee Crown cones and flowering gum buds around a large silvery gum nut. 
 
Photography by Acoma
The grooms boutonniere had some added Brunia.  

Photography by Acoma
I think they went fabulously with the burgundy bow ties!


I also made a floral comb bursting with flowering gum, Brunia, peppermint, and with some Jubilee Crown cones and a little bit of wax flower. 

Photography by Acoma
The hair comb was worn by the mother of the bride -  a special touch. 


Chair decorations used Brunia, Jubilee Crown, Safari Sunset, Silver Tree and Flowering Gum.  The soft grey ribbon was used throughout the floral designs.  

Photography by Acoma
The reception was held at Stefano Lubiana winery north of Hobart.  Burgundy Leucadendrons were placed on each plate and gum foliage was scattered down the centre of the tables.

Photography by Acoma
Natives work so well in a "rustic" setting.

Photography by Acoma
Its really special when the bride is so happy with the flowers that she apologises for sending through too many photos of the wedding!  Theres no such thing! 

Photography by Acoma
It was a pleasure to be involved in this beautiful wedding, and to be able to share so many stunning photos with you all.  



Royal Wedding Dresses: Lady Diana Spencer

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It's about as famous as royal wedding dresses come. The Emanuel design worn by Lady Diana Spencer as she married the Prince of Wales on July 29th 1981 remains an icon of modern royal fashion. We know the bows, the frills and the creases like the backs of our own hands but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy them one more time. Thirty six years on from the wedding of the century, here's a look back at Diana's wedding dress.







The commission for the dress everyone wanted to make was given to designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel who had been favourites of Diana before her engagement was announced. They became overnight superstars and the dress was world famous before it was even made.



The final design has been called romantic more times than any of us have had hot dinners. It really was the stuff of which fairytales were made with huge sleeves, huge skirt and a huge bow surrounded by endless sparkles and lace trims. Diana was already the subject of endless projections before she had even said 'I do' and this dress is one of them. She was the perfect princess in the making and was dressed as everyone expected a princess to look.



Ask anyone about Diana's wedding dress and perhaps the first thing they will say is that it was creased. As the bride got out of the Glass Coach at St Paul's Cathedral that huge skirt made a protest at having been crammed into a vintage carriage and came out crumpled. It came into its own as Diana walked down the aisle but that creased first look is the stuff of royal legend.


 
Let's get down to basics. The dress was made of silk, taffeta and antique lace and featured over 10,000 pearls and sequins. Every royal wedding dress needs a train and the frock at the marriage of the century didn't disappoint. Just the twenty five feet of fabric followed Diana up the aisle attached at the waist of the dress. The train features a scalloped edge and was completely covered by her light veil.


Diana's wedding dress was an instant icon and was copied the world over. For years after her marriage, puff sleeves and huge skirts were popular choices for brides. The gown itself has been displayed several times but now belongs to Prince William and Prince Harry - they inherited it when they both reached the age of 30. Whether the dress will be seen in public again isn't known. But this royal wedding gown has a place in history all of its own as the stuff of which royal fairytales were (briefly) made.

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