Paisley Flower Company

One of the best things for me is when my friends are also suppliers – such is the case with Vicki of Paisley Flower Company. I have known Vicki for years through her brother, a school friend, but we’ve never actually worked on the same wedding! A few weeks ago we sat down for a couple of iced coffees and chatted about how it all began for her and flowers.

Vicki started out her career as a buyer for Joules, surely a staple of many wardrobes! Although she loved her job, she started evening classes in floristry at Brooksby College for a hobby. In no time, she caught the ?????. After taking an intensive 6 week course at Jane Packer in London, she quit her day job and with the launch of Christmas wreath workshops in December 2015, Paisley was born.

Photo by Helen Cawte Photography

Photo by BWiggler Photography

.Vicki says of the Jane Packer course “this was not my style but I learnt so much about technique”, including how to structure an arrangement and got her into good habits like prepping flowers and make them last and look their best.
By going to more courses, Vicki developed her own style which she describes as “natural, relax and foliagey” which is definitely a word we both made up! Vicki loves working with bright colours, and of course, seasonal flowers.

Now she can offer everything for your event from button holes to table arrangements, from large installations to bouquets. She also sells individual bouquets (I have bought a couple for my mum!) and her small bouquets are on sale every week at Otters Deli in Oakham and Great Bowden Stores. She is also a master at the Moongate. I saw one of these for the first time at Vicki’s own wedding and I had no idea what it was – now they’re everywhere!
Vicki also runs workshops throughout the year (I attended a fab Christmas wreath one last year where she made my less than artistic wreath look wonderful!) and is associated with companies for her floristry. She still works with Joules, working on their stand at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 and provides all the decoration for their stand at Burghley Horse Trials, for which they won Best Trade Stand in 2018. She is also the go to florist for Hambleton Hall and Harts in Nottingham

Joules Stand at Burghley Horse Trials 2018

Joules at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019

So why should you book Vicki? Well, her knowledge is vast and she understands someone’s vision exactly. If you’re looking for a relaxed and natural style, she is the florist for you. She will have a face-to-face consultation with customers, then quote based on what they have asked for. She does say that any ideas you have need to be flexible – the best results come from the client having an idea of the mood and feel they want, then letting Vicki apply her knowledge, creativity and experience to this.
​Something I love about Vicki is that she buys British flowers wherever possible – a cause close to my heart! She buys from wholesalers in Nottingham and Northampton and carefully considers when to buy her flowers so that they can be open and look their best your event.
Having said that, Vicki’s favourite wedding she has worked on had a Gothic theme and the couple wanted their flowers to be slightly past their best! She loved this wedding because the couple had an image, but let Vicki go to town to achieve this! There were skulls, candelabras, hanging floral arrangement and white balloons everywhere.

Photo by Benjamin Wheeler

As you may have gathered, I am a fan of Vicki’s work. Not only is that because she is a wonderful florist and really knows what she is doing, but it is clear how hardworking she is and how much she cares about giving you the best results. Even when I have bought gift bouquets from her, they have been carefully designed and arranged, and lasted for ages!
When Vicki isn’t working, she loves going on holiday, discovering new places, especially in the UK with her husband and two dogs – they even got married on a Cornwall beach!
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 www.paisleyflower.co.uk

Facebook - @paisleyflowerco 
Instagram - @paisleyflowerco

Photo by Benjamin Wheeler