Over the past 28 years, Rob Van Helden has established a reputation as one of London's top florists winning remarkable titles such as The Lady Elizabeth Anson Lifetime Achievement Award from Brideluxand creating masterpieces at some of the most iconic spaces. We had the pleasure of working with Rob and his team at one of our largest weddings in which a dream of Gypsophilia, Wisteria and foliage stunned guests and created an unforgettable weekend.
Delve into an exclusive interview with Rob, following his floristry journey from the initial brief to the beautiful execution.
1. Where did you start with this brief? What vibe were you trying to replicate?
The starting point with this, as with most weddings of this scale, was to meet with the wedding organiser to discuss ideas and get a clear picture of the client’s vision. We try to replicate the essence of the couple, and in this case, it was elegant romance.
2. What flowers did you know to use, or not use following the brief?
Flower-wise, we knew that Gypsophila would play the star role in the ceremony, so much so, it was the only flower type that we used in the barn itself. We also wanted to of course consider what the client didn’t like, Peonies, which due to the season, worked out incredibly well. Once we had an idea of the colour palette, we proposed floral options and conducted sample meetings.
3. How did you feel about transforming such a big space? Did you always have a clear vision in mind?
It’s always exciting to transform big spaces and see the result, so I was looking forward to that! We had a clear vision in mind and the challenge was to bring that to life. But I did have mixed emotions, as weather conditions can be so unpredictable at that time of year, particularly in the UK. Of course, you hope for the weather to be sunny and beautiful on such an occasion but if it’s too hot, the heat can seriously compromise the quality of the flowers and for the reception, the installation was taking place under a Perspex roof which I knew would intensify the heat.
4. How did your team begin the transformation? Where did they start with the installation?
With a plan for a significant ceiling installation, we started at the top of the marquee to create a canopy structure from which we could hang the flowers and foliage. For this, we worked with the production team who affixed galvanised wires to the ceiling, so our first step was to attach chicken wire that would span across the whole ceiling space.
5. What was your biggest challenge with this floral installation? How did you overcome it?
Our biggest challenge was the heat from the sunshine, it turned out to be a very hot weekend, and it was vital that we created a spectacular vision that would survive the course of the celebrations. So, we monitored the floral canopy over the 24 hours, and before the start of the reception dinner and replaced any branches that had been ‘scorched’ by the sun.
6. How did the completed look differ from the original brief? Was it similar? Were many changes made?
The finished look was very similar to the original brief, no big changes were made, rather small tweaks, such as the Wisteria being white instead of purple, but we believe the floral décor and tablescapes met the client’s expectations for their wedding weekend.
7. What is Rob Van Helden Floral Design looking forward to in the next six months?
We have some fantastic events coming up across the summer, so we are really looking forward to making many more desired dreams become a reality... And seeing happy satisfied faces all round!
We absolutely loved working with Rob and his team on this incredible wedding! The flowers were unbelievably beautiful and it was a dream to transform our artistic vision into a reality for all to enjoy.
