"ABSORB THE SPIRIT AND ESSENCE" go outside, breathe, and be present Bride Catherine asked me to design a bouquet and arrangements that reflected the beauty of the welsh mountains in early autumn. She didn’t constrain me with a restrictive brief and put her faith in me to design something perfect for her. I believe a floral design should sit coherently within a venue as well as reflect the landscape around it. It's important to really understand the location, spend time there and truly absorb the spirit and essence of the place. As I began the process of designing for Catherine, I spent the day in and around the venue, researched online and took note of the colours, textures and the way the light changed the landscape in different seasons. For many of us when thinking of autumn colour, it’s easy to conjure an image of the stereotypical red, brown and orange leaves and it would be easy to create something with this in mind, however not all landscapes look like this in autumn so to design in an authentic way it’s really important to study a location properly with an open mind, and no preconceptions, so that it can be truly reflected in the finished pieces. During my visit I noticed the slate grey, purple and pink colours of the heather-clad mountains, the barren rough craggy ground juxtaposed with soft mossy and fern filled woodland floors. I noticed the softness of the heather, the beautiful form of the bracken and how it changed from green through to gold and then bronze as it dried, and the yellowing of the leaves as they turned in the cooler weather. 37
GEORGINA HARRISON PHOTOGRAPHY
