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Grace Alexander Flowers | Forde Abbey Workshop

Grace Alexander Flowers | Forde Abbey Workshop

Wild yet elegant. Extravagant yet somehow understated.  I am an unashamed fan – even a bore – on the subject of the new romantic floral movement and the snapshot of nature that an arrangement in this style produces.  As you can imagine I was in my element shooting my film camera in the cutting garden at stunning wedding venue Forde Abbey. I was also happy indeed to pass an hour observing the creativity flowing at this workshop, led by Grace Alexander (whose florals I adore for being all of the above), and documenting it through my lens.

Flower farmer and florist Grace was featured in Rock My Wedding’s series on Garden Gate’s Forage & Feast hosted by Nancarrow Farm. Described there as “a creative force and seasoned florist with real flair” Grace also runs her own creative flower workshops. Having also studied stateside recently at Floret, Grace is passionate about using the very best of what’s in season to create beautiful hand-ties and arrangements.

When Grace and I met for coffee to chat about the florals for my earthy and organic wedding inspiration she welcomed me to photograph her June 2017 workshop, in celebration of British Flowers Week, and I loved every minute of it!  Even as she grows and harvests the flowers for her own wedding this year, she is still finding the time to bring beauty and happiness to weddings all over the South West with her home-grown blooms.

Very soon you will also be able to sow happiness in your own plot or garden, with Grace’s new artisan seed collection launching this summer.  The collection features varieties not readily available through mainstream outlets and will be available soon via stockists such as Fine Art Wedding Boutique – a fabulous one-stop shop for a range of wedding suppliers totally committed to a beautiful fine art aesthetic.

I hope you enjoy these images of Grace’s workshop at Forde Abbey.

Forde Abbey Photography Forde Abbey PhotographyForde Abbey Photography Forde Abbey Photography Forde Abbey Photography Forde Abbey Photography Forde Abbey Photography Forde Abbey Photography

Floristry On the Wild Side | A floral design workshop

Floristry On the Wild Side | A floral design workshop

Floral Design: Bringing the beauty of nature indoors is for everyone.

Floral design which is wild and unstructured is a growing trend – for weddings, events, or just for pleasure. And I have to say I am most excited about that! I am so in love with this style of floral design that I contacted Charlie Ryrie to visit her Cut Flower Garden in West Dorset, where I heard a little of her story as one of the pioneers of this movement over a decade ago.

Naturally then I was delighted when she invited me to document her Spring 2017 workshop Floristry on the Wild Side.  I captured the stunning arrangements of her pupils with both my digital and beloved film cameras.  Frankly it is much harder than it looks to go wild.  I also took the opportunity to photograph her amazing garden and grounds – which I will share later.

Charlie has more courses coming up this summer, do check them out here.

My images from this workshop – together with some inspiring words from Charlie – was featured by The Natural Wedding Company on their blog for stylish, eco-conscious couples.

Liz Baker Photography fine art floral design Liz Baker Photography fine art floral design Liz Baker Photography fine art floral design