When Carly came to us earlier this year, she asked us to make her wedding beautiful. That’s our specialty! Carl and Roger engaged Stradbroke Weddings to decorate both their ceremony and reception. The theme was soft and romantic and we worked with pastel colours including shades of pink and lilac with black accents.
Natural Willow arched covered in flowers formed an arch at their ceremony overlooking Deadmans Beach and thousands of petals were strewn over the grass as well as supplied to guests in confetti cones to shower the new couple after the ceremony.
Carly & Roger’s reception was originally going to be decorated with rice paper lanterns and ribbons however, as were draping the room for an event the previous night, we offered to let Carly & Roger have the draping for free for their wedding. Carly took one look at the room draped and was thrilled.
Tables were draped in black and white with centerpieces of soft pastel flowers to match the bridal bouquet. Thousands of candles and twinkle lights filled the room and were placed not only on and around the tables but were also suspended from the ceiling draping. transforming it into a glittering fairyland.
Said Carly after the wedding,”I loved the ideas I was given in event styling. It was more beautiful than I could have imagined. The flowers were gorgeous. Stradbroke Weddings thought of things I hadn’t thought of and everything was so organised. It was a great relief and we were proud to have such a beautiful day thanks to you”
Above: Carly & Roger are showered in thousands of pink & lilac petals after their wedding ceremony
Recently I was talking to a couple at a restaurant on the Island who were marrying on the Island the next day. They asked me what I did and I told them I operated Stradbroke Weddings. The groom looked surprised and said that he had spoken to me a few months earlier regarding their wedding flowers and indeed when he mentioned his name, I did remember that we had conversed briefly many months previous.
I asked him how he went with his flower plans and he said that he had used a mainland supply located close to the Island because they gave him a cheaper quote than Stradbroke Flowers. He then proceeded to tell me how sorry he was that he had chosen to go the cheaper quote as he explained that their experience had been less than satisfactory. I asked him why and he told me that in addition to the haphazard service they had received, they had received their flowers that afternoon and although they had ordered Gerberas and Lilies (both plentiful all year round); they had received neither flower in the bride’s bouquet. He said that as if that wasn’t bad enough, the florist had not even bothered to contact them to let them know that their chosen flowers were unavailable.
I felt so bad for this couple as I could see their disappointment. Whether someone is our client or not, as wedding coordinators our wish is to see everyone’s wedding unfold as they have hoped and indeed over the years we have helped many brides who are not our clients out of a last minute wedding jam. As a florist however, it is even more disappointing to hear stories like this as we know how readily available the requested flowers were at that time and that it happens only very rarely that we are unable to supply a requested bloom or specific colour due to changed growing and seasonal conditions.
Ultimately, these conditions are not within our control and as such we always let our clients know upon booking that no florist can ever guarantee a particular flower or colour. In the rare situations where a bloom or colour is unavailable, we ensure avenues of supply are exhausted and at times, we have even hand coloured flowers to fulfill our client’s requests. Should these options prove impossible, we then take immediate action to inform our clients and offer substitutes which are as close as possible to the original request.
We know that our services are not always the cheapest and although we do offer a guarantee to beat any genuine written quotation, we can only do so when comparing similar quality workmanship, service and blooms. When using the services of Stradbroke Flowers, you can be sure of receiving the flowers you ordered wherever possible in addition to honest and quality services backed by our comprehensive insurances, including professional indemnity.
You are also assured of original ideas and quality blooms, arranged fresh on the day to ensure they look fantastic and last throughout your wedding. Your flowers will arrive at your accommodation gift boxed and on time. All flowers are clearly labeled so there’s no confusion and we are happy to deliver the men’s flowers to a separate address for your convenience.
If you wish to speak with Stradbroke Flowers about your floral needs, please feel free to give us a call. We’re happy to chat with you on the phone or in person and provide a free, no obligation quotation. We’re sure, once you experience our service, you’ll be happy you chose Stradbroke Flowers.
“This is just to say thank you so much for the fabulous flowers you created for our wedding on 28 March. They were absolutely stunning!! Perfect arrangement, size and colour. More beautiful that I could have imagined. It was special to be able to enjoy the bouquet while on our honeymoon as well, they lasted so long. Your work is highly commended by us and we wish Stradbroke Flowers the very best for the future.” David & Natasha March 2009
Above: Stradbroke Flowers – Always beautiful!
