Floristry for a Jewish wedding in London, with help from Grandma
Emma and Sam's wedding had a detail I haven't encountered before: Sam's grandmother, a retired florist, was involved in the flower choices. For me, that said everything about the kind of wedding this was going to be — rooted in family and tradition.
The venue was a private members club in central London: grand architecture, formal interiors and the kind of setting that could easily feel stiff if the flowers didn't do some work to soften it. Emma's brief was to do exactly that. As an American bride celebrating her Jewish heritage, she wanted the floristry to honour her culture while feeling fresh — gold accents sitting against garden style whites and greens, warm without being heavy.
Working with Sam's grandmother on the colour direction was a joy. We landed on a natural meadow style design built around delphiniums, campanula and a special combination gold rose — flowers that felt summery and relaxed, and that brought real lightness into a formal space. Emma was wonderfully laidback about the detail, giving me the freedom to interpret the palette in my own way once the direction was set.
The staircase was one of my favourite elements of the day. My team and I dressed it with seasonal foliage, white and gold flowers to create an entrance for Emma and Sam — the kind of moment that lands before a word is spoken. In a building like that, with a staircase like that, you want the floristry to feel like it grew there.
The Chuppah presented a different kind of challenge. The Chuppah symbolises the new home the couple will create together — it's a meaningful element of the Jewish ceremony and often becomes the design focal point of the day. Emma and Sam's was a slim gold frame, which meant restraint was everything. The flowers needed to honour the significance of the structure without overpowering its delicacy. I kept the arrangement soft and romantic.
For the reception tables, I used single variety flowers in bud vases at varied heights — simple, informal, and deliberately at odds with the formality of the room. It's a contrast that works. The flowers gave guests something beautiful and human to sit amongst, and left the table clear for the food.
Flowers matter in a building like this. They're what makes a traditional London interior feel like a wedding rather than a venue.
Photography: Jonny Donovan Photography
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